From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sat Aug 1 03:47:10 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 10:47:10 +0100 Subject: [A-List] =?iso-8859-1?q?Honduras=3A_Anti-Chavez_=27free_speech=27?= =?iso-8859-1?q?_warriors_linked_to_coup?= Message-ID: Honduras: Anti-Chavez 'free speech' warriors linked to coup July 21st 2009, by Federico Fuentes - Green Left Weekly The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) is well known for its mission to expose the Venezuelan government of President Hugo Chavez as a threat to free speech "all over the continent". These brave free speech warriors made a big deal this year about how they "dared" to hold a meeting in the Venezuelan capital, "defying" the repression of Chavez's "dictatorial" regime. It turns out that the IAPA has found little to condemn in regards to the dictatorship that has installed itself by military force in Honduras. This regime has closed many media outlets, threatened and detained journalists, suspended constitutional rights, imposed nation-wide curfews and expelled the broadcasting teams of Latin America-wide station Telesur and Venezuelan state TV channel VTV from Honduras at gunpoint. While it "condemns" some of the attacks on freedom of speech, it has ittle to say about the coup regime itself. This is because, for the IAPA, there was no coup. Its July 14 statement said the democratically elected Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was simply "stood down" - not kidnapped and dumped in a different country by balaclava-clad soldiers. And if anyone can recognise a dictatorship, it is the IAPA. After all, as it points out, the IAPA has been fighting off dictatorships "for a long time" - in the form of the Chavez administration. Ironically, the only time in Venezuela that a TV channel was taken off air, constitutional rights suspended, and journalists arrested and assaulted since Chavez's 1998 election was during the two days when he was removed from power in a short-lived coup in April 2002. Rather than wait for the IAPA freedom fighters to save them, the Venezuelan people took to the streets, and together with most of the military, defeated the coup regime and restored Chavez to office. So why are these free speech crusaders so soft on the coup regime in Honduras? Probably because IAPA representatives in Honduras have been central to the coup. For instance, Roberto Micheletti, who was installed by the coup as de facto president, is the owner of various companies, including the newspaper La Tribuna. One of his associates at the newspaper is Edgardo Dumas Rodriguez, a Honduran representative to the IAPA. Then there is Jorge Canahuati. Two of the most pro-coup newspapers are La Prensa and El Heraldo. Together, they control 80% of newspaper circulation. Both are majority owned by Canahuati, also president of the IAPA international commission. So it is no surprise that Dumas Rodriguez told Venezuelan newspaper El Universal on July 5 that "no military coup has occurred" in Honduras. Not that he is unconcerned with democracy. Dumas Rodriguez said he had information of a lawsuit being filed against a threat to Honduran sovereignty - not his friend and military-installed dictator Micheletti, but Chavez "for the crimes he has committed by intervening in the internal affairs of Honduras and for threatening to overthrow the existing government"! For this free speech crusader, the real criminal is Chavez and not the coup plotters that overthrew an elected government and suspended all democratic rights - including free speech. Asked why the IAPA was not criticising Honduran media outlets openly supporting a regime that crushes free speech, IAPA president Enrique Santos said on July 4 that while there may "possibly be newspapers that have been partisans of the change of government", this was no reason for IAPA to "tell them what to think ... IAPA is not a monolithic organisation, where all partners have to have the same political criteria." Within the broad church that is IAPA, fascist coup plotters are more than welcome. Keep this practice in mind next time the IAPA issues a blistering denunciation of the Venezuelan "dictatorship" - which has closed not one media outlet and where the large majority of the media are vehemently anti-government. See also: 07/12/2004: Venezuela's Chavez and Inter American Press Association go Head to Head 28/03/2008: Deconstructing the IAPA War on Venezuela 24/03/2008: Venezuela to Host Latin American Meeting Against Media Terrorism From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sat Aug 1 04:18:38 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 11:18:38 +0100 Subject: [A-List] REBELION: Ten families financed the coup in Honduras Message-ID: REBELION: Ten families financed the coup in Honduras Posted to CN by: "Greg McDonald" sabocat59 at mac.com gregiww Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:31 am (PDT) http://rebelion.org/noticia.php?id=89427 Ten families financed the coup in Honduras "Publico" The highest authority of military affairs in Honduras, the National University investigator Leticia Salomon, has uncovered the ins and outs of the coup d'etat. She discussed it as if it were an unimportant detail before a crowded audience at a roundtable presentation: "It was planned by a group of businessmen led by Carlos Roberto Facusse', ex-president of Honduras (1988-2002) and owner of the newspaper "La Tribuna", that, along with "La Prensa", "El Heraldo", TV channels 2,3,5, and 9, were the fundamental pillars of the coup". The group Salomon refers to is rounded out with Jaime Rosenthal and Gilberto Goldstein, leaders of Grupo Continental, the commercial center with monopoly control of the Honduran banking system, agroindustry and media outlets such as "El Tiempo" and "Channel 11". The rest of the families which supported the coup against Zelaya and which control 90% of the wealth produced in the country are : Jose Rafael Ferrari, Juan Canahuati, the finance mogul Camilo Atala, the timber baron Jose Lamas, the energy sector businessman Fredy Nasser, Jacobo Kattan, the sugar industrialist Guillermo Lippman and builder Rafael Flores. The fundamental personage of this conspiracy was the magnate Miguel Facusse, decorated by the Colombian Senate in 2004 with the Order of Democratic Merit, and who today monopolizes the palm oil business and in 1992 approved the purchase of campesino property at less than 10% of its true value. This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sat Aug 1 04:36:49 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 11:36:49 +0100 Subject: [A-List] U.S.-Brokered Mediation Has Failed -- time for the Latin American governments to play their proper role Message-ID: <66D5FC97E4B348E99604BA97414A2FFB@home9sg93n9r5y> Posted to CN by: "Norman Girvan" norman.girvan at gmail.com Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:33 am (PDT) This column was published by *The Guardian Unlimited* on July 30, 2009. ------------------------------ The mediation effort that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arranged to try to resolve the Honduran crisis, which began when a military coup removed Honduran President Mel Zelaya more than four weeks ago, has failed. It is now time - some would say overdue - for the Latin American governments to play their proper role. They should take the necessary steps to implement the unanimous mandate from the Organization of American States: "the *immediate and unconditional* return" of President Zelaya to his elected office. This can be done with or without the help of the Obama administration. It is important to note that the last two political crises in the region were resolved without any significant input from Washington. The first was in March of last year, when Colombia bombed and invaded Ecuadorian territory, in an operation targeting Colombian FARC guerillas. Latin America was united in its response, condemning the violation of Ecuador's sovereignty. The crisis was resolved at a Rio Group meeting on March 7, where President Uribe of Colombia apologized and pledged not to violate the sovereignty of any country again. In the summer of last year, right-wing Bolivians opposed to the government of President Evo Morales engaged in a series of violent actions that raised the specter of a separatist civil war. The heads of state of UNASUR - the Union of South American Nations -- met in Santiago and unanimously declared their support for the Morales government. This unified regional response, and the ensuing investigations of right-wing violence sponsored by UNASUR, helped put an end to the insurrectionary hopes of the Bolivian right. It was too much to expect that a mediation process set up by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would resolve the Honduran crisis. The U.S. government has too many interests that conflict with what the rest of the region wants and needs. First, there is the U.S. military base in Honduras, the only such base in Central America. The constitutional reform process that President Zelaya hoped to set in motion could easily lead to voters' rejection of foreign troops on their soil. However much our government may prefer democracy as a political system, when there is a choice between democracy and a military base, Washington's track record is not a good one. Brazil's foreign minister Celso Amorim complained to Clinton that the mediation process should be within the framework of the OAS resolution, and therefore should not impose conditions on Zelaya's return - especially, he said, a coalition government with the people who overthrew the government. This was one of the conditions proposed by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, whom Clinton recruited to mediate. Amorim also noted that any negotiated solution that was seen as rewarding the coup perpetrators would increase the threat of military coups in other countries. These concerns reflect Latin America's strong and unambiguous interest in a complete reversal of the coup. They will have to live with the consequences of failure. In Washington, by contrast, we have a muddle of conflicting interests: powerful lobbyists such as Lanny Davis and Bennett Ratcliff, who are close to Clinton and are leading the coup government's strategy; the Republican right, including Members of Congress who openly support the coup; and "New Cold Warriors" of both parties in the Congress, State Department, and White House who see Zelaya as a threat because of his co-operation with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and other left governments. No wonder Washington's response to the coup has sent so many mixed signals. The first White House statement did not even criticize the coup, and the State Department still won't officially call it a coup. And Clinton has repeatedly refused to say that "restoring the democratic order" in Honduras means bringing Zelaya back - much less unconditionally. It took three weeks for the administration to threaten a foreign aid cutoff, and Washington is alone in keeping its ambassador in place. Latin America gave Washington a chance to use its influence with the Honduran elite to restore democracy there. It didn't work. Now it is Latin America's turn to take the lead. Hopefully, Washington will follow. -- Invitation: register for email alerts of new postings at http://normangirvan.info From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Sat Aug 1 08:31:53 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 23:31:53 +0900 Subject: [A-List] The 100-Mile Diet Message-ID: <20090801233153.31634682.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> In 2005, Alisa Smith and J B MacKinnon began a one-year experiment in local eating. Their 100-Mile Diet struck a deeper chord than anyone could have predicted, inspiring thousands of individuals, and even whole communities, to change the way they eat. Locally raised and produced food has been called "the new organic" - better tasting, better for the environment, better for local economies, and better for your health. From reviving the family farm to reconnecting with the seasons, the local foods movement is turning good eating into a revolution. FAQs: An Interview with James and Alisa * Why the '100-Mile' Diet? * How difficult is the 100-Mile Diet? * Was it mostly fun, or mostly frustration? * Is this some kind of foodie cult? * Did you feel malnourished? * Were your meals repetitive and boring? * Was it expensive? * Did it take a lot of time? * What did you miss the most? * Are you still on the 100-Mile Diet? * Will local eating save the world? * Will I lose weight while I save the world? * Can this be done in New York City/Alaska/the desert? * Did you cheat? Why the '100-Mile' Diet? It's an easy way to start thinking local. A 100-mile radius is large enough to reach beyond a big city and small enough to feel truly local. And it rolls off the tongue more easily than the '160-Kilometre Diet'. How difficult is the 100-Mile Diet? We walked into the diet cold turkey for a full year, and it was hard. For example, we live on the West Coast, so it took us seven months to find a rogue local farmer who actually grows wheat. Meanwhile, we ate an unbelievable number of potatoes. Doing the diet the hard way taught us a lot about the current food system, but it isn't for everybody. A more realistic approach is to plan a single, totally 100-mile meal with friends or family, and see where you want to go from there. Was it mostly fun, or mostly frustration? The 100-Mile Diet is about learning by doing. Getting to know the seasons. Understanding where our food comes from, and at what risk to our health and to the environment. Sorting out how we all ended up eating apples that taste like cardboard and cakes made with petrochemicals. It was a challenge, but a good one - a genuine adventure. Is this some kind of foodie cult? Do we think the world would be a better place if more people ate local food more often? Yes. Do we want to pick fights or lose friends about it? No. Did you feel malnourished? For one year we ate only the freshest food that had traveled the shortest possible distances and was eaten or preserved at its seasonal peak. Most of it was organic, and everything we ate was prepared from scratch and nothing came out of a box. Does that answer that question? Were your meals repetitive and boring? At first, yes. As we found more and more local food sources, though, our meals became more interesting than ever before. Farmers and farmers' markets introduced us to foods and flavors we'd never tried before. We discovered the seasons, and the micro-seasons, and the micro-micro-seasons. What's available is always changing. Was it expensive? Again, only in the beginning. Most of us pay a big premium for out-of-season foods like cherries in winter or prepared foods like spaghetti sauce, usually with a long list of ingredients we might prefer not to have in our bodies. Eating locally, we bought fresh ingredients in season and direct from the farmer - and we were often buying bulk. We preserved enough food for the winter that we rarely had to buy groceries. Our bet? Most people eating a typical diet could save money by eating locally. Did it take a lot of time? We won't lie - it takes time to find local food sources, to make food from scratch, to do canning for winter, and so on. But it also raises interesting questions about how we're spending our time. What if we spent more time on self-sufficiency and less time at the office? What did you miss the most? Every region has foods that are hard - or impossible - to find. We went without wheat for seven months. We missed pasta. We missed bread. We missed pancakes. Then we found our wheat farmer, and we pigged out. Are you still on the 100-Mile Diet? Yes - more or less. We lived a year on the 100-Mile Diet as an experiment. Now we're committed to eating locally, but certain long-distance favorites have made it back into the larder. Like olives. And chocolate. And beer. Will local eating save the world? Check out our Twelve Reasons for Eating Locally (see below). Will I lose weight while I save the world? The world of weight-loss diets is a weird and not-so-wonderful place. Let's put it this way: a local diet is likely to involve lots of fresh produce and homemade meals, and not a lot of junk food, processed fats, additives and sugar. You're also far more likely to know where your food came from, and what's in it. Can this be done in New York City/Alaska/the desert? We recently ate a 100-Mile Meal in New York, and we'd only been there for one day. We've also managed totally local eating at 55 degrees north latitude and on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. There are places where it's easier and places where it's harder, but with a little planning, local eating is never impossible. And yes, that's a direct challenge to scientists in Antarctica and astronauts in the International Space Station. Did you cheat? Read our tell-all book about a year on the 100-Mile Diet: http://100milediet.org/book _____ Twelve Reasons for Eating Locally 1. Taste the difference. At a farmers' market, most local produce has been picked inside of 24 hours. It comes to you ripe, fresh, and with its full flavor, unlike supermarket food that may have been picked weeks or months before. Close-to-home foods can also be bred for taste, rather than withstanding the abuse of shipping or industrial harvesting. Many of the foods we ate on the 100-Mile Diet were the best we'd ever had. 2. Know what you're eating. Buying food today is complicated. What pesticides were used? Is that corn genetically modified? Was that chicken free range or did it grow up in a box? People who eat locally find it easier to get answers. Many build relationships with farmers whom they trust. And when in doubt, they can drive out to the farms and see for themselves. 3. Meet your neighbors. Local eating is social. Studies show that people shopping at farmers' markets have ten times more conversations than their counterparts at the supermarket. Join a community garden and you'll actually meet the people you pass on the street. 4. Get in touch with the seasons. When you eat locally, you eat what's in season. You'll remember that cherries are the taste of summer. Even in winter, comfort foods like squash soup and pancakes just make sense - a lot more sense than flavorless cherries from the other side of the world. 5. Discover new flavors. Ever tried sunchokes? How about purslane, quail eggs, yerba mora, or tayberries? These are just a few of the new (to us) flavors we sampled over a year of local eating. Our local spot prawns, we learned, are tastier than popular tiger prawns. Even familiar foods were more interesting. Count the types of pear on offer at your supermarket. Maybe three? Small farms are keeping alive nearly 300 other varieties - while more than 2,000 more have been lost in our rush to sameness . 6. Explore your home. Visiting local farms is a way to be a tourist on your own home turf, with plenty of stops for snacks. 7. Save the world. A study in Iowa found that a regional diet consumed seventeen times less oil and gas than a typical diet based on food shipped across the country. The ingredients for a typical British meal, sourced locally, traveled 66 times fewer "food miles". Or we can just keep burning those fossil fuels and learn to live with global climate change, the fiercest hurricane seasons in history, wars over resources ? 8. Support small farms. We discovered that many people from all walks of life dream of working the land - maybe you do too. In areas with strong local markets, the family farm is reviving. That's a whole lot better than the jobs at Wal-Mart and fast-food outlets that the globalized economy offers in North American towns. 9. Give back to the local economy. A British study tracked how much of the money spent at a local food business stayed in the local economy, and how many times it was reinvested. The total value was almost twice the contribution of a dollar spent at a supermarket chain . 10. Be healthy. Everyone wants to know whether the 100-Mile Diet worked as a weight-loss program. Well, yes, we lost a few pounds apiece. More importantly, though, we felt better than ever. We ate more vegetables and fewer processed products, sampled a wider variety of foods, and ate more fresh food at its nutritional peak. Eating from farmers' markets and cooking from scratch, we never felt a need to count calories. 11. Create memories. A friend of ours has a theory that a night spent making jam - or in his case, perogies - with friends will always be better a time than the latest Hollywood blockbuster. We're convinced. 12. Have more fun while traveling. Once you're addicted to local eating, you'll want to explore it wherever you go. On a trip to Mexico, earth-baked corn and hot-spiced sour oranges led us away from the resorts and into the small towns. Somewhere along the line, a mute magician gave us a free show over bowls of lime soup in a little cantina. _____ Alisa Smith is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in Reader's Digest, Outside, Utne Reader, and many other publications. Based in Vancouver, she spends her summers in a wilderness cabin in northern British Columbia. J B MacKinnon is the author of the acclaimed Dead Man in Paradise (2005), which won the 2006 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Nonfiction. He is the winner of three national magazine awards as a freelance writer, and is a former senior editor at Adbusters. He lives with his co-author in Vancouver. http://100milediet.org/ http://www.billtotten.blogspot.com http://www.ashisuto.co.jp From critical.montages at gmail.com Sat Aug 1 08:38:38 2009 From: critical.montages at gmail.com (Yoshie Furuhashi) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 10:38:38 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia In-Reply-To: <10671234.1249087855935.JavaMail.root@elwamui-rustique.atl.sa.earthlink.net> References: <10671234.1249087855935.JavaMail.root@elwamui-rustique.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Message-ID: If the point is to curtail drug consumption and addiction in the US, the "war on drugs" has been a big waste of money. The money would have been better spent on education and rehabilitation. As the US faces a challenge of funding a counter-cyclical fiscal policy on a reduced tax base due to the Great Recession, it is best to cut off unproductive expenses such as foreign wars and counter-narcotic operations and imprisonment of non-violent drug offenders. Yoshie On Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 8:50 PM, Sean Fischer wrote: > An expansion of US counter- drug operations in South American is good news. > Any US tax payer will agree that plenty of time, effort, and expenditures > have been invested into combating illicit drugs from the region.?? I must > ask which nations and / or leaders are complaining about increased efforts > geared at continuing reductions in drug activity from inside their South > American borders? From critical.montages at gmail.com Sat Aug 1 09:03:54 2009 From: critical.montages at gmail.com (Yoshie Furuhashi) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 11:03:54 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras Message-ID: Regrettably, so far there has been no large protest in the US to pressure the USG to reverse the coup in Honduras. Such protests as have happened in the US on this issue appear to have been even smaller than the Iranian Green protests in the US, which have largely consisted of Iranian immigrants of various political persuasions, from leftists to liberals to monarchists and the Iranian Mojahedin (from which most non-Iranian leftists, including vocal Green Movement supporters, have abstained). There is such a resounding political vacuum on the US front in the struggle against the Honduran coup that Mark Weisbrot now suggests that the solution has to come from Latin America, without the US. This shouldn't be impossible, as long as Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, the key powers, act forcefully together with El Salvador and Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. U.S.-Brokered Mediation Has Failed -- It's Time for Latin America to Take Charge by Mark Weisbrot The mediation effort that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arranged to try to resolve the Honduran crisis, which began when a military coup removed Honduran President Mel Zelaya more than four weeks ago, has failed. It is now time -- some would say overdue -- for the Latin American governments to play their proper role. They should take the necessary steps to implement the unanimous mandate from the Organization of American States: "the immediate and unconditional return" of President Zelaya to his elected office. This can be done with or without the help of the Obama administration. It is important to note that the last two political crises in the region were resolved without any significant input from Washington. The first was in March of last year, when Colombia bombed and invaded Ecuadorian territory, in an operation targeting Colombian FARC guerillas. Latin America was united in its response, condemning the violation of Ecuador's sovereignty. The crisis was resolved at a Rio Group meeting on March 7, where President Uribe of Colombia apologized and pledged not to violate the sovereignty of any country again. In the summer of last year, right-wing Bolivians opposed to the government of President Evo Morales engaged in a series of violent actions that raised the specter of a separatist civil war. The heads of state of UNASUR -- the Union of South American Nations -- met in Santiago and unanimously declared their support for the Morales government. This unified regional response, and the ensuing investigations of right-wing violence sponsored by UNASUR, helped put an end to the insurrectionary hopes of the Bolivian right. It was too much to expect that a mediation process set up by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would resolve the Honduran crisis. The U.S. government has too many interests that conflict with what the rest of the region wants and needs. First, there is the U.S. military base in Honduras, the only such base in Central America. The constitutional reform process that President Zelaya hoped to set in motion could easily lead to voters' rejection of foreign troops on their soil. However much our government may prefer democracy as a political system, when there is a choice between democracy and a military base, Washington's track record is not a good one. Brazil's foreign minister Celso Amorim complained to Clinton that the mediation process should be within the framework of the OAS resolution, and therefore should not impose conditions on Zelaya's return -- especially, he said, a coalition government with the people who overthrew the government. This was one of the conditions proposed by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, whom Clinton recruited to mediate. Amorim also noted that any negotiated solution that was seen as rewarding the coup perpetrators would increase the threat of military coups in other countries. These concerns reflect Latin America's strong and unambiguous interest in a complete reversal of the coup. They will have to live with the consequences of failure. In Washington, by contrast, we have a muddle of conflicting interests: powerful lobbyists such as Lanny Davis and Bennett Ratcliff, who are close to Clinton and are leading the coup government's strategy; the Republican right, including Members of Congress who openly support the coup; and "New Cold Warriors" of both parties in the Congress, State Department, and White House who see Zelaya as a threat because of his cooperation with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and other left governments. No wonder Washington's response to the coup has sent so many mixed signals. The first White House statement did not even criticize the coup, and the State Department still won't officially call it a coup. And Clinton has repeatedly refused to say that "restoring the democratic order" in Honduras means bringing Zelaya back -- much less unconditionally. It took three weeks for the administration to threaten a foreign aid cutoff, and Washington is alone in keeping its ambassador in place. Latin America gave Washington a chance to use its influence with the Honduran elite to restore democracy there. It didn't work. Now it is Latin America's turn to take the lead. Hopefully, Washington will follow. Mark Weisbrot is co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, in Washington, D.C. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan. He is co-author, with Dean Baker, of Social Security: The Phony Crisis (University of Chicago Press, 2000), and has written numerous research papers on economic policy. He is also president of Just Foreign Policy. This article was first published by the Guardian on 30 July 2009. From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sat Aug 1 09:57:39 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 16:57:39 +0100 Subject: [A-List] An expansion of US counter- drug operations in South American is good news? Message-ID: <5426D123FB5C4A43903C5A238F321251@home9sg93n9r5y> Sean Fischer wrote: An expansion of US counter- drug operations in South American is good news.... This is either total naivete or consummate disingenuousness. It is hard to imagine anyone could accept the bona fides of the USA when it is justifying its military expansion. Keeping Honduras's one decent airport in the hands of the US military is clearly one of the reasons the USA is supporting -- and probably instigated -- the coup. Zelaya had plans to convert it to civilian use; it can now be used, along with the Colombian bases, to launch war on rebellious Latin America. The situation there has reached the point where one must decide which side one is on. James From seanfischer at earthlink.net Sat Aug 1 10:09:11 2009 From: seanfischer at earthlink.net (Sean Fischer) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 12:09:11 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras Message-ID: <15225208.1249142951629.JavaMail.root@elwamui-rustique.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Honduras-US: The US revoked the visas of four members of the interim Honduran government as part of its pressure tactics to force Honduras to restore Zelaya as president. This is an endeavor that looks increasingly doubtful. A state department spokesman said the US also is reviewing the visas of other members of the ?de facto government. ? We don't recognize Roberto Micheletti as president of Honduras. We recognize Manuel Zelaya," the spokesman said. Note: The US bullying of Micheletti risks a blowback effect in which he becomes the latest Latin American hero to stand up to the US. If the Bolivarians experience such an epiphany, they and the Cubans will turn against the US Secretary of State on this issue as fast as a serpent. Imagine the socialists and communists supporting the free enterprise democrats in Honduras against the US; almost as crazy as the US State Department aligning with the socialists and communists against one of America?s most steadfast allies in Latin America. That would be condign punishment for misrepresenting the facts. Heretofore, the Carter Administration was renowned for beating up US allies over human rights violations while coddling the communists and socialists, even inviting them to the White House. Readers would be justified in suspecting that some people at State are covering up their judgmental blunders, indicated by the Department?s persistent distortion of the facts of the Honduran situation. The evidence is overwhelming -- and not refuted by Zelaya or the State Department -- that Zelaya attempted a political coup to usurp the Honduran constitution by means of a referendum that had been ruled unconstitutional by the Honduran Supreme Court. His gambit failed when the armed forces refused to carry out illegal orders to distribute ballot boxes for the referendum and when the Congress and Supreme Court staged a successful political counter-coup by ordering the army to give him the boot. If State could commit to rule of law, it might support the coming election in November which is on track and on schedule as the best mechanism for taking the pulse of the Honduran electorate. It might even suggest accelerating the election timetable. For now a sharply declining number of Hondurans seem to care that Zelaya is absent. They have more important and immediate problems, such as survival. Source: NW -----Original Message----- >From: Yoshie Furuhashi >Sent: Aug 1, 2009 11:03 AM >To: A-List , Rad-Green >Subject: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras > >Regrettably, so far there has been no large protest in the US to >pressure the USG to reverse the coup in Honduras. Such protests as >have happened in the US on this issue appear to have been even smaller >than the Iranian Green protests in the US, which have largely >consisted of Iranian immigrants of various political persuasions, from >leftists to liberals to monarchists and the Iranian Mojahedin (from >which most non-Iranian leftists, including vocal Green Movement >supporters, have abstained). There is such a resounding political >vacuum on the US front in the struggle against the Honduran coup that >Mark Weisbrot now suggests that the solution has to come from Latin >America, without the US. This shouldn't be impossible, as long as >Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, the key powers, act forcefully together >with El Salvador and Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. > > >U.S.-Brokered Mediation Has Failed -- >It's Time for Latin America to Take Charge >by Mark Weisbrot > >The mediation effort that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton >arranged to try to resolve the Honduran crisis, which began when a >military coup removed Honduran President Mel Zelaya more than four >weeks ago, has failed. It is now time -- some would say overdue -- >for the Latin American governments to play their proper role. They >should take the necessary steps to implement the unanimous mandate >from the Organization of American States: "the immediate and >unconditional return" of President Zelaya to his elected office. > >This can be done with or without the help of the Obama administration. > It is important to note that the last two political crises in the >region were resolved without any significant input from Washington. >The first was in March of last year, when Colombia bombed and invaded >Ecuadorian territory, in an operation targeting Colombian FARC >guerillas. Latin America was united in its response, condemning the >violation of Ecuador's sovereignty. The crisis was resolved at a Rio >Group meeting on March 7, where President Uribe of Colombia apologized >and pledged not to violate the sovereignty of any country again. > >In the summer of last year, right-wing Bolivians opposed to the >government of President Evo Morales engaged in a series of violent >actions that raised the specter of a separatist civil war. The heads >of state of UNASUR -- the Union of South American Nations -- met in >Santiago and unanimously declared their support for the Morales >government. This unified regional response, and the ensuing >investigations of right-wing violence sponsored by UNASUR, helped put >an end to the insurrectionary hopes of the Bolivian right. > >It was too much to expect that a mediation process set up by U.S. >Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would resolve the Honduran crisis. >The U.S. government has too many interests that conflict with what the >rest of the region wants and needs. > >First, there is the U.S. military base in Honduras, the only such base >in Central America. The constitutional reform process that President >Zelaya hoped to set in motion could easily lead to voters' rejection >of foreign troops on their soil. However much our government may >prefer democracy as a political system, when there is a choice between >democracy and a military base, Washington's track record is not a good >one. > >Brazil's foreign minister Celso Amorim complained to Clinton that the >mediation process should be within the framework of the OAS >resolution, and therefore should not impose conditions on Zelaya's >return -- especially, he said, a coalition government with the people >who overthrew the government. This was one of the conditions proposed >by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, whom Clinton recruited to >mediate. > >Amorim also noted that any negotiated solution that was seen as >rewarding the coup perpetrators would increase the threat of military >coups in other countries. These concerns reflect Latin America's >strong and unambiguous interest in a complete reversal of the coup. >They will have to live with the consequences of failure. > >In Washington, by contrast, we have a muddle of conflicting interests: >powerful lobbyists such as Lanny Davis and Bennett Ratcliff, who are >close to Clinton and are leading the coup government's strategy; the >Republican right, including Members of Congress who openly support the >coup; and "New Cold Warriors" of both parties in the Congress, State >Department, and White House who see Zelaya as a threat because of his >cooperation with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and other left governments. > >No wonder Washington's response to the coup has sent so many mixed >signals. The first White House statement did not even criticize the >coup, and the State Department still won't officially call it a coup. >And Clinton has repeatedly refused to say that "restoring the >democratic order" in Honduras means bringing Zelaya back -- much less >unconditionally. It took three weeks for the administration to >threaten a foreign aid cutoff, and Washington is alone in keeping its >ambassador in place. > >Latin America gave Washington a chance to use its influence with the >Honduran elite to restore democracy there. It didn't work. Now it is >Latin America's turn to take the lead. Hopefully, Washington will >follow. >Mark Weisbrot is co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy >Research, in Washington, D.C. He received his Ph.D. in economics from >the University of Michigan. He is co-author, with Dean Baker, of >Social Security: The Phony Crisis (University of Chicago Press, 2000), >and has written numerous research papers on economic policy. He is >also president of Just Foreign Policy. This article was first >published by the Guardian on 30 July 2009. > From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sat Aug 1 10:14:07 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 17:14:07 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Honduran Coup Leaders Cannot Stop Demonstrations Message-ID: Honduran Coup Leaders Cannot Stop Demonstrations Coup leaders falsely denounce the existence of alleged "funds" used in demonstrations. Despite all their efforts, the usurpers have not been able to stop the demonstrations Juventud Rebelde; 2009-07-31 | 17:28:48 EST is( -- CN) TEGUCIGALPA, July 29. - Honduran demonstrators continued in the streets on Wednesday, while coup leaders were denouncing the existence of alleged "funds" used in demonstrations. Despite all their efforts and measures, the usurpers have not been able to stop the demonstrations. The Attorney's Office is one of the powers supporting the attempted coup. The Public Ministry has accused Honduran president Manuel Zelaya of disguising the real intentions of this coup. Therefore, they said that if Zelaya enters Honduras he will be detained. Now, they accused demonstrators of using "funds" to support demonstrations citing a list they found in the car of Carlos Reina, one of the coordinators of the demonstrations. Attorney's Office members appear to be trying to link this money with the FARC guerrillas in the framework of the right-wing campaign against Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez de Venezuela and his Ecuadorian counterpart Rafael Correa. Chavez is being accused of providing the Colombian guerrillas with weapons and the other of borrowing money from the insurgents to support his electoral campaign. Reina refuted these charges and said that those inventing this have no argument to against the demonstrators in Honduras claiming Zelaya?s reinstatement, said Reina. Lying is the usurpers? weapon. On Wednesday, first lady Xiomara Castro said that usurpers lied to her when they allowed her to move towards the border with Nicaragua to meet Zelaya. She, along with Zelaya?s mother Hortensia Rosales and his daughter went to the Honduran community of Arauca, around 10 kms far from Nicaragua. However, they had to return to El Para?so. Castro said that when they arrived there she was told that only the family of the president could move forward to the border, later, only she could, and some minutes later only her daughter Xiomara Hortensia Zelaya. "So, we decided not to go there due to this uncertainty," she told PL. "They intended to do the same they did with Zelaya and then we would not been allowed to return to Honduras," said Castro. Xiomara Castro also said that the de facto government supporters tried to frighten them and ordered them to leave the country. Meanwhile, the curfew stands in El Para?so, as well as the humanitarian emergency alert caused by those thousands of Honduran inhabitants detained by the army. Organizations from the National Front against the Coup called for strengthening the vigilance of the Venezuelan embassy as rumors are circulating that usurpers want to expel their diplomats. From critical.montages at gmail.com Sat Aug 1 10:21:52 2009 From: critical.montages at gmail.com (Yoshie Furuhashi) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 12:21:52 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras In-Reply-To: <15225208.1249142951629.JavaMail.root@elwamui-rustique.atl.sa.earthlink.net> References: <15225208.1249142951629.JavaMail.root@elwamui-rustique.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Message-ID: You are quite obviously out of mind if you sincerely believe that Micheletti would become a "Latin American hero" standing up to the US or that Carter, who initiated an operation to back the mujahedeen in Afghanistan, perhaps the most successful case of international jihad in history, against socialism, was the president given to "coddling communists and socialists." As for the notion that holding a non-binding referendum is illegal, or it is legal to overthrow a government to prevent a non-binding referendum, it can come only from the might-makes-right school of law. By the way, slavery was legal according to the laws of the ruling classes of colonial America and the USA. That didn't make it right. Yoshie On Sat, Aug 1, 2009 at 12:09 PM, Sean Fischer wrote: > Honduras-US: ?The US revoked the visas of four members of the interim Honduran government as part of its pressure tactics to force Honduras to restore Zelaya as president. This is an endeavor that looks increasingly doubtful. > > A state department spokesman said the US also is reviewing the visas of other members of the ?de facto government. ? We don't recognize Roberto Micheletti as president of Honduras. We recognize Manuel Zelaya," the spokesman said. > > Note: ?The US bullying of Micheletti risks a blowback effect in which he becomes the latest Latin American hero to stand up to the US. If the Bolivarians experience such an epiphany, they and the Cubans will turn against the US Secretary of State on this issue as fast as a serpent. > > Imagine the socialists and communists supporting the free enterprise democrats in Honduras against the US; almost as crazy as the US State Department aligning with the socialists and communists against one of America?s most steadfast allies in Latin America. That would be condign punishment for misrepresenting the facts. > > Heretofore, the Carter Administration was renowned for beating up US allies over human rights violations while coddling the communists and socialists, even inviting them to the White House. > > Readers would be justified in suspecting that some people at State are covering up their judgmental blunders, indicated by the Department?s persistent distortion of the facts of the Honduran situation. ?The evidence is overwhelming -- and not refuted by Zelaya or the State Department -- that Zelaya attempted a political coup to usurp the Honduran constitution by means of a referendum that had been ruled unconstitutional by the Honduran Supreme Court. > > His gambit failed when the armed forces refused to carry out illegal orders to distribute ballot boxes for the referendum and when the Congress and Supreme Court staged a successful political counter-coup by ordering the army to give him the boot. > > If State could commit to rule of law, it might support the coming election in November which is on track and on schedule as the best mechanism for taking the pulse of the Honduran electorate. It might even suggest accelerating the election timetable. > > For now a sharply declining number of Hondurans seem to care that Zelaya is absent. They have more important and immediate problems, such as survival. > > Source: NW From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sat Aug 1 10:24:12 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 17:24:12 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Honduras could cancel US diplomatic visas Message-ID: RADIO AMERICA: Honduras could cancel US diplomatic visas Posted by: "Greg McDonald" sabocat59 at mac.com gregiww Fri Jul 31, 2009 4:47 pm (PDT) I finally find a point of agreement with the coup regime of Honduras. Apparently, Micheletti is threatening to reciprocate with some visa cancellations, namely, that of Llorens at al. It would be pretty funny to see Honduran troops escorting Llorens to the airport. http://www.radioamerica.hn/sitio.cfm?pag=leenoticias&t=Dia&id=14559 31 de julio de 2009 4:21:27 PM GMT-06:00 Honduras podr?a cancelar Visas diplom?ticas a funcionarios de EE.UU RADIO AMERICA- En un comunicado emitido por la Canciller?a de la Rep?blica de Honduras se dio a conocer que se podr?a aplicar reciprocidad a los diplom?ticos estadounidenses acreditados en el pa?s, en vista que esta naci?n suspendi? las Visas Diplom?ticas a cuatro hondure?os. De acuerdo a Yina Valeriano, encargada de Relaciones p?blicas de este ente estatal, los funcionarios a quienes se les suspendieron las Visas no incurrieron en ning?n delito de corrupci?n, narcotr?fico o terrorismo entre otros. Valeriano explic? que la medida se puede aplicar a diplom?ticos o c?nsules sin ninguna excepci?n. R.O. This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sat Aug 1 10:51:00 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 17:51:00 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras References: <15225208.1249142951629.JavaMail.root@elwamui-rustique.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Message-ID: Sean Fischer wrote: Note: The US bullying of Micheletti risks a blowback effect in which he becomes the latest Latin American hero to stand up to the US. If the Bolivarians experience such an epiphany, they and the Cubans will turn against the US Secretary of State on this issue as fast as a serpent. The question appears to be not so much "whose side are you on?" as "what the hell are you on?". ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sean Fischer" To: "The A-List" Sent: Saturday, August 01, 2009 5:09 PM Subject: Re: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras Honduras-US: The US revoked the visas of four members of the interim Honduran government as part of its pressure tactics to force Honduras to restore Zelaya as president. This is an endeavor that looks increasingly doubtful. A state department spokesman said the US also is reviewing the visas of other members of the ?de facto government. ? We don't recognize Roberto Micheletti as president of Honduras. We recognize Manuel Zelaya," the spokesman said. Note: The US bullying of Micheletti risks a blowback effect in which he becomes the latest Latin American hero to stand up to the US. If the Bolivarians experience such an epiphany, they and the Cubans will turn against the US Secretary of State on this issue as fast as a serpent. Imagine the socialists and communists supporting the free enterprise democrats in Honduras against the US; almost as crazy as the US State Department aligning with the socialists and communists against one of America?s most steadfast allies in Latin America. That would be condign punishment for misrepresenting the facts. Heretofore, the Carter Administration was renowned for beating up US allies over human rights violations while coddling the communists and socialists, even inviting them to the White House. Readers would be justified in suspecting that some people at State are covering up their judgmental blunders, indicated by the Department?s persistent distortion of the facts of the Honduran situation. The evidence is overwhelming -- and not refuted by Zelaya or the State Department -- that Zelaya attempted a political coup to usurp the Honduran constitution by means of a referendum that had been ruled unconstitutional by the Honduran Supreme Court. His gambit failed when the armed forces refused to carry out illegal orders to distribute ballot boxes for the referendum and when the Congress and Supreme Court staged a successful political counter-coup by ordering the army to give him the boot. If State could commit to rule of law, it might support the coming election in November which is on track and on schedule as the best mechanism for taking the pulse of the Honduran electorate. It might even suggest accelerating the election timetable. For now a sharply declining number of Hondurans seem to care that Zelaya is absent. They have more important and immediate problems, such as survival. Source: NW -----Original Message----- >From: Yoshie Furuhashi >Sent: Aug 1, 2009 11:03 AM >To: A-List , Rad-Green > >Subject: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras > >Regrettably, so far there has been no large protest in the US to >pressure the USG to reverse the coup in Honduras. Such protests as >have happened in the US on this issue appear to have been even smaller >than the Iranian Green protests in the US, which have largely >consisted of Iranian immigrants of various political persuasions, from >leftists to liberals to monarchists and the Iranian Mojahedin (from >which most non-Iranian leftists, including vocal Green Movement >supporters, have abstained). There is such a resounding political >vacuum on the US front in the struggle against the Honduran coup that >Mark Weisbrot now suggests that the solution has to come from Latin >America, without the US. This shouldn't be impossible, as long as >Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, the key powers, act forcefully together >with El Salvador and Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. > > >U.S.-Brokered Mediation Has Failed -- >It's Time for Latin America to Take Charge >by Mark Weisbrot > >The mediation effort that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton >arranged to try to resolve the Honduran crisis, which began when a >military coup removed Honduran President Mel Zelaya more than four >weeks ago, has failed. It is now time -- some would say overdue -- >for the Latin American governments to play their proper role. They >should take the necessary steps to implement the unanimous mandate >from the Organization of American States: "the immediate and >unconditional return" of President Zelaya to his elected office. > >This can be done with or without the help of the Obama administration. > It is important to note that the last two political crises in the >region were resolved without any significant input from Washington. >The first was in March of last year, when Colombia bombed and invaded >Ecuadorian territory, in an operation targeting Colombian FARC >guerillas. Latin America was united in its response, condemning the >violation of Ecuador's sovereignty. The crisis was resolved at a Rio >Group meeting on March 7, where President Uribe of Colombia apologized >and pledged not to violate the sovereignty of any country again. > >In the summer of last year, right-wing Bolivians opposed to the >government of President Evo Morales engaged in a series of violent >actions that raised the specter of a separatist civil war. The heads >of state of UNASUR -- the Union of South American Nations -- met in >Santiago and unanimously declared their support for the Morales >government. This unified regional response, and the ensuing >investigations of right-wing violence sponsored by UNASUR, helped put >an end to the insurrectionary hopes of the Bolivian right. > >It was too much to expect that a mediation process set up by U.S. >Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would resolve the Honduran crisis. >The U.S. government has too many interests that conflict with what the >rest of the region wants and needs. > >First, there is the U.S. military base in Honduras, the only such base >in Central America. The constitutional reform process that President >Zelaya hoped to set in motion could easily lead to voters' rejection >of foreign troops on their soil. However much our government may >prefer democracy as a political system, when there is a choice between >democracy and a military base, Washington's track record is not a good >one. > >Brazil's foreign minister Celso Amorim complained to Clinton that the >mediation process should be within the framework of the OAS >resolution, and therefore should not impose conditions on Zelaya's >return -- especially, he said, a coalition government with the people >who overthrew the government. This was one of the conditions proposed >by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, whom Clinton recruited to >mediate. > >Amorim also noted that any negotiated solution that was seen as >rewarding the coup perpetrators would increase the threat of military >coups in other countries. These concerns reflect Latin America's >strong and unambiguous interest in a complete reversal of the coup. >They will have to live with the consequences of failure. > >In Washington, by contrast, we have a muddle of conflicting interests: >powerful lobbyists such as Lanny Davis and Bennett Ratcliff, who are >close to Clinton and are leading the coup government's strategy; the >Republican right, including Members of Congress who openly support the >coup; and "New Cold Warriors" of both parties in the Congress, State >Department, and White House who see Zelaya as a threat because of his >cooperation with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and other left governments. > >No wonder Washington's response to the coup has sent so many mixed >signals. The first White House statement did not even criticize the >coup, and the State Department still won't officially call it a coup. >And Clinton has repeatedly refused to say that "restoring the >democratic order" in Honduras means bringing Zelaya back -- much less >unconditionally. It took three weeks for the administration to >threaten a foreign aid cutoff, and Washington is alone in keeping its >ambassador in place. > >Latin America gave Washington a chance to use its influence with the >Honduran elite to restore democracy there. It didn't work. Now it is >Latin America's turn to take the lead. Hopefully, Washington will >follow. >Mark Weisbrot is co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy >Research, in Washington, D.C. He received his Ph.D. in economics from >the University of Michigan. He is co-author, with Dean Baker, of >Social Security: The Phony Crisis (University of Chicago Press, 2000), >and has written numerous research papers on economic policy. He is >also president of Just Foreign Policy. This article was first >published by the Guardian on 30 July 2009. > From tal1 at cogeco.ca Sat Aug 1 13:35:09 2009 From: tal1 at cogeco.ca (Tony B.) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 15:35:09 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras In-Reply-To: References: <15225208.1249142951629.JavaMail.root@elwamui-rustique.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Message-ID: <6A616874CC334B92A7B3A7CF4A20DD47@TonyPC> ...And to reiterate, the Honduran 'constitution', such as it is, is product of the death-squad democracy era of the early 1980s, a parting gift so to speak of the Honduran military and oligarchy to itself - a tidy guarantor of the prior terror and pogrom-backed economic pillaging of the country. It has no popular legitimacy whatsoever. Zelaya's attempt to respond to the popular democratic will in re-writing the villainous document was, on the other hand, the minimal sine qua non of beginning the long process of establishing a more equitable 'balance of power' in the country [Of course, real justice would demand a socialist revolution and virtually the entire oligarchy thrown in chains....but then, that, as they say, is another story]. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Yoshie Furuhashi" To: "The A-List" Sent: Saturday, August 01, 2009 12:21 PM Subject: Re: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras You are quite obviously out of mind if you sincerely believe that Micheletti would become a "Latin American hero" standing up to the US or that Carter, who initiated an operation to back the mujahedeen in Afghanistan, perhaps the most successful case of international jihad in history, against socialism, was the president given to "coddling communists and socialists." As for the notion that holding a non-binding referendum is illegal, or it is legal to overthrow a government to prevent a non-binding referendum, it can come only from the might-makes-right school of law. By the way, slavery was legal according to the laws of the ruling classes of colonial America and the USA. That didn't make it right. Yoshie On Sat, Aug 1, 2009 at 12:09 PM, Sean Fischer wrote: > Honduras-US: The US revoked the visas of four members of the interim > Honduran government as part of its pressure tactics to force Honduras to > restore Zelaya as president. This is an endeavor that looks increasingly > doubtful. > > A state department spokesman said the US also is reviewing the visas of > other members of the ?de facto government. ? We don't recognize Roberto > Micheletti as president of Honduras. We recognize Manuel Zelaya," the > spokesman said. > > Note: The US bullying of Micheletti risks a blowback effect in which he > becomes the latest Latin American hero to stand up to the US. If the > Bolivarians experience such an epiphany, they and the Cubans will turn > against the US Secretary of State on this issue as fast as a serpent. > > Imagine the socialists and communists supporting the free enterprise > democrats in Honduras against the US; almost as crazy as the US State > Department aligning with the socialists and communists against one of > America?s most steadfast allies in Latin America. That would be condign > punishment for misrepresenting the facts. > > Heretofore, the Carter Administration was renowned for beating up US > allies over human rights violations while coddling the communists and > socialists, even inviting them to the White House. > > Readers would be justified in suspecting that some people at State are > covering up their judgmental blunders, indicated by the Department?s > persistent distortion of the facts of the Honduran situation. The evidence > is overwhelming -- and not refuted by Zelaya or the State Department -- > that Zelaya attempted a political coup to usurp the Honduran constitution > by means of a referendum that had been ruled unconstitutional by the > Honduran Supreme Court. > > His gambit failed when the armed forces refused to carry out illegal > orders to distribute ballot boxes for the referendum and when the Congress > and Supreme Court staged a successful political counter-coup by ordering > the army to give him the boot. > > If State could commit to rule of law, it might support the coming election > in November which is on track and on schedule as the best mechanism for > taking the pulse of the Honduran electorate. It might even suggest > accelerating the election timetable. > > For now a sharply declining number of Hondurans seem to care that Zelaya > is absent. They have more important and immediate problems, such as > survival. > > Source: NW From critical.montages at gmail.com Sat Aug 1 15:24:23 2009 From: critical.montages at gmail.com (Yoshie Furuhashi) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 17:24:23 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Truth and Reconciliation for Iran Message-ID: The following is an extremely good and timely statement, signed by Iranian patriots, some of whom have taken one side or the other regarding the presidential election and post-election conflicts, and others of whom have taken a neutral stand on them. I encourage non-Iranian leftists to support this attempt and others like it. -- Yoshie Truth and Reconciliation for Iran We are a group of university educators and antiwar activists with diverse political views who are based in Europe and North America. During the past few years we have been active in defending Iran's national rights -- particularly those relating to the peaceful use of nuclear energy -- against the pervasive deception created by western and Israeli-influenced media and official statements. We have consistently taken a stand against the policies of the United States and its allies, including the improper submission of Iran's nuclear file to the United Nations security council, the imposition of sanction resolutions against Iran, covert destabilisation inside the country and repeated threats of military intervention and bombing of nuclear centres on the part of US and Israel. At the same time, we have advocated the human rights of individuals and democratic rights for various groups and constituencies in Iran. We have emphasised that the guarantee of such rights is necessary not only for Iran's social and political advancement, but also for the vital unity of our people against foreign pressures. In the current post-election crisis, we see it as our duty to share our views based on years of defending Iran's national rights, and to help develop realistic solutions for the benefit of all our compatriots of whatever political persuasion. The background to the current situation is the longstanding belligerent policies of the US and its allies, encouraged by the neoconservatives and the Israeli lobby, which peaked during eight years of Republican rule in the White House. Despite President Khatami's conciliatory approach, exemplified by his promotion of "Dialogue Among Civilisations", and despite Iran's co-operation in the overthrow of the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan, the administration of George W Bush labelled the Islamic Republic a member of the "axis of evil". Following the illegal invasion of Iraq, Bush pushed for regime change in Iran. These provocative and confrontational policies played a key role in the defeat of Iranian reformists in the parliamentary elections of 2003 and the presidential election of 2005. During the past four years, a whole series of policies have targeted Iran's right to produce nuclear fuel for peaceful energy, including illegitimate UN/US sanctions, repeated implicit and overt threats of military attack by the United States and Israel, overt and covert well-funded US destabilisation operations, and aid to terrorist forces seeking to overthrow the government of Iran. These policies have created fears of an externally-instigated "velvet revolution" in the leadership ranks of the Islamic Republic. These fears were used to justify restrictions of civil and political freedoms promoted by the reformist administration of Khatami and, as a result, civil society and non-governmental organisations suffered a setback. According to critics, these social and political pressures, along with government mismanagement caused by the removal of competent technocrats, have negatively impacted the public interest and put enormous pressure on the middle class, the educated class, journalists and artists. These people must be allowed a more open and free environment in order to fulfil their instrumental roles in service of the country. On the external front, the Obama administration, facing neoconservative pressure and keeping many of his predecessor's policies against Iran, has nevertheless declared its readiness for unconditional negotiations with Iran. He has for the first time referred to Iran as the "Islamic Republic" and indicated that he is not pursuing regime change in Iran. Furthermore, shortly before the Iranian elections, in a first for an American president, Obama admitted the role of his country in the 1953 coup that overthrew the democratically elected prime minister Muhammad Mossadegh. These changes in US politics have created room for active and constructive diplomacy for the purpose of solving conflicts and disagreements between Iran and the United States, and for creating a nuclear-free Middle East. This year, there was in Iran a record level of participation in the elections, unprecedented television debates and, most important of all, widespread participation in election campaigns. Despite some restrictions, the elections took place in an overall constructive climate, perhaps making Iran a model democracy among Islamic nations of the region. A day before the elections, Senator John Kerry, a key US statesman, was so impressed that he dismissed as "ridiculous" Bush's policy of denying Iran peaceful nuclear energy, which in itself exposes the baseless nuclear accusations levelled against Iran and proves the illegitimacy of security council resolutions against Iran. However, in the view of a considerable number of Iranians who are discontented and frustrated with the restrictions on civil and political freedoms, there were various irregularities in the elections, including the suspension of reformist newspapers and mobile telephone SMS service on election day. This caused mass public demonstrations in support of nullifying the election. The unrest has created a major rift between the supporters of Ahmadinejad, who deem Iran's national sovereignty to be of the highest priority, and the supporters of the two reform candidates Karroubi and Mousavi, who demand increased civil and political freedoms above all. Each of these two major wings of the body politic includes millions of people and both play a vital role in Iran's progress. The rift between these two must heal in an environment of calm, without agitation and mudslinging, for the sake of Iran's future. This healing must be pursued through the path of constructive dialogue and reconciliation, so that the unity of our people for safeguarding national rights can be achieved. Unfortunately, a large number of our protesting fellow countrymen have been attacked and injured and even more regrettably, a significant number of them have been killed. Also, a large group of reformist activists and leaders have been arrested and imprisoned after the elections. Both Mousavi and Karroubi have stressed that all protests must remain within the law. Following the request of the reformist and Green leaders, almost all protesters rallied completely peacefully, and in the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi, condemned all types of violence, calling the Basijis and Revolutionary Guards their own brothers. Extremist elements who used the opportunity to create chaos and engaged in the destruction of public property were condemned by Mousavi. The western media, by their one-sided coverage of the post-election developments, portrayed the street demonstrations protesting the election results as the start of a "velvet" revolution against the Islamic Republic. Regime-change advocates also tried to piggy-back on the protests outside Iran for their own purposes. The British government, which claims to follow a policy of non-interference in Iran's internal affairs, did its part by confiscating nearly ?1bn of Iranian assets. To make matters worse, the neoconservatives demanded a re-evaluation of the Obama administration's policy of unconditional negotiations with Iran. The US state department also used this crisis to justify its continuation of Bush-era policies of financing anti-Iranian government organisations for the purposes of "spreading democracy, human rights and a government of law and order". For "security reasons" they refused to release the identities of the recipients of the funds. The Iranian government, for their part, deported two British diplomats, accusing them of interference in Iranian affairs and pointing to western governments as the root of the post-election unrest. Whatever the role of the western media, governments, and regime change forces, it cannot detract from the legitimacy of the massively popular protests. In fact, Mousavi has emphasised his complete loyalty to the Islamic Republic and admonished his supporters abroad to stay away from the anti-Islamic Republic groups. To attribute the roots of the demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of Iranians to external interference or to regime-change groups amounts to questioning the independence of the country which has been gained and consolidated by the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands. In the opinion of millions of Iranians, the current crisis has been caused by restrictions on political freedoms, particularly freedom of the press, economic discontent, and deficiencies in transparency and accountability on the part of government institutions. Although these issues have been aggravated by the US political, military and economic encirclement and the CIA's destabilisation programmes, in the view of this segment of society the problems are ultimately rooted in the government's own policies. After their unprecedented participation in the elections, millions of Iranians have lost their confidence in the system. Awareness of this reality was expressed by the speaker of the Iranian parliament Ali Larijani, who indicated on live national television that some members of the Guardian Council openly supported a certain candidate, instead of being neutral during the investigation of the election complaints. He also added that the large segments of society who distrust the declared election results should not be regarded in the same manner as the rioters. On the basis of the above assessment, and in the interest of resolving the present crisis, we direct all officials and fellow countrymen to the following proposals: 1) Arrests and assaults of reformist and Green movement activists and any use of deadly weapons against the protesters are against the national interest and must be stopped and condemned by the authorities. Of the government of the Islamic Republic, we demand, in accordance with the constitution and for the preservation of national unity, that it release the reformist leaders from detention and observe freedom of the press and other civil rights. Iranian state television and radio must provide time to the protesters to express their views. Permits for nonviolent assembly must be given to the protesters. The government must guarantee the safety of the demonstrators against any violence and those responsible for battering and murdering students and demonstrators must be identified and prosecuted. 2) The current division among the people that separates government supporters and dissenters, under conditions of economic, military and political encirclement, must be reconciled with calm and patient negotiations and reasoning, by condemning any kind of violence and by renouncing name-calling and inflammatory rhetoric. We call on the political forces of both sides to move toward building such a constructive climate and toward creation of an economic, political, and cultural agenda that can respond to all social needs. 3) Of the government of the Islamic Republic, we request that in view of the distrust on the part of a great segment of the country's population, it form an independent truth and national reconciliation commission with representation from all candidates, such that it can gain the trust of the people of Iran and find a reasonable solution for the conflict. The votes of a great portion of the Iranian society for both Ahmadinejad and Mousavi show that the best solution is negotiations for reconciliation and creation of a government of national unity from the ranks of Principalists and the Green movement and reformists. With a comprehensive programme based on Iran's national rights and on people's civil rights, such a government of national unity must address the current challenges facing the country and mobilise in an effective way the totality of human resources and expertise for national development. 4) Of western governments, we request that they cease any and all interference in Iranian affairs and end all their illegitimate economic, political and military pressures aimed at the internal destabilisation of Iran. They need to cease any support for the anti-Islamic Republic opposition and lift the economic and scientific sanctions. The Obama administration should emphasise unconditional negotiations and take steps toward creating a nuclear weapons-free Middle East. Only under these conditions, without any foreign threats, can the Iranian people reach their aspirations of freedom and establish their unity in a framework of independence and national sovereignty. 5) To the leaders of the reformists and the Green movement, we suggest that in order to prevent exploitation of the current crisis by western propaganda and opportunist groups, they unambiguously oppose all sanctions and condemn regime change operations and any foreign support for the anti-Islamic Republic opposition. Signed: Dr Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, SOAS, University of London Professor the Baroness Afshar, York University Mojtaba Aghamohammadi, researcher, University of Arizona Professor Mohammad Ala, Persian Gulf Task Force Esfandiar Bakhtiar, Georgia Institute of Technology Professor Abbas Edalat, Imperial College London Javad Fakharzadeh, Iran Heritage Dr Farideh Farhi, University of Hawaii at Manoa Massy Homayouni, independent antiwar activist Dr Mehri Honarbin-Holliday, Canterbury Christ Church University Mojgan Janani, independent antiwar activist Mohammad Kamaali, Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran Fareed Marjaee, writer and democracy activist Masoud Modarres, independent activist Professor Pirouz Mojtahedzadeh, Tarbiyat Modarres University Daniel Pourkesali, Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran Rostam Pourzal, Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran Dr Mohammad Purqurian, LaaL.org Manijeh Saba, independent human rights activist Professor Mehdi Shariati, Kansas College Professor Nader Sadeghi, George Washington University Hospital Shirin Saeidi, University of Cambridge Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich, independent antiwar activist Reza Shirazi, Goftogoo TV Safa Shoaee, Imperial College London Saeed Soltanpour, Iranian TV Canada Dr Alireza Rabi, Middle-East Citizens Assembly Dr Elaheh Rostami, SOAS, University of London Professor Rahmat Tavakol, Rutgers University Professor Farzin Vahdat, Harvard University Leila Zand, Fellowship of Reconciliation This open letter was first published by the Guardian on 31 July 2009; it is reproduced here for educational purposes. From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Sat Aug 1 16:21:57 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 07:21:57 +0900 Subject: [A-List] Private Coinage Message-ID: <20090802072157.249b2346.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> This article is excerpted from Chapter Seven of What Has Government Done to Our Money? (1963) by Murray N Rothbard The idea of private coinage seems so strange today that it is worth examining carefully. We are used to thinking of coinage as a "necessity of sovereignty". Yet, after all, we are not wedded to a "royal prerogative", and it is the American concept that sovereignty rests, not in government, but in the people. How would private coinage work? In the same way, we have said, as any other business. Each minter would produce whatever size or shape of coin is most pleasing to his customers. The price would be set by the free competition of the market. The standard objection is that it would be too much trouble to weigh or assay bits of gold at every transaction. But what is there to prevent private minters from stamping the coin and guaranteeing its weight and fineness? Private minters can guarantee a coin at least as well as a government mint. Abraded bits of metal would not be accepted as coin. People would use the coins of those minters with the best reputation for good quality of product. We have seen that this is precisely how the "dollar" became prominent - as a competitive silver coin. Opponents of private coinage charge that fraud would run rampant. Yet, these same opponents would trust government to provide the coinage. But if government is to be trusted at all, then surely, with private coinage, government could at least be trusted to prevent or punish fraud. It is usually assumed that the prevention or punishment of fraud, theft, or other crimes is the real justification for government. But if government cannot apprehend the criminal when private coinage is relied upon, what hope is there for a reliable coinage when the integrity of the private marketplace operators is discarded in favor of a government monopoly of coinage? If government cannot be trusted to ferret out the occasional villain in the free market in coin, why can government be trusted when it finds itself in a position of total control over money and may debase coin, counterfeit coin, or otherwise with full legal sanction perform as the sole villain in the marketplace? It is surely folly to say that government must socialize all property in order to prevent anyone from stealing property. Yet the reasoning behind abolition of private coinage is the same. Moreover, all modern business is built on guarantees of standards. The drug store sells an eight-ounce bottle of medicine; the meat packer sells a pound of beef. The buyer expects these guarantees to be accurate, and they are. And think of the thousands upon thousands of specialized, vital industrial products that must meet very narrow standards and specifications. The buyer of a 1/2 inch bolt must get a 1/2 inch bolt and not a mere 3/8 inch. Yet, business has not broken down. Few people suggest that the government must nationalize the machine-tool industry as part of its job of defending standards against fraud. The modern market economy contains an infinite number of intricate exchanges, most depending on definite standards of quantity and quality. But fraud is at a minimum, and that minimum, at least in theory, may be prosecuted. So it would be if there were private coinage. We can be sure that a minter's customers, and his competitors, would be keenly alert to any possible fraud in the weight or fineness of his coins. {1} Champions of the government's coinage monopoly have claimed that money is different from all other commodities, because "Gresham's Law" proves that "bad money drives out good" from circulation. Hence, the free market cannot be trusted to serve the public in supplying good money. But this formulation rests on a misinterpretation of Gresham's famous law. The law really says that "money overvalued artificially by government will drive out of circulation artificially undervalued money". Suppose, for example, there are one-ounce gold coins in circulation. After a few years of wear and tear, let us say that some coins weigh only 0.9 ounces. Obviously, on the free market, the worn coins would circulate at only ninety percent of the value of the full-bodied coins, and the nominal face value of the former would have to be repudiated. {2} If anything, it will be the "bad" coins that will be driven from the market. But suppose the government decrees that everyone must treat the worn coins as equal to new, fresh coins, and must accept them equally in payment of debts. What has the government really done? It has imposed price control by coercion on the "exchange rate" between the two types of coin. By insisting on the par ratio when the worn coins should exchange at ten percent discount, it artificially overvalues the worn coins and undervalues new coins. Consequently, everyone will circulate the worn coins, and hoard or export the new. "Bad money drives out good money", then, not on the free market, but as the direct result of governmental intervention in the market. Despite never-ending harassment by governments, making conditions highly precarious, private coins have flourished many times in history. True to the virtual law that all innovations come from free individuals and not the state, the first coins were minted by private individuals and goldsmiths. In fact, when the government first began to monopolize the coinage, the royal coins bore the guarantees of private bankers, whom the public trusted far more, apparently, than they did the government. Privately minted gold coins circulated in California as late as 1848. {3} Notes {1} See Herbert Spencer, Social Statics (New York: D Appleton 1890), page 438. [2] To meet the problem of wear-and-tear, private coiners might either set a time limit on their stamped guarantees of weight, or agree to recoin anew, either at the original or at the lower weight. We may note that in the free economy there will not be the compulsory standardization of coins that prevails when government monopolies direct the coinage. [3] For historical examples of private coinage, see B W Barnard, "The use of Private Tokens for Money in the United States", Quarterly Journal of Economics (1916?17): 617?26; Charles A Conant, The Principles of Money and Banking (New York: Harper Brothers, 1905), volume I, 127?32; Lysander Spooner, A Letter to Grover Cleveland (Boston: B R Tucker, 1886), page 79; and J Laurence Laughlin, A New Exposition of Money, Credit and Prices (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1931), volume I, pages 47?51. On coinage, also see Mises, Theory of Money and Credit, pages 65?67; and Edwin Cannan, Money, eighth edition (London: Staples Press, 1935), pages 33 ff. _____ Murray N Rothbard (1926 - 1995) was the author of Man, Economy, and State (1962), Conceived in Liberty (1975-79), What Has Government Done to Our Money (1963), For a New Liberty (1973, 1978), The Case Against the Fed (1994), and many other books and articles. He was also the editor - with Lew Rockwell - of The Rothbard-Rockwell Report, and academic vice president of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. Copyright (c) 2008 Ludwig von Mises Institute. All rights reserved. Murray Rothbard Archives: http://mises.org/articles.aspx?AuthorId=299 http://mises.org/story/3158 http://www.billtotten.blogspot.com http://www.ashisuto.co.jp From seanfischer at earthlink.net Sat Aug 1 20:29:33 2009 From: seanfischer at earthlink.net (Sean Fischer) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 22:29:33 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia Message-ID: <1297081.1249180173923.JavaMail.root@elwamui-rustique.atl.sa.earthlink.net> If the charge of the state is ultimately to protect its civilians, civilians who pay taxes, one will have to work quite hard to convince me that "a war on drugs is waste of money?" Protection can be from threats both domestic and foreign. In each case, the term protection can be delineated into general subcategories such as politics, economics, social, and security. The international drug trade crosses each of these boundaries with measurable and devastating effects globally. In the US the international drug trade is responsible of 17,000 American deaths in 2001 and nearly 29,000 deaths in 2003. This is orders of magnitude more devastating than those of terrorism, which is below 100 civilian deaths and of nuclear weapons, which had 0 deaths. Capital by the state is today expended on education, incarceration, interdiction, and rehabilitation, this is a fact. No matter if one agrees or disagrees with the how the budgets are allocated to each of these expenditures, the systemic approach to combating this problem can be improved upon. My point is simple Cocaine and Heroin cultivation, production, and distribution are the principle root causes for all 29,000 deaths in 2003. The United States does not grow Cocaine or Heroin, South American governments and their citizens do. As for smoking, over eating, and a preference for TV over the gym...that seems like an individuals choice, if you know of someone who is might we all suggest rehabilitation via a nicotine patch or an apple. Are you suggesting that the US Government should stop global counter-narcotics operations, so as to protect you from a recession? If so, Yoshie your advice and would go against your suggestion of Keynes theory on counter-cyclical fiscal policy. Keynes policy theory states that "...governments should solve problems in the short run rather than waiting for market forces to do it in the long run, because "in the long run, we are all dead." This non-Marxist will reiterate, an expansion of US counter-drug operations in South American is good news! Sean Source: Keynes, John Maynard (1924). "The Theory of Money and the Foreign Exchanges". A Tract on Monetary Reform. Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: I suggest America had better invest more in making it easier for it poorer populace to quit smoking, eat healthily, and exercise regularly than in the "war on drugs," let alone the "war on terrorism." Yoshie Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: If the point is to curtail drug consumption and addiction in the US, the "war on drugs" has been a big waste of money. The money would have been better spent on education and rehabilitation. As the US faces a challenge of funding a counter-cyclical fiscal policy on a reduced tax base due to the Great Recession, it is best to cut off unproductive expenses such as foreign wars and counter-narcotic operations and imprisonment of non-violent drug offenders. Yoshie From seanfischer at earthlink.net Sat Aug 1 21:01:45 2009 From: seanfischer at earthlink.net (Sean Fischer) Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 23:01:45 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras Message-ID: <25313776.1249182105866.JavaMail.root@elwamui-rustique.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Would the balance of power in the United States been best served if the Bush administration had forced their way into having a third consecutive term? Or like you say, would the Bush administration have become a third and fourth term savior of the nation and its "...villainous Constitution?" The only oligarch that should have been thrown in chains, lucked out and was thrown out of the country. Sean -----Original Message----- >From: "Tony B." >Sent: Aug 1, 2009 3:35 PM >To: The A-List >Subject: Re: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras > >...And to reiterate, the Honduran 'constitution', such as it is, is product >of the death-squad democracy era of the early 1980s, a parting gift so to >speak of the Honduran military and oligarchy to itself - a tidy guarantor of >the prior terror and pogrom-backed economic pillaging of the country. It has >no popular legitimacy whatsoever. Zelaya's attempt to respond to the popular >democratic will in re-writing the villainous document was, on the other >hand, the minimal sine qua non of beginning the long process of establishing >a more equitable 'balance of power' in the country [Of course, real justice >would demand a socialist revolution and virtually the entire oligarchy >thrown in chains....but then, that, as they say, is another story]. > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Yoshie Furuhashi" >To: "The A-List" >Sent: Saturday, August 01, 2009 12:21 PM >Subject: Re: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras > > >You are quite obviously out of mind if you sincerely believe that >Micheletti would become a "Latin American hero" standing up to the US >or that Carter, who initiated an operation to back the mujahedeen in >Afghanistan, perhaps the most successful case of international jihad >in history, against socialism, was the president given to "coddling >communists and socialists." As for the notion that holding a >non-binding referendum is illegal, or it is legal to overthrow a >government to prevent a non-binding referendum, it can come only from >the might-makes-right school of law. By the way, slavery was legal >according to the laws of the ruling classes of colonial America and >the USA. That didn't make it right. >Yoshie > >On Sat, Aug 1, 2009 at 12:09 PM, Sean Fischer >wrote: >> Honduras-US: The US revoked the visas of four members of the interim >> Honduran government as part of its pressure tactics to force Honduras to >> restore Zelaya as president. This is an endeavor that looks increasingly >> doubtful. >> >> A state department spokesman said the US also is reviewing the visas of >> other members of the ?de facto government. ? We don't recognize Roberto >> Micheletti as president of Honduras. We recognize Manuel Zelaya," the >> spokesman said. >> >> Note: The US bullying of Micheletti risks a blowback effect in which he >> becomes the latest Latin American hero to stand up to the US. If the >> Bolivarians experience such an epiphany, they and the Cubans will turn >> against the US Secretary of State on this issue as fast as a serpent. >> >> Imagine the socialists and communists supporting the free enterprise >> democrats in Honduras against the US; almost as crazy as the US State >> Department aligning with the socialists and communists against one of >> America?s most steadfast allies in Latin America. That would be condign >> punishment for misrepresenting the facts. >> >> Heretofore, the Carter Administration was renowned for beating up US >> allies over human rights violations while coddling the communists and >> socialists, even inviting them to the White House. >> >> Readers would be justified in suspecting that some people at State are >> covering up their judgmental blunders, indicated by the Department?s >> persistent distortion of the facts of the Honduran situation. The evidence >> is overwhelming -- and not refuted by Zelaya or the State Department -- >> that Zelaya attempted a political coup to usurp the Honduran constitution >> by means of a referendum that had been ruled unconstitutional by the >> Honduran Supreme Court. >> >> His gambit failed when the armed forces refused to carry out illegal >> orders to distribute ballot boxes for the referendum and when the Congress >> and Supreme Court staged a successful political counter-coup by ordering >> the army to give him the boot. >> >> If State could commit to rule of law, it might support the coming election >> in November which is on track and on schedule as the best mechanism for >> taking the pulse of the Honduran electorate. It might even suggest >> accelerating the election timetable. >> >> For now a sharply declining number of Hondurans seem to care that Zelaya >> is absent. They have more important and immediate problems, such as >> survival. >> >> Source: NW > > > > From seanfischer at earthlink.net Sun Aug 2 02:30:33 2009 From: seanfischer at earthlink.net (Sean Fischer) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 04:30:33 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia Message-ID: <13173255.1249201834214.JavaMail.root@elwamui-mouette.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Hi Paul, Yes, I agree that generally the poor tend to become entrapped in the drug world and are hence disadvantaged. For the poor, they have less influence in the political process, less chance at succeeding in climbing the ranks into economic prosperity, less chance of social acceptance, suffer greater social implosion within their community, and overall less security at many levels. And yes, there are millions of police, prosecutors, judges, and guards who are reliant on monies from taxes. Yet you fail to mention in your comment these same police, prosecutors, judges, and guards are not specifically tasked to as you say, round up and control the poor illegal drug users. Their respective job titles are much broader and involves a wider range or duties and primary assignments. The list of said duties for these officials is too long to compile for this exchange, yet readily available for readers. As to the comment that law enforcement is comprised of millions of jobs, there is much truth that governments everywhere enshrine their authority in a systematic fashion. A reduction in sentencing for non-violent offenders of drugs such as marijuana should be driven by a policy which supports a greater emphasis on diversion and rehabilitation programs. I do promote the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and believe that counter terrorism are important. I was using the play in media theme to contrast how large budget items rate in actual lives lost and national importance for costs vs. return on investment within protecting national human capital. My comments below were to highlight cocaine and heroin from foreign sources kill, and they kill in massive numbers and at many layers when compared to the other multi-billion dollar initiatives, or wars as they are sometimes referred to. Specifically those harder (smuggled from abroad) drugs have longer, stronger, more debilitating affects on the users and the ill gotten profits of criminal organizations perpetuate additional crimes. Although not the only reason for a users plight is their pure addiction to the drugs of choice, the hardcore addict and their supply networks do nothing but undermine societies, and in general wreak havoc with the poorest. If one is to promote a reduction in sentencing for some drug offenses, and the system can save money from a reduction of case loads, then some number of people working in the judicial and law enforcement system will have to find other work and retrain themselves for new careers, big deal. The nations aerospace workers during the 1980's did it without much tax base support, during the 1990's the military fleshed their ranks, and the autoworkers are doing it now, as are many in other fields. As developing nations come online, they siphon jobs and this has been going on now for decades. Unless individuals are willing to take the initiative and re-invest in their own marketability Like the manufacturing sector, government employment is not immune to reductions. Any servant that thinks otherwise, ought to take notice to California where its ranks are undergoing a variety of State, County, and City workforce reductions and furloughs. Its not a question of throwing people out of work, its a question of reducing the tax burden individuals forfeit, shedding waste fraud and abuse, and expecting both efficiency and performance from those who earn their wages at the expense of the tax payer. I have never read Alfred McCoys book (thanks for providing the link) but I did look it up on Amazon for some fast feedback. Here is an excerpt of a review from Publishers Weekly: Nearly 20 years ago, McCoy wrote The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia , which stirred up considerable controversy, alleging that the CIA was intimately involved in the Vietnamese opium trade. In the current volume, a substantially updated and longer work, he argues that pk the situation basically hasn't changed over the past two decades; however the numbers have gotten bigger. McCoy writes, "Although the drug pandemic of the 1980s had complex causes, the growth in global heroin supply could be traced in large part to two key aspects of U.S. policy: the failure of the DEA's interdiction efforts and the CIA's covert operations." He readily admits that the CIA's role in the heroin trade was an "inadvertent" byproduct of "its cold war tactics," but he limns convincingly the path by which the agency and its forebears helped Corsican and Sicilian mobsters reestablish the heroin trade after WW II and, most recently, "transformed southern Asia from a self-contained opium zone into a major supplier of heroin." Scrupulously documented, almost numbingly so at times, this is a valuable corrective to the misinformation being peddled by anti-drug zealots on both sides of the aisle. First serial to the Progressive. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. Sean Source: Each year, the staff of the UCR Program ask law enforcement agencies across the United States to report the total number of sworn law enforcement officers and civilians in their agency as of October 31. This section of Crime in the United States presents that data as the number and rate of law enforcement officers and civilian employees throughout the United States. In 2004, 14,254 state, city, university and college, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan county, and other law enforcement agencies employed 675,734 sworn officers and 294,854 civilians, who provided law enforcement services to more than 278 million people nationwide. By population group, there were 2.3 sworn officers for each 1,000 resident population in the Nation?s cities collectively. That rate was unchanged from the 2003 data. Of the population groups labeled city, the cities of 10,000 or less in population had the highest rate, 3.3 officers per 1,000 inhabitants in 2004. Two city population groups, those with populations from 25,000 to 49,999 and those with 50,000 to 99,999 had the lowest rate, 1.8 officers per 1,000 inhabitants. The Nation?s largest cities, those with 250,000 or more inhabitants averaged 2.8 officers per 1,000 in population. (See Table 71.) Law enforcement agencies in the Nation?s metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties averaged 2.6 and 2.7 officers, respectively, for each 1,000 in population. -----Original Message----- From: Paul Wright Sent: Aug 1, 2009 12:57 PM To: 'Sean Fischer' , 'The A-List' Subject: RE: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia Sean, you have it all wrong. More important than the number of Americans killed by drugs are those directly employed by drug illegality. There are literally millions of police, prosecutors, judges, prison and jail guards, etc., whose job and pay check directly depends on doing the job of rounding up and controlling the American population of poor illegal drug users. This is tens of billions of dollars a year worth of jobs. Would you throw these people out of work? A drugged populace is much easier to control and as long as poor drug users are subjected to the repressive power of the state they are kept effectively disorganized and controlled. The only reason drugs are expensive is due to their illegal status. If marijuana or cocaine were once legal they would cost less than chocolate or coffee, other third world commodities which exist in abundant supply. The US role in the illegal drug trade is very well documented in Alfred McCoy?s book the Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/74_ProductDetails.aspx. Paul Wright, Editor Prison Legal News P.O. Box 2420 West Brattleboro, VT 05303 802 257-1342 pwright at prisonlegalnews.org www.prisonlegalnews.org Seattle Office 2400 NW 80th St. Suite 148 Seattle, WA 98117 206-246-1022 From: a-list-bounces at lists.econ.utah.edu [mailto:a-list-bounces at lists.econ.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Sean Fischer Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 8:51 PM To: The A-List; A-List Subject: Re: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia An expansion of US counter- drug operations in South American is good news. Any US tax payer will agree that plenty of time, effort, and expenditures have been invested into combating illicit drugs from the region. I must ask which nations and / or leaders are complaining about increased efforts geared at continuing reductions in drug activity from inside their South American borders? BRAZIL CHILE COLUMBIA EQUADOR VENEZUELA and SPAIN?????? What interest does Spain have with South American narcotics trade? Spain?s leadership may be more worried more about timely deposits made into their financial institutions rather than anything else? With time, sophistication in avoiding transparency marches on and this appears just as true for the international drug trade. On the other hand, when civilian casualties from the drug trade are compared directly to the number of civilian casualties from terrorist attacks and nuclear weapons combined there, is some clarity. - With regard to US civilians killed by drugs verse Iraqi, Iranian, Libyan, Syrian, or North Korean nuclear weapons, this number to date would be an absolute zero. - With regard to US civilians who where affected by terrorism, as of April 2009 total civilian deaths are: 56 killed, 17 injured, and 11 kidnappings. For ease of math we can round it to a total of about 100. (Year 2005-2006) - With regard to US civilians who are drug addicted, this number is estimated to be: 12.5 million current users of all illicit drugs (with cocaine, heroin, and crack alone totally 2.1 million). - With regard to US hospital from over a decade ago, visits for cocaine overdoses in 1995 the number is 142,000. Hospital visits for heroin overdoses in 1995 is 76,000. (Year 1995) - With regard to US civilians who are killed by all illicit drugs, this would be: 17,000 (Year 2000) increasing to 28,723 (Year 2003) *Note 5 below. - With regard to US civilians, according to government supplied numbers, excluding softer drugs such as marijuana (with zero recorded overdoses) the prime countries for hard illicit narcotics the following South America countries are most responsible: Columbia, Peru, Bolivia. - With regard to other leading countries which supply illicit opiates, they are: (Golden Crescent) Afghanistan & Pakistan, and (Golden Triangle) South East Asian: Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. I copied and pasted the sources below in case any wanted to take the time and read them for yourselves....but largest documented threat - foreign borne ? which actually destroys US families and kills US citizens in mass every year, seems to be not be from the adversarial posturing or unpredictable intentions of the Chinese, the Russians, or world-wide terrorism combined, but instead from smuggling and distribution of hard drugs. If you have another view, please share any economic data. Sean You are in: Bureaus/Offices Reporting Directly to the Secretary > Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism > Releases > Country Reports on Terrorism > 2005 (html format) Terrorism Deaths, Injuries, Kidnappings of Private U.S. Citizens, 2005* Country Reports on Terrorism Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism April 28, 2006 Provided by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State The term "Private U.S. Citizen" refers to any U.S. citizen not acting in an official capacity on behalf of the U.S. Government; therefore these figures do not include, for example, U.S. military personnel killed or injured in a terrorism-related incident while on active duty or employees of the Department of State and other federal agencies. Members of U.S. Government employees' households are considered private U.S. citizens. Although every effort was made to include all terrorism-related deaths and injuries involving private U.S. citizens, the figures below reflect only those cases reported to, or known by, the U.S. Department of State, and may not reflect actual numbers of injured, which may not always be reported depending on their severity. As NCTC also notes, in the cases of Iraq and Afghanistan, it is particularly difficult to gather comprehensive information about all incidents and to distinguish terrorism from the numerous other forms of violence. U.S. citizens worldwide killed as a result of incidents of terrorism: 56 U.S. citizens worldwide injured as a result of incidents of terrorism: 17 U.S. citizens worldwide kidnapped as a result of incidents of terrorism: 11 *In all cases limited to incidents targeting noncombatants. Terrorism Deaths of Private U.S. Citizens in 2005 (by country) Country Date of Death Number Location Afghanistan June 1 1 Kandahar Egypt April 8 1 Cairo Egypt July 23 1 Sharm el-Sheik Iraq January 3 1 Baghdad Iraq January 28 1 Mosul Iraq January 29 1 Baghdad Iraq February 6 1 Nasiria Iraq March 3 2 Balad Iraq March 12 1 Baghdad Iraq March 12 1 Hilla, Near Biap Iraq March 25 1 Baghdad Iraq April 1 1 Fallujah Iraq April 1 1 Baghdad Iraq April 20 2 Baghdad Iraq April 21 6 Tikrit Iraq April 21 1 Ramadi Iraq May 7 2 Baghdad Iraq May 10 1 Ramadi Iraq May 12 1 Baghdad Iraq June 3 1 Camp Victory Iraq June 4 1 Baghdad Iraq June 27 1 Baghdad Iraq July 3 1 Baghdad Iraq August 3 1 Basrah Iraq August 20 1 North of Kalsu Iraq August 23 1 Bagubah Iraq September 4 1 Balad Iraq September 4 1 Baghdad Iraq September 7 4 Basrah Iraq September 19 4 Mosul Iraq September 20 3 Near Balad Iraq October 1 1 Ramadi Iraq November 17 1 Balad Iraq December 22 1 Baguba Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank December 29 1 Near Tulkarm, West Bank Jordan November 9 3 Amman Jordan November 10 1 Amman United Kingdom July 7 1 London Terrorism Injuries of Private U.S. Citizens in 2005 (by country) Country Date of Death Number Location Egypt April 7 3 Cairo Indonesia October 1 6 Bali Iraq September 2 1 Baghdad Jordan November 9 3 Amman United Kingdom July 7 4 London Terrorism Kidnappings of Private U.S. Citizens in 2005 (by country) Country Date of Incident Number Location Iraq January 12* 1 Unknown Iraq April 11 1 Taji Iraq May 17 1 Unknown Iraq May 22* 1 Unknown Iraq August 10* 1 Unknown Iraq September 7 1 Mansoul Iraq September 27 1 Unknown Iraq November 29 1 Baghdad Iraq December 2 1 Unknown Iraq December 5 1 Baghdad Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank October 12* 1 Khan Younis [Gaza] *Date rescued/released How many addicts are there in the U.S., and how is the Drug War affecting this number? Dear Stanton What exactly are the statistics for drug addiction? i.e., where can one find the percentage of people who use a specific drug and compare it the number of actual "addicts"? I find it interesting (typical, really) that the media in this country never publishes such obvious information as it would probably undermine the current hysteria over drugs. Joseph Dear Joseph: One way to calculate the number/percentage of addicts is to compare those who have ever taken a drug with those who currently take it with those who currently take it daily (or nearly so). Of course, many regular, daily users wouldn't be classified as addicts (like the physician described by Zinberg and his colleagues who for decades injected morphine daily, but did not use on weekends and vacations, without ever increasing his dosage or undergoing withdrawal -- see Meaning of Addiction, Chapter 1). Unfortunately, you can't get government statistics on daily use. The most frequent use calculated in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Household Survey on Drug Abuse is 51 or more times in the prior year, or an average of once weekly (or more), which would obviously include many users who are not addicts. The 1995 Household Survey found that of 3.7 million cocaine users in the last year, 1.2 million used on average at least once a month and 600,000 used at least weekly on average. Although these 600,000 would not qualify as clinical addicts, Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey wants to claim these and more. This is because, compared with 1980, McCaffrey points out that monthly illicit drugs users have declined by approximately half, to 12.5 million, but the drug budget has gone from $1 billion to $16 billion. Why do we need so much money if drug use has declined so radically? Because, according to McCaffrey and others (such as Herb Kleber, formerly deputy czar in charge of demand reduction), the number of frequent users/addicts has remained stable or actually increased! In other words, the drug war has succeeded in getting casual users to quit, but has failed to make any dent in addiction! Thus, among 12.5 million current users of any illicit drug (this is use during past month), and 2.1 million current users of heroin, crack, and cocaine, McCaffrey reports there are 3.6 million current addicts. Where did he get the extra addicts? In addition to the 600,000 weekly or more frequent cocaine users in the household survey, SAMHSA speculates that there may be another 1.4 million weekly cocaine users, adding up to (for McCaffrey) 2 million cocaine addicts right there! SAMSHA relies for its estimate of growing frequent cocaine users on another statistic -- drug-related hospital emergency room visits -- which have increased dramatically, from 5,000 in 1980 to 142,000 in 1995 for cocaine, and from 12,000 to 76,000 in 1995 for heroin. Emergency room visits still leave McCaffrey millions short in the addict department! Obviously, the government can't say how many genuine addicts there are, and the 3.6 million number seems like a tremendous overestimate based on counting anything approaching regular use of heroin, crack, cocaine and other drugs, both actually measured and estimated. But what government statistics most distinctly show is that the U.S. cannot reduce regular or heavy drug use and that we are suffering more and more casualties in the drug war among drug users, no matter how much we increase the drug budget. Best, Stanton Annual Causes of Death in the United States Tobacco 435,000 Note 1 Poor Diet and Physical Inactivity 365,000 Note 1 Alcohol 85,000 Note 1 Microbial Agents 75,000 Note 1 Toxic Agents 55,000 Note 1 Motor Vehicle Crashes 26,347 Note 1 Adverse Reactions to Prescription Drugs 32,000 Note 2 Suicide 30,622 Note 3 Incidents Involving Firearms 29,000 Note 1 Homicide 20,308 Note 4 Sexual Behaviors 20,000 Note 1 All Illicit Drug Use, Direct and Indirect 17,000 Note 1, 5 Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Such As Aspirin 7,600 Note 6 Marijuana 07 1. (2000): "The leading causes of death in 2000 were tobacco (435,000 deaths; 18.1% of total US deaths), poor diet and physical inactivity (400,000 deaths; 16.6%), and alcohol consumption (85,000 deaths; 3.5%). Other actual causes of death were microbial agents (75,000), toxic agents (55,000), motor vehicle crashes (43,000), incidents involving firearms (29,000), sexual behaviors (20,000), and illicit use of drugs (17,000)." (Note: According to a correction published by the Journal on Jan. 19, 2005, "On page 1240, in Table 2, '400,000 (16.6)' deaths for 'poor diet and physical inactivity' in 2000 should be '365,000 (15.2).' A dagger symbol should be added to 'alcohol consumption' in the body of the table and a dagger footnote should be added with 'in 1990 data, deaths from alcohol-related crashes are included in alcohol consumption deaths, but not in motor vehicle deaths. In 2000 data, 16,653 deaths from alcohol-related crashes are included in both alcohol consumption and motor vehicle death categories." Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, Jan. 19, 2005, Vol. 293, No. 3, p. 298.) Source: Mokdad, Ali H., PhD, James S. Marks, MD, MPH, Donna F. Stroup, PhD, MSc, Julie L. Gerberding, MD, MPH, "Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000," Journal of the American Medical Association, March 10, 2004, Vol. 291, No. 10, pp. 1238, 1241. 2. (2000): "Illicit drug use is associated with suicide, homicide, motor-vehicle injury, HIV infection, pneumonia, violence, mental illness, and hepatitis. An estimated 3 million individuals in the United States have serious drug problems. Several studies have reported an undercount of the number of deaths attributed to drugs by vital statistics; however, improved medical treatments have reduced mortality from many diseases associated with illicit drug use. In keeping with the report by McGinnis and Foege, we included deaths caused indirectly by illicit drug use in this category. We used attributable fractions to compute the number of deaths due to illicit drug use. Overall, we estimate that illicit drug use resulted in approximately 17000 deaths in 2000, a reduction of 3000 deaths from the 1990 report." Source: Mokdad, Ali H., PhD, James S. Marks, MD, MPH, Donna F. Stroup, PhD, MSc, Julie L. Gerberding, MD, MPH, "Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000," Journal of the American Medical Association, March 10, 2004, Vol. 291, No. 10, p. 1242. 3. (2003): The US Centers for Disease Control reports that in 2003, there were a total of 31,484 deaths from suicide in the US. Source: Hoyert, Donna L., PhD, Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Murphy, Sherry L., BS, Kung, Hsiang-Ching, PhD; Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Final Data for 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 54, No. 13 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, April 19, 2006), p. 5, Table C. 4. (2003): The US Centers for Disease Control reports that in 2003, there were a total of 17,732 deaths from homicide in the US. Source: Hoyert, Donna L., PhD, Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Murphy, Sherry L., BS, Kung, Hsiang-Ching, PhD; Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Final Data for 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 54, No. 13 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, April 19, 2006), p. 5, Table C. 5. (2003): "In 2003, a total of 28,723 persons died of drug-induced causes in the United States (Tables 21 and 22). The category 'drug-induced causes' includes not only deaths from dependent and nondependent use of drugs (legal and illegal use), but also poisoning from medically prescribed and other drugs. It excludes unintentional injuries, homicides, and other causes indirectly related to drug use. Also excluded are newborn deaths due to mother's drug use." Source: Hoyert, Donna L., PhD, Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Murphy, Sherry L., BS, Kung, Hsiang-Ching, PhD; Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Final Data for 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 54, No. 13 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, April 19, 2006), p. 10. 6. (2003): "In 2003, a total of 20,687 persons died of alcohol-induced causes in the United States (Tables 23 and 24). The category 'alcohol-induced causes' includes not only deaths from dependent and nondependent use of alcohol, but also accidental poisoning by alcohol. It excludes unintentional injuries, homicides, and other causes indirectly related to alcohol use as well as deaths due to fetal alcohol syndrome." Source: Hoyert, Donna L., PhD, Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Murphy, Sherry L., BS, Kung, Hsiang-Ching, PhD; Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Final Data for 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 54, No. 13 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, April 19, 2006), p. 10. 7. (1996): "Each year, use of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) accounts for an estimated 7,600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations in the United States." (NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ketoprofen, and tiaprofenic acid.) Source: Robyn Tamblyn, PhD; Laeora Berkson, MD, MHPE, FRCPC; W. Dale Jauphinee, MD, FRCPC; David Gayton, MD, PhD, FRCPC; Roland Grad, MD, MSc; Allen Huang, MD, FRCPC; Lisa Isaac, PhD; Peter McLeod, MD, FRCPC; and Linda Snell, MD, MHPE, FRCPC, "Unnecessary Prescribing of NSAIDs and the Management of NSAID-Related Gastropathy in Medical Practice," Annals of Internal Medicine (Washington, DC: American College of Physicians, 1997), September 15, 1997, 127:429-438, from the web at http://www.acponline.org/journals/annals/15sep97/nsaid.htm, last accessed Feb. 14, 2001, citing Fries, JF, "Assessing and understanding patient risk," Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology Supplement, 1992;92:21-4. 8. (Average 1982-1998): According to Canadian researchers, approximately 32,000 hospitalized patients (and possibly as many as 106,000) in the USA die each year because of adverse reactions to their prescribed medications. Source: AMA, 1998), Nov. 25, 1998, Vol. 280, No. 20, from the web at http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v280n20/ffull/jlt1125-1.html, last accessed Feb. 12, 2001. 9. An exhaustive search of the literature finds no credible reports of deaths induced by marijuana. The US Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) records instances of drug mentions in medical examiners' reports, and though marijuana is mentioned, it is usually in combination with alcohol or other drugs. Marijuana alone has not been shown to cause an overdose death. Source: National Academy Press, 1999), available on the web at http://www.nap.edu/html/marimed/; and US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, "In the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition" (Docket #86-22), September 6, 1988, p. 57. 10. The Centers for Disease Control reported that in 2003, HIV disease was the 22nd leading cause of death in the US for whites, the 9th leading cause of death for blacks, and the 13th leading cause of death for Hispanics. Source: Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Smith, Betty L., BsED, Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Leading Causes for 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 55, No. 10 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, CDC, March 15, 2007), p. 10, Table E, and p. 12, Table F. Country Illicit drugs Afghanistan world's largest producer of opium; poppy cultivation decreased 22% to 157,000 hectares in 2008 but remains at a historically high level; less favorable growing conditions in 2008 reduced potential opium production to 5,500 metric tons, down 31 percent from 2007; if the entire opium crop were processed, 648 metric tons of pure heroin potentially could be produced; the Taliban and other antigovernment groups participate in and profit from the opiate trade, which is a key source of revenue for the Taliban inside Afghanistan; widespread corruption and instability impede counterdrug efforts; most of the heroin consumed in Europe and Eurasia is derived from Afghan opium; vulnerable to drug money laundering through informal financial networks; regional source of hashish (2008) Albania increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to a lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; limited opium and growing cannabis production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and expanding in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional trafficking in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal aliens Angola used as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for Western Europe and other African states, particularly South Africa Anguilla transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe Antigua and Barbuda considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center Argentina a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe, heroin headed for the US, and ephedrine and pseudoephedrine headed for Mexico; some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; law enforcement corruption; a source for precursor chemicals; increasing domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers, especially cocaine base and synthetic drugs (2008) Armenia illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; minor transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe Aruba transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine Australia Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate; major consumer of cocaine and amphetamines Austria transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; increasing consumption of European-produced synthetic drugs Azerbaijan limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; small government eradication program; transit point for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe Bahamas, The transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center Bangladesh transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries Barbados one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center Belarus limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; a small and lightly regulated financial center; anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards and was weakened further when know-your-customer requirements were curtailed in 2008; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities (2008) Belgium growing producer of synthetic drugs and cannabis; transit point for US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe; despite a strengthening of legislation, the country remains vulnerable to money laundering related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco; significant domestic consumption of ecstasy Belize transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis, primarily for local consumption; offshore sector money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking and other crimes (2008) Benin transshipment point used by traffickers for cocaine destined for Western Europe; vulnerable to money laundering due to poorly enforced financial regulations (2008) Bolivia world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 29,500 hectares under cultivation in 2007, increased slightly when compared to 2006; third largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 120 metric tons potential pure cocaine in 2007; transit country for Peruvian and Colombian cocaine destined for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Europe; cultivation generally increasing since 2000, despite eradication and alternative crop programs; weak border controls; some money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade; major cocaine consumption (2008) Bosnia and Herzegovina increasingly a transit point for heroin being trafficked to Western Europe; minor transit point for marijuana; remains highly vulnerable to money-laundering activity given a primarily cash-based and unregulated economy, weak law enforcement, and instances of corruption Brazil second-largest consumer of cocaine in the world; illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area (2008) British Virgin Islands transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering Brunei drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty Bulgaria major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; vulnerable to money laundering because of corruption, organized crime; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions (2008) Burma remains world's second largest producer of illicit opium with an estimated production in 2008 of 340 metric tons, an increase of 26%, and poppy cultivation in 2008 totaled 22,500 hectares, a 4% increase from 2007; production in the United Wa State Army's areas of greatest control remains low; Shan state is the source of 94% of Burma's poppy cultivation; lack of government will to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption (2008) Cambodia narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; limited methamphetamine production; vulnerable to money laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders Canada illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market and export to US; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; increasing ecstasy production, some of which is destined for the US; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial services sector Cape Verde used as a transshipment point for Latin American cocaine destined for Western Europe, particularly because of Lusophone links to Brazil, Portugal, and Guinea-Bissau; has taken steps to deter drug money laundering, including a 2002 anti-money laundering reform that criminalizes laundering the proceeds of narcotics trafficking and other crimes and the establishment in 2008 of a Financial Intelligence Unit (2008) Cayman Islands major offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US and Europe (2008) Chile transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe and the region; some money laundering activity, especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone; imported precursors passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising, making Chile a significant consumer of cocaine (2008) China major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia; growing domestic consumption of synthetic drugs, and heroin from Southeast and Southwest Asia; source country for methamphetamine and heroin chemical precursors, despite new regulations on its large chemical industry (2008) Colombia illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator with 167,000 hectares in coca cultivation in 2007, a 6% increase over 2006, producing a potential of 535 mt of pure cocaine; the world's largest producer of coca derivatives; supplies cocaine to nearly all of the US market and the great majority of other international drug markets; in 2005, aerial eradication dispensed herbicide to treat over 130,000 hectares but aggressive replanting on the part of coca growers means Colombia remains a key producer; a significant portion of narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange; important supplier of heroin to the US market; opium poppy cultivation is estimated to have fallen 25% between 2006 and 2007; most Colombian heroin is destined for the US market; (2008) Congo, Democratic Republic of the one of Africa's biggest producers of cannabis, but mostly for domestic consumption; traffickers exploit lax shipping controls to transit pseudoephedrine through the capital; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leaves the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center (2008) Costa Rica transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis in remote areas; domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising; significant consumption of amphetamines; seizures of smuggled cash in Costa Rica and at the main border crossing to enter Costa Rica from Nicaragua have risen in recent years (2008) Cote d'Ivoire illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; utility as a narcotic transshipment point to Europe reduced by ongoing political instability; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leave the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center (2008) Croatia transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe (2008) Cuba territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for US- and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 (2008) Cyprus minor transit point for heroin and hashish via air routes and container traffic to Europe, especially from Lebanon and Turkey; some cocaine transits as well; despite a strengthening of anti-money-laundering legislation, remains vulnerable to money laundering; reporting of suspicious transactions in offshore sector remains weak (2008) Czech Republic transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; susceptible to money laundering related to drug trafficking, organized crime; significant consumer of ecstasy (2008) Dominica transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer (2008) Dominican Republic transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; has become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the Netherlands and Belgium destined for US and Canada; substantial money laundering activity, in particular by Colombian narcotics traffickers; significant amphetamine consumption (2008) Ecuador significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru, with much of the US-bound cocaine passing through Ecuadorian Pacific waters; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; attractive location for cash-placement by drug traffickers laundering money because of dollarization and weak anti-money-laundering regime; increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents (2008) Egypt transit point for cannabis, heroin, and opium moving to Europe, Israel, and North Africa; transit stop for Nigerian drug couriers; concern as money laundering site due to lax enforcement of financial regulations El Salvador transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for local consumption; significant use of cocaine Estonia growing producer of synthetic drugs; increasingly important transshipment zone for cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and synthetic drugs since joining the European Union and the Schengen Accord; potential money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds; major use of opiates and ecstasy Ethiopia transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe, as well as cocaine destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (khat) for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia (legal in all three countries); the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money laundering center France metropolitan France: transshipment point for South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics French Guiana: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe Martinique: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe Georgia limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia Germany source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced synthetic drugs; major financial center Ghana illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; major transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and, to a lesser extent, South American cocaine destined for Europe and the US; widespread crime and money laundering problem, but the lack of a well developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money laundering center; significant domestic cocaine and cannabis use Greece a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis and heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine transits or is consumed in Greece; money laundering related to drug trafficking and organized crime Grenada small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US Guatemala major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2005, cultivated 100 hectares of opium poppy after reemerging as a potential source of opium in 2004; potential production of less than 1 metric ton of pure heroin; marijuana cultivation for mostly domestic consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (particularly for cocaine); money laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a major problem Guinea-Bissau increasingly important transit country for South American cocaine enroute to Europe; enabling environment for trafficker operations thanks to pervasive corruption; archipelago-like geography around the capital facilitates drug smuggling Guyana transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis; rising money laundering related to drug trafficking and human smuggling Haiti Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe; substantial bulk cash smuggling activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions; pervasive corruption; significant consumer of cannabis Honduras transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; corruption is a major problem; some money-laundering activity Hong Kong despite strenuous law enforcement efforts, faces difficult challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system provides conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people Hungary transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and for South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and methamphetamine; efforts to counter money laundering, related to organized crime and drug trafficking, are improving, but remain vulnerable; significant consumer of ecstasy India world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries and throughout Southwest Asia; illicit producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system; licit ketamine and precursor production Indonesia illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; producer of methamphetamine and ecstasy Iran despite substantial interdiction efforts and considerable control measures along the border with Afghanistan, Iran remains one of the primary transshipment routes for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; suffers one of the highest opiate addiction rates in the world, and has an increasing problem with synthetic drugs; lacks anti-money laundering laws; has reached out to neighboring countries to share counter-drug intelligence Ireland transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs; increasing consumption of South American cocaine; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money laundering - using bureaux de change, trusts, and shell companies involving the offshore financial community - remains a concern Israel increasingly concerned about ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan; money-laundering center Italy important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling Jamaica transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation and consumption of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions Kazakhstan significant illicit cultivation of cannabis for CIS markets, as well as limited cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug ephedrine); limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of Europe; significant consumer of opiates Kenya widespread harvesting of small plots of marijuana; transit country for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and North America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa; significant potential for money-laundering activity given the country's status as a regional financial center; massive corruption, and relatively high levels of narcotics-associated activities Korea, North for years, from the 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of them diplomatic employees of the government, were apprehended abroad while trafficking in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December 2004; police investigations in Taiwan and Japan in recent years have linked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin and methamphetamine, including an attempt by the North Korean merchant ship Pong Su to deliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003 Kyrgyzstan limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy for CIS markets; limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of Europe; major consumer of opiates Laos estimated opium poppy cultivation in 2008 was 1,900 hectares, about a 73% increase from 2007; estimated potential opium production in 2008 more than tripled to 17 metric tons; unsubstantiated reports of domestic methamphetamine production; growing domestic methamphetamine problem (2007) Latvia transshipment and destination point for cocaine, synthetic drugs, opiates, and cannabis from Southwest Asia, Western Europe, Latin America, and neighboring Balkan countries; despite improved legislation, vulnerable to money laundering due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of offshore companies and the gaming industry; CIS organized crime (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds Lebanon cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in 2002 despite continued significant cannabis consumption; opium poppy cultivation minimal; small amounts of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way to European markets and for Middle Eastern consumption; money laundering of drug proceeds fuels concern that extremists are benefiting from drug trafficking Liberia transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the European and US markets; corruption, criminal activity, arms-dealing, and diamond trade provide significant potential for money laundering, but the lack of well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center Liechtenstein has strengthened money laundering controls, but money laundering remains a concern due to Liechtenstein's sophisticated offshore financial services sector Lithuania transshipment and destination point for cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, and opiates from Southwest Asia, Latin America, Western Europe, and neighboring Baltic countries; growing production of high-quality amphetamines, but limited production of cannabis, methamphetamines; susceptible to money laundering despite changes to banking legislation Macau transshipment point for drugs going into mainland China; consumer of opiates and amphetamines Macedonia major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe; although not a financial center and most criminal activity is thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement Madagascar illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin Malaysia drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties; heroin still primary drug of abuse, but synthetic drug demand remains strong; continued ecstasy and methamphetamine producer for domestic users and, to a lesser extent, the regional drug market Malta minor transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western Europe Mauritius consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering, but corruption levels are relatively low and the government appears generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry Mexico major drug-producing nation; cultivation of opium poppy in 2007 rose to 6,900 hectares yielding a potential production of 18 metric tons of pure heroin, or 50 metric tons of "black tar" heroin, the dominant form of Mexican heroin in the western United States; marijuana cultivation increased to 8,900 hectares in 2007 and yielded a potential production of 15,800 metric tons; government conducts the largest independent illicit-crop eradication program in the world; continues as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America, with an estimated 90% of annual cocaine movements toward the US stopping in Mexico; major drug syndicates control the majority of drug trafficking throughout the country; producer and distributor of ecstasy; significant money-laundering center; major supplier of heroin and largest foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine to the US market (2007) Micronesia, Federated States of major consumer of cannabis Moldova limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and possibly the US; widespread crime and underground economic activity Montserrat transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe Morocco one of the world's largest producers of illicit hashish; shipments of hashish mostly directed to Western Europe; transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; significant consumer of cannabis Mozambique southern African transit point for South Asian hashish and heroin, and South American cocaine probably destined for the European and South African markets; producer of cannabis (for local consumption) and methaqualone (for export to South Africa); corruption and poor regulatory capability makes the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, but the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center Nepal illicit producer of cannabis and hashish for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West Netherlands major European producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and cannabis cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering; significant consumer of ecstasy Netherlands Antilles transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center New Zealand significant consumer of amphetamines Nicaragua transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing Nigeria a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets; consumer of amphetamines; safe haven for Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major money-laundering center; massive corruption and criminal activity; Nigeria has improved some anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in June 2006; Nigeria's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF Pakistan significant transit area for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine, and hashish, bound for Iran, Western markets, the Gulf States, Africa, and Asia; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain problems; opium poppy cultivation estimated to be 2,300 hectares in 2007 with 600 of those hectares eradicated; federal and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy campaigns that utilizes forced eradication, fines, and arrests Panama major cocaine transshipment point and primary money-laundering center for narcotics revenue; money-laundering activity is especially heavy in the Colon Free Zone; offshore financial center; negligible signs of coca cultivation; monitoring of financial transactions is improving; official corruption remains a major problem Papua New Guinea major consumer of cannabis Paraguay major illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of which is consumed in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile; transshipment country for Andean cocaine headed for Brazil, other Southern Cone markets, and Europe; weak border controls, extensive corruption and money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; weak anti-money-laundering laws and enforcement Peru until 1996 the world's largest coca leaf producer, Peru is now the world's second largest producer of coca leaf, though it lags far behind Colombia; cultivation of coca in Peru declined to 36,000 hectares in 2007; second largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 210 metric tons of potential pure cocaine in 2007; finished cocaine is shipped out from Pacific ports to the international drug market; increasing amounts of base and finished cocaine, however, are being moved to Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia for use in the Southern Cone or transshipment to Europe and Africa; increasing domestic drug consumption Philippines domestic methamphetamine production has been a growing problem in recent years despite government crackdowns; major consumer of amphetamines; longstanding marijuana producer mainly in rural areas where Manila's control is limited Poland despite diligent counternarcotics measures and international information sharing on cross-border crimes, a major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international market; minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe Portugal seizing record amounts of Latin American cocaine destined for Europe; a European gateway for Southwest Asian heroin; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin Romania major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe; although not a significant financial center, role as a narcotics conduit leaves it vulnerable to laundering, which occurs via the banking system, currency exchange houses, and casinos Russia limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy and producer of methamphetamine, mostly for domestic consumption; government has active illicit crop eradication program; used as transshipment point for Asian opiates, cannabis, and Latin American cocaine bound for growing domestic markets, to a lesser extent Western and Central Europe, and occasionally to the US; major source of heroin precursor chemicals; corruption and organized crime are key concerns; major consumer of opiates Saint Kitts and Nevis transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity Saint Lucia transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe Saint Vincent and the Grenadines transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation Saudi Arabia death penalty for traffickers; improving anti-money-laundering legislation and enforcement Senegal transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis Serbia transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western Europe on the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money laundering Singapore drug abuse limited because of aggressive law enforcement efforts; as a transportation and financial services hub, Singapore is vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, as a venue for money laundering Slovakia transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market; consumer of ecstasy Slovenia minor transit point for cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe, and for precursor chemicals South Africa transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region and the size of the South African economy Spain despite rigorous law enforcement efforts, North African, Latin American, Galician, and other European traffickers take advantage of Spain's long coastline to land large shipments of cocaine and hashish for distribution to the European market; consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations and organized crime Suriname growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for Europe via the Netherlands and Brazil; transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing Switzerland a major international financial center vulnerable to the layering and integration stages of money laundering; despite significant legislation and reporting requirements, secrecy rules persist and nonresidents are permitted to conduct business through offshore entities and various intermediaries; transit country for and consumer of South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and Western European synthetics; domestic cannabis cultivation and limited ecstasy production Syria a transit point for opiates, hashish, and cocaine bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls and bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money laundering Taiwan regional transit point for heroin, methamphetamine, and precursor chemicals; transshipment point for drugs to Japan; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin; rising problems with use of ketamine and club drugs Tajikistan major transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; Tajikistan seizes roughly 80% of all drugs captured in Central Asia and stands third worldwide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium); significant consumer of opiates Tanzania growing role in transshipment of Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for South African, European, and US markets and of South Asian methaqualone bound for southern Africa; money laundering remains a problem Thailand a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana; transit point for illicit heroin en route to the international drug market from Burma and Laos; eradication efforts have reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring countries; opium poppy cultivation has been reduced by eradication efforts; also a drug money-laundering center; minor role in methamphetamine production for regional consumption; major consumer of methamphetamine since the 1990s despite a series of government crackdowns Timor-Leste NA Togo transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem Trinidad and Tobago transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis Turkey key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and, to a lesser extent, the US - via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin exist in remote regions of Turkey and near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and over output of poppy straw concentrate; lax enforcement of money-laundering controls Turkmenistan transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan Turks and Caicos Islands transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe Ukraine limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; some synthetic drug production for export to the West; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, and Turkey to Europe and Russia; Ukraine has improved anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in February 2004; Ukraine's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF United Arab Emirates the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity to Southwest Asian drug-producing countries; the UAE's position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving, but informal banking remains unregulated United Kingdom producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center United States world's largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and marijuana; major consumer of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine; minor consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center Uruguay small-scale transit country for drugs mainly bound for Europe, often through sea-borne containers; law enforcement corruption; money laundering because of strict banking secrecy laws; weak border control along Brazilian frontier; increasing consumption of cocaine base and synthetic drugs Uzbekistan transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and small amounts of opium poppy for domestic consumption; poppy cultivation almost wiped out by government crop eradication program; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan Venezuela small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border Vietnam minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; government continues to face domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems despite longstanding crackdowns World cocaine: worldwide coca leaf cultivation in 2007 amounted to 232,500 hectares; Colombia produced slightly more than two-thirds of the worldwide crop, followed by Peru and Bolivia; potential pure cocaine production decreased 7% to 865 metric tons in 2007; Colombia conducts aggressive coca eradication campaign, but both Peruvian and Bolivian Governments are hesitant to eradicate coca in key growing areas; 551 metric tons of export-quality cocaine (85% pure) is documented to have been seized or destroyed in 2005; US consumption of export quality cocaine is estimated to have been in excess of 380 metric tons opiates: worldwide illicit opium poppy cultivation continued to increase in 2007, with a potential opium production of 8,400 metric tons, reaching the highest levels recorded since estimates began in mid-1980s; Afghanistan is world's primary opium producer, accounting for 95% of the global supply; Southeast Asia - responsible for 9% of global opium - saw marginal increases in production; Latin America produced 1% of global opium, but most was refined into heroin destined for the US market; if all potential opium was processed into pure heroin, the potential global production would be 1,000 metric tons of heroin in 2007 Zambia transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for southern Africa and possibly Europe; a poorly developed financial infrastructure coupled with a government commitment to combating money laundering make it an unattractive venue for money launderers; major consumer of cannabis Zimbabwe transit point for cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax, and methamphetamines en route to South Africa This page was last updated on 9 April 2009 Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia) From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sun Aug 2 03:20:52 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 10:20:52 +0100 Subject: [A-List] massive distraction from Honduras Message-ID: <83C84B86EBC247D2A0B8281D1ACBD4D4@home9sg93n9r5y> Sean Fischer writes of "civil servants" as : those who earn their wages at the expense of the tax payer. Strange mindset. And this in the context of a massive distraction from the subject of US support for a coup in its former base for the Contra war, and massive militarisation in its obscene satrapy, Colombia. James From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sun Aug 2 03:58:15 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 10:58:15 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Alfredo Guevara on breaking the silence over Honduras Message-ID: LA JIRIBILLA/Alfredo Guevara on breaking the silence over Honduras Posted to CN by: "Walter Lippmann" walterlx at earthlink.net walterlx Sat Aug 1, 2009 7:53 am (PDT) LA JIRIBILLA Everybody: Raise his voice to break off the plan of silence! By: Alfredo Guevara July 25, 2009 http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs2575.html Brethren of all America: With great worry the Festival House, a cultural institution in charge of the organization tasks of International Festival of the New Latin-American Cinema, has closely followed the events occurred in the sister Republic of Honduras. Honduran young people and moviemakers, breaking off the media siege imposed after the coup d'?tat, have denounced not a few actions of violence and barbarity against Honduran reporters and common people who are trying to confront the coup d'?tat so, are being brutally repressed. Leaning on a media coup plot for support the coup d'?tat, the usurpers close radio and television stations in an attempt to hush up them, threat violent physical aggressions to journalists and moviemakers, in order to do Hondurans ignore that the participants in the coup are being repudiated by the whole world and have been declared illegitimate by all International Organizations. It's the same old story. The moviemakers' lives are in danger again. Cameramen, who with people's eyes unmask actions and intentions, become object of cold and calculated persecution. Nothing else could be closer to that "Plan Condor" guided by the Empire and his followers who attempted to exterminate the left in South America. The International Festival of the New Latin-American Cinema denounces before the intellectuals of the whole world, and particularly, before the ones who are from our region, all the atrocities, repression and abuses that our companions, the reporters, are suffering in Honduras, as a part of a plan that the participants in the coup d'?tat are carrying on trying to silence and to hide people?s fight to regain their freedom. Everybody: Raise his voice to break off the plan of silence! Raise all our voices to break off the risk of complicities, calculations, cowardice and manoeuvrings which from the Empire's bosom and his servants are destined to sacrifice Honduras and its people! Translation: Mercedes Carballo (Cubarte) From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sun Aug 2 04:20:44 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 11:20:44 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Alfredo Guevara on breaking the silence over Honduras Message-ID: LA JIRIBILLA/Alfredo Guevara on breaking the silence over Honduras Posted to CN by: "Walter Lippmann" walterlx at earthlink.net walterlx Sat Aug 1, 2009 7:53 am (PDT) Haitian organizations and numerous personalities come out against the coup in Honduras and demand the immediate and unconditional restoration of Manuel Zelaya to power DECLARATION AGAINST THE COUP D'ETAT OF HONDURAS AND DEMANDING THE RETURN OF THE PRESIDENT MANUEL ZELAYA AND THE PURSUIT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PROCESS We, a group of Haitian organizations, meeting from 24 to 28 July 2009 to commemorate a week of solidarity with Cuba and of all peoples struggling for their liberation, condemn the military coup in Honduras of Sunday 28 June when the democratically elected President was ousted from power and expelled from his country by the Armed Forces. We wish to alert Haitian public opinion to the gravity of this act, which is contrary to the laws and Constitution of Honduras and to international conventions. This a coup d'?tat has been fomented by the conservative elites of this country that are opposed to the changes initiated by the Zelaya government, including increase of the minimum wage, a large popular mobilization against the free trade agreements in particular CAFTA, the joining of ALBA and the beginning of a process of constitutional reform. We note that the last decision, which was the pretext used by the traditional political class, the oligarchy and a Parliament to justify the coup, was supported by the signatures of more than 400,000 citizens and that more than 45,000 volunteers were mobilized to ensure the success of the referendum process. The Armed Forces, which oppose the referendum seeking public input on whether to undertake a process of Constitutional reform, are engaged in a rebellion and in crimes against the laws and institutions of the country. The coup is not only directed against the people of Honduras, it seeks to put an end to the immense progress made in recent years by the peoples of the region, including member countries of ALBA, in reclaiming their sovereignty, breaking with neoliberal policies, recovering control over their strategic resources and dimsantling the colonial peripheral dependent capitalist state. What is at stake is the future of democracy in our continent. The right of our peoples to regain control over the construction of their own future is being threatened. That is why we ask Haitian organizations to mobilize to demand the immediate and unconditional return of Manuel Zelaya to power by associating themselves with this statement. The signatories of this declaration: 1 .- Demand the immediate and unconditional return of Manuel Zelaya to power 2.- Demand the removal of the current de facto government and punishment of perpetrators and accomplices of the coup d'?tat 3 .- Denounce the cynicism practiced by the U.S. Administration and the double standards of the Government of Costa Rica through tactics that attempt to legitimize the coup and unnecessarily prolong the suffering of the people of Honduras. 4 .- Denounce the widespread and unacceptable human rights violations perpetrated by the coup regime that daily violates civil liberties, imposes a curfew and severely represses the numerous mass demonstrations held in support of the President. In this regard there have already been several casualties, assassinations, a large number of serious injuries, arbitrary arrests and systematic persecution of feminist organizations, indigenous organizations and of the Press. 5.-Wish to highlight the fact that although international bodies including the United Nations and the OAS have unanimously condemned the coup d'?tat, the issue now appears to be managed by the U.S. State Department and its allies in Central America, in the context of a confusing mediation process that promotes the extension in power of the criminals who now run the country. The resolution of the OAS should be implemented as soon as possible. 6 .- Call on all human rights bodies to mobilize to protect the many Honduran organizations and the tens of thousands of Honduran citizens involved in the resistance against the coup and who are persecuted and threatened with death and reprisals of all kind. We cannot remain silent in the face of this assault against an unarmed people defending their most basic rights. . 7 .- Welcome the exemplary resistance of the people of Honduras, which after more than a month continues to paralyze the country and defend its dignity and sacred right to defend its democratic achievements. 8 .- Welcome in particular the National Front of Resistance to the coup d'?tat and all sister organizations such as COPINH, members of Jubilee South and the member organizations of the Central American Popular Bloc, that refuse to retreat in the face of fascism and the barbaric acts of repression that plague the country today. 9 .- Appeal to everyone to follow daily developments, to everywhere to denounce the coup and to make every effort to provide our support and solidarity to the resistance by working tirelessly to ensure that the putschists fail. [image: Francisco Morazan - Central American Hero] Francisco Morazan - Central American Hero The signatories wish to salute the courage of the people of Honduras. We have experienced a similar situation during the coup d'?tat perpetrated by the Haitian Armed Forces on 30 September 1991. This cost many lives and we witnessed the destruction of the popular movement for 3 years. The bloody coup of 1991 was a critical turning point in the destabilization of our country and the acceleration of a process of institutional and economic regression which is one of the causes of poverty that affects nearly 80% of the population today. We desire that the people of Honduras should acquire the necessary resources to emerge as soon as possible out of this nightmare and the bloody dictatorship in order to resume the construction of a sovereign and prosperous future that fully respects the rights and needs of the majority of the strata of the People of Moraz?n. Be aware that 'Peacekeeping Forces', as in Haiti and other parts of the world, are at the service of imperialism, which is today engaed in a new process of militarization of the region with new and menacing military bases installed in Colombia and Curacao. Any multinational force would only prolong the destabilization initiated by the coup. Down with the oligarchs, the fascist coup in Honduras and the imperialist threat to the whole Latin America! Long live ALBA! Long live the resistance of the people of Honduras! Truth and justice must prevail! We shall overcome! Done at Port-au-Prince, on 28 July 2009 Invitation: register for email alerts of new postings at http://normangirvan.info This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From seanfischer at earthlink.net Sun Aug 2 02:21:40 2009 From: seanfischer at earthlink.net (Sean Fischer) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 04:21:40 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia Message-ID: <14745940.1249201300812.JavaMail.root@elwamui-mouette.atl.sa.earthlink.net> A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 363246 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090802/6661a798/attachment.txt From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sun Aug 2 04:37:40 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 11:37:40 +0100 Subject: [A-List] SAN FRANCISCO/Mon. 8/3: Press Conf./Rally against Honduran coup Message-ID: SAN FRANCISCO/Mon. 8/3: Press Conf./Rally against Honduran coup Posted to CN by: "Jane Franklin" janefranklin at hotmail.com Sat Aug 1, 2009 3:52 pm (PDT) From: tonybook at att.net Subject: Honduras! SF Monday Press Conference/Rally Aug. 3 Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2009 18:16:51 +0000 Stop Represion in Honduras! Press Conference/Rally Contact: 415-368-8481 Monday August 3rd 2009, 4:00 p.m. San Francisco Federal Building 450 Golden Gate Avenue. Civic Center BART Station Military Coup in Honduras - Stand in Solidarity with the People of Honduras The Latin America Solidarity Coalition (BALASC) condemns the military coup against the democratically elected Honduran President Zelaya. The Honduran social movements, who are courageously resisting the militarytake-over through protests, occupations and strikes, are calling on the international community to speak up in defense of real and direct democracy, for life, justice, liberty, dignity and peace. Call the State Department and the White House and ask for actions, not merely words, including: 1. A cut off of all US aid (as required by US law) until Zelaya is safely returned to office. 2. Financial sanctions against the coup plotters. 3. An investigation into what signals U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Hugo Llorens gave to coup plotters before the coup. State Department: 202-647-4000 or 1-800-877-8339 White House: Comments: 202-456-1111 Background: A military coup took place in Honduras on Sunday, June 28, led by SOA graduate Romeo Vasquez. In the early hours of the day, members of the Honduran military surrounded the presidential palace and forced the democratically elected president, Manuel Zelaya, into custody. He was immediately flown to Costa Rica. A national referenfum had been scheduled to take place on Sunday in Honduras to consult the electorate on a proposal of holding a Constitutional Assembly in November. General Vasquez had refused to comply with this vote and was deposed by the president, only to later be reinstated by the Congress and Supreme Court. The Honduran state television was taken off the air. The electricity supply to the capital Tegucigalpa, as well telephone and cellphone lines were cut. Government institutions were taken over by the military. While the traditional political parties, Catholic church and military have not issued any statements, the people of Honduras are going into the streets, in spite of the fact that the streets are militarized. From Costa Rica, President Zelaya has called for a non- violent response from the people of Honduras, and for international solidarity for the Honduran democracy. From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sun Aug 2 04:51:36 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 11:51:36 +0100 Subject: [A-List] ABN: Peaceful demonstrations to restore rule of law to continue in Honduras Message-ID: ABN: Peaceful demonstrations to restore rule of law to continue in Honduras Posted to CN by: "A Beltran" a.beltran at ymail.com a.beltran at ymail.com Sat Aug 1, 2009 7:08 pm (PDT) Peaceful demonstrations to restore rule of law to continue in Honduras Caracas, Jul 31 ABN.- The peaceful demonstrations in favor of the restoration of the constitutional order in Honduras are to continue this Friday, though the violent repression of the Army, popular leaders confirmed. The general coordinator of the National Front against the coup d'??tat, Juan Barahona, affirmed that this Friday they will meet at the National Pedagogical University so as to set the actions to confront the putschists. Barahona was arrested on Thursday during the repression of the Armed Forces against a peaceful parade outside of the capital city, in order to demand the restoration of the Rule of Law and the return of the constitutional president Manuel Zelaya. The as well president of the Honduran Unitarian Workers Federation said to be grieved because of the mistreatment he underwent when he was arrested together with almost a hundred of people; however, he has a lot of spirit to continue the fight. Barahona, together with the other imprisoned people, was released after the lawyer Rasel Tome filed an appeal before the Supreme Court of Justice. Other of the main leaders of the Front, the presidential candidate Carlos Humberto Reyes, resulted with fractures on his left arm and nine stitches on his head because of an injure caused for the repression. Reyes repudiated the oppression and he stressed that despite that, the popular resistance will continue until they get to defeat the putschists. The violent repression on behalf of the Armed Forces unleashed a wave of contempt in several sectors of the Honduran society. The catholic priest Andres Tamayo denounced that the brutality of the troops of the Army and the police did not respect women, children nor the elderly. "They have battered so many people. They want to stay in power based on repression. There is no law here" the priest stressed. Jose Luis Baquedano, leader of the Front, denounced to have been brutally beaten by the police officers just as the leader Rafael Alegria. "Dictators, tyrants, are oppressing the people in a dictatorial act whose purpose is to perpetuate in power" he stressed. "People will not surrender. We will continue in this fight" Baquedano affirmed. This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sun Aug 2 05:07:27 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 12:07:27 +0100 Subject: [A-List] ABN: Rafael Correa hopes Honduran putschists quickly go home or to jail Message-ID: ABN: Rafael Correa hopes Honduran putschists quickly go home or to jail Posted to CN by: "A Beltran" a.beltran at ymail.com a.beltran at ymail.com Sat Aug 1, 2009 7:13 pm (PDT Rafael Correa: Honduran putschists are expected soon to their homes or jail Caracas, Aug. 01 ABN .- The Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa said on Saturday his hope that Manuel Zelaya soon come to the coup d'etat in Honduras, and return to their homes or to jail those who overthrew the constitutional president -- a note of the highlights of Telesur website. Correa, in his usual Saturday program, said that he discussed the situation in Honduras with the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Jose Miguel Insulza, who visited the capital of Ecuador, Quito. With Insulza's also talking about the Honduran case, where it is clear that dictatorship is maintained with the support of powerful groups of United States and regional oligarchies," said Correa. Considered that 'the popular rebellion in Honduras is very strong' and said that "sooner or later (the coup) will have to go home and hopefully in jail ' ===================== This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sun Aug 2 05:16:25 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 12:16:25 +0100 Subject: [A-List] ABN: Teacher shot dead by police repression in Honduras Message-ID: <76B4D5B15A5247A0868A6085AA225383@home9sg93n9r5y> ABN: Teacher shot dead by police repression in Honduras Posted to CN by: "A Beltran" a.beltran at ymail.com a.beltran at ymail.com Sat Aug 1, 2009 7:20 pm (PDT) Teacher shot dead by police repression in Honduras Tegucigalpa, Aug 01 ABN .- The Honduran teacher who was shot in the head last Thursday when military officials and police attacked a demonstration in favor of the legitimate president, Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, died Saturday after being in coma during three days. The announcement was made by members of the family of Roger Abraham Vallejo and the teachers union, who recalled that this is the fourth victim from the coup of June 28 last, reported the news portal of TelesurThe death of Vallejo represents the fourth since the coup of last June 28 because of persistent attacks by security forces against the people. The Honduran citizen, a victim of the military repression that prevails in the nation, fell into a coma on Thursday after being operated on after receiving the body of a projectile impact of high power during a demonstration held in an access road to the Honduran capital from the north. The Honduran citizen of 38 years was hit by a bullet fired by the police when, through the use of force, military and police officers evicted a road blockade of the north exit of capital, which remained in the rejected usurper government chaired by Roberto Michelleti. From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sun Aug 2 05:30:37 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 12:30:37 +0100 Subject: [A-List] ABN: Teacher shot dead by police repression in Honduras Message-ID: Re: ABN: Teacher shot dead by police repression in Honduras Posted to CN by: "Greg McDonald" sabocat59 at mac.com gregiww Sat Aug 1, 2009 10:53 pm (PDT) Armed police came by the wake today and menaced the family and other mourners by pointing their weapons at them, according to a Radio Globo interview with a brother of the deceased. Greg McD From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sun Aug 2 05:36:29 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 12:36:29 +0100 Subject: [A-List] PL: Culture of Resistance in Honduras Message-ID: <577F7CCDECF54F74A1F4A6403CC83D23@home9sg93n9r5y> PL: Culture of Resistance in Honduras Posted to CN by: "A Beltran" a.beltran at ymail.com a.beltran at ymail.com Sat Aug 1, 2009 10:55 pm (PDT) Culture of Resistance in Honduras Escrito por Fany Rodr??guez s??bado, 01 de agosto de 2009 01 de agosto de 2009, 08:55Imagen activa Tegucigalpa, Aug 1 (Prensa Latina) Artists in Honduras are expected to join efforts on Saturday to support the long popular resistance against the coup into its 35th consecutive day. General coordinator of the National Front against the Coup, Juan Barahona, announced yesterday a political-cultural gathering for today as an activity in defense of the restitution of constitutional order. The event will take place 48 hours after a violent Army and police repression against a peaceful march in the outskirts of the capital, resulting in dozens of people wounded and detained. Two people continue in hospital: Profesor Roger Vallejo, with a serious bullet wound in his head, and presidential candidate Carlos H. Reyes, with injuries in his head and a broken or fractured arm. Popular leaders said in a gathering held yesterday after a march through several areas of the capital that the de facto government installed on June 28 is wrong in thinking that severe repression is going to frighten the people. http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=105822&Itemid=1 From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Sun Aug 2 07:48:20 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 22:48:20 +0900 Subject: [A-List] Taking Money Back: Part One Message-ID: <20090802224820.d2622bcc.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> by Murray N Rothbard The Freeman (September 1995) Money is a crucial command post of any economy, and therefore of any society. Society rests upon a network of voluntary exchanges, also known as the "free-market economy"; these exchanges imply a division of labor in society, in which producers of eggs, nails, horses, lumber, and immaterial services such as teaching, medical care, and concerts, exchange their goods for the goods of others. At each step of the way, every participant in exchange benefits immeasurably, for if everyone were forced to be self-sufficient, those few who managed to survive would be reduced to a pitiful standard of living. Direct exchange of goods and services, also known as "barter", is hopelessly unproductive beyond the most primitive level, and indeed every "primitive" tribe soon found its way to the discovery of the tremendous benefits of arriving, on the market, at one particularly marketable commodity, one in general demand, to use as a "medium" of "indirect exchange". If a particular commodity is in widespread use as a medium in a society, then that general medium of exchange is called "money". The money-commodity becomes one term in every single one of the innumerable exchanges in the market economy. I sell my services as a teacher for money; I use that money to buy groceries, typewriters, or travel accommodations; and these producers in turn use the money to pay their workers, to buy equipment and inventory, and pay rent for their buildings. Hence the ever-present temptation for one or more groups to seize control of the vital money-supply function. Many useful goods have been chosen as moneys in human societies. Salt in Africa, sugar in the Caribbean, fish in colonial New England, tobacco in the colonial Chesapeake Bay region, cowrie shells, iron hoes, and many other commodities have been used as moneys. Not only do these moneys serve as media of exchange; they enable individuals and business firms to engage in the "calculation" necessary to any advanced economy. Moneys are traded and reckoned in terms of a currency unit, almost always units of weight. Tobacco, for example, was reckoned in pound weights. Prices of other goods and services could be figured in terms of pounds of tobacco; a certain horse might be worth eighty pounds on the market. A business firm could then calculate its profit or loss for the previous month; it could figure that its income for the past month was 1,000 pounds and its expenditures 800 pounds, netting it a 200 pound profit. Gold or Government Paper Throughout history, two commodities have been able to outcompete all other goods and be chosen on the market as money - two precious metals, gold and silver (with copper coming in when one of the other precious metals was not available). Gold and silver abounded in what we can call "moneyable" qualities, qualities that rendered them superior to all other commodities. They are in rare enough supply that their value will be stable, and of high value per unit weight; hence pieces of gold or silver will be easily portable, and usable in day-to-day transactions; they are rare enough too, so that there is little likelihood of sudden discoveries or increases in supply. They are durable so that they can last virtually forever, and so they provide a safe "store of value" for the future. And gold and silver are divisible, so that they can be divided into small pieces without losing their value; unlike diamonds, for example, they are homogeneous, so that one ounce of gold will be of equal value to any other. The universal and ancient use of gold and silver as moneys was pointed out by the first great monetary theorist, the eminent fourteenth-century French scholastic Jean Buridan, and then in all discussions of money down to money and banking textbooks until the Western governments abolished the gold standard in the early 1930s. Franklin D Roosevelt joined in this deed by taking the United States off gold in 1933. There is no aspect of the free-market economy that has suffered more scorn and contempt from "modern" economists, whether frankly statist Keynesians or allegedly "free market" Chicagoites, than has gold. Gold, not long ago hailed as the basic staple and groundwork of any sound monetary system, is now regularly denounced as a "fetish" or, as in the case of Keynes, as a "barbarous relic". Well, gold is indeed a "relic" of barbarism in one sense; no "barbarian" worth his salt would ever have accepted the phony paper and bank credit that we modern sophisticates have been bamboozled into using as money. But "gold bugs" are not fetishists; we don't fit the standard image of misers running their fingers through their hoard of gold coins while cackling in sinister fashion. The great thing about gold is that it, and only it, is money supplied by the free market, by the people at work. For the stark choice before us always is: gold (or silver), or government. Gold is market money, a commodity which must be supplied by being dug out of the ground and then processed; but government, on the contrary, supplies virtually costless paper money or bank checks out of thin air. We know, in the first place, that all government operation is wasteful, inefficient, and serves the bureaucrat rather than the consumer. Would we prefer to have shoes produced by competitive private firms on the free market, or by a giant monopoly of the federal government? The function of supplying money could be handled no better by government. But the situation in money is far worse than for shoes or any other commodity. If the government produces shoes, at least they might be worn, even though they might be high-priced, fit badly, and not satisfy consumer wants. Money is different from all other commodities: other things being equal, more shoes, or more discoveries of oil or copper benefit society, since they help alleviate natural scarcity. But once a commodity is established as a money on the market, no more money at all is needed. Since the only use of money is for exchange and reckoning, more dollars or pounds or marks in circulation cannot confer a social benefit: they will simply dilute the exchange value of every existing dollar or pound or mark. So it is a great boon that gold or silver are scarce and are costly to increase in supply. But if government manages to establish paper tickets or bank credit as money, as equivalent to gold grams or ounces, then the government, as dominant money-supplier, becomes free to create money costlessly and at will. As a result, this "inflation" of the money supply destroys the value of the dollar or pound, drives up prices, cripples economic calculation, and hobbles and seriously damages the workings of the market economy. The natural tendency of government, once in charge of money, is to inflate and to destroy the value of the currency. To understand this truth, we must examine the nature of government and of the creation of money. Throughout history, governments have been chronically short of revenue. The reason should be clear: unlike you and me, governments do not produce useful goods and services that they can sell on the market; governments, rather than producing and selling services, live parasitically off the market and off society. Unlike every other person and institution in society, government obtains its revenue from coercion, from taxation. In older and saner times, indeed, the king was able to obtain sufficient revenue from the products of his own private lands and forests, as well as through highway tolls. For the State to achieve regularized, peacetime taxation was a struggle of centuries. And even after taxation was established, the kings realized that they could not easily impose new taxes or higher rates on old levies; if they did so, revolution was very apt to break out. Controlling the Money Supply If taxation is permanently short of the style of expenditures desired by the State, how can it make up the difference? By getting control of the money supply, or, to put it bluntly, by counterfeiting. On the market economy, we can only obtain good money by selling a good or service in exchange for gold, or by receiving a gift; the only other way to get money is to engage in the costly process of digging gold out of the ground. The counterfeiter, on the other hand, is a thief who attempts to profit by forgery, for example, by painting a piece of brass to look like a gold coin. If his counterfeit is detected immediately, he does no real harm, but to the extent his counterfeit goes undetected, the counterfeiter is able to steal not only from the producers whose goods he buys. For the counterfeiter, by introducing fake money into the economy, is able to steal from everyone by robbing every person of the value of his currency. By diluting the value of each ounce or dollar of genuine money, the counterfeiter's theft is more sinister and more truly subversive than that of the highwayman; for he robs everyone in society, and the robbery is stealthy and hidden, so that the cause-and-effect relation is camouflaged. Recently, we saw the scare headline: "Iranian Government Tries to Destroy US Economy by Counterfeiting $100 Bills". Whether the ayatollahs had such grandiose goals in mind is dubious; counterfeiters don't need a grand rationale for grabbing resources by printing money. But all counterfeiting is indeed subversive and destructive, as well as inflationary. But in that case, what are we to say when the government seizes control of the money supply, abolishes gold as money, and establishes its own printed tickets as the only money? In other words, what are we to say when the government becomes the legalized, monopoly counterfeiter? Not only has the counterfeit been detected, but the Grand Counterfeiter, in the United States the Federal Reserve System, instead of being reviled as a massive thief and destroyer, is hailed and celebrated as the wise manipulator and governor of our "macroeconomy", the agency on which we rely for keeping us out of recessions and inflations, and which we count on to determine interest rates, capital prices, and employment. Instead of being habitually pelted with tomatoes and rotten eggs, the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, whoever he may be, whether the imposing Paul Volcker or the owlish Alan Greenspan, is universally hailed as Mr Indispensable to the economic and financial system. Indeed, the best way to penetrate the mysteries of the modern monetary and banking system is to realize that the government and its central bank act precisely as would a Grand Counterfeiter, with very similar social and economic effects. Many years ago, the New Yorker magazine, in the days when its cartoons were still funny, published a cartoon of a group of counterfeiters looking eagerly at their printing press as the first $10 bill came rolling off the press. "Boy", said one of the team, "retail spending in the neighborhood is sure in for a shot in the arm". And it was. As the counterfeiters print new money, spending goes up on whatever the counterfeiters wish to purchase: personal retail goods for themselves, as well as loans and other "general welfare" purposes in the case of the government. But the resulting "prosperity" is phony; all that happens is that more money bids away existing resources, so that prices rise. Furthermore, the counterfeiters and the early recipients of the new money bid away resources from the poor suckers who are down at the end of the line to receive the new money, or who never even receive it at all. New money injected into the economy has an inevitable ripple effect; early receivers of the new money spend more and bid up prices, while later receivers or those on fixed incomes find the prices of the goods they must buy unaccountably rising, while their own incomes lag behind or remain the same. Monetary inflation, in other words, not only raises prices and destroys the value of the currency unit; it also acts as a giant system of expropriation of the late receivers by the counterfeiters themselves and by the other early receivers. Monetary expansion is a massive scheme of hidden redistribution. When the government is the counterfeiter, the counterfeiting process not only can be "detected"; it proclaims itself openly as monetary statesmanship for the public weal. Monetary expansion then becomes a giant scheme of hidden taxation, the tax falling on fixed income groups, on those groups remote from government spending and subsidy, and on thrifty savers who are naive enough and trusting enough to hold on to their money, to have faith in the value of the currency. Spending and going into debt are encouraged; thrift and hard work discouraged and penalized. Not only that: the groups that benefit are the special interest groups who are politically close to the government and can exert pressure to have the new money spent on them so that their incomes can rise faster than the price inflation. Government contractors, politically connected businesses, unions, and other pressure groups will benefit at the expense of the unaware and unorganized public. http://www.thefreemanonline.org/featured/taking-money-back-part-i/ http://www.billtotten.blogspot.com http://www.ashisuto.co.jp From seanfischer at earthlink.net Sun Aug 2 11:27:58 2009 From: seanfischer at earthlink.net (Sean Fischer) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 13:27:58 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [A-List] An expansion of US counter- drug operations in South American is good news? Message-ID: <27301531.1249234079084.JavaMail.root@elwamui-mouette.atl.sa.earthlink.net> james daly wrote: This is either total naivete or consummate disingenuousness. It is hard to imagine anyone could accept the bona fides of the USA when it is justifying its military expansion. Keeping Honduras's one decent airport in the hands of the US military is clearly one of the reasons the USA is supporting -- and probably instigated -- the coup. Zelaya had plans to convert it to civilian use; it can now be used, along with the Colombian bases, to launch war on rebellious Latin America. The situation there has reached the point where one must decide which side one is on. James Hi James, I have re-attached the original new article far below for you re-read, and would like to bring your attention to the fact that no mention of Honduras, or airbases located inside of Honduras is mentioned in news article. I am guessing was a typo, no harm. Since your part of concern is over airports, Honduras has 109 airports, with 12 paved, and 107 unpaved. Columbia has 991 airports, with 107 paved, and 884 unpaved. In addition, the article says nothing of supposed subversive or villainous US conquests into South America, only that the rightful concern is over earlier past tensions caused the Colombian excursion into Ecuador to pursue transnational Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) strongholds. Venezuela's Chavez primary concern is that regional bases already authorized and in use for joint counter-drug operations, are planned to be expanded. The total population of Venezuela is 27,030,656 million people (2006.) No real threat from a 'Yankee military force', as such a small force is likely to consist of a few additional aircraft, their flight crews and mechanics, possibly a few DEA special agents, and a couple small contingent of special operations advisers / contractors / personnel. Regardless of readers views over the legalization of drugs, one should be reminded that FARC currently has over 700 hostages, (22 military and police) and this week Awa indigenous people reported that at least 20 members of their tribe had been killed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in two different villages. FARC had an estimated 6,000-10,000 members, down from 16,000 in 2001, having lost about half their fighting force after President ?lvaro Uribe took office in 2002. However, in 2007 FARC Commander Raul Reyes claimed that their force consisted of 18,000 guerrillas. Why should less than 100 additional personnel cause this much fear and panic in Populist like Chavez, and Marxists such as yourself? This is an increase to existing joint counter-drug operations of roughly personnel, it is no where near the size of what would be required to invade the entire nation such as Venezuela. Standing agreements with Columbia regarding US military personnel (600) and US contractors (600) totals 1,200. I suggest James that you chill out and decided who's side your on.....James' side, or those of the 700 plus innocent hostages? Sean Fischer Sources: -----Original Message----- >From: james daly >Sent: Aug 1, 2009 11:57 AM >To: a-list at lists.econ.utah.edu >Subject: [A-List] An expansion of US counter- drug operations in South American is good news? > > > >Sean Fischer wrote: > >An expansion of US counter- drug operations in South American is good >news.... > >This is either total naivete or consummate disingenuousness. It is hard to >imagine anyone could accept the bona fides of the USA when it is justifying >its military expansion. Keeping Honduras's one decent airport in the hands >of the US military is clearly one of the reasons the USA is supporting -- >and probably instigated -- the coup. Zelaya had plans to convert it to >civilian use; it can now be used, along with the Colombian bases, to launch >war on rebellious Latin America. > >The situation there has reached the point where one must decide which side >one is on. >James > > Source: Latin America questions US bases in Colombia Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:32:54 GMT Brazil, Chile and Spain have challenged a US decision to use and expand military bases in Colombia, saying they fear heightened tensions in Latin America. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Michelle Bachelet of Chile said in Sao Paulo they would put the issue before an August 10 meeting of the South American Defense Council in Ecuador. Spain's foreign minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, and his Brazilian counterpart, Celso Amorim, simultaneously told reporters in Brasilia that they would demand explanations from Washington over the bases. The Colombian government's announcement on July 15 that three of its military air bases were to be used by the United States as part of joint anti-drug operations has ignited concerns and anger among Colombia's neighbors. Venezuela and its ally Ecuador have also warned that the move could aggravate already deep tensions with Colombia. The two countries almost went to war last year against Colombia over a raid its army made into Ecuador to destroy a FARC rebel camp. Venezuela's fiercely anti-US president, Hugo Chavez, said he viewed the bases as a sign that a 'Yankee military force' was preparing to invade his country from Colombia. Chavez this week signed deals with Russia reinforcing military ties that have already seen him acquire new tanks, combat helicopters and fighter jets. He also on Tuesday froze diplomatic ties with Colombia over allegations from Bogota that weapons Venezuela bought from Sweden in the 1980s ended up in the hands of the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). SG/MMA From tal1 at cogeco.ca Sun Aug 2 11:41:00 2009 From: tal1 at cogeco.ca (Tony B.) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 13:41:00 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras In-Reply-To: <25313776.1249182105866.JavaMail.root@elwamui-rustique.atl.sa.earthlink.net> References: <25313776.1249182105866.JavaMail.root@elwamui-rustique.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Message-ID: <067E7B7503D942C2803A27805E350618@TonyPC> Sean, This matter [of Zelaya seeking to establish a second successive term in office] has been debunked numerous times already..in many different forums, by many different, quite prominent leftist writers. I 'm not sure why you insist on bringing it up..Anyways, just to summarize: (from 'CSI: Honduras') "The corporate media, of course, didn?t take two micro-seconds to pick up which way the wind was blowing, and after a few tepid denunciations began their sure retreat from that little item ? democracy ? that they?re always baying about. First, they brought in a piece of pure propaganda, a piece of doubt i.e. that Zelaya was seeking to reform the constitution so that he could diabolically conjure himself a second, successive term in office. Totally untrue. What Zelaya *had* proposed was merely to hold a non-binding referendum seeking, down the road, i.e. after a formal vote in November (when he would have had to leave office) to form a national constituent assembly charged with re-writing the constitution. Now, of course, what the ?free press? also conspicuously leaves out at this point is that the present Honduran constitution is a piece of work hailing from the US-backed death-squad days of the early 1980s. It was then that the military and the oligarchy were able to craft, just prior to ?democratization?, a constitution totally in their favour. A parting gift to themselves, so to speak. The assembly, then, would have involved the presently powerless majority and given them the opportunity to address this transparently inequitable situation." ..So, Zelaya could not have taken advantage of any change to the constitution in the form of a second *successive* term (i.e. following the November elections) because the constituent assembly wouldn't have even been convened until well after that point. He could only have won a second term in the *next* election (i.e. four years down the road)... ...And, if so, who cares? That is, so what *if* the Honduran constitution (down the road) *were* to allow two successive terms? I mean....who on Earth would allow such an evil thing..Oh right! *We* would! We do!....The US Constitution allows it; the Canadian Charter allows it.. etc. But again, the real issue here is that the oligarchy in Honduras - along with the US - has been seeking any meagre pretext to stop even the hint of constitutional reform or social justice in the country. That's what's going on here. Period. Is this all so hard? Tony ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sean Fischer" To: "The A-List" Sent: Saturday, August 01, 2009 11:01 PM Subject: Re: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras Would the balance of power in the United States been best served if the Bush administration had forced their way into having a third consecutive term? Or like you say, would the Bush administration have become a third and fourth term savior of the nation and its "...villainous Constitution?" The only oligarch that should have been thrown in chains, lucked out and was thrown out of the country. Sean -----Original Message----- >From: "Tony B." >Sent: Aug 1, 2009 3:35 PM >To: The A-List >Subject: Re: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras > >...And to reiterate, the Honduran 'constitution', such as it is, is product >of the death-squad democracy era of the early 1980s, a parting gift so to >speak of the Honduran military and oligarchy to itself - a tidy guarantor >of >the prior terror and pogrom-backed economic pillaging of the country. It >has >no popular legitimacy whatsoever. Zelaya's attempt to respond to the >popular >democratic will in re-writing the villainous document was, on the other >hand, the minimal sine qua non of beginning the long process of >establishing >a more equitable 'balance of power' in the country [Of course, real justice >would demand a socialist revolution and virtually the entire oligarchy >thrown in chains....but then, that, as they say, is another story]. > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Yoshie Furuhashi" >To: "The A-List" >Sent: Saturday, August 01, 2009 12:21 PM >Subject: Re: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot on Honduras > > >You are quite obviously out of mind if you sincerely believe that >Micheletti would become a "Latin American hero" standing up to the US >or that Carter, who initiated an operation to back the mujahedeen in >Afghanistan, perhaps the most successful case of international jihad >in history, against socialism, was the president given to "coddling >communists and socialists." As for the notion that holding a >non-binding referendum is illegal, or it is legal to overthrow a >government to prevent a non-binding referendum, it can come only from >the might-makes-right school of law. By the way, slavery was legal >according to the laws of the ruling classes of colonial America and >the USA. That didn't make it right. >Yoshie > >On Sat, Aug 1, 2009 at 12:09 PM, Sean Fischer >wrote: >> Honduras-US: The US revoked the visas of four members of the interim >> Honduran government as part of its pressure tactics to force Honduras to >> restore Zelaya as president. This is an endeavor that looks increasingly >> doubtful. >> >> A state department spokesman said the US also is reviewing the visas of >> other members of the ?de facto government. ? We don't recognize Roberto >> Micheletti as president of Honduras. We recognize Manuel Zelaya," the >> spokesman said. >> >> Note: The US bullying of Micheletti risks a blowback effect in which he >> becomes the latest Latin American hero to stand up to the US. If the >> Bolivarians experience such an epiphany, they and the Cubans will turn >> against the US Secretary of State on this issue as fast as a serpent. >> >> Imagine the socialists and communists supporting the free enterprise >> democrats in Honduras against the US; almost as crazy as the US State >> Department aligning with the socialists and communists against one of >> America?s most steadfast allies in Latin America. That would be condign >> punishment for misrepresenting the facts. >> >> Heretofore, the Carter Administration was renowned for beating up US >> allies over human rights violations while coddling the communists and >> socialists, even inviting them to the White House. >> >> Readers would be justified in suspecting that some people at State are >> covering up their judgmental blunders, indicated by the Department?s >> persistent distortion of the facts of the Honduran situation. The >> evidence >> is overwhelming -- and not refuted by Zelaya or the State Department -- >> that Zelaya attempted a political coup to usurp the Honduran constitution >> by means of a referendum that had been ruled unconstitutional by the >> Honduran Supreme Court. >> >> His gambit failed when the armed forces refused to carry out illegal >> orders to distribute ballot boxes for the referendum and when the >> Congress >> and Supreme Court staged a successful political counter-coup by ordering >> the army to give him the boot. >> >> If State could commit to rule of law, it might support the coming >> election >> in November which is on track and on schedule as the best mechanism for >> taking the pulse of the Honduran electorate. It might even suggest >> accelerating the election timetable. >> >> For now a sharply declining number of Hondurans seem to care that Zelaya >> is absent. They have more important and immediate problems, such as >> survival. >> >> Source: NW > > > > From tal1 at cogeco.ca Sun Aug 2 12:34:55 2009 From: tal1 at cogeco.ca (Tony B.) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 14:34:55 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia In-Reply-To: <13173255.1249201834214.JavaMail.root@elwamui-mouette.atl.sa.earthlink.net> References: <13173255.1249201834214.JavaMail.root@elwamui-mouette.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Message-ID: <71061818FB104273B43149A3B37F6831@TonyPC> "My comments below were to highlight cocaine and heroin from foreign sources kill, and they kill in massive numbers and at many layers when compared to the other multi-billion dollar initiatives" Over 99% of deaths from substance abuse are attributable to tobacco and alcohol. The CIA has run drugs throughout the world (i.e. the Golden Triangle, Colombia, the Marseille and the 'French Connection', Afghanistan etc) to fuel through clandestine funding its blackops operations ever since the end of the 2nd World War. You are no doubt apprised of all of this... 'Plan Colombia' is, of course, and has been since its inception a pretext to wage its counter-insurgency (read: terror against resistance to state terror) war in Colombia. In America the 'war on drugs' has merely served to lock up whole swaths of the unemployed (disproportionately black and Latino, i.e. amounting to over half of all incarcerations) and provide for the accelerating growth of one of America's social obscenities, i.e. the privatized prison industy...in conjunction with the privatization of everything else... In short, the 'war on drugs' is, much like the 'war on terror' ...a total croc. Indeed, both are and have always been mere pretexts for the exercise of imperial gangsterism abroad, and the most vile, reactionary social and political measures at home. And, frankly, I'm with James on this point...To have to reiterate these elementary political and social facts on this list is, well, astonishing. Tony ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sean Fischer" To: "'The A-List'" Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 4:30 AM Subject: Re: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia Hi Paul, Yes, I agree that generally the poor tend to become entrapped in the drug world and are hence disadvantaged. For the poor, they have less influence in the political process, less chance at succeeding in climbing the ranks into economic prosperity, less chance of social acceptance, suffer greater social implosion within their community, and overall less security at many levels. And yes, there are millions of police, prosecutors, judges, and guards who are reliant on monies from taxes. Yet you fail to mention in your comment these same police, prosecutors, judges, and guards are not specifically tasked to as you say, round up and control the poor illegal drug users. Their respective job titles are much broader and involves a wider range or duties and primary assignments. The list of said duties for these officials is too long to compile for this exchange, yet readily available for readers. As to the comment that law enforcement is comprised of millions of jobs, there is much truth that governments everywhere enshrine their authority in a systematic fashion. A reduction in sentencing for non-violent offenders of drugs such as marijuana should be driven by a policy which supports a greater emphasis on diversion and rehabilitation programs. I do promote the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and believe that counter terrorism are important. I was using the play in media theme to contrast how large budget items rate in actual lives lost and national importance for costs vs. return on investment within protecting national human capital. My comments below were to highlight cocaine and heroin from foreign sources kill, and they kill in massive numbers and at many layers when compared to the other multi-billion dollar initiatives, or wars as they are sometimes referred to. Specifically those harder (smuggled from abroad) drugs have longer, stronger, more debilitating affects on the users and the ill gotten profits of criminal organizations perpetuate additional crimes. Although not the only reason for a users plight is their pure addiction to the drugs of choice, the hardcore addict and their supply networks do nothing but undermine societies, and in general wreak havoc with the poorest. If one is to promote a reduction in sentencing for some drug offenses, and the system can save money from a reduction of case loads, then some number of people working in the judicial and law enforcement system will have to find other work and retrain themselves for new careers, big deal. The nations aerospace workers during the 1980's did it without much tax base support, during the 1990's the military fleshed their ranks, and the autoworkers are doing it now, as are many in other fields. As developing nations come online, they siphon jobs and this has been going on now for decades. Unless individuals are willing to take the initiative and re-invest in their own marketability Like the manufacturing sector, government employment is not immune to reductions. Any servant that thinks otherwise, ought to take notice to California where its ranks are undergoing a variety of State, County, and City workforce reductions and furloughs. Its not a question of throwing people out of work, its a question of reducing the tax burden individuals forfeit, shedding waste fraud and abuse, and expecting both efficiency and performance from those who earn their wages at the expense of the tax payer. I have never read Alfred McCoys book (thanks for providing the link) but I did look it up on Amazon for some fast feedback. Here is an excerpt of a review from Publishers Weekly: Nearly 20 years ago, McCoy wrote The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia , which stirred up considerable controversy, alleging that the CIA was intimately involved in the Vietnamese opium trade. In the current volume, a substantially updated and longer work, he argues that pk the situation basically hasn't changed over the past two decades; however the numbers have gotten bigger. McCoy writes, "Although the drug pandemic of the 1980s had complex causes, the growth in global heroin supply could be traced in large part to two key aspects of U.S. policy: the failure of the DEA's interdiction efforts and the CIA's covert operations." He readily admits that the CIA's role in the heroin trade was an "inadvertent" byproduct of "its cold war tactics," but he limns convincingly the path by which the agency and its forebears helped Corsican and Sicilian mobsters reestablish the heroin trade after WW II and, most recently, "transformed southern Asia from a self-contained opium zone into a major supplier of heroin." Scrupulously documented, almost numbingly so at times, this is a valuable corrective to the misinformation being peddled by anti-drug zealots on both sides of the aisle. First serial to the Progressive. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. Sean Source: Each year, the staff of the UCR Program ask law enforcement agencies across the United States to report the total number of sworn law enforcement officers and civilians in their agency as of October 31. This section of Crime in the United States presents that data as the number and rate of law enforcement officers and civilian employees throughout the United States. In 2004, 14,254 state, city, university and college, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan county, and other law enforcement agencies employed 675,734 sworn officers and 294,854 civilians, who provided law enforcement services to more than 278 million people nationwide. By population group, there were 2.3 sworn officers for each 1,000 resident population in the Nation?s cities collectively. That rate was unchanged from the 2003 data. Of the population groups labeled city, the cities of 10,000 or less in population had the highest rate, 3.3 officers per 1,000 inhabitants in 2004. Two city population groups, those with populations from 25,000 to 49,999 and those with 50,000 to 99,999 had the lowest rate, 1.8 officers per 1,000 inhabitants. The Nation?s largest cities, those with 250,000 or more inhabitants averaged 2.8 officers per 1,000 in population. (See Table 71.) Law enforcement agencies in the Nation?s metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties averaged 2.6 and 2.7 officers, respectively, for each 1,000 in population. -----Original Message----- From: Paul Wright Sent: Aug 1, 2009 12:57 PM To: 'Sean Fischer' , 'The A-List' Subject: RE: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia Sean, you have it all wrong. More important than the number of Americans killed by drugs are those directly employed by drug illegality. There are literally millions of police, prosecutors, judges, prison and jail guards, etc., whose job and pay check directly depends on doing the job of rounding up and controlling the American population of poor illegal drug users. This is tens of billions of dollars a year worth of jobs. Would you throw these people out of work? A drugged populace is much easier to control and as long as poor drug users are subjected to the repressive power of the state they are kept effectively disorganized and controlled. The only reason drugs are expensive is due to their illegal status. If marijuana or cocaine were once legal they would cost less than chocolate or coffee, other third world commodities which exist in abundant supply. The US role in the illegal drug trade is very well documented in Alfred McCoy?s book the Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/74_ProductDetails.aspx. Paul Wright, Editor Prison Legal News P.O. Box 2420 West Brattleboro, VT 05303 802 257-1342 pwright at prisonlegalnews.org www.prisonlegalnews.org Seattle Office 2400 NW 80th St. Suite 148 Seattle, WA 98117 206-246-1022 From: a-list-bounces at lists.econ.utah.edu [mailto:a-list-bounces at lists.econ.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Sean Fischer Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 8:51 PM To: The A-List; A-List Subject: Re: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia An expansion of US counter- drug operations in South American is good news. Any US tax payer will agree that plenty of time, effort, and expenditures have been invested into combating illicit drugs from the region. I must ask which nations and / or leaders are complaining about increased efforts geared at continuing reductions in drug activity from inside their South American borders? BRAZIL CHILE COLUMBIA EQUADOR VENEZUELA and SPAIN?????? What interest does Spain have with South American narcotics trade? Spain?s leadership may be more worried more about timely deposits made into their financial institutions rather than anything else? With time, sophistication in avoiding transparency marches on and this appears just as true for the international drug trade. On the other hand, when civilian casualties from the drug trade are compared directly to the number of civilian casualties from terrorist attacks and nuclear weapons combined there, is some clarity. - With regard to US civilians killed by drugs verse Iraqi, Iranian, Libyan, Syrian, or North Korean nuclear weapons, this number to date would be an absolute zero. - With regard to US civilians who where affected by terrorism, as of April 2009 total civilian deaths are: 56 killed, 17 injured, and 11 kidnappings. For ease of math we can round it to a total of about 100. (Year 2005-2006) - With regard to US civilians who are drug addicted, this number is estimated to be: 12.5 million current users of all illicit drugs (with cocaine, heroin, and crack alone totally 2.1 million). - With regard to US hospital from over a decade ago, visits for cocaine overdoses in 1995 the number is 142,000. Hospital visits for heroin overdoses in 1995 is 76,000. (Year 1995) - With regard to US civilians who are killed by all illicit drugs, this would be: 17,000 (Year 2000) increasing to 28,723 (Year 2003) *Note 5 below. - With regard to US civilians, according to government supplied numbers, excluding softer drugs such as marijuana (with zero recorded overdoses) the prime countries for hard illicit narcotics the following South America countries are most responsible: Columbia, Peru, Bolivia. - With regard to other leading countries which supply illicit opiates, they are: (Golden Crescent) Afghanistan & Pakistan, and (Golden Triangle) South East Asian: Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. I copied and pasted the sources below in case any wanted to take the time and read them for yourselves....but largest documented threat - foreign borne ? which actually destroys US families and kills US citizens in mass every year, seems to be not be from the adversarial posturing or unpredictable intentions of the Chinese, the Russians, or world-wide terrorism combined, but instead from smuggling and distribution of hard drugs. If you have another view, please share any economic data. Sean You are in: Bureaus/Offices Reporting Directly to the Secretary > Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism > Releases > Country Reports on Terrorism > 2005 (html format) Terrorism Deaths, Injuries, Kidnappings of Private U.S. Citizens, 2005* Country Reports on Terrorism Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism April 28, 2006 Provided by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State The term "Private U.S. Citizen" refers to any U.S. citizen not acting in an official capacity on behalf of the U.S. Government; therefore these figures do not include, for example, U.S. military personnel killed or injured in a terrorism-related incident while on active duty or employees of the Department of State and other federal agencies. Members of U.S. Government employees' households are considered private U.S. citizens. Although every effort was made to include all terrorism-related deaths and injuries involving private U.S. citizens, the figures below reflect only those cases reported to, or known by, the U.S. Department of State, and may not reflect actual numbers of injured, which may not always be reported depending on their severity. As NCTC also notes, in the cases of Iraq and Afghanistan, it is particularly difficult to gather comprehensive information about all incidents and to distinguish terrorism from the numerous other forms of violence. U.S. citizens worldwide killed as a result of incidents of terrorism: 56 U.S. citizens worldwide injured as a result of incidents of terrorism: 17 U.S. citizens worldwide kidnapped as a result of incidents of terrorism: 11 *In all cases limited to incidents targeting noncombatants. Terrorism Deaths of Private U.S. Citizens in 2005 (by country) Country Date of Death Number Location Afghanistan June 1 1 Kandahar Egypt April 8 1 Cairo Egypt July 23 1 Sharm el-Sheik Iraq January 3 1 Baghdad Iraq January 28 1 Mosul Iraq January 29 1 Baghdad Iraq February 6 1 Nasiria Iraq March 3 2 Balad Iraq March 12 1 Baghdad Iraq March 12 1 Hilla, Near Biap Iraq March 25 1 Baghdad Iraq April 1 1 Fallujah Iraq April 1 1 Baghdad Iraq April 20 2 Baghdad Iraq April 21 6 Tikrit Iraq April 21 1 Ramadi Iraq May 7 2 Baghdad Iraq May 10 1 Ramadi Iraq May 12 1 Baghdad Iraq June 3 1 Camp Victory Iraq June 4 1 Baghdad Iraq June 27 1 Baghdad Iraq July 3 1 Baghdad Iraq August 3 1 Basrah Iraq August 20 1 North of Kalsu Iraq August 23 1 Bagubah Iraq September 4 1 Balad Iraq September 4 1 Baghdad Iraq September 7 4 Basrah Iraq September 19 4 Mosul Iraq September 20 3 Near Balad Iraq October 1 1 Ramadi Iraq November 17 1 Balad Iraq December 22 1 Baguba Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank December 29 1 Near Tulkarm, West Bank Jordan November 9 3 Amman Jordan November 10 1 Amman United Kingdom July 7 1 London Terrorism Injuries of Private U.S. Citizens in 2005 (by country) Country Date of Death Number Location Egypt April 7 3 Cairo Indonesia October 1 6 Bali Iraq September 2 1 Baghdad Jordan November 9 3 Amman United Kingdom July 7 4 London Terrorism Kidnappings of Private U.S. Citizens in 2005 (by country) Country Date of Incident Number Location Iraq January 12* 1 Unknown Iraq April 11 1 Taji Iraq May 17 1 Unknown Iraq May 22* 1 Unknown Iraq August 10* 1 Unknown Iraq September 7 1 Mansoul Iraq September 27 1 Unknown Iraq November 29 1 Baghdad Iraq December 2 1 Unknown Iraq December 5 1 Baghdad Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank October 12* 1 Khan Younis [Gaza] *Date rescued/released How many addicts are there in the U.S., and how is the Drug War affecting this number? Dear Stanton What exactly are the statistics for drug addiction? i.e., where can one find the percentage of people who use a specific drug and compare it the number of actual "addicts"? I find it interesting (typical, really) that the media in this country never publishes such obvious information as it would probably undermine the current hysteria over drugs. Joseph Dear Joseph: One way to calculate the number/percentage of addicts is to compare those who have ever taken a drug with those who currently take it with those who currently take it daily (or nearly so). Of course, many regular, daily users wouldn't be classified as addicts (like the physician described by Zinberg and his colleagues who for decades injected morphine daily, but did not use on weekends and vacations, without ever increasing his dosage or undergoing withdrawal -- see Meaning of Addiction, Chapter 1). Unfortunately, you can't get government statistics on daily use. The most frequent use calculated in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Household Survey on Drug Abuse is 51 or more times in the prior year, or an average of once weekly (or more), which would obviously include many users who are not addicts. The 1995 Household Survey found that of 3.7 million cocaine users in the last year, 1.2 million used on average at least once a month and 600,000 used at least weekly on average. Although these 600,000 would not qualify as clinical addicts, Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey wants to claim these and more. This is because, compared with 1980, McCaffrey points out that monthly illicit drugs users have declined by approximately half, to 12.5 million, but the drug budget has gone from $1 billion to $16 billion. Why do we need so much money if drug use has declined so radically? Because, according to McCaffrey and others (such as Herb Kleber, formerly deputy czar in charge of demand reduction), the number of frequent users/addicts has remained stable or actually increased! In other words, the drug war has succeeded in getting casual users to quit, but has failed to make any dent in addiction! Thus, among 12.5 million current users of any illicit drug (this is use during past month), and 2.1 million current users of heroin, crack, and cocaine, McCaffrey reports there are 3.6 million current addicts. Where did he get the extra addicts? In addition to the 600,000 weekly or more frequent cocaine users in the household survey, SAMHSA speculates that there may be another 1.4 million weekly cocaine users, adding up to (for McCaffrey) 2 million cocaine addicts right there! SAMSHA relies for its estimate of growing frequent cocaine users on another statistic -- drug-related hospital emergency room visits -- which have increased dramatically, from 5,000 in 1980 to 142,000 in 1995 for cocaine, and from 12,000 to 76,000 in 1995 for heroin. Emergency room visits still leave McCaffrey millions short in the addict department! Obviously, the government can't say how many genuine addicts there are, and the 3.6 million number seems like a tremendous overestimate based on counting anything approaching regular use of heroin, crack, cocaine and other drugs, both actually measured and estimated. But what government statistics most distinctly show is that the U.S. cannot reduce regular or heavy drug use and that we are suffering more and more casualties in the drug war among drug users, no matter how much we increase the drug budget. Best, Stanton Annual Causes of Death in the United States Tobacco 435,000 Note 1 Poor Diet and Physical Inactivity 365,000 Note 1 Alcohol 85,000 Note 1 Microbial Agents 75,000 Note 1 Toxic Agents 55,000 Note 1 Motor Vehicle Crashes 26,347 Note 1 Adverse Reactions to Prescription Drugs 32,000 Note 2 Suicide 30,622 Note 3 Incidents Involving Firearms 29,000 Note 1 Homicide 20,308 Note 4 Sexual Behaviors 20,000 Note 1 All Illicit Drug Use, Direct and Indirect 17,000 Note 1, 5 Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Such As Aspirin 7,600 Note 6 Marijuana 07 1. (2000): "The leading causes of death in 2000 were tobacco (435,000 deaths; 18.1% of total US deaths), poor diet and physical inactivity (400,000 deaths; 16.6%), and alcohol consumption (85,000 deaths; 3.5%). Other actual causes of death were microbial agents (75,000), toxic agents (55,000), motor vehicle crashes (43,000), incidents involving firearms (29,000), sexual behaviors (20,000), and illicit use of drugs (17,000)." (Note: According to a correction published by the Journal on Jan. 19, 2005, "On page 1240, in Table 2, '400,000 (16.6)' deaths for 'poor diet and physical inactivity' in 2000 should be '365,000 (15.2).' A dagger symbol should be added to 'alcohol consumption' in the body of the table and a dagger footnote should be added with 'in 1990 data, deaths from alcohol-related crashes are included in alcohol consumption deaths, but not in motor vehicle deaths. In 2000 data, 16,653 deaths from alcohol-related crashes are included in both alcohol consumption and motor vehicle death categories." Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, Jan. 19, 2005, Vol. 293, No. 3, p. 298.) Source: Mokdad, Ali H., PhD, James S. Marks, MD, MPH, Donna F. Stroup, PhD, MSc, Julie L. Gerberding, MD, MPH, "Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000," Journal of the American Medical Association, March 10, 2004, Vol. 291, No. 10, pp. 1238, 1241. 2. (2000): "Illicit drug use is associated with suicide, homicide, motor-vehicle injury, HIV infection, pneumonia, violence, mental illness, and hepatitis. An estimated 3 million individuals in the United States have serious drug problems. Several studies have reported an undercount of the number of deaths attributed to drugs by vital statistics; however, improved medical treatments have reduced mortality from many diseases associated with illicit drug use. In keeping with the report by McGinnis and Foege, we included deaths caused indirectly by illicit drug use in this category. We used attributable fractions to compute the number of deaths due to illicit drug use. Overall, we estimate that illicit drug use resulted in approximately 17000 deaths in 2000, a reduction of 3000 deaths from the 1990 report." Source: Mokdad, Ali H., PhD, James S. Marks, MD, MPH, Donna F. Stroup, PhD, MSc, Julie L. Gerberding, MD, MPH, "Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000," Journal of the American Medical Association, March 10, 2004, Vol. 291, No. 10, p. 1242. 3. (2003): The US Centers for Disease Control reports that in 2003, there were a total of 31,484 deaths from suicide in the US. Source: Hoyert, Donna L., PhD, Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Murphy, Sherry L., BS, Kung, Hsiang-Ching, PhD; Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Final Data for 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 54, No. 13 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, April 19, 2006), p. 5, Table C. 4. (2003): The US Centers for Disease Control reports that in 2003, there were a total of 17,732 deaths from homicide in the US. Source: Hoyert, Donna L., PhD, Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Murphy, Sherry L., BS, Kung, Hsiang-Ching, PhD; Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Final Data for 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 54, No. 13 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, April 19, 2006), p. 5, Table C. 5. (2003): "In 2003, a total of 28,723 persons died of drug-induced causes in the United States (Tables 21 and 22). The category 'drug-induced causes' includes not only deaths from dependent and nondependent use of drugs (legal and illegal use), but also poisoning from medically prescribed and other drugs. It excludes unintentional injuries, homicides, and other causes indirectly related to drug use. Also excluded are newborn deaths due to mother's drug use." Source: Hoyert, Donna L., PhD, Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Murphy, Sherry L., BS, Kung, Hsiang-Ching, PhD; Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Final Data for 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 54, No. 13 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, April 19, 2006), p. 10. 6. (2003): "In 2003, a total of 20,687 persons died of alcohol-induced causes in the United States (Tables 23 and 24). The category 'alcohol-induced causes' includes not only deaths from dependent and nondependent use of alcohol, but also accidental poisoning by alcohol. It excludes unintentional injuries, homicides, and other causes indirectly related to alcohol use as well as deaths due to fetal alcohol syndrome." Source: Hoyert, Donna L., PhD, Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Murphy, Sherry L., BS, Kung, Hsiang-Ching, PhD; Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Final Data for 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 54, No. 13 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, April 19, 2006), p. 10. 7. (1996): "Each year, use of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) accounts for an estimated 7,600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations in the United States." (NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ketoprofen, and tiaprofenic acid.) Source: Robyn Tamblyn, PhD; Laeora Berkson, MD, MHPE, FRCPC; W. Dale Jauphinee, MD, FRCPC; David Gayton, MD, PhD, FRCPC; Roland Grad, MD, MSc; Allen Huang, MD, FRCPC; Lisa Isaac, PhD; Peter McLeod, MD, FRCPC; and Linda Snell, MD, MHPE, FRCPC, "Unnecessary Prescribing of NSAIDs and the Management of NSAID-Related Gastropathy in Medical Practice," Annals of Internal Medicine (Washington, DC: American College of Physicians, 1997), September 15, 1997, 127:429-438, from the web at http://www.acponline.org/journals/annals/15sep97/nsaid.htm, last accessed Feb. 14, 2001, citing Fries, JF, "Assessing and understanding patient risk," Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology Supplement, 1992;92:21-4. 8. (Average 1982-1998): According to Canadian researchers, approximately 32,000 hospitalized patients (and possibly as many as 106,000) in the USA die each year because of adverse reactions to their prescribed medications. Source: AMA, 1998), Nov. 25, 1998, Vol. 280, No. 20, from the web at http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v280n20/ffull/jlt1125-1.html, last accessed Feb. 12, 2001. 9. An exhaustive search of the literature finds no credible reports of deaths induced by marijuana. The US Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) records instances of drug mentions in medical examiners' reports, and though marijuana is mentioned, it is usually in combination with alcohol or other drugs. Marijuana alone has not been shown to cause an overdose death. Source: National Academy Press, 1999), available on the web at http://www.nap.edu/html/marimed/; and US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, "In the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition" (Docket #86-22), September 6, 1988, p. 57. 10. The Centers for Disease Control reported that in 2003, HIV disease was the 22nd leading cause of death in the US for whites, the 9th leading cause of death for blacks, and the 13th leading cause of death for Hispanics. Source: Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Smith, Betty L., BsED, Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Leading Causes for 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 55, No. 10 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, CDC, March 15, 2007), p. 10, Table E, and p. 12, Table F. Country Illicit drugs Afghanistan world's largest producer of opium; poppy cultivation decreased 22% to 157,000 hectares in 2008 but remains at a historically high level; less favorable growing conditions in 2008 reduced potential opium production to 5,500 metric tons, down 31 percent from 2007; if the entire opium crop were processed, 648 metric tons of pure heroin potentially could be produced; the Taliban and other antigovernment groups participate in and profit from the opiate trade, which is a key source of revenue for the Taliban inside Afghanistan; widespread corruption and instability impede counterdrug efforts; most of the heroin consumed in Europe and Eurasia is derived from Afghan opium; vulnerable to drug money laundering through informal financial networks; regional source of hashish (2008) Albania increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to a lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; limited opium and growing cannabis production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and expanding in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional trafficking in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal aliens Angola used as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for Western Europe and other African states, particularly South Africa Anguilla transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe Antigua and Barbuda considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center Argentina a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe, heroin headed for the US, and ephedrine and pseudoephedrine headed for Mexico; some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; law enforcement corruption; a source for precursor chemicals; increasing domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers, especially cocaine base and synthetic drugs (2008) Armenia illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; minor transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe Aruba transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine Australia Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate; major consumer of cocaine and amphetamines Austria transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; increasing consumption of European-produced synthetic drugs Azerbaijan limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; small government eradication program; transit point for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe Bahamas, The transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center Bangladesh transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries Barbados one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center Belarus limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; a small and lightly regulated financial center; anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards and was weakened further when know-your-customer requirements were curtailed in 2008; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities (2008) Belgium growing producer of synthetic drugs and cannabis; transit point for US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe; despite a strengthening of legislation, the country remains vulnerable to money laundering related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco; significant domestic consumption of ecstasy Belize transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis, primarily for local consumption; offshore sector money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking and other crimes (2008) Benin transshipment point used by traffickers for cocaine destined for Western Europe; vulnerable to money laundering due to poorly enforced financial regulations (2008) Bolivia world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 29,500 hectares under cultivation in 2007, increased slightly when compared to 2006; third largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 120 metric tons potential pure cocaine in 2007; transit country for Peruvian and Colombian cocaine destined for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Europe; cultivation generally increasing since 2000, despite eradication and alternative crop programs; weak border controls; some money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade; major cocaine consumption (2008) Bosnia and Herzegovina increasingly a transit point for heroin being trafficked to Western Europe; minor transit point for marijuana; remains highly vulnerable to money-laundering activity given a primarily cash-based and unregulated economy, weak law enforcement, and instances of corruption Brazil second-largest consumer of cocaine in the world; illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area (2008) British Virgin Islands transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering Brunei drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty Bulgaria major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; vulnerable to money laundering because of corruption, organized crime; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions (2008) Burma remains world's second largest producer of illicit opium with an estimated production in 2008 of 340 metric tons, an increase of 26%, and poppy cultivation in 2008 totaled 22,500 hectares, a 4% increase from 2007; production in the United Wa State Army's areas of greatest control remains low; Shan state is the source of 94% of Burma's poppy cultivation; lack of government will to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption (2008) Cambodia narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; limited methamphetamine production; vulnerable to money laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders Canada illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market and export to US; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; increasing ecstasy production, some of which is destined for the US; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial services sector Cape Verde used as a transshipment point for Latin American cocaine destined for Western Europe, particularly because of Lusophone links to Brazil, Portugal, and Guinea-Bissau; has taken steps to deter drug money laundering, including a 2002 anti-money laundering reform that criminalizes laundering the proceeds of narcotics trafficking and other crimes and the establishment in 2008 of a Financial Intelligence Unit (2008) Cayman Islands major offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US and Europe (2008) Chile transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe and the region; some money laundering activity, especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone; imported precursors passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising, making Chile a significant consumer of cocaine (2008) China major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia; growing domestic consumption of synthetic drugs, and heroin from Southeast and Southwest Asia; source country for methamphetamine and heroin chemical precursors, despite new regulations on its large chemical industry (2008) Colombia illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator with 167,000 hectares in coca cultivation in 2007, a 6% increase over 2006, producing a potential of 535 mt of pure cocaine; the world's largest producer of coca derivatives; supplies cocaine to nearly all of the US market and the great majority of other international drug markets; in 2005, aerial eradication dispensed herbicide to treat over 130,000 hectares but aggressive replanting on the part of coca growers means Colombia remains a key producer; a significant portion of narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange; important supplier of heroin to the US market; opium poppy cultivation is estimated to have fallen 25% between 2006 and 2007; most Colombian heroin is destined for the US market; (2008) Congo, Democratic Republic of the one of Africa's biggest producers of cannabis, but mostly for domestic consumption; traffickers exploit lax shipping controls to transit pseudoephedrine through the capital; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leaves the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center (2008) Costa Rica transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis in remote areas; domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising; significant consumption of amphetamines; seizures of smuggled cash in Costa Rica and at the main border crossing to enter Costa Rica from Nicaragua have risen in recent years (2008) Cote d'Ivoire illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; utility as a narcotic transshipment point to Europe reduced by ongoing political instability; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leave the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center (2008) Croatia transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe (2008) Cuba territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for US- and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 (2008) Cyprus minor transit point for heroin and hashish via air routes and container traffic to Europe, especially from Lebanon and Turkey; some cocaine transits as well; despite a strengthening of anti-money-laundering legislation, remains vulnerable to money laundering; reporting of suspicious transactions in offshore sector remains weak (2008) Czech Republic transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; susceptible to money laundering related to drug trafficking, organized crime; significant consumer of ecstasy (2008) Dominica transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer (2008) Dominican Republic transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; has become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the Netherlands and Belgium destined for US and Canada; substantial money laundering activity, in particular by Colombian narcotics traffickers; significant amphetamine consumption (2008) Ecuador significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru, with much of the US-bound cocaine passing through Ecuadorian Pacific waters; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; attractive location for cash-placement by drug traffickers laundering money because of dollarization and weak anti-money-laundering regime; increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents (2008) Egypt transit point for cannabis, heroin, and opium moving to Europe, Israel, and North Africa; transit stop for Nigerian drug couriers; concern as money laundering site due to lax enforcement of financial regulations El Salvador transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for local consumption; significant use of cocaine Estonia growing producer of synthetic drugs; increasingly important transshipment zone for cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and synthetic drugs since joining the European Union and the Schengen Accord; potential money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds; major use of opiates and ecstasy Ethiopia transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe, as well as cocaine destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (khat) for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia (legal in all three countries); the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money laundering center France metropolitan France: transshipment point for South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics French Guiana: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe Martinique: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe Georgia limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia Germany source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced synthetic drugs; major financial center Ghana illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; major transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and, to a lesser extent, South American cocaine destined for Europe and the US; widespread crime and money laundering problem, but the lack of a well developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money laundering center; significant domestic cocaine and cannabis use Greece a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis and heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine transits or is consumed in Greece; money laundering related to drug trafficking and organized crime Grenada small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US Guatemala major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2005, cultivated 100 hectares of opium poppy after reemerging as a potential source of opium in 2004; potential production of less than 1 metric ton of pure heroin; marijuana cultivation for mostly domestic consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (particularly for cocaine); money laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a major problem Guinea-Bissau increasingly important transit country for South American cocaine enroute to Europe; enabling environment for trafficker operations thanks to pervasive corruption; archipelago-like geography around the capital facilitates drug smuggling Guyana transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis; rising money laundering related to drug trafficking and human smuggling Haiti Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe; substantial bulk cash smuggling activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions; pervasive corruption; significant consumer of cannabis Honduras transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; corruption is a major problem; some money-laundering activity Hong Kong despite strenuous law enforcement efforts, faces difficult challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system provides conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people Hungary transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and for South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and methamphetamine; efforts to counter money laundering, related to organized crime and drug trafficking, are improving, but remain vulnerable; significant consumer of ecstasy India world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries and throughout Southwest Asia; illicit producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system; licit ketamine and precursor production Indonesia illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; producer of methamphetamine and ecstasy Iran despite substantial interdiction efforts and considerable control measures along the border with Afghanistan, Iran remains one of the primary transshipment routes for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; suffers one of the highest opiate addiction rates in the world, and has an increasing problem with synthetic drugs; lacks anti-money laundering laws; has reached out to neighboring countries to share counter-drug intelligence Ireland transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs; increasing consumption of South American cocaine; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money laundering - using bureaux de change, trusts, and shell companies involving the offshore financial community - remains a concern Israel increasingly concerned about ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan; money-laundering center Italy important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling Jamaica transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation and consumption of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions Kazakhstan significant illicit cultivation of cannabis for CIS markets, as well as limited cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug ephedrine); limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of Europe; significant consumer of opiates Kenya widespread harvesting of small plots of marijuana; transit country for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and North America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa; significant potential for money-laundering activity given the country's status as a regional financial center; massive corruption, and relatively high levels of narcotics-associated activities Korea, North for years, from the 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of them diplomatic employees of the government, were apprehended abroad while trafficking in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December 2004; police investigations in Taiwan and Japan in recent years have linked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin and methamphetamine, including an attempt by the North Korean merchant ship Pong Su to deliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003 Kyrgyzstan limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy for CIS markets; limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of Europe; major consumer of opiates Laos estimated opium poppy cultivation in 2008 was 1,900 hectares, about a 73% increase from 2007; estimated potential opium production in 2008 more than tripled to 17 metric tons; unsubstantiated reports of domestic methamphetamine production; growing domestic methamphetamine problem (2007) Latvia transshipment and destination point for cocaine, synthetic drugs, opiates, and cannabis from Southwest Asia, Western Europe, Latin America, and neighboring Balkan countries; despite improved legislation, vulnerable to money laundering due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of offshore companies and the gaming industry; CIS organized crime (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds Lebanon cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in 2002 despite continued significant cannabis consumption; opium poppy cultivation minimal; small amounts of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way to European markets and for Middle Eastern consumption; money laundering of drug proceeds fuels concern that extremists are benefiting from drug trafficking Liberia transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the European and US markets; corruption, criminal activity, arms-dealing, and diamond trade provide significant potential for money laundering, but the lack of well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center Liechtenstein has strengthened money laundering controls, but money laundering remains a concern due to Liechtenstein's sophisticated offshore financial services sector Lithuania transshipment and destination point for cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, and opiates from Southwest Asia, Latin America, Western Europe, and neighboring Baltic countries; growing production of high-quality amphetamines, but limited production of cannabis, methamphetamines; susceptible to money laundering despite changes to banking legislation Macau transshipment point for drugs going into mainland China; consumer of opiates and amphetamines Macedonia major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe; although not a financial center and most criminal activity is thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement Madagascar illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin Malaysia drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties; heroin still primary drug of abuse, but synthetic drug demand remains strong; continued ecstasy and methamphetamine producer for domestic users and, to a lesser extent, the regional drug market Malta minor transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western Europe Mauritius consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering, but corruption levels are relatively low and the government appears generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry Mexico major drug-producing nation; cultivation of opium poppy in 2007 rose to 6,900 hectares yielding a potential production of 18 metric tons of pure heroin, or 50 metric tons of "black tar" heroin, the dominant form of Mexican heroin in the western United States; marijuana cultivation increased to 8,900 hectares in 2007 and yielded a potential production of 15,800 metric tons; government conducts the largest independent illicit-crop eradication program in the world; continues as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America, with an estimated 90% of annual cocaine movements toward the US stopping in Mexico; major drug syndicates control the majority of drug trafficking throughout the country; producer and distributor of ecstasy; significant money-laundering center; major supplier of heroin and largest foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine to the US market (2007) Micronesia, Federated States of major consumer of cannabis Moldova limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and possibly the US; widespread crime and underground economic activity Montserrat transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe Morocco one of the world's largest producers of illicit hashish; shipments of hashish mostly directed to Western Europe; transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; significant consumer of cannabis Mozambique southern African transit point for South Asian hashish and heroin, and South American cocaine probably destined for the European and South African markets; producer of cannabis (for local consumption) and methaqualone (for export to South Africa); corruption and poor regulatory capability makes the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, but the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center Nepal illicit producer of cannabis and hashish for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West Netherlands major European producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and cannabis cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering; significant consumer of ecstasy Netherlands Antilles transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center New Zealand significant consumer of amphetamines Nicaragua transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing Nigeria a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets; consumer of amphetamines; safe haven for Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major money-laundering center; massive corruption and criminal activity; Nigeria has improved some anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in June 2006; Nigeria's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF Pakistan significant transit area for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine, and hashish, bound for Iran, Western markets, the Gulf States, Africa, and Asia; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain problems; opium poppy cultivation estimated to be 2,300 hectares in 2007 with 600 of those hectares eradicated; federal and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy campaigns that utilizes forced eradication, fines, and arrests Panama major cocaine transshipment point and primary money-laundering center for narcotics revenue; money-laundering activity is especially heavy in the Colon Free Zone; offshore financial center; negligible signs of coca cultivation; monitoring of financial transactions is improving; official corruption remains a major problem Papua New Guinea major consumer of cannabis Paraguay major illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of which is consumed in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile; transshipment country for Andean cocaine headed for Brazil, other Southern Cone markets, and Europe; weak border controls, extensive corruption and money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; weak anti-money-laundering laws and enforcement Peru until 1996 the world's largest coca leaf producer, Peru is now the world's second largest producer of coca leaf, though it lags far behind Colombia; cultivation of coca in Peru declined to 36,000 hectares in 2007; second largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 210 metric tons of potential pure cocaine in 2007; finished cocaine is shipped out from Pacific ports to the international drug market; increasing amounts of base and finished cocaine, however, are being moved to Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia for use in the Southern Cone or transshipment to Europe and Africa; increasing domestic drug consumption Philippines domestic methamphetamine production has been a growing problem in recent years despite government crackdowns; major consumer of amphetamines; longstanding marijuana producer mainly in rural areas where Manila's control is limited Poland despite diligent counternarcotics measures and international information sharing on cross-border crimes, a major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international market; minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe Portugal seizing record amounts of Latin American cocaine destined for Europe; a European gateway for Southwest Asian heroin; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin Romania major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe; although not a significant financial center, role as a narcotics conduit leaves it vulnerable to laundering, which occurs via the banking system, currency exchange houses, and casinos Russia limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy and producer of methamphetamine, mostly for domestic consumption; government has active illicit crop eradication program; used as transshipment point for Asian opiates, cannabis, and Latin American cocaine bound for growing domestic markets, to a lesser extent Western and Central Europe, and occasionally to the US; major source of heroin precursor chemicals; corruption and organized crime are key concerns; major consumer of opiates Saint Kitts and Nevis transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity Saint Lucia transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe Saint Vincent and the Grenadines transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation Saudi Arabia death penalty for traffickers; improving anti-money-laundering legislation and enforcement Senegal transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis Serbia transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western Europe on the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money laundering Singapore drug abuse limited because of aggressive law enforcement efforts; as a transportation and financial services hub, Singapore is vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, as a venue for money laundering Slovakia transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market; consumer of ecstasy Slovenia minor transit point for cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe, and for precursor chemicals South Africa transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region and the size of the South African economy Spain despite rigorous law enforcement efforts, North African, Latin American, Galician, and other European traffickers take advantage of Spain's long coastline to land large shipments of cocaine and hashish for distribution to the European market; consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations and organized crime Suriname growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for Europe via the Netherlands and Brazil; transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing Switzerland a major international financial center vulnerable to the layering and integration stages of money laundering; despite significant legislation and reporting requirements, secrecy rules persist and nonresidents are permitted to conduct business through offshore entities and various intermediaries; transit country for and consumer of South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and Western European synthetics; domestic cannabis cultivation and limited ecstasy production Syria a transit point for opiates, hashish, and cocaine bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls and bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money laundering Taiwan regional transit point for heroin, methamphetamine, and precursor chemicals; transshipment point for drugs to Japan; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin; rising problems with use of ketamine and club drugs Tajikistan major transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; Tajikistan seizes roughly 80% of all drugs captured in Central Asia and stands third worldwide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium); significant consumer of opiates Tanzania growing role in transshipment of Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for South African, European, and US markets and of South Asian methaqualone bound for southern Africa; money laundering remains a problem Thailand a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana; transit point for illicit heroin en route to the international drug market from Burma and Laos; eradication efforts have reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring countries; opium poppy cultivation has been reduced by eradication efforts; also a drug money-laundering center; minor role in methamphetamine production for regional consumption; major consumer of methamphetamine since the 1990s despite a series of government crackdowns Timor-Leste NA Togo transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem Trinidad and Tobago transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis Turkey key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and, to a lesser extent, the US - via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin exist in remote regions of Turkey and near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and over output of poppy straw concentrate; lax enforcement of money-laundering controls Turkmenistan transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan Turks and Caicos Islands transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe Ukraine limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; some synthetic drug production for export to the West; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, and Turkey to Europe and Russia; Ukraine has improved anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in February 2004; Ukraine's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF United Arab Emirates the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity to Southwest Asian drug-producing countries; the UAE's position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving, but informal banking remains unregulated United Kingdom producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center United States world's largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and marijuana; major consumer of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine; minor consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center Uruguay small-scale transit country for drugs mainly bound for Europe, often through sea-borne containers; law enforcement corruption; money laundering because of strict banking secrecy laws; weak border control along Brazilian frontier; increasing consumption of cocaine base and synthetic drugs Uzbekistan transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and small amounts of opium poppy for domestic consumption; poppy cultivation almost wiped out by government crop eradication program; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan Venezuela small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border Vietnam minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; government continues to face domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems despite longstanding crackdowns World cocaine: worldwide coca leaf cultivation in 2007 amounted to 232,500 hectares; Colombia produced slightly more than two-thirds of the worldwide crop, followed by Peru and Bolivia; potential pure cocaine production decreased 7% to 865 metric tons in 2007; Colombia conducts aggressive coca eradication campaign, but both Peruvian and Bolivian Governments are hesitant to eradicate coca in key growing areas; 551 metric tons of export-quality cocaine (85% pure) is documented to have been seized or destroyed in 2005; US consumption of export quality cocaine is estimated to have been in excess of 380 metric tons opiates: worldwide illicit opium poppy cultivation continued to increase in 2007, with a potential opium production of 8,400 metric tons, reaching the highest levels recorded since estimates began in mid-1980s; Afghanistan is world's primary opium producer, accounting for 95% of the global supply; Southeast Asia - responsible for 9% of global opium - saw marginal increases in production; Latin America produced 1% of global opium, but most was refined into heroin destined for the US market; if all potential opium was processed into pure heroin, the potential global production would be 1,000 metric tons of heroin in 2007 Zambia transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for southern Africa and possibly Europe; a poorly developed financial infrastructure coupled with a government commitment to combating money laundering make it an unattractive venue for money launderers; major consumer of cannabis Zimbabwe transit point for cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax, and methamphetamines en route to South Africa This page was last updated on 9 April 2009 Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia) From tal1 at cogeco.ca Sun Aug 2 12:54:51 2009 From: tal1 at cogeco.ca (Tony B.) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 14:54:51 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia In-Reply-To: <71061818FB104273B43149A3B37F6831@TonyPC> References: <13173255.1249201834214.JavaMail.root@elwamui-mouette.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <71061818FB104273B43149A3B37F6831@TonyPC> Message-ID: <3BBAE2D8300F4993935DCC6E1C4E9779@TonyPC> I might add... The Pentagon also supported the Albanian Mafia (a.k.a the 'Kosovo Liberation Army') in its decade long campaign to destabilize the Yugolsavian government..culminating in the attack on Yugoslavia in 1999. At the very time the US Administration was supporting the 'KLA' it didn't seem to bother them that the US Drug Enforcement Agency had simultaneously labelled them the largest narcotraffickers in the Western World, responsible for the importation of 90% of Western Europe and North America's heroin. But then, this is simply 'old news', i.e. it's how the CIA and Pentagon have long done business with mafia types all over the world..that is, allowing these groups to run their drugs (whilst, in many cases, actually aiding as well as abetting) is part of the quid pro quo for enlisting the aid of these thugs in helping America undermine, destabilize and overthrow 'unfriendly regimes'. Kosovo today, now has the honour of being the first fully-fledged narco-government. Another splendid achievement for the 'war on drugs'. ..And, then, let us not forget that the Taliban, for all their faults, had actually more or less curtailed the heroin production in Afghanistan..But not any more, this as America's allies, the Northern Alliance (in cahoots with the usual suspects) have started it all up again, i.e. Afghanistan is, once again, a major world supplier of heroin. Three more cheers for the 'war on drugs'. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tony B." To: "Sean Fischer" ; "The A-List" Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 2:34 PM Subject: Re: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia > "My comments below were to highlight cocaine and heroin from foreign > sources kill, and they kill in massive numbers and at many layers when > compared to the other multi-billion dollar initiatives" > > Over 99% of deaths from substance abuse are attributable to tobacco and > alcohol. The CIA has run drugs throughout the world (i.e. the Golden > Triangle, Colombia, the Marseille and the 'French Connection', Afghanistan > etc) to fuel through clandestine funding its blackops operations ever > since the end of the 2nd World War. You are no doubt apprised of all of > this... > > 'Plan Colombia' is, of course, and has been since its inception a pretext > to wage its counter-insurgency (read: terror against resistance to state > terror) war in Colombia. > > In America the 'war on drugs' has merely served to lock up whole swaths of > the unemployed (disproportionately black and Latino, i.e. amounting to > over half of all incarcerations) and provide for the accelerating growth > of one of America's social obscenities, i.e. the privatized prison > industy...in conjunction with the privatization of everything else... > > In short, the 'war on drugs' is, much like the 'war on terror' ...a total > croc. Indeed, both are and have always been mere pretexts for the exercise > of imperial gangsterism abroad, and the most vile, reactionary social and > political measures at home. > > And, frankly, I'm with James on this point...To have to reiterate these > elementary political and social facts on this list is, well, astonishing. > > Tony > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sean Fischer" > To: "'The A-List'" > Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 4:30 AM > Subject: Re: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In > Colombia > > > Hi Paul, > > Yes, I agree that generally the poor tend to become entrapped in the drug > world and are hence disadvantaged. For the poor, they have less influence > in the political process, less chance at succeeding in climbing the ranks > into economic prosperity, less chance of social acceptance, suffer > greater social implosion within their community, and overall less security > at many levels. And yes, there are millions of police, prosecutors, > judges, and guards who are reliant on monies from taxes. > > Yet you fail to mention in your comment these same police, prosecutors, > judges, and guards are not specifically tasked to as you say, round up and > control the poor illegal drug users. Their respective job titles are much > broader and involves a wider range or duties and primary assignments. > The list of said duties for these officials is too long to compile for > this exchange, yet readily available for readers. As to the comment that > law enforcement is comprised of millions of jobs, there is much truth that > governments everywhere enshrine their authority in a systematic fashion. > A reduction in sentencing for non-violent offenders of drugs such as > marijuana should be driven by a policy which supports a greater emphasis > on diversion and rehabilitation programs. > > I do promote the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and believe that > counter terrorism are important. I was using the play in media theme to > contrast how large budget items rate in actual lives lost and national > importance for costs vs. return on investment within protecting national > human capital. My comments below were to highlight cocaine and heroin > from foreign sources kill, and they kill in massive numbers and at many > layers when compared to the other multi-billion dollar initiatives, or > wars as they are sometimes referred to. Specifically those harder > (smuggled from abroad) drugs have longer, stronger, more debilitating > affects on the users and the ill gotten profits of criminal organizations > perpetuate additional crimes. Although not the only reason for a users > plight is their pure addiction to the drugs of choice, the hardcore addict > and their supply networks do nothing but undermine societies, and in > general wreak havoc with the poorest. > > If one is to promote a reduction in sentencing for some drug offenses, and > the system can save money from a reduction of case loads, then some > number of people working in the judicial and law enforcement system will > have to find other work and retrain themselves for new careers, big deal. > The nations aerospace workers during the 1980's did it without much tax > base support, during the 1990's the military fleshed their ranks, and the > autoworkers are doing it now, as are many in other fields. As developing > nations come online, they siphon jobs and this has been going on now for > decades. Unless individuals are willing to take the initiative and > re-invest in their own marketability Like the manufacturing sector, > government employment is not immune to reductions. Any servant that > thinks otherwise, ought to take notice to California where its ranks are > undergoing a variety of State, County, and City workforce reductions and > furloughs. Its not a question of throwing people out of work, its a > question of reducing the tax burden individuals forfeit, shedding waste > fraud and abuse, and expecting both efficiency and performance from those > who earn their wages at the expense of the tax payer. > > I have never read Alfred McCoys book (thanks for providing the link) but I > did look it up on Amazon for some fast feedback. Here is an excerpt of a > review from Publishers Weekly: > > Nearly 20 years ago, McCoy wrote The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia > , which stirred up considerable controversy, alleging that the CIA was > intimately involved in the Vietnamese opium trade. In the current volume, > a substantially updated and longer work, he argues that pk the situation > basically hasn't changed over the past two decades; however the numbers > have gotten bigger. McCoy writes, "Although the drug pandemic of the 1980s > had complex causes, the growth in global heroin supply could be traced in > large part to two key aspects of U.S. policy: the failure of the DEA's > interdiction efforts and the CIA's covert operations." He readily admits > that the CIA's role in the heroin trade was an "inadvertent" byproduct of > "its cold war tactics," but he limns convincingly the path by which the > agency and its forebears helped Corsican and Sicilian mobsters reestablish > the heroin trade after WW II and, most recently, "transformed southern > Asia from a self-contained opium zone into a major supplier of heroin." > Scrupulously documented, almost numbingly so at times, this is a valuable > corrective to the misinformation being peddled by anti-drug zealots on > both sides of the aisle. First serial to the Progressive. > Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. > > > Sean > > > Source: > > > Each year, the staff of the UCR Program ask law enforcement agencies > across the United States to report the total number of sworn law > enforcement officers and civilians in their agency as of October 31. This > section of Crime in the United States presents that data as the number and > rate of law enforcement officers and civilian employees throughout the > United States. In 2004, 14,254 state, city, university and college, > metropolitan and nonmetropolitan county, and other law enforcement > agencies employed 675,734 sworn officers and 294,854 civilians, who > provided law enforcement services to more than 278 million people > nationwide. > > By population group, there were 2.3 sworn officers for each 1,000 resident > population in the Nation?s cities collectively. That rate was unchanged > from the 2003 data. Of the population groups labeled city, the cities of > 10,000 or less in population had the highest rate, 3.3 officers per 1,000 > inhabitants in 2004. Two city population groups, those with populations > from 25,000 to 49,999 and those with 50,000 to 99,999 had the lowest rate, > 1.8 officers per 1,000 inhabitants. The Nation?s largest cities, those > with 250,000 or more inhabitants averaged 2.8 officers per 1,000 in > population. (See Table 71.) Law enforcement agencies in the Nation?s > metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties averaged 2.6 and 2.7 officers, > respectively, for each 1,000 in population. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Paul Wright > > Sent: Aug 1, 2009 12:57 PM > > To: 'Sean Fischer' , 'The A-List' > > Subject: RE: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In > Colombia > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sean, you have it all wrong. More > important than the number of Americans killed by drugs are those directly > employed by drug illegality. There are literally millions of police, > prosecutors, judges, prison and jail guards, etc., whose job and pay check > directly > depends on doing the job of rounding up and controlling the American > population > of poor illegal drug users. This is tens of billions of dollars a year > worth of > jobs. Would you throw these people out of work? > > > > A drugged populace is much easier to > control and as long as poor drug users are subjected to the repressive > power of > the state they are kept effectively disorganized and controlled. The only > reason drugs are expensive is due to their illegal status. If marijuana or > cocaine were once legal they would cost less than chocolate or coffee, > other > third world commodities which exist in abundant supply. > > > > The US role in the illegal drug trade > is very well documented in Alfred McCoy?s book the Politics of Heroin: CIA > Complicity > in the Global Drug Trade > https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/74_ProductDetails.aspx. > > > > > > > Paul Wright, Editor > > Prison Legal News > > P.O. Box 2420 > > West Brattleboro, VT 05303 > > 802 257-1342 > > pwright at prisonlegalnews.org > > www.prisonlegalnews.org > > > > Seattle Office > > 2400 NW 80th St. Suite 148 > > Seattle, WA 98117 > > 206-246-1022 > > > > > > > > > > > > From: > a-list-bounces at lists.econ.utah.edu > [mailto:a-list-bounces at lists.econ.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Sean Fischer > > Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 8:51 > PM > > To: The > A-List; A-List > > Subject: Re: [A-List] Latin > America Challenges US > Military Bases In Colombia > > > > > > An expansion of US counter- drug > operations in South American is good news. Any US > tax payer will agree that plenty of time, effort, and expenditures have > been > invested into combating illicit drugs from the region. I must ask > which nations and / or leaders are complaining about increased efforts > geared > at continuing reductions in drug activity from inside their South American > borders? > > > > BRAZIL > > CHILE > > COLUMBIA > > EQUADOR > > VENEZUELA > > and > > SPAIN?????? > > > > What interest does Spain > have with South American narcotics trade? Spain?s > leadership may be more worried more about timely deposits made into their > financial institutions rather than anything else? > > > > > With time, sophistication in avoiding > transparency marches on and this appears just as true for the > international > drug trade. On the other hand, when civilian casualties from the drug > trade are compared directly to the number of civilian casualties from > terrorist > attacks and nuclear weapons combined there, is some clarity. > > > > > > - With regard to US civilians killed > by drugs verse Iraqi, Iranian, Libyan, Syrian, or North Korean nuclear > weapons, > this number to date would be an absolute zero. > > > > - With regard to US civilians who > where affected by terrorism, as of April 2009 total civilian deaths are: > 56 > killed, 17 injured, and 11 kidnappings. For ease of math we can round it > to a total of about 100. (Year 2005-2006) > > > > - With regard to US civilians who > are drug addicted, this number is estimated to be: 12.5 million current > users > of all illicit drugs (with cocaine, heroin, and crack alone totally 2.1 > million). > > > > - With regard to US > hospital from over a decade ago, visits for cocaine overdoses in 1995 the > number > is 142,000. Hospital visits for heroin overdoses in 1995 is > 76,000. (Year 1995) > > > > - With regard to US civilians who > are killed by all illicit drugs, this would be: 17,000 (Year 2000) > increasing to 28,723 (Year 2003) *Note 5 below. > > > > - With regard to US civilians, > according to government supplied numbers, excluding softer drugs such as > marijuana (with zero recorded overdoses) the prime countries for hard > illicit > narcotics the following South America countries are most responsible: > Columbia, Peru, > Bolivia. > > > > > - With regard to other leading > countries which supply illicit opiates, they are: (Golden Crescent) > Afghanistan > & Pakistan, > and (Golden Triangle) South East Asian: Myanmar, > Laos, > Vietnam, > and Thailand. > > > > > > > I copied and pasted the sources below in > case any wanted to take the time and read them for yourselves....but > largest > documented threat - foreign borne ? which actually destroys US families > and > kills US citizens in mass every year, seems to be not be from the > adversarial > posturing or unpredictable intentions of the Chinese, the Russians, or > world-wide terrorism combined, but instead from smuggling and distribution > of > hard drugs. If you have another view, please share any economic > data. > > > > Sean > > > > > > > > > > You are in: > > Bureaus/Offices Reporting Directly to > the Secretary > Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism > Releases >> Country Reports on Terrorism > 2005 (html format) > > Terrorism Deaths, Injuries, Kidnappings of > Private U.S. Citizens, 2005* > > Country Reports on Terrorism > > Office of the Coordinator for > Counterterrorism > > April 28, 2006 > > > > Provided by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, > U.S. > Department of State > > > > The term "Private U.S. Citizen" > refers to any U.S. citizen not acting in an official capacity on behalf of > the > U.S. Government; therefore these figures do not include, for example, U.S. > military personnel killed or injured in a terrorism-related incident while > on > active duty or employees of the Department of State and other federal > agencies. > Members of U.S. Government employees' > households are considered private U.S. > citizens. > > > > Although every effort was made to include > all terrorism-related deaths and injuries involving private U.S. citizens, > the > figures below reflect only those cases reported to, or known by, the U.S. > Department of State, and may not reflect actual numbers of injured, which > may > not always be reported depending on their severity. As NCTC also notes, in > the > cases of Iraq > and Afghanistan, > it is particularly difficult to gather comprehensive information about all > incidents and to distinguish terrorism from the numerous other forms of > violence. > > > > U.S. citizens > worldwide killed as a result of incidents of terrorism: 56 > > U.S. citizens > worldwide injured as a result of incidents of terrorism: 17 > > U.S. citizens > worldwide kidnapped as a result of incidents of terrorism: 11 > > > > *In all cases limited to incidents > targeting noncombatants. > > > > Terrorism Deaths of > Private U.S. Citizens in 2005 (by country) > > > > Country > > Date of > Death > Number > > Location > > > > Afghanistan > June > 1 > 1 > Kandahar > > > > Egypt > April > 8 > 1 > Cairo > > > > Egypt > July > 23 > 1 > Sharm el-Sheik > > > > Iraq > January > 3 > > 1 > Baghdad > > > > Iraq > January > 28 > 1 > Mosul > > > > Iraq > January > 29 > 1 > Baghdad > > > > Iraq > February > 6 > 1 > Nasiria > > > > Iraq > March > 3 > 2 > Balad > > > > Iraq > March > 12 > 1 > Baghdad > > > > Iraq > March > 12 > 1 > Hilla, Near Biap > > > > Iraq > March > 25 > 1 > Baghdad > > > > Iraq > April > 1 > 1 > Fallujah > > > > Iraq > April > 1 > 1 > Baghdad > > > > Iraq > April > 20 > 2 > Baghdad > > > > Iraq > April > 21 > 6 > Tikrit > > > > Iraq > April > 21 > 1 > Ramadi > > > > Iraq > May > 7 > 2 > Baghdad > > > > Iraq > May > 10 > 1 > Ramadi > > > > Iraq > May > 12 > 1 > Baghdad > > > > Iraq > June > 3 > 1 > Camp Victory > > > > Iraq > June > 4 > 1 > Baghdad > > > > Iraq > June > 27 > 1 > Baghdad > > > > Iraq > July > 3 > 1 > Baghdad > > > > Iraq > August > 3 > 1 > Basrah > > > > Iraq > August > 20 > 1 > North of Kalsu > > > > Iraq > August > 23 > 1 > Bagubah > > > > Iraq > September > 4 > 1 > Balad > > > > Iraq > September > 4 > 1 > Baghdad > > > > Iraq > September > 7 > 4 > Basrah > > > > Iraq > September > 19 > 4 > Mosul > > > > Iraq > September > 20 > 3 > Near Balad > > > > Iraq > October > 1 > 1 > Ramadi > > > > Iraq > November > 17 > 1 > Balad > > > > Iraq > December > 22 > 1 > Baguba > > > > Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank December > 29 > 1 > Near Tulkarm, West Bank > > > > Jordan > November > 9 > 3 > Amman > > > > Jordan > November > 10 > 1 > Amman > > > > United Kingdom > July > 7 > 1 > London > > > > > > > > Terrorism Injuries of > Private U.S. Citizens in 2005 (by country) > > > > Country > Date of > Death > Number > Location > > > > Egypt > April > 7 > 3 > Cairo > > > > Indonesia > October > 1 > 6 > Bali > > > > Iraq > September > 2 > 1 > Baghdad > > > > Jordan > November > 9 > 3 > Amman > > > > United Kingdom > July > 7 > 4 > London > > > > > > Terrorism Kidnappings of > Private U.S. Citizens in 2005 (by country) > > > > Country > Date of > Incident > Number > Location > > > > Iraq > January > 12* > 1 > Unknown > > > > Iraq > April > 11 > 1 > Taji > > > > Iraq > May > 17 > 1 > Unknown > > > > Iraq > May > 22* > 1 > Unknown > > > > Iraq > August > 10* > 1 > Unknown > > > > Iraq > September > 7 > 1 > Mansoul > > Iraq > September > 27 > 1 > Unknown > > > > Iraq > November > 29 > 1 > Baghdad > > > > Iraq > December > 2 > 1 > Unknown > > > > Iraq > December > 5 > 1 > Baghdad > > > > Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank October > 12* > 1 > Khan Younis [Gaza] > > > > *Date rescued/released > > > > > > > > > > How many addicts are there in the U.S., > and how is the Drug War affecting this number? > > > > Dear Stanton > > > > What exactly are the statistics for drug > addiction? i.e., where can one find the percentage of people who use a > specific > drug and compare it the number of actual "addicts"? I find it > interesting (typical, really) that the media in this country never > publishes > such obvious information as it would probably undermine the current > hysteria > over drugs. > > > > Joseph > > > > Dear Joseph: > > > > One way to calculate the number/percentage > of addicts is to compare those who have ever taken a drug with those who > currently take it with those who currently take it daily (or nearly so). > Of > course, many regular, daily users wouldn't > be classified as addicts (like the physician described by Zinberg and his > colleagues who for decades injected morphine daily, but did not use on > weekends > and vacations, without ever increasing his dosage or undergoing > withdrawal -- > see Meaning of Addiction, Chapter 1). > > > > Unfortunately, you can't get government statistics on daily use. The most > frequent use calculated in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services > Administration's (SAMHSA) National > Household Survey on Drug Abuse is 51 or more times in the prior year, or > an > average of once weekly (or more), which would obviously include many users > who > are not addicts. > > > > The 1995 Household Survey found that of 3.7 > million cocaine users in the last year, 1.2 million used on average at > least > once a month and 600,000 used at least weekly on average. Although these > 600,000 would not qualify as clinical addicts, Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey > wants > to claim these and more. This is because, compared with 1980, McCaffrey > points > out that monthly illicit drugs users have declined by approximately half, > to > 12.5 million, but the drug budget has gone from $1 billion to $16 billion. > > > > Why do we need so much money if drug use > has declined so radically? Because, according to McCaffrey and others > (such as > Herb Kleber, formerly deputy czar in charge of demand reduction), the > number of > frequent users/addicts has remained stable or actually increased! In other > words, the drug war has succeeded in getting casual users to quit, but has > failed to make any dent in addiction! Thus, among 12.5 million current > users of > any illicit drug (this is use during past month), and 2.1 million current > users > of heroin, crack, and cocaine, McCaffrey reports there are 3.6 million > current > addicts. > > > > Where did he get the extra addicts? In > addition to the 600,000 weekly or more frequent cocaine users in the > household > survey, SAMHSA speculates that there may be another 1.4 million weekly > cocaine > users, adding up to (for McCaffrey) 2 million cocaine addicts right there! > SAMSHA relies for its estimate of growing frequent cocaine users on > another > statistic -- drug-related hospital emergency room visits -- which have > increased dramatically, from 5,000 in 1980 to 142,000 in 1995 for cocaine, > and > from 12,000 to 76,000 in 1995 for heroin. > > > > Emergency room visits still leave McCaffrey > millions short in the addict department! Obviously, the government can't > say how many genuine addicts there are, and the > 3.6 million number seems like a tremendous overestimate based on counting > anything approaching regular use of heroin, crack, cocaine and other > drugs, > both actually measured and estimated. But what government statistics most > distinctly show is that the U.S. > cannot reduce regular or heavy drug use and that we are suffering more and > more > casualties in the drug war among drug users, no matter how much we > increase the > drug budget. > > > > Best, Stanton > > > > > > > > > > > > Annual Causes of Death in > the United States > > Tobacco > > > 435,000 Note 1 > > Poor Diet and Physical Inactivity > > > 365,000 Note 1 > > Alcohol > > 85,000 Note 1 > > Microbial Agents > > > 75,000 Note 1 > > Toxic Agents > > > > 55,000 Note 1 > > Motor Vehicle Crashes > > > > 26,347 Note 1 > > Adverse Reactions to Prescription Drugs > > 32,000 Note 2 > > Suicide > > > 30,622 Note 3 > > Incidents Involving Firearms > > > 29,000 Note 1 > > Homicide > > > > 20,308 Note 4 > > Sexual Behaviors > > > 20,000 Note 1 > > All Illicit Drug Use, Direct and Indirect > > > 17,000 Note 1, 5 > > Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Such > As Aspirin 7,600 > Note 6 > > Marijuana > > 07 > > > > 1. > > > > (2000): > "The leading causes of death in 2000 were tobacco (435,000 deaths; 18.1% > of total US > deaths), poor diet and physical inactivity (400,000 deaths; 16.6%), and > alcohol > consumption (85,000 deaths; 3.5%). Other actual causes of death were > microbial > agents (75,000), toxic agents (55,000), motor vehicle crashes (43,000), > incidents involving firearms (29,000), sexual behaviors (20,000), and > illicit > use of drugs (17,000)." > > (Note: > According to a correction published by the Journal on Jan. 19, 2005, "On > page 1240, in Table 2, '400,000 > (16.6)' deaths for 'poor diet and physical inactivity' in 2000 should be > '365,000 > (15.2).' A dagger symbol should be > added to 'alcohol consumption' in the body of the table and a dagger > footnote > should be added with 'in 1990 data, > deaths from alcohol-related crashes are included in alcohol consumption > deaths, > but not in motor vehicle deaths. In 2000 data, 16,653 deaths from > alcohol-related crashes are included in both alcohol consumption and motor > vehicle death categories." Source: Journal of the American Medical > Association, Jan. 19, 2005, Vol. 293, No. 3, p. 298.) > > Source: > > Mokdad, Ali > H., PhD, James S. Marks, MD, MPH, Donna F. Stroup, PhD, MSc, Julie L. > Gerberding, MD, MPH, "Actual Causes of Death in the United States, > 2000," Journal of the American Medical Association, March 10, 2004, Vol. > 291, No. 10, pp. 1238, 1241. > > > > 2. > > > > (2000): > "Illicit drug use is associated with suicide, homicide, motor-vehicle > injury, HIV infection, pneumonia, violence, mental illness, and hepatitis. > An > estimated 3 million individuals in the United States > have serious drug problems. Several studies have reported an undercount of > the > number of deaths attributed to drugs by vital statistics; however, > improved > medical treatments have reduced mortality from many diseases associated > with > illicit drug use. In keeping with the report by McGinnis and Foege, we > included > deaths caused indirectly by illicit drug use in this category. We used > attributable fractions to compute the number of deaths due to illicit drug > use. > Overall, we estimate that illicit drug use resulted in approximately 17000 > deaths > in 2000, a reduction of 3000 deaths from the 1990 report." > > Source: > > Mokdad, Ali > H., PhD, James S. Marks, MD, MPH, Donna F. Stroup, PhD, MSc, Julie L. > Gerberding, MD, MPH, "Actual Causes of Death in the United States, > 2000," Journal of the American Medical Association, March 10, 2004, Vol. > 291, No. 10, p. 1242. > > > > 3. > > > > (2003): The > US Centers for Disease Control reports that in 2003, there were a total of > 31,484 deaths from suicide in the US. > > Source: > > Hoyert, > Donna L., PhD, Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Murphy, Sherry L., BS, Kung, > Hsiang-Ching, PhD; Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Final Data for > 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 54, No. 13 (Hyattsville, > MD: National Center for Health Statistics, April 19, 2006), p. 5, Table C. > > > > 4. > > > > (2003): The > US Centers for Disease Control reports that in 2003, there were a total of > 17,732 > deaths from homicide in the US. > > Source: > > Hoyert, > Donna L., PhD, Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Murphy, Sherry L., BS, Kung, > Hsiang-Ching, PhD; Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Final Data for > 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 54, No. 13 (Hyattsville, > MD: National Center for Health Statistics, April 19, 2006), p. 5, Table C. > > > > 5. > > > > (2003): > "In 2003, a total of 28,723 persons died of drug-induced causes in the > United States > (Tables 21 and 22). The category 'drug-induced > causes' includes not only deaths > from dependent and nondependent use of drugs (legal and illegal use), but > also > poisoning from medically prescribed and other drugs. It excludes > unintentional > injuries, homicides, and other causes indirectly related to drug use. Also > excluded are newborn deaths due to mother's > drug use." > > Source: > > Hoyert, > Donna L., PhD, Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Murphy, Sherry L., BS, Kung, > Hsiang-Ching, PhD; Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Final Data for > 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 54, No. 13 (Hyattsville, > MD: National Center for Health Statistics, April 19, 2006), p. 10. > > > > 6. > > > > (2003): > "In 2003, a total of 20,687 persons died of alcohol-induced causes in the > United States > (Tables 23 and 24). The category 'alcohol-induced > causes' includes not only deaths > from dependent and nondependent use of alcohol, but also accidental > poisoning > by alcohol. It excludes unintentional injuries, homicides, and other > causes > indirectly related to alcohol use as well as deaths due to fetal alcohol > syndrome." > > Source: > > Hoyert, > Donna L., PhD, Heron, Melonie P., PhD, Murphy, Sherry L., BS, Kung, > Hsiang-Ching, PhD; Division of Vital Statistics, "Deaths: Final Data for > 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 54, No. 13 (Hyattsville, > MD: National Center for Health Statistics, April 19, 2006), p. 10. > > > > 7. > > > > (1996): > "Each year, use of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) accounts > for an estimated 7,600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations in the United > States." > (NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ketoprofen, and > tiaprofenic acid.) > > Source: > > Robyn > Tamblyn, PhD; Laeora Berkson, MD, MHPE, FRCPC; W. Dale Jauphinee, MD, > FRCPC; > David Gayton, MD, PhD, FRCPC; Roland Grad, MD, MSc; Allen Huang, MD, > FRCPC; > Lisa Isaac, PhD; Peter McLeod, MD, FRCPC; and Linda Snell, MD, MHPE, > FRCPC, > "Unnecessary Prescribing of NSAIDs and the Management of NSAID-Related > Gastropathy in Medical Practice," Annals of Internal Medicine (Washington, > DC: American College of Physicians, 1997), September 15, 1997, > 127:429-438, > from the web at > http://www.acponline.org/journals/annals/15sep97/nsaid.htm, > last accessed Feb. 14, 2001, citing Fries, JF, "Assessing and > understanding patient risk," Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology > Supplement, 1992;92:21-4. > > > > 8. > > > > (Average > 1982-1998): According to Canadian researchers, approximately 32,000 > hospitalized patients (and possibly as many as 106,000) in the USA > die each year because of adverse reactions to their prescribed > medications. > > Source: > > AMA, 1998), > Nov. 25, 1998, Vol. 280, No. 20, from the web at > http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v280n20/ffull/jlt1125-1.html, last > accessed > Feb. 12, 2001. > > > > 9. > > > > An > exhaustive search of the literature finds no credible reports of deaths > induced > by marijuana. The US Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) records instances > of > drug mentions in medical examiners' > reports, and though marijuana is mentioned, it is usually in combination > with > alcohol or other drugs. Marijuana alone has not been shown to cause an > overdose > death. > > Source: > > National > Academy Press, 1999), available on the web at > http://www.nap.edu/html/marimed/; > and US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, "In the > Matter > of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition" (Docket #86-22), September 6, 1988, p. > 57. > > > > 10. > > > > The Centers > for Disease Control reported that in 2003, HIV disease was the 22nd > leading > cause of death in the US > for whites, the 9th leading cause of death for blacks, and the 13th > leading > cause of death for Hispanics. > > Source: > > Heron, > Melonie P., PhD, Smith, Betty L., BsED, Division of Vital Statistics, > "Deaths: Leading Causes for 2003," National Vital Statistics Reports, > Vol. 55, No. 10 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, > CDC, > March 15, 2007), p. 10, Table E, and p. 12, Table F. > > > > > > > > > > > > Country > > > > > Illicit drugs > > Afghanistan > world's largest producer of opium; poppy cultivation > decreased 22% to 157,000 hectares in 2008 but remains at a historically > high > level; less favorable growing conditions in 2008 reduced potential opium > production to 5,500 metric tons, down 31 percent from 2007; if the entire > opium > crop were processed, 648 metric tons of pure heroin potentially could be > produced; the Taliban and other antigovernment groups participate in and > profit > from the opiate trade, which is a key source of revenue for the Taliban > inside > Afghanistan; widespread corruption and instability impede counterdrug > efforts; > most of the heroin consumed in Europe and Eurasia is derived from Afghan > opium; > vulnerable to drug money laundering through informal financial networks; > regional source of hashish (2008) > > > > Albania increasingly active > transshipment point for Southwest Asian opiates, hashish, and cannabis > transiting the Balkan route and - to a lesser extent - cocaine from South > America destined for Western Europe; limited opium and growing cannabis > production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and > expanding > in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional > trafficking > in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal aliens > > > > Angola > used as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for > Western Europe and other African states, particularly South Africa > > > > > > Anguilla > > transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US > and Europe > > Antigua and Barbuda > considered a minor > transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more > significant as an offshore > financial center > > > > Argentina > a > transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe, heroin headed for the > US, > and ephedrine and pseudoephedrine headed for Mexico; some money-laundering > activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; law enforcement corruption; a > source for precursor chemicals; increasing domestic consumption of drugs > in > urban centers, especially cocaine base and synthetic drugs (2008) > > > > Armenia illicit > cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; minor > transit > point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest > Asia > to Russia > and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe > > > > Aruba > transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics > with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high > percentage of > population consumes cocaine > > > > Australia Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate > products; > government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation > and > output of poppy straw concentrate; major consumer of cocaine and > amphetamines > > > > Austria transshipment > point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for > Western Europe; increasing consumption of European-produced synthetic > drugs > > > > Azerbaijan > > limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS > consumption; small government eradication program; transit point for > Southwest > Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe > > > > Bahamas, The > transshipment point for > cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; > offshore financial center > > > > Bangladesh > > transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries > > > > Barbados > > one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe > and > the US; > offshore financial center > > > > Belarus limited > cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; > transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the > Baltics and > Western Europe; a small and lightly regulated financial center; > anti-money-laundering > legislation does not meet international standards and was weakened further > when > know-your-customer requirements were curtailed in 2008; few investigations > or > prosecutions of money-laundering activities (2008) > > > > Belgium growing producer of > synthetic drugs and cannabis; transit point for US-bound ecstasy; source > of > precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment > point > for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe; > despite a > strengthening of legislation, the country remains vulnerable to money > laundering related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco; > significant > domestic consumption of ecstasy > > > > Belize > transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis, > primarily for local consumption; offshore sector money-laundering activity > related to narcotics trafficking and other crimes (2008) > > > > Benin > transshipment point used by traffickers for > cocaine destined for Western Europe; > vulnerable to money laundering due to poorly enforced financial > regulations > (2008) > > > > Bolivia world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia > and Peru) with an estimated 29,500 hectares under cultivation in 2007, > increased slightly when compared to 2006; third largest producer of > cocaine, > estimated at 120 metric tons potential pure cocaine in 2007; transit > country > for Peruvian and Colombian cocaine destined for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, > Paraguay, and Europe; cultivation generally increasing since 2000, despite > eradication and alternative crop programs; weak border controls; some > money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade; major cocaine > consumption > (2008) > > > > Bosnia and Herzegovina > increasingly a transit > point for heroin being trafficked to Western Europe; minor transit point > for > marijuana; remains highly vulnerable to money-laundering activity given a > primarily cash-based and unregulated economy, weak law enforcement, and > instances of corruption > > > > Brazil > second-largest consumer of cocaine in the world; illicit producer of > cannabis; > trace amounts of coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic > consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control > cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and > Peruvian > cocaine headed for Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for > narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in > drug-related > violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian, Bolivian, > and Peruvian > cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds are often laundered through the > financial > system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area > (2008) > > > > British Virgin Islands > > transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and > Europe; large offshore financial center makes > it vulnerable to money laundering > > > > Brunei > drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled > substances are serious offenses in Brunei > and carry a mandatory death penalty > > > > Bulgaria major European > transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, > South > American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor > chemicals; vulnerable to money laundering because of corruption, organized > crime; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial > institutions (2008) > > > > Burma remains > world's second largest producer of > illicit opium with an estimated production in 2008 of 340 metric tons, an > increase of 26%, and poppy cultivation in 2008 totaled 22,500 hectares, a > 4% > increase from 2007; production in the United Wa State Army's areas of > greatest control remains low; Shan state > is the source of 94% of Burma's > poppy cultivation; lack of government will to take on major > narcotrafficking > groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues > to > hinder the overall antidrug effort; major source of methamphetamine and > heroin > for regional consumption (2008) > > > > Cambodia > > narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, > military, and police; limited methamphetamine production; vulnerable to > money > laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders > > > > Canada illicit producer > of cannabis for the domestic drug market and export to US; use of > hydroponics > technology permits growers to plant large quantities of high-quality > marijuana > indoors; increasing ecstasy production, some of which is destined for the > US; > vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial > services sector > > > > Cape Verde > used as a > transshipment point for Latin American cocaine destined for Western > Europe, > particularly because of Lusophone links to Brazil, Portugal, and > Guinea-Bissau; > has taken steps to deter drug money laundering, including a 2002 > anti-money > laundering reform that criminalizes laundering the proceeds of narcotics > trafficking and other crimes and the establishment in 2008 of a Financial > Intelligence Unit (2008) > > > > Cayman Islands > major offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment > to the US > and Europe > (2008) > > > > Chile > transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe > and the region; some money laundering activity, especially through the > Iquique > Free Trade Zone; imported precursors passed on to Bolivia; domestic > cocaine > consumption is rising, making Chile > a significant consumer of cocaine (2008) > > > > China major > transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle region of > Southeast Asia; growing domestic consumption of synthetic drugs, and > heroin > from Southeast and Southwest Asia; source country for methamphetamine and > heroin chemical precursors, despite new regulations on its large chemical > industry (2008) > > > > Colombia > > illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading coca > cultivator with 167,000 hectares in > coca cultivation in 2007, a 6% increase over 2006, producing a potential > of 535 > mt of pure cocaine; the world's > largest producer of coca derivatives; supplies cocaine to nearly all of > the US > market and the great majority of other international drug markets; in > 2005, > aerial eradication dispensed herbicide to treat over 130,000 hectares but > aggressive replanting on the part of coca growers means Colombia remains a > key > producer; a significant portion of narcotics proceeds are either laundered > or > invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange; important > supplier > of heroin to the US market; opium poppy cultivation is estimated to have > fallen > 25% between 2006 and 2007; most Colombian heroin is destined for the US > market; > (2008) > > > > Congo, Democratic Republic of the > one of Africa's biggest producers of cannabis, but mostly for > domestic consumption; traffickers exploit lax shipping controls to transit > pseudoephedrine through the capital; while rampant corruption and > inadequate > supervision leaves the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the > lack > of a well-developed financial system limits the country's > utility as a money-laundering center (2008) > > > > Costa Rica > transshipment > country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of > cannabis in remote areas; domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack > cocaine, is rising; significant consumption of amphetamines; seizures of > smuggled cash in Costa Rica and at the main border crossing to enter Costa > Rica > from Nicaragua have risen in recent years (2008) > > > > Cote d'Ivoire > illicit producer > of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; utility as a narcotic > transshipment > point to Europe reduced by ongoing political instability; while rampant > corruption and inadequate supervision leave the banking system vulnerable > to > money laundering, the lack of a developed financial system limits the > country's utility as a major money-laundering center (2008) > > > > Croatia > transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western > Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime shipments of South > American cocaine bound for Western > Europe (2008) > > Cuba > territorial waters and air space > serve as transshipment zone for US- and European-bound drugs; established > the > death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 (2008) > > > > Cyprus minor transit > point for heroin and hashish via air routes and container traffic to > Europe, > especially from Lebanon and Turkey; some cocaine transits as well; despite > a > strengthening of anti-money-laundering legislation, remains vulnerable to > money > laundering; reporting of suspicious transactions in offshore sector > remains > weak (2008) > > > > Czech Republic > transshipment point for Southwest > Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western > Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; > susceptible > to money laundering related to drug trafficking, organized crime; > significant > consumer of ecstasy (2008) > > > > Dominica > > transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor > cannabis producer (2008) > > Dominican Republic > > transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and > Europe; > has become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the Netherlands and > Belgium > destined for US and Canada; substantial money laundering activity, in > particular by Colombian narcotics traffickers; significant amphetamine > consumption (2008) > > > > Ecuador significant > transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru, with much of > the > US-bound cocaine passing through Ecuadorian Pacific waters; importer of > precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; attractive > location for cash-placement by drug traffickers laundering money because > of > dollarization and weak anti-money-laundering regime; increased activity on > the > northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents (2008) > > > > Egypt > transit point for cannabis, heroin, and opium > moving to Europe, Israel, > and North Africa; > transit stop for Nigerian drug couriers; concern as money laundering site > due > to lax enforcement of financial regulations > > > > El Salvador > > transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for > local > consumption; significant use of cocaine > > > > Estonia growing producer of > synthetic drugs; increasingly important transshipment zone for cannabis, > cocaine, opiates, and synthetic drugs since joining the European Union and > the > Schengen Accord; potential money laundering related to organized crime and > drug > trafficking is a concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to > launder > funds; major use of opiates and ecstasy > > > > Ethiopia transit hub for heroin > originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe, as > well as > cocaine destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (khat) for > local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia (legal > in > all three countries); the lack of a well-developed financial system limits > the > country's utility as a money > laundering center > > > > France > metropolitan France: > transshipment point for South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, > and > European synthetics > > > > French Guiana: small > amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point > to Europe > > > > Martinique: transshipment > point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe > > > > Georgia > limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic > consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via Central Asia to > Western Europe and Russia > > > > Germany source of precursor chemicals for > South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for and consumer of > Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced > synthetic > drugs; major financial center > > > > Ghana illicit > producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; major transit hub > for > Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and, to a lesser extent, South > American > cocaine destined for Europe and the US; widespread crime and money > laundering > problem, but the lack of a well developed financial infrastructure limits > the > country's utility as a money > laundering center; significant domestic cocaine and cannabis use > > > > Greece a gateway > to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis and heroin from the Middle > East > and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor chemicals to the East; some > South > American cocaine transits or is consumed in Greece; money laundering > related to > drug trafficking and organized crime > > > > Grenada > > small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana > and > cocaine to US > > > > Guatemala > major > transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2005, cultivated 100 hectares > of > opium poppy after reemerging as a potential source of opium in 2004; > potential > production of less than 1 metric ton of pure heroin; marijuana cultivation > for > mostly domestic consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major > staging area for drugs (particularly for cocaine); money laundering is a > serious problem; corruption is a major problem > > > > Guinea-Bissau > increasingly important > transit country for South American cocaine enroute to Europe; enabling > environment for trafficker operations thanks to pervasive corruption; > archipelago-like geography around the capital facilitates drug smuggling > > > > Guyana > transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily > Venezuela - to Europe and > the US; > producer of cannabis; rising money laundering related to drug trafficking > and > human smuggling > > > > Haiti > Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en > route to the US and Europe; substantial bulk cash smuggling activity; > Colombian > narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions; > pervasive > corruption; significant consumer of cannabis > > > > Honduras > > transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, > cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; > corruption is a major problem; some money-laundering activity > > > > Hong > Kong > > despite strenuous law enforcement efforts, faces difficult challenges in > controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world > markets; modern banking system provides conduit for money laundering; > rising > indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people > > > > Hungary transshipment point for > Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and for South American cocaine > destined for > Western Europe; limited producer of precursor chemicals, particularly for > amphetamine and methamphetamine; efforts to counter money laundering, > related > to organized crime and drug trafficking, are improving, but remain > vulnerable; > significant consumer of ecstasy > > > > India > world's largest producer of licit > opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium > is > diverted to illicit international drug markets; transit point for illicit > narcotics produced in neighboring countries and throughout Southwest Asia; > illicit producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering > through the hawala system; licit ketamine and precursor production > > > > Indonesia > > illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; producer of > methamphetamine > and ecstasy > > > > Iran > despite substantial > interdiction efforts and considerable control measures along the border > with > Afghanistan, Iran remains one of the primary transshipment routes for > Southwest > Asian heroin to Europe; suffers one of the highest opiate addiction rates > in > the world, and has an increasing problem with synthetic drugs; lacks > anti-money > laundering laws; has reached out to neighboring countries to share > counter-drug > intelligence > > > > Ireland transshipment > point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and > Netherlands > and of European-produced synthetic drugs; increasing consumption of South > American cocaine; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine > destined for > Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money > laundering > - using bureaux de change, trusts, and shell companies involving the > offshore > financial community - remains a concern > > > > Israel > increasingly concerned about ecstasy, > cocaine, and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, > increasingly, > from Jordan; > money-laundering center > > > > Italy > important gateway for and consumer > of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European > market; money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling > > > > Jamaica > transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and > Europe; > illicit cultivation and consumption of cannabis; government has an active > manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major concern; > substantial > money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Jamaica > for illicit financial transactions > > > > Kazakhstan > > significant illicit cultivation of cannabis for CIS markets, as well as > limited > cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug ephedrine); limited > government eradication of illicit crops; transit point for Southwest Asian > narcotics bound for > > > > Russia and the rest of Europe; significant consumer of opiates > > > > Kenya > widespread harvesting of small plots of marijuana; > transit country for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and North > > America; Indian > methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa; significant potential > for money-laundering activity given the country's > status as a regional financial center; massive corruption, and relatively > high > levels of narcotics-associated activities > > > > Korea, North > for years, from the > 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of the Democratic People's > Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of them diplomatic employees of the > government, were apprehended abroad while trafficking in narcotics, > including > two in Turkey in December 2004; police investigations in Taiwan and Japan > in > recent years have linked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin > and methamphetamine, > including an attempt by the North Korean merchant ship Pong Su to deliver > 150 > kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003 > > > > Kyrgyzstan > > limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy for CIS markets; > limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit point for > Southwest > Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of Europe; major consumer of > opiates > > > > Laos > estimated opium poppy cultivation in 2008 > was 1,900 hectares, about a 73% increase from 2007; estimated potential > opium > production in 2008 more than tripled to 17 metric tons; unsubstantiated > reports > of domestic methamphetamine production; growing domestic methamphetamine > problem (2007) > > > > Latvia > transshipment and destination point for cocaine, synthetic drugs, opiates, > and > cannabis from Southwest Asia, Western Europe, Latin America, and > neighboring > Balkan countries; despite improved legislation, vulnerable to money > laundering > due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation > of offshore > companies and the gaming industry; CIS organized crime (including > counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and prostitution) > accounts > for most laundered proceeds > > > > Lebanon cannabis cultivation > dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in 2002 despite continued > significant > cannabis consumption; opium poppy cultivation minimal; small amounts of > Latin > American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way to > European > markets and for Middle Eastern consumption; money laundering of drug > proceeds > fuels concern that extremists are benefiting from drug trafficking > > > > Liberia > transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin > and South American cocaine for the European and US markets; corruption, > criminal activity, arms-dealing, and diamond trade provide significant > potential for money laundering, but the lack of well-developed financial > system > limits the country's utility as a > major money-laundering center > > > > Liechtenstein > has strengthened money > laundering controls, but money laundering remains a concern due to > Liechtenstein's sophisticated offshore financial services sector > > > > Lithuania > > transshipment and destination point for cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, and > opiates > from Southwest Asia, Latin America, Western Europe, and neighboring Baltic > countries; growing production of high-quality amphetamines, but limited > production of cannabis, methamphetamines; susceptible to money laundering > despite changes to banking legislation > > > > Macau > transshipment point for drugs going into mainland China; > consumer of opiates and amphetamines > > > > Macedonia > > major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor > transit > point for South American cocaine destined for Europe; although not a > financial > center and most criminal activity is thought to be domestic, money > laundering > is a problem due to a mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement > > > > Madagascar > > illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly > for > domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin > > > > Malaysia drug trafficking > prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties; heroin still primary > drug > of abuse, but synthetic drug demand remains strong; continued ecstasy and > methamphetamine producer for domestic users and, to a lesser extent, the > regional drug market > > > > Malta > minor transshipment point for hashish from North > Africa to Western Europe > > > > Mauritius consumer and transshipment point > for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and > consumed > locally; significant offshore financial industry creates potential for > money > laundering, but corruption levels are relatively low and the government > appears > generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry > > > > Mexico major drug-producing > nation; cultivation of opium poppy in 2007 rose to 6,900 hectares yielding > a > potential production of 18 metric tons of pure heroin, or 50 metric tons > of > "black tar" heroin, the dominant form of Mexican heroin in the > western United States; marijuana cultivation increased to 8,900 hectares > in > 2007 and yielded a potential production of 15,800 metric tons; government > conducts the largest independent illicit-crop eradication program in the > world; > continues as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from > South > America, with an estimated 90% of annual cocaine movements toward the US > stopping in Mexico; major drug syndicates control the majority of drug > trafficking throughout the country; producer and distributor of ecstasy; > significant money-laundering center; major supplier of heroin and largest > foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine to the US market (2007) > > > > Micronesia, Federated States of > > major consumer of cannabis > > > > Moldova limited cultivation > of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment > point > for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western > Europe, and > possibly the US; > widespread crime and underground economic activity > > > > Montserrat > transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and > Europe > > > > Morocco one of the world's largest producers of illicit hashish; shipments > of hashish mostly directed to Western > Europe; transit point > > for cocaine from South America destined for > Western Europe; > significant consumer of cannabis > > > > Mozambique > southern > African transit point for South Asian hashish and heroin, and South > American > cocaine probably destined for the European and South African markets; > producer > of cannabis (for local consumption) and methaqualone (for export to South > Africa); corruption and poor regulatory capability makes the banking > system > vulnerable to money laundering, but the lack of a well-developed financial > infrastructure > limits the country's utility as a > money-laundering center > > > > Nepal > illicit producer of cannabis and hashish for the > domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from > Southeast Asia to the West > > > > Netherlands > major > European producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and cannabis > cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering > Europe; > major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector vulnerable to > money > laundering; significant consumer of ecstasy > > > > Netherlands Antilles > transshipment > point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; > money-laundering center > > > > New Zealand > significant > consumer of amphetamines > > > > Nicaragua > > transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US > and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing > > > > Nigeria a transit point > for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North > American > markets; consumer of amphetamines; safe haven for Nigerian > narcotraffickers > operating worldwide; major money-laundering center; massive corruption and > criminal activity; Nigeria has improved some anti-money-laundering > controls, > resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) > Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in June 2006; Nigeria's > anti-money-laundering regime continues to be > monitored by FATF > > > > Pakistan > > significant transit area for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, > morphine, > and hashish, bound for Iran, Western markets, the Gulf States, Africa, and > Asia; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, > and > smuggling remain problems; opium poppy cultivation estimated to be 2,300 > hectares in 2007 with 600 of those hectares eradicated; federal and > provincial > authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy campaigns that utilizes forced > eradication, fines, and arrests > > > > Panama major cocaine > transshipment point and primary money-laundering center for narcotics > revenue; > money-laundering activity is especially heavy in the Colon Free Zone; > offshore > financial center; negligible signs of coca cultivation; monitoring of > financial > transactions is improving; official corruption remains a major problem > > > > Papua New Guinea > major consumer of cannabis > > > > Paraguay > > major illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of which is consumed in > Brazil, > Argentina, and Chile; transshipment country for Andean cocaine headed for > Brazil, other Southern Cone markets, and Europe; weak border controls, > extensive corruption and money-laundering activity, especially in the > Tri-Border Area; weak anti-money-laundering laws and enforcement > > > > Peru > until 1996 the world's > largest coca leaf producer, Peru is now the world's > second largest producer of coca leaf, though it lags far behind Colombia; > cultivation of coca in Peru declined to 36,000 hectares in 2007; second > largest > producer of cocaine, estimated at 210 metric tons of potential pure > cocaine in > 2007; finished cocaine is shipped out from Pacific ports to the > international > drug market; increasing amounts of base and finished cocaine, however, are > being moved to Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia for use in the > Southern > Cone or transshipment to Europe and Africa; increasing domestic drug > consumption > > > > Philippines > > domestic methamphetamine production has been a growing problem in recent > years > despite government crackdowns; major consumer of amphetamines; > longstanding > marijuana producer mainly in rural areas where Manila's control is limited > > > > Poland despite diligent > counternarcotics measures and international information sharing on > cross-border > crimes, a major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international > market; minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin > American > cocaine to Western Europe > > > > Portugal seizing record amounts of > Latin American cocaine destined for Europe; a European gateway for > Southwest > Asian heroin; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; > consumer of Southwest Asian heroin > > > > Romania major transshipment point for > Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of > Latin > American cocaine bound for Western Europe; although not a significant > financial > center, role as a narcotics conduit leaves it vulnerable to laundering, > which > occurs via the banking system, currency exchange houses, and casinos > > > > Russia > limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy and producer of > methamphetamine, mostly for domestic consumption; government has active > illicit > crop eradication program; used as transshipment point for Asian opiates, > cannabis, and Latin American cocaine bound for growing domestic markets, > to a > lesser extent Western and Central Europe, and occasionally to the US; > major > source of heroin precursor chemicals; corruption and organized crime are > key > concerns; major consumer of opiates > > > > Saint Kitts and Nevis > transshipment > point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some > money-laundering activity > > > > Saint Lucia > transit point for > South American drugs destined for the US > and Europe > > > > Saint Vincent and the Grenadines > transshipment point for South American drugs destined for > the US and Europe; > small-scale cannabis cultivation > > > > Saudi Arabia > death penalty > for traffickers; improving anti-money-laundering legislation and > enforcement > > > > Senegal transshipment > point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine > moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis > > > > Serbia > transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin > moving to Western Europe > on the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money laundering > > > > Singapore > > drug abuse limited because of aggressive law enforcement efforts; as a > transportation and financial services hub, Singapore > is vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, as a venue for money > laundering > > > > Slovakia > transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe; > producer of synthetic drugs > for regional market; consumer of ecstasy > > > > Slovenia minor > transit point for cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western > Europe, and for precursor chemicals > > > > South Africa > > transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major > cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption > on the > rise; world's largest market for > illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through > various > east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs > for > domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the > increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the > region and > the size of the South African economy > > > > Spain > despite rigorous law enforcement efforts, North > African, Latin American, Galician, and other European traffickers take > advantage of Spain's long coastline > to land large shipments of cocaine and hashish for distribution to the > European > market; consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish; > destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; > money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations > and > organized crime > > > > Suriname > > growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for Europe > via > the Netherlands > and Brazil; > transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing > > > > Switzerland > > a major international financial center vulnerable to the layering and > integration stages of money laundering; despite significant legislation > and > reporting requirements, secrecy rules persist and nonresidents are > permitted to > conduct business through offshore entities and various intermediaries; > transit > country for and consumer of South American cocaine, Southwest Asian > heroin, and > Western European synthetics; domestic cannabis cultivation and limited > ecstasy > production > > > > Syria > a transit point for opiates, hashish, and > cocaine bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering > controls and bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money > laundering > > > > Taiwan > regional transit point for heroin, methamphetamine, and > precursor chemicals; transshipment point for drugs to Japan; > major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin; > rising > problems with use of ketamine and club drugs > > > > Tajikistan > > major transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a > lesser > extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of opium > poppy > for domestic consumption; Tajikistan seizes roughly 80% of all drugs > captured > in Central Asia and stands third worldwide in seizures of opiates (heroin > and > raw opium); significant consumer of opiates > > > > Tanzania growing role in > transshipment of Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American > cocaine destined for South African, European, and US markets and of South > Asian > methaqualone bound for southern Africa; > money laundering remains a problem > > > > Thailand > > a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana; transit point for > illicit > heroin en route to the international drug market from Burma and Laos; > eradication efforts have reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and > shifted > some production to neighboring countries; opium poppy cultivation has been > reduced by eradication efforts; also a drug money-laundering center; minor > role > in methamphetamine production for regional consumption; major consumer of > methamphetamine since the 1990s despite a series of government crackdowns > > > > Timor-Leste > NA > > > > Togo > transit hub for Nigerian heroin and > cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem > > > > Trinidad and Tobago > > transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and > Europe; producer of cannabis > > > > Turkey key transit route > for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and, to a lesser extent, the > US - > via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish and other international > trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert > imported morphine base into heroin exist in remote regions of Turkey and > near > Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium > poppy > cultivation and over output of poppy straw concentrate; lax enforcement of > money-laundering controls > > > > Turkmenistan > transit country for Afghan > narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets; transit point > for > heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan > > > > Turks and Caicos Islands > transshipment point for South > American narcotics destined for the US and Europe > > > > Ukraine limited cultivation of > cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; some synthetic drug > production for export to the West; limited government eradication program; > used > as transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, > Latin > America, and Turkey to Europe and Russia; Ukraine has improved > anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the > Financial > Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List > in > February 2004; Ukraine's > anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF > > > > United Arab Emirates > > the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity > to Southwest > Asian drug-producing countries; the UAE's > position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money > laundering; > anti-money-laundering controls improving, but informal banking remains > unregulated > > > > United Kingdom > producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs > and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian > heroin, > Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center > > > > United States > world's > largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the > Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and marijuana; major > consumer > of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine; minor consumer of high-quality > Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, > depressants, > stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center > > > > Uruguay > > small-scale transit country for drugs mainly bound for Europe, often > through > sea-borne containers; law enforcement corruption; money laundering because > of strict > banking secrecy laws; weak border control along Brazilian frontier; > increasing > consumption of cocaine base and synthetic drugs > > > > Uzbekistan > > transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser > extent, > Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and > small > amounts of opium poppy for domestic consumption; poppy cultivation almost > wiped > out by government crop eradication program; transit point for heroin > precursor > chemicals bound for Afghanistan > > > > Venezuela > small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of > opiates > and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and > marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; > significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along > the > border with Colombia and on Margarita Island; active eradication program > primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by > Colombian insurgents on border > > > > Vietnam > > minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast > Asian > heroin; government continues to face domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine > addiction problems despite longstanding crackdowns > > World > cocaine: worldwide coca leaf cultivation in 2007 amounted to 232,500 > hectares; > Colombia produced slightly more than two-thirds of the worldwide crop, > followed > by Peru and Bolivia; potential pure cocaine production decreased 7% to 865 > metric tons in 2007; Colombia conducts aggressive coca eradication > campaign, > but both Peruvian and Bolivian Governments are hesitant to eradicate coca > in > key growing areas; 551 metric tons of export-quality cocaine (85% pure) is > documented to have been seized or destroyed in 2005; US consumption of > export > quality cocaine is estimated to have been in excess of 380 metric tons > > opiates: worldwide illicit > opium poppy cultivation continued to increase in 2007, with a potential > opium > production of 8,400 metric tons, reaching the highest levels recorded > since > estimates began in mid-1980s; Afghanistan is world's > primary opium producer, accounting for 95% of the global supply; Southeast > Asia > - responsible for 9% of global opium - saw marginal increases in > production; > Latin America produced 1% of global opium, but most was refined into > heroin > destined for the US market; if all potential opium was processed into pure > heroin, the potential global production would be 1,000 metric tons of > heroin in > 2007 > > > > Zambia transshipment > point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small amounts of heroin, and > cocaine bound for southern Africa and possibly Europe; a poorly developed > financial infrastructure coupled with a government commitment to combating > money laundering make it an unattractive venue for money launderers; major > consumer of cannabis > > > > Zimbabwe > > transit point for cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax, and > methamphetamines en route to South Africa > > > > This page was last updated on 9 April 2009 > > > > > > > > > > Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia) > > From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia > > Jump to: navigation, search > > For other uses, see Golden Triangle > > Map showing heroin production regions > > > > The Golden Triangle is one of Asia's > two main illicit opium-producing areas. It is an area of around 350,000 > square > kilometres that overlaps the mountains of four countries of Southeast > Asia: Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. > (Other interpretations of the Golden Triangle also include a section of > Yunnan Province, China.) > Along with Afghanistan > in the Golden Crescent > and Pakistan, > it has been one of the most extensive opium-producing areas of Asia and of > the world since the 1950s. The > Golden Triangle also designates the confluence of the Ruak River and the > Mekong river, since the > term has been appropriated by the Thai tourist industry to describe the > nearby > junction of Thailand, > Laos, > and Burma. > > > > Opium and morphine base produced in > northeastern Burma > are transported by horse and donkey caravans to refineries along the > Thailand?Burma border for conversion to heroin and heroin base. Most of > the > finished products are shipped across the border into various towns in > North > Thailand and down to Bangkok > for further distribution to international markets. In the past major Thai > Chinese and Burmese Chinese traffickers in Bangkok have controlled much of > the > foreign sales and movement of Southeast Asian heroin from Thailand, but a > combination of law enforcement pressure, publicity and a regional drought > has > significantly reduced their role. As a consequence, many less-predominant > traffickers in Bangkok > and other parts of Thailand > now control smaller quantities of the heroin going to international > markets. > > > > Heroin from Southeast Asia is most frequently > brought to the United > States by couriers, typically Thai > and U.S. > nationals and Hong Kong Chinese, traveling on commercial airlines. > California and Hawaii are the primary U.S. entry points for > Golden Triangle heroin, but small percentages of the drug are trafficked > into New York City and Washington, D.C. While Southeast > Asian groups have had success in trafficking heroin to the United States, > they initially had difficulty arranging street level distribution. > However, > with the incarceration of Asian traffickers in American prisons during the > 1970s, contacts between Asian and American prisoners developed. These > contacts > have allowed Southeast Asian traffickers access to individuals and > organizations distributing heroin at the retail level.[1] > > > > In recent years, the production has shifted > to Yaba and other forms of methamphetamine, including for export to the > United States. > > > > Local names: > > > > * Burmese: Shwe-Tri gan > > * Lao: > > * Thai: ??????????????? > > * Vietnamese: Tam gi?c > V?ng > > > > Contents > > [hide] > > > > * 1 Burma > > * 2 See also > > * 3 References > > * 4 External links > > > > // > > > > [edit] Burma > > > > Burma (Myanmar) is the world's second largest producer of illicit opium, > after Afghanistan > (potential production in 1999?1,090 metric tonnes, down 38 percent due to > drought; cultivation in 1999?895 km?, a 31% decline from 1998). The > surrender > of drug warlord Khun Sa's Mong Tai > Army in January 1996 was hailed by Yangon > as a major counternarcotics success, but lack of government will and > ability to > take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment > against > money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort. Burma > is becoming a major source of methamphetamine for regional consumption. > Most of > the tribespeople who are growing opium are living under the poverty line. > > > > Burma is a corner of > the Golden Triangle of opium production. Until very recently,[when?] most > of > the world's heroin came from the > Golden Triangle, including Burma. > > > > In 1996 the United States Embassy in Rangoon > released a "Country Commercial Guide", which states "Exports of > opiates alone appear to be worth about as much as all legal exports." It > goes on to say that investments in infrastructure and hotels are coming > from > major opiate-growing and opiate-exporting organizations and from those > with > close ties to these organizations.[2] > > > > A four-year investigation concluded that Burma's national company Myanma > Oil and Gas Enterprise > (MOGE) was "the main channel for laundering the revenues of heroin > produced and exported under the control of the Burmese army." In a > business deal signed with the French oil giant Total in 1992, and later > joined > by Unocal, MOGE received a payment of $15 million. "Despite the fact that > MOGE has no assets besides the limited installments of its foreign > partners and > makes no profit, and that the Burmese state never had the capacity to > allocate > any currency credit to MOGE, the Singapore bank accounts of this company > have > seen the transfer of hundreds of millions of US dollars," reports > Casanier. According to a confidential MOGE file reviewed by the > investigators, > funds exceeding $60 million and originating from Burma's most renowned > drug lord, Khun Sa, were channeled > through the company. "Drug money is irrigating every economic activity in > Burma, > and big foreign partners are also seen by the SLORC as big shields for > money > laundering."[2] Banks in Rangoon > offered money laundering for a 40% commission.[3] > > > > The main player in the country's drug market is the United Wa State Army, > ethnic > fighters who control areas along the country's > eastern border with Thailand, > part of the infamous Golden Triangle. The Wa army, an ally of Burma's > ruling military junta, was once the militant arm > of the Beijing-backed Burmese Communist Party. Burma > has been a significant cog in the transnational drug trade since World War > II.[4][5] > > > > Poppy cultivation in the country decreased > more than 80 percent from 1998 to 2006 following an eradication campaign > in the > Golden Triangle. Officials with the United Nations Office of Drugs and > Crime > say opium poppy farming is now expanding. The number of hectares used to > grow > the crops increased 29% in 2007. A United Nations report cites corruption, > poverty and a lack of government control as causes for the jump.[6] > > > > [edit] See also > > > > * Buddha's Lost Children, a documentary on a film about a > Buddhist monk helping children in the area. > > * Opium production in Afghanistan > > * Opium Wars > > * Imperialism in Asia > > * Ike Atkinson > > * Transnational > Institute TNI (January 2009) "Withdrawal Symptomes in the Golden Triangle > A Drugs Market in Disarray" [1] > > > > [edit] References > > > > 1. ^ "Chapter III Part 1: > Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime". America's Habit. Schaffer Library > of Drug Policy. 1986. > > > 2. ^ a b Bernstein, Dennis; > Leslie Kean (1996-01-16). "People of the Opiate - Burma's dictatorship of > drugs". The Nation. > on 2008-07-06.> > > 3. ^ Alexander Cockburn; > Jeffrey St. Clair (1998). Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs and the Press. Verso. > pp. > 230. ISBN 1859841392. > > > > 4. ^ LoBaido, Anthony C > (2002-01-16). "Afghan war lifts Burma's opium trade". WorldNetDaily. > WorldNetDaily.com Inc. > . > > 5. ^ Gluckman, Ron. > "Where has all the opium gone?". Ron Gluckman. > > > 6. ^ Bouchard, Chad > (2007-10-12). "Opium Cultivation Blossoms in Burma". > Voice of America. > > > > > > [edit] External links > > > > * Geopium: Geopolitics > of Illicit Drugs in Asia" > > > > Coordinates: [show location on an > interactive map] 20?21?20?N 100?04?53?E? / ?20.35556?N 100.08139?E? / > 20.35556; > 100.08139 > > > > * Transnational > Institute TNI - Drugs & Democray Programme > > > > > > > > -----Original > Message----- > > From: > > Sent: Apr 11, 2009 9:51 > PM > > To: > > Subject: US law fights > submarine-like boats hauling cocaine > > > > > > > > > > > US law fights > submarine-like boats hauling cocaine > > > > By FRANK BAJAK ? 6 days > ago > > > > BOGOTA (AP) ? It's a game played out regularly on the high seas off > Colombia's Pacific coast: A U.S. Navy helicopter spots a > vessel the size of a humpback whale gliding just beneath the water's > surface. > > > > A Coast Guard ship > dispatches an armed team to board the small, submarine-like craft in > search of > cocaine. Crew members wave and jump into the sea to be rescued, but not > before > they open flood valves and send the fiberglass hulk and its cargo into the > deep. > > > > Colombia > has yet to make a single arrest in such scuttlings because the evidence > sinks > with the so-called semi-submersible. > > > > A new U.S. law and proposed > legislation in Colombia > aim to thwart what has become South American traffickers' > newest preferred means of getting multi-ton loads to Mexico and Central > America. > > > > Twelve people have been > arrested under the Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act of 2008 since > it > went into effect in October. It outlaws such unregistered craft plying > international waters "with the intent to evade detection." Crew > members are subject to up to 15 years in prison. > > > > "It's very likely a game-changer," said Jay > Bergman, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's > regional director, based in Colombia. > "You don't get a > get-out-of-jail free card anymore." > > > > The law faces legal > challenges, though. The defendants have filed pretrial motions saying it > violates due process and is an unconstitutional application of the > so-called > High Seas clause, which allows U.S. > prosecution of felonies at sea. > > > > The vessels, > hand-crafted in coastal jungle camps from fiberglass and wood, have become > the > conveyance of choice for large loads, humping nearly a third of U.S.-bound > cocaine northward through the Pacific, said Coast Guard Rear Adm. Joseph > Nimmich, commander of the Joint Interagency Task Force-South based in Key > West, > Fla. > > > > That's up from just 14 percent in 2007, according to the > task force, which oversees interdiction south of the United States. > > > > Colombian Navy chief > Adm. Guillermo Barrera told a counterterrorism conference in Bogota > last week that 23 semi-submersibles capable of carrying between 4 and 10 > metric > tons each have been seized in the past three years. > > > > Though semi-submersibles > aren't new to cocaine transport, a > bigger, sleeker, more sophisticated variety that average about 60 feet (18 > meters) in length began emerging three years ago. Earlier versions, > christened > "floating coffins," couldn't > compete with fishing trawlers and speed boats known as "go-fasts" for > maritime transport of drugs. > > > > But drug agents started > policing trawlers better, leading traffickers to new methods. > > > > With just over a foot of > above-water clearance and V-shaped prows designed to leave minimal wakes, > semi-submersibles are nearly impossible for surface craft to detect > visually or > by radar outside a range of about 10,000 feet (3,000 meters.) > > > > That accounts for their > relatively high success rate. > > > > They are propelled by > 250 to 350 horsepower diesel engines and take about a week averaging 7 > knots (8 > mph) to reach Mexico's shores, Colombian and U.S. > investigators said. > > > > Fuel tanks carry about > 3,000 gallons of diesel, so no refueling is needed on the 2,000-mile > journey > from Colombia > north. > > > > With cocaine in Mexico > fetching $6,500 per kilo ? about triple the Colombian price, according to > the > U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration ? an average 7-metric-ton load yields > $30 > million. > > > > Crews have no problem > scuttling the vessels after off-loading their cargo, investigators say. > The > roughly $1 million spent on each craft is simply written off as the cost > of > doing business. > > > > Though authorities > caught 11 semi-subs last year in international waters off the Pacific ? > with 7 > tons of cocaine seized in one off Mexico > in September ? they estimate from intelligence and interdiction that > another 60 > delivered their cargo, Nimmich said. > > > > About the same amount > will get through this year, predicts Adm. James Stavridis, the U.S. > Southern > Command chief. He told a mid-March U.S. Senate hearing they would have a > potential cargo capacity of over 330 metric tons. > > > > So far this year, crews > sunk five semi-subs off Colombia's coast after being pursued by drug > enforcers. > > > > Two of the crews were > arrested, plus a third one plucked out of the Pacific on Dec. 31 about 100 > miles off Colombia. > All are being tried in a Tampa, > Fla., > federal court, said Joseph Ruddy, the assistant U.S. > attorney prosecuting them. > > > > Semi-subs confiscated on > land in Colombia > since 2007 have given authorities a good glimpse into the state of the > art. > > > > In November, authorities > arrested a man they consider the most ingenious semi-sub builder. Tammer > Portocarrero, a rotund 45-year-old, used a shrimp boat fleet as cover, > said > Capt. Luis German Borrero, the navy chief in the Pacific port of > Buenaventura > at the time. > > > > They seized two of his > subs at a jungle shipyard in a remote estuary south of Buenaventura, > Borrero said. > > > > Portocarrero, whose > extradition the United States > has requested, allegedly began building vessels as early as mid-2007, as > well > as recruiting crews. > > > > The made-to-order > vessels have become increasingly sophisticated. Engines and exhaust > systems are > typically shielded to make their heat signatures nearly invisible to > infrared > sensors used by U.S. > and allied aircraft trying to find them. > > > > The cooling system of a > semi-sub seized off Costa Rica > in September piped engine exhaust through the hull and discharged it at > ambient > temperature, Nimmich said. > > > > Unfortunately for crews, > such design sophistication doesn't > extend to their quarters. > > > > "The conditions are > terrible," Borrero said. "They don't > have bathrooms. The beds are two mattresses draped over the fuel tanks, > and the > pilot can barely see through very small windows" in mini-cabin. > > > > "The noise and heat > must be something infernal," he added. > > > > In a report provided to > The Associated Press, Colombia's domestic intelligence agency said a > four-person > crew was sharing a payoff of about $50,000 per trip before the new U.S. > law. Crews now demand about 25 percent more because of the higher risk of > getting caught, U.S. > law enforcement officials say. > > > > GPS location devices and > satellite phones are standard onboard equipment, and the technology is > expected > to advance. > > > > Law enforcement > officials say they already have unconfirmed reports of robotic semi-subs > in > action. > > > > And with such vessels, > Nimmich said, it's not drug > smuggling that worries him, but a larger potential for peril: > > > > "I think that what > makes semi-submersibles a larger national security threat is: What else > can > they carry?" > > > > Copyright ? 2009 The > Associated Press. All rights reserved. > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > >>From: "Tony B." > >>Sent: Jul 31, 2009 12:48 PM > >>To: A-List > >>Subject: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia > >> > >> > >>----- Original Message ----- > >>From: Rick Rozoff > >>To: stopnato at yahoogroups.com > >>Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2009 10:46 PM > >>Subject: [stopnato] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia > >> > >> > >> http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=102061§ionid=351020703 > >> > >>Press TV > >>July 30, 2009 > >> > >>Latin America questions US bases in Colombia > >> > >>Brazil, Chile and Spain > have challenged a US > decision to use and expand > >>military bases in Colombia, > saying they fear heightened tensions in Latin > >>America. > >> > >>President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil > and Michelle Bachelet of Chile > > >>said in Sao Paulo they would put the issue > before an August 10 meeting of > >>the South American Defense Council in Ecuador. > >> > >>Spain's foreign minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, and his > Brazilian > >>counterpart, Celso Amorim, simultaneously told reporters in Brasilia that > >>they would demand explanations from Washington > over the bases. > >> > >>The Colombian government's > announcement on July 15 that three of its > >>military air bases were to be used by the United > States as part of joint > >>anti-drug operations has ignited concerns and anger among Colombia's > >>neighbors. > >> > >>Venezuela and its ally Ecuador have also warned that the move could > >>aggravate already deep tensions with Colombia. > >> > >>The two countries almost went to war last year against Colombia over a >>raid > >>its army made into Ecuador > to destroy a FARC rebel camp. > >> > >>Venezuela's...Hugo Chavez, said he viewed the bases as a sign > that a 'Yankee > >>military force' was preparing to > invade his country from Colombia. > >> > >>Chavez this week signed deals with Russia reinforcing military ties > that > >>have already seen him acquire new tanks, combat helicopters and fighter > >>jets. > >> > >>He also on Tuesday froze diplomatic ties with Colombia > over allegations from > >>Bogota that weapons Venezuela bought from Sweden in the 1980s ended up in > >>the hands of the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). > >>=========================== > >>Stop NATO > >>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato > >> > >>To subscribe, send an e-mail to: > >>rwrozoff at yahoo.com > >>or > >>stopnato-subscribe at yahoogroups.com > >> > >>Daily digest option available. > >> > >>Archives: > >>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/messages > >>============================== > >> > >> > >>__._,_.___ > >>Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic > >>Messages | Database | Polls > >>MARKETPLACE > >>Mom Power: Discover the community of moms doing more for their families, > for > >>the world and for each other > >> > >>Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) > >>Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format > >>to Traditional > >>Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent >>Activity > >> 10New Members > >>Visit Your Group > >>Share Photos > >>Put your favorite > >>photos and > >>more online. > >>Yahoo! Groups > >>Mental Health Zone > >>Mental Health > >>Learn More > >>Yahoo! Groups > >>Do More For Dogs Group > >>Join a group of dog owners > >>who do more.. > >> > >>__,_._,___ > >> > >> > >> > > > > > From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Sun Aug 2 16:28:52 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 07:28:52 +0900 Subject: [A-List] Street Farmer Message-ID: <20090803072852.40083cd8.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> by Elizabeth Royte The New York Times (July 05 2009) Will Allen, a farmer of Bunyonesque proportions, ascended a berm of wood chips and brewer's mash and gently probed it with a pitchfork. "Look at this", he said, pleased with the treasure he unearthed. A writhing mass of red worms dangled from his tines. He bent over, raked another section with his fingers and palmed a few beauties. It was one of those April days in Wisconsin when the weather shifts abruptly from hot to cold, and Allen, dressed in a sleeveless hoodie - his daily uniform down to twenty degrees, below which he adds another sweatshirt - was exactly where he wanted to be. Show Allen a pile of soil, fully composted or still slimy with banana peels, and he's compelled to scoop some into his melon-size hands. "Creating soil from waste is what I enjoy most", he said. "Anyone can grow food". Like others in the so-called good-food movement, Allen, who is sixty, asserts that our industrial food system is depleting soil, poisoning water, gobbling fossil fuels and stuffing us with bad calories. Like others, he advocates eating locally grown food. But to Allen, local doesn't mean a rolling pasture or even a suburban garden: it means fourteen greenhouses crammed onto two acres in a working-class neighborhood on Milwaukee's northwest side, less than half a mile from the city's largest public-housing project. And this is why Allen is so fond of his worms. When you're producing a quarter of a million dollars' worth of food in such a small space, soil fertility is everything. Without microbe- and nutrient-rich worm castings (poop, that is), Allen's Growing Power farm couldn't provide healthful food to 10,000 urbanites - through his on-farm retail store, in schools and restaurants, at farmers' markets and in low-cost market baskets delivered to neighborhood pickup points. He couldn't employ scores of people, some from the nearby housing project; continually train farmers in intensive polyculture; or convert millions of pounds of food waste into a version of black gold. With seeds planted at quadruple density and nearly every inch of space maximized to generate exceptional bounty, Growing Power is an agricultural Mumbai, a supercity of upward-thrusting tendrils and duct-taped infrastructure. Allen pointed to five tiers of planters brimming with salad greens. "We're growing in 25,000 pots", he said. Ducking his six-foot-seven frame under one of them, he pussyfooted down a leaf-crammed aisle. "We grow a thousand trays of sprouts a week; every square foot brings in $30". He headed toward the in-ground fish tanks stocked with tens of thousands of tilapia and perch. Pumps send the dirty fish water up into beds of watercress, which filter pollutants and trickle the cleaner water back down to the fish - a symbiotic system called aquaponics. The watercress sells for $16 a pound; the fish fetch $6 apiece. Onward through the hoop houses: rows of beets and chard. Out back: chickens, ducks, heritage turkeys, goats, beehives. While Allen narrated, I nibbled the scenery - spinach, arugula, cilantro. If inside the greenhouse was Eden, outdoors was, as Allen explained on a drive through the neighborhood, "a food desert". Scanning the liquor stores in the strip malls, he noted: "From the housing project, it's more than three miles to the Pick'n Save. That's a long way to go for groceries if you don't have a car or can't carry stuff. And the quality of the produce can be poor." Fast-food joints and convenience stores selling highly processed, high-calorie foods, on the other hand, were locally abundant. "It's a form of redlining", Allen said. "We've got to change the system so everyone has safe, equitable access to healthy food". Propelled by alarming rates of diabetes, heart disease and obesity, by food-safety scares and rising awareness of industrial agriculture's environmental footprint, the food movement seems finally to have met its moment. First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack have planted organic vegetable gardens. Roof gardens are sprouting nationwide. Community gardens have waiting lists. Seed houses and canning suppliers are oversold. Allen, too, has achieved a certain momentum for his efforts to bring the good-food movement to the inner city. In the last several years, he has become a darling of the foundation world. In 2005, he received a $100,000 Ford Foundation leadership grant. In 2008, the MacArthur Foundation honored Allen with a $500,000 "genius" award. And in May, the Kellogg Foundation gave Allen $400,000 to create jobs in urban agriculture. Today Allen is the go-to expert on urban farming, and there is a hunger for his knowledge. When I visited Growing Power, Allen was conducting a two-day workshop for forty people: each paid $325 to learn worm composting, aquaponics construction and other farm skills. "We need fifty million more people growing food", Allen told them, "on porches, in pots, in side yards". The reasons are simple: as oil prices rise, cities expand and housing developments replace farmland, the ability to grow more food in less space becomes ever more important. As Allen can't help reminding us, with a mischievous smile, "Chicago has 77,000 vacant lots". Allen led the composting group to a pair of wooden bins and instructed his students to load them with hay. "Okay, you've got your carbon", he said. "Where are you going to get your nitrogen?" "Food waste", a young man offered, wiping his brow. Allen pointed him toward a mound of expired asparagus collected from a wholesaler. As the participants layered the materials in a bin, Allen drilled them: "How much of that food is solid versus water weight?" "Why do we water the compost?" The farmers in training hung on every word. If Allen at times seems a bit weary - he recites his talking points countless times a day - he comes alive when he's digging, seeding and watering. His body straightens, and his face brightens. "Sitting in my office isn't a very comfortable thing for me", he told me later, seated in his office. "I want to be out there doing physical stuff". Which includes basic research. Warned by experts that his red wrigglers would freeze during Milwaukee's long winter, Allen studied the worms for five years, learning their food and shelter preferences. "I'd run my experiments over and over and over - just like an athlete operates". Then he worked out systems for procuring wood chips from the city and food scraps from markets and wholesalers. Last year, he took in six million pounds of spoiled food, which would otherwise rot in landfills and generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Every four months, he creates another 100,000 pounds of compost, of which he uses a quarter and sells the rest. Uncannily, Allen makes such efforts sound simple - fun even. When he mentions that animal waste attracts soldier flies, whose larvae make terrific fish and chicken feed, a dozen people start imagining that growing grubs in buckets of manure might be a good project for them too. "Will has a way of persuading people to do things", Robert Pierce, a farmer in Madison, Wisconsin, told me. "There's a spirit in how he says things; you want to be part of his community". Allen owes part of his Pied Piper success to his striking physicality and part to his athlete's confidence - he's easeful in his skin and, when not barking about nitrogen ratios, incongruously gentle. He told me about his life one afternoon as we drove in his truck, which was sticky with soda and dusted with doughnut powder, to Merton, a suburb of Milwaukee where Growing Power leases a thirty-acre plot. "My father was a sharecropper in South Carolina", Allen said. "He was the eldest boy of thirteen children, and he never learned to read". In the 1930s, he moved near Bethesda, Maryland. "My mother did domestic work, and my father worked as a construction laborer. But he rented a small plot to farm." A talented athlete, Allen wasn't allowed to practice sports until he finished his farm chores. "I had to be in bed early, and I thought, There's got to be something better than this". For a while, there was. Allen accepted a basketball scholarship from the University of Miami. There, he married his college sweetheart, Cyndy Bussler. After graduating, he played professionally, briefly in the American Basketball Association in Florida and then for a few seasons in Belgium. In his free time, Allen would drive around the countryside, where he couldn't help noticing the compost piles. "I started hanging out with Belgian farmers", Allen said. "I saw how they did natural farming", much as his father had. Something clicked in his mind. He asked his team's management, which provided housing for players, if he could have a place with a garden. Soon he had 25 chickens and was growing the familiar foods of his youth - peas, beans, peanuts - outside Antwerp. "I just had to do it", he said. "It made me happy to touch the soil". On holidays, he cooked feasts for his teammates. He gave away a lot of eggs. After retiring from basketball in 1977, when he was 28, Allen settled with his wife and three children in Oak Creek, just south of Milwaukee, where Cyndy's family owned some farmland. "No one was using that land, but I had the bug to grow food", Allen said. As his father did, Allen insisted that his children contribute to the household income. "We went right to the field at the end of the school day and during summer breaks", recalled his daughter, Erika Allen, who now runs Growing Power's satellite office in Chicago. "And let's be clear: This was farm labor, not chores". Allen grew food for his family and sold the excess at Milwaukee's farmers' markets and in stores. Meanwhile, he worked as a district manager for Kentucky Fried Chicken, where he won sales awards. "It was just a job", he said. "I was aware it wasn't the greatest food, but I also knew that people didn't have a lot of choice about where to eat: there were no sit-down restaurants in that part of the city". In 1987, Allen took a job with Procter & Gamble, where he won a marketing award for selling paper goods to supermarkets. "The job was so easy I could do it in half a day", he says now. That left more time to grow food. By now, Allen was sharing his land with Hmong farmers, with whom he felt some kinship after concluding that white shoppers were spurning their produce at the farmers' market. Allen was also donating food to a local food pantry. "I didn't like the idea of people eating all that canned food, that salty stuff". When he brought in his greens, he said, "it was the Number One item selected off that carousel - it was like you couldn't keep them in". After a restructuring in 1993, P&G shifted Allen to analyzing which products sold best in supermarkets. He was good at that too: "I won sales awards six times in one year". Driving across his Merton field, Allen smiled. Suddenly, I got it: Allen was a genius at selling - fried chicken, Pampers, arugula, red wrigglers, you name it. He could push his greens into corporate cafeterias, persuade the governor to help finance the construction of an anaerobic digester, wheedle new composting sites from urban landlords, persuade Milwaukee's school board to buy his produce for its public schools and charm the blind into growing sprouts. ("I was cutting sprouts in the dark one night", Allen said, "and I realized you don't need sight to do this".) After parking his truck at the field's edge, Allen made an arthritic beeline for a mound of compost. "Oh, this is good", he said, digging in with his hands. "Unbelievable". He saluted a few volunteers, whom he had appointed to pluck shreds of plastic from the compost under the hot noonday sun. He turned to scan the field, dotted with large farm-unfriendly rocks. The rocks gave me pause: didn't millions of Americans leave farms for good reason? The work is hard, nature can be cruel and the pay is low; most small farmers work off-farm to make ends meet. The appeal of such labor to people already working low-wage, long-hour jobs - the urban dwellers Allen most wants to reach - is not immediately apparent. And there is something almost fanciful in exhorting a person to grow food when he lives in an apartment or doesn't have a landlord's permission to garden on the roof or in an empty lot. "Not everyone can grow food", Allen acknowledged. But he offers other ways of engaging with the soil: "You bring thirty people out here, bring the kids and give them good food", he said, "and picking up those rocks is a community event". Of course, if rock picking or worm tending - either here or in a community garden - doesn't attract his Milwaukee neighbors, it's easy enough for them to order a market basket or shop at his retail store, which happens to sell fried pork skin as well as collard greens. "Culturally appropriate foods", Allen calls them. And the doughnuts in his truck? "I'm no purist about food, and I don't ask anyone else to be", he said, laughing. "I work seventeen hours a day; sometimes I need some sugar!" This nondogmatic approach may be one of Allen's most appealing qualities. His essential view is that people do the best they can: if they don't have any better food choices than KFC, well, okay. But let's work on changing that. If they don't know what to do with okra, Growing Power stands ready to help. And if their great-grandparents were sharecroppers and they have some bad feelings about the farming life, then Allen has something to offer there too: his personal example and workshops geared toward empowering minorities. "African-Americans need more help, and they're often harder to work with because they've been abused and so forth", Allen said. "But I can break through a lot of that very quickly because a lot of people of color are so proud, so happy to see me leading this kind of movement". If there's no place in the food movement for low- and middle-income people of all races, says Tom Philpott, food editor of Grist.org and co-founder of the North Carolina-based Maverick Farms, "we've got big problems, because the critics will be proven right - that this is a consumption club for people who've traveled to Europe and tasted fine food". In 1993, Allen, looking to grow indoors during the winter and to sell food closer to the city, bought the Growing Power property, a derelict plant nursery that was in foreclosure. He had no master plan. "I told the city I'd hire kids and teach them about food systems", he said. Before long, community and school groups were asking for his help starting gardens. He rarely said no. But after years of laboring on his own and beginning to feel burned out, he agreed to partner with Heifer International, the sustainable-agriculture charity. "They were looking for youth to do urban agriculture. When they learned I had kids and that I had land, their eyes lit up." Heifer taught Allen fish and worms, and together they expanded their training programs. Employing locals to grow food for the hungry on neglected land has an irresistible appeal, but it's not clear yet whether Growing Power's model can work elsewhere. "I know how to make money growing food", Allen asserts. But he's also got between thirty and fifty employees to pay, which makes those foundation grants - and a grant-writer - essential. Growing Power also relies on large numbers of volunteers. All of which perhaps explains why other urban farmers have not yet replicated Growing Power's scale or its unique social achievements. So no, Growing Power isn't self-sufficient. But neither is industrial agriculture, which relies on price supports and government subsidies. Moreover, industrial farming incurs costs that are paid by society as a whole: the health costs of eating highly processed foods, for example, or water pollution. Nor can Growing Power be compared to other small farms, because it provides so many intangible social benefits to those it reaches. "It's not operated as a farm", said Ian Marvy, executive director of Brooklyn's Added Value farm, which shares many of Growing Power's core values but produces less food. "It has a social, ecological and economic bottom line". That said, Marvy says that anyone can replicate Allen's technical systems - the worm composting and aquaponics - for relatively little money. Finished with his business in Merton, Allen sang out his truck window to his plastic-picking volunteers, "Don't y'all work too hard now". The future farmers laughed. Allen predicts that because of high unemployment and the recent food scares, ten million people will plant gardens for the first time this year. But two million of them will eventually drop out, he said, when the potato bugs arrive or the rain doesn't cooperate. Still, he was sanguine. "The experience will introduce those folks to what a tomato really tastes like, so next time they'll buy one at their greenmarket. And when we talk about farm-worker rights, we'll have more advocates for them." At a red light on Silver Spring Drive, Allen stopped and eyed the construction equipment beached in front of a dealership. "Look at that front-end loader", he said admiringly. "That thing isn't going to sell". He shook his head and added: "Maybe we can work something out with them. We could make some nice compost with that." _____ Elizabeth Royte is the author of Bottlemania: Big Business, Local Springs, and the Battle over America's Drinking Water (2008). Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/magazine/05allen-t.html?em http://www.billtotten.blogspot.com http://www.ashisuto.co.jp From farmelantj at juno.com Sun Aug 2 16:41:30 2009 From: farmelantj at juno.com (Jim Farmelant) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 18:41:30 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Francis Jeanson dies Message-ID: <20090802.184132.2092.0.farmelantj@juno.com> For those who can read French there is an obit at: He was a philosopher, who was a friend and disciple of Jean-Paul Sartre. He was probably best known for his work during the time of the Algerian struggle for independence when he founded what came to be known as the Jeanson Network which transported funds to the Algerian FLN. For that work he was put on trial for breaching state security but was eventually amnestied and he was able to go back to academic life. Outside the francophone world he is probably best known for his cameo appearance in Godard's 1967 file, "La Chinoise." Jim F. ____________________________________________________________ Click here to find the perfect picture with our powerful photo search features. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/BLSrjpTEuJBzBu52OE80qPkcrKaS0KTSdYq2lTQQaiGlWU4LBGvizDeJ5VO/ From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Mon Aug 3 01:58:52 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 08:58:52 +0100 Subject: [A-List] With Honduras, with all of Latin America Message-ID: <0C8D18E4470D41299AC726816ECEF87A@home9sg93n9r5y> With Honduras, with all of Latin America -- sign the statement http://links.org.au/node/1179 July 31, 2009 -- We, the undersigned social, political and solidarity organisations, faced with the ongoing coup d'?tat in Honduras and the imperialist project of installing military bases in Colombia whose objective is to throttle the hope for liberty and emancipation across the Latin American continent, Declare: 1. Our complete support for the immediate and unrestricted return of President Manuel Zelaya and the restitution of constitutional order, without conditions, to Honduras. Furthermore, we demand the punishment of those responsible for the coup d'?tat and the recognition of people's sovereignty to freely decide their future, through referendum, consultation or any other means of participative democracy. 2. We denounce the cynicism shown by the US government and its satellites in the Organisation of America States, with an attitude which speaks of the recognition of the constitutionality of Zelaya's Presidency at the same time as they reach agreements and hold conversations with the organisers of the coup, and carry out all types of delaying tactics with the objective of demobilising the impressive resistance movement which has been awakened in the interior of Honduras, coordinated in the National Resistance Front against the Coup. 3. We consider that all this is part of a planned offensive by North American imperialism and the transnationals, against the countries of the Alba (Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas) and all the progressive forces in Latin America in order to preserve their hegemony, their free trade agreements and their interests in privatisation and the exploitation of natural resources. 4. We reject the suspiciously coordinated campaign of false accusations and lies against the Ecuadorian and Venezuelan governments, originating in the USA - the world's biggest drug consumer - and Colombia: the biggest producer, thanks to its government, headed by narcopresident Uribe. The leading figures in the international drugs trade have the nerve to talk of the failure of the anti drugs policy in Venezuela. All of this is aimed at justifying the US military presence in the zone, with "Plan Colombia". 5. We alert public opinion about the seriousness of Colombia becoming the biggest aircraft carrier in history, with the installation of up to seven North American bases, an undisguised threat to the sovereignty of all Latin American countries. It represents a very grave step towards the internationalisation Colombia's internal conflict and carries the risk of destabilising the whole region, with a provocation of unforeseeable consequences. 6. We denounce all the media multinationals, from CNN to the Spanish Prisa group, and the whole network of channels, newspapers and radio stations which belong to the local oligarchies, with their "cartel", the Inter American Press Association, which combine disinformation with lies, in order to create a virtual reality in world public opinion, as a foundation for developing military offensives. 7. We express our commitment to organising all types of solidarity action, as of today and in the most coordinated way possible, to respond robustly to any type of aggression. Against the oligarchies, the fascist coup in Honduras and the imperialist threat in all of Latin America Please rush signatures to: assembleabolivariana at gmail.com * * * Para enviar adhesiones: assembleabolivariana at gmail.com ORGANITZACIONES ESTADO ESPA?OL Agrupaci?n Local del PCPV-PCE de Sant Joan d'Alacant. Asociaci?n Asturiana Gaspar Garc?a Laviana Asociaci?n Ateos y Republicanos Asociaci?n Cultural Iberoamericana "SCORZA" Asociaci?n de Solidaridad Bolivariana Asociaci?n Socialismo XXI Assemblea Bolivariana de Catalunya Asamblea de Apoyo a Evo Morales y al Proceso Constituyente en Bol?via A B F BOLIVIANO SAYARIY-URUS AAVV can Ricart Ateneu Art i Cultura de l'Escala. Ateneu Rebel (Poble Sec, Barcelona) Brigada Vallesana Sim?n Bol?var Casal Argentino de Barcelona CASAL D'AMISTAT AMB CUBA DE BADALONA Casal d'amistat Catal?-Cub? de Barcelona. C?rculo Bolivariano de Las Palmas Al? Primera Col?lectiu Maloka (Colombia) Central de Trabajadores de la Argentina CTA -Barcelona Colectivo 26 de Julio (Madrid) Colectivo Latinoam?rica XXI Colectivo Chileno Mapuche Peuma Traw?n Chile Col?lectiu Local de EUPV - Sant Joan. (Alacant) COMIT? DE SOLIDARITAT AMB ELS POBLES IND?GENES D? AM?RICA ECUADOR LLACTACARU Educaci? per a l'Acci? Cr?tica- EdPAC ENDAVANT (OSAN) En Defensa del marxismo (Revista) En Lluita Espai Marx FAIV, Federaci?n de Asociaciones de Inmigrantes del Valles FARGA (F?rum Anticapitalista per la Reflexi? y Generaci? d'alternatives) Grupo de Apoyo a la Central de trabajadores de la Argentina de Barcelona Iniciativa Solidaria Internacionalista (ISI), Burgos. Izquierda Anticapitalista. Libres del Sur-Argentina (Red en el Estado Espa?ol) Marxa Mundial de Dones de Catalunya. Partit dels Comunistes de Catalunya (PCC) PCE (m-l), Catalunya. Plataforma Bolivariana de Solidaridad con Venezuela de Madrid PLATAFORMA SIM?N BOLIVAR DE GRANADA PSUC (viu) REPSOLMATA Revolta Global-Esquerra Anticapitalista Soldepaz pachakuti BELGICA ARLAC CADTM (Comit? pour l'annulation de la dette du Tiers Monde) BRASIL PROMUNDI ECUADOR Colectivo Feminista de Ecuador Refundaci?n Socialista de Ecuador EL SALVADOR Grupo Trova FRANCIA MRAP - France (Movimiento contra el Racismo y por la Amnist?a entre los Pueblos) NPA (Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste) FINLANDIA handsoffvenezuela-Finlandia MARTINICA Groupe Revolution Socialiste(GRS) (Martinique) Centrale Democratique Martiniquaise des Travailleurs(CDMT) Union des Femmes de la Martinique Association Martinique/Venezuela NORUEGA Nettverk for Venezuela PANAMA Movimiento de la Juventud Popular Revolucionaria (MJP) Partido Alternativa Popular (P.A.P) VENEZUELA Propagando.org FUNDESO, Frente Unido Nacional De Deportistas Socialistas Adhesiones individuales: ARGENTINA Claudio Katz, (economista) Eduardo Lucita (economista) Analia Averbuj-Periodista P?rez N?lida Isabel. ESTADO ESPA?OL Alberto Herbera Lopez, obrero metal?rgico , Catalunya Anna Gabarr? Haro Antoni Lucchetti, advocat, economista i doctor en Historia Econ?mica Bel?n Gopegui. Novelista. Espa?a. Carlos Soriano Clemente, Catalunya. Cesk Freixas, cantautor i militant d'Endavant (OSAN). Claudia Calvo Dufort, Catalunya Constantino B?rtolo. Editor. Diosdado Toledano Gonzalez, miembro de la Comisi?n Ejecutiva de Izquierda Unida Federal Esther Vivas, activista y miembro de Izquierda Anticapitalista Giniveth Soto Quintana. Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela. (Plataforma Bolivariana de Madrid) Jos? Gregorio Bracho Reyes Juan Ram?n Rodr?guez Madridejos. Abogado del Movimiento Intercultural por los DDHH. Espa?a Kilian Ramiro Grau, Artista. Mariano Franchy Rodr?guez. Islas Canarias. M. Gabriela Serra. Entrepobles M?nica Monroy Jurado, Catalunya, Estat Espanyol Montse Campoy Mestres, Catalunya. Nydia Mayela Rangel C?rdenas ?scar Diego Garcia, Catalunya, Estat Espanyol Patricio Arenas Ram?n Franquesa, Profesor Econom?a Mundial, Universitat de Barcelona Robert Gonz?lez Garcia, profesor de secundaria i militante de la USTEC Sudaka Topo Ver?nica Diaz Costanti Vicente Cervantes S?nchez, Coordinador Azogue.net Vinx - RadioChango FRANCIA Alain Krivine Beatrice Whitaker (NPA) Daniel Bensaid. Fran?ois Sabado Franck Gaudichaud - France Amerique Latine / Rebelion.org Michael Lowy Myriam Martin. Olivier Besancenot (NPA) Omar Slaouti. Roseline Vacheta. Milagros Riera VENEZUELA Cesyen Cede?o (M?rida) Luis Antonio Henr?quez Arocha, (Caracas) Roberto L?pez. Maracaibo. Uni?n Nacional de Trabajadores del Estado Zulia. Roland Denis POLONIA Zbigniew Marcin Kowalewski, investigador y editor. Honduras latin america US imperialism Comments Post new comment Your name: * E-mail: * The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. Homepage: Subject: Comment: * Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. Allowed HTML tags:
    1. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. More information about formatting options From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Mon Aug 3 04:29:42 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 19:29:42 +0900 Subject: [A-List] The Economics of Entropy Message-ID: <20090803192942.bf5166f9.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> by John Michael Greer The Archdruid Report (July 29 2009) Druid perspectives on nature, culture, and the future of industrial society Over the last few weeks, my posts here on The Archdruid Report have tried to sketch out a way of understanding economics that doesn't contradict the laws of physics or the evidence of history. Perhaps the central concept I've been developing along these lines is the sense that there is no such thing as "the" economy in any human society; there are, rather, three economies, each of which follows distinctive rules. The primary economy, in this way of looking at things, is the natural world itself, which produces something like three-quarters of the goods and services on which human beings rely for survival. The secondary economy, which depends on the primary one, is the collocation of labor, capital plant, and resources extracted from the primary economy that produces the other quarter or so of the goods and services human beings use. The tertiary economy, finally, is the system of social processes by which the products of the first two economies are allocated to people. This can take many different forms, of which the one most familiar to us is money. The differences between these three economies run deep, and so do the differences in the way they are treated in conventional economic thinking. Unfortunately these two sets of differences do not run in parallel. One way to explore the resulting mismatch is to look at how the three economies, in reality and theory, are affected by the least popular of all the laws of physics: the second law of thermodynamics, more popularly known as the law of entropy. To call this law unpopular is not to say that it suffers from any lack of recognition by scientists. The comment of Sir Arthur Eddington, one of the twentieth century's greatest physicists, is typical: "If your theory is found to be against the second law of thermodynamics, there is nothing for it but to collapse in deepest humiliation" - a summing-up so useful that it probably deserves to be called Eddington's Law. Entropy is the gold standard of physics, the one thing you can count on even when the rest of the cosmos seems to be going haywire. What makes it unpopular, rather, is that it stands in stark conflict with some of the most deeply and passionately held convictions of modern industrial humanity. For all that, it's a simple concept to grasp. Pour a cup of hot coffee on a cold morning and you can watch entropy in action. The coffee will gradually get colder and the air around it will get very slightly warmer. All energy everywhere, left to itself, always moves from higher to lower concentrations: that's the second law of thermodynamics. On the way from higher to lower, the energy can be made to do useful work, and you can even force some energy to a higher concentration by allowing a larger amount of energy to go to a lower one, but one way or another entropy's price must be paid. We don't like thinking in these terms, and for the last three hundred years, most of us in the industrial world haven't had to. The eighteenth-century breakthroughs that allowed coal to be turned into steam power, and gave human beings command over amounts of highly concentrated energy never before wielded by our species, convinced most people in the western world that energy was basically free for the taking. In the halcyon days of industrialism, it was all too easy to forget that this vast abundance of energy was a cosmic rarity, a minor and finite backwash in the flow of energies on a scale almost too great for human beings to comprehend. As far as we know, there are two and only two phenomena in the cosmos that naturally produce high concentrations of energy. The first is gravity. Unlike most physical phenomena, gravity has robust positive feedback: the more mass a body has, the more gravitational attraction it exerts, the more additional mass it can attract, and the more its gravitational attraction increases. This is why what starts as an eddy in an interstellar cloud of hydrogen gas, set in motion perhaps by the shockwave from a distant supernova, can attract steadily more hydrogen to itself until its gravity is strong enough to achieve the fantastic pressures needed for nuclear fusion, and a newborn star flares into life. Even so, entropy still rules; the light and heat that flows out from our Sun over the course of its ten billion year lifespan is still only a fraction of the potential energy of the gravitational collapse that brought it into being and keeps it going. The second phenomenon that produces concentrated energy is biological life. Life combines positive and negative feedback loops, and so it's much more fitful and fragile than gravity, but it can still surf the entropy of its neighboring star, tapping a small part of the vast streams of energy that flow entropically from the Sun's core to the near-absolute-zero cold of interstellar space to concentrate chemical energy for its own use. Over the ages, the resulting concentrations of energy have transformed our planet, pumping oxygen into its atmosphere and burying trillions of tons of carbon underneath the ground in the form of coal, oil, and natural gas. Once that carbon was buried, gravity got to work on it, concentrating it further through heat and pressure. The energy stored in today's fossil fuel deposits, in turn, is still only a fraction of the energy lost to entropy in the long slow process that brought those deposits into being. This is why, as I've tried to point out in previous posts, those who expect to get some new and even more concentrated energy source to replace our dwindling reserves of fossil fuels are basically smoking their shorts. It took an extraordinarily complex series of processes, more time than the human mind has evolved the ability to grasp, and an equally unimaginable amount of energy lost to entropy, to produce the highly concentrated fossil fuels we've wasted so profligately over the last three hundred years. There are plenty of diffuse energy sources left, but raising them to concentrations that will allow them to power our current civilization would require huge amounts of additional energy to be sacrificed to entropy - and once you subtract the entropy costs of concentration from the modest energy supplies available to a deindustrial world, there isn't much left. Try telling that to most people, though, and you'll get a blank look, because we've lived with abundant concentrated energy for so long that very few people recognize just how rare it is in the broader picture. Economics, once again, feeds this blindness. Most economic models, interestingly enough, admit entropy into what I've called the secondary economy: there's a clear sense that producing goods and services consumes resources and produces waste, and that energy fed into the process is lost to entropy in one way or another. Most of them, however, explicitly reject the role of entropy in the primary economy, insisting that resources are always available by definition if you only invest enough labor and capital. As for the tertiary economy, most economic theories accept it as given that money is anti-entropic - it produces a steady increase in value over time, which is the theoretical justification for interest. In the real world, by contrast, the primary economy is just as subject to entropy as the secondary one. Oil that has been pumped out of the ground and burned is no longer available to use as an energy resource, and if enough of it has been pumped out, the oil field runs dry and it stops being a resource too. Natural cycles can keep some resources available at a steady level by surfing the entropy of the Sun, but only if human action doesn't mess up those cycles - something we are doing a great deal too much of just now. By ignoring the reality of entropy in the primary economy of nature, we are setting ourselves up for a very awkward future. And the tertiary economy? This is where things get interesting, because the anti-entropic nature of money posited by mainstream economic theories has been accepted even by most critics of those theories. There's accordingly been a flurry of proposals for changing the way money works so that it loses value over time. This is understandable, but it's also unnecessary, because money as it exists today has an exquisitely subtle mechanism for losing value over time. The only difficulty is that mainstream economists and the general public alike treat it with the same shudder of dread and indignation their Victorian ancestors directed toward sex. We're talking, of course, about inflation. I've come to think of inflation as the primary way that the tertiary economy resolves the distortions caused by the mismatch between the limitless expansion of the tertiary economy and the hard limits ecology and entropy place on the primary and secondary economies. When the amount of paper wealth in the tertiary economy outstrips the production of actual, nonfinancial goods and services in the other two economies, inflation balances the books by making money lose part of its value. I suspect - though it would take a good econometrician to put this to the test - that in the long run, the paper value lost to inflation equals the paper value manufactured by interest on money, once the figures are adjusted for actual increases or decreases in the production of goods and services. It's instructive to note what happens when governments attempt to stop the natural balancing process of inflation. In American economic history, there are two good examples - between the Civil War and the First World War, on the one hand, and between 1978 and 2008 on the other. In the first of these periods, the US treasury reacted against the inflation of the Civil War years by imposing a strict gold standard on the currency, and since the pace at which new gold entered the economy was less than the rate at which the production of goods and services expanded. The result was the longest sustained bout of deflation in the history of the country. Despite the claims of precious-metal advocates today, this did not produce economic stability and prosperity. Quite the contrary, the economic terrain of the second half of the nineteenth century was a moonscape cratered by disastrous stock market collapses and recurrent depressions. The resulting bank and business failures probably eliminated as much paper value from the economy as inflation would have, but did so in a chaotic and unpredictable way: instead of everybody's corporate bonds losing five percent of their value due to inflation, for example, some bonds were paid in full while others became worthless when the companies backing them went out of existence. The same calculus has come into play since the beginning of the Volcker era at the Federal Reserve Board, when "fighting inflation" became the mantra of the day; since then we've had a succession of crashes as colorful as anything the 19th century produced. Thirty years of economic policy dedicated to minimizing inflation have guaranteed a sizable second helping of economic collapse in the years to come - it's only in the imaginations of politicians and publicists that the recent "dead cat bounce" in the stock market, and various modest decreases in the rate at which economic statistics are getting worse, add up to a recovery of any kind, much less a return to the unsustainable pseudoprosperity of the years just past. Still, in the longer term, I suspect inflation will also play a major role in the unraveling of the current mess. With the end of the age of cheap abundant fossil fuels, the world faces a very substantial decrease in the amount of primary and secondary wealth in the world, and the notional wealth of the tertiary economy will have to lose value even faster to make up for that decline. Just how this will play out is anyone's guess, but one way or another it's unlikely to be pretty. _____ ?John Michael Greer has been active in the alternative spirituality movement for more than 25 years, and is the author of a dozen books, including The Druidry Handbook (2006) and The Long Descent (2008). He lives in Ashland, Oregon. http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2009/07/economics-of-entropy.html http://www.billtotten.blogspot.com http://www.ashisuto.co.jp From sabocat59 at mac.com Sun Aug 2 14:07:32 2009 From: sabocat59 at mac.com (Greg McDonald) Date: Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:07:32 -0400 Subject: [A-List] ABN: Teacher shot dead by police repression in Honduras Message-ID: <681CE708-D75B-4BF9-974E-E58F5C69977F@mac.com> Armed police came by the wake today and menaced the family and other mourners by pointing their weapons at them, according to a Radio Globo interview with a brother of the deceased. Greg McD Follow up: Sunday morning, August 2, 2009 Fellow teachers called in to Radio Globo this morning to denounce the death of Martin Florencio Rivera Barrientos, who was captured after the memorial service for Roger Vallejo. Rivera, the second teacher killed in as many days, was discovered dead with 25 stab wounds. The denunciation places his death in the context of a strategy put into action by the coup regime to target leaders of the popular movement for assassination. Apparently nonplussed by the very real danger posed by their continued mobilization, teachers in the resistance were calling in to the radio station on Sunday to denounce others by name who are planning to hold classes on Monday instead of demonstrating their continued opposition to the coup. The teacher's union, Colegio Profesional Superacion Magistral Hondureno, (Colprosumah), has 40,000 members and is one of the largest such unions in Central America. According to the National Resistance Front Against the Coup, the coup regime has sought the aid of Israeli advisors to implement a counterinsurgency strategy against the resistance. According to a recent Prensa Latina interview with president Zelaya, the Honduran military has set up a stadium to house prisoners, reminiscent of Chile under the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. Zelaya estimates there are over 1,500 detainees. Before resistance leader Carlos Reyes was severely beaten in the fierce repression unleashed against the peaceful protest in Tegucigalpa last friday, after which he was flown to receive medical treatment in Havana, he had announced that 182 disappearances by the coup regime had been documented so far by human rights groups. For its part, the Resistance is calling on the international working class to organize a boycott of all Honduran products which enter and leave Honduran ports, to asphyxiate the coup regime. Greg McDonald -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 4584 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090802/85c4c224/attachment.txt From noreply at coha.org Mon Aug 3 11:21:18 2009 From: noreply at coha.org (Council on Hemispheric Affairs) Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 13:21:18 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Colombian trade unionists endangered; Violence against women in Mexico Message-ID: <20090803172005.655203E49CD@mx-out.daemonmail.net> A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 6326 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090803/3f09e3b0/attachment.txt From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Mon Aug 3 12:30:24 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 19:30:24 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Micheletti's Dictatorship, the Cruellest Message-ID: <5F49E575A2FD426C8BC16C57FF66EA49@home9sg93n9r5y> JR: Micheletti's Dictatorship, the Cruellest Posted to CN by: "Walter Lippmann" walterlx at earthlink.net walterlx Sun Aug 2, 2009 7:36 am (PDT) JUVENTUD REBELDE Micheletti's Dictatorship, the Cruellest The Honduran president's family continues walking straight to the border. A month has passed since the coup, and popular demonstrations still continue. The US denies visas to four officials of the post-coup government. 2009-07-29 | 15:20:27 EST http://tinyurl.com/lgoufb OCOTAL, Nicaragua, July 28. The dictatorship imposed has been the cruellest in Central America, said Honduran president Manuel Zelaya, just a month after the coup. Popular demonstrations in Honduras continue taking place. As in Chile during the time of Augusto Pinochet, in Honduras, a stadium has been fitted out for those political prisoners who cannot be in jails for lack of room, Zelaya told PL. He added that more than 1,500 violations to the human rights have been perpetrated against the detainees and nobody knows their whereabouts. "The post-coup government has breached more than 20 constitutional articles, imposed a state of siege, banned public freedom and has murdered some young demonstrators," said Zelaya. On Tuesday afternoon, a convoy led by the Honduran First Lady, Xiomara Castro was moving forward to the border with Nicaragua to meet her husband the constitutional president, Manuel Zelaya. This was possible thanks to an order issued by the Supreme Court of Justice about not stopping demonstrations. However, the rest of the demonstrators have not been allowed to advance. Sra. Castro said that "the military forces have backed down, have gone to their battalions to shut themselves away because not only the Honduran people have critized them but also the whole world," reported Telesur. The convoy carrying Xiomara Castro was moving forward, overcoming every obstacle imposed by coup leader Roberto Micheletti, who put the area under military control to detain and repress every demonstrator claiming Zelaya?s reinstatement. According to PL, thousands of farmers, indigenous people, women and workers have moved forward to the Las Manos border in an attempt to join their president. Italian agency ANSA reported from Washington that the US State Department had denied visas to four Honduran post-coup government state officials. This measure was implemented because "we don?t consider Roberto Micheletti as the Honduran president," said the US State Department spokesperson who kept silent when was asked why this measure hadn't been implemented before. "We are doing everything we can to support Costa Rican president Oscar Arias' mediation." In this regard, President Zelaya said that "US authorities are making Hondurans think that the US State Department is not supporting the coup, but I don?t have official information. We hope that soon the US State Department could make the names known. I think that this is a fair measure and that the US should exert more pressure on the coup leaders to lift the coup." Two of the four denied the diplomatic visa were Tom?s Arita Valle, a spurious National Congress president. Spain will ask the European Union to take the visas away to the post-coup government officials in Honduras as the US did, noted the Spanish Foreign Affairs minister , Miguel ?ngel Moratinos. "Let?s encourage the EU to implement similar measures. I think that the international community must join to this unanimous will of coordination to bring Zelaya back to power," said Moratinos. Spanish Foreign Affairs minister added that "therefore, from now on, we will talk to our US friends to coordinate and implement measures to achieve this goal." From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Mon Aug 3 12:44:57 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 19:44:57 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Honduras Coup bloody Message-ID: <8F36EBFDDBC04222AAC760124A052C5D@home9sg93n9r5y> NY DAILY NEWS/Ruiz: "Honduras coup is more bloody than bloodless" An important article that reaches many readers of The New York Daily News and many others on the Worldwideweb. Note that now Roger Abraham Vallejo Soriano, high school teacher and member of the teachers' union, has died in the hospital from his gunshot wound. Jane Franklin http://janefranklin.info Honduras coup is more bloody than bloodless Sunday, August 2nd 2009, 4:00 AM "The de facto regime in my country has been condemned by the whole world," Celso Castro, a Honduran native and longtime resident of New Jersey told us Wednesday. Castro was referring to the June 28 military coup that kidnapped democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya at gunpoint, forcibly expelled him from his country and replaced him with Roberto Micheletti, who had tried and failed three times before to become president. "The 'golpistas' [the Spanish word for those who take part in a coup] suspended constitutional guarantees and gave themselves a license to violate human and civil rights," said Castro, a chemist. "My mother and my brother live in Honduras. It is very dangerous. Soldiers can come into your home at any time, day or night, and take you with no explanation." "I hope that the constitutional order is restored before more violence is perpetrated against the people." Unfortunately, Castro's wishes were not fulfilled. On Thursday, Roger Abrah?n Vallejo Soriano, a 38-year-old teacher, was shot in the head by the military. At press time he remained hospitalized fighting for his life in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. His crime:peacefully demonstrating against the illegitimate government. Honduras, one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is a nation where eight wealthy families control politics, business and the media. "The only thing we want is to live in a country that respects everybody's will, not only the will of the rich," Wendy Cruz, who was with Vallejo Soriano when he was shot, wrote in a harrowing e-mail. "The military were beating everybody and more than 80 people were arrested and taken to 'la Cuarta' police precinct," Cruz added. "There are many people wounded." So much for Micheletti's sanctimonious claims that there is no violence in Honduras. But Vallejo Soriano wasn't the first victim of "golpista" violence according to Dr. Luther Castillo, 33, director of the Luaga Hatuadi Waduhe?u Foundation, a group that brings vital health services to isolated indigenous coastal communities. He left Honduras eight days ago with five other community leaders to "educate the world about 'el golpe.'" "We have denounced many extrajudicial executions," said Castillo. According to Castillo, in addition to Isis Murillo, a teenager killed July 5 at the airport waiting for Zelaya's return, there have been other deaths that can be directly attributed to the Micheletti regime. "On July 2, Gabriel Pino Noriega, from San Juan Puebla, was murdered; on Saturday, July 11, Roger Iv?n B?ez, was shot while entering his home in San Pedro Sula; July 12, Ram?n Garc?a, a 'campesino' leader, was also killed. And there are many more," he said. Castillo says it is ironic that Micheletti claims Zelaya's return would cause a bloodbath. "The bloodbath is already going on courtesy of the military," he said. The U.S. government has condemned the coup and favors a dialogue to resolve the situation. Last weekend, filmmaker Marcos Meconi and journalist Joseph Huff-Hannon went to Ferry Point Park in the Bronx, a favorite weekend gathering place of Hondurans, and talked with several. The result is "Honduran Immigrants Speak Out on the Coup," a valuable and revealing documentary. "If Zelaya committed crimes against Honduran law, why wasn't he impeached and prosecuted in Honduras? Why did they apprehend and remove him from the country? Why not right there?" asked one man interviewed. A great question for which the de facto regime has no answer. Looking into the camera, the man, one of 40,000 Hondurans in New York, ended with a powerful statement: "There is no political event that can justify a coup d'?tat." No, there isn't. Especially one that put in power a hypocritical regime that wraps itself in the Constitution while trampling the democratic process and murdering its people. aruiz at ... Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/08/02/2009-08-02_honduras_coup_is_more_\ bloody_than_bloodless.html#ixzz0N3dAm87g This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From toddfboyle at gmail.com Mon Aug 3 13:46:14 2009 From: toddfboyle at gmail.com (Todd Boyle) Date: Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:46:14 -0700 Subject: [A-List] Latin America Challenges US Military Bases In Colombia In-Reply-To: <71061818FB104273B43149A3B37F6831@TonyPC> References: <13173255.1249201834214.JavaMail.root@elwamui-mouette.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <71061818FB104273B43149A3B37F6831@TonyPC> Message-ID: Good stuff. Especially your last remark-- that it's frustrating to have to reiterate these kinds of elementary facts. I think we need better language, more defensable, more robust, more enduring, that can be repeated endlessly and become part of the history of this era. The WOD is a set of government policies. The use of drugs existed long before the WOD, and social attitudes as well as economc dynamics, grew up over at least 100 years prior to the WOD and set in place, what I would regard as the fuel or preconditions that make the WOD a going concern, a profitable area for politicians to exploit. For example the backlash by the public, against addiction, for moral principles is real. It is one of the things that bubbled up out of the culture. And is exploited. Of course the prime movers are not within the political establishment but the drug industry, which is really composed of the tough guys, the managerial hierarchy, various corrupt police elements- Right? including garden-variety local cops, as well as the international arena, which is owned by the CIA and military elements. Where we are failing, is that segment of the public who believes in fairy tales-- who assign ZERO credibility to these facts of police protection, active collaboration by politicians, the involvement by CIA and U.S. military. This segment of the public is *far* too high- I would have to guess, perhaps 80% of the voting public. I don't think the language, above, is nearly good enough but we need to forge a very solid agreemnt on the core conceptual elements, and the language to describe them. -Todd. At 11:34 AM 8/2/2009, Tony B. wrote: >"My comments below were to highlight cocaine and heroin from foreign >sources kill, and they kill in massive numbers and at many layers >when compared to the other multi-billion dollar initiatives" > >Over 99% of deaths from substance abuse are attributable to tobacco >and alcohol. The CIA has run drugs throughout the world (i.e. the >Golden Triangle, Colombia, the Marseille and the 'French >Connection', Afghanistan etc) to fuel through clandestine funding >its blackops operations ever since the end of the 2nd World War. >You are no doubt apprised of all of this... > >'Plan Colombia' is, of course, and has been since its inception a >pretext to wage its counter-insurgency (read: terror against >resistance to state terror) war in Colombia. > >In America the 'war on drugs' has merely served to lock up whole >swaths of the unemployed (disproportionately black and Latino, i.e. >amounting to over half of all incarcerations) and provide for the >accelerating growth of one of America's social obscenities, i.e. the >privatized prison industy...in conjunction with the privatization of >everything else... > >In short, the 'war on drugs' is, much like the 'war on terror' ...a >total croc. Indeed, both are and have always been mere pretexts for >the exercise of imperial gangsterism abroad, and the most vile, >reactionary social and political measures at home. > >And, frankly, I'm with James on this point...To have to reiterate >these elementary political and social facts on this list is, well, astonishing. > >Tony -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 3406 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090803/9bf291e7/attachment.txt From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Mon Aug 3 16:53:32 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 07:53:32 +0900 Subject: [A-List] Fractional Reserve Banking: Part Two Message-ID: <20090804075332.c1366ac9.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> by Murray N Rothbard The Freeman (October 1995) We have already described one part of the contemporary flight from sound, free-market money to statized and inflated money: the abolition of the gold standard by Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, and the substitution of fiat paper tickets by the Federal Reserve as our "monetary standard". Another crucial part of this process was the federal cartelization of the nation's banks through the creation of the Federal Reserve System in 1913. Banking is a particularly arcane part of the economic system; one of the problems is that the word "bank" covers many different activities, with very different implications. During the Renaissance era, the Medicis in Italy and the Fuggers in Germany, were "bankers"; their banking, however, was not only private but also began at least as a legitimate, noninflationary, and highly productive activity. Essentially, these were "merchant-bankers", who started as prominent merchants. In the course of their trade, the merchants began to extend credit to their customers, and in the case of these great banking families, the credit or "banking" part of their operations eventually overshadowed their mercantile activities. These firms lent money out of their own profits and savings, and earned interest from the loans. Hence, they were channels for the productive investment of their own savings. To the extent that banks lend their own savings, or mobilize the savings of others, their activities are productive and unexceptionable. Even in our current commercial banking system, if I buy a $10,000 CD ("certificate of deposit") redeemable in six months, earning a certain fixed interest return, I am taking my savings and lending it to a bank, which in turn lends it out at a higher interest rate, the differential being the bank's earnings for the function of channeling savings into the hands of credit-worthy or productive borrowers. There is no problem with this process. The same is even true of the great "investment banking" houses, which developed as industrial capitalism flowered in the 19th century. Investment bankers would take their own capital, or capital invested or loaned by others, to underwrite corporations gathering capital by selling securities to stockholders and creditors. The problem with the investment bankers is that one of their major fields of investment was the underwriting of government bonds, which plunged them hip deep into politics, giving them a powerful incentive for pressuring and manipulating governments, so that taxes would be levied to pay off their and their clients' government bonds. Hence, the powerful and baleful political influence of investment bankers in the 19th and 20th centuries: in particular, the Rothschilds in Western Europe, and Jay Cooke and the House of Morgan in the United States. By the late 19th century, the Morgans took the lead in trying to pressure the US government to cartelize industries they were interested in - first railroads and then manufacturing: to protect these industries from the winds of free competition, and to use the power of government to enable these industries to restrict production and raise prices. In particular, the investment bankers acted as a ginger group to work for the cartelization of commercial banks. To some extent, commercial bankers lend out their own capital and money acquired by CDs. But most commercial banking is "deposit banking" based on a gigantic scam: the idea, which most depositors believe, that their money is down at the bank, ready to be redeemed in cash at any time. If Jim has a checking account of $1,000 at a local bank, Jim knows that this is a "demand deposit", that is, that the bank pledges to pay him $1,000 in cash, on demand, anytime he wishes to "get his money out". Naturally, the Jims of this world are convinced that their money is safely there, in the bank, for them to take out at any time. Hence, they think of their checking account as equivalent to a warehouse receipt. If they put a chair in a warehouse before going on a trip, they expect to get the chair back whenever they present the receipt. Unfortunately, while banks depend on the warehouse analogy, the depositors are systematically deluded. Their money ain't there. An honest warehouse makes sure that the goods entrusted to its care are there, in its storeroom or vault. But banks operate very differently, at least since the days of such deposit banks as the Banks of Amsterdam and Hamburg in the 17th century, which indeed acted as warehouses and backed all of their receipts fully by the assets deposited, for example, gold and silver. This honest deposit or "giro" banking is called "100 percent reserve" banking. Ever since, banks have habitually created warehouse receipts (originally bank notes and now deposits) out of thin air. Essentially, they are counterfeiters of fake warehouse receipts to cash or standard money, which circulate as if they were genuine, fully backed notes or checking accounts. Banks make money by literally creating money out of thin air, nowadays exclusively deposits rather than bank notes. This sort of swindling or counterfeiting is dignified by the term "fractional reserve banking", which means that bank deposits are backed by only a small fraction of the cash they promise to have at hand and redeem. (Right now, in the United States, this minimum fraction is fixed by the Federal Reserve System at ten percent.) Fractional Reserve Banking Let's see how the fractional-reserve process works, in the absence of a central bank. I set up a Rothbard Bank, and invest $1,000 of cash (whether gold or government paper does not matter here). Then I "lend out" $10,000 to someone, either for consumer spending or to invest in his business. How can I "lend out" far more than I have? Ahh, that's the magic of the "fraction" in the fractional reserve. I simply open up a checking account of $10,000 which I am happy to lend to Mr Jones. Why does Jones borrow from me? Well, for one thing, I can charge a lower rate of interest than savers would. I don't have to save up the money myself, but can simply counterfeit it out of thin air. (In the 19th century, I would have been able to issue bank notes, but the Federal Reserve now monopolizes note issues.) Since demand deposits at the Rothbard Bank function as equivalent to cash, the nation's money supply has just, by magic, increased by $10,000. The inflationary, counterfeiting process is under way. The 19th-century English economist Thomas Tooke correctly stated that "free trade in banking is tantamount to free trade in swindling". But under freedom, and without government support, there are some severe hitches in this counterfeiting process, or in what has been termed "free banking". First, why should anyone trust me? Why should anyone accept the checking deposits of the Rothbard Bank? But second, even if I were trusted, and I were able to con my way into the trust of the gullible, there is another severe problem, caused by the fact that the banking system is competitive, with free entry into the field. After all, the Rothbard Bank is limited in its clientele. After Jones borrows checking deposits from me, he is going to spend that money. Why else pay for a loan? Sooner or later, the money he spends, whether for a vacation, or for expanding his business, will be spent on the goods or services of clients of some other bank, say the Rockwell Bank. The Rockwell Bank is not particularly interested in holding checking accounts on my bank; it wants reserves so that it can pyramid its own counterfeiting on top of cash reserves. And so if, to make the case simple, the Rockwell Bank gets a $10,000 check on the Rothbard Bank, it is going to demand cash so that it can do some inflationary counterfeit pyramiding of its own. But, I, of course, can't pay the $10,000, so I'm finished. Bankrupt. Found out. By rights, I should be in jail as an embezzler, but at least my phoney checking deposits and I are out of the game, and out of the money supply. Hence, under free competition, and without government support and enforcement, there will only be limited scope for fractional-reserve counterfeiting. Banks could form cartels to prop each other up, but generally cartels on the market don't work well without government enforcement, without the government cracking down on competitors who insist on busting the cartel, in this case, forcing competing banks to pay up. Central Banking Hence the drive by the bankers themselves to get the government to cartelize their industry by means of a central bank. Central banking began with the Bank of England in the 1690s, spread to the rest of the Western world in the 18th and 19th centuries, and finally was imposed upon the United States by banking cartelists via the Federal Reserve System of 1913. Particularly enthusiastic about the central bank were the investment bankers, such as the Morgans, who pioneered the cartel idea, and who by this time had expanded into commercial banking. In modern central banking, the central bank is granted the monopoly of the issue of bank notes (originally written or printed warehouse receipts as opposed to the intangible receipts of bank deposits), which are now identical to the government's paper money and therefore the monetary "standard" in the country. People want to use physical cash as well as bank deposits. If, therefore, I wish to redeem $1,000 in cash from my checking bank, the bank has to go to the Federal Reserve, and draw down its own checking account with the Fed, "buying" $1,000 of Federal Reserve Notes (the cash in the United States today) from the Fed. The Fed, in other words, acts as a bankers' bank. Banks keep checking deposits at the Fed and these deposits constitute their reserves, on which they can and do pyramid ten times the amount in checkbook money. Here's how the counterfeiting process works in today's world. Let's say that the Federal Reserve, as usual, decides that it wants to expand (that is, inflate) the money supply. The Federal Reserve decides to go into the market (called the "open market") and purchase an asset. It doesn't really matter what asset it buys; the important point is that it writes out a check. The Fed could, if it wanted to, buy any asset it wished, including corporate stocks, buildings, or foreign currency. In practice, it almost always buys US government securities. Let's assume that the Fed buys $10,000,000 of US Treasury bills from some "approved" government bond dealer (a small group), say Shearson Lehman on Wall Street. The Fed writes out a check for $10,000,000, which it gives to Shearson Lehman in exchange for $10,000,000 in US securities. Where does the Fed get the $10,000,000 to pay Shearson Lehman? It creates the money out of thin air. Shearson Lehman can do only one thing with the check: deposit it in its checking account at a commercial bank, say Chase Manhattan. The "money supply" of the country has already increased by $10,000,000; no one else's checking account has decreased at all. There has been a net increase of $10,000,000. But this is only the beginning of the inflationary counterfeiting process. For Chase Manhattan is delighted to get a check on the Fed, and rushes down to deposit it in its own checking account at the Fed, which now increases by $10,000,000. But this checking account constitutes the "reserves" of the banks, which have now increased across the nation by $10,000,000. But this means that Chase Manhattan can create deposits based on these reserves, and that, as checks and reserves seep out to other banks (much as the Rothbard Bank deposits did), each one can add its inflationary mite, until the banking system as a whole has increased its demand deposits by $100,000,000, ten times the original purchase of assets by the Fed. The banking system is allowed to keep reserves amounting to ten percent of its deposits, which means that the "money multiplier" - the amount of deposits the banks can expand on top of reserves - is ten. A purchase of assets of $10 million by the Fed has generated very quickly a tenfold ($100,000,000) increase in the money supply of the banking system as a whole. Interestingly, all economists agree on the mechanics of this process even though they of course disagree sharply on the moral or economic evaluation of that process. But unfortunately, the general public, not inducted into the mysteries of banking, still persists in thinking that their money remains "in the bank". Thus, the Federal Reserve and other central banking systems act as giant government creators and enforcers of a banking cartel; the Fed bails out banks in trouble, and it centralizes and coordinates the banking system so that all the banks, whether the Chase Manhattan, or the Rothbard or Rockwell banks, can inflate together. Under free banking, one bank expanding beyond its fellows was in danger of imminent bankruptcy. Now, under the Fed, all banks can expand together and proportionately. "Deposit Insurance" But even with the backing of the Fed, fractional reserve banking proved shaky, and so the New Deal, in 1933, added the lie of "bank deposit insurance", using the benign word "insurance" to mask an arrant hoax. When the savings and loan system went down the tubes in the late 1980s, the "deposit insurance" of the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC) was unmasked as sheer fraud. The "insurance" was simply the smoke-and-mirrors term for the unbacked name of the federal government. The poor taxpayers finally bailed out the S&Ls, but now we are left with the formerly sainted Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for commercial banks, which is now increasingly seen to be shaky, since the FDIC itself has less than one percent of the huge number of deposits it "insures". The very idea of "deposit insurance" is a swindle; how does one insure an institution (fractional reserve banking) that is inherently insolvent, and which will fall apart whenever the public finally understands the swindle? Suppose that, tomorrow, the American public suddenly became aware of the banking swindle, and went to the banks tomorrow morning, and, in unison, demanded cash. What would happen? The banks would be instantly insolvent, since they could only muster ten percent of the cash they owe their befuddled customers. Neither would the enormous tax increase needed to bail everyone out be at all palatable. No: the only thing the Fed could do - and this would be in their power - would be to print enough money to pay off all the bank depositors. Unfortunately, in the present state of the banking system, the result would be an immediate plunge into the horrors of hyperinflation. Let us suppose that total insured bank deposits are $1,600 billion. Technically, in the case of a run on the banks, the Fed could exercise emergency powers and print $1,600 billion in cash to give to the FDIC to pay off the bank depositors. The problem is that, emboldened at this massive bailout, the depositors would promptly redeposit the new $1,600 billion into the banks, increasing the total bank reserves by $1,600 billion, thus permitting an immediate expansion of the money supply by the banks by tenfold, increasing the total stock of bank money by $16 trillion. Runaway inflation and total destruction of the currency would quickly follow. http://www.thefreemanonline.org/featured/fractional-reserve-banking-part-ii/ http://www.billtotten.blogspot.com http://www.ashisuto.co.jp From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Mon Aug 3 17:21:17 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 00:21:17 +0100 Subject: [A-List] ...if this coup succeeds and the U.S. continues to promote it, other countries, like El Salvador, will be next. Message-ID: <01A201025EBD421BB8EF38C74002CF72@home9sg93n9r5y> SAN FRANCISCO - 3 PM TODAY - Honduras demo Posted by: "Jane Franklin" janefranklin at hotmail.com Mon Aug 3, 2009 7:46 am (PDT) This flyer has the right idea -- the coup disease will spread if allowed to continue in existence. From: tonybook at att.net To: janefranklin at hotmail.com; slevinson at cubanartspace.net; JosePertierra at aol.com; laborexchange at aol.com; walterlx at earthlink.net Subject: Honduras demo Monday in SF Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 09:57:35 +0000 Please forward to friends, lists, post. Thanks, TR __________________________________________________________ DEMONSTRATE! Demand that the US denounce the coup in Honduras! Monday afternoon, August 3, 4pm - to 6pm at the Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate. Ave, SF. The new Bay Area Latin America Solidarity Coalition (BALASC) is demonstrating to demand that the United States refuse any recognition of the coup government in Honduras and refrain from interfering in Honduras' internal affairs. At this week's meeting of BALASC, it was generally agreed that this is an indirect attack on the ALBA (the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America and the Caribbean), a new model of co-operative regional economic integration that rejects U.S. and neo-liberalism' s Free Trade agenda in the Americas. There is fear that, if this coup succeeds and the U.S. continues to promote it, other countries, like El Salvador, will be next. We will be regressing to the bad old days and bloodshed of the 1980s and before. A letter will be delivered to Nancy Pelosi. Please call your representatives and the White House and tell them what you think. Bay Area Latin America Solidarity Coalition "We are a broad-based grassroots volunteer organization- our goal is to educate the communities on the popular process in Latin America and the Caribbean, and to mobilize people in defense of democracy and against US aggression, destabiliztion and coups d'etat." From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Mon Aug 3 17:39:07 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 00:39:07 +0100 Subject: [A-List] OTTO REICH AND THE HONDURAN COUP D'ETAT Message-ID: <938DAE6BDBF6483290B778F929C7E09E@home9sg93n9r5y> MACHETERA: Otto Reich and the Honduran Coup D'Etat (Part 2) Posted by: "Ma Chetera" missmachetera at gmail.com planchadora Mon Aug 3, 2009 7:39 am (PDT) http://machetera.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/otto-reich-and-the-honduran-coup-d%E2%80%99etat-the-provocateur-his-protege-and-the-toppling-of-a-president-%E2%80%93-part-two/ OTTO REICH AND THE HONDURAN COUP D?ETAT: The Provocateur, his Protege, and the Toppling of a President - (Part One) July 30, 2009 (continued from Part One) The Circling Sharks ?What is going to happen in this country if the government no longer receives the important revenues that are going to be generated through Hondutel? We?ve come to this company with one mission from President Manuel Zelaya Rosales: We have to go out and defend this company, because they want to eat it like sharks, and that?s what we?re doing, defending it tooth and nail and only with the collaboration of certain friends who are opening this kind of space for us.?[i] ? Marcelo Chimirri, Hondutel Director, September 13, 2007. (From an interview conducted 5 days after Arcadia?s corruption accusations were first reported.) Arcadia would wage its ?grey traffic? crusade in Honduras from September 2007 until the present. Carmona-Borjas first targeted the Rosenthal media family, but his focus and passion quickly began to shift to the fertile territory offered by Marcelo Chimirri Castro, Hondutel?s director. If you were to look for the colorful personification of a character from a Latin telenovela, it would be hard to find a better candidate than Chimirri. Born in Sicily to an Italian father and Honduran mother who later returned to Honduras, he bears a passing resemblance to Antonio Banderas and has a fondness for thoroughbred horses, luxury vehicles, Harley Davidsons and beautiful women. He did appear in Arcadia?s original report, in a deeply slanderous way: ?despite having been considered innocent, [Chimirri] remains the object of attention by the Honduran attorney general for the death of his ex-girlfriend Yadira Miguel Mejia, and for threats and aggressive behavior toward journalists.? Another man was convicted for that crime, and there are no indications new evidence exists, yet Arcadia had no qualms about trying to connect him to a brutal murder. Chimirri is also the nephew of Zelaya?s wife, Xiomara Castro. Like Zelaya, Chimirri is plainspoken, and appears to have a sense of humor. After many months of being hounded by Carmona-Borjas, Chimirri finally told El Heraldo that the reason Carmona-Borjas could not stop talking about him was that he was fatally attracted to him. Arcadia?s contacts within the Honduran justice system may have been unusual but they were trivial compared with its connections to the U.S. Justice Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Carmona-Borjas informed La Prensa that two small U.S. telecom companies who had interconnection contracts with Hondutel had transferred $70,000 to the bank account of a business owned by Chimirri: Inversiones Chicas, or Inverchicas (Little Investments), and helpfully supplied the dates of the transfers and the bank account number.[ii] The newspaper had no questions about how Carmona-Borjas would have come by such specific information, which Chimirri denied, explaining that Inverchicas had long since closed by the time of the supposed transfers. Carmona-Borjas insisted that Chimirri had overseen not only the grey traffic diversion, which he claimed had robbed Hondutel of some $48 million dollars, but also that the payments to Inverchicas were indicative of a bribe of some kind. Micheletti, who at that time presided over the Honduran Congress and had held Chimirri?s important position as director of Hondutel in the late 1990?s, weighed in early on Carmona-Borjas?s accusations.[iii] ?Those responsible for grey traffic deserve to go to jail, just like any other criminal,? he said. The Cobra Raid and the Wiretapping It wasn?t long before Arcadia?s whispering campaign bore fruit, and in early November, 2007, the state-sponsored Cobra paramilitary force launched dramatic and violent raids on Hondutel?s offices, as well as Chimirri?s home. Chimirri said guns had been pointed at his children?s heads. A year and a half later, TeleSUR?s president, Andr?s Izarra, would identify the Cobra squadron as the force responsible for monitoring and threatening TeleSUR journalists reporting on the aftermath of the coup, that is, until they were thrown out of the country. The justification for the raid was that Chimirri was accused of ?abuse of authority, illegal weapons possession, and revelation of secrets.? Zelaya was furious, calling the raid a brutal assault on Chimirri?s family, that better belonged in a terror film, and said that a simple citation summoning the Hondutel officials to court would have sufficed. A couple of weeks earlier, on October 22, President Zelaya had filed a complaint for telephone espionage, after his phone was illegally tapped without his knowledge. Zelaya was taped speaking to subordinates, including Chimirri, about strategies to control hostile press coverage and emerging problems with Micheletti. Two other Hondutel employees were charged with participation in the wiretapping: Oscar Danilo Santos, and Luis Alejandro Arriaga. Arcadia helpfully posted the criminally obtained recordings on YouTube. The Mounting Accusations The U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa didn?t wait for the case against Chimirri to work its way through the Honduran courts. On January 24, 2008 it announced that Chimirri was no longer allowed to enter the United States, because of his links to ?serious cases of public corruption.? With an Italian passport, Chimirri had never needed a visa but now even that would not get him through U.S. customs. Visas had always been a Reich specialty. Then the dead bodies showed up. On Friday, February 8, four people were found dead inside a truck with Guatemalan license plates, under a bridge. They had been shot and later set on fire. Again, Carmona-Borjas surged forward with an explanation. Two of the bodies were Guatemalan, a third was unidentifiable, and the last was said to have been a computer technician by the name of Alejandro Laprade Rodriguez. According to Carmona-Borjas, Laprade had come to Washington on March 27, 2007 to deliver a 49 minute tape recording which he claimed was proof of an extortion attempt by Hondutel employees. Laprade claimed that they had raided his business for no reason whatsoever and demanded $100,000 so as not to be hauled directly to jail. This too was posted by Arcadia to YouTube. The fact that the crime scene looked very much like a drug deal gone bad was for Carmona-Borjas only proof of the opposite and he insisted it was all a big show. Having no ability to oblige Carmona-Borjas to come to Honduras, and with Carmona-Borjas (like his mentor) refusing to come anyway because of what he called ?the prevailing climate of insecurity in the country,? the Public Prosecutor who was responsible for investigating the supposed extortion spoke of going to Washington to interview Carmona-Borjas. By the end of March, La Prensa published a report that said that forensic specialists had positively ID?d one of the burned bodies as Laprade, with 21 matches between the teeth of one of the cadavers, and a mold that Laprade?s dentist happened to have on hand. But several days later, the head of the Honduran Police Detective Force (DGIC), Francisco Murillo Lopez, said not so fast. ?A dental analysis is credible when 75 points coincide,? not 21, he said, ?and when it is done by a dental forensic specialist?As a police detective I respect the position of the Public Ministry, but I believe that this case ought to be examined further and as a detective, I have my doubts,? he added.[iv] He also asked to see the preliminary DNA results for all four cadavers. Carmona-Borjas shot back, dismissing Murillo?s comments and throwing some new information into the mix. He claimed that just days before Laprade was murdered, he had called Carmona-Borjas again, claiming this time to have a tape of Marcelo Chimirri confessing his involvement in grey traffic. Unfortunately, Laprade?s computer expertise did not appear to extend to YouTube uploads, and Carmona- Borjas did not have a copy of the tape because he claimed that Laprade had been looking for a way to deliver it to him without raising suspicion, when he disappeared. With his fondness for the collective pronoun combined with strategic insinuation, Carmona-Borjas said, ?We told him that he should be extremely careful considering that?Marcelo Chimirri had been linked at one time between 1997 and 1998 to the crime against the young girl, Yadira Mejia.? After that, he said, he did not hear from Laprade again. The tape has never been proven to exist. Over the summer and fall of 2008, Carmona-Borjas would continue to stalk Chimirri, but he also began to turn up the heat against Arcadia?s real target. At the end of July, he reportedly presented a formal complaint against President Zelaya, at the Honduran embassy in Washington, accusing him of acting against the legal order in Honduras and against democratic principles. It was a shot across the bow. Real Corruption of No Interest Whatsoever to Arcadia Suddenly, at the beginning of April, 2008, the tension between the Public Prosecutor?s office (Public Ministry, in Honduras) and the National Congress erupted into something extraordinary. Four prosecutors began a hunger strike on April 6, which they held on the ground floor of the National Congress building. The motive for the strike had its origins in 14 records of supposed corruption involving ?well known figures, influential in the country?s political and economic sector? which had been shelved for years without any follow- up or investigation, let alone public revelation of their names. As the hunger strike continued, it gained sympathizers and by the time a month had gone by, 22 additional people from a wide variety of organizations had joined the original four prosecutors, among them two priests and the evangelical Pastor Evelio Reyes. After Pastor Reyes interceded, the Honduran Congress named a commission to mediate, consisting of Ram?n Custodio, the commissioner for Human Rights and the executive secretary of the National Anti- Corruption Council, Juan Ferrera. The fasting prosecutors rejected the idea of mediation. Both Ferrera and Custodio went on to support the illegal coup government of Micheletti the following year. Micheletti?s own proposal for resolving the standoff involved bringing the complaint to the Organization of American States (OAS); a proposal that was also rejected by the prosecutors, who insisted that the problem be addressed in Honduras. The prosecutors were also demanding that the current Attorney General, Leonidas Rosa Bautista and the Assistant Attorney General, Omar Cerna, step down, for having engaged in illegal activities. President Zelaya supported the group, visiting them at the National Congress and also asking that Cerna resign, saying ?The real problem in Honduras is that the law is not applied to those who break it.?[v] The Honduran press and those allied with the Attorney General characterized the strike as an attempt by the president to replace the AG and his assistant with people from his own Liberal Party, rather than the National Party that the two belonged to. The prosecutors rejected this, insisting that they simply wanted an investigation into the reasons for the Public Ministry?s weakness, and a review of the cases of organized crime, corruption and environmental and human rights abuses which had never been punished. Cerna refused to resign, saying that it would be a terrible precedent, and in a refrain that would come to be repeated by the putschists a year later, added that his decision to reject the president?s request, was really a ?strengthening of institutions and democracy [in Honduras].?[vi] For his part, the astonishingly arrogant Rosa Bautista denied that he had done anything improper, and anyway, if he had, he had done it while in private practice as a trial lawyer, and not as an administrator. Therefore, Decree 49-2008, which was passed by the Congress the previous year to provide sanctions for administrative offenses did not apply to him. Furthermore, he said that people were confusing the issue, that he was actually more like a judge, not a run of the mill administrator, and as a sort-of-judge, he was subject to the Supreme Court rather than the National Congress. He threatened to go to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to ask that precautionary measures be taken to guarantee his freedoms as well as the freedoms of the Public Ministry. Despite his declarations, the public demonstrations in support of the hunger strikers were clearly beginning to unnerve Rosa Bautista, and he began traveling in cars provided by the Secretary of Defense. ?If the people?s protests for the benefit of the media had taken place within the framework of the Constitution, something would have been done a long time ago,? he said. ?But these threats to the peace, to the freedom of the press, the demonstrations, the irresponsible accusations of everyone?we should return to peace and tranquility.?[vii] It ought to have been a prime opportunity for the anti-corruption crusader from Washington to weigh in, and finally Carmona-Borjas did. He was convinced the whole hunger strike was nothing but theatre and accused the hunger strikers of lounging on comfortable Coleman brand camping mattresses, sustaining themselves with energy drinks, energy bars and Evian. Why all the fuss over a few corruption cases when there was grey traffic to be dealt with and Chimirri on the loose? Carmona-Borjas directed most of his wrath at Pastor Reyes however, an interesting choice considering that Reyes came out in support of the coup a year later. But like many sectors in Honduras, the evangelical?s relation to politics is complicated and cannot be distilled into a simple right-wing/left-wing narrative. No stranger himself to the charms of an expensive suit, Carmona-Borjas lashed out in a radio ?debate? at the pastor for his luxurious attire worth ?hundreds of thousands of dollars? (sic) and gold Rolex.[viii] In return, Reyes delivered what must have been a far more cutting insult to Carmona-Borjas. He had never heard of him. A month and a half after it began, the hunger strike ended, when a commission of congressional representatives was named to investigate Rosa Bautista and Cerna. The commission went nowhere. One of the four original hunger strikers, Jari Dixon Herrera, said that the commission?s report ?did not surprise us much, it?s what they were going to do [all along], they were never going to allow those cases to be reviewed.? Referring to Rosa Bautista and Cerna, he added, ?Nor were they going to allow their best two workers inside the Public Ministry to be exposed, seeing as they?ve protected so many.?[ix] Latinode In April of 2009, Arcadia?s accusations against Hondutel finally gained traction when a $2 million fine was leveled by the U.S. federal court for the Southern District of Florida against Latinode, a telecom company that was fined under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for paying more than a million dollars in bribes to ?third parties? in order to receive a discount on their interconnection rates. (IDT on the other hand was sanctioned by the FCC in the Haitian telecom case, but no FCPA case has ever been brought against it.) Latinode had been under investigation by the FBI and the Miami office of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to the Department of Justice (DOJ) news release[x] on the settlement, Latinode also bribed officials in Yemen to receive interconnection discounts. DOJ said that Latinode received interconnection discounts between 2004 and 2007, and that the payments were meant to eventually go to five Hondutel employees. The ?intended payment recipients? were not named, but the ?deputy general manager (who later became the general manager)? could only be Chimirri. Hondutel denied it, and said that an internal audit performed between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2007 had revealed discrepancies in Latinode?s traffic that eventually reached $4.6 million dollars owed to Hondutel. Paying a $2 million fine (over a three year period, according to DOJ) in Miami and shutting Latinode down was therefore a no-brainer, especially for eLandia, the Coral Gables telecom firm that had paid $25 million to purchase Latinode in 2007. But the DOJ news release had another curious note. It said ?The resolution of the criminal investigation of Latinode reflects, in large part, the actions of Latinode's corporate parent, eLandia International Inc. (eLandia), in disclosing potential FCPA violations to the Department of Justice after eLandia's acquisition of Latinode and post-closing discovery of the improper payments. ? Similarly to Arcadia, the made-in-Washington front group, the Latinode case has the flavor of a made-in-Miami event. Despite the DOJ English language press release, neither Arcadia nor the Latinode case are very important for U.S. consumption, yet they are playing significant political roles in Honduras. Although the DOJ?s settlement with Latinode does not prove the guilt of any Hondutel employee, that is exactly how Arcadia and the coup government have interpreted it, and spread it through the media. When Chimirri and other officials of the Zelaya administration were arrested on July 2, 2009, the sole evidence cited by the pro-coup press relates to the Latinode accusations made public by the U.S. court settlement.[xi] The same federal court in Miami tried the Cuban Five case[xii] and the recent ?suitcase scandal?[xiii] case, demonstrating that the DOJ there is not above politicizing events in order to serve hard-right foreign policy objectives in Latin America. The New Third Reich ?[This] huge network of people who are going after communications, not just in Honduras but in Central America ? the same who achieved their objective in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua where they managed to totally privatize the telecommunications sector without a single benefit to the people?So they already have a perfectly planned out scheme through which they are taking over all telecoms in Central America.? - Marcelo Chimirri, September 13, 2007 interview Emerging from the shadows, Reich could not resist the opportunity to comment on the Miami case: ?President Zelaya has allowed or encouraged these kinds of practices and now we?ll see that he?s behind this as well,? he told Miami?s El Nuevo Herald. He also referenced Chimirri for the first time in the U.S. press, casually mentioning the family connection (to the Zelayas) and the fact that he?d been accused in Honduras of a series of illegal acts in regard to his management of Hondutel contracts. He did not mention Chimirri?s accuser. For Zelaya, it was the last straw. Two members of his cabinet as well as his personal secretary were sent to the U.S. to hire legal counsel to sue Reich for defamation. The secretary, Enrique Reina, said that Reich was upset because Hondutel had cancelled the interconnection contract of a firm he represented. Carmona-Borjas weighed in, repeating his accusation to the Honduran media that Zelaya had acted ?unconstitutionally.? Zelaya would have little time to press the case. Two months later he was awoken by the Cobra paramilitary force which shot its way into his house and put him on a plane to Costa Rica, still wearing his pajamas. In his strange non-denial op-ed for the Miami Herald, Reich taunted Zelaya, claiming that a little thing like a coup d?etat was no reason for him not to proceed with his defamation lawsuit, and in floating the accusations against Chimirri, inflated the amount of missing Hondutel funds from $48 to $100 million. The CAFTA Link The explanation for the wild price inflation may have less to do with Reich?s penchant for hyperbole than it does with CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement. The pressure to privatize Hondutel did not materialize until CAFTA was implemented. It is a key piece of the neoliberal puzzle, even expanding multinational corporations' rights in Central America to include the ability to sue for ?lost" or "future" profits under a clause that protects companies from "measures equivalent to expropriation." (CAFTA-DR Treaty, Article 10.7) CAFTA clearly states that legitimate state actions such as the enacting of environmental and consumer protection laws, may trigger Article 10.7 and allow U.S. corporations to sue signatory countries for all of the money that they might have made otherwise.[xiv] Illegitimate government actions such as corruption are therefore definitely covered, and mere accusations of corruption could provide the fulcrum to pressure governments into settling in the secret tribunals of ICSID, the World Bank's arbitration court. But that may not be necessary, since Reich is a self-proclaimed expert in handling "anti-corruption activities, political risk analysis and non-litigious dispute settlement" for US multinationals in Latin America.[xv] His backdoor expertise can make it so that multinationals never have to publicly make these immoral and reputation-damaging arguments. Given Reich?s telecom ties, not to mention those of the Cormac Group[xvi]and those of Hillary Clinton?s friend, Lanny Davis,[xvii] who set up a press and congressional lobbying tour in Washington for the Honduran coup regime, the possibility of a future lawsuit of this type cannot be discounted. CAFTA's rules regarding such lawsuits are broader than NAFTA's infamous Chapter 11, and such threats are already being utilized by multinationals to pressure the cash-strapped governments of El Salvador and Guatemala into handing over millions. [xviii] The Aftermath Reich admitted to having engaged in ?pointing to Zelaya as the enabler of the corruption in Honduras? and added, ?had I really been the ?architect? of Zelaya?s removal, I would had (sic) advised that he be charged with the almost 20 crimes with which the Honduran Judiciary has now charged him, and be arrested by civilian authorities. I would have urged that the constitutional process be followed: the elevation to the presidency of the next-in-line, President of the Congress Roberto Micheletti, and the continuation of the electoral process, culminating in a November election.? Except for omitting the part about flying the president to Costa Rica, this was how the coup played out, to the letter, although Reich coyly insisted these events unfolded ?without my involvement.? To La Prensa in Honduras, Reich once again denied any legal association with Arcadia. ?I?m not a member of the Arcadia Foundation. I know the Arcadia Foundation very well and the work it has done.? It was exactly the kind of statement he could have made 25 years earlier about Citizens For America. For his part, Carmona-Borjas fulminated to what was left of the Honduran press about how kicking TeleSUR out of Honduras was not really restricting anyone?s freedom of expression, adding jabs at CNN en Espa?ol for not completely ignoring demonstrations in support of Zelaya, and of course, his pet target, Chimirri. In Honduras, with Zelaya safely out of the way, the new putschist leaders would crank up the witch hunt, nabbing Chimirri and other Zelaya officials post-haste and sending them directly to the national penitentiary, but not without personally introducing Carmona-Borjas at a pro-coup rally and commending him for being the first to incriminate Hondutel and thanking him for Chimirri?s arrest.[xix] An order was issued to Interpol for the capture of the Hondutel employees implicated in the Latinode case: Jorge Alberto Rosa, Julio Daniel Flores, and Oscar Danilo Santos. Charges were also concocted against Rixi Moncada, who was one of the people Zelaya had earlier sent to Miami to hire the firm to sue Reich, and who would play a visible role at the mediation talks with Oscar Arias, arranged by Hillary Clinton. Rebeca Santos, and Aristides Mej?a, formerly associated with the state electric company were also targeted. Although Arcadia?s role was unreported and therefore unknown outside Honduras, the Venezuelans and Hondurans understood it completely. Ambassador Chaderton promised to forward a dossier on the matter to the U.S. mission to the OAS, and in an interview with La Jornada following his remarks to the OAS, Chaderton said they had ?absolutely no doubts about it.?[xx] In Latin America, there are many more important state companies to be targeted for privatization, and if not, many more leftist leaders who remain to be convinced or toppled. Meanwhile in Washington, the Arcadia Foundation still exists, like a sleeper cell, awaiting its master?s voice. * With additional reporting by Revolter. [i] Proceso Digital. 2007. ?Hondutel anuncia demandas contra Carmona y diario El Universal.? September 13. Via http://www.proceso.hn/2007/09/13/Nacionales/Hondutel.anuncia.demandas/986.html [ii] La Prensa. 2007. ?Arcadia se?ala ahora a Chimirri.? September 13. Via http://archivo.laprensa.hn/ez/index.php/laprensa_user/ediciones/2007/09/14/arcadia_senala_ahora_a_chimirri [iii] El Heraldo. 2007. ?Sigue esc?ndalo internacional por Hondutel.? September 19. Via http://archivo.elheraldo.hn/nota.php?nid=83302&sec=12&fecha=2007-09-19 [iv] El Heraldo, 2008. ?Polic?a tiene reservas en caso Laprade.? March 31. Via http://archivo.elheraldo.hn/ez/index.php/plain_site_user/ediciones/2008/03/31/policia_tiene_reservas_en_caso_laprade [v] Listin Diario. 2008. ?Huelga de hambre de fiscales en Honduras para exigir que no archiven expedientes corrupci?n.? April 27. Via http://www.listindiario.com/app/article.aspx?id=56649 [vi] El Heraldo. 2008. ?Cerna se neg? a violentar el Estado de Derecho.? April 25. Via http://archivo.elheraldo.hn/ez/index.php/plain_site_user/ediciones/2008/04/25/cerna_se_nego_a_violentar_el_estado_de_derecho [vii] El Heraldo. 2008. ?Inconstitucional separarnos del cargo.? April 25. Via http://archivo.elheraldo.hn/ez/index.php/plain_site_user/ediciones/2008/05/10/inconstitucional_separarnos_del_cargo [viii] La Prensa. 2008. ?Robert Carmona cuestiona papel del pastor Evelio Reyes.? April 24. Via http://archivo.laprensa.hn/ez/index.php/laprensa_user/ediciones/2008/04/24/robert_carmona_cuestiona_papel_del_pastor_evelio_reyes [ix] AFP. 2008. ?Congreso hondure?o desestima denuncias de fiscales.? June 6. Via http://www.radiolaprimerisima.com/noticias/resumen/29013 [x] Department of Justice News Release. ?Latin Node Inc., Pleads Guilty to Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Violation and Agrees to Pay $2 Million Criminal Fine.? April 9, 2008. Via http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/April/09-crm-318.html [xi] La Tribuna. 2008. ?Capturado ex gerente de Hondutel, Marcelo Chimirri.? July 2, 2009. Via http://www.latribuna.hn/web2.0/?p=15493 [xii] http://www.freethefive.org/ [xiii] BoRev, ?Valijagate Update I.?June 30, 2008. Via http://www.borev.net/2008/06/valijagate_update_i_1.html [xiv] Washington Office on Latin America. ?Fair Trade or Free Trade? Understanding CAFTA.? p. 13, www.citizen.org/documents/CAFTAbriefingpacket.pdf [xv] http://ottoreich.com/ [xvi] Cormac Group secured approval of the AT&T Wireless-Cingular Merger before the Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice by securing legislative and regulatory support. http://www.thecormacgroup.com/success.htm Also see Kozloff?s article at iv, above. [xvii] Lanny Davis is a partner in the Orrick law firm. In United Computer Systems vs. AT&T Corp. and Lucent Technologies, Orrick represented AT&T and Lucent in the arbitration of a software license dispute that claimed lost profits of $6 billion. http://www.orrick.com/practices/intellectual_property/software.asp [xviii] El Salvador warned of CAFTA-DR lawsuit by mining company, http://www.investmenttreatynews.org/cms/news/archive/2008/12/12/el-salvador-warned-of-cafta-dr-lawsuit-by-mining-company.aspx , Guatemala?s objection to jurisdiction dismissed in DR-CAFTA arbitration, http://www.investmenttreatynews.org/cms/news/archive/2008/11/26/guatemala-s-objection-to-jurisdiction-dismissed-in-cafta-arbitration.aspx , [xix] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukacM-77lXs [xx] Brooks, David. ?Repudia la OEA al gobierno golpista; exige reinstalaci?n inmediata de Zelaya.? La Jornada, June 29, 2009, via http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2009/06/29/index.php?section=mundo&article=026n1mun This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Mon Aug 3 18:01:30 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 01:01:30 +0100 Subject: [A-List] A fascinating profile of the Venezuelan ambassador to the US. Message-ID: <15EDFEBDF10542DD89EE670F10C81BBD@home9sg93n9r5y> WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT/Luxner: Profile of Venezuelan http://www.washdip Posted to CN by: "Walter Lippmann" walterlx at earthlink.net walterlx Mon Aug 3, 2009 8:07 am (PDT) (A fascinating profile of the Venezuelan ambassador to the US. The author give his own perspectives, but also permits the subject to express his own political stand clearly to the reader also gets Alvarez's viewpoints.) http://www.washdiplomat.com/August%202009/a4_08_09.html The Washington Diplomat Cover Profile - Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez Herrera Ch?vez's Man in Washington: He's Back for Round Two by Larry Luxner Last September, Bernardo Alvarez Herrera made headlines - but not the way he would have liked. Venezuela's feisty ambassador here became an unexpected casualty in the escalating war of words between the Bush administration and one of its fiercest enemies, President Hugo Ch?vez. On Sept. 11, Ch?vez - acting in solidarity with his socialist buddy in Bolivia, President Evo Morales - expelled Patrick Duddy, the U.S. ambassador in Caracas, only a day after Morales accused the U.S. envoy in La Paz, Philip Goldberg, of stoking anti-government violence there and kicked him out. In revenge, the State Department gave Alvarez 24 hours to pack his bags and leave the country (his family was given 72 hours). It also booted Bolivia's top diplomat here, announcing that "in response to the unwarranted action and in accordance with the Vienna Convention, we have officially informed the government of Bolivia of our decision to declare Ambassador Gustavo Guzm?n persona non grata." But then a funny thing happened. Barack Obama became president, and within six months, the United States welcomed Alvarez back - thereby earning him a footnote in American history as the first foreign ambassador ever to be declared persona non grata by one U.S. administration, then have that unhappy status lifted by another one. On the other hand, Bolivia's Guzm?n won't be following Alvarez back to Washington anytime soon, if ever, as relations between Obama and Morales remain sour. Alvarez is also making history on a different, perhaps less dramatic level: With this issue, he becomes the first ambassador to appear three times on the cover of The Washington Diplomat (he's also graced our May 2003 and September 2006 covers). "We are living in new times," Alvarez told us. "We value the decision that allowed Ambassador Duddy to go back to Caracas, and me to return here. This tells you that when there's political will to move on, everything is possible." Duddy expressed similar sentiments during a July 4 speech in Caracas. "Our two national agendas share aspects such as energy, democracy, the rule of law, public health, environmental protection and the fight against international crime," he told local reporters. "Venezuela and the U.S. have a lot of things to discuss. Hopefully, the reinstatement of ambassadors will facilitate this dialogue." Alvarez talked to The Diplomat last month over a hearty traditional Venezuelan breakfast at his official residence - in a wide-ranging, lively interview that touched on everything from the latest political crisis in Honduras to his own recent loneliness. "This house seems so big without my family. I feel like a bachelor here," joked the 52-year-old ambassador, whose wife and three children are still in Caracas, unsure whether to stay there or return to Washington for the moment. During his forced exile in Venezuela, Alvarez didn't exactly sit around doing nothing. Less than a week after his expulsion from the United States, Ch?vez asked Alvarez to head the Unasur mission to Bolivia - a regional effort by South American countries to resolve a bitter standoff between forces loyal to Morales and violent opposition groups. "I spent almost a month and a half in Bolivia. Then I came back to Venezuela, and the ALBA countries decided to establish a bank," said Alvarez, using the Spanish acronym for the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, a leftist regional bloc created by Ch?vez as a counterweight to U.S. efforts to form a Free Trade Area of the Americas. "Who could have imagined that this idea of Cuba and Venezuela, back in 2005 when they decided to create ALBA, would today include nine countries," said Alvarez, proudly rattling off ALBA's current membership list: Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and of course Venezuela. Alvarez served for seven months as president of Banco del ALBA before unexpectedly getting his Washington ambassadorship back - a job almost everybody assumed would go to Roy Chaderton, Venezuela's current envoy to the Organization of American States. "Both countries wanted to speed up the process," Alvarez explained. "And to do that, the easy way out was to just reinstate both ambassadors, without going through the process of hearings in Washington and Caracas. We just re-established full relations." Yet there's clearly more to the story. "Bernardo Alvarez comes from a very wealthy and traditional family, and he's always been on the left. He's a former congressman and petroleum vice minister, while Roy Chaderton is a career diplomat," said a Venezuelan source who knows both men but asked not to be named. "In Venezuela, there's far more respect for Alvarez than for Chaderton." The source added: "Neither one is in the Ch?vez inner circle. This was basically diplomatic protocol, where they revert to the original status quo and later make changes. I think Alvarez deep down knows a lot of the stuff they are doing is wrong, but he doesn't break ranks. I wouldn't be surprised if he is changed later." Alvarez, touting his own impeccable leftist credentials, told The Diplomat that he has absolutely nothing in common with members of Venezuela's rich elite, who up until very recently controlled most of the resources in this oil-rich nation of 27 million. "I might look like one of them, but I'm not," he assured us. "I come from a very traditional but politically conservative family in Lara state, with a sense of social responsibility. My father is a doctor, and he's dedicated his whole life to children and public health. My mother was the daughter of a newspaper editor, and a leftist. And my real political life started in leftist parties." The ambassador grew up in the city of Barquisimeto, located halfway between Caracas and Maracaibo, center of the country's oil industry. He holds a degree in political science from the Universidad Central de Venezuela and a master's degree in development studies from the University of Sussex in England. Before coming to Washington in 2003, Alvarez was Venezuela's vice minister for oil and gas - an important position in a country that derives 80 percent of its foreign exchange from petroleum exports. He arrived here only a year after plotters attempted but failed to overthrow Ch?vez, with tacit approval from then President George W. Bush. "We had to face a really hostile administration, with all sorts of sanctions and campaigns against us. There were so many stressful moments," he recalled. "During the Bush administration, it was impossible to do anything with them. Now there is a chance to rebuild, so the job is much more demanding." Alvarez says that this time around, he's been received "very well" by the State Department, with which he's had frequent consultations. Despite his expulsion, he's even retained his seniority, becoming dean of Washington's Latin American diplomatic corps with the recent departure of El Salvador's Rene Le?n, who was here for more than 10 years. "We recognize the decision made jointly by Ch?vez and the Obama administration to move ahead," Alvarez told us. "Venezuela's influence in the hemisphere is growing, but we've been watching the administration closely. Although we're basically hopeful, we are a bit concerned by the recent remarks made by [Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton." A bit concerned may be a bit of an understatement. In early July, Clinton met with two prominent anti-Ch?vez personalities: Alberto Ravell, owner of the rabidly oppositionist TV station Globovision, and Leopoldo Castillo, the host of a Globovision talk show and former Venezuelan ambassador to El Salvador. In an interview later broadcast on that station, the secretary of state criticized the Ch?vez government's recent crackdown on opposition media, telling her interviewer that "part of what we hope to see over the next months in Venezuela is a recognition that you can be a very strong leader and have very strong opinions without trying to take on too much power and trying to silence all your critics." Reaction from Caracas was swift and sharp. "In a moment in which efforts are being made to improve the relationship with the U.S. government, the secretary of state repeats the old practice of giving recipes and issuing evaluations of Venezuelan democracy," the Ministry of Foreign Relations complained in an official statement. "Her insinuations reflect a profound lack of knowledge of our reality. It is difficult to believe in the sincerity of Washington's intention to restore bilateral relations." Part of the problem is that, despite Obama's efforts to reach out to Ch?vez, there's still a great deal of distrust between the two countries. The Venezuelan leader's frequent tirades against American imperialism, his name-calling and his sometimes childish antics (for example, his denunciation of President Bush as the devil at a speech before the U.N. General Assembly) have angered many political leaders throughout the region, not only in the United States. In one memorable incident, King Juan Carlos of Spain told Ch?vez to "shut up" after he repeatedly insulted the country's former prime minister, Jos? Mar?a Aznar, during the 2007 Ibero-American Summit in Chile. Ch?vez also trashed Colombian President Alvaro Uribe as "a liar and a cynic" during a particularly tense period in relations that led to a temporary freeze in diplomatic ties - tensions that have resurfaced again with a plan to increase the U.S. military presence in Colombia. Speaking on state television recently, Ch?vez said he is even placing Venezuela's diplomatic ties with Colombia under review, calling the military proposal a "new aggression against us." So far, both Colombia and the U.S. seem to be ignoring Ch?vez's bellicose rhetoric. Disdain of Ch?vez in fact runs deep throughout the United States. His reputation in Washington - and especially among many members of Congress - isn't helped by his government's official hostility toward Israel and a recent spate of anti-Semitic attacks in Caracas that has left Venezuela's dwindling Jewish community afraid for their lives. Likewise, Ch?vez's warm friendship with Fidel Castro over the years has earned him the wrath of thousands of Cuban and Venezuelan exiles in Miami. Yet Alvarez - who first visited the island in 1978 as part of a youth delegation and has been back to Cuba dozens of times since then - says that the bilateral friendship is here to stay, whether the United States likes it or not. In recent years, Alvarez noted, annual trade between Venezuela and Cuba has jumped from $350 million to $7 billion, and Venezuela provides the communist island with 98,000 barrels of oil a day at subsidized prices. In addition, thousands of Venezuelan physicians got their medical training in Cuba, and more than 20,000 Cuban doctors are currently working throughout Venezuela. "Cuba, as you know, is more of a domestic than an international issue for the United States," the ambassador said. "Anytime something happens, powerful interests here align to stop any improvement. Cuba is not a military threat to the United States or its national interests." Alvarez said he hopes U.S. policy toward Cuba changes, but without preconditions, such as those that were imposed when the Organization of American States voted to rescind Cuba's suspension - though only if it met standards on democracy and human rights. "Cuba is not asking to get back into the OAS, but it could participate in the Summit of the Americas," Alvarez said. "Here we had a meeting in Trinidad, and the whole meeting was talking about a country that wasn't invited." But Latin America's flashpoint right now isn't Cuba. It's Honduras, where deposed President Manuel Zelaya is fighting to return home after he was forcibly removed in a June 28 military coup (see related story on the Organization of American States). Venezuela has emerged as Zelaya's leading protector, and many in the Ch?vez government have blatantly accused the United States and even Israel of orchestrating the coup to protect powerful business interests in Honduras from the leftist president. "They will have to get to the bottom of how much of a hand the CIA and other imperial bodies had in this," Ch?vez said the day after Zelaya's overthrow, suggesting that his government would respond with military force if his envoy to Honduras was kidnapped or killed. But Obama generally won praise for his initial condemnation of the coup, robbing Ch?vez of the name-calling opportunities he enjoyed with Bush. "Instead of engaging in tit-for-tat accusations, Mr. Obama calmly described the coup as 'illegal' and called for Mr. Zelaya's return to office," the New York Times wrote on July 1. "While Mr. Ch?vez continued to portray Washington as the coup's possible orchestrator, others in Latin America failed to see it that way." But Alvarez told us that he thinks Washington should have condemned the coup in Honduras much more forcefully (the mediation has since been outsourced to Costa Rican President Oscar Arias). "This is a big prueba de fuego [trial by fire] for the Obama administration," he said. "According to the standards of some people, it doesn't matter too much whether you have been elected or not. Apparently, if you work for and comply with the rules and interests of the elite - and you allow the media to impose their agenda - you are a good democracy. But if you work for the excluded and the minorities, then you are seen as a bad democracy." The ambassador warned: "If we don't re-establish Zelaya in government for the time he has left to serve, there will be devastating consequences. Anybody could then go and say what they want - for whatever reasons - even if the international community condemns it." Meanwhile, Alvarez is pouring all his efforts into improving U.S.-Venezuelan relations, particularly in the energy sector. Despite the bad blood between Washington and Caracas, Venezuela has remained one of this country's top sources of foreign oil. "We must re-establish our relationship in energy and get it back to where it was - a constructive dialogue between two very important countries. There cannot really be any comprehensive energy policy in the hemisphere without the United States and without Venezuela," Alvarez said. "It's not only the oil we provide the U.S., but also what we get from the United States." More than 55 percent of U.S. exports to Venezuela are in the automotive, communications and basic organic chemical sectors, while 95 percent of Venezuelan exports to the United States are in the oil, gas and petroleum refining sectors. In 2008, according to embassy statistics, Venezuelan trade with the United States stood at $64 billion, up from $50 billion in 2007 and just $24 billion in 2000. Three states alone - Texas, Louisiana and Florida - represent 67 percent of that commerce, though bilateral trade plummeted by 39 percent during the first quarter of 2009 because of the worldwide recession. Petr?leos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the state oil monopoly, reported global operational revenues of $126.4 billion, and PDVSA's contribution to the Venezuelan budget came to a whopping $53 billion in 2008 - up $9 billion from 2007 figures. At present, Venezuela is the third-largest oil exporter to the United States, trailing Canada and Mexico, and a U.S. subsidiary of PDVSA owns 100 percent of Citgo, one of the nation's largest gasoline refiners and retailers. But Venezuelan oil shipments to U.S. ports fell to 891,000 barrels a day this past April, their lowest level in 18 years. And sharply lower oil prices on the world market have forced Ch?vez to slash the 2009 national budget from $77.9 billion to $72.7 billion. "The spending cuts will be achieved, in part, through the elimination of government spending considered to be superfluous, such as executive vehicles, government building acquisitions and renovations, and bonuses for high-level officials," says an official embassy handout, insisting that "there will be no cuts in social spending or programs." According to Alvarez, that budget is now based on an oil price of $40 per barrel, not $60 as originally projected. "From the very beginning, we knew that prices of over $100 a barrel were not going to stay there. We also knew that prices were having a bad effect, creating a surplus of money in Venezuela," he explained. "Fortunately, we have been saving money over the past few years, and we now have a fund with $40 billion to keep investing in strategic infrastructure. We have had to make adjustments, but we are getting out of this crisis without suffering like countries that are more vulnerable." In the meantime, Alvarez's more immediate focus will be mending the still wobbly U.S.-Venezuelan relationship. The envoy says he's not bitter about having been kicked out of the United States, but hopes it doesn't happen again. "Over the years, I've been blessed with the opportunity of seeing America. I have traveled all around and have many friends and acquaintances here. I have seen the beauty, the poverty, the stressful America of people in need, and the big companies and technology. That tells you about the complexity of this country." Asked if Obama and Ch?vez might sit down and talk anytime soon, Alvarez said there's no reason for them not to. "Why not?" he said. "Everybody was skeptical. Some people thought it would take months of lobbying, but look what they did. They met in a summit and solved would could have cost us months or years." But Alvarez suggested it will take a lot more than photo ops or presidential handshakes to overcome years of mutual distrust. A hint of what that entails can be found in the book Ch?vez gave Obama last April in Port of Spain: a Spanish-language edition of "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent," by Uruguayan journalist Eduardo Galeano. "Obama is one thing, but you must dismantle your Cold War mentality and this whole imperialist way of looking at the world," Alvarez said. "Then the United States will have much more influence, because then it will be based on moral principles and cooperation." Larry Luxner is news editor of The Washington Diplomat. This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Mon Aug 3 18:22:12 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 01:22:12 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Otto Reich and the Honduran Coup D'Etat -- (Part 2) Message-ID: <9FBF28337A284294AABDF6F8BD19FF96@home9sg93n9r5y> Otto Reich and the Honduran Coup D'Etat -- (Part 2) Posted to CN by: "Ma Chetera" missmachetera at gmail.com planchadora Mon Aug 3, 2009 7:39 am (PDT) http://machetera.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/otto-reich-and-the-honduran-coup-d%E2%80%99etat-the-provocateur-his-protege-and-the-toppling-of-a-president-%E2%80%93-part-two/ OTTO REICH AND THE HONDURAN COUP D?ETAT: The Provocateur, his Prot?g?, and the Toppling of a President By Machetera* (continued from Part One) The Circling Sharks ?What is going to happen in this country if the government no longer receives the important revenues that are going to be generated through Hondutel? We?ve come to this company with one mission from President Manuel Zelaya Rosales: We have to go out and defend this company, because they want to eat it like sharks, and that?s what we?re doing, defending it tooth and nail and only with the collaboration of certain friends who are opening this kind of space for us.?[i] ? Marcelo Chimirri, Hondutel Director, September 13, 2007. (From an interview conducted 5 days after Arcadia?s corruption accusations were first reported.) Arcadia would wage its ?grey traffic? crusade in Honduras from September 2007 until the present. Carmona-Borjas first targeted the Rosenthal media family, but his focus and passion quickly began to shift to the fertile territory offered by Marcelo Chimirri Castro, Hondutel?s director. If you were to look for the colorful personification of a character from a Latin telenovela, it would be hard to find a better candidate than Chimirri. Born in Sicily to an Italian father and Honduran mother who later returned to Honduras, he bears a passing resemblance to Antonio Banderas and has a fondness for thoroughbred horses, luxury vehicles, Harley Davidsons and beautiful women. He did appear in Arcadia?s original report, in a deeply slanderous way: ?despite having been considered innocent, [Chimirri] remains the object of attention by the Honduran attorney general for the death of his ex-girlfriend Yadira Miguel Mejia, and for threats and aggressive behavior toward journalists.? Another man was convicted for that crime, and there are no indications new evidence exists, yet Arcadia had no qualms about trying to connect him to a brutal murder. Chimirri is also the nephew of Zelaya?s wife, Xiomara Castro. Like Zelaya, Chimirri is plainspoken, and appears to have a sense of humor. After many months of being hounded by Carmona-Borjas, Chimirri finally told El Heraldo that the reason Carmona-Borjas could not stop talking about him was that he was fatally attracted to him. Arcadia?s contacts within the Honduran justice system may have been unusual but they were trivial compared with its connections to the U.S. Justice Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Carmona-Borjas informed La Prensa that two small U.S. telecom companies who had interconnection contracts with Hondutel had transferred $70,000 to the bank account of a business owned by Chimirri: Inversiones Chicas, or Inverchicas (Little Investments), and helpfully supplied the dates of the transfers and the bank account number.[ii] The newspaper had no questions about how Carmona-Borjas would have come by such specific information, which Chimirri denied, explaining that Inverchicas had long since closed by the time of the supposed transfers. Carmona-Borjas insisted that Chimirri had overseen not only the grey traffic diversion, which he claimed had robbed Hondutel of some $48 million dollars, but also that the payments to Inverchicas were indicative of a bribe of some kind. Micheletti, who at that time presided over the Honduran Congress and had held Chimirri?s important position as director of Hondutel in the late 1990?s, weighed in early on Carmona-Borjas?s accusations.[iii] ?Those responsible for grey traffic deserve to go to jail, just like any other criminal,? he said. The Cobra Raid and the Wiretapping It wasn?t long before Arcadia?s whispering campaign bore fruit, and in early November, 2007, the state-sponsored Cobra paramilitary force launched dramatic and violent raids on Hondutel?s offices, as well as Chimirri?s home. Chimirri said guns had been pointed at his children?s heads. A year and a half later, TeleSUR?s president, Andr?s Izarra, would identify the Cobra squadron as the force responsible for monitoring and threatening TeleSUR journalists reporting on the aftermath of the coup, that is, until they were thrown out of the country. The justification for the raid was that Chimirri was accused of ?abuse of authority, illegal weapons possession, and revelation of secrets.? Zelaya was furious, calling the raid a brutal assault on Chimirri?s family, that better belonged in a terror film, and said that a simple citation summoning the Hondutel officials to court would have sufficed. A couple of weeks earlier, on October 22, President Zelaya had filed a complaint for telephone espionage, after his phone was illegally tapped without his knowledge. Zelaya was taped speaking to subordinates, including Chimirri, about strategies to control hostile press coverage and emerging problems with Micheletti. Two other Hondutel employees were charged with participation in the wiretapping: Oscar Danilo Santos, and Luis Alejandro Arriaga. Arcadia helpfully posted the criminally obtained recordings on YouTube. The Mounting Accusations The U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa didn?t wait for the case against Chimirri to work its way through the Honduran courts. On January 24, 2008 it announced that Chimirri was no longer allowed to enter the United States, because of his links to ?serious cases of public corruption.? With an Italian passport, Chimirri had never needed a visa but now even that would not get him through U.S. customs. Visas had always been a Reich specialty. Then the dead bodies showed up. On Friday, February 8, four people were found dead inside a truck with Guatemalan license plates, under a bridge. They had been shot and later set on fire. Again, Carmona-Borjas surged forward with an explanation. Two of the bodies were Guatemalan, a third was unidentifiable, and the last was said to have been a computer technician by the name of Alejandro Laprade Rodriguez. According to Carmona-Borjas, Laprade had come to Washington on March 27, 2007 to deliver a 49 minute tape recording which he claimed was proof of an extortion attempt by Hondutel employees. Laprade claimed that they had raided his business for no reason whatsoever and demanded $100,000 so as not to be hauled directly to jail. This too was posted by Arcadia to YouTube. The fact that the crime scene looked very much like a drug deal gone bad was for Carmona-Borjas only proof of the opposite and he insisted it was all a big show. Having no ability to oblige Carmona-Borjas to come to Honduras, and with Carmona-Borjas (like his mentor) refusing to come anyway because of what he called ?the prevailing climate of insecurity in the country,? the Public Prosecutor who was responsible for investigating the supposed extortion spoke of going to Washington to interview Carmona-Borjas. By the end of March, La Prensa published a report that said that forensic specialists had positively ID?d one of the burned bodies as Laprade, with 21 matches between the teeth of one of the cadavers, and a mold that Laprade?s dentist happened to have on hand. But several days later, the head of the Honduran Police Detective Force (DGIC), Francisco Murillo Lopez, said not so fast. ?A dental analysis is credible when 75 points coincide,? not 21, he said, ?and when it is done by a dental forensic specialist?As a police detective I respect the position of the Public Ministry, but I believe that this case ought to be examined further and as a detective, I have my doubts,? he added.[iv] He also asked to see the preliminary DNA results for all four cadavers. Carmona-Borjas shot back, dismissing Murillo?s comments and throwing some new information into the mix. He claimed that just days before Laprade was murdered, he had called Carmona-Borjas again, claiming this time to have a tape of Marcelo Chimirri confessing his involvement in grey traffic. Unfortunately, Laprade?s computer expertise did not appear to extend to YouTube uploads, and Carmona- Borjas did not have a copy of the tape because he claimed that Laprade had been looking for a way to deliver it to him without raising suspicion, when he disappeared. With his fondness for the collective pronoun combined with strategic insinuation, Carmona-Borjas said, ?We told him that he should be extremely careful considering that?Marcelo Chimirri had been linked at one time between 1997 and 1998 to the crime against the young girl, Yadira Mejia.? After that, he said, he did not hear from Laprade again. The tape has never been proven to exist. Over the summer and fall of 2008, Carmona-Borjas would continue to stalk Chimirri, but he also began to turn up the heat against Arcadia?s real target. At the end of July, he reportedly presented a formal complaint against President Zelaya, at the Honduran embassy in Washington, accusing him of acting against the legal order in Honduras and against democratic principles. It was a shot across the bow. Real Corruption of No Interest Whatsoever to Arcadia Suddenly, at the beginning of April, 2008, the tension between the Public Prosecutor?s office (Public Ministry, in Honduras) and the National Congress erupted into something extraordinary. Four prosecutors began a hunger strike on April 6, which they held on the ground floor of the National Congress building. The motive for the strike had its origins in 14 records of supposed corruption involving ?well known figures, influential in the country?s political and economic sector? which had been shelved for years without any follow- up or investigation, let alone public revelation of their names. As the hunger strike continued, it gained sympathizers and by the time a month had gone by, 22 additional people from a wide variety of organizations had joined the original four prosecutors, among them two priests and the evangelical Pastor Evelio Reyes. After Pastor Reyes interceded, the Honduran Congress named a commission to mediate, consisting of Ram?n Custodio, the commissioner for Human Rights and the executive secretary of the National Anti- Corruption Council, Juan Ferrera. The fasting prosecutors rejected the idea of mediation. Both Ferrera and Custodio went on to support the illegal coup government of Micheletti the following year. Micheletti?s own proposal for resolving the standoff involved bringing the complaint to the Organization of American States (OAS); a proposal that was also rejected by the prosecutors, who insisted that the problem be addressed in Honduras. The prosecutors were also demanding that the current Attorney General, Leonidas Rosa Bautista and the Assistant Attorney General, Omar Cerna, step down, for having engaged in illegal activities. President Zelaya supported the group, visiting them at the National Congress and also asking that Cerna resign, saying ?The real problem in Honduras is that the law is not applied to those who break it.?[v] The Honduran press and those allied with the Attorney General characterized the strike as an attempt by the president to replace the AG and his assistant with people from his own Liberal Party, rather than the National Party that the two belonged to. The prosecutors rejected this, insisting that they simply wanted an investigation into the reasons for the Public Ministry?s weakness, and a review of the cases of organized crime, corruption and environmental and human rights abuses which had never been punished. Cerna refused to resign, saying that it would be a terrible precedent, and in a refrain that would come to be repeated by the putschists a year later, added that his decision to reject the president?s request, was really a ?strengthening of institutions and democracy [in Honduras].?[vi] For his part, the astonishingly arrogant Rosa Bautista denied that he had done anything improper, and anyway, if he had, he had done it while in private practice as a trial lawyer, and not as an administrator. Therefore, Decree 49-2008, which was passed by the Congress the previous year to provide sanctions for administrative offenses did not apply to him. Furthermore, he said that people were confusing the issue, that he was actually more like a judge, not a run of the mill administrator, and as a sort-of-judge, he was subject to the Supreme Court rather than the National Congress. He threatened to go to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to ask that precautionary measures be taken to guarantee his freedoms as well as the freedoms of the Public Ministry. Despite his declarations, the public demonstrations in support of the hunger strikers were clearly beginning to unnerve Rosa Bautista, and he began traveling in cars provided by the Secretary of Defense. ?If the people?s protests for the benefit of the media had taken place within the framework of the Constitution, something would have been done a long time ago,? he said. ?But these threats to the peace, to the freedom of the press, the demonstrations, the irresponsible accusations of everyone?we should return to peace and tranquility.?[vii] It ought to have been a prime opportunity for the anti-corruption crusader from Washington to weigh in, and finally Carmona-Borjas did. He was convinced the whole hunger strike was nothing but theatre and accused the hunger strikers of lounging on comfortable Coleman brand camping mattresses, sustaining themselves with energy drinks, energy bars and Evian. Why all the fuss over a few corruption cases when there was grey traffic to be dealt with and Chimirri on the loose? Carmona-Borjas directed most of his wrath at Pastor Reyes however, an interesting choice considering that Reyes came out in support of the coup a year later. But like many sectors in Honduras, the evangelical?s relation to politics is complicated and cannot be distilled into a simple right-wing/left-wing narrative. No stranger himself to the charms of an expensive suit, Carmona-Borjas lashed out in a radio ?debate? at the pastor for his luxurious attire worth ?hundreds of thousands of dollars? (sic) and gold Rolex.[viii] In return, Reyes delivered what must have been a far more cutting insult to Carmona-Borjas. He had never heard of him. A month and a half after it began, the hunger strike ended, when a commission of congressional representatives was named to investigate Rosa Bautista and Cerna. The commission went nowhere. One of the four original hunger strikers, Jari Dixon Herrera, said that the commission?s report ?did not surprise us much, it?s what they were going to do [all along], they were never going to allow those cases to be reviewed.? Referring to Rosa Bautista and Cerna, he added, ?Nor were they going to allow their best two workers inside the Public Ministry to be exposed, seeing as they?ve protected so many.?[ix] Latinode In April of 2009, Arcadia?s accusations against Hondutel finally gained traction when a $2 million fine was leveled by the U.S. federal court for the Southern District of Florida against Latinode, a telecom company that was fined under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for paying more than a million dollars in bribes to ?third parties? in order to receive a discount on their interconnection rates. (IDT on the other hand was sanctioned by the FCC in the Haitian telecom case, but no FCPA case has ever been brought against it.) Latinode had been under investigation by the FBI and the Miami office of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to the Department of Justice (DOJ) news release[x] on the settlement, Latinode also bribed officials in Yemen to receive interconnection discounts. DOJ said that Latinode received interconnection discounts between 2004 and 2007, and that the payments were meant to eventually go to five Hondutel employees. The ?intended payment recipients? were not named, but the ?deputy general manager (who later became the general manager)? could only be Chimirri. Hondutel denied it, and said that an internal audit performed between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2007 had revealed discrepancies in Latinode?s traffic that eventually reached $4.6 million dollars owed to Hondutel. Paying a $2 million fine (over a three year period, according to DOJ) in Miami and shutting Latinode down was therefore a no-brainer, especially for eLandia, the Coral Gables telecom firm that had paid $25 million to purchase Latinode in 2007. But the DOJ news release had another curious note. It said ?The resolution of the criminal investigation of Latinode reflects, in large part, the actions of Latinode's corporate parent, eLandia International Inc. (eLandia), in disclosing potential FCPA violations to the Department of Justice after eLandia's acquisition of Latinode and post-closing discovery of the improper payments. ? Similarly to Arcadia, the made-in-Washington front group, the Latinode case has the flavor of a made-in-Miami event. Despite the DOJ English language press release, neither Arcadia nor the Latinode case are very important for U.S. consumption, yet they are playing significant political roles in Honduras. Although the DOJ?s settlement with Latinode does not prove the guilt of any Hondutel employee, that is exactly how Arcadia and the coup government have interpreted it, and spread it through the media. When Chimirri and other officials of the Zelaya administration were arrested on July 2, 2009, the sole evidence cited by the pro-coup press relates to the Latinode accusations made public by the U.S. court settlement.[xi] The same federal court in Miami tried the Cuban Five case[xii] and the recent ?suitcase scandal?[xiii] case, demonstrating that the DOJ there is not above politicizing events in order to serve hard-right foreign policy objectives in Latin America. The New Third Reich ?[This] huge network of people who are going after communications, not just in Honduras but in Central America ? the same who achieved their objective in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua where they managed to totally privatize the telecommunications sector without a single benefit to the people?So they already have a perfectly planned out scheme through which they are taking over all telecoms in Central America.? - Marcelo Chimirri, September 13, 2007 interview Emerging from the shadows, Reich could not resist the opportunity to comment on the Miami case: ?President Zelaya has allowed or encouraged these kinds of practices and now we?ll see that he?s behind this as well,? he told Miami?s El Nuevo Herald. He also referenced Chimirri for the first time in the U.S. press, casually mentioning the family connection (to the Zelayas) and the fact that he?d been accused in Honduras of a series of illegal acts in regard to his management of Hondutel contracts. He did not mention Chimirri?s accuser. For Zelaya, it was the last straw. Two members of his cabinet as well as his personal secretary were sent to the U.S. to hire legal counsel to sue Reich for defamation. The secretary, Enrique Reina, said that Reich was upset because Hondutel had cancelled the interconnection contract of a firm he represented. Carmona-Borjas weighed in, repeating his accusation to the Honduran media that Zelaya had acted ?unconstitutionally.? Zelaya would have little time to press the case. Two months later he was awoken by the Cobra paramilitary force which shot its way into his house and put him on a plane to Costa Rica, still wearing his pajamas. In his strange non-denial op-ed for the Miami Herald, Reich taunted Zelaya, claiming that a little thing like a coup d?etat was no reason for him not to proceed with his defamation lawsuit, and in floating the accusations against Chimirri, inflated the amount of missing Hondutel funds from $48 to $100 million. The CAFTA Link The explanation for the wild price inflation may have less to do with Reich?s penchant for hyperbole than it does with CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement. The pressure to privatize Hondutel did not materialize until CAFTA was implemented. It is a key piece of the neoliberal puzzle, even expanding multinational corporations' rights in Central America to include the ability to sue for ?lost" or "future" profits under a clause that protects companies from "measures equivalent to expropriation." (CAFTA-DR Treaty, Article 10.7) CAFTA clearly states that legitimate state actions such as the enacting of environmental and consumer protection laws, may trigger Article 10.7 and allow U.S. corporations to sue signatory countries for all of the money that they might have made otherwise.[xiv] Illegitimate government actions such as corruption are therefore definitely covered, and mere accusations of corruption could provide the fulcrum to pressure governments into settling in the secret tribunals of ICSID, the World Bank's arbitration court. But that may not be necessary, since Reich is a self-proclaimed expert in handling "anti-corruption activities, political risk analysis and non-litigious dispute settlement" for US multinationals in Latin America.[xv] His backdoor expertise can make it so that multinationals never have to publicly make these immoral and reputation-damaging arguments. Given Reich?s telecom ties, not to mention those of the Cormac Group[xvi]and those of Hillary Clinton?s friend, Lanny Davis,[xvii] who set up a press and congressional lobbying tour in Washington for the Honduran coup regime, the possibility of a future lawsuit of this type cannot be discounted. CAFTA's rules regarding such lawsuits are broader than NAFTA's infamous Chapter 11, and such threats are already being utilized by multinationals to pressure the cash-strapped governments of El Salvador and Guatemala into handing over millions. [xviii] The Aftermath Reich admitted to having engaged in ?pointing to Zelaya as the enabler of the corruption in Honduras? and added, ?had I really been the ?architect? of Zelaya?s removal, I would had (sic) advised that he be charged with the almost 20 crimes with which the Honduran Judiciary has now charged him, and be arrested by civilian authorities. I would have urged that the constitutional process be followed: the elevation to the presidency of the next-in-line, President of the Congress Roberto Micheletti, and the continuation of the electoral process, culminating in a November election.? Except for omitting the part about flying the president to Costa Rica, this was how the coup played out, to the letter, although Reich coyly insisted these events unfolded ?without my involvement.? To La Prensa in Honduras, Reich once again denied any legal association with Arcadia. ?I?m not a member of the Arcadia Foundation. I know the Arcadia Foundation very well and the work it has done.? It was exactly the kind of statement he could have made 25 years earlier about Citizens For America. For his part, Carmona-Borjas fulminated to what was left of the Honduran press about how kicking TeleSUR out of Honduras was not really restricting anyone?s freedom of expression, adding jabs at CNN en Espa?ol for not completely ignoring demonstrations in support of Zelaya, and of course, his pet target, Chimirri. In Honduras, with Zelaya safely out of the way, the new putschist leaders would crank up the witch hunt, nabbing Chimirri and other Zelaya officials post-haste and sending them directly to the national penitentiary, but not without personally introducing Carmona-Borjas at a pro-coup rally and commending him for being the first to incriminate Hondutel and thanking him for Chimirri?s arrest.[xix] An order was issued to Interpol for the capture of the Hondutel employees implicated in the Latinode case: Jorge Alberto Rosa, Julio Daniel Flores, and Oscar Danilo Santos. Charges were also concocted against Rixi Moncada, who was one of the people Zelaya had earlier sent to Miami to hire the firm to sue Reich, and who would play a visible role at the mediation talks with Oscar Arias, arranged by Hillary Clinton. Rebeca Santos, and Aristides Mej?a, formerly associated with the state electric company were also targeted. Although Arcadia?s role was unreported and therefore unknown outside Honduras, the Venezuelans and Hondurans understood it completely. Ambassador Chaderton promised to forward a dossier on the matter to the U.S. mission to the OAS, and in an interview with La Jornada following his remarks to the OAS, Chaderton said they had ?absolutely no doubts about it.?[xx] In Latin America, there are many more important state companies to be targeted for privatization, and if not, many more leftist leaders who remain to be convinced or toppled. Meanwhile in Washington, the Arcadia Foundation still exists, like a sleeper cell, awaiting its master?s voice. * With additional reporting by Revolter. [i] Proceso Digital. 2007. ?Hondutel anuncia demandas contra Carmona y diario El Universal.? September 13. Via http://www.proceso.hn/2007/09/13/Nacionales/Hondutel.anuncia.demandas/986.html [ii] La Prensa. 2007. ?Arcadia se?ala ahora a Chimirri.? September 13. Via http://archivo.laprensa.hn/ez/index.php/laprensa_user/ediciones/2007/09/14/arcadia_senala_ahora_a_chimirri [iii] El Heraldo. 2007. ?Sigue esc?ndalo internacional por Hondutel.? September 19. Via http://archivo.elheraldo.hn/nota.php?nid=83302&sec=12&fecha=2007-09-19 [iv] El Heraldo, 2008. ?Polic?a tiene reservas en caso Laprade.? March 31. Via http://archivo.elheraldo.hn/ez/index.php/plain_site_user/ediciones/2008/03/31/policia_tiene_reservas_en_caso_laprade [v] Listin Diario. 2008. ?Huelga de hambre de fiscales en Honduras para exigir que no archiven expedientes corrupci?n.? April 27. Via http://www.listindiario.com/app/article.aspx?id=56649 [vi] El Heraldo. 2008. ?Cerna se neg? a violentar el Estado de Derecho.? April 25. Via http://archivo.elheraldo.hn/ez/index.php/plain_site_user/ediciones/2008/04/25/cerna_se_nego_a_violentar_el_estado_de_derecho [vii] El Heraldo. 2008. ?Inconstitucional separarnos del cargo.? April 25. Via http://archivo.elheraldo.hn/ez/index.php/plain_site_user/ediciones/2008/05/10/inconstitucional_separarnos_del_cargo [viii] La Prensa. 2008. ?Robert Carmona cuestiona papel del pastor Evelio Reyes.? April 24. Via http://archivo.laprensa.hn/ez/index.php/laprensa_user/ediciones/2008/04/24/robert_carmona_cuestiona_papel_del_pastor_evelio_reyes [ix] AFP. 2008. ?Congreso hondure?o desestima denuncias de fiscales.? June 6. Via http://www.radiolaprimerisima.com/noticias/resumen/29013 [x] Department of Justice News Release. ?Latin Node Inc., Pleads Guilty to Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Violation and Agrees to Pay $2 Million Criminal Fine.? April 9, 2008. Via http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/April/09-crm-318.html [xi] La Tribuna. 2008. ?Capturado ex gerente de Hondutel, Marcelo Chimirri.? July 2, 2009. Via http://www.latribuna.hn/web2.0/?p=15493 [xii] http://www.freethefive.org/ [xiii] BoRev, ?Valijagate Update I.?June 30, 2008. Via http://www.borev.net/2008/06/valijagate_update_i_1.html [xiv] Washington Office on Latin America. ?Fair Trade or Free Trade? Understanding CAFTA.? p. 13, www.citizen.org/documents/CAFTAbriefingpacket.pdf [xv] http://ottoreich.com/ [xvi] Cormac Group secured approval of the AT&T Wireless-Cingular Merger before the Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice by securing legislative and regulatory support. http://www.thecormacgroup.com/success.htm Also see Kozloff?s article at iv, above. [xvii] Lanny Davis is a partner in the Orrick law firm. In United Computer Systems vs. AT&T Corp. and Lucent Technologies, Orrick represented AT&T and Lucent in the arbitration of a software license dispute that claimed lost profits of $6 billion. http://www.orrick.com/practices/intellectual_property/software.asp [xviii] El Salvador warned of CAFTA-DR lawsuit by mining company, http://www.investmenttreatynews.org/cms/news/archive/2008/12/12/el-salvador-warned-of-cafta-dr-lawsuit-by-mining-company.aspx , Guatemala?s objection to jurisdiction dismissed in DR-CAFTA arbitration, http://www.investmenttreatynews.org/cms/news/archive/2008/11/26/guatemala-s-objection-to-jurisdiction-dismissed-in-cafta-arbitration.aspx , [xix] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukacM-77lXs [xx] Brooks, David. ?Repudia la OEA al gobierno golpista; exige reinstalaci?n inmediata de Zelaya.? La Jornada, June 29, 2009, via http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2009/06/29/index.php?section=mundo&article=026n1mun This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Mon Aug 3 18:29:07 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 01:29:07 +0100 Subject: [A-List] ILC Interview with Honduran Labor & Resistance Leader Carlos H. Reyes Message-ID: <789479874E6F44E1BD6586726856FFB1@home9sg93n9r5y> ILC Interview with Honduran Labor & Resistance Leader Carlos H. Reyes Posted to CN by: "Alan" ilcinfo at earthlink.net Mon Aug 3, 2009 8:29 am (PDT) International Liaison Committee of Workers & Peoples P.O. Box 40009, San Francisco, CA 94140. Tel. (415) 641-8616; fax: (415) 626-1217. To UNSUBSCRIBE, contact website: www.owcinfo.org ------------------------------------------------ ILC Interview with Honduran Labor & Resistance Leader Carlos H. Reyes [Note: Following is an interview conducted by the ILC International Newsletter with Carlos H. Reyes, general secretary of the Beverage Industry Workers Union (STIBYS), leader of the Bloque Popular and member of the Coordinating Committee for the National Front Against the Coup. The interview took place on Monday, July 27, 2009 -- three days before Brother Reyes was badly beaten at a peaceful march of striking public-sector workers demanding the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya. At this writing, Brother Reyes is still hospitalized. -- A.B.] ILC: On Sunday [July 26] there was an attack on the union headquarters. What happened? Reyes: The assembly of the National Front had finished 15 minutes before the attack occurred. The participants had gathered for a memorial to the young man, Pedro Mu?oz, who was killed by the Honduran army on the border with Nicaragua. There were no victims from the attack on our headquarters. ILC: Was this a warning to your union and to the Front? Reyes: No question about it. ILC: Who makes up the Front, and what are its objectives? Reyes: The resistance is composed of popular organizations from around the country. To begin with, there are three union federations: the CUTH, the CTH and the CGT. There are organizations of campesinos, students, women, and indigenous peoples. There are also churches and human rights groups. There is the Party for Democratic Unification (UD), a small party on the left, as well as a section of the Liberal Party that supports Zelaya. The main objective of the Front is to ensure the return to institutional legality, the reinstatement of President Mel Zelaya, and the continuation of the process toward the Constituent Assembly. ILC: What did the assembly of the Front decide on July 26? Reyes: We decided to continue the resistance movement, issue a new call for a national work stoppage on Thursday and Friday, July 30 and 31, and continue with the sit-ins and highway roadblocks. ILC; What is your position on the Arias Plan? (1) Reyes: Our position has been crystal clear from the beginning. We are against this so-called mediation. We cannot accept the recognition of a de-facto government established by a coup d'etat. This is a military dictatorship. We reaffirm our demand for the immediate and unconditional return of institutional legality and the continuation of the process toward a Constituent Assembly. We are also opposed to the two-track position of the U.S. administration. On one hand, Obama condemns the coup but on the other hand the U.S. military-industrial complex supports it. Besides, it is clear that the Honduran dictatorship is not willing to accept the Arias Plan. ILC: What is the present situation on the border with Nicaragua? Reyes: Thousands of people mobilized to the border to escort their present back to the capital, but they were blocked by the army, which had cordoned off entire regions and instituted a state of siege. Hundreds of activists were detained, and there has already been the first assassination -- that of compa?ero Pedro Mu?oz. The situation is intolerable. ILC; How did this entire struggle begin? What prompted it? Reyes: At the root of it all is the undemocratic 1982 Constitution, which allowed the large businessmen and the multinationals to monopolize all the power. (2) It promoted "free trade" and sweatshop pass-though industries, which have destroyed the national production of our country and our jobs. They, the oligarchy, are the ones who have benefited from the 1982 Constitution and who organized the June 28 coup to preserve their interests. ILC: What should the international labor movement do on your behalf? Reyes: We need the broadest possible solidarity from the international labor movement. Through you, we call on all the workers' organizations worldwide to organize the most powerful solidarity effort with our resistance movement. Our union, the Beverage Industry Workers Union (STIBYS), has issued an appeal to the International Union of Food Workers (IUF). We especially call on the dockworkers and their unions to block the ports and boycott all cargo bound for Honduras. And we call on you to demand of your governments that they act decisively to promote the return of institutional legality in our country, just as the main international institutions have demanded. ---- ENDNOTES (1) Seven-point "mediation" plan put together by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias at the behest of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary that would permit Zelaya to return to Honduras but on the condition that he form a "national unity government" with the coup plotters and that he explicitly renounce the effort to promote a Constituent Assembly and a new constitution. (2) The 1982 Constitution in Honduras, the country's 15th Constitution, was drafted by a 71-member "Constituent Assembly" selected by the brutal and pro-oligarchy military junta headed by Policarpio Paz Garc?a. It is so undemocratic that even the U.S. State Department report on human rights in 1992 had to acknowledge that there are no safeguards in the document that protect basic democratic and human rights. The demand to draft a new Constitution in the interest of the workers and peasants of Honduras has been a long-held demand of the workers' and popular movement in that country. This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Mon Aug 3 18:53:15 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 01:53:15 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Honduras now in a state of brutal dictatoship + COLIN BURGON, BRITISH MP, SPEECH IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON HONDURAS COUP Message-ID: <625182047425415F8B663022B6DA1D22@home9sg93n9r5y> Gloria Oqueli Gloria Oqueli, president of the Central American parliament, said: "They are desperate because they will be defeated, because power will be taken from them by a people with no machete, with no gun, with no weapon." http://www.telesurtv.net/noticias/secciones/nota/55020-NN/presidenta- del-parlacen-dice-que-protestas-han-desesperado-a-gobierno-de-facto/ INTERNATIONAL MISSION FOR SOLIDARITY, ACCOMPANIMENT, AND OBSERVATION IN HONDURAS, July 31 Press Release CRISIS IN HONDURAS DEEPENS - violence erupted again in Tegucigalpa yesterday - Honduras now in a state of brutal dictatoship - international attention and solidarity needed to restore democracy and human rights in Honduras Yesterday, Thursday 30th July, political violence returned to Tegucigalpa, the capital of the Central American state, Honduras, as police fired at a peaceful demonstration in support of the deported president of the country, Manuel Zelaya. In the attack, Roger Abraham Vallejo Soriano, a 38 years old teacher, was shot in the head from close range. (He later died in Hospital) Nine more persons were taken to the local hospital for medical treatment, including Carlos H. Reyes, a coordinator of the National Front Against the Coup and chairperson of the trade union STIBYS, and an independent presidential candidate for the elections scheduled for November this year. Reyes was treated for a fracture of one arm and sown with ten stitches in the head near the left ear. In the afternoon members of the mission met Reyes in the hospital. Reyers seemed to have recovered well and was given interviews from a stretcher there. Members of the mission could also yesterday visit inside the jail of the fourth police district in Tegucigalpa. At least 80 persons from the demonstration had been detained, many of whom had been beaten with sticks with bad bruises. Some where covered with blood on their head and clothes, others were in a shock. Three women we talked with complained about sexual harassment. At least five children and youngsters were among the detained persons. Juan Barahona, another leading figure of the national front against the coup, was also among the detained. The demonstration in Tegucigalpa yesterday continued an unbroken series of 33 days of peaceful popular manifestations and resistance against Roberto Micheletti who was installed after the coup. During the past month parts of the country have been heavily militarized. The border area of El Paraiso next to Nicaragua, visited by the mission on Monday, is partly under marshal law, with heavy presence of the army and also police forces. According to several civil society sources and individuals other areas of the country, such as Copan, have also been militarized with road blocks under army control, detentions and curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday marked the return of violence to Tegucigalpa, where demonstrations have proceeded peacefully since the clash at the airport when Zelaya tried to return to the country by air. Interviews and observations in public places made by the members of the mission during the past week show severe limitation and abuses of basic human rights including state violence against innocent people and severe restriction on the freedom of movement and expression, imposed by the Micheletti regime. According to written documentation and reports from interviews that include, among others, interviews with two parliamentarians from the Liberal Party the party of both ousted president Zelaya and the president of the coup regime, Micheletti) and two MPs from the opposition party Partido nificacion Democratica there are major irregularities in the parliamentary procedures. Severe allegations are made against the Supreme Court of the country, but under the current circumstances, when there is no confidence in the capacity of the de facto government to provide credible information, these remain extremely difficult or impossible to verify. The mission also notes the occurrence of obscure, extreme violence that, as ny individuals we have talked with independently interpret it, seems to be the expression of the new strategy of terror imposed by the coup government. Rodrigo Trochez, an MP from the liberal party testifies that while he was with a delegation to Washington to lobby for US support of the reinstallation of Manuel Zelaya his son, Juan Carlos Tochez was the victim of an armed attack on a petrol station. A car drove up beside the car of Juan Carlos Trochex, shooting 40 bullets, four of which hit and injured him severely. Juan Carlos Trochez is not critically wounded but receives medical treatment in a hospital in Santa Barbara. According to reports from the police in the capital of Tegucigalpa, gathered by the Hondurian human rights organization, CODEH, there were 62 people murdered here during the first 28 days after the coup. According to the director of Codeh, Andres Pavon, many of the victims have been shot dead with bullets of the same caliber as is used by the police and the armed forces. The body of one young man dressed in a t-shirt defending the democratically elected president was found in a garbage bin in the streets says Andres Pavon. The International mission for Solidarity, Accompaniment, and Observation in Honduras must in the light of the observations made here during the last week conclude that Honduras has entered into a brutal dictatorship. Despite prolonged peaceful resistance the situation has worsened during the past week. Popular mobilization to restore the democratic government of Manuel Zelaya still continues here, with more manifestations announced at least for today by the popular front of movements, trade unions, indigenous groups, farmers, artists, concerned citizens, student?s movements, and others. The international mission condemns the repression by the dictatorship and appeals to the international community to take all measures to promote the restoration of democracy and human rights in Honduras. Tegucigalpa, Honduras Members of the International mission for Solidarity, Accompaniment, and Observation in Honduras include: Nora Corti?as, Madres de la Plaza de Mayo-L?nea Fundadora/Jubileo Sur (Argentina) Thomas Wallgren, member of the city council in Helsink (soc.dem)/ FinnishRefugee Council / Coalition for comprehensive democracy ? Vasudhaiva utumkakam (Finlandia) Mauricio Valiente, Comisi?n Espa?ola de Ayuda al Refugiado-CEAR (Espa?a) El padre Efr?n Reyes, from Servicio Internacional Cristiano de Solidaridad con los Pueblos de Am?rica Latina Oscar Romero -SICSAL (El Salvador) Claire Chastain, International Relation, Communist Party of France- European Left Party Martha Figueroa Mier, World March of Women, (M?xico Bernadete Esperan?a Monteiro, World March of Women, (Brasil), and Tom Kucharz, Ecologistas en Acci?n/Transnational Institute (Espa?a) * * * COLIN BURGON, BRITISH MP, SPEECH IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON HONDURAS COUP http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090721/ debtext/ 90721-0012.htm (Distributed from the UK by Dr Francisco Dominguez, depaula_frank at hotmail.com, Campa?a de Solidaridad con Venezuela, Gran Breta?a) Neville Chamberlain once talked about ?a quarrel in a far away country between people of whom we know nothing.? That could apply to the subject that I want to raise today?the recent military coup in Honduras. People probably do not know much about Honduras, but the journal Business Week tells us: ?Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Two-thirds of its 7.8 million citizens live below the poverty line...The country has one of Latin America?s most unequal distributions of wealth: the poorest 10 percent of the population receives just 1.2 percent of the country?s wealth, while the richest 10 percent collect 42 percent.? President Zelaya was elected to lead the country in 2005. A member of the Honduras Liberal party, he was a wealthy rancher and a man of the centre or centre right. Under pressure of events, however, he began to change his politics and he implemented several progressive measures during his time in office. He raised the minimum wage by 60 per cent.?something that new Labour might note. He also gave out free school lunches and provided milk for babies and pensions for the elderly. He cut the cost of public transport, made scholarships available for students and forged alliances with the progressive Governments in the continent of Latin America such as those of Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador. President Zelaya also sought to institutionalise many of his progressive developments with constitutional change. The non-binding poll of the public that he proposed for 28 June was aimed at gauging support for a proposed constituent assembly to redraft the constitution ahead of a ballot in November. This is the translation of the question: ?Do you agree that, during the general elections of November 2009 there should be a fourth ballot to decide whether to hold a Constituent National Assembly that will approve a new political constitution?? That step was too much for the military, and as a result, on 28 June? the day the ballot was supposed to take place?the President was kidnapped, bundled on to a plane and flown out of the country, and the military junta and the leading oligarchs in the country came together to form what is effectively an illegal Government. The Honduran junta has rightly been almost totally isolated. It has been rejected by the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Organisation of American States and the European Union, among others. It is rare that I pay tribute to Ministers, but I pay tribute to the newly installed Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant), who has responsibility for Latin America. He responded very quickly and efficiently and made a statement to put on record Britain?s opposition to the coup. It is also important that the EU yesterday suspended more than $90 million in aid to Honduras in the wake of the coup. However, such opposition has so far been ineffectual in restoring Zelaya to government and stronger action is need. Obviously, that stronger action should come from America, because at the end of the day, it calls the shots in what is historically its back yard. There were hopes of real change with the election of President Obama, but we can see that there are tensions within the American Government. Clinton, the Secretary of State, is possibly somewhat enamoured of the new regime and does not want to take the action that others in America would like. If the US is to break with the past and work with people rather than against them, as President Obama told the conference of Latin American leaders it wants to, the steps that he must take are clear. The Honduran Government?or rather, the supposed Government?must be replaced and a democratically elected President must be installed. We hear lots about human rights in the media, but since the coup on 28 June that installed Roberto Micheletti, the regime has unleashed a wave of repression of human rights. Protesters and political activists have been killed, 1,300 people have been arrested, and there have been curfews, widespread media censorship and the violation of other civil liberties. That is important, because although we have joked in the past about banana republics and Governments being changed on a monthly or daily basis, most of Latin America has emerged from that darkness and the people have begun to take charge of their destiny. We have seen that throughout the Latin American continent, including central America. The military junta represents an attempt to turn the clock back to those dark, dark days. If those dark days return, it will mean real hardship for the millions of people in central and Latin America. I hope that the deputy Leader of the House will re-confirm that the UK is absolutely and implacably opposed to the Honduran military regime, and that the UK will do all it can to restore the democratically elected regime. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090721/ debtext/ 90721-0012.htm * * * TO DONATE FUNDS TO PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT IN HONDURAS, MAKE TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS TO ?RIGHTS ACTION? AND MAIL TO: UNITED STATES: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887 CANADA: 552-351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8 CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS: http://rightsaction.org/contributions.htm Upon request, Rights Action can provide a proposal of which organizations and people, in Honduras, we are channeling your funds to and supporting. AMERICANS AND CANADIANS SHOULD CONTACT YOUR OWN MEDIA, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, SENATORS & MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, EVERY DAY, DAY AFTER DAY,TO DEMAND: an end to police, army and para-military repression respect for safety and human rights of all Hondurans unequivocal denunciation of the military coup no recognition of this military coup and the ?de facto? government of Roberto Micheletti unconditional return of the entire constitutional government concrete and targeted economic, military and diplomatic sanctions against the coup plotters and perpetrators application of international and national justice against the coup plotters reparations for the illegal actions and rights violations committed during this illegal coup FOR MORE INFORMATION: Karen Spring (Rights Action), in Honduras: spring.kj at gmail.com[504] 9507-3835 Sandra Cuffee (Journalist), in Honduras: [504]9525-6778 Grahame Russell (Rights Action), in USA: info at rightsaction.org This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Tue Aug 4 03:15:23 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 18:15:23 +0900 Subject: [A-List] Slow Down Message-ID: <20090804181524.d21b2fc2.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> How Our Fast-Paced World Is Making Us Sick by Linda Buzzell, AlterNet AlterNet (July 02 2009) Not so very long ago, humans - like the rest of the animals and plants on earth - moved through our natural cycles at nature's pace. Time was marked by the passing of the seasons, the life cycles of human, animal and plant life and the yet grander cycles of the moon and the other celestial bodies. Homo sapiens, a late-appearing species in the long history of our unimaginably ancient planet and universe, evolved during the recent (as the universe views these things!) Pleistocene era, adapted for a life intimately connected with and expressive of our natural surroundings on the African savannah and beyond. And this is how we lived for millennia. In the last 150 years, however, the human relationship with time has radically changed. Some say the problems started earlier, with the development of agriculture or writing, but it was really the Industrial Revolution - the rise of the Machine - that put humans in thrall to mechanical processes and machine time. And the recent exponential speeding up into Cybertime has accelerated the process still further. Industrial time was bad enough (Charlie Chaplin did a wonderful job of visualizing that "cog in the wheel" feeling in his 1936 film Modern Times) but Cybertime can be dizzyingly discombobulating for a Pleistocene primate. And that's how many modern people feel - completely frazzled and out of synch with our deepest selves. The results of this disconnection from nature and nature's pace show up in therapists' and doctors' offices every day. Living under unnatural time pressures causes a myriad of psychological, social and physical ailments. Delinked from the natural rhythms of our bodies and the rest of the planet, we struggle with diminishing success to adapt to the strange mechanical and disembodied world we have created. As a practicing psychotherapist and ecotherapist, when I see patients who are suffering from depression or anxiety I ask them to keep a time-journal in which they record the hours and minutes spent each day outside, as well as the hours spent inside in front of a screen. My clients are often shocked to realize how disassociated they have become from nature and our species' natural ways of living, and the effect this disconnection is having on their psyche. In fact, a 2007 study from the University of Essex shows that a daily "dose" of walking outside in nature can be as effective at treating mild to moderate depression as expensive antidepressant medications that can sometimes have negative side-effects. Time poverty is now a recognized psychological and social stressor. In a speeded-up, highly complex society, there just isn't enough time for everything: our demanding jobs, our interlocking bureaucratic responsibilities (taxes, insurance, legal issues), our loved one, kids, our community (including the rest of nature), plus commuting and keeping up with traditional media and endless 24/7 online communications. Constantly rushing to keep up as we inevitably fall further behind, we find ourselves destroying not only our own health, but our habitat and the habitat of the people, plants and animals with whom we share the planet. In my recently published book, Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind (Sierra Club Books, 2009) therapists and experts from many backgrounds discuss some of the ways that nature can help to heal problems like stress and anxiety. What suggestions can ecotherapists offer to help us slow down to a more natural pace of living? Here are a few simple things that can make a difference: * Reconnect with place. We can learn to resist the constant rushing around and settle into and tend a beloved location, taking time to learn its secrets and hear its whisperings. * Reconnect with companion and wild animals. Animals slow us down to our natural animal rhythms, which is why animal-assisted therapy works so well at lowering blood pressure and healing psychological ills of many kinds. The simple act of petting a cat or watching the birds flit through the trees is profoundly healing. * Reconnect with plants. A simple pot on a windowsill slows us down to the pace of a seed, a seedling, a leaf and a flower. A tree on the street, if contemplated and touched, offers its blessings during a busy day. * Reconnect with the cycles of human life. Instead of demanding that we remain in perpetual-teenager mode (the preferred state in our society, it seems), allowing ourselves to become true initiated adults and then elders honors the natural pace of human life rather than fighting it. Nature teaches us that seeds emerge, plants flourish, bloom, fruit and then wither and slip away - valuable wisdom for our own lives when we encounter the inevitable transitions in our own and others' lives. * Reconnect with our wild bodies. Untamed nature is to be found not only in far-away wilderness but in the wilds of our bloodstream, our digestive processes, our breath. Any practice that brings our attention back to our bodies is wilderness ecotherapy. Yoga and ecstatic dance offer release from the controlling modern ego and access to what ecopsychologists call "the ecological self". And once we reach peace with our animal bodies, our souls naturally open up to the larger Spirit in which we are embedded. * Spend more time outdoors in wild nature. Most of us are indoors most of the time. Our bodies and souls cry out for long walks on a beach, contemplation in a forest or a few minutes in a nearby vacant lot near a stream. These times slow life down to a healing, natural pace. Making just a few of these simple changes can radically shift how we feel. Ecopsychological research is now proving that reconnecting with nature and more natural living performs a host of psychological miracles, including lowering depression, improving our sense of well being, calming our anxieties, raising self-esteem and giving us a sense of belonging to the great whole of which we are a part. _____ Linda Buzzell, MA, MFT is the co-editor with Craig Chalquist of the new anthology Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind, just released by Sierra Club Books (May 2009). She is a psychotherapist and ecotherapist in Santa Barbara. (c) 2009 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved. http://www.alternet.org/story/140994/ http://www.billtotten.blogspot.com http://www.ashisuto.co.jp From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Tue Aug 4 07:02:05 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 14:02:05 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Moderators' note Message-ID: <697483AC181C49D49C9C7102C8DD2FD6@home9sg93n9r5y> Listers, Sean Fischer wrote among other things: Would the balance of power in the United States been best served if the Bush administration had forced their way into having a third consecutive term? Or like you say, would the Bush administration have become a third and fourth term savior of the nation and its "..villainous Constitution?" The only oligarch that should have been thrown in chains, lucked out and was thrown out of the country. ... and... Note: The US bullying of Micheletti risks a blowback effect in which he becomes the latest Latin American hero to stand up to the US. If the Bolivarians experience such an epiphany, they and the Cubans will turn against the US Secretary of State on this issue as fast as a serpent. ********************** His naive (or disingenuous) pro-imperialist support for the the golpistas has led the moderators unanimously to question what interest Sean Fischer has in the list, and to decide that his somewhat weird contributions are a distraction and a waste of listers' time, and that he should be unsubbed. The moderators. From glparramatta at greenleft.org.au Tue Aug 4 00:41:07 2009 From: glparramatta at greenleft.org.au (glparramatta) Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:41:07 +1000 Subject: [A-List] What's new at Links: Venezuela, Pacific & climate, Vestas sit-in, nationalise coal!, Honduras, Malaysia, Europe, Zimbabwe, Holocaust, Jonah Raskin book excerpt Message-ID: <4A77D803.4030901@greenleft.org.au> What's new at Links: Venezuela, Pacific & climate, Vestas sit-in, nationalise coal!, Honduras, Malaysia, Europe, Zimbabwe, Holocaust, Jonah Raskin book excerpt *** Subscribe free to Links - International Journal of Socialist Renewal - at http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=343373 You can also follow Links on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LinksSocialism Visit and bookmark http://links.org.au and add it to your RSS feed (http://links.org.au/rss.xml). If you would like us to consider an article, please send it to links at dsp.org.au *Please pass on to anybody you think will be interested in /Links/. * * * Venezuela: Class struggle intensifies over battle for workers' control By Federico Fuentes Caracas -- July 25, 2009 -- On July 22, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez again declared his complete support for the proposal by industrial workers for a new model of production based on workers' control. This push from Chavez, part of the socialist revolution, aims at transforming Venezuela's basic industry. However, it faces resistance from within the state bureaucracy and the revolutionary movement. Presenting his government's "Plan Socialist Guayana 2009-2019", Chavez said the state-owned companies in basic industry have to be transformed into "socialist companies". * Read more Pacific islanders struggle for survival against global warming -- `Rich countries must slash emissions now' July 29, 2009 -- For Pacific islanders, climate change is not a threat looming somewhere in the future. Rising sea levels and unpredictable weather are having devastating effects right now. Climate change has already forced some communities to leave their traditional homes.Simon Butler spoke to two climate change activists from the Pacific about their campaign for immediate cuts to global greenhouse emissions. * Read more (Updated August 3) Capitalism vs the environment: Wind turbine workers fight factory closure with sit-in * Read more Public ownership of coal industry needed to move to 100% renewable energy and retain jobs Graham Brown is a retired coalminer and a climate change activist. He's also a member of the Upper Hunter branch of the NSW Greens party. The Hunter Valley, near the city of Newcastle, is a major source of Australia's coal exports. Brown is helping build a union and community alliance to create a "just transition" to a carbon-neutral economy. Such a transition would ensure workers in the coal industry move into alternative employment. Socialist Alliance's Zane Alcorn spoke to Brown. * Read more With Honduras, with all of Latin America -- sign the statement July 31, 2009 -- We, the undersigned social, political and solidarity organisations, faced with the ongoing coup d'?tat in Honduras and the imperialist project of installing military bases in Colombia whose objective is to throttle the hope for liberty and emancipation across the Latin American continent, declare: * Read more Malaysia: 40,000 demand `Abolish the Internal Security Act now!', hundreds arrested By S. Arutchelvan August 1, 2009 -- Parti Sosialis Malaysia -- The 40,000-strong mobilisation today in Kuala Lumpur and the thousands who did not make it because of police roadblocks gave a very clear and precise message to Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak: repeal the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA). * Read more A balance sheet of the European elections By Fran?ois Sabado The principal lessons of the European elections of June 7, 2009, are the following: massive abstention; progress for the right flanked by the far right; a collapse of social democracy; an increase in the votes for the ecologists; while the radical left, left reformists and anti-capitalists maintained their position, without making new advances, except in Portugal and Ireland. * Read more For jobs and the environment: Why the workers occupied the Vestas wind turbine plant Below is the text of a speech written by a Vestas worker for delivery at trade union and environmental movement meetings. It gives an excellent insight into the background of the struggle, and its wider political significance. * Read more Zimbabwe: Interviews -- The struggle for a people-driven constitution July 25, 2009 -- The first All-Stakeholders' Conference aimed at drafting a new constitution in Zimbabwe was held in Harare on July 13-14. The constitutional reform process is the result of the agreement reached between President Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), when they formed a power-sharing government in February 2009... Many in the pro-democracy movement believe the constitutional reform process is dominated by politicians and will fail to incorporate the demands of ordinary Zimbabweans suffering worst from the country's social and economic crisis. * Read more The Holocaust: `May history attest to us' -- resistance, collaboration and survival Hitler's Priests, by Kevin Spicer, Northern Illinois University Press, 2008, 369 pp. US$34.95 Who Will Write Our History? Emanuel Ringelblum, the Warsaw Ghetto, and the Oyneg Shabes Archive, by Samuel D. Kassow, Indiana University Press, 2007, 523 pP., US$34.95 Kasztner's Train: the True Story of an Unknown Hero of the Holocaust, by Anna Porter, Scribe, 2008, 548 pp., A$32.95 The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale, Art Spiegelman, Pantheon, 1996, 296 pp., US$35. Review by Barry Healy July 28, 2009 -- In October 2008 the Catholic Synod of Bishops convened in Rome for a four-day theological discussion. Without warning, on the first day, Pope Benedict XVI suspended discussion and ordered the 200 participants to attend a special commemoration mass for Pius XII, who was the pope between 1939 and 1958. * Read more Exclusive excerpt from Jonah Raskin's `The Mythology of Imperialism' -- `Kipling's Contrasts' [With the permission of Monthly Review Press, Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal is making available an exclusive excerpt from Jonah Raskin's The Mythology of Imperialism: A Revolutionary Critique of British Literature and Society in the Modern Age. A PDF file, available to read or download, of Chapter 2, ``Kipling's Contrasts'' is below. Readers of Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal are encouraged to purchase The Mythology of Imperialism from the Monthly Review Press website.] * Read more * * * Links seeks to promote the international exchange of information, experience of struggle, theoretical analysis and views of political strategy and tactics within the international left. It is a forum for open and constructive dialogue between active socialists coming from different political traditions. It seeks to bring together those in the international left who are opposed to neoliberal economic and social policies. It aims to promote the renewal of the socialist movement in the wake of the collapse of the bureaucratic model of "actually existing socialism" in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. ATTENTION: Sign up for regular ``what's new'' announcement emails at http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=343373 Follow Links on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LinksSocialism -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 13267 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090804/01da6c39/attachment.txt From tal1 at cogeco.ca Tue Aug 4 12:26:29 2009 From: tal1 at cogeco.ca (Tony B.) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 14:26:29 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Update on Omar Message-ID: ----- Original Message ----- From: Tony B. Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 2:21 PM Subject: Fw: Update on Omar ..If I may summarize: A case in which, against international law, a child prisoner is held without charge in an illegal facility where he is subjected to illegal treatment (in fact, torture) by those who are engaged in an illegal war and occupation. The child's own government has refused - illegally - to abide by a ruling of its own federal court to repatriate him when every other government in similar cases have done so. The child (now adult) has been - illegally - refused any educational instruction and has not been allowed even a book to read(!) in the over eight years of his Kafkaesque incarceration. This is what is quaintly known in the US and Canada as the 'rule of law'. But then, cases like Omar's were never about the 'law'; they were/are demonstrations of the rule of terror. They are about propaganda and social control. In short, they are part and parcel of the doctrine of 'endless war' and of the real terror that is needed to maintain it. Tony ----- Original Message ----- From: Lawyers Against The War To: Undisclosed-Recipient:; Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 11:38 AM Subject: Update on Omar ----- Original Message ----- From: Justine Vandergrift Sent: Monday, August 03, 2009 3:12 PM Subject: Update on Omar Hello! Below is an update from Dennis Edney on Omar Khadr. This update is also posted on the Omar Khadr Legal Fund Website (http://www.omarkhadr-legalfund.com/). Please continue to check up on this website and circulate the link to those who may be interested in staying updated and donating to the fund. Dennis has been in Guantanamo twice in the past month. He confirmed before the military judge that Omar no longer wished to have the military team representing, as he was tired of the fighting taking place between Kuebler and the others. Dennis advised the court that him and Nate Whitling would bring in a law firm from Washington DC to represent Omar. Civil lawyer Barry Coburn is willing to represent Omar pro bono though he may be able to get funding through his firm on a pro bono basis. Omar told Dennis that he had been feeling depressed about what had been going on and wanted his and Nate's advice. Dennis says that it is becoming more difficult to persuade Omar that someday he will be free since all he really knows is life in a prison. Omar expressed frustration about yet another delay in his trial for the third time. It looks as if he will not get a hearing until next year which means Omar has not received a fair trial for eight years while the Canadian government persists on due process. The military prosecution requests an extension for a further 120 days as they stated to the judge that the Obama administration is working on making the rules fairer for Guantanamo detainees. This should lead one to conclude that if indeed the rules are presently unfair, the process is unfair and if the process is unfair, as backed by the military, then why is Omar being submitted to an unfair process? This flies in the face of what Harper says about due process, because it is clearly an unfair and in fact illegal process. As you are aware, the federal court of Canada ordered the federal Government to request Omar's immediate return from the US Government. They based this decision on evidence before the court that Omar had been abused and tortured. This is the first decision of its kind in the western world. The Canadian Government appealed that decision to the federal court of appeal four weeks ago in Ottawa, argued by Dennis and Nate. We are eagerly awaiting that decision. If the federal court appeal agrees that Canada should request Omar's return, there is a strong possibility that this will be a way out for Prime Minister Harper who has always refuted to request his return. Harper would then have to request Omar's return saying that he had no choice but to follow the court?s decision. It would also give the Obama administration an out since they were ordered by the Canadian government to give back its citizen. The Canadian government would simply be doing what other governments had done years ago. Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, Australia and other western countries simply requested the return of their detainees and the Bush administration complied. It remains that all Canada will have to do is make a single phone call. When Dennis got to meet with Omar, he was able to persuade the military on a one-time basis to bring in a high school equivalent exam book with answers and lessons. Omar was delighted to receive the book and commented that with it he could have been educating himself over the last seven years to prepare for high school graduation. In the seven years Omar has been there, he has not had any education to help him develop, this is also contrary to international law. Most unfortunately, the book was taken from Omar. Dennis has decided that if the book is not returned to Omar by the next time he arrives in Guantanamo, he will contact the panel of foreign affairs to ensure that the book is returned to him. In the meantime, Dennis has asked Arlette Zinck, dean of faculty of arts at the Kings University College in Edmonton to compile an additional collection of educational materials for Dennis to bring in to help Omar catch up on his education. There was a BBC documentary group in Guantanamo who has asked Dennis to participate in a documentary. This could be a great opportunity for the world to hear about Omar's plight, as well as the inhumane injustices of Guantanamo bay. Dennis spoke to a group in Wetaskiwin, Alberta last week, hosted by the Rotary club. Here is a good follow up article from that event: http://www.wetaskiwintimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1677710 We have been held up at about $2000 for quite sometime and are in great need of your donations. Thank you for your continued support. As you know, Dennis has essentially given up his law practice to defend Omar for nearly seven years. He has financed the costs of defending Omar almost entirely out of his own pocket throughout the many battles in the U.S. and Canadian courts, and at Guantanamo. The costs have been enormous. Moreover, each visit to Guantanamo costs in excess of $5000. Dennis? funds have been supplemented only by occasional small donations. Financial support is crucial. You may have noticed that PayPal is no longer part of the website's operation, so on-line donations are currently not an option. If you would like to mail in a donation or make a direct deposit into the fund at your local Scotiabank, please contact me for that information. Thank-you! -- Justine A. Vandergrift -Assistant to Dennis Edney http://www.omarkhadr-legalfund.com/ From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Tue Aug 4 12:37:34 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 19:37:34 +0100 Subject: [A-List] POLITICAL AFFAIRS/ Schepers: Honduras and the Bolivarian dynamic Message-ID: Schepers: "...close examination of the behavior of the various US actors seems to paint a more nuanced and complex picture". To understand everything is to forgive everything? We can blame McCain for Obama's complicity with the coupsters? After all, we are just asking for Obama to call a coup a coup (and not a golpe). Democracy (what crimes are committed in thy name!) is allowing the elected president to govern, not negotiating between the elected government and its fascist overthrowers, while the latter kill their opposition. I say this not out of any consideration of party politics but as a simple human response. -- James POLITICAL AFFAIRS/Schepers: Honduras and the Bolivarian Dynamic Posted to CN by: "Walter Lippmann" walterlx at earthlink.net walterlx Tue Aug 4, 2009 4:47 am (PDT) POLITICAL AFFAIRS Online at: http://politicalaffairs.net/article/view/8857/1/371/ The Crisis in Honduras and the Bolivarian Dynamic By Emile Schepers 8-03-09, 10:05 am Pro-democracy protesters have faced down pro-coup military forces daily in Honduras since the June 28th coup. The June 28 coup d?etat in the Central American nation of Honduras, in which left-leaning President Manuel Zelaya was overthrown by a right-wing military, political and judicial conspiracy backed by the most reactionary political networks in the United States, was aimed not only at Zelaya personally, but at a much larger international phenomenon which I will call the "Bolivarian dynamic." The "Bolivarian" part evokes the memory of the liberator of South America, Simon Bolivar. The "dynamic" part describes the fact that the growth of a self-described Bolivarian tendency hemisphere-wide is the main dynamic of the international class struggle throughout South and Central America today. And a very "dynamic" dynamic it is indeed. Simon Bolivar tried to create a horizontally integrated Spanish-speaking South America with maximum unity among South American peoples and nations, and thus able to resist the vertical pressure exercised on the region by major foreign powers, including the United States and the European countries. He died in 1830 without having been able to realize that goal. Among his last words being "he who serves the revolution plows in the sea" ("el que sirve a la revoluci?n ara en el mar"). But his dream of a powerful, united and independent Latin America did not die with him. It was echoed in the aspirations of many others, including Francisco Morazan, the founder of Honduras; Jose Mart?, the hero of Cuban independence, Ernesto "Che" Guevara and others. It was already central to the thinking and strategizing of the wider left in Latin America, before Venezuelan President Hugo Ch?vez popularized the "Bolivarian" name. Morazan, Marti and Che all met heroes? deaths in the course of trying to make the Bolivarian ideal of Latin American unity and independence a reality. When Morazan was shot by a firing squad in Costa Rica in 1842, because of his efforts to unite the Central American countries into one, his last words were "posterity will do us justice" ("La posteridad nos har? justicia"). And indeed, in the last decade, a new political dynamic has arisen, which promises to accomplish what they, in their brief but brilliant lives, could not. What is the Bolivarian dynamic? The Bolivarian dynamic consists of a number of interlocking class-struggle processes: o Increasingly sophisticated and successful mass mobilizations against both imperialism and ruling oligarchies, and involving peasants, workers, indigenous people, students, slum dwellers, students and other sectors. These mobilizations differ in their specific composition from one country to another, with indigenous people being a major component in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, and other combinations in other countries. o The coming to power (and staying in power) on the basis of these mobilizations of left-wing governments which more or less explicitly define themselves as socialist, or moving in a socialist direction. Such are the governments headed by Hugo Ch?vez in Venezuela (elected 1998), Rafael Correa in Ecuador (elected 2006) and Evo Morales in Bolivia (elected 2006), plus the government of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua elected 2006, which has some specific characteristics. Newly elected governments in Paraguay (elected 2008) and El Salvador (elected 2009) may eventually move in a "Bolivarian" direction. Manuel Zelaya in Honduras was elected as the candidate of the rather conservative Liberal Party in 2005, but developed a progressive program that grew more explicit as the high cost of oil began crushing his country, and that only Venezuela via Petrocaribe was willing to sell him oil on reasonable terms. He received the support of the "Bolivarian" unions and mass organizations of his country once he began to introduce progressive reforms, and he working closely with such mobilizations in Honduras at the time he was overthrown on June 28. These "Bolivarian" mobilizations have been occurring even where the government is still right wing, for example in Peru where large scale mobilizations, with an especially large mobilization of Amazonian indigenous people, challenging the right-wing regime of APRA?s Alan Garc?a. In some countries this mass mobilization process is less strong, for example, Mexico and Guatemala. o The agreement between left-wing governments in power and the mobilized mass forces to re-found the national state, through constitutional conventions which give much more scope to direct public input into decision making at all levels, and with a conscious effort to open up possibilities of socialist advances while marginalizing traditional elites of landowners, bankers, businessmen and the old-style Latin American military brass. Of course, the elites fight back tooth and nail, but so far the combination of left-wing presidents and mobilized masses is winning in most countries. o An anti-imperialist stance by both governments and mobilized social bases, which has as its purpose the separation of the "Bolivarian" countries, separately and as a group, from the imperialist world order headed by the United States and the other wealthy countries, and the construction of a new system in the Americas in which horizontal integration and solidarity among countries replaces domination by international monopoly capital and US military, political and ideological hegemony. An important part of this anti-imperialist stance has been to stand by socialist Cuba in word and deed. o A rejection of the "Washington Consensus" of corporate dominated trade and neo-liberal macroeconomic policies. Neoliberalism involves a commitment to free trade (actually not free, but rigged in favor of wealthier countries and big corporations), privatization of the economy (so as to give foreign corporate investors more fields of activity from which to extract profits), austerity in public services and repression to force people to accept this program. Under the Washington Consensus, development loans and credits from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund as well as foreign aid directly from the United States and some other wealthy countries are only available if the neo-liberal package is agreed to. Further, under the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), poorer countries are forced to accept disadvantageous trade deals, which often oblige them to change their labor, environmental and other laws so as to favor wealthy foreign corporate investors. These are the things that both the masses and the governments in the Bolivarian countries reject. o The creation of new international bodies and relationships to enable the Bolivarian countries to replace the sources of trade and aid lost by defecting from the Washington Consensus system, and to help each other with development without onerous strings attached. The umbrella body for this new system of cooperation and solidarity is ALBA, the Bolivarian Alliance (formerly Alternative) for the People of Our America, at this writing including Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua and several of the smaller English speaking Caribbean countries: Antigua, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. ALBA started off with an agreement in 2004 between Cuba and Venezuela in which Venezuela provided Cuba with low priced oil in exchange for Cuban aid in developing Venezuela?s health care and school systems. Since then it has grown to the point that it has basically defeated US efforts to build the Free Trade Area of the Americas into a hemispheric trading bloc based on "Washington Consensus" principles and domination by US corporate interests. Under the general rubric of ALBA come projects like Petrocaribe, Venezuela?s system of providing oil on good credit terms to ALBA members and others; Bancosur, a regional bank to provide development loans and credits without the onerous neoliberal conditions attached to aid from the IMF and International Fund; and the SUCRE, a projected common currency for the Latin American countries. So far, ALBA and Petrocaribe are going full blast, Bancosur is in its start-up phase of getting contributions of capital from the member countries, and the SUCRE is still on the drawing boards. o Openness to include in these new international institutions countries that are not led by leftists or formally part of ALBA, even beyond the Latin American Area. Colombia, headed by a right-wing government, has asked to participate in Bancosur as it develops, and there have been contacts between the ALBA group and some African countries. Not all of the countries in Latin America with left-wing governments are part of the Bolivarian process, but all are relating to it in some aspects of its functioning, e.g. in defending socialist Cuba against US pressure and aggression. The Nature of the leftist governments and the attitude of the Latin American left Of ALBA governments, only Cuba?s has a strongly Marxist-Leninist pedigree. While communist and workers parties in the other ALBA countries are largely supportive of these governments and especially of the mass mobilizations that brought them to power and keep them in power, the political backgrounds of leaders such as Ch?vez, Morales, Correa and Zelaya are rather an eclectic mix of nationalism, populism, social democracy and revolutionary socialism. They are a work in process both ideologically and practically, with lots of internal divisions and contradictions, but with anti-imperialism as a common thread. In those countries that are not part of ALBA but with progressive leaderships, the traditional communist and socialist left tends to unite with the "Bolivarian" forces and social democratic governments (sometimes working in official coalition with these governments, sometimes not) for a common progressive, pro-working class agenda, or to mount opposition to right wing governments such as those of Peru, Colombia and Mexico. The political stability of the ALBA countries None of the major ALBA governments have been in power more than a decade or so, except Cuba. Most of them have come to power within the last three or four years, and they were often elected with small vote margins. Neither their internal enemies (the traditional landowning, banking and business oligarchies, the higher military command and right-wing elements of the Roman Catholic hierarchy, to name the most important) nor imperialism have given out on ousting the left wing governments by fair means or foul. It is entirely possible that these governments be defeated in upcoming elections. It is also possible that they become destabilized by internal sedition on the part of local reactionaries, leading to future coups d?etat. Some of the non Bolivarian countries with moderately left-wing or social democratic governments are also threatened with electoral defeat in the near future (Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay). Guatemala, which has a moderately left of center president, Alvaro Colom, is currently undergoing a scary destabilization effort, and it is not impossible that this could culminate in yet another military coup d?etat. In 2002 there was an abortive coup against president Ch?vez of Venezuela, which was strongly abetted by the Bush administration. Last year, there was a major effort by extreme right wingers to detach some of the wealthiest provinces of Bolivia from the Bolivian state; this effort was deflected by deft maneuvering by president Morales but the danger is by no means over. Last year and this, there have been movements based in Colombia to destabilize and discredit the Bolivarian governments of Venezuela and Ecuador. The strategy in this cause is for the Colombian government to use information it supposedly obtained from a computer taken from a dead leader of the FARC (Armed Forces of the Colombian Revolution) to make claims about alleged relationships between the Ecuadorian and Venezuelan government and that revolutionary organization. The United States, kicked out of the Manta Air Force Base in Ecuador, has just announced it is setting up several new military basis in Colombia. This series of events has created so much friction between Ecuador and Venezuela on the one side, and Colombia on the other, that President Ch?vez has broken off diplomatic relations with Colombia. The Honduran coup and the survival of the ALBA dynamic President Zelaya, by linking his own government to the Bolivarian dynamic in Honduras, and by making commitments and policy changes that conform with that tendency, terrified and angered his local oligarchs and their imperialist backers. Although he was overthrown supposedly for "violating the constitution" by pushing forward with a plan for a non-binding referendum, this was a pretext. In reality, Zelaya had done a number of things that made his wealthy reactionary opponents feel that they had their backs to the wall. He had increased the minimum wage by 60 percent, greatly angering transnational investors such as Chiquita Banana (the descendant company of the United Fruit Company which dominated Honduras and so many other countries in the region for many years) and other local and international corporations. He had defended labor rights, for example, for workers in Honduran mines, many of which are owned by Canadian corporations. He had promised to open investigations into the disappearance and deaths of thousands of people who had been repressed by US allied governments during the 1980s, even though many active service, high ranking officers in his army were very likely implicated in those atrocities. He wanted to take over the US owned Soto Cano air force base and make it into a new civilian airport for Honduras, the one near Tegucigalpa being inadequate for huge modern passenger jets. He joined ALBA, and denounced capitalism and imperialism. He denounced the Bush administration for having tried to get him to allow the US to use Honduras in its old role as a center for imperialist subversion against Venezuela and Cuba. So locally, the military hierarchy, the landowners, the big exploitative businesspeople, the traditional hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church and right-wing Evangelical Protestant Pastors wanted him out. Although the June 28 date - the date the referendum was to take place - was important, there were other dates that the coup planners had in mind. The most important was November 29, the coming presidential and congressional elections. Although Zelaya could not run for election under the 1982 constitution, there was the possibility that the left, including Cesar Ham, the presidential candidate of the left wing, pro-Zelaya and pro-Bolivarian Party of Democratic Unification, could make advances in that election. Also, what the non-binding referendum actually asked was whether there should be a ballot item on November 29 asking for a constitutional convention in 2010. The reactionaries rightly surmised that this was a method to move the Honduran constitution in a "Bolivarian" direction, with much enhanced direct mass participation in government and greatly strengthened guarantees for the working class, farmers, minority groups and the poor. This is what the coup planners were afraid of. The business about Zelaya being controlled by Ch?vez of Venezuela and secretly wanting to run for a second term served as the cover story. The overthrow of Zelaya by an old fashioned barracks coup d?etat rang alarm bells throughout Latin American, but especially in the ALBA countries. They quickly concluded that if the coup government, under former Congress president and businessman Roberto Micheletti, was allowed to get away with the coup, it would encourage similar reactionary forces in every Latin American country to try the same stunt. Many people on the left all over Latin America, and not just in the ALBA countries, still have pictures on their walls of friends and relatives murdered by military dictators backed by the CIA. Many left-wing commentators in Latin America and beyond have stated with good reason that the Honduras coup was aimed against ALBA and the whole Bolivarian tendency. Hence there was an immediate rejection of the coup that included all the radical left-wing governments, but not only them. Social Democratic governments in Argentina, Brazil and elsewhere were just as quick to denounce the coup. Even the right-wing governments of Colombia and Mexico got on board with their denunciations, and the Organization of American States (OAS) often seen as a tool of US imperialism by the Latin American left, strongly denounced the coup as did the United Nations General Assembly, other international bodies and most governments around the world. Role and attitude of the United States government The experience of Latin American nations in these situations is summed up by the old joke: Question: Why has there never been a coup d?etat in Washington DC? Answer: Because there is no US embassy there. The role of the United States in any number of such events, starting back at the beginning of the 20th century and ending with the second overthrow of president Aristide of Haiti in 2004, is well documented and so consistent that many people in the region simply assumed that the Obama administration had at least abetted, and perhaps actually organized, the June 28 coup. This was seen as proving that at least in his policy toward Latin America Obama is no better than Bush or his predecessors. The personnel list of US officials involved with Honduras includes a number of holdovers from the Bush administration, including US Ambassador to Honduras Hugo Llorens and Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Tom Shannon, was another cause of suspicion. The role of Lanny Davis, a former advisor to Bill and Hillary Clinton, who has now surfaced as the chief lobbyist on Capitol Hill for the coup regime headed by Micheletti, is seen as another piece of evidence. Hillary Clinton herself is, by association with her husband, seen as having a reactionary orientation to Latin America. The Clinton State Department and the Obama White House have made some steps toward better relations with the Latin American countries, but have also made sharp criticisms of the Venezuelan and Cuban leadership, of such as a nature as to echo the usual right-wing canards, in somewhat milder language. Adding to the suspicion was the fact that the first response to the coup by the US State Department was so bland that it was hard to understand whether it was criticizing the coup regime, Zelaya or both. One State Department spokesperson said that Zelaya?s overthrow should be a lesson to him for choosing Ch?vez as a role model. And the State Department has so far refused to officially use the word "coup" to describe Zelaya?s overthrow, ostensibly because this would require a complete cutoff of US aid. But, speaking in Moscow, President Obama himself made a much stronger statement against the coup, and US officials insist that they are working for and end to the coup and the restoration of Zelaya to the presidency. The mediation of the situation by Costa Rican president Oscar Arias, who is not trusted by the left in Latin America, raised more suspicions. It was seen by many, including former Cuban president Fidel Castro and president Ch?vez of Venezuela, as a ploy by the United States to break up the united front against the coup and to undercut the strong position taken by the OAS and the individual governments. These critics felt that if the United States would have completely cut off all aid to Honduras, the coup would have failed quickly; that by introducing the element of the Arias mediation without at the same time cutting off the aid, Obama and Clinton were trying to give the coup government time to consolidate itself in power at worst, or to pressure Zelaya to move away from the ALBA and the Bolivarian dynamic at best. But close examination of the behavior of the various US actors seems to paint a more nuanced and complex picture. In the first place, people like Lanny Davis are mercenaries. Their having worked for the Clintons in the past does not tell us much of anything; they will work for anyone with deep enough pockets. Secondly, although we agree that the Obama administration needs to do much more to back down the coup government and get Zelaya back to the presidency, we can also see the spectacle of the whole of the ultra-right in US politics ferociously attacking Obama for having stated that he was opposed to the coup and is for Zelaya?s return to the presidency. So Obama?s worst enemies are energetically supporting the coup, as part of their general reactionary assault on Obama administration policies. Whatever the roles of people like Lanny Davis, Ambassador Llorens and Assistant Secretary Shannon, there is absolutely no doubt that support for the coup is being organized on Capitol Hill by far right Republican lawmakers, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who was defeated by Obama in the 2008 elections. McCain is the chairman of the International Republican Institute, one of the US entities most tightly tied to the coup through its long history of meddling in Honduran affairs and its proven links to coup supporters. Also involved in fighting in favor of the coup is Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who, with Republican colleagues, is working to block or at least delay some Obama administration foreign policy appointments, including that of Arturo Valenzuela to replace Tom Shannon in the Western Hemisphere post, as a protest against Obama?s stated support for Zelaya's presidency. While liberal Democrat Rep. Bill Delahunt, D-Mass., has organized a resolution in the House of Representatives (H. R. 630) denouncing the coup and calling for the Obama administration to work energetically for Zelaya?s restoration, the Republican right has introduced a rival resolution (H. R. 619) applauding the coup and demanding that Micheletti be recognized as the legitimate president of Honduras. Many of the old Reagan-Bush-Bush crowd are busy around the Honduras issue, doing all they can to support the coup and keep the Micheletti crowd in power. These include powerful figures like John Negroponte (US ambassador to Honduras when dissidents were being massacred with US connivance in the 1980s). Roger Noriega and Otto Reich. These people no doubt have networks among military, business, press and other institutions in the United States, and they have their fingerprints all over the thing. But it is extremely doubtful that President Obama somehow got together with his worst enemies in US politics to cook up a coup that does not serve his electoral political interests and that undercuts his message to the outside world. Reactionaries in press and pulpit in the United States are damning the Obama administration for supporting Zelaya. Meanwhile, important sectors on the left, including the AFL-CIO, SEIU, USW, Workers Uniting and other labor and people?s organizations are denouncing the coup and calling for the Obama administration to exert maximum pressure to restore Zelaya and defend the rights of Honduran workers. Obama never identified himself as an anti-imperialist, and his government has been critical of the ALBA countries. He would probably prefer to have people like Presidents Lula of Brazil or Bachelet of Chile to work with in Latin American affairs, rather than Raul Castro or Hugo Ch?vez. But this does not mean that Obama is "just the same" as Bush in his Latin American policies. That is a very simplistic reading of events. All this does not mean that we should be satisfied with the steps the Obama administration has taken so far. The canceling of diplomatic passports for Micheletti and some if his colleagues is a good gesture, but needs to be followed up by real economic sanctions targeted at the people involved in the coup, as Zelaya has requested. They must not be allowed to use Miami or the US banking system as a mechanism for keeping their reactionary and illegal system in power; their accounts must all be frozen immediately. And rather than criticizing Zelaya for being "reckless" for his trip to the border, the US government should be removing all US military personnel from Honduras (where we have reports that they are still coordinating with the Honduran military), while Honduran officers should be ousted from the School of the Americas in Fort Benning Georgia (which of course should itself be shut down). In the long run President Obama likes to use the phrase "teachable moment" to describe traumatic events that force everybody to rethink their old assumptions. Crises like the one in Honduras can be a "teachable moment" for the Obama administration and the United States. The world has changed, and even if some of the Bolivarian governments lose power, the grassroots dynamic that brought them to power will continue to advance and triumph. As long as this dynamic continues, Bolivarianism will continue to radically reshape the relationship between the United States and Latin America. The dream of Bolivar, Morazan, Mart? and Che of unity and solidarity among the peoples of Latin America will continue to undermine the dynamics of imperialism, neo-liberalism and US hegemony. Obama may be just enough of a realist to understand that one must adapt oneself to what can not be changed. There are forces within and without the United States which will force this country to develop trade and diplomatic relationships with neighboring nations and peoples that are characterized by equality, non-interference and social justice. And these changes will be of inestimable value to the US working class also. --Emile Schepers chairs the international department of the Communist Party USA. From tal1 at cogeco.ca Tue Aug 4 12:48:49 2009 From: tal1 at cogeco.ca (Tony B.) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 14:48:49 -0400 Subject: [A-List] South Ossetia: Russian Military On High Alert Message-ID: ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Rozoff To: stopnato at yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 12:50 PM Subject: [stopnato] South Ossetia: Russian Military On High Alert http://www.focus-fen.net/?id=n189899 Focus News Agency August 4, 2009 Russian military in South Ossetia at high alert: foreign ministry Moscow: Russian military [personnel] in South Ossetia are at high alert due to Georgia?s provocations, spokesperson of Russian foreign ministry Andrey Nesterenko said, cited by Russian information agencies. ?The situation is really alarming, Georgia?s provocations before the anniversary of the activities in August, 2008 have continued. Thus Russian military and customs officers in South Ossetia are at high alert,? Nesterenko said. ?Most important thing at the moment is not allow escalation,? he pointed. ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=21330 Civil Georgia July 4, 2009 Russia Troops in S.Ossetia on Combat Readiness Tbilisi: Russia said on August 4 it had placed its troops in breakaway South Ossetia on alert as Georgia?s ?provocations are not stopping? ahead of anniversary of the last year?s war. ?The situation is really alarming,? Andrei Nesterenko, a spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry said in the comments posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry?s website. ?Provocations from the Georgian side ahead of the anniversary of the last August events are not stopping. In this connection, we have stepped up the combatant readiness of Russian troops and border guards stationed in South Ossetia.? ?We are watching closing developments on the Georgian-South Ossetian border. We thoroughly follow statements by South Ossetian and Georgian representatives, which are of a conflicting nature, full of mutual accusations, like it had been often in the past,? Nesterenko said. He said each case of reported shooting was being studied jointly by the Russian forces and the South Ossetian authorities in order ?to establish the truth.? ?Now it is essential not to let shootouts escalate and grow into larger clashes,? Nesterenko said. =========================== Stop NATO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato To subscribe, send an e-mail to: rwrozoff at yahoo.com or stopnato-subscribe at yahoogroups.com Daily digest option available. Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/messages ============================== __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Database | Polls MARKETPLACE Mom Power: Discover the community of moms doing more for their families, for the world and for each other Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent Activity 9New Members Visit Your Group Drive Traffic Sponsored Search can help increase your site traffic. Hollywood kids in the spotlight Their moms share secrets Yahoo! Groups Small Business Group A community for small business owners. __,_._,___ From tal1 at cogeco.ca Tue Aug 4 12:49:30 2009 From: tal1 at cogeco.ca (Tony B.) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 14:49:30 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Hondurans To Hold New Protests Against June 28 Coup Message-ID: ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Rozoff To: stopnato at yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 9:18 AM Subject: [stopnato] Hondurans To Hold New Protests Against June 28 Coup http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/honduran-opposition-announces-new-protest Radio Netherlands August 4, 2009 Honduran opposition announces new protest Supporters of ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya have announced new protests. On Wednesday, they will begin a five-day march on the country's two main cities, San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. One person was killed when the army broke up the previous mass opposition protest. Costa Rica is hosting a new round of talks on the crisis in Honduras. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias will meet the Secretary General of the Organisation of American States Jose Miguel Insulza and Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega. Manuel Zelaya has travelled to Mexico to discuss his situation with President Felipe Calderon. =========================== Stop NATO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato To subscribe, send an e-mail to: rwrozoff at yahoo.com or stopnato-subscribe at yahoogroups.com Daily digest option available. Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/messages ============================== __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Database | Polls Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent Activity 9New Members Visit Your Group Give Back Yahoo! for Good Get inspired by a good cause. Y! Toolbar Get it Free! easy 1-click access to your groups. Yahoo! Groups Start a group in 3 easy steps. Connect with others.. __,_._,___ From tal1 at cogeco.ca Tue Aug 4 12:51:27 2009 From: tal1 at cogeco.ca (Tony B.) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 14:51:27 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Serbs Mourn, Croatia Celebrates Operation Storm Message-ID: <66D4F66B27BF45249EFCA4DC0919EBA9@TonyPC> ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Rozoff To: stopnato at yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 9:14 AM Subject: [stopnato] Serbs Mourn, Croatia Celebrates Operation Storm http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=08&dd=04&nav_id=60937 Beta News Agency August 4, 2009 Anniversary of Operation Storm marked BELGRADE: Today marks the 14th anniversary since a Croat military onslaught on the country's Serb area of Krajina that ended in the murder of more than 2,000 people. The attack, known as Operation Storm, also saw over 200,000 Serbs driven out of Croatia as refugees. The Veritas center for documentation and information says that only in the former Sector South 22,000 Serb homes were pillaged, demolished or set on fire. The 1995 assault came despite the fact that the area was under UN protection. In Belgrade's Church of St. Marko this Tuesday, the dead will be remembered in a service dedicated to their souls, followed by a commemoration for the fallen Serbs in Croatia. Several dozen refugees have traveled from Serbia to their hometowns in Croatia where they too will attend services in rebuilt Serbian Orthodox temples. Then, they will place flowers along Petrova?ka Road, along which they fled to become refugees 14 years ago. The refugees will do the same on the Sremska Raca border crossing, where they entered Serbia in the summer of 1995. In Belgrade on Monday, President Boris Tadic said the return of refugees, problems concerning the return of Serb property in Croatia, and the exhumation and identification of the victims are the issues that must be resolved as part of improving the overall relations between Serbia and Croatia. Tadic met with a delegation of the Association of Families of the Missing and Killed in Croatia, headed by association president Cedomir Maric, his office said in a statement. The delegation informed him about their problems and expressed dissatisfaction because the exhumation and identification of the victims of the war in Croatia is proceeding slowly. According to the delegation's figures, some 2,230 Serbs are still listed as missing in Croatia. Meanwhile, that country is today celebrating the anniversary as its national holiday. =========================== Stop NATO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato To subscribe, send an e-mail to: rwrozoff at yahoo.com or stopnato-subscribe at yahoogroups.com Daily digest option available. Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/messages ============================== __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Database | Polls Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent Activity 9New Members Visit Your Group Give Back Yahoo! for Good Get inspired by a good cause. Y! Toolbar Get it Free! easy 1-click access to your groups. Yahoo! Groups Start a group in 3 easy steps. Connect with others.. __,_._,___ From tal1 at cogeco.ca Tue Aug 4 12:51:57 2009 From: tal1 at cogeco.ca (Tony B.) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 14:51:57 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Georgia Continues Shelling Of South Ossetia Message-ID: <1B8F5BBBEED24E1A968BEA4621EAAD23@TonyPC> ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Rozoff To: stopnato at yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 9:01 AM Subject: [stopnato] Georgia Continues Shelling Of South Ossetia http://www.interfax.com/3/509058/news.aspx Interfax August 4, 2009 S. Ossetian village attacked from Georgia TSKHINVALI: The South Ossetian village of Otrev, Tskhinvali region, was attacked from the Georgian village of Plavi at 10:05 p.m. on Monday, the South Ossetian Defense Ministry told Interfax. Three mortar shots were fired at the village, the source said. "Ossetia did not yield to the provocation and did not fire back," the South Ossetian defense Ministry said. The attack did not cause any destruction or casualties, said the ministry. A group of South Ossetian law enforcement officials will conduct an investigation and into the attack on Tuesday, said the source. It is the third mortar attack against a South Ossetian village over the past few days, the South Ossetian ministry said. In the early hours of July 30, two mortar shots were fired against South Ossetia from the Georgian village of Nikozi, the ministry has reported. No one was hurt in the attack, the South Ossetian Ministry has reported. .... A similar incident occurred around 9:25 a.m. on August 1, when two mortar shots were fired against a South Ossetian Defense Ministry post near the Georgian village of Ditsi, South Ossetian Defense Minister Ibragim Gasseyev told Interfax. .... ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=14203820&PageNum=0 Itar-Tass August 4, 2009 Georgia fire on S Ossetia remind people of last year war-official TSKHINVALI: Shelling of the South Ossetian village of Otrev from Georgian territory causes concern of the South Ossetian population who ?are afraid of a repetition of the August 2008 events,? spokeswoman for the South Ossetian Defence Ministry Galina Guchmazova told the Vesti news television channel in an interview. ?Taking into account the fact that Georgia refuses to sign an agreement on the non-use of force, perhaps anything can be expected,? she said. Guchmazova called a provocation the Monday shelling of the South Ossetian village of Otrev from the Georgian side and said that ?such provocations from the Georgian side have become more frequent of late.? ?Last year, it all started with such provocations,? she added. According to earlier reports, three mortar shots were fired from the area of the Georgian village of Plavi at 22:05, Moscow time, Monday on the Ossetian village of Otrev. One of the shells exploded on the outskirts of the village. There were no casualties or destruction. =========================== Stop NATO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato To subscribe, send an e-mail to: rwrozoff at yahoo.com or stopnato-subscribe at yahoogroups.com Daily digest option available. Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/messages ============================== __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Database | Polls Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent Activity 9New Members Visit Your Group Give Back Yahoo! for Good Get inspired by a good cause. Y! Toolbar Get it Free! easy 1-click access to your groups. Yahoo! Groups Start a group in 3 easy steps. Connect with others.. __,_._,___ From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Tue Aug 4 13:38:43 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 20:38:43 +0100 Subject: [A-List] AFP: Zelaya supporters eye new Honduras protests Message-ID: AFP: Zelaya supporters eye new Honduras protests Posted to CN by: "A Beltran" a.beltran at ymail.com Tue Aug 4, 2009 7:00 am (PDT) http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20090803/tpl-zelaya-supporters-eye-new-honduras-p-ee974b3.html Zelaya supporters eye new Honduras protests Monday, August 3 04:53 pm AFP Noe Leiva Supporters of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya mobilized Monday to prepare new protests calling for his return to power more than a month after the military threw him out of the country. Skip related content Foreign envoys meanwhile were set to meet Monday with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, a Nobel peace laureate spearheading an effort to negotiate a deal between Zelaya and the interim government led by Roberto Micheletti. Zelaya supporters said they would begin a five-day march on the country's two main cities starting Wednesday despite a crackdown threat from the de facto government and the death of a teacher who was shot at a protest last week. "There will be two marches with people from all over the country. One will go to San Pedro Sula and another to Tegucigalpa," Juan Barahona, of the National Resistance Against the Honduran Coup, told AFP. Arias was to discuss Honduras with Organization of American States Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza and Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega. Enrique Iglesias, a top official with the Organization of Ibero-American States, was also expected to attend the meeting. For his part, Zelaya, who spent much of last week on the Nicaraguan side of the border with Honduras, was in Managua preparing for a trip to Mexico for a meeting Tuesday with President Felipe Calderon. Zelaya was bundled out of his bed at gunpoint and kicked out of the country in the June 28 coup, which has been condemned by the international community. The Mexican president in turn will meet US President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at an August 9-10 summit in Guadalajara, Mexico, with the simmering Honduran crisis likely to be a hot issue. Washington has said that Zelaya is the country's only president, and US ambassador to Honduras Hugo Llorens flew to Nicaragua and traveled to the border to meet the deposed president on July 29. Micheletti expressed his displeasure in a Saturday interview with local HRN news. "We are extremely surprised with the attitude taken by the (US) ambassador, and we call on him for a correction; he cannot be interfering in issues that are strictly of Honduras," Micheletti said. "There is no country or people powerful enough in the world to bend us," he added. Washington has canceled diplomatic visas for four members of the interim government, and Micheletti has threatened to retaliate by canceling the visas of US diplomats. In Tegucigalpa, hundreds of Zelaya supporters -- including the president's wife Xiomara Castro -- gathered Sunday for a wake for Roger Abraham Vallejo, a 38-year-old high school teacher who was shot during a mid-week demonstration. Another teacher, Martin Florencio Rivera, was stabbed to death after leaving the wake, which Zelaya supporters blamed on regime supporters. "He was killed after being stabbed 27 times when he was leaving Vallejo's wake," Eulogio Chavez, a teachers organization leader, told AFP. "That is the same way they killed the comrade in El Paraiso," he said, referring to a Zelaya supporter beaten and stabbed to death who was found near the border with Nicaragua on July 25. From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Tue Aug 4 14:05:37 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 21:05:37 +0100 Subject: [A-List] National Front against the Coup d'Etat in Honduras to the Worldwide Message-ID: <3FBA2333172F4644A11572932CD95621@home9sg93n9r5y> Posted to CN by: "Phil Stuart C" fcstuartca at yahoo.ca Tue Aug 4, 2009 6:58 am (PDT) Honduran Resistance to the World: Organize a Boycott Against the Military-Business Dictatorship of Roberto Micheletti Posted: 03 Aug 2009 01:56 PM PDT Call from the National Front against the Coup d'Etat in Honduras to the Worldwide Working Class June 28th of the this year when the Honduran population was preparing to participate in a popular opinion poll about the installation of a fourth ballog box in which it would decide whether or not to convoke a Constitutional Assembly, thousands of military soldiers kidnapped the Constitutional President of the Republic, Manuel Zelaya Rosales and they expelled him to the neighboring country of Costa Rica; they occupied the Presidential House, they violently closed all of the independent radio and television stations, they persecuted all the functionaries of the government and they implanted a State of Siege in the whole country. In that way a coup d'etat took place, which hours later was "legalized" by the National Congress (legislative assembly), putting in the presidency Roberto Micheletti Bain, leader of President Zelaya's own political party, through ridiculous arguments that the deposed president has "resigned." That version was denied by President Zelaya himself, in addition to the fact that the National Congress does not have the constitutional authority to separate him from his role. At the same time, it was argued that there was an order of arrest without the President having faced a judge where he could defend himself from the accusations made towards him. Behind the coup is the business leadership, the four political parties of the bourgeoisie, (Liberal Party, National Party, Christian Democratic Party and Party of Social Democratic Innovation and Unity), the leadership of the Catholic and Evangelical churches, as well as the main owners of the media. All of them made a counter-revolutionary alliance for fear that the popular poll of the 28th of June would give power to the people and especially to the working class and poor peasantry to start the construction of a new society, where the privileges of the bourgeois class and the landowners would be eliminated. It is also necessary to say that behind this coup d'etat is the hand of North American imperialism and the Latin American ultra-right, who are seeing it as an opportunity to stop the advance of the left in the Central American region and the influence of the Venezuelan revolution, after the recent electoral triumphs of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) in El Salvador and the Sandinista Front in Nicaragua. Nonetheless, the answer of the Honduran people did not wait even the first hour of the coup. The popular masses flooded into the streets to take over the public plazas and protest in the Presidential House (headquarter building of the government) against thousands of military troops, armed with tanks, helicopters, planes and heavy artillery. Ever since, the popular masses have come out EVERY DAY to the streets for a month, to protest, to carry out pressure to defeat the usurper government, carrying out massive mobilizations, highway takeovers, takeovers of public buildings, etc. making use of Article 3 of our Political Constitution that gives the right to Popular Insurrection in the case of the imposition of a government by armed force. Although this struggle has cost the lives of various Hondurans, assassinated by the military, thanks to this resistance the usurper government has not been able to control the situation, nor to defeat the masses and hence has not been able to consolidate itself as a government. The maximum organized expression of the popular resistance is the "National Front against the Coup d'Etat" which unites all of the social and political expressions of the popular movement and is driving the national movement towards the defeat of the dictatorship. This front is made up of worker, peasant and other peoples organizations, as well as by the left and center parties and movements who have declared themselves against the coup d'etat. The international reaction was forceful from a diplomatic point of view: Except for the Zionist regime of Israel, no other country in the world dared to recognize the military-business dictatorship imposed in Honduras. Both the Organization of American States, the United Nations General Assembly, the R?o Group, the countries associated with the Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas, among others, condemned the coup d'etat, because they correctly recognize that it is about the first coup against the limited bourgeois democracies that exist in Latin America and that, if it consolidates, would set a disastrous precedent to allow the un-doing of the social and democratic liberties that have been achieved by the peoples and workers and would probably be imitated by the most reactionary forces in other countries of the region and world. Nonetheless, this reaction has not yet gone past the point of diplomatic declarations which, if useful, are not sufficient to hurt the dictatorship economically or militarily. The only government that always had an ambiguous policy towards the usurping government was the North American government led by Barack Obama. While it declared recognition of the Government of President Manuel Zelaya as the only president, it gave visas to the emissaries of the coup-makers so that they could come into North American territory to lobby in favor of the coup; it has not suspended the main programs of economic and military aid to Honduras, it has not applied a commercial boycott like it has done against Cuba , and it refuses to declare that this is a coup d'etat. Instead it has promoted a negotiation between the legitimate President of the Hondurans, Manuel Zelaya, with the dictator Micheletti, through a mediator: Costa Rican President Oscar Arias. For the National Front Against the Coup d'Etat, the mediation of President Arias is a strategy of the U.S. State Department to achieve some level of international recognition for the dictator Micheletti, delaying the time for the end of the conflict so that the resistance movement is worn out and to submit President Zelaya to unacceptable conditions before his inevitable re-installation in power, with the goal of making him abandon the political demands that have motivated the popular mobilization, such as the struggle for a Constitutional Assembly and for the punishment of those responsible for the coup. Consequently, the National Front Against the Coup d'Etat only accepts the immediate, safe and unconditional reinstalement Por consiguiente, el Frente Nacional contra el Golpe de Estado, solo acepta una reinstalaci?n inmediata, of President Zelaya to his post. The Honduran working class, which since the beginning actively responded to the popular resistance, organized in the third week a unified mobilization through its own methods of struggle: la general strike and the takeover of work centers, starting with a 48 hour stoppage by the three central unions of the country (CUTH, CGT and CTH) this past 23rd and 24th of July, which was repeated again the 30th and 31st of the same month. In solidarity with them friends from the popular organizations of El Salvador and Nicaragua cut of the customs to stop the entrance of exit of merchandise from Honduras. Immediately the business associations of Honduras and Central America, who are in solidarity with the usurpers, screamed to the sky because that boycott implied losses of millions for their companies. This means that the strike and the commercial boycott are effective weapons to wear out the economic base of the coup-makers, more than formal declarations. Because of all of this, the National Front Against the Coup d'Etat makes a call to working class organizations world wide to organize and carry out militant solidarity with the working class and the people of Honduras, carrying out boycott actions of all products that enter or come out of Honduran ports, with the goal of economically asphyxiating the dictatorship; do protests in repudiation of the dictatorship in front of the U.S. and Honduran embassys, do political and cultural actions in solidarity with the struggle of the Honduran people, and in general carry out action that strengthens the struggle of the Honduran people and its working class to get us out of this oppressive regime and reach a new society. ONLY WORLD WIDE UNITY OF THE WORKING CLASS WILL DEFEAT THE FASCIST EXPERIMENT IN HONDURAS Tegucigalpa, Honduras July 31st, 2009 ______________________________ From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Tue Aug 4 14:19:49 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 21:19:49 +0100 Subject: [A-List] LATIN AMERICAN LEADERS DEMAND US ACTS TO ENSURE THE RETURN OF ZELAYA AND THE RESTORATION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER IN HONDURAS Message-ID: <479D2D044F2E42748E39E6D5BE2347F9@home9sg93n9r5y> LATIN AMERICAN LEADERS DEMAND US ACTS TO ENSURE THE RETURN OF ZELAYA AND THE RESTORATION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER IN HONDURAS By Francisco Dominguez, VSC Secretary Speaking during his weekly television show, Hello President, on Sunday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on US President, Barack Obama to withdraw all support for the coup government in Honduras. "Obama withdraw your soldiers from Honduras, withdraw all support for the coup plotters, freeze their bank accounts, withdraw their visas.. so that this government falls immediately," Chavez said. Although Obama has made comments condemning the ouster of Zelaya, the US government has refused to legally recognize the coup as a "coup", maintained diplomatic ties with the illegitimate government and continued to send millions of dollars in aid. Chavez's comments follow US-backed talks aimed at promoting "dialogue" between Zelaya and coup president Roberto Micheletti, mediated by Costa Rican president Oscar Arias, which ended last week without resolving the crisis. Through these types of measures the US government is "giving oxygen" to the de facto government of dictator Roberto Micheletti, Chavez commented "What the immoral coup plotters in Honduras are trying to do is wear out the people of Honduras, wear out the constitutional president Manuel Zelaya, and his government which is in exile," he added. Morales and Vazquez Join Condemnation Bolivian President Evo Morales and Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez have also now issued a joint statement on the matter, asserting their "support for democratic institutions in Honduras, the legitimate government of President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales", adding that they "do not recognize any other authority that emerged from violating the constitutional order in that country." Additionally, Evo Morales accused the US military of being behind the coup, saying the "imperial structure remains in force", despite President Barack Obama's inauguration. "I have first-hand information that the empire, through the US Southern Command, made the coup d'etat in Honduras," President Morales added, during his visit to Uruguay. Linked to these comments, growing evidence has come to light of involvement from forces within the US in the coup, with writer Eva Gollinger exposing the involvement of the International Republican Institute elsewhere on this website. Popular Protest in Honduras This weekend, Chavez also commented that, despite repression, Honduras is paralysed by popular protest, saying, "There are no classes, the factories are closed, the people are in the street, the farmers have left their tractors and taken to the highways... Honduras is a country on the verge of exploding." President of the United Workers Federation in Honduras, Juan Barahona, confirmed that these protests are continuing this week, saying: "We are going to continue until the coup plotters abandon the power they have usurped," Barahona told thousands of people who rallied in Tegucigalpa, the capital, on Saturday. Xiomara Castro, wife of the ousted Zelaya, also spoke at the rally, which then marched to the Toncontin international airport to commemorate the death of 19-year-old Isis Obed Murillo, shot by the military on July 5. It is only Washington's ambiguous stance that keeps Micheletti in power Whilst the popular movement continues to mobilise in Honduras, Chavez's remarks reflect the fact that the United States is the only country in the hemisphere that still maintains diplomatic relations with the de-facto Micheletti government in Honduras. Washington has not withdrawn its ambassador from Tegucigalpa. It is only because of pressure from a united Latin America to reject the coup that US State Department official Ian Kelly announced (July 2) that the US has "paused" economic aid "directly aiding the government" pending the outcome of its legal finding. In other words, the US has not suspended or terminated economic aid. Furthermore, the US has not ended the pouring of millions of US dollars to 'civil society' through 'democracy promotion' programmes funded through the National Endowment for Democracy, the International Republican Institute and USAID. These three US bodies have channelled US taxpayers' money to various Honduran organisations which form part of the so-called 'Union Civica Democratica' (Civil Democratic Union) which has publicly backed the coup against President Zelaya (for further details see aforementioned Eva Golinger's piece.) The United States could easily cancel the tariff exemptions it grants Honduras under the terms of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), yet it has chosen to continue granting thus sending a signal to Micheletti et al, that rhetoric apart, the US government is not serious about condemning the coup and is not prepared to put an immediate end to it. The coup was carried out by General Vasquez, head of the Armed Forces and Graduate of the notorious School of the Americas in US - the school of death squads and coups, and General Suazo, head of the Air Force, also a graduate of the school of the Americas. Previous military dictators in the 70's and 80's were similarly graduates, when the contras were organised from Honduras and Battalion 3-16 was the most feared death squad and the model for others. Apart from the assassination of Isis Obedo Murillo, 19, by bullets fired by soldiers at the Toncontin airport on July 5, there are extremely worrying reports of social movement leaders being assassinated this weekend. The victims were Roger Bados, 54, and Ramon Garcia, 40. It has already been noted that the killings carried out were typical to those committed by the death squads of the 1980s. No condemnation has been issued by the US about these killings nor have any demands been made on Micheletti to answer for such attacks on democracy, human rights and human life, which totally belies President Obama's pronouncements to defend democracy and begin a new era of relations with its Southern neighbours. It is clear that such ambiguity and clear action on the part of the Washington only emboldens the dictatorship in Tegucigalpa. The de facto government in Honduras has stripped the people of Honduras of basic freedoms, namely; the right to protest, freedom from unwarranted arrest or seizure, freedom of association, the right to a fair trial, freedom of movement, and the rights of the media. Indeed, it has illegally arrested and expelled journalists from VTV and Telesur from Honduras, with no charges against them. We therefore demand that: 1. The United States should recall its ambassador to Honduras as have all the countries of the European Union with embassies in the country; 2. The United States should follow US law and suspend all aid to Honduras, including military aid; 3. The United States government should impose financial sanctions against members of the coup government and the military high command. This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Tue Aug 4 14:14:09 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 21:14:09 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Haitian Organizations Declaration Against the Honduras Coup Message-ID: <9A19E5E0E4F1474C98B86500A01657CC@home9sg93n9r5y> Haitian Organizations Declaration Against the Honduras Coup Posted by: "Norman Girvan" norman.girvan at gmail.com normangirvan Tue Aug 4, 2009 6:58 am (PDT) Is Haitian Organizations Declaration Against the Honduras Coup 29 Haitian organizations and numerous personalities come out against thecoup in Honduras and demand the immediate and unconditional restoration ofManuel Zelaya to powerDECLARATION AGAINST THE COUP D'ETAT OF HONDURAS ANDDEMANDING THE RETURN OF THE PRESIDENT MANUEL ZELAYA AND THE PURSUIT OF THECONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PROCESSWe, a group of Haitian organizations, meeting from 24 to 28 July 2009 tocommemorate a week of solidarity with Cuba and of all peoples struggling fortheir liberation, condemn the military coup in Honduras of Sunday 28 Junewhen the democratically elected President was ousted from power and expelledfrom his country by the Armed Forces.We wish to alert Haitian public opinion to the gravity of this act, which iscontrary to the laws and Constitution of Honduras and to internationalconventions. This a coup d'?tat has been fomented by the conservative elitesof this country that are opposed to the changes initiated by the Zelayagovernment, including increase of the minimum wage, a large popularmobilization against the free trade agreements in particular CAFTA, thejoining of ALBA and the beginning of a process of constitutional reform. Wenote that the last decision, which was the pretext used by the traditionalpolitical class, the oligarchy and a Parliament to justify the coup, wassupported by the signatures of more than 400,000 citizens and that more than45,000 volunteers were mobilized to ensure the success of the referendumprocess. The Armed Forces, which oppose the referendum seeking public inputon whether to undertake a process of Constitutional reform, are engaged in arebellion and in crimes against the laws and institutions of the country.The coup is not only directed against the people of Honduras, it seeks toput an end to the immense progress made in recent years by the peoples ofthe region, including member countries of ALBA, in reclaiming theirsovereignty, breaking with neoliberal policies, recovering control overtheir strategic resources and dimsantling the colonial peripheral dependentcapitalist state. What is at stake is the future of democracy in ourcontinent. The right of our peoples to regain control over the constructionof their own future is being threatened. That is why we ask Haitianorganizations to mobilize to demand the immediate and unconditional returnof Manuel Zelaya to power by associating themselves with this statement.The signatories of this declaration:1 .- Demand the immediate and unconditional return of Manuel Zelaya to power2.- Demand the removal of the current de facto government and punishment ofperpetrators and accomplices of the coup d'?tat3 .- Denounce the cynicism practiced by the U.S. Administration and thedouble standards of the Government of Costa Rica through tactics thatattempt to legitimize the coup and unnecessarily prolong the suffering ofthe people of Honduras.4 .- Denounce the widespread and unacceptable human rights violationsperpetrated by the coup regime that daily violates civil liberties, imposesa curfew and severely represses the numerous mass demonstrations held insupport of the President. In this regard there have already been severalcasualties, assassinations, a large number of serious injuries, arbitraryarrests and systematic persecution of feminist organizations, indigenousorganizations and of the Press.5.-Wish to highlight the fact that although international bodies includingthe United Nations and the OAS have unanimously condemned the coup d'?tat,the issue now appears to be managed by the U.S. State Department and itsallies in Central America, in the context of a confusing mediation processthat promotes the extension in power of the criminals who now run thecountry. The resolution of the OAS should be implemented as soon aspossible.6 .- Call on all human rights bodies to mobilize to protect the manyHonduran organizations and the tens of thousands of Honduran citizensinvolved in the resistance against the coup and who are persecuted andthreatened with death and reprisals of all kind. We cannot remain silent inthe face of this assault against an unarmed people defending their mostbasic rights.. 7 .- Welcome the exemplary resistance of the people of Honduras, whichafter more than a month continues to paralyze the country and defend itsdignity and sacred right to defend its democratic achievements.8 .- Welcome in particular the National Front of Resistance to the coupd'?tat and all sister organizations such as COPINH, members of Jubilee Southand the member organizations of the Central American Popular Bloc, thatrefuse to retreat in the face of fascism and the barbaric acts of repressionthat plague the country today.9 .- Appeal to everyone to follow daily developments, to everywhere todenounce the coup and to make every effort to provide our support andsolidarity to the resistance by working tirelessly to ensure that theputschists fail.[image: Francisco Morazan - Central AmericanHero]Francisco Morazan - Central American HeroThe signatories wish to salute the courage of the people of Honduras. Wehave experienced a similar situation during the coup d'?tat perpetrated bythe Haitian Armed Forces on 30 September 1991. This cost many lives and wewitnessed the destruction of the popular movement for 3 years. The bloodycoup of 1991 was a critical turning point in the destabilization of ourcountry and the acceleration of a process of institutional and economicregression which is one of the causes of poverty that affects nearly 80% ofthe population today. We desire that the people of Honduras should acquirethe necessary resources to emerge as soon as possible out of this nightmareand the bloody dictatorship in order to resume the construction of asovereign and prosperous future that fully respects the rights and needs ofthe majority of the strata of the People ofMoraz?n.Be aware that 'Peacekeeping Forces', as in Haiti and other parts of theworld, are at the service of imperialism, which is today engaed in a newprocess of militarization of the region with new and menacing military basesinstalled in Colombia and Curacao. Any multinational force would onlyprolong the destabilization initiated by the coup.Down with the oligarchs, the fascist coup in Honduras and the imperialistthreat to the whole Latin America! Long live ALBA! Long live the resistanceof the people of Honduras! Truth and justice must prevail! We shallovercome! Done at Port-au-Prince, on 28 July 2009*Signatures**Individuals*:1 .- Jn Caillot Douly2 .- Thony Belfort3 .- Chantale Belgin pluviose4 .- Jules Armand Joseph5 .- Sterli Manigat6 .- Guerchang Bastia7. .- James Belts8 .- Devasse C?natus*Organizations*1. ABCES - Pierre Richard Lamercie2. ANT?N OUVRIYE - Jules R?ginald3. ANT?N OUVRIYE - Julianie Desroches4. APROHFOC (Association of Haitian Professionals Trained in Cuba) -Germanie Molin5. APROHFOC (Association of Haitian Professionals Trained in Cuba) - FrantzDupuch6. ASID (Asosyasyon Iniv?sit? / Iniv?sit?z Desalinyen/Desaliny?n) - JeanRonald Joseph ASID (Asosyasyon Iniv?sit? / Iniv?sit?z Desalinyen /Desaliny?n) - Jean Joseph Ronald7. HAITI/SOUTHEAST CUBA FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION - Antoine Mc Dorvil8. AVS - Jean Fritz Junior Jules9. BIENFAISANCE DE L'HUMANIT? - Yves M. Louis10. BO (Batay Ouvriye) - Dieudonn? Cadet11. CHANDEL - Repentita F?lix Chandelle12. CHANDEL - Derinx Petit Jean Chandelle13. CRAD ( Centre de Recherches Actions pour le D?veloppement) (ResearchCenter for Development Actions) - Jimmy Faustin14. CTSP (Conf?d?ration des Travailleurs et travailleuses des secteurspublic et priv?) Confederation of Workers of public and private sectors) -John Andral Souverin15. CTSP (Conf?d?ration des Travailleurs et travailleuses des secteurspublic et priv?) (Confederation of Workers of public and private sectors) -Ary Legerme16. CTSP (Conf?d?ration des Travailleurs et travailleuses des secteurspublic et priv?) (Confederation of Workers of public and private sectors) -Paul Herv? Verdieu17. DECHENNEN - Mason Dumas DECHENNEN - Mason Dumas18. ICKL (Institut Culturel Karl Levesque) - Carmel Fils-Aim? ICKL19. IMUD - Illis Germeil IMUD20. KORTA - Civil Dieuseul KORT21. KORTA - Fran?ois Vowens22. KPN / KFPN (Konbit Peyizan Nip) - Francoeur Pierre23. MODEP (Mouvman Demokratik Popil?) - Jn Paul Milond24. MOJEREH (Mouvman ) - Roland Mo?se MOJEREH25. MORAB (Mouvman ) - Mathieu Donald MORABI26. MOREPLA (Mouvman Revandikatif Peyizan Latibonit) - Fr?miot Nicolas27. MOREPLA (Mouvman Revandikatif Peyizan Latibonit) - Emmanuel Charles28. MOREPLA (Mouvman Revandikatif Peyizan Latibonit) - Max Dialy Lafond29. MST (Movimiento de los Trabajadores Rurales Sin Tierra de Brazil)(Movimiento of Landless Rural Workers of Brazil) - Jos? Luis Rodrigues30. MST (Movimiento de los Trabajadores Rurales Sin Tierra de Brazil)(Moviment Landless Rural Workers of Brazil) - Paulo Almeida31. PAPDA (Plateforme ha?tienne de Plaidoyer pour unD?veloppement Alternatif) (Haitian Advocacy Platform for AlternativeDevelopment) - Camille Chalmers32. PARTIZAN - Olrich Jn Pierre33. POHDH (Plateforme ha?tienne des Organisations de d?fense des droitshumains) (Platform of Haitian Organizations for Human Rights) - AntonalMortimer34. SOFA (Solidarite Fanm Ayisy?n) - Yolaine C?lestin35. SOFA (Solidarite Fanm Ayisy?n) - Guerda Jer?me36. SYTMAP (Syndicat des Travailleurs de la Mairie de Port-au-Prince) (Unionof Workers of Mairie of Port-au-Prince) - Gerard Hyppolite37. SYTMAP (Syndicat des Travailleurs de la Mairie de Port-au-Prince) -(Union of Workers of Mairie of Port-au-Prince) - Philippe Delva38. SYTMAP (Syndicat des Travailleurs de la Mairie de Port-au-Prince) -(Union of Workers of Mairie of Port-au-Prince) - Jh. Francisque ThomasFrancisque Thomas39. (UNNOH) Union Nationale des Normaliens Ha?tiens - Marie Marjorie Andr?40. VEDEK (Viv Espwa pou Devlopman Kap-Wouj) - J. Emmanuel Sanon EmmanuelSanon41. VEDEK (Viv Espwa pou Devlopman Kap-Wouj) - Jules Saimilus42. VEYE YO - Elifaite Saint Pierre*Google translation from the original French revised by Norman Girvan*--Invitation: register for email alerts of new postings athttp://normangirvan.info. From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Tue Aug 4 14:29:46 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 21:29:46 +0100 Subject: [A-List] AP: OAS sending envoys to pressure Honduras coup gov't Message-ID: <1D904310F9D04345AC874B6BDCAEE4AB@home9sg93n9r5y> FYI -- AP: OAS sending envoys to pressure Honduras coup gov't Posted by: "A Beltran" a.beltran at ymail.com a.beltran at ymail.com Tue Aug 4, 2009 7:00 am (PDT) The OAS sending envoys to pressure Honduras coup gov't By MARIANELA JIMENEZ, Associated Press Writer Marianela Jimenez, Associated Press Writer Tue Aug 4, 12:23 am ET SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - A high-ranking diplomatic mission will travel to Honduras in a new effort to pressure coup-installed leaders to restore ousted President Manuel Zelaya, the chief mediator in the crisis said Monday. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias said a group of top Latin American diplomats would seek to persuade the government of interim President Roberto Micheletti to accept all 12 points of a proposed compromise - "the most important one, of course, being the return of President Zelaya." "I hope Micheletti leaves this door open," Arias said. Micheletti, however, appeared to keep it closed. "The former president of Honduras can never return to the presidency because he has declared mediated talks a failure," the interim leader said in a statement hours before Arias' announcement. Zelaya, who was whisked out of the country in a June 28 coup condemned worldwide, has said negotiations mediated by Arias last month floundered because of Micheletti's refusal to consider his reinstatement. The exiled leader signaled his own support for the proposed agreement, which would obligate him to abandon ambitions to change the Honduran constitution, an initiative that defied court orders declaring it illegal and led to his ouster. Opponents say Zelaya wanted to end the constitutional ban on multiple presidential terms, but he denies that. Zelaya, a wealthy rancher who veered to the left midway through his presidency and allied himself with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, has called for more pressure from the United States, which is Honduras' biggest trade partner and its largest source of direct foreign investment. The U.S. government has already suspended some $18 million in development aid, revoked the diplomatic visas of four Honduran officials and halted all but essential military cooperation with Honduras, traditionally one of Washington's firmest allies in Latin America. Those measures have done little to sway Micheletti's government, nor has the suspension of millions of dollars of European Union aid and trade sanctions from some Latin American countries. Interim leaders have made clear they hope to resist international pressure until the Nov. 29 presidential election, which they hope will weaken resolve to return Zelaya to power. Jose Miguel Insulza, the secretary-general of the Organization of American States, said he hoped the conflict would be resolved before then. He said the OAS would meet Wednesday to organize the diplomatic mission, which he said he hoped would include foreign ministers. Honduras' Congress improved prospects for a negotiated solution slightly Monday, pledging to consider granting Zelaya amnesty from abuse of power and other charges if the two sides agree to it. Amnesty for both Zelaya and the coup leaders is a key component of the compromise proposed by Arias nearly two weeks ago. Congress stopped short of granting Zelaya amnesty outright, which would have signaled strong support for the Arias plan. It was even less committal on reinstating Zelaya, saying only that any agreement must respect Honduran laws. Still, the near-unanimous vote Monday night suggested Congress would not stand in the way of a compromise. The 128-seat unicameral legislature, including most of Zelaya's own party, voted overwhelmingly to remove him from office on June 28, hours after he had already been booted from the country. "We're not approving absolutely anything," lawmaker Rodolfo Irias told Channel 3 television. "We're saying there is goodwill in Congress, and we're ready to discuss any proposal to resolve this problem." Although his supporters have staged daily demonstrations to demand his return, Zelaya has struggled to muster strong popular resistance among Hondurans to the coup-installed government. Zelaya arrived in Mexico in a private jet late Monday and was scheduled to meet Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Tuesday. "Mexico is a big brother to Central America and I think Mexico's opinion will have a lot of influence on the rest of Latin America," Zelaya told reporters. Zelaya settled his government-in-exile in the Nicaraguan town of Ocotal and summoned hundreds of supporters to form "peaceful militias" to flank him during a possible return to Honduras. But many of those supporters started heading back to Honduras on Monday when they found him gone. "I didn't know he had left. I can't stand to be here anymore. We're not doing anything and my children have nothing to eat in Tegucigalpa," said one man who, for fear of prosecution once he returns to Honduras, identified himself as "Marcial," the pseudonym he was assigned in the militia. Zelaya had urged his followers only to use their pseudonyms. ___ Associated Press writers Alexandra Olson in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and Filadelfo Aleman in Ocotal, Nicaragua, contributed to this story. From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Tue Aug 4 15:03:07 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 22:03:07 +0100 Subject: [A-List] POLITICAL AFFAIRS Message-ID: <64C8E873CD574087A1E1B61B3BBFFF29@home9sg93n9r5y> In a message dated 8/4/2009 10:00:19 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, Greg McDonald sabocat59 at mac.com writes: Emile Schepers wrote: Reactionaries in press and pulpit in the United States are damning the Obama administration for supporting Zelaya. Meanwhile, important sectors on the left, including the AFL-CIO, SEIU, USW, Workers Uniting and other labor and people?s organizations are denouncing the coup and calling for the Obama administration to exert maximum pressure to restore Zelaya and defend the rights of Honduran workers. Obama never identified himself as an anti-imperialist, and his government has been critical of the ALBA countries. He would probably prefer to have people like Presidents Lula of Brazil or Bachelet of Chile to work with in Latin American affairs, rather than Raul Castro or Hugo Ch?vez. But this does not mean that Obama is "just the same" as Bush in his Latin American policies. That is a very simplistic reading of events. All this does not mean that we should be satisfied with the steps the Obama administration has taken so far. The canceling of diplomatic passports for Micheletti and some if his colleagues is a good gesture, but needs to be followed up by real economic sanctions targeted at the people involved in the coup, as Zelaya has requested. They must not be allowed to use Miami or the US banking system as a mechanism for keeping their reactionary and illegal system in power; their accounts must all be frozen immediately. And rather than criticizing Zelaya for being "reckless" for his trip to the border, the US government should be removing all US military personnel from Honduras (where we have reports that they are still coordinating with the Honduran military), while Honduran officers should be ousted from the School of the Americas in Fort Benning Georgia (which of course should itself be shut down). In the long run President Obama likes to use the phrase "teachable moment" to describe traumatic events that force everybody to rethink their old assumptions. Crises like the one in Honduras can be a "teachable moment" for the Obama administration and the United States.... ------------------------------------------------------- Emile, You had me going there until the last two sentences in the above quotation from your very fine article. In my opinion we need to be very careful about assuming that the Obama administration is disposed to learn anything at all from the current debacle in Honduras, other than the possibility it will cave in to right-wing pressure from republicans and from people very close to him in his own cabinet, such as Rahmbo, or Clinton over at State. Indeed, Obama recently echoed Clinton's admonition with respect to Zelaya's perceived "recklessness" in attempting to return to his own country. That, as well as the decision of US imperialism to install new military bases in Colombia, is a sure sign that democrats in power (this includes Obama), are choosing to adopt some of the worst rollback policies initiated by Ronald Reagan and George Bush senior in Central America during the 1980's. Eva Golinger has recently discussed on her blog the money trail surrounding vast increases in US "aid" for latin america, devoted singularly to destabilization programs. And in an important article published today at the La Primerisma website, Honduran human rights worker Andres Pavon states firmly that the US is preparing the political conditions for a direct US military intervention in Honduras in order "to prevent civil war". See: http://www.rlp.com.ni/noticias/general/57906 Fred Feldman is right. This is Haiti all over again. I sincerely hope that the CPUSA is prepared to come out against such a plan, now, before it is too late. Also, I am disconcerted to see that you have not adopted demands for the US to withdraw its ambassador and cut off all US military and economic aid, as is standard diplomatic protocol in such instances. US law also demands it. Finally, in spite of your "more nuanced" view of the Obama administration, we should be reminded that what people do is vastly more important than what people say. And what Obama and Clinton, (who are in fact also now speaking with one voice on the issue), are now doing in latin america, is absolutely no different than what Reagan and Bush did 30 years ago. The only difference is that some sectors of the american left are still blinded by the dimly lit halo they perceive circling Obama's head. Greg McDonald This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Tue Aug 4 15:04:11 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 22:04:11 +0100 Subject: [A-List] HUFFINGTON POST: Repression Escalates in Honduras Message-ID: <2DB193328D8841EA9C51E79E45BD5334@home9sg93n9r5y> HUFFINGTON POST: Repression Escalates in Honduras as Coup Leaders Attempt Posted to CN by: "A Beltran" a.beltran at ymail.com a.beltran at ymail.com Tue Aug 4, 2009 7:05 am (PDT) HUFFINGTON POST Dan Kovalik Posted: August 3, 2009 02:36 PM http://tinyurl.com/lkmpab While the mainstream press barely mentions the situation in Honduras now, just over one month after the coup, numerous reports are coming out of Honduras that the human rights situation is deteriorating fast as the coup government attempts to consolidate power in that country. This attempt at consolidation appears to be taking the form of a full-scale assault upon the social movements who are struggling mightily, through non-violent tactics, to restore President Zelaya to office. I have received reports from Lisa Sullivan at the School of the Americas Watch that the well-respected Committee of the Families of the Detained Disappeared (COFADEH) "has information that the coup govt, in conjunction with business groups, is hiring assassins to murder leaders of the popular movement. [COFADEH] believes that this has been the case with some recent murders of journalists and social movement leaders (Fino Noriego, Roger Bados, Roger Garcia)." This is very troubling, but not surprising given that Michelleti's chief security adviser, Billy Joya, was associated with the infamous Battalion 316 which engaged in death squad activities in the 1980's. A report by the International Mission for Solidarity, Accompaniment, and Observation in Honduras ("International Mission") cites alarming statistics on the growing political violence being carried out by the Honduran military and police forces since the coup on June 28, 2009. The International Mission explains that, "according to reports from the police in the capital of Tegucigalpa, gathered by the Honduran human rights organization, CODEH, there were 62 people murdered here during the first 28 days after the coup." As the Director of CODEH, Andres Pavon, explained to the International Mission, many of the victims have been shot dead with bullets of the same caliber as is used by the police and the armed forces. One specific example of state violence against the non-violent protest movement given by the International Mission was the Honduran police force's firing upon a peaceful demonstration on July 30, 2009. As the International Mission reported: In the attack on the demonstration one person, Roger Abraham Vallejo Soriano, a 38 year old teacher, was shot in the head from close distance. He has undergone immediate surgery but his condition remains critical. Nine more persons were taken to the local hospital for medical treatment, including Carlos H. Reyes, a coordinator of the national front against the coup d'etat and chair person of the trade union STIBYS, and an official, non-party candidate in the presidential elections scheduled for November this year. The wounding of STIBYS leader Carlos H. Reyes follows the attack on the STIBYS offices where a bomb was exploded after an anti-coup meeting on July 26. Moreover, this bombing followed on the heels of the express warning of Billy Joya, the security adviser to the coup government, that there were going to be bombs. All of this underscores the need for the swift restoration of democracy to Honduras. Indeed, this call has found somewhat unlikely advocates in Nike, The Gap and Adidas who have been appalled by the attack on human rights which has followed the coup in Honduras. In response, these companies have all called for the restoration of constitutional democracy in that country and have specifically urged that "civil liberties, including freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association be fully respected." (See Press Release.) Finally, to do your bit to support the non-violent resistance to the coup in Honduras, go the following link and donate: Alliance for Responsible Trade. You can also support efforts to send emergency medical relief to Honduras by going to Global Links and specifying, "Honduras Emergency Medical Relief." From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Tue Aug 4 15:05:57 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 22:05:57 +0100 Subject: [A-List] POLITICAL AFFAIRS Message-ID: <563D14B2F34143829477423860DDFB43@home9sg93n9r5y> Re: POLITICAL AFFAIRS Posted by: "Zola2642 at aol.com" Tue Aug 4, 2009 8:29 am (PDT) In terms of the Obama administration, whether it is teachable is something that we shall see. As Dr. Alarcon would say, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating". I also think we should jog our memories on exactly how the Reagan, Bush I, Clinton and Bush II handled themselves in similar situations, and think about how they would act in this one. If McCain had won, you can bet that people like Negroponte, Noriega, Reich, Ollie North etc etc. would not be lurking around in the shadows with us asking questions about what roles they are playing, but would be down in Tegucigalpa running US policy and VASTLY INCREASING U.S. support for the Micheletti Junta instead of merely failing to cut back Honduras aid as much as we would like. Remember Reagan in GrenAda, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, Clinton's blackmail of Aristide in Haiti in the early 90s, Bush II vs Chavez in 2002, Bush vs Aristide in 2004 and other such incidents. This is not speculation, all these people and especially McCain are denouncing the "socialist" Obama administration for "supporting" Zelaya and yelling for US recognition of and aid to Micheletti's repulsive gang. As for demands, please note that Zelaya has specifically asked that US sanctions be directed against the direct coup plotters and not be done in such a way as to harm the Honduran poor. Remember that it is the poor Hondurans who are supporting Zelaya, and so one should be careful that economic sanctions not make it more difficult, instead of easier, for them to hold out against the coup regime. One proposal was that the US government stop Honduran immigrants here from sending remittances to their relatives in Honduras. I don't know this for sure but I tend to think that this is a mistake; most Hondurans in the United States that I know are poor people and are even sending money to even poorer relatives in Honduras, so to cut off that flow of money might actually hurt the pro-Zelaya forces more than the pro-coup ones. Holding out in a strike is easier if you have relatives sending you money from overseas. These things need to be studied and thought out before they are put forward as demands. Also, Zelaya has not asked for the withdrawal of ambassador Llorens, and seems to think he can be of some use. Zelaya could be wrong about this, but perhaps we should wait until that specific demand is put out before we jump to conclusions. Zelaya asked that the visas of the coup leaders be canceled and that their bank accounts in the US be frozen. Since the main political and economic backers of the coup in Honduras are a couple of dozen families who own retail trade, media, telecommunications etc. in Honduras (Facusses, Canahautis, etc., and since they will be relying on their banking and other business relationships in Miami and beyond to be able to continue expatriating their wealth (and no doubt, as Zelaya says, laundering money), this would be a major blow against the coup. Yet the steps that Obama and Clinton have taken in this respect are minimal. ALL visas of ALL the major coup supporters need to be cancelled (not just the symbolic step of canceling diplomatic visas), ALL bank accounts have to be frozen, the US bases in Honduras have to be CLOSED and ALL coordination with the coup military stopped, and the Honduran officers at the School of the Americas need to be sent packing. The National Endowment for Democracy and the International Republican Institute & similar forms of US aid which don't put food on the table of poor Hondurans also must be brought out of there (and dismantled, of course) We have our hands full enough getting the U.S. government to implement these measures. Emile Schepers This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From noreply at coha.org Tue Aug 4 11:56:54 2009 From: noreply at coha.org (Council on Hemispheric Affairs) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 13:56:54 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Guatemala's Garbage Dump Education; Forthcoming COHA Research Message-ID: <20090804175533.3E3FB3E4EFE@mx-out.daemonmail.net> A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 6754 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090804/3fc3421b/attachment.txt From sabocat59 at mac.com Tue Aug 4 14:17:13 2009 From: sabocat59 at mac.com (Greg McDonald) Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:17:13 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Dialogue on Honduras Message-ID: <96E2B472-72A2-4E9F-9EAF-82D68D3EBE46@mac.com> A good analytical overview of the Honduran coup in historical and political context.) =========================================== POLITICAL AFFAIRS Online at: http://politicalaffairs.net/article/view/8857/1/371/ The Crisis in Honduras and the Bolivarian Dynamic By Emile Schepers 8-03-09, 10:05 am Pro-democracy protesters have faced down pro-coup military forces daily in Honduras since the June 28th coup. The June 28 coup d?etat in the Central American nation of Honduras, in which left-leaning President Manuel Zelaya was overthrown by a right-wing military, political and judicial conspiracy backed by the most reactionary political networks in the United States, was aimed not only at Zelaya personally, but at a much larger international phenomenon which I will call the ?Bolivarian dynamic.? The ?Bolivarian? part evokes the memory of the liberator of South America, Simon Bolivar. The ?dynamic? part describes the fact that the growth of a self-described Bolivarian tendency hemisphere-wide is the main dynamic of the international class struggle throughout South and Central America today. And a very ?dynamic? dynamic it is indeed. Simon Bolivar tried to create a horizontally integrated Spanish- speaking South America with maximum unity among South American peoples and nations, and thus able to resist the vertical pressure exercised on the region by major foreign powers, including the United States and the European countries. He died in 1830 without having been able to realize that goal. Among his last words being ?he who serves the revolution plows in the sea? ("el que sirve a la revoluci?n ara en el mar?). But his dream of a powerful, united and independent Latin America did not die with him. It was echoed in the aspirations of many others, including Francisco Morazan, the founder of Honduras; Jose Mart?, the hero of Cuban independence, Ernesto ?Che? Guevara and others. It was already central to the thinking and strategizing of the wider left in Latin America, before Venezuelan President Hugo Ch?vez popularized the ?Bolivarian? name. Morazan, Marti and Che all met heroes? deaths in the course of trying to make the Bolivarian ideal of Latin American unity and independence a reality. When Morazan was shot by a firing squad in Costa Rica in 1842, because of his efforts to unite the Central American countries into one, his last words were ?posterity will do us justice? (?La posteridad nos har? justicia?). And indeed, in the last decade, a new political dynamic has arisen, which promises to accomplish what they, in their brief but brilliant lives, could not. What is the Bolivarian dynamic? The Bolivarian dynamic consists of a number of interlocking class- struggle processes: ? Increasingly sophisticated and successful mass mobilizations against both imperialism and ruling oligarchies, and involving peasants, workers, indigenous people, students, slum dwellers, students and other sectors. These mobilizations differ in their specific composition from one country to another, with indigenous people being a major component in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, and other combinations in other countries. ? The coming to power (and staying in power) on the basis of these mobilizations of left-wing governments which more or less explicitly define themselves as socialist, or moving in a socialist direction. Such are the governments headed by Hugo Ch?vez in Venezuela (elected 1998), Rafael Correa in Ecuador (elected 2006) and Evo Morales in Bolivia (elected 2006), plus the government of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua elected 2006, which has some specific characteristics. Newly elected governments in Paraguay (elected 2008) and El Salvador (elected 2009) may eventually move in a ?Bolivarian? direction. Manuel Zelaya in Honduras was elected as the candidate of the rather conservative Liberal Party in 2005, but developed a progressive program that grew more explicit as the high cost of oil began crushing his country, and that only Venezuela via Petrocaribe was willing to sell him oil on reasonable terms. He received the support of the ?Bolivarian? unions and mass organizations of his country once he began to introduce progressive reforms, and he working closely with such mobilizations in Honduras at the time he was overthrown on June 28. These ?Bolivarian? mobilizations have been occurring even where the government is still right wing, for example in Peru where large scale mobilizations, with an especially large mobilization of Amazonian indigenous people, challenging the right-wing regime of APRA?s Alan Garc?a. In some countries this mass mobilization process is less strong, for example, Mexico and Guatemala. ? The agreement between left-wing governments in power and the mobilized mass forces to re-found the national state, through constitutional conventions which give much more scope to direct public input into decision making at all levels, and with a conscious effort to open up possibilities of socialist advances while marginalizing traditional elites of landowners, bankers, businessmen and the old-style Latin American military brass. Of course, the elites fight back tooth and nail, but so far the combination of left- wing presidents and mobilized masses is winning in most countries. ? An anti-imperialist stance by both governments and mobilized social bases, which has as its purpose the separation of the ?Bolivarian? countries, separately and as a group, from the imperialist world order headed by the United States and the other wealthy countries, and the construction of a new system in the Americas in which horizontal integration and solidarity among countries replaces domination by international monopoly capital and US military, political and ideological hegemony. An important part of this anti- imperialist stance has been to stand by socialist Cuba in word and deed. ? A rejection of the ?Washington Consensus? of corporate dominated trade and neo-liberal macroeconomic policies. Neoliberalism involves a commitment to free trade (actually not free, but rigged in favor of wealthier countries and big corporations), privatization of the economy (so as to give foreign corporate investors more fields of activity from which to extract profits), austerity in public services and repression to force people to accept this program. Under the Washington Consensus, development loans and credits from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund as well as foreign aid directly from the United States and some other wealthy countries are only available if the neo-liberal package is agreed to. Further, under the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), poorer countries are forced to accept disadvantageous trade deals, which often oblige them to change their labor, environmental and other laws so as to favor wealthy foreign corporate investors. These are the things that both the masses and the governments in the Bolivarian countries reject. ? The creation of new international bodies and relationships to enable the Bolivarian countries to replace the sources of trade and aid lost by defecting from the Washington Consensus system, and to help each other with development without onerous strings attached. The umbrella body for this new system of cooperation and solidarity is ALBA, the Bolivarian Alliance (formerly Alternative) for the People of Our America, at this writing including Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua and several of the smaller English speaking Caribbean countries: Antigua, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. ALBA started off with an agreement in 2004 between Cuba and Venezuela in which Venezuela provided Cuba with low priced oil in exchange for Cuban aid in developing Venezuela?s health care and school systems. Since then it has grown to the point that it has basically defeated US efforts to build the Free Trade Area of the Americas into a hemispheric trading bloc based on ?Washington Consensus? principles and domination by US corporate interests. Under the general rubric of ALBA come projects like Petrocaribe, Venezuela?s system of providing oil on good credit terms to ALBA members and others; Bancosur, a regional bank to provide development loans and credits without the onerous neoliberal conditions attached to aid from the IMF and International Fund; and the SUCRE, a projected common currency for the Latin American countries. So far, ALBA and Petrocaribe are going full blast, Bancosur is in its start-up phase of getting contributions of capital from the member countries, and the SUCRE is still on the drawing boards. ? Openness to include in these new international institutions countries that are not led by leftists or formally part of ALBA, even beyond the Latin American Area. Colombia, headed by a right-wing government, has asked to participate in Bancosur as it develops, and there have been contacts between the ALBA group and some African countries. Not all of the countries in Latin America with left-wing governments are part of the Bolivarian process, but all are relating to it in some aspects of its functioning, e.g. in defending socialist Cuba against US pressure and aggression. The Nature of the leftist governments and the attitude of the Latin American left Of ALBA governments, only Cuba?s has a strongly Marxist-Leninist pedigree. While communist and workers parties in the other ALBA countries are largely supportive of these governments and especially of the mass mobilizations that brought them to power and keep them in power, the political backgrounds of leaders such as Ch?vez, Morales, Correa and Zelaya are rather an eclectic mix of nationalism, populism, social democracy and revolutionary socialism. They are a work in process both ideologically and practically, with lots of internal divisions and contradictions, but with anti-imperialism as a common thread. In those countries that are not part of ALBA but with progressive leaderships, the traditional communist and socialist left tends to unite with the ?Bolivarian? forces and social democratic governments (sometimes working in official coalition with these governments, sometimes not) for a common progressive, pro-working class agenda, or to mount opposition to right wing governments such as those of Peru, Colombia and Mexico. The political stability of the ALBA countries None of the major ALBA governments have been in power more than a decade or so, except Cuba. Most of them have come to power within the last three or four years, and they were often elected with small vote margins. Neither their internal enemies (the traditional landowning, banking and business oligarchies, the higher military command and right-wing elements of the Roman Catholic hierarchy, to name the most important) nor imperialism have given out on ousting the left wing governments by fair means or foul. It is entirely possible that these governments be defeated in upcoming elections. It is also possible that they become destabilized by internal sedition on the part of local reactionaries, leading to future coups d?etat. Some of the non Bolivarian countries with moderately left-wing or social democratic governments are also threatened with electoral defeat in the near future (Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay). Guatemala, which has a moderately left of center president, Alvaro Colom, is currently undergoing a scary destabilization effort, and it is not impossible that this could culminate in yet another military coup d?etat. In 2002 there was an abortive coup against president Ch?vez of Venezuela, which was strongly abetted by the Bush administration. Last year, there was a major effort by extreme right wingers to detach some of the wealthiest provinces of Bolivia from the Bolivian state; this effort was deflected by deft maneuvering by president Morales but the danger is by no means over. Last year and this, there have been movements based in Colombia to destabilize and discredit the Bolivarian governments of Venezuela and Ecuador. The strategy in this cause is for the Colombian government to use information it supposedly obtained from a computer taken from a dead leader of the FARC (Armed Forces of the Colombian Revolution) to make claims about alleged relationships between the Ecuadorian and Venezuelan government and that revolutionary organization. The United States, kicked out of the Manta Air Force Base in Ecuador, has just announced it is setting up several new military basis in Colombia. This series of events has created so much friction between Ecuador and Venezuela on the one side, and Colombia on the other, that President Ch?vez has broken off diplomatic relations with Colombia. The Honduran coup and the survival of the ALBA dynamic President Zelaya, by linking his own government to the Bolivarian dynamic in Honduras, and by making commitments and policy changes that conform with that tendency, terrified and angered his local oligarchs and their imperialist backers. Although he was overthrown supposedly for ?violating the constitution? by pushing forward with a plan for a non-binding referendum, this was a pretext. In reality, Zelaya had done a number of things that made his wealthy reactionary opponents feel that they had their backs to the wall. He had increased the minimum wage by 60 percent, greatly angering transnational investors such as Chiquita Banana (the descendant company of the United Fruit Company which dominated Honduras and so many other countries in the region for many years) and other local and international corporations. He had defended labor rights, for example, for workers in Honduran mines, many of which are owned by Canadian corporations. He had promised to open investigations into the disappearance and deaths of thousands of people who had been repressed by US allied governments during the 1980s, even though many active service, high ranking officers in his army were very likely implicated in those atrocities. He wanted to take over the US owned Soto Cano air force base and make it into a new civilian airport for Honduras, the one near Tegucigalpa being inadequate for huge modern passenger jets. He joined ALBA, and denounced capitalism and imperialism. He denounced the Bush administration for having tried to get him to allow the US to use Honduras in its old role as a center for imperialist subversion against Venezuela and Cuba. So locally, the military hierarchy, the landowners, the big exploitative businesspeople, the traditional hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church and right-wing Evangelical Protestant Pastors wanted him out. Although the June 28 date ? the date the referendum was to take place ? was important, there were other dates that the coup planners had in mind. The most important was November 29, the coming presidential and congressional elections. Although Zelaya could not run for election under the 1982 constitution, there was the possibility that the left, including Cesar Ham, the presidential candidate of the left wing, pro- Zelaya and pro-Bolivarian Party of Democratic Unification, could make advances in that election. Also, what the non-binding referendum actually asked was whether there should be a ballot item on November 29 asking for a constitutional convention in 2010. The reactionaries rightly surmised that this was a method to move the Honduran constitution in a ?Bolivarian? direction, with much enhanced direct mass participation in government and greatly strengthened guarantees for the working class, farmers, minority groups and the poor. This is what the coup planners were afraid of. The business about Zelaya being controlled by Ch?vez of Venezuela and secretly wanting to run for a second term served as the cover story. The overthrow of Zelaya by an old fashioned barracks coup d?etat rang alarm bells throughout Latin American, but especially in the ALBA countries. They quickly concluded that if the coup government, under former Congress president and businessman Roberto Micheletti, was allowed to get away with the coup, it would encourage similar reactionary forces in every Latin American country to try the same stunt. Many people on the left all over Latin America, and not just in the ALBA countries, still have pictures on their walls of friends and relatives murdered by military dictators backed by the CIA. Many left-wing commentators in Latin America and beyond have stated with good reason that the Honduras coup was aimed against ALBA and the whole Bolivarian tendency. Hence there was an immediate rejection of the coup that included all the radical left-wing governments, but not only them. Social Democratic governments in Argentina, Brazil and elsewhere were just as quick to denounce the coup. Even the right- wing governments of Colombia and Mexico got on board with their denunciations, and the Organization of American States (OAS) often seen as a tool of US imperialism by the Latin American left, strongly denounced the coup as did the United Nations General Assembly, other international bodies and most governments around the world. Role and attitude of the United States government The experience of Latin American nations in these situations is summed up by the old joke: Question: Why has there never been a coup d?etat in Washington DC? Answer: Because there is no US embassy there. The role of the United States in any number of such events, starting back at the beginning of the 20th century and ending with the second overthrow of president Aristide of Haiti in 2004, is well documented and so consistent that many people in the region simply assumed that the Obama administration had at least abetted, and perhaps actually organized, the June 28 coup. This was seen as proving that at least in his policy toward Latin America Obama is no better than Bush or his predecessors. The personnel list of US officials involved with Honduras includes a number of holdovers from the Bush administration, including US Ambassador to Honduras Hugo Llorens and Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Tom Shannon, was another cause of suspicion. The role of Lanny Davis, a former advisor to Bill and Hillary Clinton, who has now surfaced as the chief lobbyist on Capitol Hill for the coup regime headed by Micheletti, is seen as another piece of evidence. Hillary Clinton herself is, by association with her husband, seen as having a reactionary orientation to Latin America. The Clinton State Department and the Obama White House have made some steps toward better relations with the Latin American countries, but have also made sharp criticisms of the Venezuelan and Cuban leadership, of such as a nature as to echo the usual right-wing canards, in somewhat milder language. Adding to the suspicion was the fact that the first response to the coup by the US State Department was so bland that it was hard to understand whether it was criticizing the coup regime, Zelaya or both. One State Department spokesperson said that Zelaya?s overthrow should be a lesson to him for choosing Ch?vez as a role model. And the State Department has so far refused to officially use the word ?coup? to describe Zelaya?s overthrow, ostensibly because this would require a complete cutoff of US aid. But, speaking in Moscow, President Obama himself made a much stronger statement against the coup, and US officials insist that they are working for and end to the coup and the restoration of Zelaya to the presidency. The mediation of the situation by Costa Rican president Oscar Arias, who is not trusted by the left in Latin America, raised more suspicions. It was seen by many, including former Cuban president Fidel Castro and president Ch?vez of Venezuela, as a ploy by the United States to break up the united front against the coup and to undercut the strong position taken by the OAS and the individual governments. These critics felt that if the United States would have completely cut off all aid to Honduras, the coup would have failed quickly; that by introducing the element of the Arias mediation without at the same time cutting off the aid, Obama and Clinton were trying to give the coup government time to consolidate itself in power at worst, or to pressure Zelaya to move away from the ALBA and the Bolivarian dynamic at best. But close examination of the behavior of the various US actors seems to paint a more nuanced and complex picture. In the first place, people like Lanny Davis are mercenaries. Their having worked for the Clintons in the past does not tell us much of anything; they will work for anyone with deep enough pockets. Secondly, although we agree that the Obama administration needs to do much more to back down the coup government and get Zelaya back to the presidency, we can also see the spectacle of the whole of the ultra- right in US politics ferociously attacking Obama for having stated that he was opposed to the coup and is for Zelaya?s return to the presidency. So Obama?s worst enemies are energetically supporting the coup, as part of their general reactionary assault on Obama administration policies. Whatever the roles of people like Lanny Davis, Ambassador Llorens and Assistant Secretary Shannon, there is absolutely no doubt that support for the coup is being organized on Capitol Hill by far right Republican lawmakers, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who was defeated by Obama in the 2008 elections. McCain is the chairman of the International Republican Institute, one of the US entities most tightly tied to the coup through its long history of meddling in Honduran affairs and its proven links to coup supporters. Also involved in fighting in favor of the coup is Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who, with Republican colleagues, is working to block or at least delay some Obama administration foreign policy appointments, including that of Arturo Valenzuela to replace Tom Shannon in the Western Hemisphere post, as a protest against Obama?s stated support for Zelaya's presidency. While liberal Democrat Rep. Bill Delahunt, D-Mass., has organized a resolution in the House of Representatives (H. R. 630) denouncing the coup and calling for the Obama administration to work energetically for Zelaya?s restoration, the Republican right has introduced a rival resolution (H. R. 619) applauding the coup and demanding that Micheletti be recognized as the legitimate president of Honduras. Many of the old Reagan-Bush-Bush crowd are busy around the Honduras issue, doing all they can to support the coup and keep the Micheletti crowd in power. These include powerful figures like John Negroponte (US ambassador to Honduras when dissidents were being massacred with US connivance in the 1980s). Roger Noriega and Otto Reich. These people no doubt have networks among military, business, press and other institutions in the United States, and they have their fingerprints all over the thing. But it is extremely doubtful that President Obama somehow got together with his worst enemies in US politics to cook up a coup that does not serve his electoral political interests and that undercuts his message to the outside world. Reactionaries in press and pulpit in the United States are damning the Obama administration for supporting Zelaya. Meanwhile, important sectors on the left, including the AFL-CIO, SEIU, USW, Workers Uniting and other labor and people?s organizations are denouncing the coup and calling for the Obama administration to exert maximum pressure to restore Zelaya and defend the rights of Honduran workers. Obama never identified himself as an anti-imperialist, and his government has been critical of the ALBA countries. He would probably prefer to have people like Presidents Lula of Brazil or Bachelet of Chile to work with in Latin American affairs, rather than Raul Castro or Hugo Ch?vez. But this does not mean that Obama is ?just the same? as Bush in his Latin American policies. That is a very simplistic reading of events. All this does not mean that we should be satisfied with the steps the Obama administration has taken so far. The canceling of diplomatic passports for Micheletti and some if his colleagues is a good gesture, but needs to be followed up by real economic sanctions targeted at the people involved in the coup, as Zelaya has requested. They must not be allowed to use Miami or the US banking system as a mechanism for keeping their reactionary and illegal system in power; their accounts must all be frozen immediately. And rather than criticizing Zelaya for being ?reckless? for his trip to the border, the US government should be removing all US military personnel from Honduras (where we have reports that they are still coordinating with the Honduran military), while Honduran officers should be ousted from the School of the Americas in Fort Benning Georgia (which of course should itself be shut down). In the long run President Obama likes to use the phrase ?teachable moment? to describe traumatic events that force everybody to rethink their old assumptions. Crises like the one in Honduras can be a ?teachable moment? for the Obama administration and the United States. The world has changed, and even if some of the Bolivarian governments lose power, the grassroots dynamic that brought them to power will continue to advance and triumph. As long as this dynamic continues, Bolivarianism will continue to radically reshape the relationship between the United States and Latin America. The dream of Bolivar, Morazan, Mart? and Che of unity and solidarity among the peoples of Latin America will continue to undermine the dynamics of imperialism, neo-liberalism and US hegemony. Obama may be just enough of a realist to understand that one must adapt oneself to what can not be changed. There are forces within and without the United States which will force this country to develop trade and diplomatic relationships with neighboring nations and peoples that are characterized by equality, non-interference and social justice. And these changes will be of inestimable value to the US working class also. --Emile Schepers chairs the international department of the Communist Party USA. Emile Schepers wrote: Reactionaries in press and pulpit in the United States are damning the Obama administration for supporting Zelaya. Meanwhile, important sectors on the left, including the AFL-CIO, SEIU, USW, Workers Uniting and other labor and people?s organizations are denouncing the coup and calling for the Obama administration to exert maximum pressure to restore Zelaya and defend the rights of Honduran workers. Obama never identified himself as an anti-imperialist, and his government has been critical of the ALBA countries. He would probably prefer to have people like Presidents Lula of Brazil or Bachelet of Chile to work with in Latin American affairs, rather than Raul Castro or Hugo Ch?vez. But this does not mean that Obama is ?just the same? as Bush in his Latin American policies. That is a very simplistic reading of events. All this does not mean that we should be satisfied with the steps the Obama administration has taken so far. The canceling of diplomatic passports for Micheletti and some if his colleagues is a good gesture, but needs to be followed up by real economic sanctions targeted at the people involved in the coup, as Zelaya has requested. They must not be allowed to use Miami or the US banking system as a mechanism for keeping their reactionary and illegal system in power; their accounts must all be frozen immediately. And rather than criticizing Zelaya for being ?reckless? for his trip to the border, the US government should be removing all US military personnel from Honduras (where we have reports that they are still coordinating with the Honduran military), while Honduran officers should be ousted from the School of the Americas in Fort Benning Georgia (which of course should itself be shut down). In the long run President Obama likes to use the phrase ?teachable moment? to describe traumatic events that force everybody to rethink their old assumptions. Crises like the one in Honduras can be a ?teachable moment? for the Obama administration and the United States.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Emile, You had me going there until the last two sentences in the above quotation from your very fine article. In my opinion we need to be very careful about assuming that the Obama administration is disposed to learn anything at all from the current debacle in Honduras, other than the possibility it will cave in to right-wing pressure from republicans and from people very close to him in his own cabinet, such as Rahmbo, or Clinton over at State. Indeed, Obama recently echoed Clinton's admonition with respect to Zelaya's perceived "recklessness" in attempting to return to his own country. That, as well as the decision of US imperialism to install new military bases in Colombia, is a sure sign that democrats in power (this includes Obama), are choosing to adopt some of the worst rollback policies initiated by Ronald Reagan and George Bush senior in Central America during the 1980's. Eva Golinger has recently discussed on her blog the money trail surrounding vast increases in US "aid" for latin america, devoted singularly to destabilization programs. And in an important article published today at the La Primerisma website, Honduran human rights worker Andres Pavon states firmly that the US is preparing the political conditions for a direct US military intervention in Honduras in order "to prevent civil war". See: http://www.rlp.com.ni/noticias/general/57906 Fred Feldman is right. This is Haiti all over again. I sincerely hope that the CPUSA is prepared to come out against such a plan, now, before it is too late. Also, I am disconcerted to see that you have not adopted demands for the US to withdraw its ambassador and cut off all US military and economic aid, as is standard diplomatic protocol in such instances. US law also demands it. Finally, in spite of your "more nuanced" view of the Obama administration, we should be reminded that what people do is vastly more important than what people say. And what Obama and Clinton, (who are in fact also now speaking with one voice on the issue), are now doing in latin america, is absolutely no different than what Reagan and Bush did 30 years ago. The only difference is that some sectors of the american left are still blinded by the dimly lit halo they perceive circling Obama's head. Greg McDonald Emile responds: Thanks for this. In terms of the Obama administration, whether it is teachable is something that we shall see. As Dr. Alarcon would say, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating". I also think we should jog our memories on exactly how the Reagan, Bush I, Clinton and Bush II handled themselves in similar situations, and think about how they would act in this one. If McCain had won, you can bet that people like Negroponte, Noriega, Reich, Ollie North etc etc. would not be lurking around in the shadows with us asking questions about what roles they are playing, but would be down in Tegucigalpa running US policy and VASTLY INCREASING U.S. support for the Micheletti Junta instead of merely failing to cut back Honduras aid as much as we would like. Remember Reagan in GrenAda, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, Clinton's blackmail of Aristide in Haiti in the early 90s, Bush II vs Chavez in 2002, Bush vs Aristide in 2004 and other such incidents. This is not speculation, all these people and especially McCain are denouncing the "socialist" Obama administration for "supporting" Zelaya and yelling for US recognition of and aid to Micheletti's repulsive gang. As for demands, please note that Zelaya has specifically asked that US sanctions be directed against the direct coup plotters and not be done in such a way as to harm the Honduran poor. Remember that it is the poor Hondurans who are supporting Zelaya, and so one should be careful that economic sanctions not make it more difficult, instead of easier, for them to hold out against the coup regime. One proposal was that the US government stop Honduran immigrants here from sending remittances to their relatives in Honduras. I don't know this for sure but I tend to think that this is a mistake; most Hondurans in the United States that I know are poor people and are even sending money to even poorer relatives in Honduras, so to cut off that flow of money might actually hurt the pro-Zelaya forces more than the pro-coup ones. Holding out in a strike is easier if you have relatives sending you money from overseas. These things need to be studied and thought out before they are put forward as demands. Also, Zelaya has not asked for the withdrawal of ambassador Llorens, and seems to think he can be of some use. Zelaya could be wrong about this, but perhaps we should wait until that specific demand is put out before we jump to conclusions. Zelaya asked that the visas of the coup leaders be canceled and that their bank accounts in the US be frozen. Since the main political and economic backers of the coup in Honduras are a couple of dozen families who own retail trade, media, telecommunications etc. in Honduras (Facusses, Canahautis, etc., and since they will be relying on their banking and other business relationships in Miami and beyond to be able to continue expatriating their wealth (and no doubt, as Zelaya says, laundering money), this would be a major blow against the coup. Yet the steps that Obama and Clinton have taken in this respect are minimal. ALL visas of ALL the major coup supporters need to be cancelled (not just the symbolic step of canceling diplomatic visas), ALL bank accounts have to be frozen, the US bases in Honduras have to be CLOSED and ALL coordination with the coup military stopped, and the Honduran officers at the School of the Americas need to be sent packing. The National Endowment for Democracy and the International Republican Institute & similar forms of US aid which don't put food on the table of poor Hondurans also must be brought out of there (and dismantled, of course) We have our hands full enough getting the U.S. government to implement these measures. Emile Schepers Just to answer this last response from Emile, I should add that I never suggested that remittances be targeted for sanctions. I agree with Emile on that point. However, I do believe we should be pushing for the Clinton-Obama administration to follow US law: declare that a coup is a coup and fulfill the requisite sanctions of cutting off economic and military aid to the military dictatorship currently in power in Honduras. This in addition to the freezing of bank accounts which should have already happened. That was aired last week as the next shoe to drop and still nothing. As a famous Argentine poet wrote last week, Obama does not want to appear to be supporting a Chavez-like regime in Honduras, but at the same time it does not want to be seen as supporting military dictatorships. This is the contradiction. They need to be pushed to do the right thing so that the dictatorship is toppled asap. AND NO TO US MILITARY INTERVENTION!! Greg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 47368 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090804/c1dbdae0/attachment.txt From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Tue Aug 4 15:32:53 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 22:32:53 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Dialogue on Honduras -- Greg: Re: POLITICAL AFFAIRS Message-ID: <060DE7E66E344704B710C15F1959E72E@home9sg93n9r5y> Just to answer this last response from Emile, I should add that I never suggested that remittances be targeted for sanctions. I agree with Emile on that point. However, I do believe we should be pushing for the Clinton-Obama administration to follow US law: declare that a coup is a coup and fulfill the requisite sanctions of cutting off economic and military aid to the military dictatorship currently in power in Honduras. This in addition to the freezing of bank accounts which should have already happened. That was aired last week as the next shoe to drop and still nothing. As a famous Argentine poet wrote last week, Obama does not want to appear to be supporting a Chavez-like regime in Honduras, but at the same time it does not want to be seen as supporting military dictatorships. This is the contradiction. They need to be pushed to do the right thing so that the dictatorship is toppled asap. AND NO TO US MILITARY INTERVENTION!! Ss's Greg This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From nmgoro at gmail.com Tue Aug 4 16:33:10 2009 From: nmgoro at gmail.com (Nestor Gorojovsky) Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:33:10 -0300 Subject: [A-List] Serbs Mourn, Croatia Celebrates Operation Storm In-Reply-To: <66D4F66B27BF45249EFCA4DC0919EBA9@TonyPC> References: <66D4F66B27BF45249EFCA4DC0919EBA9@TonyPC> Message-ID: <4A78B726.1090403@gmail.com> Every Serb? Every Croatian? Tony B. escribi?: > > ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Rozoff > To: stopnato at yahoogroups.com > Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 9:14 AM > Subject: [stopnato] Serbs Mourn, Croatia Celebrates Operation Storm > > > http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=08&dd=04&nav_id=60937 > > > Beta News Agency > August 4, 2009 > > Anniversary of Operation Storm marked > > BELGRADE: Today marks the 14th anniversary since a Croat military > onslaught on the country's Serb area of Krajina that ended in the murder > of more than 2,000 people. > > The attack, known as Operation Storm, also saw over 200,000 Serbs driven > out of Croati From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Tue Aug 4 18:30:56 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 09:30:56 +0900 Subject: [A-List] The Solution Message-ID: <20090805093056.abfad4ab.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> by Murray N Rothbard The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty thefreemanonline.org (November 1995) To save our economy from destruction and from the eventual holocaust of run away inflation, we the people must take the money-supply function back from the government. Money is far too important to be left in the hands of bankers and of Establishment economists and financiers. To accomplish this goal, money must be returned to the market economy, with all monetary functions performed within the structure of the rights of private property and of the free-market economy. It might be thought that the mix of government and money is too far gone, too pervasive in the economic system, too inextricably bound up in the economy, to be eliminated without economic destruction. Conservatives are accustomed to denouncing the "terrible simplifiers" who wreck everything by imposing simplistic and unworkable schemes. Our major problem, however, is precisely the opposite: mystification by the ruling elite of technocrats and intellectuals, who, whenever some public spokesman arises to call for large-scale tax cuts or deregulation, intone sarcastically about the dimwit masses who "seek simple solutions for complex problems". Well, in most cases, the solutions are indeed clear-cut and simple, but are deliberately obfuscated by people whom we might call "terrible complicators". In truth, taking back our money would be relatively simple and straightforward, much less difficult than the daunting task of denationalizing and decommunizing the Communist countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Our goal may be summed up simply as the privatization of our monetary system, the separation of government from money and banking. The central means to accomplish this task is also straightforward: the abolition, the liquidation of the Federal Reserve System - the abolition of central banking. How could the Federal Reserve System possibly be abolished? Elementary: simply repeal its federal charter, the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. Moreover, Federal Reserve obligations (its notes and deposits) were originally redeemable in gold on demand. Since Franklin Roosevelt's monstrous actions in 1933, "dollars" issued by the Federal Reserve, and deposits by the Fed and its member banks, have no longer been redeemable in gold. Bank deposits are redeemable in Federal Reserve Notes, while Federal Reserve Notes are redeemable in nothing, or alternatively in other Federal Reserve Notes. Yet, these Notes are our money, our monetary "standard", and all creditors are obliged to accept payment in these fiat notes, no matter how depreciated they might be. In addition to cancelling the redemption of dollars into gold, Roosevelt in 1933 committed another criminal act: literally confiscating all gold and bullion held by Americans, exchanging them for arbitrarily valued "dollars". It is curious that, even though the Fed and the government establishment continually proclaim the obsolescence and worthlessness of gold as a monetary metal, the Fed (as well as all other central banks) clings to its gold for dear life. Our confiscated gold is still owned by the Federal Reserve, which keeps it on deposit with the Treasury at Fort Knox and other gold depositaries. Indeed, from 1933 until the 1970s, it continued to be illegal for any Americans to own monetary gold of any kind, whether coin or bullion or even in safe deposit boxes at home or abroad. All these measures, supposedly drafted for the Depression emergency, have continued as part of the great heritage of the New Deal ever since. For four decades, any gold flowing into private American hands had to be deposited in the banks, which in turn had to deposit it at the Fed. Gold for "legitimate" non-monetary purposes, such as dental fillings, industrial drills, or jewelry, was carefully rationed for such purposes by the Treasury Department. Fortunately, due to the heroic efforts of Congressman Ron Paul it is now legal for Americans to own gold, whether coin or bullion. But the ill-gotten gold confiscated and sequestered by the Fed remains in Federal Reserve hands. How to get the gold out from the Fed? How privatize the Fed's stock of gold? Privatizing Federal Gold The answer is revealed by the fact that the Fed, which had promised to redeem its liabilities in gold, has been in default of that promise since Roosevelt's repudiation of the gold standard in 1933. The Federal Reserve System, being in default, should be liquidated, and the way to liquidate it is the way any insolvent business firm is liquidated: its assets are parceled out, pro rata, to its creditors. The Federal Reserve's gold assets are listed, as of October 30 1991, at $11.1 billion. The Federal Reserve's liabilities as of that date consist of $295.5 billion in Federal Reserve Notes in circulation, and $24.4 billion in deposits owed to member banks of the Federal Reserve System, for a total of $319.9 billion. Of the assets of the Fed, other than gold, the bulk are securities of the US government, which amounted to $262.5 billion. These should be written off posthaste, since they are worse than an accounting fiction: the taxpayers are forced to pay interest and principle on debt which the Federal Government owes to its own creature, the Federal Reserve. The largest remaining asset is Treasury Currency, $21.0 billion, which should also be written off, plus $10 billion in SDRs, which are mere paper creatures of international central banks, and which should be abolished as well. We are left (apart from various buildings and fixtures and other assets owned by the Fed, and amounting to some $35 billion) with $11.1 billion of assets needed to pay off liabilities totalling $319.9 billion. Fortunately, the situation is not as dire as it seems, for the $11.1 billion of Fed gold is a purely phoney evaluation; indeed it is one of the most bizarre aspects of our fraudulent monetary system. The Fed's gold stock consists of 262.9 million ounces of gold; the dollar valuation of $11.1 billion is the result of the government's artificially evaluating its own stock of gold at $42.22 an ounce. Since the market price of gold is now about $350 an ounce, this already presents a glaring anomaly in the system. Definitions and Debasement Where did the $42.22 come from? The essence of a gold standard is that the monetary unit (the "dollar", "franc", "mark", et cetera) is defined as a certain weight of gold. Under the gold standard, the dollar or franc is not a thing-in-itself, a mere name or the name of a paper ticket issued by the State or a central bank; it is the name of a unit of weight of gold. It is every bit as much a unit of weight as the more general "ounce", "grain", or "gram". For a century before 1933, the "dollar" was defined as being equal to 23.22 grains of gold; since there are 480 grains to the ounce, this meant that the dollar was also defined as .048 gold ounce. Put another way, the gold ounce was defined as equal to $20.67. In addition to taking us off the gold standard domestically, Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal "debased" the dollar by redefining it, or "lightening its weight", as equal to 13.714 grains of gold, which also defined the gold ounce as equal to $35. The dollar was still redeemable in gold to foreign central banks and governments at the lighter $35 weight; so that the United States stayed on a hybrid form of international gold standard until August 1971, when President Nixon completed the job of scuttling the gold standard altogether. Since 1971, the United States has been on a totally fiat paper standard; not coincidentally, it has suffered an unprecedented degree of peace-time inflation since that date. Since 1971, the dollar has no longer been tied to gold at a fixed weight, and so it has become a commodity separate from gold, free to fluctuate on world markets. When the dollar and gold were set loose from each other, we saw the closest thing to a laboratory experiment we can get in human affairs. All Establishment economists - from Keynesians to Chicagoite monetarists - insisted that gold had long lost its value as a money, that gold had only reached its exalted value of $35 an ounce because its value was "fixed" at that amount by the government. The dollar allegedly conferred value upon gold rather than the other way round, and if gold and the dollar were ever cut loose, we would see the price of gold sink rapidly to its estimated non-monetary value (for jewelry, dental fillings, et cetera) of approximately $6 an ounce. In contrast to this unanimous Establishment prediction, the followers of Ludwig von Mises and other "gold bugs" insisted that gold was undervalued at 35 debased dollars, and claimed that the price of gold would rise far higher, perhaps as high as $70. Suffice it to say that the gold price never fell below $35, and in fact vaulted upward, at one point reaching $850 an ounce, in recent years settling at somewhere around $350 an ounce. And yet since 1973, the Treasury and Fed have persistently evaluated their gold stock, not at the old and obsolete $35, to be sure, but only slightly higher, at $42.22 an ounce. In other words, if the US government only made the simple adjustment that accounting requires of everyone - evaluating one's assets at their market price - the value of the Fed's gold stock would immediately rise from $11.1 to $92.0 billion. From critical.montages at gmail.com Tue Aug 4 19:02:52 2009 From: critical.montages at gmail.com (Yoshie Furuhashi) Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 21:02:52 -0400 Subject: [A-List] EU to Participate in the Inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Message-ID: Financial Times Deutschland reports that both the EU Presidency and individual EU member states will have their diplomatic representatives attend the inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Despite the rhetoric, the actual diplomatic behavior of the EU states, FTD reporters say, has become conciliatory toward Tehran. -- Yoshie Widerspruch zum harten Kurs Exklusiv EU knickt gegen?ber Iran ein von Benjamin Dierks (Berlin) und Najmeh Bozorgmehr (Teheran) Trotz der Kritik am Umgang Teherans mit seinen Kritikern scheut die EU einen ernsten diplomatischen Konflikt mit dem Iran. Sowohl die schwedische EU-Ratspr?sidentschaft als auch einzelne EU-Staaten nehmen an der Amtseinf?hrung von Pr?sident Mahmud Ahmadinedschad teil. Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel hingegen gab bekannt, sie wolle "angesichts der Begleitumst?nde der umstrittenen Wiederwahl" Ahmadinedschads auf das ?bliche Gl?ckwunschschreiben verzichten. An der offiziellen Best?tigung Ahmadinedschads durch den iranischen F?hrer Ayatollah Ali Chamenei nahm am Montag allerdings auch ein deutscher Vertreter teil. Man habe nach enger Abstimmung mit den EU-Partnern einen niedrigrangigen Diplomaten geschickt, sagte ein Sprecher des Ausw?rtigen Amtes. Schweden schickte seinen Botschafter in Teheran, Magnus Wernstedt. Dieser wird als Vertreter der EU-Ratspr?sidentschaft auch zur Vereidigung Ahmadinedschads am Mittwoch vor dem iranischen Parlament erscheinen. Deutschland ber?t die Teilnahme an der Zeremonie noch mit anderen EU-Staaten. Das Verhalten der EU steht in deutlichem Widerspruch zum harten Kurs, den Br?ssel noch Anfang Juli verfolgt hatte. Damals wurde beschlossen, dass iranische Diplomaten vorerst keine Visa f?r die Einreise in die EU erhalten sollten. Ein formelles Einreiseverbot wurde gepr?ft. Die Bundesregierung und andere EU-L?nder hatten dem Iran mit Konsequenzen gedroht, sollte die Verfolgung iranischer Regimekritiker weitergehen. Hunderttausende Iraner hatten ihrer F?hrung nach dem Urnengang am 12. Juni Wahlf?lschung vorgeworfen. Hunderte wurden festgenommen und zahlreiche Menschen bei Auseinandersetzungen mit Sicherheitskr?ften get?tet. Die EU protestierte mit ihren Schritten gegen Teheran auch gegen die damalige Festnahme iranischer Mitarbeiter der britischen Botschaft in Teheran. Die Beziehungen zwischen London und Teheran hatten sich besonders verschlechtert, weil der Iran den Briten Einmischung in innere Angelegenheiten vorwarf. London zog die Angeh?rigen seiner Diplomaten aus Teheran ab. An der Zeremonie zur Best?tigung Ahmadinedschads nahm nun aber auch der Stellvertreter des britischen Botschafters in Teheran teil. Dennoch skandierten Kleriker, Milit?rangeh?rige und Kabinettsmitglieder bei der Zeremonie: "Nieder mit Gro?britannien." Die EU bef?rchtet, dass eine harte Gangart gegen Teheran die M?glichkeiten schm?lern k?nnte, diplomatisch Einfluss auf die iranische F?hrung zu nehmen. Vor allem wegen des umstrittenen iranischen Atomprogramms will der Westen die Beziehungen nicht vollst?ndig abbrechen lassen. Iranische Regierungskritiker hingegen machten mit einer beispiellosen Aktion ihre Ablehnung der Wiederwahl Ahmadinedschads deutlich. Die ehemaligen Pr?sidenten Mohammed Chatami und Akbar Haschemi Rafsandschani, Vorsitzender des einflussreichen Expertenrats, blieben entgegen fester Regeln der Zeremonie fern. Vor vier Jahren noch hatte Chatami dem neu gew?hlten Ahmadinedschad in seiner Rolle als Amtsvorg?nger der Tradition gem?? ein Schreiben des obersten F?hrers ?bergeben. Am Montag musste Chamenei diese Prozedur selbst vollziehen. Das Fernbleiben der einflussreichen Politiker verdeutlicht den tiefen Riss in der iranischen Elite. Chamenei sagte w?hrend der Zeremonie, dass "Teile der Elite" den "Test" der Wahl nicht bestanden h?tten. Damit nahm er Bezug auf die Politiker, die nicht anwesend waren. Auch der unterlegene Pr?sidentschaftskandidat Mirhossein Mussawi boykottierte die Zeremonie. Tausende seiner Anh?nger protestierten Berichten zufolge in Teheran gegen die Pr?sidentschaftswahl. Polizisten versuchten, die Menge auseinanderzutreiben. Am Wochenende hatte ein umstrittener Prozess gegen hundert prominente Regimekritiker begonnen. From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Wed Aug 5 02:30:49 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 09:30:49 +0100 Subject: [A-List] U.S. Accused of Double Standards over Military Coup in Honduras by National Front against the Coup in Honduras Message-ID: <528BD63D382F404FA9F3C1E426EFB408@home9sg93n9r5y> U.S. Accused of Double Standards over Military Coup in Hondu Posted to CN by: "Walter Lippmann" walterlx at earthlink.net Tue Aug 4, 2009 10:17 am (PDT) GRANMA August 4, 2009 U.S. Accused of Double Standards over Military Coup in Honduras Raimundo L??pez TEGUCIGALPA, August 3 (PL).??"The National Front against the Coup in Honduras today accused the U.S. of practicing a double policy over the military coup, aimed at allowing this to gain time and consolidate itself. In an unusual press conference on the public highway and addressing thousands of teachers and professors, the leader of the Front emphasized that that is what is behind the mediation of the president of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias. Israel Salinas, general secretary of the Unified Workers Federation (FUTH) affirmed that the Front had been convinced of that U.S. double policy since the coup took place. From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Wed Aug 5 03:01:23 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 18:01:23 +0900 Subject: [A-List] Hunky Dory Message-ID: <20090805180123.080ab8e6.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> Clusterfuck Nation by James Howard Kunstler Comment on current events by the author of The Long Emergency (2005) www.kunstler.com (August 03 2009) Whenever the herd mentality lines up along a compass point leading to "permanent prosperity", or a yellow brick road lined with green shoots, or something like that, I tend to see the edge of a cliff up ahead. We are now completely in the grips of the deadly diminishing returns of information technology. The more information comes to us about How Things Are, especially from TV, the more confused or wrong the conventional view gets it. A broad consensus has formed in the news media and among government mouthpieces and even some "bearish" investors on the street that "the worst is behind us" in this tortured economy. This view is completely crazy. It will only lead to massive disappointment a few weeks or months from now, and that disappointment might easily transmute to political trouble. One even might call the situation tragic, except a closer look at the sordid spectacle of what American culture has become - a non-stop circus of the seven deadly sins - suggests that we deserve to be punished by history. The reason behind this mass delusion is not hard to find: it's based on wishing, especially the wish to retain all the comforts, conveniences, luxuries, and leisure that had become normal in American life. These are now ebbing away in big gobs for most of the population - while a tiny fraction of the well-connected pile on ever larger heaps of swag, enjoying ever more privilege. Those in the broad bottom 95 percent were content as long as there was a chance that they, too, could become members of the top five percent - by dint of car-dealing, or house-building, or mortgage-selling, or some other venture enabled by easy credit and a smile. Those days and those ways are now gone. The bottom 95 percent are now left with de-laminating houses they can't make payments on, no prospects for gainful work, re-po men hiding in the bushes to snatch the PT Cruiser, cut-off cable service, Kraft mac-and-cheese (if they're lucky), and Larry Summers telling them their troubles are over. (If I were Larry, I'd start thinking about a move to some place like the Canary Islands.) Too many disastrous things are lined up in the months ahead to insure that we're entering a new phase of history: The Long Emergency. Government at every level is worse than broke. Our currency, the US dollar, is hemorrhaging legitimacy. Inability to service old debt at all levels or incur new debt. Bad (toxic) debt lurking off balance sheets everywhere. The housing bubble fiasco is far from over. Commercial real estate fiasco just getting started. Unemployment rising implacably. So-called "consumers" unable to consume consumables. Crucial energy import supply lines fragile. Food supply subject to energy problems and climate abnormalities. A world full of other societies who would enjoy watching us fail and suffer. When The Long Emergency was published in 2005, I said then that the greatest danger this society faced would be its inclination to gear up a campaign to sustain the unsustainable at all costs - rather than face the need to make new arrangements for daily life. That appears to be exactly what has happened, and it didn't happen under the rule of some backward-facing, right-wing, Jesus-haunted crypto-fascist, but rather a "progressive" party led by a dynamically affable young man unburdened by deep cultural allegiance to Wall Street. Barack Obama has been sucked in and suckered. "Change you can believe in" has morphed into "a status quo you will bend heaven and earth to hold onto". Whatever else you might think or feel about Mr Obama's performance so far, this strategy on the broader question of where we go as a nation pulses with tragedy. What's remarkable to me, to go a step further, is the absence of comprehensive vision - not just in the president, but in all the supposedly able and intelligent people around him, and even those leaders not in government but in business and education and science and the professions. History is clearly presenting us with a new set of mandates: get local, get finer, downscale, and get going on it right away. Prepare for it now or nature will whack you upside the head with it not too long from now. Attempting to maintain anything on the gigantic scale will turn out to be a losing proposition, whether it is military control of people in Central Asia, or colossal bureaucracies run in the USA, or huge factory farms, or national chain store retail, or hypertrophied state universities, or global energy supply networks. These imperatives are so outside-the-box of ordinary experience right now, that to drag them into the arena of politics can only evoke blank stares or nervous giggling. But whether we like it or not, these are the things that will really matter in the years ahead - not whether General Motors can ever make a profit again, or what Target Store's sales figures are next quarter, or whether the latest high-rise condo-and-gambling complex in Las Vegas will be successfully marketed. Here, in the dog days of summer, it seems to me that the situation in the USA is so fundamentally bad, so unpromising, so booby-trapped for failure, that I wonder if there has ever been a society so badly deluded as ours. We're prisoners of our wishes, living in a strange dream-time, oblivious to the forces gathering at the margins of our vision, lost in a wilderness of our own making. Anything can happen now. I certainly wouldn't rule out international mischief as we arc around into fall. The air is so full of black swans that the white swan now seems like the exceptional thing. Whatever else happens, it sure will be interesting to see the public's reaction to Wall Street's announcement of Christmas bonuses. The folks at Rockefeller Center better be thinking about getting a fireproof tree. _____ My new novel of the post-oil future, World Made By Hand, is available at all booksellers. http://kunstler.com/blog/2009/08/hunky-dory.html http://www.billtotten.blogspot.com http://www.ashisuto.co.jp From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Wed Aug 5 07:32:55 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 14:32:55 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Zelaya: Peaceful coexistence principles must prevail on Earth Message-ID: ABN: Zelaya: Peaceful coexistence principles must prevail on Earth Posted to CN by: "Walter Lippmann" walterlx at earthlink.net Tue Aug 4, 2009 5:41 pm (PDT) Zelaya: Peaceful coexistence principles must prevail on Earth Mexico, Aug 4. ABN.- "To revert the coup is a challenge. There is still a lot to do by the international community to achieve the peaceful coexistence laws and principles that must prevail on the face of the Earth," assured the Honduran President, Manuel Zelaya, during an official visit to Mexico. "I want to express my gratitude on behalf of the Honduran people to the President Felipe Calderon and to the beloved Mexican people, with whom we have shared territory, environment, ideals, dreams and purposes," he stressed. Zelaya reminded that more than 60 thousand teachers are not attending the classrooms, because, as he explained, they feel ashamed of explaining their pupils the involution of the democracy in Honduras. "There are State institutions that have not been able to be seized by the putschists yet. Social organizations have carried out more than 200 takings of roadways nationwide," he reminded. From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Wed Aug 5 07:38:56 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 14:38:56 +0100 Subject: [A-List] 42 wounded people in San Pedro Sula Message-ID: ABN: Partial balance of the dictatorial repression in Honduras Posted to CN by: "Walter Lippmann" walterlx at earthlink.net walterlx Tue Aug 4, 2009 5:41 pm (PDT) Partial balance of the dictatorial repression in Honduras: Dozens of people wounded Tegucigalpa, Aug 4. ABN.- About 42 wounded people was the result of a new attack from the military and police of Honduras against a peaceful demonstration carried out on Monday to support the legitimate President, Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, denounced the people affected, while the authorities of the regime deny it. "There was a demonstration at the first avenue of San Pedro Sula, then the police came abruptly and began beating people," said the MP for Unificacion Democratica and coordinator of the National Front for Resistance Against the Coup, Marvin Ponce. According to the people that were present at the repression journey, the regime forces also arrested 19 people that were part of the peaceful protest. On the other hand, the spokesman of the National Police, Orlin Cerrato, denied the violence in that place; however he assured that "there are 42 wounded people, one of them with a shot and the rest with contusions produced by the police. There are also 19 people arrested." Ponce said that the police launched tear gas from helicopters against Zelaya's followers at the protest, where "there were about three thousand people." The demonstrations to demand the restitution of the legitimate and ousted President of Honduras have taken place continuously since June 28, when the military forces carried out a coup d'?tat. So far, the military repression have killed four people, the last one, a teacher that was shot in the head past Thursday. From cb31450 at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 07:44:16 2009 From: cb31450 at gmail.com (c b) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 09:44:16 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Slow Down Message-ID: <5c2e4d230908050644h13b771edn82129008f086fd1c@mail.gmail.com> From: Bill Totten : How Our Fast-Paced World Is Making Us Sick by Linda Buzzell, AlterNet ^^^^^^^^ The 59th Street Bridge Song (feelin' Groovy) Lyrics http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-59th-street-bridge-song-feelin-groovy-lyrics-simon-and-garfunkel.html Slow down, you move too fast. You got to make the mornin' last. Just kickin' down the cobblestones, Lookin' for fun and feelin' groovy. Ba da da da da da da, feelin' groovy. Hello, lamppost, whatcha knowin'? I come to watch your flowers growin'. Ain'tcha got no rhymes for me? Doo it doo doo, feelin' groovy. Ba da da da da da da, feelin' groovy. I got no deeds to do, no promises to keep. I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep Let the morningtime drop all it's petals on me Life, I love you, all is groovy! Ba da da da da da da ba bap a dee... From the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 07:56:11 2009 From: the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com (Leighm) Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2009 06:56:11 -0700 Subject: [A-List] EU to Participate in the Inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4A798F7B.9050605@gmail.com> Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: > Financial Times Deutschland reports that both the EU Presidency and > individual EU member states will have their diplomatic representatives > attend the inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Despite the > rhetoric, the actual diplomatic behavior of the EU states, FTD > reporters say, has become conciliatory toward Tehran. -- Yoshie > Being legitimatized by the illegitimate... Cool! I applaud them (sneer) Of course they want Ahmadinejad in the seat of power. He's a 'known quantity'. He's a social conservative JUST LIKE most of the whitebread crackers running EU affairs. Given the economic state of affairs across the INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS, it's elementary to assume that adding other variables to the global economic mayhem mix IS NOT what the EU nations desire currently. Oh... yeah... they need their 'straw boogey-man too and he fills that role as well. Leigh > > Widerspruch zum harten Kurs > Exklusiv EU knickt gegen?ber Iran ein > von Benjamin Dierks (Berlin) und Najmeh Bozorgmehr (Teheran) > > Trotz der Kritik am Umgang Teherans mit seinen Kritikern scheut die EU > einen ernsten diplomatischen Konflikt mit dem Iran. Sowohl die > schwedische EU-Ratspr?sidentschaft als auch einzelne EU-Staaten nehmen > an der Amtseinf?hrung von Pr?sident Mahmud Ahmadinedschad teil. > > Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel hingegen gab bekannt, sie wolle > "angesichts der Begleitumst?nde der umstrittenen Wiederwahl" > Ahmadinedschads auf das ?bliche Gl?ckwunschschreiben verzichten. > > An der offiziellen Best?tigung Ahmadinedschads durch den iranischen > F?hrer Ayatollah Ali Chamenei nahm am Montag allerdings auch ein > deutscher Vertreter teil. Man habe nach enger Abstimmung mit den > EU-Partnern einen niedrigrangigen Diplomaten geschickt, sagte ein > Sprecher des Ausw?rtigen Amtes. Schweden schickte seinen Botschafter > in Teheran, Magnus Wernstedt. Dieser wird als Vertreter der > EU-Ratspr?sidentschaft auch zur Vereidigung Ahmadinedschads am > Mittwoch vor dem iranischen Parlament erscheinen. Deutschland ber?t > die Teilnahme an der Zeremonie noch mit anderen EU-Staaten. > > Das Verhalten der EU steht in deutlichem Widerspruch zum harten Kurs, > den Br?ssel noch Anfang Juli verfolgt hatte. Damals wurde beschlossen, > dass iranische Diplomaten vorerst keine Visa f?r die Einreise in die > EU erhalten sollten. Ein formelles Einreiseverbot wurde gepr?ft. Die > Bundesregierung und andere EU-L?nder hatten dem Iran mit Konsequenzen > gedroht, sollte die Verfolgung iranischer Regimekritiker weitergehen. > Hunderttausende Iraner hatten ihrer F?hrung nach dem Urnengang am 12. > Juni Wahlf?lschung vorgeworfen. Hunderte wurden festgenommen und > zahlreiche Menschen bei Auseinandersetzungen mit Sicherheitskr?ften > get?tet. > > Die EU protestierte mit ihren Schritten gegen Teheran auch gegen die > damalige Festnahme iranischer Mitarbeiter der britischen Botschaft in > Teheran. Die Beziehungen zwischen London und Teheran hatten sich > besonders verschlechtert, weil der Iran den Briten Einmischung in > innere Angelegenheiten vorwarf. London zog die Angeh?rigen seiner > Diplomaten aus Teheran ab. An der Zeremonie zur Best?tigung > Ahmadinedschads nahm nun aber auch der Stellvertreter des britischen > Botschafters in Teheran teil. Dennoch skandierten Kleriker, > Milit?rangeh?rige und Kabinettsmitglieder bei der Zeremonie: "Nieder > mit Gro?britannien." > > Die EU bef?rchtet, dass eine harte Gangart gegen Teheran die > M?glichkeiten schm?lern k?nnte, diplomatisch Einfluss auf die > iranische F?hrung zu nehmen. Vor allem wegen des umstrittenen > iranischen Atomprogramms will der Westen die Beziehungen nicht > vollst?ndig abbrechen lassen. > > Iranische Regierungskritiker hingegen machten mit einer beispiellosen > Aktion ihre Ablehnung der Wiederwahl Ahmadinedschads deutlich. Die > ehemaligen Pr?sidenten Mohammed Chatami und Akbar Haschemi > Rafsandschani, Vorsitzender des einflussreichen Expertenrats, blieben > entgegen fester Regeln der Zeremonie fern. Vor vier Jahren noch hatte > Chatami dem neu gew?hlten Ahmadinedschad in seiner Rolle als > Amtsvorg?nger der Tradition gem?? ein Schreiben des obersten F?hrers > ?bergeben. Am Montag musste Chamenei diese Prozedur selbst vollziehen. > > Das Fernbleiben der einflussreichen Politiker verdeutlicht den tiefen > Riss in der iranischen Elite. Chamenei sagte w?hrend der Zeremonie, > dass "Teile der Elite" den "Test" der Wahl nicht bestanden h?tten. > Damit nahm er Bezug auf die Politiker, die nicht anwesend waren. Auch > der unterlegene Pr?sidentschaftskandidat Mirhossein Mussawi > boykottierte die Zeremonie. Tausende seiner Anh?nger protestierten > Berichten zufolge in Teheran gegen die Pr?sidentschaftswahl. > Polizisten versuchten, die Menge auseinanderzutreiben. Am Wochenende > hatte ein umstrittener Prozess gegen hundert prominente Regimekritiker > begonnen. > > > From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Wed Aug 5 08:15:39 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 15:15:39 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot -- there is a much more oppositional media in Venezuela than in the US Message-ID: Mark Weisbrot guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 4 August 2009 18.03 BST http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/04/venezuela-media-freedom-chavez Denis MacShane attacks the British left for defending Hugo Ch?vez, the Venezuelan president, against an onslaught from the media, "new cold warriors", and rightwing demagogues throughout the world. His rhetorical trick is to tar the left with a new media law currently being debated in the Venezuelan congress, which he says "would impose prison sentences of up to four years for journalists whose writings might divulge information against 'the stability of the institutions of the state'." Of course this is a bad law. There are a number of bad laws on the books in Venezuela, and in fact numerous countries in the region have desacato (pdf) laws that make it a crime to insult the president. Do MacShane's targets - he mentions Ken Livingstone and Richard Gott - support such laws? I would bet serious money that they do not. So his main line of attack is misleading if not downright dishonest. MacShane also misrepresents the reality of press freedom in Venezuela. In fact, there is a much more oppositional media in Venezuela than in the US, and a much greater range of debate in the major media. This can be seen simply by looking at the most important media in both countries. In the US, for example, not even the most aggressive rightwing commentators such as Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity would present the idea that the president should be lynched. But Globovision, one of the largest-audience TV networks, had a show where a guest did just that. This is not an isolated example in Venezuela. Its media routinely broadcasts reporting and commentary that would not be allowed under FCC rules in the US. And the vast majority of the media in Venezuela is still controlled by the rightwing opposition. This fact was buried in a footnote in a highly prejudiced and misleading 230-page report by Human Rights Watch. The footnote acknowledged that RCTV, which lost its broadcast licence for a long list of offences that would have landed its owners in jail in the US, still has a cable audience that is bigger than all the Venezuelan state television combined. If the US had a media like Venezuela's, Barack Obama could never have been elected president. That's because the majority of Americans would have believed, as those beholden to some rightwing sources do, that he is a Muslim who was not born in the US. Think of Fox News and the Washington Times as the vast majority of the US media - that is the reality in Venezuela, only the media is more political and less accurate than America's biggest rightwing outlets. What happens when our major media threaten to step over the line and become political actors? They almost never do it, but in 2004, two weeks before the 2004 US election, the Sinclair Broadcast Group of Maryland, which owns the largest chain of TV stations in the US, decided to broadcast a film that accused candidate John Kerry of betraying US prisoners in Vietnam. Nineteen Democratic senators sent a letter to the FCC calling for an investigation, and some made public statements that Sinclair's broadcast licence could be in jeopardy if it carried its plans through. Sinclair backed down and did not broadcast the film. The Venezuelan media is not so restricted. Of course that does not justify this new proposed law, which is terrible. But neither does it justify the widespread misrepresentation of the reality of press freedom in Venezuela. (Even if this new law were to pass, it would have little or no effect, since it would not be enforced and would probably be ruled unconstitutional by the country's supreme court.) Venezuela is not Colombia, where journalists have to flee the country in fear of their lives when the president denounces them. MacShane is taking advantage of the fact that after 10 years of media misrepresentation with no significant countervailing force, anyone can say anything about Venezuela and Ch?vez and it will not be challenged. A group of Latin America scholars recently bought a full-page ad in the Columbia Journalism Review to call attention to outright fabrications by the Associated Press. My congratulations to the British left for not caving in to this crude McCarthyism. We need more courage like that in the world. * guardian.co.uk ? Guardian News and Media Limited 2009 From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Wed Aug 5 08:23:21 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 15:23:21 +0100 Subject: [A-List] a blog about Honduras Message-ID: <02CFD111B3844402B0A0E4A2E7832BFC@home9sg93n9r5y> New Blog on Honduras and Live Streaming TV from Tegucigalpa Posted by: "Magbana" magbana at aol.com magbana2004 Tue Aug 4, 2009 7:16 pm (PDT) I have started a blog about Honduras called "Honduras Oye!" The URL is http;//hondurasoye.wordpress.com The blog covers actions by the illegal coup government, the Honduran Resistance and efforts by President Zelaya to return to Honduras and be reinstated as President. In addition, special emphasis will be given to human rights abuses suffered by Hondurans at the hands of the Honduran military, police, paramilitaries and death squads. The blog will provide news, analysis, opinion, photos, videos and important up-to-the-minute alerts straight from the Honduran Resistance in the streets. Also, in Tegucigalpa, there is a TV station -- Channel 36 Cholusat Sur that you can access online at: http://cholusatsur.com. Everything I have watched on the station has been anti-golpe commentary. They also seem to have their reporters and cameras out in the field and often provide live coverage of major events. Hope you take a few minutes to check out my blog and visit Channel 36. shirley pate This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From nmgoro at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 08:55:29 2009 From: nmgoro at gmail.com (Nestor Gorojovsky) Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:55:29 -0300 Subject: [A-List] [Spa] [Nico Schvartz] Las bases yankis en Colombia Message-ID: <4A799D61.6080709@gmail.com> Sorry, short of time for a translation. It is my opinion that USAmerican comrades should rally against this military deployment of their own bourgeoisie in South America. -------- Mensaje original -------- Asunto: [Nico Schvartz] Las bases yankis en Colombia Fecha: Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:53:36 -0300 De: Nestor Gorojovsky Responder a: nmgoro at gmail.com Para: reconquista Popular Gentileza Agencia ALC *Las bases yankis en Colombia *Agosto 4 de 2009 /Niko Schvarz/ El tema de las nuevas bases aeronavales estadounidenses en Colombia conmociona a la regi?n y a toda Am?rica. Ser? abordado en la reuni?n de Unasur y del Consejo Sudamericano de Defensa el 10 de agosto en Quito, coincidiendo con la toma de posesi?n por Rafael Correa de su segunda presidencia, en la fecha del bicentenario del primer grito de independencia de Quito (10 de agosto de 1809). All? estar?n los presidentes, pero Uribe anunci? que no concurrir?, ni tampoco su canciller Jaime Berm?dez. Se niega a discutir el tema con sus pares y quiere colocarlos ante el hecho consumado. Fuentes militares norteamericanas alegan la necesidad de buscar un reemplazo a la base de Manta, en el Pac?fico ecuatoriano, desde la cual efectuaron el ?ltimo vuelo el 17 de julio y que deben abandonar definitivamente el 15 de setiembre. Adem?s, la nueva Constituci?n ecuatoriana prohibe la instalaci?n de bases militares extranjeras en su territorio. Pero no se trata de una simple permuta sino, como se ha dicho, de una concepci?n geoestrat?gica puesta en marcha con vistas a un control continental, a una ?nueva arquitectura? del Comando Sur, al cual se vincula el Plan Colombia y su extensi?n, as? como la reactivaci?n de la IV Flota. En las actuales bases militares de Tres Esquinas y de Larandia, en el departamento de Caquet?, y de Villavicencio, en el Meta, ya operan aviones y dispositivos de inteligencia t?cnica del Pent?gono, y tambi?n personal militar estadounidense que ha estado interviniendo en el conflicto interno colombiano. (Recu?rdese que en el operativo de liberaci?n de Ingrid Betancourt tambi?n fueron rescatados tres militares yankis capturados en acci?n que fueron fletados de inmediato a su pa?s). Ya ahora est?n actuando 800 efectivos norteamericanos en las bases, adem?s de otros 600 disfrazados de ?contratados? por compa??as de seguridad, o sea vulgares mercenarios. . Su n?mero aumentar?a apreciablemente con las nuevas bases, y adem?s ese personal tendr?a un virtual estatuto de impunidad para toda clase de delitos cometidos en Colombia, como lo denuncia el Polo Democr?tico Alternativo (v?ase la nota del d?a 1? ?La amenaza de militarizaci? n?). *Las nuevas bases a instalarse son cinco*. La de Palanquero, en Puerto Salgar, Cundinamarca, en el centro, es la mayor y se proyecta a otras regiones del continente. Posee una pista de 3 mil metros, hangares para un centenar de aviones e instalaciones para 2 mil hombres. Un informe del Comando A?reo para la Movilidad de la Fuerza A?rea de EEUU denominado Estrategia Global en Ruta y revelado por el diario colombiano ?Tiempo? a fines de mayo destaca el inter?s del Comando Sur en esta base y su deseo de convertirla en una Localidad de Cooperaci?n en Seguridad (CSL) en los marcos de sus objetivos hasta 2025, a fin de dotarse de corredores a?reos y bases que le permitan mayor alcance en sus operativos. Desde all? un avi?n C-17 podr?a recorrer casi la mitad del continente sin reabastecerse, y con el combustible apropiado su totalidad con excepci?n del Cabo de Hornos, en el extremo sur. En el proyecto de presupuesto ya elevado al Congreso se prev?n 46 millones de d?lares para acondicionar y modernizar dicha base. A la misma se unir?a la de Apiay, un poco m?s al sur en los Llanos Orientales, y la de Malambo, en el departamento Atl?ntico, muy cerca de La Guajira. Dice un estudio a ese respecto: ?La ubicaci?n del tr?o conforma un semic?rculo que virtualmente rodea a Venezuela, sin contar la vecindad de Malambo con la caliente pen?nsula guajira, que ambas naciones comparten, y cuya presencia como municipio dentro del venezolano estado de Zulia explica una de las maneras en que en que el acuerdo puede ser usado por Washington para hostilizar a Venezuela. Con una gobernaci?n en manos opositoras, en el Zulia se ha denunciado la presencia de paramilitares (colombianos) y de proyectos secesionistas?. *Razones tiene Ch?vez para preocuparse, como lo viene planteando con insistencia*. Pero tampoco termina aqu? el tema, ya que los mandos militares USA buscan adem?s la concesi?n de las bases navales de Bah?a de M?laga, sobre el Pac?fico, a no mucha distancia de Ecuador y de Brasil (que tambi?n plantearon su oposici?n a las bases) y la de Cartagena, en el departamento de ese nombre, sobre el Caribe. Con ellas estar?a asegurado el desplazamiento de su marina hacia el Atl?ntico, el Pac?fico y el Caribe. Colombia ya ha recibido 5 mil millones de d?lares de Washington por el Plan Colombia en los ?ltimos a?os, y el presupuesto para la continuaci?n del plan ya fue concedido. Pero las bases a entregar a EEUU afectan a toda la regi?n. El Polo Democr?tico Alternativo est? llamando a una gran jornada nacional contra la guerra y las bases militares en Colombia, por la soberan?a nacional y la paz en la regi?n. /Publicado en La Rep?blica, 4 de agosto 2009, p?g. 42/ Enviado por "Con Todo Ahora" - Hermano From critical.montages at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 09:26:32 2009 From: critical.montages at gmail.com (Yoshie Furuhashi) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 11:26:32 -0400 Subject: [A-List] EU to Participate in the Inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad In-Reply-To: <4A798F7B.9050605@gmail.com> References: <4A798F7B.9050605@gmail.com> Message-ID: I'll leave it up to those Iranians who are in the opposition inside Iran to contest the legitimacy of the Ahmadinejad administration. The EU move does NOT affect the popular legitimacy, or lack thereof, of Ahmadinejad's second term in the eyes of the Iranian people; it is important in that it represents a retreat on the part of the EU in the overall EU-Iran conflict, ceasing to interfere in the internal affairs of Iran regarding the election and post-election conflict. The EU has NO business legitimizing or de-legitimizing other nations' elections. Yoshie 2009/8/5 Leighm : > Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: >> >> Financial Times Deutschland reports that both the EU Presidency and >> individual EU member states will have their diplomatic representatives >> attend the inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. ?Despite the >> rhetoric, the actual diplomatic behavior of the EU states, FTD >> reporters say, has become conciliatory toward Tehran. -- Yoshie >> > > Being legitimatized by the illegitimate... Cool! I applaud them (sneer) > > Of course they want Ahmadinejad in the seat of power. He's a 'known > quantity'. > > He's a social conservative JUST LIKE most of the whitebread crackers running > EU affairs. Given the economic state of affairs across the INDUSTRIALIZED > NATIONS, it's elementary to assume that adding other variables to the global > economic mayhem mix IS NOT what the EU nations desire currently. From cb31450 at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 10:05:49 2009 From: cb31450 at gmail.com (c b) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 12:05:49 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Hunky Dory Message-ID: <5c2e4d230908050905l185d1b6ahb8a5474d95ba480b@mail.gmail.com> From: Bill Totten Clusterfuck Nation by James Howard Kunstler Comment on current events by the author of The Long Emergency (2005) www.kunstler.com (August 03 2009) -clip- History is clearly presenting us with a new set of mandates: get local, get finer, downscale, and get going on it right away. ^^^^^ CB: "Get local " carries too much of a danger of a new parochialism and new racism of some sort. Keep it one world but with new technology ^^^^^ Prepare for it now or nature will whack you upside the head with it not too long from now. Attempting to maintain anything on the gigantic scale will turn out to be a losing proposition, whether it is military control of people in Central Asia, or colossal bureaucracies run in the USA, or huge factory farms, or national chain store retail, or hypertrophied state universities, or global energy supply networks. From the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 10:06:54 2009 From: the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com (Leighm) Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:06:54 -0700 Subject: [A-List] EU to Participate in the Inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad In-Reply-To: References: <4A798F7B.9050605@gmail.com> Message-ID: <4A79AE1E.3060605@gmail.com> Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: > I'll leave it up to those Iranians who are in the opposition inside > Iran to contest the legitimacy of the Ahmadinejad administration. > > The EU move does NOT affect the popular legitimacy, or lack thereof, > of Ahmadinejad's second term in the eyes of the Iranian people; it is > important in that it represents a retreat on the part of the EU in the > overall EU-Iran conflict, ceasing to interfere in the internal affairs > of Iran regarding the election and post-election conflict. The EU has > NO business legitimizing or de-legitimizing other nations' elections. > > Yoshie > But that IS the international diplomatic net effect, and just to clarify, my stand has always been only the Iranian people decide the legitimacy of their government, OR the need to dispose of it, even if 'legitimate' and 'duly elected'. Leigh > 2009/8/5 Leighm : > >> Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: >> >>> Financial Times Deutschland reports that both the EU Presidency and >>> individual EU member states will have their diplomatic representatives >>> attend the inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Despite the >>> rhetoric, the actual diplomatic behavior of the EU states, FTD >>> reporters say, has become conciliatory toward Tehran. -- Yoshie >>> >>> >> Being legitimatized by the illegitimate... Cool! I applaud them (sneer) >> >> Of course they want Ahmadinejad in the seat of power. He's a 'known >> quantity'. >> >> He's a social conservative JUST LIKE most of the whitebread crackers running >> EU affairs. Given the economic state of affairs across the INDUSTRIALIZED >> NATIONS, it's elementary to assume that adding other variables to the global >> economic mayhem mix IS NOT what the EU nations desire currently. >> > > > From tal1 at cogeco.ca Wed Aug 5 10:32:25 2009 From: tal1 at cogeco.ca (Tony B.) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 12:32:25 -0400 Subject: [A-List] EU to Participate in the Inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad In-Reply-To: <4A798F7B.9050605@gmail.com> References: <4A798F7B.9050605@gmail.com> Message-ID: <51B39E24989B44E0A32EABD317DD2D0E@TonyPC> "He's a social conservative JUST LIKE most of the whitebread crackers running EU affairs." ..except that Ahmadinejad, unlike his capitalist-loving, fundamentalist free-market opponents - and unlike the EU 'whitebread crackers', is a strong proponent (and has already demonstrated such) of redistributive policies favouring the poor and working class. That's why it was this constituency (i.e. the majority poor and working class) that voted for him. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Leighm" To: "The A-List" Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 9:56 AM Subject: Re: [A-List] EU to Participate in the Inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: > Financial Times Deutschland reports that both the EU Presidency and > individual EU member states will have their diplomatic representatives > attend the inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Despite the > rhetoric, the actual diplomatic behavior of the EU states, FTD > reporters say, has become conciliatory toward Tehran. -- Yoshie > Being legitimatized by the illegitimate... Cool! I applaud them (sneer) Of course they want Ahmadinejad in the seat of power. He's a 'known quantity'. He's a social conservative JUST LIKE most of the whitebread crackers running EU affairs. Given the economic state of affairs across the INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS, it's elementary to assume that adding other variables to the global economic mayhem mix IS NOT what the EU nations desire currently. Oh... yeah... they need their 'straw boogey-man too and he fills that role as well. Leigh > > Widerspruch zum harten Kurs > Exklusiv EU knickt gegen?ber Iran ein > von Benjamin Dierks (Berlin) und Najmeh Bozorgmehr (Teheran) > > Trotz der Kritik am Umgang Teherans mit seinen Kritikern scheut die EU > einen ernsten diplomatischen Konflikt mit dem Iran. Sowohl die > schwedische EU-Ratspr?sidentschaft als auch einzelne EU-Staaten nehmen > an der Amtseinf?hrung von Pr?sident Mahmud Ahmadinedschad teil. > > Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel hingegen gab bekannt, sie wolle > "angesichts der Begleitumst?nde der umstrittenen Wiederwahl" > Ahmadinedschads auf das ?bliche Gl?ckwunschschreiben verzichten. > > An der offiziellen Best?tigung Ahmadinedschads durch den iranischen > F?hrer Ayatollah Ali Chamenei nahm am Montag allerdings auch ein > deutscher Vertreter teil. Man habe nach enger Abstimmung mit den > EU-Partnern einen niedrigrangigen Diplomaten geschickt, sagte ein > Sprecher des Ausw?rtigen Amtes. Schweden schickte seinen Botschafter > in Teheran, Magnus Wernstedt. Dieser wird als Vertreter der > EU-Ratspr?sidentschaft auch zur Vereidigung Ahmadinedschads am > Mittwoch vor dem iranischen Parlament erscheinen. Deutschland ber?t > die Teilnahme an der Zeremonie noch mit anderen EU-Staaten. > > Das Verhalten der EU steht in deutlichem Widerspruch zum harten Kurs, > den Br?ssel noch Anfang Juli verfolgt hatte. Damals wurde beschlossen, > dass iranische Diplomaten vorerst keine Visa f?r die Einreise in die > EU erhalten sollten. Ein formelles Einreiseverbot wurde gepr?ft. Die > Bundesregierung und andere EU-L?nder hatten dem Iran mit Konsequenzen > gedroht, sollte die Verfolgung iranischer Regimekritiker weitergehen. > Hunderttausende Iraner hatten ihrer F?hrung nach dem Urnengang am 12. > Juni Wahlf?lschung vorgeworfen. Hunderte wurden festgenommen und > zahlreiche Menschen bei Auseinandersetzungen mit Sicherheitskr?ften > get?tet. > > Die EU protestierte mit ihren Schritten gegen Teheran auch gegen die > damalige Festnahme iranischer Mitarbeiter der britischen Botschaft in > Teheran. Die Beziehungen zwischen London und Teheran hatten sich > besonders verschlechtert, weil der Iran den Briten Einmischung in > innere Angelegenheiten vorwarf. London zog die Angeh?rigen seiner > Diplomaten aus Teheran ab. An der Zeremonie zur Best?tigung > Ahmadinedschads nahm nun aber auch der Stellvertreter des britischen > Botschafters in Teheran teil. Dennoch skandierten Kleriker, > Milit?rangeh?rige und Kabinettsmitglieder bei der Zeremonie: "Nieder > mit Gro?britannien." > > Die EU bef?rchtet, dass eine harte Gangart gegen Teheran die > M?glichkeiten schm?lern k?nnte, diplomatisch Einfluss auf die > iranische F?hrung zu nehmen. Vor allem wegen des umstrittenen > iranischen Atomprogramms will der Westen die Beziehungen nicht > vollst?ndig abbrechen lassen. > > Iranische Regierungskritiker hingegen machten mit einer beispiellosen > Aktion ihre Ablehnung der Wiederwahl Ahmadinedschads deutlich. Die > ehemaligen Pr?sidenten Mohammed Chatami und Akbar Haschemi > Rafsandschani, Vorsitzender des einflussreichen Expertenrats, blieben > entgegen fester Regeln der Zeremonie fern. Vor vier Jahren noch hatte > Chatami dem neu gew?hlten Ahmadinedschad in seiner Rolle als > Amtsvorg?nger der Tradition gem?? ein Schreiben des obersten F?hrers > ?bergeben. Am Montag musste Chamenei diese Prozedur selbst vollziehen. > > Das Fernbleiben der einflussreichen Politiker verdeutlicht den tiefen > Riss in der iranischen Elite. Chamenei sagte w?hrend der Zeremonie, > dass "Teile der Elite" den "Test" der Wahl nicht bestanden h?tten. > Damit nahm er Bezug auf die Politiker, die nicht anwesend waren. Auch > der unterlegene Pr?sidentschaftskandidat Mirhossein Mussawi > boykottierte die Zeremonie. Tausende seiner Anh?nger protestierten > Berichten zufolge in Teheran gegen die Pr?sidentschaftswahl. > Polizisten versuchten, die Menge auseinanderzutreiben. Am Wochenende > hatte ein umstrittener Prozess gegen hundert prominente Regimekritiker > begonnen. > > > From tal1 at cogeco.ca Wed Aug 5 10:50:31 2009 From: tal1 at cogeco.ca (Tony B.) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 12:50:31 -0400 Subject: [A-List] EU to Participate in the Inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad In-Reply-To: <4A79AE1E.3060605@gmail.com> References: <4A798F7B.9050605@gmail.com> <4A79AE1E.3060605@gmail.com> Message-ID: " my stand has always been only the Iranian people decide the legitimacy of their government," No, your stand has always been to accept without reservation the Western propaganda that deems Ahmadinejad a 'monster'...and an illegitimate winner at that. Nevertheless, the evidence, presented in rather detailed and cogent form by analysts such as James Petras and Edward Herman pointing up the small, irritable little fact that there is *no evidence of any massive electoral fraud* and that, on the contrary, there *is* massive evidence of US-backed subversive influence in Iran is a small matter you persistantly desire to ignore. The fact that there *is*, yet, a significant portion of the population that is unhappy with the results of the election is clear...but then, following the last two elections (such as they were) in the US there was a far greater proportion of the population who were against those results....But, then, *they* didn't have the backing of an opposing super-fundamentalist capitalist empire to lend them support. [Hell, I wasn't happy with *any* of the last umpteen Canadian elections...as were at least as great a proportion of Canadians as those opposing the results in Iran....Oh, but I forgot, our politicians *aren't* in favour of redistributive policies. They're free-market fundamentalists. Thus, we wouldn't get any backing for our protests by the corporate media.] In consistently denouncing Ahmedinjad - and the election - you seem oblivious to what you are asking, ney, demanding, to wit, that majority poor and working class in Iran simply give up their hard-won electoral victory...because it didn't go, well, your way...or, that is to say, the way of the middle and upper classes in Iran. Tony ----- Original Message ----- From: "Leighm" To: "The A-List" Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 12:06 PM Subject: Re: [A-List] EU to Participate in the Inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad > Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: >> I'll leave it up to those Iranians who are in the opposition inside >> Iran to contest the legitimacy of the Ahmadinejad administration. >> >> The EU move does NOT affect the popular legitimacy, or lack thereof, >> of Ahmadinejad's second term in the eyes of the Iranian people; it is >> important in that it represents a retreat on the part of the EU in the >> overall EU-Iran conflict, ceasing to interfere in the internal affairs >> of Iran regarding the election and post-election conflict. The EU has >> NO business legitimizing or de-legitimizing other nations' elections. >> >> Yoshie >> > > But that IS the international diplomatic net effect, and just to clarify, > my stand has always been only the Iranian people decide the legitimacy of > their government, OR the need to dispose of it, even if 'legitimate' and > 'duly elected'. > > Leigh >> 2009/8/5 Leighm : >> >>> Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: >>> >>>> Financial Times Deutschland reports that both the EU Presidency and >>>> individual EU member states will have their diplomatic representatives >>>> attend the inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Despite the >>>> rhetoric, the actual diplomatic behavior of the EU states, FTD >>>> reporters say, has become conciliatory toward Tehran. -- Yoshie >>>> >>>> >>> Being legitimatized by the illegitimate... Cool! I applaud them (sneer) >>> >>> Of course they want Ahmadinejad in the seat of power. He's a 'known >>> quantity'. >>> >>> He's a social conservative JUST LIKE most of the whitebread crackers >>> running >>> EU affairs. Given the economic state of affairs across the >>> INDUSTRIALIZED >>> NATIONS, it's elementary to assume that adding other variables to the >>> global >>> economic mayhem mix IS NOT what the EU nations desire currently. >>> >> >> >> > > > From the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 11:18:22 2009 From: the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com (Leighm) Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:18:22 -0700 Subject: [A-List] EU to Participate in the Inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad In-Reply-To: References: <4A798F7B.9050605@gmail.com> <4A79AE1E.3060605@gmail.com> Message-ID: <4A79BEDE.5010301@gmail.com> Tony B. wrote: > " my stand has always been only the Iranian people decide the > legitimacy of their government," > > No, your stand has always been to accept without reservation the > Western propaganda that deems Ahmadinejad a 'monster'...and an > illegitimate winner at that. You just made my 'junk' folder list... It'll look a little less like a 'broadcast' list for your personal interests now. > > Nevertheless, the evidence, presented in rather detailed and cogent > form by analysts such as James Petras and Edward Herman pointing up > the small, irritable little fact that there is *no evidence of any > massive electoral fraud* and that, on the contrary, there *is* > massive evidence of US-backed subversive influence in Iran is a small > matter you persistantly desire to ignore. > > The fact that there *is*, yet, a significant portion of the > population that is unhappy with the results of the election is > clear...but then, following the last two elections (such as they were) > in the US there was a far greater proportion of the population who > were against those results....But, then, *they* didn't have the > backing of an opposing super-fundamentalist capitalist empire to lend > them support. > > [Hell, I wasn't happy with *any* of the last umpteen Canadian > elections...as were at least as great a proportion of Canadians as > those opposing the results in Iran....Oh, but I forgot, our > politicians *aren't* in favour of redistributive policies. They're > free-market fundamentalists. Thus, we wouldn't get any backing for our > protests by the corporate media.] > > In consistently denouncing Ahmedinjad - and the election - you seem > oblivious to what you are asking, ney, demanding, to wit, that > majority poor and working class in Iran simply give up their hard-won > electoral victory...because it didn't go, well, your way...or, that is > to say, the way of the middle and upper classes in Iran. > > Tony > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Leighm" > > To: "The A-List" > Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 12:06 PM > Subject: Re: [A-List] EU to Participate in the Inauguration of > President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad > > >> Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: >>> I'll leave it up to those Iranians who are in the opposition inside >>> Iran to contest the legitimacy of the Ahmadinejad administration. >>> >>> The EU move does NOT affect the popular legitimacy, or lack thereof, >>> of Ahmadinejad's second term in the eyes of the Iranian people; it is >>> important in that it represents a retreat on the part of the EU in the >>> overall EU-Iran conflict, ceasing to interfere in the internal affairs >>> of Iran regarding the election and post-election conflict. The EU has >>> NO business legitimizing or de-legitimizing other nations' elections. >>> >>> Yoshie >>> >> >> But that IS the international diplomatic net effect, and just to >> clarify, my stand has always been only the Iranian people decide the >> legitimacy of their government, OR the need to dispose of it, even if >> 'legitimate' and 'duly elected'. >> >> Leigh >>> 2009/8/5 Leighm : >>> >>>> Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: >>>> >>>>> Financial Times Deutschland reports that both the EU Presidency and >>>>> individual EU member states will have their diplomatic >>>>> representatives >>>>> attend the inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Despite >>>>> the >>>>> rhetoric, the actual diplomatic behavior of the EU states, FTD >>>>> reporters say, has become conciliatory toward Tehran. -- Yoshie >>>>> >>>>> >>>> Being legitimatized by the illegitimate... Cool! I applaud them >>>> (sneer) >>>> >>>> Of course they want Ahmadinejad in the seat of power. He's a 'known >>>> quantity'. >>>> >>>> He's a social conservative JUST LIKE most of the whitebread >>>> crackers running >>>> EU affairs. Given the economic state of affairs across the >>>> INDUSTRIALIZED >>>> NATIONS, it's elementary to assume that adding other variables to >>>> the global >>>> economic mayhem mix IS NOT what the EU nations desire currently. >>>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> > > > > From the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 11:20:01 2009 From: the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com (Leighm) Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:20:01 -0700 Subject: [A-List] Hunky Dory In-Reply-To: <5c2e4d230908050905l185d1b6ahb8a5474d95ba480b@mail.gmail.com> References: <5c2e4d230908050905l185d1b6ahb8a5474d95ba480b@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <4A79BF41.70408@gmail.com> c b wrote: > From: Bill Totten > Clusterfuck Nation > > by James Howard Kunstler > > Comment on current events by the author of > The Long Emergency (2005) > > www.kunstler.com (August 03 2009) > > > -clip- > History is clearly presenting us with a new set of mandates: get local, > get finer, downscale, and get going on it right away. > > ^^^^^ > CB: "Get local " carries too much of a danger of a new parochialism > and new racism of some sort. Keep it one world but with new technology > > ^^^^^ > > > Wassamatter? Scared of the self-same people you're trying to 'organize? Yeah, there are racist and utterly self-serving narcissistic opportunists in that mix, but I've noted that many of them come around when times are tough, and although initially resistant to change, and NEVER admitting to 'the folly of their previous way', they DO adapt in significant numbers. Further, the 'new technology' is 'weasel words'. French-intensive gardening is 'new technology' to the Western AgBiz interests... GMO crops aren't. Centralization is the cause, NOT the cure, of what ails humanity (unless you consider year-old dead cows being turned into 39c burgers to really be 'food'... at an additional social cost of 300 gallons of water per bigmac), and 'new technology' can make it work if the motivation is there... The motivation that drive such things (and causes wars) is CENTRALIZATION OF PROFIT AND POWER. Previously so they could control count and hoard the cetralizer's ILL GOTTEN GAINS. Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future for the benefit of humankind, that will change... but not likely when 'consolidation' of the 'other' to the centralizer's needs and whims is paramount. marxist are definitely part of the problem too! (small 'm' intentional) Dougie boyz investor buddies being a CLASSIC example of that. I suppose they REALLY believe that having a Visa card from Working Assets is more revolutionary than another from B of A. That's because they're intrinsically opportunists. You can tell the Jackass-with-a-circlejerk-mailinglist I said that. > > Prepare for it > now or nature will whack you upside the head with it not too long from > now. Attempting to maintain anything on the gigantic scale will turn > out to be a losing proposition, whether it is military control of > people in Central Asia, or colossal bureaucracies run in the USA, or > huge factory farms, or national chain store retail, or hypertrophied > state universities, or global energy supply networks. > > > From the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 12:32:49 2009 From: the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com (Leighm) Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:32:49 -0700 Subject: [A-List] Mark Weisbrot -- there is a much more oppositional media in Venezuela than in the US In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4A79D051.7080905@gmail.com> > > If the US had a media like Venezuela's, Barack Obama could never have been elected president. What Mark Weisbrot DIDN'T say: If the US had a Left like Venezuela... The in-vogue US 'marxist' political beliefs would be 'relegated to the dustbin of history'. Resistance to decentralization and social/cultural change (that last as witnessed by Tony B.'s vitriolic and demeaning words to me in regard to the situation in Iran) in the face of an long-time-coming and soon to be on-going financial disaster and continuing (indeed, rapidly growing) economic disparity within the country (no less the rest of the world) is my 'proof-of-theory' james daly wrote: > Mark Weisbrot > guardian.co.uk, > Tuesday 4 August 2009 18.03 BST > > http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/04/venezuela-media-freedom-chavez > > Denis MacShane attacks the British left for defending Hugo Ch?vez, the > Venezuelan president, against an onslaught from the media, "new cold > warriors", and rightwing demagogues throughout the world. His rhetorical > trick is to tar the left with a new media law currently being debated in the > Venezuelan congress, which he says "would impose prison sentences of up to > four years for journalists whose writings might divulge information against > 'the stability of the institutions of the state'." > > Of course this is a bad law. There are a number of bad laws on the books in > Venezuela, and in fact numerous countries in the region have desacato (pdf) > laws that make it a crime to insult the president. Do MacShane's targets - > he mentions Ken Livingstone and Richard Gott - support such laws? I would > bet serious money that they do not. So his main line of attack is misleading > if not downright dishonest. > > MacShane also misrepresents the reality of press freedom in Venezuela. In > fact, there is a much more oppositional media in Venezuela than in the US, > and a much greater range of debate in the major media. This can be seen > simply by looking at the most important media in both countries. In the US, > for example, not even the most aggressive rightwing commentators such as > Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity would present the idea that the president > should be lynched. But Globovision, one of the largest-audience TV networks, > had a show where a guest did just that. > > This is not an isolated example in Venezuela. Its media routinely broadcasts > reporting and commentary that would not be allowed under FCC rules in the > US. And the vast majority of the media in Venezuela is still controlled by > the rightwing opposition. This fact was buried in a footnote in a highly > prejudiced and misleading 230-page report by Human Rights Watch. The > footnote acknowledged that RCTV, which lost its broadcast licence for a long > list of offences that would have landed its owners in jail in the US, still > has a cable audience that is bigger than all the Venezuelan state television > combined. > > If the US had a media like Venezuela's, Barack Obama could never have been > elected president. That's because the majority of Americans would have > believed, as those beholden to some rightwing sources do, that he is a > Muslim who was not born in the US. Think of Fox News and the Washington > Times as the vast majority of the US media - that is the reality in > Venezuela, only the media is more political and less accurate than America's > biggest rightwing outlets. > > What happens when our major media threaten to step over the line and become > political actors? They almost never do it, but in 2004, two weeks before the > 2004 US election, the Sinclair Broadcast Group of Maryland, which owns the > largest chain of TV stations in the US, decided to broadcast a film that > accused candidate John Kerry of betraying US prisoners in Vietnam. > > Nineteen Democratic senators sent a letter to the FCC calling for an > investigation, and some made public statements that Sinclair's broadcast > licence could be in jeopardy if it carried its plans through. Sinclair > backed down and did not broadcast the film. > > The Venezuelan media is not so restricted. Of course that does not justify > this new proposed law, which is terrible. But neither does it justify the > widespread misrepresentation of the reality of press freedom in Venezuela. > (Even if this new law were to pass, it would have little or no effect, since > it would not be enforced and would probably be ruled unconstitutional by the > country's supreme court.) Venezuela is not Colombia, where journalists have > to flee the country in fear of their lives when the president denounces > them. > > MacShane is taking advantage of the fact that after 10 years of media > misrepresentation with no significant countervailing force, anyone can say > anything about Venezuela and Ch?vez and it will not be challenged. A group > of Latin America scholars recently bought a full-page ad in the Columbia > Journalism Review to call attention to outright fabrications by the > Associated Press. > > My congratulations to the British left for not caving in to this crude > McCarthyism. We need more courage like that in the world. > > * guardian.co.uk ? Guardian News and Media Limited 2009 > > > > From critical.montages at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 14:36:50 2009 From: critical.montages at gmail.com (Yoshie Furuhashi) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 16:36:50 -0400 Subject: [A-List] EU to Participate in the Inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad In-Reply-To: <4A79AE1E.3060605@gmail.com> References: <4A798F7B.9050605@gmail.com> <4A79AE1E.3060605@gmail.com> Message-ID: On Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 12:06 PM, Leighm wrote: > Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: >> >> I'll leave it up to those Iranians who are in the opposition inside >> Iran to contest the legitimacy of the Ahmadinejad administration. >> >> The EU move does NOT affect the popular legitimacy, or lack thereof, >> of Ahmadinejad's second term in the eyes of the Iranian people; it is >> important in that it represents a retreat on the part of the EU in the >> overall EU-Iran conflict, ceasing to interfere in the internal affairs >> of Iran regarding the election and post-election conflict. ?The EU has >> NO business legitimizing or de-legitimizing other nations' elections. >> >> Yoshie > > But ?that IS the international diplomatic net effect, and just to clarify, > my stand has always been only the Iranian people decide the legitimacy of > their government, OR the need to dispose of it, even if 'legitimate' and > 'duly elected'. As long as we agree on the most important point, that the right of the Iranian people themselves to make political change in their own country shouldn't be usurped by foreign powers, we should just agree to disagree on secondary and tertiary points. The Green Movement itself, as well as the rest of the Iranian population, would benefit from the absence of great powers' meddling. Yoshie From the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 15:24:02 2009 From: the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com (Leighm) Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:24:02 -0700 Subject: [A-List] EU to Participate in the Inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad In-Reply-To: References: <4A798F7B.9050605@gmail.com> <4A79AE1E.3060605@gmail.com> Message-ID: <4A79F872.6000804@gmail.com> Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: > > As long as we agree on the most important point, that the right of the > Iranian people themselves to make political change in their own > country shouldn't be usurped by foreign powers, we should just agree > to disagree on secondary and tertiary points. > > The Green Movement itself, as well as the rest of the Iranian > population, would benefit from the absence of great powers' meddling. > > Yoshie > Absolutely agreed. But in regard to the second paragraph, I think that 'goat' (and it's 'droppings') has been 'out of the barn' for a long time. My concern is centered around insinuations that the West's involvement is 'acute' (for want of a better word... that is, somehow 'ramped up' by foreign forces operating within the Iranian population recently, as opposed to being applied historically over a number of generations) which somehow seems to lead to dismissing the cultural demands of the 'green'... 'reform'... labeled protesters.as "Western" in origin. The generation that spawned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's was a major contributor to the construction of a college only 30-some miles from where I live. OF COURSE there's Western influence in Iranian society. It's just another human outpost in the global village of humanity in the 21st century. I suspect television, a Western-Industrial (Not gonna argue who invented the device, just who popularized and essentially commandeered it for profit and cultural propaganda) 'informational' medium available almost everywhere there is any electricity, has had far more insidious and permanent effect on culture and society in Iran and the rest of the world than ANY Hoover Institute scholar or CIA destablization operation ever will. To wit... Western nutritional values and foods have been know to the citizens of Tahiti for quite a while But it took Heather Locklear and 90210 to cause the 'thinning' of Tahitian girls despite their culture. Leigh From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Wed Aug 5 16:27:51 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 23:27:51 +0100 Subject: [A-List] A Coup for Lobbyists at the White House Message-ID: <974B7763299E4C9F82DCB3470C2AB783@home9sg93n9r5y> AMY GOODMAN: Honduras: A Coup for Lobbyists at the White House Posted to CN by: "LaborExchange at aol.com" Wed Aug 5, 2009 8:50 am (PDT) A Coup for Lobbyists at the White House Posted on Aug 4, 2009 By Amy Goodman Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, ousted in the middle of the night just over a month ago, enjoys global support for his return, with the exception of the Obama White House. While Barack Obama first called the Honduran military's removal of Zelaya a coup, his administration has backpedaled. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Zelaya's attempt to cross the Nicaraguan border into Honduras "reckless." Could well-placed lobbyists in Washington be forging U.S. foreign policy? Lanny Davis was special counsel to President Bill Clinton from 1996 to 1998, functioning as lawyer, crisis manager and spokesman through Clinton's various scandals. Davis has developed a lucrative specialty as a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, offering a "unique ?????Legal Crisis Communications' practice," helping people embroiled in investigations or scandal. According to recent congressional filings, Davis is lobbying for the Honduran chapter of the Latin American Business Council. Zelaya had recently increased the Honduran minimum wage. Davis testified before Congress on July 10, saying his clients "believe the best chance for a solution is the dialogue between Mr. Zelaya and President [Roberto] Micheletti, mediated by President [Oscar] Arias, that is now ongoing in Costa Rica." That is, until the Arias sessions resulted in a call for the return of Zelaya. Coup spokesman Cesar Caceres said, "The mediation has been declared a failure." Davis continued before Congress, "No one wants bloodshed, and nobody should be inciting violence." Yet a number of Zelaya supporters have been killed, and there has been a crackdown on independent media, making information hard to obtain. I reached Zelaya by phone in Nicaragua, near the Honduran border, and asked about Obama's reluctance to use the word "coup." He told me, "Everyone in the world-governments, international organizations, all the lawyers and judges in the world-have called the fact of capturing a president at 5 a.m. without trying him, shooting arms, that's a coup d'etat. No one doubts that that's a coup d'etat." Bennett Ratcliff, another Clinton White House connection, was a key adviser to the coup leader Micheletti during the Costa Rica negotiations. According to Ratcl iff's firm's bio, he "created TV and radio advertisements for President Bill Clinton's 1992 and 1996 Presidential campaigns." Firm partner Melissa Ratcliff "worked as communications strategist for The White House during the Clinton Administration." Their firm promises "access to key decision makers and influencers." With similar anti-Zelaya goals comes lobbyist Roger Noriega, George W. Bush's assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs and former staff member of Sen. Jesse Helms. Noriega is lobbying on behalf of the Honduran Association of Maquiladoreas, owners of low-wage factories that export goods, principally to the U.S. Both Noriega and Davis represent business interests that benefit from "free trade" with the U.S. Zelaya, elected originally with the support of the Honduran business community, has shifted to more populist policies. He recently joined the emerging Latin American trade bloc ALBA, organized by countries like Venezuela and Bolivia to counter the economic dominance of the United States. During Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, Davis repeated the charge that Obama would not be capable of handling a crisis "call at 3 a.m." As he recently visited Afric a, Obama declared the importance of democracy. Yet here in his own backyard is a genuine coup d'etat that his administration has done little to reverse. Obama will be in Mexico to meet President Felipe Calderon and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada on Aug. 9. Honduras is expected to be on the agenda. The 3 a.m. call has come-who will have Obama's ear? Democracy, or the special interests' hired guns, against whom Obama promised change? Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column. Amy Goodman is the host of "Democracy Now!," a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on more than 750 stations in North America. She is the co-author of "Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times," recently released in paperback. 2009 Amy Goodman From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Wed Aug 5 17:08:20 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 00:08:20 +0100 Subject: [A-List] The US could restore democracy to Honduras tomorrow Message-ID: Obama Must Help Honduras The US could restore democracy to Honduras tomorrow if the president had the audacity to restore some hope By Calvin Tucker August 04, 2009 "The Guardian" -- The slogan of the coup regime in Honduras, relentlessly promoted on state and private TV channels, is "Peace and Democracy". A "fully constitutional process" is the phrase used to describe the kidnapping of the elected president and his expulsion from the country. As I discovered when I arrived in Honduras two weeks ago, both claims are demonstrably false. Since the coup on 28 June, the regime has imposed military checkpoints and day and night-time curfews to prevent citizens from attending protests, used helicopters to spray tear gas on peaceful demonstrators and employed batons and live ammunition against those who are trying to restore President Manuel Zelaya to office. As of 24 July, there have been at least seven documented assassinations, several cases of torture and over one thousand arrests. Since then, I have heard of two more murders. The mutilated body of Pedro Magdiel, a 23-year-old opponent of the regime, was dumped 400 yards from where I and three hundred other unarmed civilians had been pinned down by soldiers, snipers and hooded police gunmen on a road near the Nicaraguan border. The second victim was a 38-year-old teacher, who was gunned down by police at a peaceful demonstration near the capital last Thursday. Of the people I interviewed and spoke with during my visit, two have since been arrested; one hospitalised with a head wound and broken bones, the other released. Another man I talked to was followed after leaving a protest, and knifed. The terrestrial TV stations and daily newspapers present a constant diet of pro-coup propaganda. The few remaining independent media outlets are subject to harassment and attempted closure. Last week, armed soldiers arrived at the offices of Radio Globo, one of only two anti-coup radio stations, and were only prevented from entering by a crowd of supporters who had gathered outside after receiving a tip-off from an anti-coup police officer. Channel 36, a low-budget satellite-only TV station, has had its banking facilities withdrawn, and contracts with commercial advertisers cancelled. Its signal is repeatedly interrupted. The coup was timed to prevent a consultative referendum scheduled for the same day. The military regime has falsely claimed that this proposed ballot was an unconstitutional attempt by Zelaya to extend his term in office. This allegation has been taken up - naively or otherwise - by much of the international media. The question on the ballot papers for 28 June refutes this lie. It was as follows: Do you agree with the installation of a fourth ballot box during the 2009 general elections so that the people can decide on the calling of a national constituent assembly? Yes or No. No mention of allowing the president to run again for office. Had the consultative poll been allowed to take place and the population voted yes, the Honduran Congress would have been under pressure to agree to a second (this time binding) referendum on the same day as presidential elections in November. Irrespective of the referendum result, Zelaya could not have been a presidential candidate. During the Zelaya presidency, measures were implemented that improved the position of the poor majority. These included the doubling of the minimum wage, free school meals (a hugely important step in a country where 50% of children suffer from malnutrition) and agricultural machinery for impoverished farmers. As the rural social leader Rafael Alegria told me, the effect of these measures went far beyond the practical improvements in people's daily lives. "It gave people hope," he said. Under Zelaya, the majority - including the indigenous and black populations and the urban working class - were beginning to take centre stage. The elite was afraid that the convocation of a constituent assembly would have made this process unstoppable. At a state-sponsored pro-coup demonstration attended mainly by business owners and employees who were instructed and paid to attend, the placards and banners denounced the presidents of the other Latin American countries, both leftwing and "moderate", along with Oscar Arias of Costa Rica, who is chairing the mediation talks. The coup leaders and their backers regard their actions as an attempt to halt and reverse the "red tide" engulfing the continent. The anti-Zelaya activists I spoke to were perturbed by the fact that the coup had not received the unequivocal support of the US. "Obama is with Chavez and Castro. He doesn't seem to realise he is the president of the United States," one coup supporter told me. Along with the leaders of the rest of the world, Obama has refused to recognise the de-facto government of Honduras, and has taken limited steps to oppose it. But many in the US establishment, including both neocon Republicans and officials of Hilary Clinton's State Department, have given tacit - and in some cases active - support to the coup regime. Obama could restore democracy to Honduras tomorrow, but only if he has the courage to break free from the entrenched interests that conspire to subvert the progressive agenda that he espouses. All he need do is make two public announcements. One is that all military and economic aid to the regime is immediately suspended; the other is that the US gives its full and practical support to the immediate return of Zelaya to his country, to take up his rightful office as president. A bit of audacity could restore some hope to the world. From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Wed Aug 5 17:12:29 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 00:12:29 +0100 Subject: [A-List] (no subject) Message-ID: <03D571894C1C494C9C7CB8452ECB2B59@home9sg93n9r5y> A terrific , well argued VIDEO turning the spotlight on Washington. -- JD Honduras: Where does Washington stand? By Real News The silence from Washington over the past month of human rights abuses from the de facto Honduran government becomes deafening when one considers that the US government holds both the ability to bring that regime down as well as a recent history of criticizing similar abuses in Iran. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article23200.htm [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102662067054&s=15182&e=001fNaIgp5Pk5SzW6LZ9Qt4QpOJM9bHxZdGZxC54JjXtVTHVt8WBKaw7F_dwjrjJXw6FanL9W-TIINBJ1jJ4w1XJaBBGNAlqTc9UvudoPMaA-7suWc-8ruOWAPsnrLGBXznnioONV4ZaXv9HgcLcd8d1sfcb7BF6Rz3] === This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Wed Aug 5 17:15:40 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 00:15:40 +0100 Subject: [A-List] (no subject) Message-ID: A terrific , well argued VIDEO turning the spotlight on Washington. -- JD Honduras: Where does Washington stand? By Real News The silence from Washington over the past month of human rights abuses from the de facto Honduran government becomes deafening when one considers that the US government holds both the ability to bring that regime down as well as a recent history of criticizing similar abuses in Iran. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article23200.htm [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102662067054&s=15182&e=001fNaIgp5Pk5SzW6LZ9Qt4QpOJM9bHxZdGZxC54JjXtVTHVt8WBKaw7F_dwjrjJXw6FanL9W-TIINBJ1jJ4w1XJaBBGNAlqTc9UvudoPMaA-7suWc-8ruOWAPsnrLGBXznnioONV4ZaXv9HgcLcd8d1sfcb7BF6Rz3] === This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Wed Aug 5 17:22:03 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 00:22:03 +0100 Subject: [A-List] The silence from Washington over the past month of human rights abuses Message-ID: <3740577FDA7F49B793DEBE32B788766B@home9sg93n9r5y> A terrific , well argued VIDEO turning the spotlight on Washington. -- JD Honduras: Where does Washington stand? By Real News The silence from Washington over the past month of human rights abuses from the de facto Honduran government becomes deafening when one considers that the US government holds both the ability to bring that regime down as well as a recent history of criticizing similar abuses in Iran. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article23200.htm [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102662067054&s=15182&e=001fNaIgp5Pk5SzW6LZ9Qt4QpOJM9bHxZdGZxC54JjXtVTHVt8WBKaw7F_dwjrjJXw6FanL9W-TIINBJ1jJ4w1XJaBBGNAlqTc9UvudoPMaA-7suWc-8ruOWAPsnrLGBXznnioONV4ZaXv9HgcLcd8d1sfcb7BF6Rz3] === This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From critical.montages at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 17:31:07 2009 From: critical.montages at gmail.com (Yoshie Furuhashi) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 19:31:07 -0400 Subject: [A-List] EU to Participate in the Inauguration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad In-Reply-To: <4A79F872.6000804@gmail.com> References: <4A798F7B.9050605@gmail.com> <4A79AE1E.3060605@gmail.com> <4A79F872.6000804@gmail.com> Message-ID: On Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 5:24 PM, Leighm wrote: > Yoshie Furuhashi wrote: >> >> As long as we agree on the most important point, that the right of the >> Iranian people themselves to make political change in their own >> country shouldn't be usurped by foreign powers, we should just agree >> to disagree on secondary and tertiary points. >> >> The Green Movement itself, as well as the rest of the Iranian >> population, would benefit from the absence of great powers' meddling. >> >> Yoshie > > Absolutely agreed. But in regard to the second paragraph, I think that > 'goat' (and it's 'droppings') has been 'out of the barn' for a long time. > > My concern is centered around insinuations that the West's involvement is > ?'acute' (for want of a better word... that is, somehow 'ramped up' by > foreign forces operating within the Iranian population recently, as opposed > to being applied historically over a number of generations) which somehow > seems to lead to dismissing the cultural demands of the 'green'... > 'reform'... labeled ?protesters.as "Western" in origin. > > The generation that spawned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's was a major contributor to > the construction of a college only 30-some miles from where I live. OF > COURSE there's Western influence in Iranian society. It's just another human > outpost in the global village of humanity in the 21st century. > > I suspect television, a Western-Industrial (Not gonna argue who invented the > device, just who popularized and essentially commandeered it for profit and > cultural propaganda) 'informational' medium available almost everywhere > there is any electricity, has had far more insidious and permanent effect on > culture and society in Iran and the rest of the world than ANY Hoover > Institute scholar or CIA destablization operation ever will. > > To wit... Western nutritional values and foods have been know to the > citizens of Tahiti for quite a while > But it took Heather Locklear and 90210 to cause the 'thinning' of Tahitian > girls despite their culture. I actually agree with you on everything you say above: it's not the CIA, it's culture in general. The Leader of Iran can't expect the urban youth from better-off Iranian families not to culturally prefer what images of the West seductively promise to what the Islamic Revolution dogmatically prescribes, when the Leader himself had already come around to the reformist idea of adopting the originally Western economic fashion called privatization and liberalization. I remain hopeful, though, that young Iranians from poorer families will be strong enough to criticize both the Leader and reformists and come up with a new program themselves. Yoshie From the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 17:37:44 2009 From: the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com (Leighm) Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:37:44 -0700 Subject: [A-List] Where The Crank Labs Are... AKA "Californians in Prison, By County" Message-ID: <4A7A17C8.7080404@gmail.com> The Sacramento Bee just put up an interactive map "Californians in Prison, By County" to put a graphic public notation on a federal court panel order to "...lower California's prison population by about 40,500." All linkage, and a personal commentary here: http://razedbywolves.blogspot.com/2009/08/where-crank-labs-are-aka-californians.html From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Wed Aug 5 17:43:26 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 00:43:26 +0100 Subject: [A-List] U.S. appears to soften support for Honduras's Zelaya Message-ID: <439CFA4A60AB4DC2B530D97CA86A9F4C@home9sg93n9r5y> REUTERS: U.S. appears to soften support for Honduras's Zelaya Posted to CN by: "Greg McDonald" sabocat59 at mac.com gregiww Wed Aug 5, 2009 1:07 pm (PDT) On the same day that the Honduran police have violated with violence the autonomy of the university system in Tegucigalpa, the US State dept. publishes the following letter. So much for Prsident Obama "learning " anything at all from this so-called teachable moment. What WE should have learned by now, more than a month after the coup d'etat in Honduras and the installation of a military dictatorship there, is that washington has absolutely no intention of supporting democracy in latin america. It's back to the bad old days of US support for military action and dictatorship. Once again, the Obama administration caves to the republicans. Greg McDonald ======================================== STATE DEPT: U.S. policy not aimed at ?????supporting any particular individual????? 2009 AUGUST 5 by hcvanalysis And, Zelaya is a provacateur as well! With a letter to Senator Lugar, the US appears to have announced the next stage of its coup implementation plan. While the letter is meant to reassure a powerful senator that the US does not ?????favor????? President Zelaya in this conflict, it is the most direct statement made by the State Department regarding Zelaya?????s status as president. This is tantamount to ?????being left hanging out to dry????? and ?????twisting slowly in the wind????? combined and squared. Hillary might as well have called Micheletti and told him it was okay to kill Zelaya. With a national resistance march in progress, the comments from the State Department may be all that is needed for the golpista regime to fully unleash the military, police, paramilitaries, and death squads on protesters which can result in nothing other than wholesale bloodshed. ***************************** U.S. appears to soften support for Honduras's Zelaya Wed Aug 5, 2009 2:23pm EDT By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) ????? U.S. policy on Honduras????? political crisis is not aimed at supporting any particular individual, the State Department said in a new letter that implied softening support for ousted President Manuel Zelaya. The letter to Republican Senator Richard Lugar contained criticism of Zelaya, saying the left-leaning former leader had taken ?????provocative????? actions ahead of his removal by the Honduran military on June 28. The State Department also indicated severe U.S. economic sanctions were not being considered against the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti, which took over in Honduras after Zelaya removed from office. ?????Our policy and strategy for engagement is not based on supporting any particular politician or individual. Rather, it is based on finding a resolution that best serves the Honduran people and their democratic aspirations,????? Richard Verma, the assistant secretary for legislative affairs, said in the letter. ?????We have rejected calls for crippling economic sanctions and made clear that all states should seek to facilitate a solution without calls for violence and with respect for the principle of nonintervention,????? he said. The letter was dated Tuesday and obtained by Reuters on Wednesday. President Barack Obama has condemned Zelaya?????s ouster, refused to recognize Micheletti, cut $16.5 million in military aid to Honduras and thrown his support behind the mediation efforts of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, whose proposals include Zelaya?????s reinstatement. Last week the U.S. government announced it was revoking diplomatic visas for several members of Micheletti?????s administration. REPUBLICAN THREAT But the State Department letter, while ?????energetically????? condemning Zelaya?????s ouster on June 28, noted that the coup had been preceded by a political conflict between Zelaya and other institutions inside Honduras. ?????We also recognize that President Zelaya?????s insistence on undertaking provocative actions contributed to the polarization of Honduran society and led to a confrontation that unleashed the events that led to his removal,????? it said. Zelaya was pushing for constitutional reforms that included changing term limits for presidents. His opponents accused him of trying to seek re-election, but he denies the allegation. The Supreme Court ordered his arrest and the Honduran Congress later approved his ouster. In the letter to Lugar, the State Department also indicated the Obama administration has still not made a definite decision as to whether Zelaya?????s ouster constituted a coup. ?????We have suspended certain assistance as a policy matter pending an ongoing determination under U.S. law about the applicability of the provisions requiring termination of assistance in the event of a military coup.????? Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had asked the government to explain its policy on the Honduran political crisis, warning that Senate confirmation may be delayed for a diplomatic nominee for Latin America without it. The letter appeared to be a response to this request. Because of U.S. support for Zelaya, conservative Republican Senator Jim DeMint has threatened to delay a Senate vote on the nomination of Arturo Valenzuela to be assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs. DeMint welcomed the State Department letter but said the Obama administration had not gone far enough. ?????I?????m glad to see the State Department is finally beginning to walk back its support for Manuel Zelaya and admit that his ?????provocative????? actions were responsible for his removal,????? he said through a spokesman. ?????These admissions are helpful, but what is necessary is for President Obama to end his support for Zelaya who broke the law and sought to become a Chavez-style dictator,????? DeMint said, referring to Venezuela?????s socialist president Hugo Chavez, an ally of Zelaya. (Editing by Kieran Murray and Paul Simao) http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5744L120090805 This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From pwright at prisonlegalnews.org Wed Aug 5 17:49:10 2009 From: pwright at prisonlegalnews.org (Paul Wright) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 19:49:10 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Where The Crank Labs Are... AKA "Californians in Prison, By County" In-Reply-To: <4A7A17C8.7080404@gmail.com> References: <4A7A17C8.7080404@gmail.com> Message-ID: <216501ca1627$548cce10$0900a8c0@PRISONLEGALNEWS.local> It might be more accurate to say where the crank users are. As the US passed laws making it more difficult for small home cooks of meth to get the raw materials for meth (i.e., limits on buying cold meds) organized crime, mostly Mexican drug cartels, have stepped into the void and now produce a significant chunk of the methamphetamine consumed in the US. Another example of an American industry exported to the third world. Where Americans were perfectly capable of making their own meth they must now rely on foreigners to continue feeding their insatiable drug habit. :) Paul Wright, Editor Prison Legal News P.O. Box 2420 West Brattleboro, VT 05303 802 257-1342 pwright at prisonlegalnews.org www.prisonlegalnews.org Seattle Office 2400 NW 80th St. Suite 148 Seattle, WA 98117 206-246-1022 -----Original Message----- From: Leighm [mailto:the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 7:38 PM To: The A-List; Paul Wright Subject: Where The Crank Labs Are... AKA "Californians in Prison, By County" The Sacramento Bee just put up an interactive map "Californians in Prison, By County" to put a graphic public notation on a federal court panel order to "...lower California's prison population by about 40,500." All linkage, and a personal commentary here: http://razedbywolves.blogspot.com/2009/08/where-crank-labs-are-aka-californi ans.html From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Wed Aug 5 18:32:54 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 09:32:54 +0900 Subject: [A-List] Repudiating the National Debt Message-ID: <20090806093254.c1bde5b4.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> by Murray N Rothbard Chronicles (June 1992) Mises Daily (January 16 2004) In the spring of 1981, conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives cried. They cried because, in the first flush of the Reagan Revolution that was supposed to bring drastic cuts in taxes and government spending, as well as a balanced budget, they were being asked by the White House and their own leadership to vote for an increase in the statutory limit on the federal public debt, which was then scraping the legal ceiling of one trillion dollars. They cried because all of their lives they had voted against an increase in public debt, and now they were being asked, by their own party and their own movement, to violate their lifelong principles. The White House and its leadership assured them that this breach in principle would be their last: that it was necessary for one last increase in the debt limit to give President Reagan a chance to bring about a balanced budget and to begin to reduce the debt. Many of these Republicans tearfully announced that they were taking this fateful step because they deeply trusted their President, who would not let them down. Famous last words. In a sense, the Reagan handlers were right: there were no more tears, no more complaints, because the principles themselves were quickly forgotten, swept into the dustbin of history. Deficits and the public debt have piled up mountainously since then, and few people care, least of all conservative Republicans. Every few years, the legal limit is raised automatically. By the end of the Reagan reign the federal debt was $2.6 trillion; now it is $3.5 trillion and rising rapidly [editor Note: $6.9 trillion, January 13 2004]. And this is the rosy side of the picture, because if you add in "off-budget" loan guarantees and contingencies, the grand total federal debt is $20 trillion. Before the Reagan era, conservatives were clear about how they felt about deficits and the public debt: a balanced budget was good, and deficits and the public debt were bad, piled up by free-spending Keynesians and socialists, who absurdly proclaimed that there was nothing wrong or onerous about the public debt. In the famous words of the left-Keynesian apostle of "functional finance", Professor Abba Lerner, there is nothing wrong with the public debt because "we owe it to ourselves". In those days, at least, conservatives were astute enough to realize that it made an enormous amount of difference whether - slicing through the obfuscatory collective nouns - one is a member of the "we" (the burdened taxpayer) or of the "ourselves" (those living off the proceeds of taxation). Since Reagan, however, intellectual-political life has gone topsy-turvy. Conservatives and allegedly "free-market" economists have turned handsprings trying to find new reasons why "deficits don't matter", why we should all relax and enjoy the process. Perhaps the most absurd argument of Reaganomists was that we should not worry about growing public debt because it is being matched on the federal balance sheet by an expansion of public "assets". Here was a new twist on free-market macroeconomics: things are going well because the value of government assets is rising! In that case, why not have the government nationalize all assets outright? Reaganomists, indeed, came up with every conceivable argument for the public debt except the phrase of Abba Lerner, and I am convinced that they did not recycle that phrase because it would be difficult to sustain with a straight face at a time when foreign ownership of the national debt is skyrocketing. Even apart from foreign ownership, it is far more difficult to sustain the Lerner thesis than before; in the late 1930s, when Lerner enunciated his thesis, total federal interest payments on the public debt were one billion dollars; now they have zoomed to $200 billion, the third largest item in the federal budget, after the military and Social Security: the "we" are looking ever shabbier compared to the "ourselves". To think sensibly about the public debt, we first have to go back to first principles and consider debt in general. Put simply, a credit transaction occurs when C, the creditor, transfers a sum of money (say $1,000) to D, the debtor, in exchange for a promise that D will repay C in a year's time the principal plus interest. If the agreed interest rate on the transaction is ten percent, then the debtor obligates himself to pay in a year's time $1,100 to the creditor. This repayment completes the transaction, which in contrast to a regular sale, takes place over time. So far, it is clear that there is nothing "wrong" with private debt. As with any private trade or exchange on the market, both parties to the exchange benefit, and no one loses. But suppose that the debtor is foolish, gets himself in over his head, and then finds that he can't repay the sum he had agreed on? This, of course is a risk incurred by debt, and the debtor had better keep his debts down to what he can surely repay. But this is not a problem of debt alone. Any consumer may spend foolishly; a man may blow his entire paycheck on an expensive trinket and then find that he can't feed his family. So consumer foolishness is hardly a problem confined to debt alone. But there is one crucial difference: if a man gets in over his head and he can't pay, the creditor suffers too, because the debtor has failed to return the creditor's property. In a profound sense, the debtor who fails to repay the $1,100 owed to the creditor has stolen property that belongs to the creditor; we have here not simply a civil debt, but a tort, an aggression against another's property. In earlier centuries, the insolvent debtor's offense was considered grave, and unless the creditor was willing to "forgive" the debt out of charity, the debtor continued to owe the money plus accumulating interest, plus penalty for continuing nonpayment. Often, debtors were clapped into jail until they could pay - a bit Draconian perhaps, but at least in the proper spirit of enforcing property rights and defending the sanctity of contracts. The major practical problem was the difficulty for debtors in prison to earn the money to repay the loan; perhaps it would have been better to allow the debtor to be free, provided that his continuing income went to paying the creditor his just due. As early as the 17th century, however, governments began sobbing about the plight of the unfortunate debtors, ignoring the fact that the insolvent debtors had gotten themselves into their own fix, and they began to subvert their own proclaimed function of enforcing contracts. Bankruptcy laws were passed which, increasingly, let the debtors off the hook and prevented the creditors from obtaining their own property. Theft was increasingly condoned, improvidence was subsidized, and thrift was hobbled. In fact, with the modern device of Chapter 11, instituted by the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, inefficient and improvident managers and stockholders are not only let off the hook, but they often remain in positions of power, debt-free and still running their firms, and plaguing consumers and creditors with their inefficiencies. Modern utilitarian neoclassical economists see nothing wrong with any of this; the market, after all, "adjusts" to these changes in the law. It is true that the market can adjust to almost anything, but so what? Hobbling creditors means that interest rates rise permanently, to the sober and honest as well as the improvident; but why should the former be taxed to subsidize the latter? But there are deeper problems with this utilitarian attitude. It is the same amoral claim, from the same economists, that there is nothing wrong with rising crime against residents or storekeepers of the inner cities. The market, they assert, will adjust and discount for such high crime rates, and therefore rents and housing values will be lower in the inner-city areas. So everything will be taken care of. But what sort of consolation is that? And what sort of justification for aggression and crime? In a just society, then, only voluntary forgiveness by creditors would let debtors off the hook; otherwise, bankruptcy laws are an unjust invasion of the property rights of creditors. One myth about "debtors'" relief is that debtors are habitually poor and creditors rich, so that intervening to save debtors is merely a requirement of egalitarian "fairness". But this assumption was never true: in business, the wealthier the businessman the more likely he is to be a large debtor. It is the Donald Trumps and Robert Maxwells of this world whose debts spectacularly exceed their assets. Intervention on behalf of debtors has generally been lobbied for by large businesses with large debts. In modern corporations, the effect of ever-tightening bankruptcy laws has been to hobble the creditor-bondholders for the benefit of the stockholders and the existing managers, who are usually installed by, and allied with, a few dominant large stockholders. The very fact that a corporation is insolvent demonstrates that its managers have been inefficient, and they should be removed promptly from the scene. Bankruptcy laws that keep prolonging the rule of existing managers, then, not only invade the property rights of the creditors; they also injure the consumers and the entire economic system by preventing the market from purging the inefficient and improvident managers and stockholders and from shifting the ownership of industrial assets to the more efficient creditors. Not only that; in a recent law review article, Bradley and Rosenzweig have shown that the stockholders, too, as well as the creditors, have lost a significant amount of assets due to the installation of Chapter 11 in 1978. As they write, "if bondholders and stockholders are both losers under Chapter 11, then who are the winners?" The winners, remarkably but unsurprisingly, turn out to be the existing, inefficient corporate managers, as well as the assorted lawyers, accountants, and financial advisers who earn huge fees from bankruptcy reorganizations. In a free-market economy that respects property rights, the volume of private debt is self-policed by the necessity to repay the creditor, since no Papa Government is letting you off the hook. In addition, the interest rate a debtor must pay depends not only on the general rate of time preference but on the degree of risk he as a debtor poses to the creditor. A good credit risk will be a "prime borrower", who will pay relatively low interest; on the other hand, an improvident person or a transient who has been bankrupt before, will have to pay a much higher interest rate, commensurate with the degree of risk on the loan. Most people, unfortunately, apply the same analysis to public debt as they do to private. If sanctity of contracts should rule in the world of private debt, shouldn't they be equally as sacrosanct in public debt? Shouldn't public debt be governed by the same principles as private? The answer is no, even though such an answer may shock the sensibilities of most people. The reason is that the two forms of debt-transaction are totally different. If I borrow money from a mortgage bank, I have made a contract to transfer my money to a creditor at a future date; in a deep sense, he is the true owner of the money at that point, and if I don't pay I am robbing him of his just property. But when government borrows money, it does not pledge its own money; its own resources are not liable. Government commits not its own life, fortune, and sacred honor to repay the debt, but ours. This is a horse, and a transaction, of a very different color. For unlike the rest of us, government sells no productive good or service and therefore earns nothing. It can only get money by looting our resources through taxes, or through the hidden tax of legalized counterfeiting known as "inflation". There are some exceptions, of course, such as when the government sells stamps to collectors or carries our mail with gross inefficiency, but the overwhelming bulk of government revenues is acquired through taxation or its monetary equivalent. Actually, in the days of monarchy, and especially in the medieval period before the rise of the modern state, kings got the bulk of their income from their private estates - such as forests and agricultural lands. Their debt, in other words, was more private than public, and as a result, their debt amounted to next to nothing compared to the public debt that began with a flourish in the late 17th century. The public debt transaction, then, is very different from private debt. Instead of a low-time preference creditor exchanging money for an IOU from a high-time preference debtor, the government now receives money from creditors, both parties realizing that the money will be paid back not out of the pockets or the hides of the politicians and bureaucrats, but out of the looted wallets and purses of the hapless taxpayers, the subjects of the state. The government gets the money by tax-coercion; and the public creditors, far from being innocents, know full well that their proceeds will come out of that selfsame coercion. In short, public creditors are willing to hand over money to the government now in order to receive a share of tax loot in the future. This is the opposite of a free market, or a genuinely voluntary transaction. Both parties are immorally contracting to participate in the violation of the property rights of citizens in the future. Both parties, therefore, are making agreements about other people's property, and both deserve the back of our hand. The public credit transaction is not a genuine contract that need be considered sacrosanct, any more than robbers parceling out their shares of loot in advance should be treated as some sort of sanctified contract. Any melding of public debt into a private transaction must rest on the common but absurd notion that taxation is really "voluntary", and that whenever the government does anything, "we" are willingly doing it. This convenient myth was wittily and trenchantly disposed of by the great economist Joseph Schumpeter: "The theory which construes taxes on the analogy of club dues or of the purchases of, say, a doctor only proves how far removed this part of the social sciences is from scientific habits of mind". Morality and economic utility generally go hand in hand. Contrary to Alexander Hamilton, who spoke for a small but powerful clique of New York and Philadelphia public creditors, the national debt is not a "national blessing". The annual government deficit, plus the annual interest payment that keeps rising as the total debt accumulates, increasingly channels scarce and precious private savings into wasteful government boondoggles, which "crowd out" productive investments. Establishment economists, including Reaganomists, cleverly fudge the issue by arbitrarily labeling virtually all government spending as "investments", making it sound as if everything is fine and dandy because savings are being productively "invested". In reality, however, government spending only qualifies as "investment" in an Orwellian sense; government actually spends on behalf of the "consumer goods" and desires of bureaucrats, politicians, and their dependent client groups. Government spending, therefore, rather than being "investment", is consumer spending of a peculiarly wasteful and unproductive sort, since it is indulged not by producers but by a parasitic class that is living off, and increasingly weakening, the productive private sector. Thus, we see that statistics are not in the least "scientific" or "valuefree"; how data are classified - whether, for example, government spending is "consumption" or "investment" - depends upon the political philosophy and insights of the classifier. Deficits and a mounting debt, therefore, are a growing and intolerable burden on the society and economy, both because they raise the tax burden and increasingly drain resources from the productive to the parasitic, counterproductive, "public" sector. Moreover, whenever deficits are financed by expanding bank credit - in other words, by creating new money - matters become still worse, since credit inflation creates permanent and rising price inflation as well as waves of boombust "business cycles". It is for all these reasons that the Jeffersonians and Jacksonians (who, contrary to the myths of historians, were extraordinarily knowledgeable in economic and monetary theory) hated and reviled the public debt. Indeed, the national debt was paid off twice in American history, the first time by Thomas Jefferson and the second, and undoubtedly the last time, by Andrew Jackson. Unfortunately, paying off a national debt that will soon reach $4 trillion would quickly bankrupt the entire country. Think about the consequences of imposing new taxes of $4 trillion in the United States next year! Another way, and almost as devastating, a way to pay off the public debt would be to print $4 trillion of new money - either in paper dollars or by creating new bank credit. This method would be extraordinarily inflationary, and prices would quickly skyrocket, ruining all groups whose earnings did not increase to the same extent, and destroying the value of the dollar. But in essence this is what happens in countries that hyper-inflate, as Germany did in 1923, and in countless countries since, particularly the Third World. If a country inflates the currency to pay off its debt, prices will rise so that the dollars or marks or pesos the creditor receives are worth a lot less than the dollars or pesos they originally lent out. When an American purchased a 10,000 mark German bond in 1914, it was worth several thousand dollars; those 10,000 marks by late 1923 would not have been worth more than a stick of bubble gum. Inflation, then, is an underhanded and terribly destructive way of indirectly repudiating the "public debt"; destructive because it ruins the currency unit, which individuals and businesses depend upon for calculating all their economic decisions. I propose, then, a seemingly drastic but actually far less destructive way of paying off the public debt at a single blow: out-right debt repudiation. Consider this question: why should the poor, battered citizens of Russia or Poland or the other ex-Communist countries be bound by the debts contracted by their former Communist masters? In the Communist situation, the injustice is clear: that citizens struggling for freedom and for a free-market economy should be taxed to pay for debts contracted by the monstrous former ruling class. But this injustice only differs by degree from "normal" public debt. For, conversely, why should the Communist government of the Soviet Union have been bound by debts contracted by the Czarist government they hated and overthrew? And why should we, struggling American citizens of today, be bound by debts created by a past ruling elite who contracted these debts at our expense? One of the cogent arguments against paying blacks "reparations" for past slavery is that we, the living, were not slaveholders. Similarly, we the living did not contract for either the past or the present debts incurred by the politicians and bureaucrats in Washington. Although largely forgotten by historians and by the public, repudiation of public debt is a solid part of the American tradition. The first wave of repudiation of state debt came during the 1840s, after the panics of 1837 and 1839. Those panics were the consequence of a massive inflationary boom fueled by the Whig-run Second Bank of the United States. Riding the wave of inflationary credit, numerous state governments, largely those run by the Whigs, floated an enormous amount of debt, most of which went into wasteful public works (euphemistically called "internal improvements"), and into the creation of inflationary banks. Outstanding public debt by state governments rose from $26 million to $170 million during the decade of the 1830s. Most of these securities were financed by British and Dutch investors. During the deflationary 1840s succeeding the panics, state governments faced repayment of their debt in dollars that were now more valuable than the ones they had borrowed. Many states, now largely in Democratic hands, met the crisis by repudiating these debts, either totally or partially by scaling down the amount in "readjustments". Specifically, of the 28 American states in the 1840s, nine were in the glorious position of having no public debt, and one (Missouri's) was negligible; of the eighteen remaining, nine paid the interest on their public debt without interruption, while another nine (Maryland, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida) repudiated part or all of their liabilities. Of these states, four defaulted for several years in their interest payments, whereas the other five (Michigan, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Florida) totally and permanently repudiated their entire outstanding public debt. As in every debt repudiation, the result was to lift a great burden from the backs of the taxpayers in the defaulting and repudiating states. Apart from the moral, or sanctity-of-contract argument against repudiation that we have already discussed, the standard economic argument is that such repudiation is disastrous, because who, in his right mind, would lend again to a repudiating government? But the effective counterargument has rarely been considered: why should more private capital be poured down government rat holes? It is precisely the drying up of future public credit that constitutes one of the main arguments for repudiation, for it means beneficially drying up a major channel for the wasteful destruction of the savings of the public. What we want is abundant savings and investment in private enterprises, and a lean, austere, low-budget, minimal government. The people and the economy can only wax fat and prosperous when their government is starved and puny. The next great wave of state debt repudiation came in the South after the blight of Northern occupation and Reconstruction had been lifted from them. Eight Southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia) proceeded, during the late 1870s and early 1880s under Democratic regimes, to repudiate the debt foisted upon their taxpayers by the corrupt and wasteful carpetbag Radical Republican governments under Reconstruction. So what can be done now? The current federal debt is $3.5 trillion. Approximately $1.4 trillion, or forty percent, is owned by one or another agency of the federal government. It is ridiculous for a citizen to be taxed by one arm of the federal government (the IRS), to pay interest and principal on debt owned by another agency of the federal government. It would save the taxpayer a great deal of money, and spare savings from further waste, to simply cancel that debt outright. The alleged debt is simply an accounting fiction that provides a mask over reality and furnishes a convenient means for mulcting the taxpayer. Thus, most people think that the Social Security Administration takes their premiums and accumulates it, perhaps by sound investment, and then "pays back" the "insured" citizen when he turns 65. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no insurance and there is no "fund", as there indeed must be in any system of private insurance. The federal government simply takes the Social Security "premiums" (taxes) of the young person, spends them in the general expenditures of the Treasury, and then, when the person turns 65, taxes someone else to pay the "insurance benefit". Social Security, perhaps the most revered institution in the American polity, is also the greatest single racket. It's simply a giant Ponzi scheme controlled by the federal government. But this reality is masked by the Social Security Administration's purchase of government bonds, the Treasury then spending these funds on whatever it wishes. But the fact that the SSA has government bonds in its portfolio, and collects interest and payment from the American taxpayer, allows it to masquerade as a legitimate insurance business. Canceling federal agency-held bonds, then, reduces the federal debt by forty percent. I would advocate going on to repudiate the entire debt outright, and let the chips fall where they may. The glorious result would be an immediate drop of $200 billion in federal expenditures, with at least the fighting chance of an equivalent cut in taxes. But if this scheme is considered too Draconian, why not treat the federal government as any private bankrupt is treated (forgetting about Chapter 11)? The government is an organization, so why not liquidate the assets of that organization and pay the creditors (the government bondholders) a pro-rata share of those assets? This solution would cost the taxpayer nothing, and, once again, relieve him of $200 billion in annual interest payments. The United States government should be forced to disgorge its assets, sell them at auction, and then pay off the creditors accordingly. What government assets? There are a great deal of assets, from TVA to the national lands to various structures such as the Post Office. The massive CIA headquarters at Langley, Virginia, should raise a pretty penny for enough condominium housing for the entire work force inside the Beltway. Perhaps we could eject the United Nations from the United States, reclaim the land and buildings, and sell them for luxury housing for the East Side gliterati. Another serendipity out of this process would be a massive privatization of the socialized land of the Western United States and of the rest of America as well. This combination of repudiation and privatization would go a long way to reducing the tax burden, establishing fiscal soundness, and desocializing the United States. In order to go this route, however, we first have to rid ourselves of the fallacious mindset that conflates public and private, and that treats government debt as if it were a productive contract between two legitimate property owners. _____ Murray N Rothbard (1926 - 1995) was professor of economics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and vice-president for academic affairs at the Ludwig von Mises Institute. This article ran in the June 1992 issue of Chronicles (pages 49 - 52). http://www.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/rothbard198.html http://www.billtotten.blogspot.com http://www.ashisuto.co.jp From the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com Wed Aug 5 18:58:46 2009 From: the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com (Leighm) Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:58:46 -0700 Subject: [A-List] A Coup for Lobbyists at the White House In-Reply-To: <974B7763299E4C9F82DCB3470C2AB783@home9sg93n9r5y> References: <974B7763299E4C9F82DCB3470C2AB783@home9sg93n9r5y> Message-ID: <4A7A2AC6.3050801@gmail.com> More details from Foreign Policy magazine (3 pages): Who's Lobbying for the Coup? How a Washington split on Honduras policy came to be. (This article also shows the tendency towards a policy 'split' in FP's neo-liberal think tank publisher, CNAS) http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/08/04/whos_lobbying_for_the_coup : james daly wrote: > AMY GOODMAN: Honduras: A Coup for Lobbyists at the White House > Posted to CN by: "LaborExchange at aol.com" > Wed Aug 5, 2009 8:50 am (PDT) > > > A Coup for Lobbyists at the White House > Posted on Aug 4, 2009 > By Amy Goodman > > Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, ousted in the middle of the night just > over a month ago, enjoys global support for his return, with the exception > of the Obama White House. While Barack Obama first called the Honduran > military's removal of Zelaya a coup, his administration has backpedaled. > Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Zelaya's attempt to cross the > Nicaraguan border into Honduras "reckless." Could well-placed lobbyists in > Washington be forging U.S. foreign policy? > > Lanny Davis was special counsel to President Bill Clinton from 1996 to 1998, > functioning as lawyer, crisis manager and spokesman through Clinton's > various scandals. Davis has developed a lucrative specialty as a partner at > Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, offering a "unique ?????Legal Crisis > Communications' practice," helping people embroiled in investigations or > scandal. According to recent congressional filings, Davis is lobbying for > the Honduran chapter of the Latin American Business Council. Zelaya had > recently increased the Honduran minimum wage. > > Davis testified before Congress on July 10, saying his clients "believe the > best chance for a solution is the dialogue between Mr. Zelaya and President > [Roberto] Micheletti, mediated by President [Oscar] Arias, that is now > ongoing in Costa Rica." That is, until the Arias sessions resulted in a call > for the return of Zelaya. Coup spokesman Cesar Caceres said, "The mediation > has been declared a failure." > > Davis continued before Congress, "No one wants bloodshed, and nobody should > be inciting violence." Yet a number of Zelaya supporters have been killed, > and there has been a crackdown on independent media, making information hard > to obtain. > > I reached Zelaya by phone in Nicaragua, near the Honduran border, and asked > about Obama's reluctance to use the word "coup." He told me, "Everyone in > the world-governments, international organizations, all the lawyers and > judges in the world-have called the fact of capturing a president at 5 a.m. > without trying him, shooting arms, that's a coup d'etat. No one doubts that > that's a coup d'etat." > > Bennett Ratcliff, another Clinton White House connection, was a key adviser > to the coup leader Micheletti during the Costa Rica negotiations. According > to Ratcl iff's firm's bio, he "created TV and radio advertisements for > President Bill Clinton's 1992 and 1996 Presidential campaigns." Firm partner > Melissa Ratcliff "worked as communications strategist for The White House > during the Clinton Administration." Their firm promises "access to key > decision makers and influencers." > > With similar anti-Zelaya goals comes lobbyist Roger Noriega, George W. > Bush's assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs and > former staff member of Sen. Jesse Helms. Noriega is lobbying on behalf of > the Honduran Association of Maquiladoreas, owners of low-wage factories that > export goods, principally to the U.S. > > Both Noriega and Davis represent business interests that benefit from "free > trade" with the U.S. Zelaya, elected originally with the support of the > Honduran business community, has shifted to more populist policies. He > recently joined the emerging Latin American trade bloc ALBA, organized by > countries like Venezuela and Bolivia to counter the economic dominance of > the United States. > > During Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, Davis repeated the charge > that Obama would not be capable of handling a crisis "call at 3 a.m." > > As he recently visited Afric a, Obama declared the importance of democracy. > Yet here in his own backyard is a genuine coup d'etat that his > administration has done little to reverse. Obama will be in Mexico to meet > President Felipe Calderon and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada on > Aug. 9. Honduras is expected to be on the agenda. The 3 a.m. call has > come-who will have Obama's ear? Democracy, or the special interests' hired > guns, against whom Obama promised change? > > Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column. > > Amy Goodman is the host of "Democracy Now!," a daily international TV/radio > news hour airing on more than 750 stations in North America. She is the > co-author of "Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary > Times," recently released in paperback. > 2009 Amy Goodman > > > > > > From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Thu Aug 6 03:29:48 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 18:29:48 +0900 Subject: [A-List] The Dark Side of Climate Change Message-ID: <20090806182948.508aff42.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> It's Already Too Late, Cap and Trade Is a Scam, and Only the Few Will Survive by Alexander Zaitchik, AlterNet AlterNet (July 07 2009) The recent narrow passage of the Waxman-Markey energy bill, better known as cap-and-trade, marks halftime in Congress' first attempt to put a lid on national carbon emissions. The bill's supporters ended the half on top in a squeaker - 219 yeas to 212 nays. But it's far from clear what this lead means, either for the bill or the climate. The legislation's fate remains as uncertain as our own. We can, however, be sure about one thing. Between now and the autumn Senate debate, cap-and-trade's right-wing critics will escalate their all-cannons assault on the idea that climate change is real and demands a response. They will call "crap-and-tax" the mother of all scams, a poorly cloaked state power grab, and a major goose step down the road to eco-fascism. Given the demagogic hyperbole already on display, it can't be long before some conservative howler warns that the bill's green facade shares hues with the Koran. As the fight over cap-and-trade intensifies, human-driven climate change denialists like Rush Limbaugh and James Inhofe will draw the lion's share of the media spotlight reserved for the bill's critics. This is unfortunate. The real debate is not between the bill's supporters and the dead-ender climate clown club. It is between cap-and-trade's supporters and its critics within the scientific and environmental activist communities. Groups like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have science if not politics on their side when they decry Waxman-Markey as an industry diluted half-measure with soft gums that falls far short of what is necessary to avoid cataclysmic climate change later this century. "The giveaways and preferences in the bill will actually spur a new generation of nuclear and coal-fired power plants to the detriment of real energy solutions", said Greenpeace in a statement the day before the House vote. "To support such a bill is to abandon the real leadership that is called for at this pivotal moment in history. We simply no longer have the time for legislation this weak." This view is shared by leading climate scientists like James Hansen and his peers around the world at leading research centers such as the UK's Hadley Center for Climate Prediction and Research, which urge more significant and immediate cuts than the finance-sector friendly cap-and-trade system can deliver. There is another, fourth voice in the debate over cap-and-trade, one ringing out from shadows rarely approached by the media. In these shadows dwell scientists who believe the time has passed for any sort of legislation at all, no matter how radical. The best known of these frightening climate gnomes is the legendary British scientist James Lovelock, father of Gaia Theory and inventor of the instrument allowing for the atmospheric measurements of CFC's. In recent years, Lovelock has emerged as the world's leading climate pessimist, raining scorn on the new fashionable environmentalism and arguing that the time is nigh to accept that a massive culling of the human race is around the corner. "Most of the 'green' stuff is verging on a gigantic scam", Lovelock told the New Scientist shortly before the release of his latest book, The Vanishing Face of Gaia (2009). "Carbon trading, with its huge government subsidies, is just what finance and industry wanted. It's not going to do a damn thing about climate change, but it'll make a lot of money for a lot of people and postpone the moment of reckoning." Those who read Lovelock's controversial 2006 book, The Revenge of Gaia, know that hope junkies should keep a safe distance from the ninety-year-old scientist. Lovelock, who has been compared to Copernicus and Darwin, years ago arrived at a disturbingly stark conclusion about Earth's climate future. His prognosis is now starker than ever. The small window of short-term hope he left open in Revenge is closed in this year's Vanishing. In its place is a long-term hope that humanity in some form will survive the present century, though barely. The result is a dark and contrarian work that seeks to demolish the terms of the climate debate while mocking our response to the crisis at the personal, national, and species level. Lovelock has not arrived at his views lightly. They are the product of years spent carefully considering the known science through the revolutionary and frequently misunderstood lens he began developing forty years ago while working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasedena. Gaia Theory holds that Earth possesses a sophisticated planetary intelligence that responds to levels of heat from the sun in such a way as to maintain a climate homeostasis supportive of life. In four decades of research and experiment, the most famous being the "Daisyworld" model, Lovelock has overcome the once-widespread skepticism of his peers to officially move Gaia from a Hypothesis to a Theory. He has established that the various components of the biosphere - plants, animals, minerals, gases, the sun's heat - interact in such a way as to create and maintain a climate amenable to life. Far from a passive collection of independent actors responding to conditions, the biosphere's contents, including humans, form a living web which actively creates and maintains those conditions. Gaia prefers these conditions and will do her best to maintain them. But there is a limit to how much Gaia can do if we keep running over the safety mechanisms - negative feedback loops - she puts in our path. Lovelock believes that we have pushed Gaia beyond the point of return. The cold seas, for example, can only pump down so much of our carbon before they cry mercy and turn to acid. Lovelock argues that Gaia Theory offers a more holistic understanding of what's happening to the climate than does mainstream climate science, stuck as it is in reductionist thinking and fractured into its constituent fields. Using the Gaia lens, he maintains, allows for a more comprehensive, intuitive, and ultimately more predictive approach. He spends much of Vanishing explaining why he thinks our attempts to accurately model climate change with computers is akin to the blind efforts of a 19th century doctor trying to treat diabetes. He notes that the IPCC and its many powerful computers have successfully undershot all of the indicator trends of climate change so far. Most notably, sea-level rise has outpaced IPCC predictions at a rate of two to one. Of all the indicators of climate change, Lovelock maintains sea-level rise is the most important. Given the complexity of the millions of interactions within the Gaia system, Lovelock argues it is best to ignore year-to-year temperature fluctuations and instead watch the oceans. The seas, he says, are the lone trustworthy indicator of the earth's heat balance. "Sea level rise is the best available measure of the heat absorbed by the earth because it comes from only two things", he writes. "[These are] the melting of glaciers and the expansion of water as it warms. Sea level is the thermometer that indicates true global heating." Using Gaia Theory as his lens, Lovelock also examines five dreaded positive feedback loops, those processes now underway that at some point will become ferocious amplifiers of global heating (he finds "warming" too soft a word for the process). Lovelock describes how the most important of these feedback loops already in motion - the loss of reflective ice cover, the death of carbon eating algae as oceans warm, and methane released by thawing permafrost - will soon accelerate the heating trend underway, leading to sudden and dramatic shifts in global climate. Rather than the steady rise predicted by the UN's IPCC, Lovelock is confident the change will resemble economic charts of boom and bust, full of sudden and unexpected discontinuities, dips, and jumps. "The Earth's history and simple climate models based on the notion of a live and responsive Earth suggest that sudden change and surprise are more likely than the smooth rising curve of temperature that modelers predict for the next ninety years", he writes. What this means for us will be familiar to anyone who has been paying attention: cities and farmland lost to rising seas, endless heatwaves, and a drastic reduction of Earth's carrying capacity. "There is no tipping point, just a slope that gets ever steeper", writes Lovelock. "Because of the rapidity of the Earth's change, we will need to respond more like the inhabitants of a city threatened by a flood. When they see the unstoppable rise of water, their only option is to escape to higher ground. We have to make our lifeboats seaworthy now [and] stop pretending there is any way back to that lush, comfortable, and beautiful Earth we left behind sometime in the 20th century." Needless to say, this is not a popular message. Lovelock remains a controversial figure, now more for his politics than his science. In recent years he has become the most prominent green critic of mainstream environmentalism, unleashing his heaviest fire on what he regards as the green movement's irrational fear of nuclear power. Before he lost all hope in an energy silver bullet, Lovelock argued that nuclear represented humanity's best chance of transitioning the current civilization onto another, more sustainable track. But it's not just knee-jerk opposition to nuclear energy that gets Lovelock fuming. He has been ruthless in his attacks on politicians and businessmen who peddle hope in the form of meaningless but potentially profitable gestures like cap-and-trade. This has deeply antagonized his fellow greens still scrambling to generate public support for bold solutions to the climate crisis. Lovelock's impatience with feel-good "Yes, we can" liberal environmentalism borders on contempt. There are passages in Vanishing that, were it not for their eloquence, could have been uttered by Glenn Beck. The delusional rhetoric about "sustainable development" peddled by green politicians and businessmen, writes Lovelock, just shows that we have "weaved the sound of the alarm clock into our dreams". In one of the book's many memorable passages on the green politics of hope, Lovelock compares sustainable development to deathbed snake oil peddled by an alternate-medicine quack. "Just as we as individuals try alternative medicine", writes Lovelock, "our governments have many offers from alternative business and their lobbies of sustainable ways to 'save the planet', and from some green hospice there may come the anodyne of hope". But this "final warning" is more than a long and hectoring doctor's talk about an advanced and inoperable cancer. Lovelock brightens up considerably when looking beyond the looming die-off. And once we assume the author's Darwinian and planetary long view, it's easy to share his cosmic wonder and long-term optimism. Lovelock is cautiously hopeful that as many as several hundred million humans will survive the century and carve pockets of civilization into the coming hot state. Our current global civilization is about to end, but there is every reason to "take hope from the fact that our species is unusually tough and is unlikely to go extinct in the coming climate catastrophe". Here enters Lovelock the playful futurist. Those who survive will be responsible for maintaining a high-tech, low-impact, low-energy society advanced enough to keep the flame of progress alive but small and smart enough to carefully husband what arable land remains. Lovelock guesses the rump human race will cluster around a few temperate islands in the far northern hemisphere, including his native UK. He believes that if emergency preparations are made in time - he compares the present moment to 1939 - and if the worst-case scenarios of geopolitical conflict are avoided - namely resource scrambles leading to global thermonuclear war - then something resembling a modern and even urban lifestyle could await the survivors. There may even be food critics in this future, which need not resemble a Soylent Green scenario of cannibalism and state-rationed crackers. This future civilization will synthesize food from carbpm dioxide, nitrogen, water, and a few minerals. Simple amino acids and sugars, Lovelock cheerfully explains, can be used as feedstock for bulk animal and vegetable tissue created in chemical vats from biopsies. Yum! A quarter century ago, Carl Sagan issued a strange and compelling plea for nuclear disarmament. He urged the superpowers to abolish their thermonuclear arsenals for the sake of mankind's future evolution and eventual colonization of the galaxy. Echoing Sagan, Lovelock believes it is our duty as an intelligent race, the only one in the cosmic neighborhod, to survive. Only by carrying the flame of civilization into the next century will we have a chance to evolve beyond our current tribal-carnivore brains, which are dominated by short-term thinking and thus responsible for our current predicament. Whereas Sagan dreamed of alien contact, Lovelock's promised land is more humble: an evolved species capable of living in balance with Gaia. In the meantime, the Earth will grow and change, as it always has. Life will continue, humans included, even though billions will suffer and die. Gaia, an ageing planet, will roll into the new climate as best she can. In her wise generosity, she will even leave some hospitable land for us, the offending species, "to survive and to live in a way that gives evolution beyond us, into a wiser and more intelligent animal, a chance". _____ Alexander Zaitchik is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist and AlterNet contributing writer. (c) 2009 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved. http://www.alternet.org/story/141081/ http://www.billtotten.blogspot.com http://www.ashisuto.co.jp From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Thu Aug 6 07:58:37 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 14:58:37 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Siding With The Generals - The Independent On Honduras Message-ID: "Media Lens Media Alerts" Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 1:00 PM Siding With The Generals - The Independent On Honduras MEDIA LENS: Correcting for the distorted vision of the corporate media August 5, 2009 SIDING WITH THE GENERALS - THE INDEPENDENT ON HONDURAS Iran's June 12 presidential elections have been widely criticised, both domestically and abroad, as lacking credibility. During the popular protests that followed, some 30 people were killed by government forces with hundreds more arrested. These events have been subject to intense and continuous US-UK media scrutiny. Also in June, a military coup overthrew the democratically-elected government of Honduras. President Manuel Zelaya was kidnapped and deported to Costa Rica on June 28. Initial clashes between troops loyal to the coup plotters and Zelaya supporters left at least one person dead and 30 injured. On July 30, as many as 150 people were arrested, with dozens injured, when soldiers and police attacked demonstrators with tear gas, water cannon, clubs and gunfire. One of the wounded, a 38-year-old teacher, was left fighting for his life after being shot in the head. Journalists reporting from the scene were also attacked. (Bill Van Auken, 'Honduran coup regime launches brutal crackdown,' August 1, 2009, World Socialist Web Site; http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/aug2009/hond-a01.shtml) Mark Weisbrot, Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, describes how the Honduran people have been "risking their lives, confronting the army's bullets, beatings, and arbitrary arrests and detentions". And yet the US media has reported this repression "only minimally, with the major print media sometimes failing even to mention the censorship there". (Weisbrot, 'Hondurans Resist Coup, Will Need Help From Other Countries,' ZNet, July 9, 2009; http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/21924) Our own media database search (August 3) of national UK press editorials mentioning the word 'Iran' over the previous five weeks delivered 26 results. A search for editorials containing the word 'Honduras' delivered 2 results. In fact there has been a single leading article on the Honduran crisis (in the Independent on June 30 - see below). Over the same period, a search for UK national press articles mentioning 'Iran' gave 848 results; for 'Honduras' 96 results. This is not hard science, but it does indicate comparative levels of UK media coverage of the two issues. Weisbrot notes that the Honduran coup is "a recurrent story" in Latin America, pitting "a reform president who is supported by labor unions and social organizations against a mafia-like, drug-ridden, corrupt political elite who is accustomed to choosing not only the Supreme Court and the Congress, but also the president". (Weisbrot, 'Does the US back the Honduran coup?' The Guardian, July 1, 2009; http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/jul/01/honduras-zelaya-coup-obama) Mainstream outlets claim the coup marks a worrying return to earlier regional trends. A July 23 BBC "Q&A" on Honduras commented: "Coups and political upheaval were common in Central America for much of the 20th Century, and until the mid-1980s the military dominated political life in Honduras. Mr Zelaya's removal is the first in the region since 1993..." ('Q&A: Crisis in Honduras,' BBC website, July 23, 2009; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8124154.stm) This is false. In April 2002, a US-backed military coup briefly ousted Venezuelan president Hugo Ch?vez until mass protests returned him to power. A Guardian article that month reported that the "US 'gave the nod' to Venezuelan coup." Several weeks prior to the coup attempt, US government officials had met the business leaders who assumed power after Ch?vez was arrested. General Rincon, the Venezuelan army's chief of staff, had visited the Pentagon the previous December and met senior officials. (Julian Borger and Alex Bellos, 'US "gave the nod" to Venezuelan coup,' The Guardian, April 17, 2002; http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/apr/17/usa.venezuela) A 2004 military coup forced Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide to flee to Central Africa. Aristide told the Associated Press that he was forced to leave Haiti by US military forces. (Eliott C. McLaughlin, Associated Press, March 1, 2004) Jeffrey Sachs, professor of economics at Columbia University, wrote: "Haiti, again, is ablaze... Almost nobody, however, understands that today's chaos was made in Washington - deliberately, cynically, and steadfastly." (Sachs, 'Fanning the flames of political chaos in Haiti,' The Nation, February 28, 2004; http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0301-10.htm) The BBC Q&A noted: "The role of the US is key, as it is Honduras's biggest trading partner." Curiously, the article failed to mention that the US has its only Central American military base in Honduras. In fact the Honduran military is armed, trained and advised by Washington in a relationship that is deep and enduring. The two generals who led the coup were both trained at the US School of the Americas (SOA) based in Georgia (SOA is now known as The Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, or WHINSEC). Commander-in-chief Romeo Vasquez, head of the Honduran military, received training at SOA between 1976 and 1984. Luis Javier Prince Suazo, head of the air force, studied there in 1996. Colonel Herberth Bayardo Inestroza, a Honduran army lawyer who also trained at SOA, has admitted the illegality of the military's kidnapping of Zelaya. He told the Miami Herald: "It would be difficult for us, with our training, to have a relationship with a leftist government. That's impossible." (Weisbrot, ZNet, July 9, op. cit) Father Roy Bourgeois, founder of School of the Americas Watch, described SOA last month as "this school of assassins, this school of coups, this school with so much blood on its hands". ('Generals Who Led Honduras Military Coup Trained at the School of the Americas,' Democracy Now!, July 1, 2009; http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/1/generals_who_led_honduras_military_coup) Weisbrot notes that Washington's response to the Honduran coup is guided by conflicting interests: "powerful lobbyists such as Lanny Davis and Bennett Ratcliff, who are close to [Hillary] Clinton and are leading the coup government's strategy; the Republican right, including members of Congress who openly support the coup; and new cold warriors of both parties in the Congress, the state department and White House who see Zelaya as a threat because of his co-operation with Venezuela's Hugo Ch?vez and other left governments." (Weisbrot, 'U.S.- Brokered Mediation Has Failed - It's Time for Latin America to Take Charge,' ZNet, August 1, 2009; http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/22185) This explains Washington's ambiguous reaction. The Obama administration's first statement did not criticise the coup, and the state department continues to refuse to describe it as a coup. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has repeatedly refused to say that 'restoring the democratic order' in Honduras requires the return of Zelaya. It took three weeks for the White House to threaten to cut off aid. Roger Burbach, Director of the Center for the Study of the Americas, writes: "U.S. efforts to restore Zelaya have been quite tepid compared to other countries. While many ambassadors have been withdrawn, the US head diplomat Hugo Llorens, appointed by George W. Bush, remains in place. There are reports that he may have even given the green light to the coup plotters, or at least did nothing to stop them. And while the World Bank has suspended assistance, the State Department merely warns that $180 million in US economic aid may be in jeopardy. Most importantly the United States refuses to freeze the bank accounts and cancel the visas of the coup leaders, measures that Zelaya and other Latin American governments have urged Washington to do." (Burbach, 'Obama and Hillary Nix Change in Honduras,' ZNet, July 27, 2009; http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/22136) Recently, US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley, commented: "We certainly think that if we were choosing a model government and a model leader for countries of the region to follow, that the current leadership in Venezuela would not be a particular model. If that is the lesson that President Zelaya has learned from this episode, that would be a good lesson." (James Suggett, 'Honduras Coup,' ZNet, July 28, 2009; http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/22149) The Independent - Doing Democracy A Service In their June 30 leading article, the Independent's editors, led by pro-Iraq war editor Roger Alton (formerly editor of the Observer), opened with this extraordinary paragraph: "The ousting of the Honduran President Manuel Zelaya by the country's military at the weekend has been condemned by many members of the international community as an affront to democracy. But despite a natural distaste for any military coup, it is possible that the army might have actually done Honduran democracy a service." (Leading article, 'Guns and democracy,' The Independent, June 30, 2009; http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-guns-and-democracy-1724479.html) By contrast, many experienced observers have warned that the coup represents an extreme threat to prospects for democracy in Honduras and the region. The Independent explained its reasoning: "President Zelaya was planning a referendum to give him power to alter the constitution. But the proposed alterations were perilously vague, with opponents accusing Mr Zelaya of wanting to scrap the four-year presidential term limit. The country's courts and congress had called the vote illegal. "This is an increasingly familiar turn of events in emerging democracies: an elected leader, facing the end of his time in office, decides that the country cannot do without him and resorts to dubious measures to retain power. The Venezuelan President, Hugo Ch?vez, won a referendum in February altering his country's constitution and abolishing term limits. He now talks about ruling beyond 2030." On the same day, in the same newspaper, Heather Berkman, a Latin America associate at the global political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, wrote: "Manuel Zelaya has taken a few unexpected turns to the left during his tenure as President of Honduras, deviating from its political norms. This time, it looks like he may have gone too far... Mr Zelaya can be blamed for staging a coup that, in turn, provoked a counter-coup." (Berkman, 'Zelaya pushed,' The Independent, June 30, 2009; http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/heather-berkman-zelaya-pushed-1724469.html) Recall that these articles appeared in the Independent, widely considered to be at the left of the mainstream media spectrum. Weisbrot argues that in fact there was no way for Zelaya to extend his rule even if the referendum had been held and passed: "The June 28 referendum was nothing more than a non-binding poll of the electorate, asking whether the voters wanted to place a binding referendum on the November ballot to approve a redrafting of the country's constitution. If it had passed, and if the November referendum had been held (which was not very likely) and also passed, the same ballot would have elected a new president and Zelaya would have stepped down in January. So, the belief that Zelaya was fighting to extend his term in office has no factual basis - although most people who follow this story in the press seem to believe it. The most that could be said is that if a new constitution were eventually approved, Zelaya might have been able to run for a second term at some future date." (Weisbrot, 'Hondurans Resist Coup, Will Need Help From critical.montages at gmail.com Thu Aug 6 08:00:49 2009 From: critical.montages at gmail.com (Yoshie Furuhashi) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 10:00:49 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Iran's Revolutionary Guards in Economic Action Message-ID: Reformists question Iran's Revolutionary Guards getting involved in economic development, but, in the short term, the Pasdaran's economic interests and politico-economic-cultural worldview are on balance good for the poorer two third of Iran. Why favor Turkish and Romanian companies when and where Iran's own state and para-state enterprises can do the job? -- Yoshie Low-key opening for Tehran airport reflects political sensitivities By Gareth Smyth in Tehran Published: May 3 2005 03:00 | Last updated: May 3 2005 03:00 The grand opening of Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport was abruptly halted on "security grounds" a year ago when Revolutionary Guards tanks rolled on to the runway. A dispute over foreign management of the airport put the opening on hold until last weekend, when Iran Air Flight 658 from Dubai landed, 28 years after work started on the project. The airport is a gleaming symbol of Iran's international ambitions. But with sensitivities over the project still running high, there were no speeches and no ceremony before the first commercial flight landed. The airport's planners say its 13,400-hectare site makes possible an expansion from one to four terminals, boosting capacity from 6.5m passengers a year to 47m - if Iran's regional status improves. But the new airport not only reflects Iran's desire to improve on the shabby Mehrabad airport, most of whose 9m passengers each year take domestic flights. It is an example of how inextricably interwoven are the country's politics and economy. Work on the airport began under the Shah, but stalled with the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the 1980-88 war with Iraq. It then took nine years for work begun in 1995 to be completed on a new design. Last year's botched opening marked a bitter fall-out between the reformist government of Mohammad Khatami and the Revolutionary Guards, who refused to accept its management by Tepe-Akfen-Vie (TAV), a Turkish-led consortium. The hardliners' move to prevent the airport's opening scuppered the government's $193m (?150m, ?100m) deal with TAV, and management is now with a consortium of four local Iranian airlines - Mahan, Aseman, Caspian Air and Kish Air. The ditching of TAV coincided with the Iranian parliament's shift to the right after February's election and the challenging of all foreign contracts agreed by the reformist government. The new parliamentary majority, which includes many former Revolutionary Guards, has gone on to undermine government attempts to privatise state assets and reduce subsidies. Domestic ideology and US sanctions have long combined to give the Iranian economy a level of state direction found usually in wartime economies. Subsidies cost billions of dollars. The bill for keeping down the price of bread reached $2.8bn in the financial year to March, according to Mohammad Shariatmadari, the commerce minister. And in the same period Iran spent $2.5bn importing petrol to meet demand from motorists to fill their tanks at a subsidised level equivalent to 10 US cents a litre. Mr Khatami's government warned the parliament that its attempt to freeze the prices of energy by-products, electricity, water and telecom services for the current year would lead to a budget deficit of IR29,000bn ($3.3bn, ?2.5bn, ?1.7bn) and push up the losses of state-owned companies to IR17,000bn. Parliament's performance and rhetoric have sparked fears in business circles, at home and abroad, of a militant conservative candidate linked to the military winning next month's parliamentary elections, when Mr Khatami must stand down after two terms. A chief motivation for Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, at 70 an influential former president and veteran of the Islamic Revolution, to consider standing again for the presidency is what an ally called "his fear of [the militants'] economic socialism". Mr Rafsanjani's aides are positioning him as the man who can get things done - in talks with the Europeans over Iran's nuclear programme, in the economy and in opening the new airport. Just ahead of the airport's opening, Mr Rafsanjani visited the terminal to meet its managers. He argued for a metro link to the city, which is 30km away, and urged the planting of more trees and shrubs to soften the stark, desert-like surroundings. Just two days before Flight 658 was due to touch down, it was Mr Rafsanjani's presence that gave some assurance that the Revolutionary Guards would not block the runway again. Iranian forces seize Romanian oil rig By Alex Barker in London Published: August 23 2006 03:00 | Last updated: August 23 2006 03:00 Iranian armed forces attacked and forcibly seized a Romanian-owned oil rig operating in the Gulf yesterday, after a contractual dispute with its owners. Grup Servicii Petroliere (GSP), an oil services group, said its Orizont rig had come under fire from a gunboat yesterday morning, after the crew refused to allow officials from a subsidiary of the Iranian state oil company on board. The incident, which led to a minor diplomatic dispute between the two countries, marks a violent turn in a contractual wrangle between the Romanian group and a subcontractor. The gunfire is understood to have damaged a crane on board as well as strafing the legs of the rig and accommodation areas for staff. None of the 26-strong crew, including 19 Romanian and seven Indian nationals, was injured. The rig was yesterday under guard by an Iranian naval vessel, although the Iranian soldiers had left. "It is totally crazy," Gabriel Comanescu, president of GSP, a private company that owns six rigs, told the Financial Times. "The Iranians took my men hostage. This must be the first- ever rig to be occupied by force in peacetime." It is unclear who ordered the operation to seize the rig. Hamid-Reza Asefi, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, declined to comment on yesterday's incident. But Iran's Revolutionary Guards, a key element of Iran's armed forces, have substantial involvement in the country's energy sector. GSP has been in a contractual dispute with Oriental Oil Kish, a private Dubai-based drilling contractor that had leased its rigs to drill wells for Petroiran Development Company, a unit of Iran's state-owned oil company. The board of Oriental includes senior Iranian political and military figures, who are believed still to include Cyrus Nasseri, a veteran diplomat who played a leading role in negotiations with Europe over Iran's nuclear programme. Oriental has been the target of a corruption investigation in Iran. GSP says it terminated its contract with Oriental after the group fell behind with payments and after doubts about the legal basis of its contract came to light. Last week the Romanian company towed the Fortuna, its second rig in Iranian waters, to the United Arab Emirates. GSP says it had permission to do so but Iranian oil industry officials later claimed GSP had "hijacked" the rig and they demanded its return. It emerged last year that Oriental had had business dealings with a subsidiary of Halliburton, the US oil services group. Additional reporting by Gareth Smyth in Tehran From sabocat59 at mac.com Wed Aug 5 14:00:08 2009 From: sabocat59 at mac.com (Greg McDonald) Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:00:08 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Fwd: US State Dept letter on Honduras References: Message-ID: Begin forwarded message: > From: Greg McDonald > Date: August 5, 2009 3:58:13 PM EDT > To: Cubanews at yahoogroups.com > Cc: redbadbear at yahoogroups.com > Subject: US State Dept letter on Honduras > > On the same day that the Honduran police have violated with > violence the autonomy of the university system in Tegucigalpa, the > US State dept. publishes the following letter. So much for > President Obama "learning " anything at all from this so-called > teachable moment. What WE should have learned by now, more than a > month after the coup d'etat in Honduras and the installation of a > military dictatorship there, is that washington has absolutely no > intention of supporting democracy in latin america. It's back to > the bad old days of US support for military action and > dictatorship. Once again, the Obama administration caves to the > republicans. > > Greg McDonald > > > STATE DEPT: U.S. policy not aimed at ?supporting any particular > individual? > 2009 AUGUST 5 > > by hcvanalysis > And, Zelaya is a provacateur as well! With a letter to Senator > Lugar, the US appears to have announced the next stage of its coup > implementation plan. While the letter is meant to reassure a > powerful senator that the US does not ?favor? President Zelaya in > this conflict, it is the most direct statement made by the State > Department regarding Zelaya?s status as president. This is > tantamount to ?being left hanging out to dry? and ?twisting slowly > in the wind? combined and squared. Hillary might as well have > called Micheletti and told him it was okay to kill Zelaya. > > With a national resistance march in progress, the comments from the > State Department may be all that is needed for the golpista regime > to fully unleash the military, police, paramilitaries, and death > squads on protesters which can result in nothing other than > wholesale bloodshed. > > U.S. appears to soften support for Honduras?s Zelaya > Wed Aug 5, 2009 2:23pm EDT > By Susan Cornwell > > WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? U.S. policy on Honduras? political crisis is > not aimed at supporting any particular individual, the State > Department said in a new letter that implied softening support for > ousted President Manuel Zelaya. > > The letter to Republican Senator Richard Lugar contained criticism > of Zelaya, saying the left-leaning former leader had taken > ?provocative? actions ahead of his removal by the Honduran military > on June 28. > > The State Department also indicated severe U.S. economic sanctions > were not being considered against the de facto government of > Roberto Micheletti, which took over in Honduras after Zelaya > removed from office. > > ?Our policy and strategy for engagement is not based on supporting > any particular politician or individual. Rather, it is based on > finding a resolution that best serves the Honduran people and their > democratic aspirations,? Richard Verma, the assistant secretary for > legislative affairs, said in the letter. > > ?We have rejected calls for crippling economic sanctions and made > clear that all states should seek to facilitate a solution without > calls for violence and with respect for the principle of > nonintervention,? he said. The letter was dated Tuesday and > obtained by Reuters on Wednesday. > > President Barack Obama has condemned Zelaya?s ouster, refused to > recognize Micheletti, cut $16.5 million in military aid to Honduras > and thrown his support behind the mediation efforts of Costa Rican > President Oscar Arias, whose proposals include Zelaya?s reinstatement. > > Last week the U.S. government announced it was revoking diplomatic > visas for several members of Micheletti?s administration. > > REPUBLICAN THREAT > > But the State Department letter, while ?energetically? condemning > Zelaya?s ouster on June 28, noted that the coup had been preceded > by a political conflict between Zelaya and other institutions > inside Honduras. > > ?We also recognize that President Zelaya?s insistence on > undertaking provocative actions contributed to the polarization of > Honduran society and led to a confrontation that unleashed the > events that led to his removal,? it said. > > Zelaya was pushing for constitutional reforms that included > changing term limits for presidents. His opponents accused him of > trying to seek re-election, but he denies the allegation. > > The Supreme Court ordered his arrest and the Honduran Congress > later approved his ouster. > > In the letter to Lugar, the State Department also indicated the > Obama administration has still not made a definite decision as to > whether Zelaya?s ouster constituted a coup. > > ?We have suspended certain assistance as a policy matter pending an > ongoing determination under U.S. law about the applicability of the > provisions requiring termination of assistance in the event of a > military coup.? > > Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations > Committee, had asked the government to explain its policy on the > Honduran political crisis, warning that Senate confirmation may be > delayed for a diplomatic nominee for Latin America without it. > > The letter appeared to be a response to this request. > > Because of U.S. support for Zelaya, conservative Republican Senator > Jim DeMint has threatened to delay a Senate vote on the nomination > of Arturo Valenzuela to be assistant secretary of state for western > hemisphere affairs. > > DeMint welcomed the State Department letter but said the Obama > administration had not gone far enough. > > ?I?m glad to see the State Department is finally beginning to walk > back its support for Manuel Zelaya and admit that his ?provocative? > actions were responsible for his removal,? he said through a > spokesman. > > ?These admissions are helpful, but what is necessary is for > President Obama to end his support for Zelaya who broke the law and > sought to become a Chavez-style dictator,? DeMint said, referring > to Venezuela?s socialist president Hugo Chavez, an ally of Zelaya. > > (Editing by Kieran Murray and Paul Simao) > > http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5744L120090805 > > -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 14514 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090805/85a2afa8/attachment.txt From sabocat59 at mac.com Wed Aug 5 14:02:45 2009 From: sabocat59 at mac.com (Greg McDonald) Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:02:45 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Fwd: Your message to A-List awaits moderator approval References: Message-ID: <2BB45035-DA8C-4C2D-A6F0-7B5CB096D570@mac.com> Begin forwarded message: > From: a-list-bounces at lists.econ.utah.edu > Date: August 5, 2009 4:00:40 PM EDT > To: sabocat59 at mac.com > Subject: Your message to A-List awaits moderator approval > > Your mail to 'A-List' with the subject > > Fwd: US State Dept letter on Honduras > > Is being held until the list moderator can review it for approval. > > The reason it is being held: > > Message has a suspicious header > > Either the message will get posted to the list, or you will receive > notification of the moderator's decision. If you would like to cancel > this posting, please visit the following URL: > > http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/confirm/a-list/ > bbfe1bec06a6307ae388b4d6c61323e94b5bb9c5 > -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 4176 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090805/b59f53d5/attachment.txt From suzannedk at gmail.com Thu Aug 6 00:27:11 2009 From: suzannedk at gmail.com (Suzanne de Kuyper) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 08:27:11 +0200 Subject: [A-List] [R-G] Whistleblower Tells of America's Hidden Health Nightmare for its Sick Poor In-Reply-To: <84035094.1135241249501994389.JavaMail.root@jaguar8.sfu.ca> References: <875444195.749591249425765880.JavaMail.root@jaguar8.sfu.ca> <84035094.1135241249501994389.JavaMail.root@jaguar8.sfu.ca> Message-ID: The U S medical system is fully broken, now burdened with US Military interferences, Big Pharma's unreliabilities, the Health Insurance Lobby controls. In fact, Big Pharma is now testing designer drugs as well as workhorse drugs on a captive group, the over two million in the US prison population, rather than expensive carefully bred lab rats and mice. Many cannot read or write, many do no speak english, many have no one, many are ill with no medical care affordable in prison, so, they get maybe 5 dollars, and sign with an x and get no warnings they may die from the testing or be changed and damaged forever. This practice was made legal by a Signing by G W Bush as it would never have pased the Hill...or public scrutiny. Suzanne suzannedk at gmail.com On Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 9:53 PM, Sid Shniad wrote: > > > The Observer 26 July 2009 > > > > > Whistleblower Tells of America's Hidden Health Nightmare for its Sick Poor > > > > > by Paul Harris > > > > > When an insurance firm boss saw a field hospital for the poor in Virginia, > he knew he had to speak out. Here, he tells Paul Harris of his fears for > Obama's bid to bring about radical change. > > Wendell Potter can remember exactly when he took the first steps on his > journey to becoming a whistleblower and turning against one of the most > powerful industries in America. > > It was July 2007 and Potter, a senior executive at giant US healthcare firm > Cigna, was visiting relatives in the poverty-ridden mountain districts of > northeast Tennessee. He saw an advert in a local paper for a touring free > medical clinic at a fairground just across the state border in Wise County, > Virginia. > > Potter, who had worked at Cigna for 15 years, decided to check it out. What > he saw appalled him. Hundreds of desperate people, most without any medical > insurance, descended on the clinic from out of the hills. People queued in > long lines to have the most basic medical procedures carried out free of > charge. Some had driven more than 200 miles from Georgia. Many were treated > in the open air. Potter took pictures of patients lying on trolleys on > rain-soaked pavements. > > For Potter it was a dreadful realisation that healthcare in America had > failed millions of poor, sick people and that he, and the industry he worked > for, did not care about the human cost of their relentless search for > profits. "It was over-powering. It was just more than I could possibly have > imagined could be happening in America," he told the Observer > > Potter resigned shortly afterwards. Last month he testified in Congress, > becoming one of the few industry executives to admit that what its critics > say is true: healthcare insurance firms push up costs, buy politicians and > refuse to pay out when many patients actually get sick. In chilling words he > told a Senate committee: "I worked as a senior executive at health insurance > companies and I saw how they confuse their customers and dump the sick: all > so they can satisfy their Wall Street investors." > > Potter's claims are at the centre of the biggest political crisis of Barack > Obama's young presidency. Obama, faced with 47 million Americans without > health insurance, has put reforming the system at the top of his agenda. If > he succeeds, he will have pushed through one of the greatest changes to > domestic policy of any president. If he fails, his presidency could be > broken before it is even a year old. Last week, in a sign of how high the > stakes are, he addressed the nation in a live TV news conference. It is the > sort of event usually reserved for a moment of deep national crisis, such as > a terrorist attack. But Obama wanted to talk about healthcare. "This is > about every family, every business and every taxpayer who continues to > shoulder the burden of a problem that Washington has failed to solve for > decades," he told the nation. > > Obama's plans are now mired and the opponents of reform are winning. The > Republican attack machine has cranked into gear, labelling reform as > "socialist" and warning ordinary Americans that government bureaucrats, not > doctors, will choose their medicines. The bill's opponents say the huge cost > can only be paid by massive tax increases on ordinary Americans and that > others will have their current healthcare plans taken away. Many centrist > Democratic congressmen, wary of their conservative voters, are wavering. The > legislation has failed to meet Obama's August deadline and is now delayed > until after the summer recess. Many fear that this loss of momentum could > kill it altogether. > > To Potter that is no surprise. He has seen all this before. In his long > years with Cigna he rose to be the company's top PR executive. He had an > eagle-eye view of the industry's tactics of scuppering political efforts to > get it to reform. "This is a very wealthy industry and they use PR very > effectively. They manipulate public opinion and the news media and they have > built up these relationships with all these politicians through campaign > contributions," Potter said. > > Potter was witness to the campaign against Michael Moore's healthcare > documentary Sicko. The industry slammed the film as one-sided and > politically motivated. Secret documents leaked from the American Health > Insurance Plans, the industry's lobby group, detailed the plan to paint > Moore as a fringe radical. Potter now says the film "hit the nail on the > head". "The Michael Moore movie that I saw was full of truth," he admits. > > Potter was also working for Cigna when it became embroiled in the case of > Nataline Sarkisyan, whose family went public after Cigna refused to pay for > a liver transplant that it considered "experimental" and therefore not > covered by their policy. Cigna reversed this decision only hours before the > Californian teenager died. "I wish I could have done more in that case," > Potter said. > > Such sentiments are rare in an industry that has given America a healthcare > system that can be cripplingly expensive for patients, but that does not > produce a healthier population. The industry is often accused of wriggling > out of claims. Firms comb medical records for any technicality that will > allow them to refuse to pay. In one recently publicised example, a retired > nurse from Texas discovered she had breast cancer. Yet her policy was > cancelled because her insurers found she had previously had treatment for > acne, which the dermatologist had mistakenly noted as pre-cancerous. They > decreed she had misinformed them about her medical history and her double > mastectomy was cancelled just three days before the operation. > > Last month three healthcare executives were grilled about such "rescinding" > tactics by a congressional subcommittee. When asked if they would abandon > them except in cases of deliberately proven fraud, each executive replied > simply: "No." > > To Potter that attitude has a sad logic. The healthcare industry generates > enormous profits and its top executives have a lavish corporate lifestyle > that he once shared. Treating patients for their expensive conditions is bad > for business as it reduces the bottom line. Kicking out patients who pursue > claims makes perfect economic sense. "It is a system that is rigged against > the policyholder," Potter said. The congressional probe found that just > three firms had rescinded more than 20,000 policyholders between 2003 and > 2007, saving hundreds of millions. "That's a lot of money that will now go > towards their profits," Potter said. > > A lot of that money also goes into contributions to politicians of both > parties - $372m in the past nine years - and in lobbying groups to run TV > ads slamming Obama's plans. Many of these ads deploy naked scare tactics. > One report said that the industry was spending $1.4m a day on its campaign. > In the face of that, it is perhaps no wonder that the Senate has delayed its > vote, dealing a massive blow to Obama. "I have seen how the opponents of > healthcare reform go to work... they are trying to delay action. They know > that if they keep the process going for months, and turn it into a big mess, > then the political impetus behind it will lessen," Potter said. > > Potter, who now works at the Centre for Media and Democracy in Wisconsin, > says the industry is afraid of Obama's reforms and that is why it is > fighting so hard. It wants to deal him the same blow as it did Bill Clinton > when it scuppered his attempt at reform in the 1990s. Potter admits that he > is worried the industry might win again. "I have seen their tactics work. I > have been a part of it," he said. He knows he has no chance of ever working > again for a major firm. "I am a whistleblower and corporate America does not > tend to like that," he said. But there is one thing Potter is not sorry > about: leaving the healthcare industry and speaking out. "I have absolutely > no regrets. I am doing the right thing," he said. > > Comprehensive healthcare reform in the US has been an ambition of many > presidents since the early part of the 20th century. None has succeeded in > creating a system that gives all Americans the right to coverage. Barack > Obama, below, is desperate to avoid the same fate. > > > > > Finding a Cure > > > > > What is the Current System? > > > > > It is a complex mish-mash of systems. Millions of Americans have their own > private healthcare plans, either individually or through their employer. > About 47 million Americans have none. However, systems do exist to cover the > very poor and the old. The system is fiendishly complex and full of > loopholes, so even those with coverage can have it withdrawn. > > > > > How Bad is It? > > > > > US hospitals are the best in the world if you can afford them. Many cannot, > and an accident or sudden illness can often bankrupt someone. > > > > > How Does it Compare With Other Countries? > > > > > It depends how you measure things. The US spends about 16% of GNP on > healthcare, far more than France and Germany, which spend 11 to 12%. Yet > those countries provide universal care. > > > > > What is the Biggest Problem? > > > > > Critics say the biggest issue is the profit motive that drives US > healthcare. This ensures that costs are always rising as the incentive is > there to provide expensive treatment. It also gives health insurers the > incentive to refuse treatment to claimants, by seeking to withdraw their > cover. > > > > > What is Obama's Solution? > > > > > Obama has asked Congress to draw up a government option, allowing all > Americans to get some sort of cover. The sheer size of the state plan should > theoretically allow it to drive down costs by economies of scale. > > > > > What's Happening Now? > > > > Obama has put his reputation on the line to persuade wavering Democrats and > moderate Republicans to vote on legislation by August. The Senate has said > this will not happen. That's a major blow, as it puts off the debate until > September and could see the political momentum stall. > _______________________________________________ > Rad-Green mailing list > Rad-Green at lists.econ.utah.edu > To change your options or unsubscribe go to: > http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green > -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 12173 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090806/bda89355/attachment.txt From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Thu Aug 6 09:12:44 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 16:12:44 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Brazil opposes holding elections in Honduras under de facto government Message-ID: Brazil Opposes Holding Elections in Honduras under De Facto Government Brasilia, 4 August 2009, ABN -- The government of Brazil rejected on Tuesday the idea of holding elections in Honduras under the de facto government headed by Roberto Micheletti, which was installed into power after the coup d'?tat on the 28th of June. That is the message sent by the principal international adviser to the Brazilian presidency, Marco Aurelio Garcia, who called for stronger action, by the international community and especially by the United States, against the rupture of the constitutional order in the Central American country. "We do not want to even imagine the possibility that the government of Micheletti would be allowed to organize elections," said Garcia, who revealed that the constitutional president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, will travel to Brasilia next week, according to the news portal of TeleSur. For his part, the legitimate president of Honduras, on Tuesday, stressed the importance of the Latin American countries' support for the return of democracy in his country. In Mexico City, where he made an official visit as the legitimate Honduran head of state, the president added that solidarity gives hope to the people to fight against any aggression and attempt at destabilization made by the coup regimes. "The solidarity of Mexico in the press, in civil society, in government agencies, and in the Congress, means to us that there is an immense force for our purpose of making our principles prevail," stressed Zelaya, according to the Prensa Latina news agency. "There will always be a strong opposition bloc to isolate the coup leaders, to reject their violence, and, moreover, to teach them a lesson that these precedents shall not be repeated in our America," said the Honduran leader. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The original article "Brasil rechaz? realizaci?n de elecciones en Honduras bajo gobierno de facto" was published by the Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias on 4 August 2009. Translation by Yoshie Furuhashi. From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Thu Aug 6 15:50:44 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 06:50:44 +0900 Subject: [A-List] The Terror America Wrought Message-ID: <20090807065044.77176c3c.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> A Truthdig Classic by Robert Scheer Truthdig (August 05 2009) Note: This column was originally published in August 2007. During a week of mayhem in Iraq, in which terrorists have rightly been condemned for targeting schoolchildren, it is sobering to recall that this week is also the 62nd anniversary of a US attack that deliberately took the lives of thousands of children on their way to school in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As noted in the Strategic Bombing Survey conducted at President Harry Truman's request, when the bomb hit Hiroshima on April 6 1945, "nearly all the school children ... were at work in the open", to be exploded, irradiated or incinerated in the perfect firestorm that the planners back at the University of California-run Los Alamos lab had envisioned for the bomb's maximum psychological impact. The terror plot worked all too well, as Hiroshima's Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba recalled this week: "That fateful summer, 8:15 am. The roar of a B-29 breaks the morning calm. A parachute opens in the blue sky. Then suddenly, a flash, an enormous blast - silence - hell on Earth. The eyes of young girls watching the parachute were melted. Their faces became giant charred blisters. The skin of people seeking help dangled from their fingernails ... Others died when their eyeballs and internal organs burst from their bodies - Hiroshima was a hell where those who somehow survived envied the dead." Like most of the others killed by the two American bombs, neither the children nor the adults had any role in Japan's decision to go to war, but they were picked as the target instead of an isolated but fortified military base whose antiaircraft fire posed a higher risk. The target preferred by US atomic scientists - a patch in the ocean or unpopulated terrain - was rejected, because the effect of hundreds of thousands of civilians dying would be all the more dramatic. The victims in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were available soft targets, much like the children playing in Iraq, suddenly caught in the crossfire of battles waged beyond their control. In "White Light/Black Rain", a devastating HBO documentary released this week, there is an interview with the sole survivor of a Japanese elementary school of 620 students. The murder of the other 619, and the 370,000 overall deaths attributed to the bombings, 85 percent of which were civilian deaths, has never compelled a widespread examination of the "end justifies the means" morality of our own state-sanctioned acts of terror. Indeed, the horrifying footage taken by Japanese and American cameramen soon after the devastation, and shown in the HBO film, was long kept secret by the US government for fear that an informed American public might question this nation's incipient nuclear arms race. Just exactly what distinguishes the United States' use of the ever-so-cutely-named "Fat Man" and "Little Boy" atomic bombs on cities in Japan from the car bombs of Baghdad or the planes that smashed into the World Trade Center? To even raise the question, as was found in one recent university case, can be a career-ending move. Of course, we had our justifications, as terrorists always do. Truman defended his decision to drop the atomic bombs on civilians over the objection of leading atomic scientists on the grounds that it was a necessary military action to save lives by forcing a quick Japanese surrender. He insisted on that imperative despite the objections of top military figures, including General Dwight Eisenhower, who contended that the war would end quickly without dropping the bomb. The subsequent release of formerly secret documents makes a hash of Truman's rationalization. His White House was fully informed that the Japanese were on the verge of collapse, and their surrender was made all the more likely by the Soviets' imminent entry into the fight. At most, the Japanese were asking for the face-saving gesture of retaining their emperor, and even that modest demand would likely have been abandoned with the shift of massive numbers of Allied troops and firepower from the battlefront of a defeated Germany to a confrontation with its deeply wounded Asian ally. Instead, the US played midwife to the birth of the nuclear monster, the ultimate terrorist weapon that presents a continuing and growing threat to the survival of human life on Earth. This is a lesson to be pondered at a time when President Bush plays power games with a nuclear-equipped Russia while coddling Pakistan, the main proliferator of nuclear weapons to rogue regimes, and Congress authorizes an expansion of the US nuclear program to better fight the war on terror by "improving" the ultimate weapon of terror, which the US alone stands guilty of using. Click here to go to HBO's site for "White Light/Black Rain": http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/whitelightblackrain/ _____ A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman. Copyright (c) 2009 Truthdig, LLC. All rights reserved. http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090805_truthdig_classic_the_terror_america_wrought/ http://www.billtotten.blogspot.com http://www.ashisuto.co.jp From the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com Thu Aug 6 16:27:37 2009 From: the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com (Leighm) Date: Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:27:37 -0700 Subject: [A-List] Dmitry Orlov The Collapse Gap, Audio Interview @ Guns and Butter KPFA Message-ID: <4A7B58D9.9030607@gmail.com> "The Collapse Gap" with Dmitry Orlov, author of "Reinventing Collapse - The Soviet Example and American Prospects". Orlov's repeated travels to Russia throughout the early nineties allowed him to observe the aftermath of the Soviet collapse first-hand. Being both a Russian and an American, Dmitry was able to appreciate both the differences and the similarities between the two superpowers. Eventually he came to the conclusion that the United States is going the way of the Soviet Union. His emphasis is on all the things that can still be made to work, and he advocates simply ignoring all that will fall by the wayside. "Guns & Butter" investigates the relationships among capitalism, militarism and politics. Maintaining a radical perspective in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, "Guns & Butter: The Economics of Politics" reports on who wins and who loses when the economic resources of civil society are diverted toward global corporatization, war, and the furtherance of a national security state. Click-through Dimitry's site: http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2009/08/interview-on-kpfaorg.html The original presentation (Text and Graphics published Dec 4 2006 ): http://www.energybulletin.net/node/23259 From the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com Thu Aug 6 16:53:01 2009 From: the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com (Leighm) Date: Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:53:01 -0700 Subject: [A-List] =?windows-1252?q?Wife_of_=93Disappeared=94_Islamic_Schol?= =?windows-1252?q?ar=28by_Pakistan_ISI/US_CIA=29_Appeals_to_U=2EN=2E?= Message-ID: <4A7B5ECD.2000500@gmail.com> Source, The World According To Bill Fisher (Ex-US State Dept) http://billfisher.blogspot.com/2009/08/wife-of-disappeared-appeals-to-un.html By William Fisher Charging that the U.S. government was complicit in the forced disappearance of an influential Muslim scholar four years ago, human rights groups in the U.S., the U.K., and Switzerland have asked the U.N. to investigate. In a letter to the U.N., the organizations say Mustafa Setmariam Nassar, a Spanish citizen, was arrested by Pakistani officials and handed over to U.S. officials in October 2005 and has not been heard from since. The letter was sent to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Promotion of Human Rights While Countering Terrorism, Martin Scheinin, and the U.N. Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. It was signed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the London-based legal charity Reprieve, and Alkarama in Geneva. In June 2009, in response to an ACLU request for information about Nassar's whereabouts, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) said it could "neither confirm nor deny the existence or nonexistence of records" concerning Nassar. Steven M. Watt, staff attorney with the ACLU Human Rights Program, told us, ?Mr. Nassar's wife and children just want to know if he is still alive and where he is." He said that "Requests for information about his forced disappearance, nearly four years ago, have been ignored by the U.S. government, and his family now has no other choice but to turn to the international community for assistance in their quest.? He added, ?The CIA should be held accountable. It should allow his family to know what happened to him and where he is. Or deny that it had any involvement in his disappearance." The letter asks the U.N. to raise Nassar's case with the U.S. government and other governments that may have assisted the U.S. in Nassar's disappearance or may have information that could assist in locating him. The organizations acknowledge that information about Nassar's disappearance is scarce. But they say ?the known details suggest he was a victim of the unlawful extraordinary rendition" program, which enabled the U.S., with the assistance of other governments, to kidnap and transport foreign nationals suspected of terrorism to secret overseas detention facilities for interrogation and torture. Official U.S. documents and media reports indicate that the U.S. had long been interested in capturing Nassar, suspecting him of involvement in certain terrorist acts but never charging him with a crime. In January 2005, months before his reported capture in Pakistan, the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan announced a $5 million reward for information leading to Nassar's capture, which was withdrawn around the time of his reported capture. The U.S. National Counterterrorism Center confirms Nassar's capture in November 2005, and media reports indicate that Nassar was later held for a time at a U.S. military base on the British-owned island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The Reprieve group also demanded the British government reveal details of the secret illegal detention of what it called the ?ghost? prisoner on Diego Garcia. Reprieve says Nassar was sent to Syria, where he was ?held incommunicado in shocking conditions and almost certainly tortured.? The group added, ?The U.K. shares responsibility for Nasser?s disappearance because of its complicity in his ?ghost? detention on the Diego Garcia and elsewhere. It has written to the U.K. government on behalf of Nasser?s wife to ?demand the U.K. fulfils its legal obligation to investigate his disappearance.? Reprieve?s Director, Clive Stafford Smith, said: ?Enforced disappearance is a crime most associated with ruthless South American dictatorships, yet here we have the U.S. and British governments embroiled in the same dirty deeds. Kidnapping is a crime in anyone?s language, and it is about time that powerful governments are held to account for their crime against Mustafa Nasser.? Diego Garcia has featured prominently in at least two other current cases. In one, Reprieve is suing the U.K. government on behalf of British resident Binyam Mohamed, a recently released Guantanamo detainee, for allowing the island?s airbase to be used to facilitate Mohammed?s ?rendition,? by landing to refuel. Mohammed was first rendered from Pakistan to prison in Morocco, and finally to Guantanamo. The group claims he was tortured in all three locations. David Miliband, the British Foreign Secretary, has argued before the U.K. High Court that it must suppress evidence of torture because the U.S. has threatened to discontinue sharing intelligence with the British if it discloses such evidence. The specific evidence in this case is a seven-paragraph document that Reprieve says has no intelligence or national security value but includes American admissions that they tortured Mohammed. The High Court Justices said that such a threat was not based in law. "I mean, it is an exercise of naked political power," Lord Justice Thomas said, adding, "That is not constitutional, it is the use of naked political power." Under British law, it is a criminal offence to suppress evidence of torture. In the second case, Mohammed and four other now-released Guantanamo detainees are suing a Boeing Company subsidiary, Jeppesen Dataplan, for knowingly assisting in Mohammed?s rendition by providing the CIA with logistical support for the flight that landed on Diego Garcia for refueling. In the Nassar case, responding to a June 2009 request from a Spanish judge for information on Nassar's whereabouts, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it was not holding him in the United States but did not address whether he was being held in U.S. custody elsewhere. Asserting that the information is classified, the U.S. government has also refused to answer direct requests for information about Nassar's whereabouts made by his wife, Spanish citizen Helena Moreno Cruz. "I have been bringing up four children without their father for nearly four years now. They keep asking about dad and I have no idea what to tell them anymore ? I don't even know if their father is still alive, she said.? "If my husband is suspected of doing anything wrong, he should get his day in court. If he isn't, he should be let go. No one deserves to be treated like this,? she added. Nassar, a 42 year-old Spanish citizen of Syrian origin, is considered an influential Islamic theorist and intellectual. He has written a number of books and articles on Islam and jihad. Law enforcement authorities in the U.K., Spain, and the U.S. have long suspected Nassar of having been involved in a number of terrorist acts, including the September 11 2001 attacks against the U.S., though he has never been charged with a crime. In the early 1980s, Nassar fled Syria following his involvement in a failed attempt by the Muslim Brotherhood to overthrow the government then in power. The letter to the U.N. says the former U.S. administration of George W. Bush pursued Nassar at least since November 2004, when it offered a $5 million reward for information relating to his capture as part of its ?Rewards for Justice? program. But it says that around the time of his reported capture, the government removed Nassar?s name from the ?Rewards for Justice? list, and withdrew the $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest. From ioriwase at mail.mohawknationnews.com Thu Aug 6 11:52:32 2009 From: ioriwase at mail.mohawknationnews.com (Mohawk Nation News) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 13:52:32 -0400 Subject: [A-List] MNN Arctic grab - Something rotten in Denmark ... Message-ID: <01dc8cc3$40031$0cd35781414583@xnote> ARCTIC GRAB ? SOMETHING ROTTEN IN DENMARK, NORWAY, RUSSIA, US, CANADA ? MNN. Aug. 5 09. More colonial subterfuge! Canada, US, Russia, Norway, Denmark and other imperialist entities are trying to steal the Indigenous area of northern Great Turtle Island. Climate change is causing the ice to recede. They all want to cart away our minerals, oil and gas. Ruskie and US subs have surfaced in the far north. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is standing around the North Pole, waving his arms and screaming, ?I was the first crook here. So it?s all mine, mine, mine!? He wants the true inhabitants, the Inuit, to live there year round to assert Indigenous sovereignty. They can hold back the other foreigners while he and his friends gouge out the riches. To him Canada is the only imperialist that can rob us as it?s under the usurpation of the colony of Canada! On January 28, 2006, the Women Title Holders of the Kanion?ke:haka issued a public notice of objection to this attempted seizure of our inherent right to the ?Arctic Region? by these foreign states, corporations, ?outsiders? and non-Indigenous interests. The Inuit, our family, are the natural custodians of this area which belongs to our unborn generations. According to Wampum 44 of the Kaianereh?ko:wa, the Ongwehonwe Women Title Holders are the ?progenitors of the soil? of Great Turtle Island . We are the Caretakers of the land, water and air. We told these capitalist blood suckers to stay away, that they have no business here. Self-determination is a universal human right. The denial of a nation?s exis?tence constitutes genocide, according to the many international covenants these states have pledged to uphold. Modern international law protects small peoples from incursions by aggressive states who use military and economic force to impose their will. Their turf war over our territory, waters and resources violates our customs, practices, occupation and rights. We cannot surrender our birthright. This land is who we are. The Western Sahara decision provides that a territory cannot be incorporated in another state without the informed consent of the majority of its people. This was not done because they know that we will never agree to give up our identity. No one made a treaty of cession with us to enter our Arctic waters and territory. International, federal, state and provincial entities cannot violate international law and the rule of law by superseding our jurisdiction over territory that we never surrendered. Colonialism is illegal. Past agreements and treaties only allowed foreigners to live peacefully on our land. Any foreigner wishing to enter our territory must deal with us through nation-to-nation protocol. No foreign entity and their corporate bodies and associated or visitor such as the colony of Canada can invite outsiders onto our territory or sell off our resources. In Canada we took an action in the Supreme Court of Canada ? Kanion?ke:haka Kaianereh?ko:wa Kanon?ses:neh v. Attorney General of Canada and Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario, Court File: 05-CV-030785. We brought this constitutional jurisdiction issue before the U.S. Supreme Court. See No. 05-165: 2005. In The Supreme Court of the United States In re Kanion?ke:haka Kaianereh?ko:wa Kanon?ses:neh, Non-party, Petitioner/Movant/Appellant, The Canadian St. Regis Band of Mohawk Indians, Plaintiffs, Respondents, v. The State of New York, Defendants, Respondents. Petition for Writs of Certiorari and Quo Warranto with Prohibition and Mandamus in Aid to Prevent Genocide. Rules 17.1 and 20.1. There are two camps: our enemy and ourselves. The increasing dependence of international capitalists on neo-colonial theft makes their existence and future uncertain. They are facing serious economic and social difficulties making them desperate. Some of the symptoms are rising prices, balance of payments problems, unemployment and social unrest. Their use of more violence, armed force and coercion indicates their panic and decline in their power. The masses are resisting the might is right strategy. The capitalists are finding themselves in an unhealthy position. We must keep confronting them with the truth, which they?re saying is unpeaceful and annoying to them. The Arctic has become unlivable due to the environmental destruction caused by the imperialists. The Inuit have the same duties to care for our mother, Great Turtle Island. We are brothers and sisters. We follow your issues and feel all the stresses that you are going through. We hope you won?t allow yourselves to be used by any of these foreign invaders. They are trying to exploit you and nothing good will come of it. Kahentinetha MNN Mohawk Nation News, www.mohawknationnews.com kahentinetha2 at yahoo.com Note: Your financial help is needed and appreciated. Please send your donations by check or money order to ?MNN Mohawk Nation News?, Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0. Or go to PayPal on website. Nia:wen thank you very much. Go to MNN ?WOMEN TITLE HOLDERS? category for more stories; New MNN Books Available now! Purchase t-shirts, mugs and more at our CafePressStore http://www.cafepress.com/mohawknews; Subscribe to MNN for breaking news updates http://.mohawknationnews.com/news/subscription.php; Sign Women Title Holders petition! http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Iroquois OBJECTION SENT TO: Canada; United States; Denmark; Russia; Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II; Governor General of Canada; all Provinces of Canada; President of United States; Department of Justice Canada; U.S. Department of Justice; Attorney General of Canada; U.S. Attorney General; Department of Indian Affairs, Department of Interior; Stock Exchanges Toronto, Montreal, New York, London. Tokyo, Hong Kong and Zurich; The Pentagon; U.S. Army and Navy; European Union; Department of Defense Canada; Canada Steamship Lines; From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Fri Aug 7 03:20:39 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 18:20:39 +0900 Subject: [A-List] Hiroshima Day Message-ID: <20090807182039.2340db02.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> America Has Been Asleep at the Wheel for 64 Years by Daniel Ellsberg Truthdig (August 05 2009) It was a hot August day in Detroit. I was standing on a street corner downtown, looking at the front page of The Detroit News in a news rack. I remember a streetcar rattling by on the tracks as I read the headline: A single American bomb had destroyed a Japanese city. My first thought was that I knew exactly what that bomb was. It was the U-235 bomb we had discussed in school and written papers about, the previous fall. I thought: "We got it first. And we used it. On a city." I had a sense of dread, a feeling that something very ominous for humanity had just happened. A feeling, new to me as an American, at fourteen, that my country might have made a terrible mistake. I was glad when the war ended nine days later, but it didn't make me think that my first reaction on August 6th was wrong. Unlike nearly everyone else outside the Manhattan Project, my first awareness of the challenges of the nuclear era had occurred - and my attitudes toward the advent of nuclear weaponry had formed - some nine months earlier than those headlines, and in a crucially different context. It was in a ninth-grade social studies class in the fall of 1944. I was thirteen, a boarding student on full scholarship at Cranbrook, a private school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Our teacher, Bradley Patterson, was discussing a concept that was familiar then in sociology, William F Ogburn's notion of "cultural lag". ____________________ After Labor Day, Daniel Ellsberg's Web site, http://www.ellsberg.net, and some other sites including Truthdig, will start regular installments of his insider's memoir of the nuclear era - "The American Doomsday Machine" - an Internet book reflecting his earlier classified work and forty years of research. In the article here, Ellsberg says: "To understand the urgency of radical changes in our nuclear policies that may truly move the world toward abolition of nuclear weapons, we need a new understanding of the real history of the nuclear age ... I plan over the next year, before the 65th anniversary of Hiroshima, to do my part in unveiling this hidden history". ____________________ The idea was that the development of technology regularly moved much further and faster in human social-historical evolution than other aspects of culture: our institutions of government, our values, habits, our understanding of society and ourselves. Indeed, the very notion of "progress" referred mainly to technology. What "lagged" behind, what developed more slowly or not at all in social adaptation to new technology was everything that bore on our ability to control and direct technology and the use of technology to dominate other humans. To illustrate this, Mr Patterson posed a potential advance in technology that might be realized soon. It was possible now, he told us, to conceive of a bomb made of U-235, an isotope of uranium, which would have an explosive power 1,000 times greater than the largest bombs being used in the war that was then going on. German scientists in late 1938 had discovered that uranium could be split by nuclear fission, in a way that would release immense amounts of energy. Several popular articles about the possibility of atomic bombs and specifically U-235 bombs appeared during the war in magazines like The Saturday Evening Post. None of these represented leaks from the Manhattan Project, whose very existence was top-secret. In every case they had been inspired by earlier articles on the subject that had been published freely in 1939 and 1940, before scientific self-censorship and then formal classification had set in. Patterson had come across one of these wartime articles. He brought the potential development to us as an example of one more possible leap by science and technology ahead of our social institutions. Suppose, then, that one nation, or several, chose to explore the possibility of making this into a bomb, and succeeded. What would be the probable implications of this for humanity? How would it be used, by humans and states as they were today? Would it be, on balance, bad or good for the world? Would it be a force for peace, for example, or for destruction? We were to write a short essay on this, within a week. I recall the conclusions I came to in my paper after thinking about it for a few days. As I remember, everyone in the class had arrived at much the same judgment. It seemed pretty obvious. The existence of such a bomb - we each concluded - would be bad news for humanity. Mankind could not handle such a destructive force. It could not control it, safely, appropriately. The power would be "abused": used dangerously and destructively, with terrible consequences. Many cities would be destroyed entirely, just as the Allies were doing their best to destroy German cities without atomic bombs at that very time, just as the Germans earlier had attempted to do to Rotterdam and London. Civilization, perhaps our species, would be in danger of destruction. It was just too powerful. Bad enough that bombs already existed that could destroy a whole city block. They were called "block-busters": ten tons of high explosive. Humanity didn't need the prospect of bombs a thousand times more powerful, bombs that could destroy whole cities. As I recall, this conclusion didn't depend mainly on who had the Bomb, or how many had it, or who got it first. And to the best of my memory, we in the class weren't addressing it as something that might come so soon as to bear on the outcome of the ongoing war. It seemed likely, the way the case was presented to us, that the Germans would get it first, since they had done the original science. But we didn't base our negative assessment on the idea that this would necessarily be a Nazi or German bomb. It would be a bad development, on balance, even if democratic countries got it first. After we turned in our papers and discussed them in class, it was months before I thought of the issues again. I remember the moment when I did, on a street corner in Detroit. I can still see and feel the scene and recall my thoughts, described above, as I read the headline on August 6th. I remember that I was uneasy, on that first day and in the days ahead, about the tone in President Harry Truman's voice on the radio as he exulted over our success in the race for the Bomb and its effectiveness against Japan. I generally admired Truman, then and later, but in hearing his announcements I was put off by the lack of concern in his voice, the absence of a sense of tragedy, of desperation or fear for the future. It seemed to me that this was a decision best made in anguish; and both Truman's manner and the tone of the official communiques made unmistakably clear that this hadn't been the case. Which meant for me that our leaders didn't have the picture, didn't grasp the significance of the precedent they had set and the sinister implications for the future. And that evident unawareness was itself scary. I believed that something ominous had happened; that it was bad for humanity that the Bomb was feasible, and that its use would have bad long-term consequences, whether or not those negatives were balanced or even outweighed by short-run benefits. Looking back, it seems clear to me my reactions then were right. Moreover, reflecting on two related themes that have run through my life since then - intense abhorrence of nuclear weapons, and more generally of killing women and children - I've come to suspect that I've conflated in my emotional memory two events less than a year apart: Hiroshima and a catastrophe that visited my own family eleven months later. On the Fourth of July, 1946, driving on a hot afternoon on a flat, straight road through the cornfields of Iowa - on the way from Detroit to visit our relatives in Denver - my father fell asleep at the wheel and went off the road long enough to hit a sidewall over a culvert that sheared off the right side of the car, killing my mother and sister. My father's nose was broken and his forehead was cut. When a highway patrol car came by, he was wandering by the wreckage, bleeding and dazed. I was inside, in a coma from a concussion, with a large gash on the left side of my forehead. I had been sitting on the floor next to the back seat, on a suitcase covered with a blanket, with my head just behind the driver's seat. When the car hit the wall, my head was thrown against a metal fixture on the back of the driver's seat, knocking me out and opening up a large triangular flap of flesh on my forehead. I was in coma for 36 hours. My legs had been stretched out in front of me across the car and my right leg was broken just above the knee. My father had been a highway engineer in Nebraska. He said that highway walls should never have been flush with the road like that, and later laws tended to ban that placement. This one took off the side of the car where my mother and sister were sitting, my sister looking forward and my mother facing left with her back to the side of the car. My brother, who came to the scene from Detroit, said later that when he saw what was left of the car in a junkyard, the right side looked like steel wool. It was amazing that anyone had survived. My understanding of how that event came about - it wasn't entirely an accident, as I heard from my father, that he had kept driving when he was exhausted - and how it affected my life is a story for another time. But looking back now, at what I drew from reading the Pentagon Papers later and on my citizen's activism since then, I think I saw in the events of August 1945 and July 1946, unconsciously, a common message. I loved my father, and I respected Truman. But you couldn't rely entirely on a trusted authority - no matter how well-intentioned he was, however much you admired him - to protect you, and your family, from disaster. You couldn't safely leave events entirely to the care of authorities. Some vigilance was called for, to awaken them if need be or warn others. They could be asleep at the wheel, heading for a wall or a cliff. I saw that later in Lyndon Johnson and in his successor, and I've seen it since. But I sensed almost right away, in August 1945 as Hiroshima and Nagasaki were incinerated, that such feelings - about our president, and our Bomb - separated me from nearly everyone around me, from my parents and friends and from most other Americans. They were not to be mentioned. They could only sound unpatriotic. And in World War Two, that was about the last way one wanted to sound. These were thoughts to be kept to myself. Unlikely thoughts for a fourteen-year-old American boy to have had the week the war ended? Yes, if he hadn't been in Mr Patterson's social studies class the previous fall. Every member of that class must have had the same flash of recognition of the Bomb, as they read the August headlines during our summer vacation. Beyond that, I don't know whether they responded as I did, in the terms of our earlier discussion. But neither our conclusions then or reactions like mine on August 6th stamped us as gifted prophets. Before that day perhaps no one in the public outside our class - no one else outside the Manhattan Project (and very few inside it) - had spent a week, as we had, or even a day thinking about the impact of such a weapon on the long-run prospects for humanity. And we were set apart from our fellow Americans in another important way. Perhaps no others outside the project or our class ever had occasion to think about the Bomb without the strongly biasing positive associations that accompanied their first awareness in August 1945 of its very possibility: that it was "our" weapon, an instrument of American democracy developed to deter a Nazi Bomb, pursued by two presidents, a war-winning weapon and a necessary one - so it was claimed and almost universally believed - to end the war without a costly invasion of Japan. Unlike nearly all the others who started thinking about the new nuclear era after August 6th, our attitudes of the previous fall had not been shaped, or warped, by the claim and appearance that such a weapon had just won a war for the forces of justice, a feat that supposedly would otherwise have cost a million American lives (and as many or more Japanese). For nearly all other Americans, whatever dread they may have felt about the long-run future of the Bomb (and there was more expression of this in elite media than most people remembered later) was offset at the time and ever afterward by a powerful aura of its legitimacy, and its almost miraculous potential for good which had already been realized. For a great many Americans still, the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs are regarded above all with gratitude, for having saved their own lives or the lives of their husbands, brothers, fathers or grandfathers, which would otherwise have been at risk in the invasion of Japan. For these Americans and many others, the Bomb was not so much an instrument of massacre as a kind of savior, a protector of precious lives. Most Americans ever since have seen the destruction of the populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as necessary and effective - as constituting just means, in effect just terrorism, under the supposed circumstances - thus legitimating, in their eyes, the second and third largest single-day massacres in history. (The largest, also by the US Army Air Corps, was the firebombing of Tokyo five months before on the night of March 9th, which burned alive or suffocated 80,000 to 120,000 civilians. Most of the very few Americans who are aware of this event at all accept it, too, as appropriate in wartime. To regard those acts as definitely other than criminal and immoral - as most Americans do - is to believe that anything - anything - can be legitimate means: at worst, a necessary, lesser, evil. At least, if done by Americans, on the order of a president, during wartime. Indeed, we are the only country in the world that believes it won a war by bombing - specifically by bombing cities with weapons of mass destruction - and believes that it was fully rightful in doing so. It is a dangerous state of mind. Even if the premises of these justifications had been realistic (after years of study I'm convinced, along with many scholars, that they were not; but I'm not addressing that here), the consequences of such beliefs for subsequent policymaking were bound to be fateful. They underlie the American government and public's ready acceptance ever since of basing our security on readiness to carry out threats of mass annihilation by nuclear weapons, and the belief by many officials and elites still today that abolition of these weapons is not only infeasible but undesirable. By contrast, given a few days' reflection in the summer of 1945 before a presidential fait accompli was framed in that fashion, you didn't have to be a moral prodigy to arrive at the sense of foreboding we all had in Mr Patterson's class. It was as easily available to thirteen-year-old ninth-graders as it was to many Manhattan Project scientists, who also had the opportunity to form their judgments before the Bomb was used. But the scientists knew something else that was unknown to the public and even to most high-level decision-makers. They knew that the atomic bombs, the uranium and plutonium fission bombs they were preparing, were only the precursors to far more powerful explosives, almost surely including a thermonuclear fusion bomb, later called the hydrogen bomb, or H-bomb. That weapon - of which we eventually came to have tens of thousands - could have an explosive yield much greater than the fission bombs needed to trigger it. A thousand times greater. Moreover, most of the scientists who focused on the long-run implications of nuclear weapons, belatedly, after the surrender of Germany in May 1945 believed that using the Bomb against Japan would make international control of the weapon very unlikely. In turn that would make inevitable a desperate arms race, which would soon expose the United States to adversaries' uncontrolled possession of thermonuclear weapons, so that, as the scientists said in a pre-attack petition to the president, "the cities of the United States as well as the cities of other nations will be in continuous danger of sudden annihilation". (In this they were proved correct.) They cautioned the president - on both moral grounds and considerations of long-run survival of civilization - against beginning this process by using the Bomb against Japan even if its use might shorten the war. But their petition was sent "through channels" and was deliberately held back by General Leslie Groves, director of the Manhattan Project. It never got to the president, or even to Secretary of War Henry Stimson until after the Bomb had been dropped. There is no record that the scientists' concerns about the future and their judgment of a nuclear attack's impact on it were ever made known to President Truman before or after his decisions. Still less, made known to the American public. At the end of the war the scientists' petition and their reasoning were reclassified secret to keep it from public knowledge, and its existence was unknown for more than a decade. Several Manhattan Project scientists later expressed regret that they had earlier deferred to the demands of the secrecy managers - for fear of losing their clearances and positions, and perhaps facing prosecution - and had collaborated in maintaining public ignorance on this most vital of issues. One of them - Eugene Rabinowitch, who after the war founded and edited the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (with its Doomsday Clock) - had in fact, after the German surrender in May, actively considered breaking ranks and alerting the American public to the existence of the Bomb, the plans for using it against Japan, and the scientists' views both of the moral issues and the long-term dangers of doing so. He first reported this in a letter to The New York Times published on June 28 1971. It was the day I submitted to arrest at the federal courthouse in Boston; for thirteen days previous, my wife and I had been underground, eluding the FBI while distributing the Pentagon Papers to seventeen newspapers after injunctions had halted publication in the Times and The Washington Post. The Rabinowitch letter began by saying it was "the revelation by The Times of the Pentagon history of US intervention in Vietnam, despite its classification as 'secret' " that led him now to reveal: "Before the atom bomb-drops on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I had spent sleepless nights thinking that I should reveal to the American people, perhaps through a reputable news organ, the fateful act - the first introduction of atomic weapons - which the US Government planned to carry out without consultation with its people. Twenty-five years later, I feel I would have been right if I had done so." I didn't see this the morning it was published, because I was getting myself arrested and arraigned, for doing what Rabinowitch wishes he had done in 1945, and I wish I had done in 1964. I first came across this extraordinary confession by a would-be whistle-blower (I don't know another like it) in Hiroshima in America: Fifty Years of Denial by Robert Jay Lifton and Greg Mitchell (New York, 1995, page 249). Rereading Rabinowitch's statement, still with some astonishment, I agree with him. He was right to consider it, and he would have been right if he had done it. He would have faced prosecution and prison then (as I did at the time his letter was published), but he would have been more than justified, as a citizen and as a human being, in informing the American public and burdening them with shared responsibility for the fateful decision. Some of the same scientists faced a comparable challenge four years after Hiroshima, addressing the possible development of an even more terrible weapon, more fraught with possible danger to human survival: the hydrogen bomb. This time some who had urged use of the atom bomb against Japan (dissenting from the petitioners above) recommended against even development and testing of the new proposal, in view of its "extreme dangers to mankind". "Let it be clearly realized", they said, "that this is a super weapon; it is in a totally different category from an atomic bomb" (Herbert York, The Advisors [California, 1976], page 156). Once more, as I learned much later, knowledge of the secret possibility was not completely limited to government scientists. A few others - my father, it turns out, was one - knew of this prospect before it had received the stamp of presidential approval and had become an American government project. And once again, under those conditions of prior knowledge (denied as before to the public), to grasp the moral and long-run dangers you didn't have to be a nuclear physicist. My father was not. Some background is needed here. My father, Harry Ellsberg, was a structural engineer. He worked for Albert Kahn in Detroit, the "Arsenal of Democracy". At the start of the Second World War, he was the chief structural engineer in charge of designing the Ford Willow Run plant, a factory to make B-24 Liberator bombers for the Air Corps. (On June 1st this year, GM, now owner, announced it would close the plant as part of its bankruptcy proceedings.) Dad was proud of the fact that it was the world's largest industrial building under one roof. It put together bombers the way Ford produced cars, on an assembly line. The assembly line was a mile and a quarter long. My father told me that it had ended up L-shaped, instead of in a straight line as he had originally designed it. When the site was being prepared, Ford comptrollers noted that the factory would run over a county line, into an adjacent county where the company had less control and local taxes were higher. So the design, for the assembly line and the factory housing it, had to be bent at right angles to stay inside Ford country. Once, my father took me out to Willow Run to see the line in operation. For as far as I could see, the huge metal bodies of planes were moving along tracks as workers riveted and installed parts. It was like pictures I had seen of steer carcasses in a Chicago slaughterhouse. But as Dad had explained to me, three-quarters of a mile along, the bodies were moved off the tracks onto a circular turntable that rotated them ninety degrees; then they were moved back on track for the last half mile of the L. Finally, the planes were rolled out the hangar doors at the end of the factory - one every hour: It took 59 minutes on the line to build a plane with its 100,000 parts from start to finish - filled with gas and flown out to war. Click here for sources and photographs: http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=73&category=locations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_Run_Bomber_Plant It was an exciting sight for a thirteen-year-old. I was proud of my father. His next wartime job had been to design a still larger airplane engine factory - again the world's largest plant under one roof - the Dodge Chicago plant, which made all the engines for B-29s. When the war ended, Dad accepted an offer to oversee the buildup of the plutonium production facilities at Hanford, Washington. That project was being run by General Electric under contract with the Atomic Energy Commission. To take the job of chief structural engineer on the project, Dad moved from the engineering firm of Albert Kahn, where he had worked for years, to what became Giffels & Rossetti. Later he told me that engineering firm had the largest volume of construction contracts in the world at that time, and his project was the world's largest. I grew up hearing these superlatives. The Hanford project gave my father his first really good salary. But while I was away as a sophomore at Harvard, he left his job with Giffels & Rossetti, for reasons I never learned at the time. He was out of work for almost a year. Then he went back as chief structural engineer for the whole firm. Almost thirty years later, in 1978, when my father was 89, I happened to ask him why he had left Giffels & Rossetti. His answer startled me. He said, "Because they wanted me to help build the H-bomb". This was a breathtaking statement for me to hear in 1978. I was in full-time active opposition to the deployment of the neutron bomb - which was a small H-bomb - that President Jimmy Carter was proposing to send to Europe. The N-bomb had a killing radius from its output of neutrons that was much wider than its radius of destruction by blast. Optimally, an airburst N-bomb would have little fallout nor would it destroy structures, equipment or vehicles, but its neutrons would kill the humans either outside or within buildings or tanks. The Soviets mocked it as "a capitalist weapon" that destroyed people but not property; but they tested such a weapon too, as did other countries. I had opposed developing or testing that concept for almost twenty years, since it was first described to me by my friend and colleague at the Rand Corporation, Sam Cohen, who liked to be known as the "father of the neutron bomb". I feared that, as a "small" weapon with limited and seemingly controllable lethal effects, it would be seen as usable in warfare, making US first use and "limited nuclear war" more likely. It would be the match that would set off an exchange of the much larger, dirty weapons which were the bulk of our arsenal and were all that the Soviets then had. In the year of this conversation with Dad, I was arrested four times blocking the railroad tracks at the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Production Facility, which produced all the plutonium triggers for H-bombs and was going to produce the plutonium cores for neutron bombs. One of these arrests was on Nagasaki Day, August 9th. The "triggers" produced at Rocky Flats were, in effect, the nuclear components of A-bombs, plutonium fission bombs of the type that had destroyed Nagasaki on that date in 1945. Every one of our many thousands of H-bombs, the thermonuclear fusion bombs that arm our strategic forces, requires a Nagasaki-type A-bomb as its detonator. (I doubt that one American in a hundred knows that simple fact, and thus has a clear understanding of the difference between A- and H-bombs, or of the reality of the thermonuclear arsenals of the last fifty years. Our popular image of nuclear war - from the familiar pictures of the devastation of Nagasaki and Hiroshima - is grotesquely misleading. Those pictures show us only what happens to humans and buildings when they are hit by what is now just the detonating cap for a modern nuclear weapon. The plutonium for these weapons came from Hanford and from the Savannah River Site in Georgia and was machined into weapons components at Rocky Flats, in Colorado. Allen Ginsberg and I, with many others, blockaded the entrances to the plant on August 9 1978, to interrupt business as usual on the anniversary of the day a plutonium bomb had killed 58,000 humans (about 100,000 had died by the end of 1945). I had never heard before of any connection of my father with the H-bomb. He wasn't particularly wired in to my anti-nuclear work or to any of my activism since the Vietnam War had ended. I asked him what he meant by his comment about leaving Giffels & Rossetti. "They wanted me to be in charge of designing a big plant that would be producing material for an H-bomb". He said that DuPont, which had built the Hanford Site, was to have the contract from the Atomic Energy Commission. That would have been for the Savannah River Site. I asked him when this was. "Late 1949". I told him, "You must have the date wrong. You couldn't have heard about the hydrogen bomb then, it's too early." I'd just been reading about that, in Herb York's recent book, The Advisors (1976). The General Advisory Committee (GAC) of the AEC - chaired by Robert Oppenheimer and including James Conant, Enrico Fermi and Isidor Rabi - were considering that fall whether or not to launch a crash program for an H-bomb. That was the "super weapon" referred to earlier. They had advised strongly against it, but President Truman overruled them. "Truman didn't make the decision to go ahead till January 1950. Meanwhile the whole thing was super-secret. You couldn't have heard about it in 1949." My father said, "Well, somebody had to design the plant if they were going to go ahead. I was the logical person. I was in charge of the structural engineering of the whole project at Hanford after the war. I had a Q clearance." That was the first I'd ever heard that he'd had had a Q clearance - an AEC clearance for nuclear weapons design and stockpile data. I'd had that clearance myself in the Pentagon - along with close to a dozen other special clearances above top-secret - after I left the Rand Corporation. for the Defense Department in 1964. It was news to me that my father had had a clearance, but it made sense that he would have needed one for Hanford. I said, "So you're telling me that you would have been one of the only people in the country, outside the GAC, who knew we were considering building the H-bomb in 1949?" He said, "I suppose so. Anyway, I know it was late 1949, because that's when I quit." "Why did you quit?" "I didn't want to make an H-bomb. Why, that thing was going to be 1,000 times more powerful than the A-bomb!" I thought, score one for his memory at 89. He remembered the proportion correctly. That was the same factor Oppenheimer and the others predicted in their report in 1949. They were right. The first explosion of a true H-bomb, five years later, had a thousand times the explosive power of the Hiroshima blast. At fifteen megatons - the equivalent of fifteen million tons of high explosive - it was over a million times more powerful than the largest conventional bombs of World War Two. That one bomb had almost eight times the explosive force of all the bombs we dropped in that war: more than all the explosions in all the wars in human history. In 1961, the Soviets tested a 58-megaton H-bomb. My father went on: "I hadn't wanted to work on the A-bomb, either. But then Einstein seemed to think that we needed it, and it made sense to me that we had to have it against the Russians. So I took the job, but I never felt good about it. "Then when they told me they were going to build a bomb 1,000 times bigger, that was it for me. I went back to my office and I said to my deputy, 'These guys are crazy. They have an A-bomb, now they want an H-bomb. They're going to go right through the alphabet till they have a Z-bomb.' " I said, "Well, so far they've only gotten up to N". He said, "There was another thing about it that I couldn't stand. Building these things generated a lot of radioactive waste. I wasn't responsible for designing the containers for the waste, but I knew they were bound to leak eventually. That stuff was deadly forever. It was radioactive for 24,000 years." Again he had turned up a good figure. I said, "Your memory is working pretty well. It would be deadly a lot longer than that, but that's about the half-life of plutonium." There were tears in his eyes. He said huskily, "I couldn't stand the thought that I was working on a project that was poisoning parts of my own country forever, that might make parts of it uninhabitable for thousands of years". I thought over what he'd said; then I asked him if anyone else working with him had had misgivings. He didn't know. "Were you the only one who quit?" He said yes. He was leaving the best job he'd ever had, and he didn't have any other to turn to. He lived on savings for a while and did some consulting. I thought about Oppenheimer and Conant - both of whom had recommended dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima - and Fermi and Rabi, who had, that same month Dad was resigning, expressed internally their opposition to development of the superbomb in the most extreme terms possible: It was potentially "a weapon of genocide ? carries much further than the atomic bomb itself the policy of exterminating civilian populations ? whose power of destruction is essentially unlimited ? a threat to the future of the human race which is intolerable ? a danger to humanity as a whole ? necessarily an evil thing considered in any light" (York, The Advisors, pages 155-159). Not one of these men risked his clearance by sharing his anxieties and the basis for them with the American public. Oppenheimer and Conant considered resigning their advisory positions when the president went ahead against their advice. But they were persuaded - by Dean Acheson - not to quit at that time, lest that draw public attention to their expert judgment that the president's course fatally endangered humanity. I asked my father what had made him feel so strongly, to act in a way that nobody else had done. He said, "You did". That didn't make any sense. I said, "What do you mean? We didn't discuss this at all. I didn't know anything about it." Dad said, "It was earlier. I remember you came home with a book one day, and you were crying. It was about Hiroshima. You said, 'Dad, you've got to read this. It's the worst thing I've ever read.' " I said that must have been John Hersey's book Hiroshima (1946). (I read it when it came out as a book. I was in the hospital when it filled The New Yorker in August 1946.) I didn't remember giving it to him. "Yes. Well, I read it, and you were right. That's when I started to feel bad about working on an atomic bomb project. And then when they said they wanted me to work on a hydrogen bomb, it was too much for me. I thought it was time for me to get out." I asked if he had told his bosses why he was quitting. He said he told some people, not others. The ones he told seemed to understand his feelings. In fact, in less than a year, the head of the firm called to say that they wanted him to come back as chief structural engineer for the whole firm. They were dropping the DuPont contract (they didn't say why), so he wouldn't have to have anything to do with the AEC or bomb-making. He stayed with them till he retired. I said, finally, "Dad, how could I not ever have heard any of this before? How come you never said anything about it?" My father said, "Oh, I couldn't tell any of this to my family. You weren't cleared." Well, I finally got my clearances, a decade after my father gave his up. And for some years, they were my undoing, though they turned out to be useful in the end. A decade later they allowed me to read the Pentagon Papers and to keep them in my "Top Secret" safe at the Rand Corporation, from which I eventually delivered them to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and later to nineteen newspapers. We have long needed and lacked the equivalent of the Pentagon Papers on the subject of nuclear policies and preparations, nuclear threats and decision-making: above all in the United States and Russia but also in the other nuclear-weapons states. I deeply regret that I did not make known to Congress, the American public and the world the extensive documentation of persistent and still-unknown nuclear dangers that was available to me forty to fifty years ago as a consultant to and official in the executive branch working on nuclear war plans, command and control and nuclear crises. Those in nuclear-weapons states who are in a position now to do more than I did then to alert their countries and the world to fatally reckless secret policies should take warning from the earlier inaction of myself and others: and do better. That I had high-level access and played such a role in nuclear planning is, of course, deeply ironic in view of the personal history recounted above. My feelings of revulsion and foreboding about nuclear weapons had not changed an iota since 1945, and they have never left me. Since I was fourteen, the overriding objective of my life has been to prevent the occurrence of nuclear war. There was a close analogy with the Manhattan Project. Its scientists - most of whom hoped the Bomb would never be used for anything but as a threat to deter Germany - were driven by a plausible but mistaken fear that the Nazis were racing them. Actually the Nazis had rejected the pursuit of the atomic bomb on practical grounds in June 1942, just as the Manhattan Project was beginning. Similarly, I was one of many in the late 1950s who were misled and recruited into the nuclear arms race by exaggerated, and in this case deliberately manipulated, fears of Soviet intentions and crash efforts. Precisely because I did receive clearances and was exposed to top-secret intelligence estimates, in particular from the Air Force, I, along with my colleagues at the Rand Corporation, came to be preoccupied with the urgency of averting nuclear war by deterring a Soviet surprise attack that would exploit an alleged "missile gap". That supposed dangerous US inferiority was exactly as unfounded in reality as the fear of the Nazi crash bomb program had been, or, to pick a more recent example, as concern over Saddam Hussein's supposed WMDs and nuclear pursuit in 2003. Working conscientiously, obsessively, on a wrong problem, countering an illusory threat, I and my colleagues distracted ourselves and helped distract others from dealing with real dangers posed by the mutual and spreading possession of nuclear weapons - dangers which we were helping make worse - and from real opportunities to make the world more secure. Unintentionally, yet inexcusably, we made our country and the world less safe. Eventually the Soviets did emulate us in creating a world-threatening nuclear capability on hair-trigger alert. That still exists; Russian nuclear posture and policies continue, along with ours, to endanger our countries, civilization and much of life itself. But the persistent reality has been that the nuclear arms race has been driven primarily by American initiatives and policies and that every major American decision in this 64-year-old nuclear era has been accompanied by unwarranted concealment, deliberate obfuscation, and official and public delusions. I have believed for a long time that official secrecy and deceptions about our nuclear weapons posture and policies and their possible consequences have threatened the survival of the human species. To understand the urgency of radical changes in our nuclear policies that may truly move the world toward abolition of nuclear weapons, we need a new understanding of the real history of the nuclear age. Using the new opportunities offered by the Internet - drawing attention to newly declassified documents and to some realities still concealed - I plan over the next year, before the 65th anniversary of Hiroshima, to do my part in unveiling this hidden history. Copyright (c) 2009 Truthdig, LLC. All rights reserved. http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090805_hiroshima_day_america_has_been_asleep_at_the_wheel_for_64_years/ http://www.billtotten.blogspot.com http://www.ashisuto.co.jp From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Fri Aug 7 07:44:28 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 14:44:28 +0100 Subject: [A-List] =?iso-8859-1?q?Excellent_video_of_Eva_Golinger=3A_clarit?= =?iso-8859-1?q?y_on_the_coup_d=27=E9tat_=28Spanish=29?= Message-ID: <94767E63DFEF4A538FDEF5B48F3B8C33@home9sg93n9r5y> http://www.tu.tv/videos/honduras-101-golpe-de-estado-eva-golinger Excellent video of Eva Golinger: clarity on the coup d'?tat (Spanish) From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Fri Aug 7 07:51:20 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 14:51:20 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Cuba: USAID Making Ever-Higher Investments in Subversion Message-ID: <8316BB2020D6403FB950EC23C801AB3F@home9sg93n9r5y> GRANMA: Cuba: USAID Making Ever-Higher Investments in Subversion Posted to CN by: "Walter Lippmann" walterlx at earthlink.net Thu Aug 6, 2009 10:27 am (PDT) Cuba: USAID Making Ever-Higher Investments in Subversion Jean-Guy Allard The U.S. offensive against progressive Latin America is now being intensified in terms of the countries of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA). In Cuba, Washington? ??' '?s pro-annexationist investment has increased and intensified via new technologies. That is confirmed by the Venezuelan-American researcher Eva Golinger, who analyzes in an interview how the current U.S. administration is still making ? ??' '?investments in destabilizing the Cuban Revolution? ??' '? via USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). ? ??' '?USAID is investing in the destabilization of the Cuban Revolution via two formats,? ??' '? explains the specialist, who has spent the last 10 years studying and unmasking U.S. mechanisms of interference and subversion in Latin America. ? ??' '?Its main funding comes from the Economic Support Fund, a financial division of the State Department that finances USAID projects,? ??' '? she states. ? ??' '?This fund has contributed $65.33 million to the so-called transition to democracy in Cuba over the last two years. An additional $20 million is scheduled for 2010.? ??' '? In USAID terminology, $10 million of the funds delivered in 2008 and 2009 were channeled into the ? ??' '?human rights? ??' '? area; $7 million went into promoting ? ??' '?political competition,? ??' '? and close to $49 million went to ? ??' '?civil society.? ??' '? ? ??' '?At the end of 2007, USAID also opened an Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) in the Cuban context, in order to work with youth and ? ??' '?independent initiatives from the media,? ??' '??' '? Golinger notes. ? ??' '?To this end it has contributed additional funding of $8.383 million since 2008. These OTI? ??' '?s are USAID divisions set up to make a rapid response to political crises, to ? ??' '?solve? ??' '? them in line with U.S. interests.? ??' '? The OTI? ??' '?s handle cash funds ? ??' '?in very large quantities without having to go through many reviews or accounting checks in the U.S. Congress.? ??' '? An OTI was set up in Venezuela in August 2002 to promote and consolidate forces opposed to the Bolivarian Revolution. Since then, the OTI has funded and helped to create more than 450 NGOs and political groups with finances in excess of $60 million. This money basically serves to fuel conflicts and covertly promote U.S. interests. USAID, ON THE FRONTLINE OF IRREGULAR WARFARE The USAID, an agency set up in 1962 as the financial wing of the State Department for attending to ? ??' '?humanitarian? ??' '? affairs, has been transformed in the 21st century into one of the central actors in counterinsurgency operations under the new doctrine of Washington? ??' '?s Irregular Warfare. ? ??' '?This doctrine was signed in early 2009 by the recently inaugurated president of the United States, Barack Obama, as part of his new policy of ? ??' '?smart power,? ??' '? intelligent power, which employs the use of military power in conjunction with diplomacy, culture, communications, and economic and political power.? ??' '? There are two central points of difference between irregular warfare and traditional warfare: the objective and tactics, notes the Venezuelan-American lawyer. ? ??' '?Traditional warfare sees as its objective the defeat of the adversary? ??' '?s armed forces, and its principal tactic is the use of military power in its most traditional form, combat and bombardments. The objective of irregular warfare is control over the civilian population and the neutralization of the state, and its principal tactic is counterinsurgency, which is the use of indirect and asymmetric techniques like subversion, infiltration, psychological operations, cultural penetration and military deception.? ??' '? In this 21st century, USAID has developed divisions within the agency that function, alongside the Pentagon, as offices for Conflict Management, Transition and Reconstruction, Democracy and Governability, and Transition Initiatives, which are directing their work toward counterinsurgency efforts. ? ??' '?In this way, USAID has become the principal financial actor of destabilization and penetration in the civil society in countries of strategic importance for U.S. interests.? ??' '? In the case of Latin America, the figures for USAID financial investment in political groups and in ? ??' '?promoting democracy? ??' '? are staggering. THE NED AND ITS CHAIN OF MERCENARY NGO? ??' '?S On the other hand, the NED, a CIA front agency ? ??' '? it was founded to do the work that the CIA did in the 1960s and 70s but with a more legitimate image ? ??' '? has contributed $1.435 million to promoting destabilization in Cuba this year, Golinger states, listing the groups benefiting from that U.S. fund: - Afro-Cuban Alliance (ACA): $82,080. - Asociaci? ???n Encuentro de la Cultura Cubana (Cuban Cultura Encounter Association): $225,000. - Center for a Free Cuba, Frank Calz? ???n: $54,222. - Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE): $157,526. - Committee for Free Trade Unionism (CFTU): $150,000. - El Directorio Democr? ???tico de Cuba (The Democratic Directory of Cuba): $275,000. - CubaNet News: $42,000. - Disidente Universal de Puerto Rico (Universal Dissident of Puerto Rico): $40,00. - International Group for Corporate Social Responsibility in Cuba: $236,730. - People in Need (PIN):? ??' ?$129,451. - People in Peril Association (PIPA): $43,320. The majority of this assortment of organizations, groups and mini-groups has been linked to CIA activities in the past. Despite promises, administration change or not, Washington is still squandering hundreds of millions of taxpayers? ??' '? dollars every year on this dirty war on Latin America. ? ??' '?An imperial offensive against Latin America is underway, which is currently being intensified against the ALBA countries,? ??' '? Golinger affirms. ? ??' '?One of the manifestations of this aggression is this counterinsurgency call as a tactic to penetrate and infiltrate communities and promote destabilization,? ??' '? stresses the author of books such as the C? ???digo Ch? ???vez (The Ch? ???vez Code) and La Telera? ???a Imperial (The Imperial Spider? ??' '?s Web), a repertoire of Washington? ??' '?s intelligence activities on the continent and in the world. Translated by Granma International This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Fri Aug 7 08:57:17 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 15:57:17 +0100 Subject: [A-List] This struggle has now entered a crucial phase Message-ID: <51933A2B0B494E2C83741CACAE5B1161@home9sg93n9r5y> Via Campesina, "August 11, 2009: Global Action Day for Honduras" This struggle has now entered a crucial phase as the farmers movement and the National Front of Resistance Against the Coup d'Etat have summoned the social, union, and democratic movements to a National March that begins on the 5th of August and will culminate on the 11th of August in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. In support of this National March and our sister and brother farmers and all the Honduran people, Via Campesina calls on you to participate in a "Global Day of Action for Honduras," which will take place on the 11th of August of this year. We seek to mount strong solidarity efforts carrying out political and cultural mobilization, concrete actions, and political pressure and lobbying, as well as any and all possible activities that help advance the Honduran popular resistance in defeating this military coup. We ask you to inform us about your plans of action and work for the "Day of Global Action for Honduras" as soon as possible. . Email to a friend . Related . . From noreply at coha.org Thu Aug 6 09:31:40 2009 From: noreply at coha.org (Council on Hemispheric Affairs) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 11:31:40 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Microsoft's lofty words and tawdry deeds in Cuba Message-ID: <20090806153003.A9DDD3E457A@mx-out.daemonmail.net> A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 6113 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090806/3c256136/attachment.txt From tal1 at cogeco.ca Thu Aug 6 12:50:33 2009 From: tal1 at cogeco.ca (Tony B.) Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 14:50:33 -0400 Subject: [A-List] note to moderators Message-ID: <4D83D711C9A44731AFE1E24AA208913D@TonyPC> I'll be out of town from the 8th until the 15th of Aug. If you could hold on all forwardings during that period, I'd be obliged. Regards, Tony Black -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 638 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090806/bbf52fe1/attachment.txt From nscchicago at igc.org Fri Aug 7 01:13:25 2009 From: nscchicago at igc.org (NSC WORKERS COOP) Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 02:13:25 -0500 Subject: [A-List] COLOMBIA HONDURAS LINKED Message-ID: <16ECE7C033A6455C9EBAFE1E5BC2F57C@NSCCHICAGO> Tom Baker here and seems to me US and Oligarchy International don't know what else to do. The Empire doesn't listen to people. War and more war. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 884 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090807/d2bc3510/attachment.txt -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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From: A Beltran Subject: [PeaceNoWar] Violent Repression in Honduran City of San Pedro Sula Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 20:36:40 -0700 (PDT) Size: 15332 Url: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090807/d2bc3510/attachment-0005.eml From the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com Fri Aug 7 09:23:54 2009 From: the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com (Leighm) Date: Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:23:54 -0700 Subject: [A-List] You KNOW It's A Depression and NOT A Recession When... Message-ID: <4A7C470A.1070100@gmail.com> Also see: What to do in a Zombie Attack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj7HMhIIAYU TIME Friday, Aug. 07, 2009 Death in the Recession: More Bodies Left Unburied By Alison Stateman / Los Angeles Find this article at: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1914780,00.html Have economic times gotten so bad that some of the dead are going unburied? Several large counties across the country are experiencing unprecedented increases in the number of unclaimed deceased ? not only because the dead people could not be identified, were indigent or were estranged from their family, but also apparently because more people simply cannot afford to bury or cremate their loved ones. The phenomenon has increased costs for local governments, which have to dispose of the bodies. "People were picking the bodies up last year," says Albert Samuels, chief investigator at the medical examiner's office in Wayne County, Mich., which includes Detroit. "Across the board, I'm finding the numbers are on the rise of either families who are not coming forward to claim bodies or they're signing releases saying they can't afford to bury someone, which taxes the county resources because then the county is responsible for burying these people." (See the top 10 celebrity funerals.) The Los Angeles County coroner's office has seen a surge in the number of bodies that are not claimed by families for cremation or burial because of economic hardship, according to the Los Angeles Times. At the county coroner's office ? which handles homicides and other suspicious deaths ? 36% more cremations were done at taxpayers' expense in the past fiscal year compared with the previous year, from 525 to 712, the paper reported. The traditional tourist mecca of Las Vegas is facing similar challenges. The coroner's office in Clark County, Nev., which includes Las Vegas, saw a 22% increase in burials and cremations of unclaimed bodies this year, jumping from 741 to 904. When burial costs exceeded $1 million in the 2003-'04 fiscal year, the agency turned to cremating the unclaimed unless it could be determined that burial was required because of religious or other beliefs. Each cremation costs $425 to $475. (Read a grim story of unearthed graves outside Chicago.) Currently in Detroit, says Samuels, "I have approximately 65 to 70 bodies that are ready to be buried. Of those 65 or 70, I can tell you, are 35 or 40 where families have signed off on the bodies and they don't have the funds to bury them." It costs the state ? or the county, if the state declines to help ? $750 to bury an unclaimed decedent in a potter's grave in Western Wayne County. That is still only a small fraction of what a traditional burial costs a family. (According to the most recent statistics from the National Funeral Directors Association, a regular adult funeral with burial, not including cemetery, monument or marker costs, averages $7,323.) Even so, the costs can quickly add up for a place like Wayne County. "Per capita, we're probably the fifth busiest medical examiner's office in the country," says Samuels. "We handle 13,000 death calls a year and almost 3,600 bodies come through this system a year. So you're talking about 10 bodies a day average." Despite the considerable costs to his agency, Samuels is sympathetic to the plight people find themselves in. "They don't do this gleefully. These people are really heartbroken about the fact that they can't [bury their loved ones]. This is not just a distant relative ? you have kids who can't bury their parents a lot of times, or siblings who can't bury each other." See how Americans are spending now. Download the new TIME BlackBerry app at app.time.com. Samuels, a retired police officer who has been with the medical examiner's office for 13 years, says he's never seen the situation this bad. "Some people just never had the money, but now we're getting people who at one time may have had the money to do this and they just can't. We have people losing their homes. People are finally feeling the economic strain completely. When people don't have jobs, you have people who can't eat, so burying someone is not high up on their list of what they have to do." The dirge has the same tune in Vegas. P. Michael Murphy, Clark County coroner and president of the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners, says he's seen a definite uptick in the number of indigent burials due to financial hardship in the past several months. "Our investigators are seeing an increase in families who as part of the initial shock they're going through are verbalizing to us, 'What am I going to do? I can't pay the rent. My car is being repossessed' or whatever. Our finances are at the very limit," says Murphy. "This problem used to be unique to just indigents who either had no family or were living on the street or homeless. We are now seeing folks expressing this concern who are recently unemployed or their house is in foreclosure, so it's not just what you would typically think of being an indigent burial." "Let's not forget that this is not just a financial issue," says Murphy. "The sense that I get from our investigators is that when people are emotionally strapped already [because of their finances], this is almost like the icing on the cake. It sort of breaks their back. It's hard enough when you're dealing with the death of a loved one, then add in all the additional social pressures that go along with it, and it can make things seem insurmountable." At a time of increased demand, medical examiner's and coroner's offices across the country, like many other county agencies, are experiencing severe budget cuts that may only worsen the problem, says Dr. Jeffrey Jentzen, past president and chairman of the board of the National Association of Medical Examiners. Says Jentzen: "Every medical examiner I've talked to has had major cuts in financial support from the county that are going to start impacting service. I'm talking about cuts in the 20%-to-25% range across the nation." Jentzen worked as the chief medical examiner for Milwaukee County for 20 years before becoming a professor and director of forensic and autopsy services at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor last year. Even in locations like Milwaukee County, where the number of unclaimed decedents is holding steady, the numbers will likely swell if $300,000 is cut in burial assistance, as proposed for 2010 by the county's department of health and human services. The program currently offers up to $1,500 in burial assistance to low-income families. "I would guess it would at least triple the number of unclaimed bodies if burial assistance is cut, because families are just not going to have the money to take care of them," says Karen Domagalski, operations manager for the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office, which handles about 60 unclaimed bodies a year. As a result of current or potential budget cuts, Jentzen says, some county jurisdictions may need to cut back or stop providing burial services for the unclaimed. "If county's can't do it because they're strapped," says Jentzen, "then I don't know where they're going to go." From critical.montages at gmail.com Fri Aug 7 09:26:04 2009 From: critical.montages at gmail.com (Yoshie Furuhashi) Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 11:26:04 -0400 Subject: [A-List] =?iso-8859-1?q?Excellent_video_of_Eva_Golinger=3A_clarit?= =?iso-8859-1?q?y_on_the_coup_d=27=E9tat_=28Spanish=29?= In-Reply-To: <94767E63DFEF4A538FDEF5B48F3B8C33@home9sg93n9r5y> References: <94767E63DFEF4A538FDEF5B48F3B8C33@home9sg93n9r5y> Message-ID: I couldn't find it there. Click on the link and the site says El v?deo que intentas ver no existe o ha sido borrado de TU.Tv. Afortunadamente, el sistema ha encontrado v?deos relacionados a tu petici?n. ?Disfr?talos! On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 9:44 AM, james daly wrote: > http://www.tu.tv/videos/honduras-101-golpe-de-estado-eva-golinger > > Excellent video of Eva Golinger: clarity on the coup d'?tat (Spanish) > > > From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Fri Aug 7 09:26:29 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 16:26:29 +0100 Subject: [A-List] State Department has assured Senator Richard Lugar that they do not actually support President Zelaya Message-ID: <7A1D7DFD29204A4E93C99B2791D5B92F@home9sg93n9r5y> Greg McDonald For video of the police invasion see: http://hondurasoye.wordpress.com/ and: http://mimalapalabrahn.blogspot.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- http://hondurascoup2009.blogspot.com/ Honduras Coup 2009 Responses to the Coup d'etat in Honduras on Sunday June 28, with special emphasis on producing English-language versions of commentaries by Honduran scholars and editorial writers and addressing the confusion encouraged by lack of basic knowledge about Honduras. Wednesday, August 5, 2009 While State Department Waffles, Honduran University Members are Beaten As news comes that the State Department has assured Senator Richard Lugar that they do not actually support President Zelaya (confirming the opinions of most of my Honduran correspondents), that they blame him for "provoking" the coup (recalling other forms of blaming the victim whose actions draw violent responses), and that they have no intention to use their economic leverage (reassuring the Micheletti regime that they can dig in and wait and eventually they will get away with their coup), the regime's threatened escalation of violence comes to fruition, unfolding as I write in the National University campus in Tegucigalpa. Here, reports from multiple correspondents, echoed by Telesur and Tiempo (of Hondurs), note that the National Police are using tear gas, beatings, and shooting at students and faculty who were engaged in peaceful protest of the illegitimate regime that is stealing their freedoms. Among those victimized by this violence: Julietta Castellano, Rector (equivalent to Chancellor) and respected symbol of the integrity of this institution. According to Olvin Rodriguez, member of the Junta Directiva (executive committee) of the university, as they were exiting with their hands up in response to police demands, they were set upon, beaten, and thrown to the ground. He writes that "Not even in the epoch of repression by the bloody General Alvarez Martinez in the 1980s was the autonomy of the university violated as it was today." The reference is to the dictator who preceded the period of almost thirty years of constitutional rule destroyed in the coup of June 28. As Honduran commentators have argued, the damage being done to the fabric of civil society will not easily be repaired. An email report from the scene sent to me at 1:45 describes a scene of horror: A half hour ago, the police force and military of the dictatorial regime imposed on Honduras, has initiated a vandalistic offensive against the National Autonomous University of Honduras. With the pretext of dissolving a peaceful demonstration of resistance that the students were carrying out at the entry to the University in Tegucigalpa, they began to throw tear gas, and as the students fled to the interior of the university grounds, they have pursued them and continue their human hunt at this moment, with SHOTS. The Rector and members of the Junta Directiva of the University, who had come out to dialogue with the police and military, have been assaulted in their physical integrity, thrown on the ground, grabbed with blows. There are wounded, the cruel repression continues in the present moments. Colleagues, students and administrators from within the University are calling us, anguished, they cannot exit, they are shooting at them, breaking in the windows and walls, the tear gas has entered the university halls, they feel they are suffocating and are afraid to come out and be shot with bullets. Meanwhile, a second correspondent, whose father is among those trapped on the campus, writes that Radio Globo is reporting that at least three wounded have been transported by a Red Cross ambulance for medical care. These reports also say the Police Commander Somoza, supposedly in charge, disclaims any knowledge of whoever is giving orders to this contingent of police and military. Radio Globo reports that students have armed themselves with stones and are attacking the police and commandos, pushing them back, but that strong reinforcements are coming for the military. It is imperative that the US State Department NOT BE ALLOWED to ignore these latest acts of violent repression by the Honduran regime. The State Department MUST DENOUNCE these actions, and must take action to punish the regime and induce it to cease its campaign of terror against its citizens. {When pigs fly} This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Fri Aug 7 09:37:54 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 16:37:54 +0100 Subject: [A-List] International Observation Mission for the Human Rights Situation in Honduras Preliminary Report Friday, 07 August 2009 Message-ID: International Observation Mission for the Human Rights Situation in Honduras Preliminary Report Friday, 07 August 2009 With support from News, Action and Analysis International Observation Mission for the Human Rights Situation in Honduras Preliminary Report U.S. appears to soften support for Honduras's Zelaya Video Report - Honduras: Where does Washington stand? Honduras: Regime Says 'Yes' to Talks but Squelches Protests Colombia: Women Lead Opposition to Gold Mine Amnesty Urges Peru's Government to Suspend Laws and Oil Concessions US Activists Challenge Obama on Cuba Honduras: Two More Dead, Zelaya Takes Case to International Criminal Court ************************* International Observation Mission for the Human Rights Situation in Honduras Preliminary Report Written by International Observation Mission, Translation by Laura Jung, Lena Mortensen, and Adrienne Pine Thursday, 06 August 2009 Confirmed systematic human rights violations in Honduras since the coup d'etat Source: Quotha.net ******************************* i. Introduction An International Human Rights Commission composed of fifteen independent professionals (legal experts, journalists, anthropologists, political scientists, sociologists, and human rights experts) from Germany, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, El Salvador, Spain, Nicaragua, Peru, Sweden, and Uruguay, was formed in Honduras on July 17 to verify human rights violations that have occurred in Honduras during and since the coup d'?tat of June 28, with the aim of presenting observations and recommendations concerning the situation to the OAS, the UN the European Union and their member States. Divided into four working groups, the mission has received testimony concerning human rights abuses in various parts of the Honduran territory: Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Olancho and Col?n. With this aim, interviews have been carried out with different human rights organizations and experts; representatives of social movements, unions and media organizations, journalists, members of the National Congress, representatives from political parties, the General State Prosecutor, the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights, General Director of the National Police, international aid agencies, representatives from the United Nations, from the diplomatic corps, the President of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General, the Public Defender, the Department of Immigration, and relatives of President Manuel Zelaya. The International Mission is made up of fifteen individuals from the following human rights organizations and networks: International Human Rights Federation (FIDH), the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), Copenhagen Initiative for Central America and Mexico (CIFCA), FIAN International, the Inter-American Platform for Human Rights, Democracy and Development (PIDHDD), the Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES-Colombia), Austria-Suedwind, Human Rights Institute of the Universidad Centroamericana Jose Simeon Ca?as (IDHUCA -El Salvador), Association Pro-Human Rights in Peru (APRODEH), the Institute for Policy Studies on Latin America and Africa (IEPALA, Spain), National Coordinator for Human Rights of Peru, Servicio Paz y Justicia (SERPAJ-Uruguay), Solidarity World (Belgium), and IBIS (Denmark), Continental Social Alliance, Alternative Connections, and the Center for Tricontinental Studies. ii. Facts Confirmed by the Mission 1. On June 28, 2009 at 5:15 am, after violently overpowering the presidential guard charged with his protection, soldiers from the armed forces invaded the Presidential House and kidnapped the Constitutional President of Honduras, Mr. Manuel Zelaya Rosales. The capture of the president took place without the presentation of the corresponding court order. Immediately afterward he was transferred to an air base and then taken to Costa Rica, according to testimony taken from the President himself, by means of an airplane that took off at 6:10 am from Honduras. The attack on the Presidential House was carried out using violence against the goods and occupants of the house. The facts described were reported by members of the guard of the overthrown Constitutional President, as well as by relatives of the President who were present in the Presidential House on the day of the coup. 2. On the morning of June 28, the Congress of the Republic issued a "condemnation of the conduct of President Jos? Manuel Zelaya Rosales for repeated violations of the Constitution and the law and failure to observe the resolutions and decisions issued by the relevant administrative bodies," removing him from his charge as President despite the lack of a constitutional or legal norm that would permit such a removal, and designating Roberto Micheletti Ba?n as "Constitutional President of the Republic" (Congressional Decree No. 141-09). 3. On June 30 of 2009, although it was dated June 30 of 2008, Executive Decree No. 011-2009 was issued, signed by Mr. Micheletti, suspending the following constitutional rights: personal liberty, "detention and confinement for more than 24 hours" (sic), freedom of association and assembly, the right to freedom of movement, to leave, enter, and stay within the national territory. The aforementioned rights are detailed in articles 69, 71,72, 78, 79, 81, 84, 99 of the Constitution. The Decree established that these rights would be suspended from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am throughout the country - in accordance with a State of Emergency - for a period of seventy-two hours from the passage of the Decree. The indicated rule, - which as of today and 23 days after it was enacted continues in force - not only does not include a mechanism to extend the suspension of said rights, but also to date the Decree has not been published in the official newspaper of the Honduran Republic. It should also be noted that article 211 of the Constitution of Honduras stipulates that regulations must be published in order to be valid. The Honduran Constitution (art 187) contemplates the restriction or suspension of rights exclusively in the case of invasion of national territory, serious disturbance of the peace, epidemics or other disasters. 4. The order for the suspension of these fundamental rights of the Honduran people continues to be applied despite their expiration after the 72 hours originally stipulated in the decree that issued these restrictions. No subsequent decree exists that has formally extended the suspension of these rights. Furthermore, the hours for the curfew imposed in the capital and in the interior of the country are changed randomly on a daily basis. These changes are communicated via announcements in various media. 5. There is uncertainty about the schedule of the curfew and the scope of the suspension of rights. In questioning people about the curfew, officials interviewed by the Mission reported varying hours and expressed differences about the content. 6. The Mission was puzzled by the attitude of support for the coup demonstrated by the highest ranks of the Honduran Catholic church and by representatives of various evangelical churches, as well as by the implication of their active involvement in organizing demonstrations of support convened by and for the de facto government. 7. The International Mission for Human Rights in Honduras has identified the existence of grave violations of human rights since the coup d'etat. It has also confirmed the lack of protection for numerous individuals as a result of the inadequate response from the institutions that are constitutionally responsible for monitoring respect for the fundamental human rights of Hondurans. In particular, the Mission calls attention to grave omissions in the fulfillment of the functional obligations of the National Human Rights Commissioner, Mr Ram?n Custodio. 8. The fundamental rights violations reported to the Mission included a significant number of extrajudicial executions, hundreds of arbitrary detentions, multiple threats, curtailment of freedom of expression and information, as well as undue restrictions on the freedom of movement, altogether signaling a clear context of political persecution that especially affects political and union leaders, human rights defenders, social activists, journalists, foreign citizens, and others. 9. Indeed, since the coup d'etat took place, and in relation to it, several distinct sources confirmed by the Mission have reported the following individual deaths: ISIS OBED MURILLO MENCIAS, 19 years old, killed by shots fired by the Armed Forces during the July 5 march on the Toncontin airport in Tegucigalpa by supporters of the ousted president; GABRIEL FINO NORIEGA, journalist with Radio Estelar in the Department of Atl?ntida, assassinated by seven bullet wounds on July 3 when he was leaving his place of work; RAMON GARCIA, a leader in the Democratic Unification party (UD), who was forced off a public transport vehicle upon returning from a demonstration and then riddled with bullets by unknown persons in the area of Santa Barbara; ROGER IVAN BADOS, ex-chairman of the textile worker union and current activist in the UD and the Popular Resistence Front (BP), who received death threats following the coup and was shot to death after being taken by force from his home on July 11 in San Pedro Sula; VICKY HERNANDEZ CASTILLO (SONNY EMELSON HERNANDEZ) , member of the LGTB community, killed in San Pedro Sula during the curfew by a bullet wound to the eye and displaying signs of strangulation, and an unidentified individual, wearing a t-shirt imprinted with the so called "cuarta urna," was found dead on July 3 in the "La Monta?ita" sector of Tegucigalpa, a place where a clandestine cemetery for extrajudicial executions during the 80's was located. The Mission is continuing to verify other reports of extrajudicial executions. 10. From the Center for Investigation and Promotion of Human Rights (CIPRODEH), the Mission has received related reports of forced disappearances of: ANASTASIO BARRERA, 55 years old, affiliated w/ith the National Union of Rural Workers, kidnapped in San Juan Pueblo, Atl?ntida, on July 5, 2009 by four individuals wearing police vests. It was also reported that MANUEL SEVILLA, 19 years old, was disappeared in San Pedro Sula on July 12 after returning from a demonstration. 11. In terms of violations of personal integrity, the Mission took note of threats taking place since the coup affecting diverse sectors of Honduran society: journalists critical of the de facto government, mayors, union members, leaders of popular organizations, human rights defenders, teachers, and congressional representatives. We have documented more than a hundred individuals in this situation. 12. We have received information relating to politically motivated uses of the legitimate State capacity to investigate and sanction individuals linked to criminal acts. A case that illustrates this tendency is the father of Isis Obed Murillo, DON JOS? DAVID MURILLO S?NCHEZ, who was captured after giving testimony to the Prosecutor for Human Rights concerning the murder of his son. His capture and subsequent detention was justified on the basis of an old legal process that had been discontinued, and which was reactivated after Murillo turned to the justice system to report the murder of his son. From billyoc at gmail.com Fri Aug 7 09:48:45 2009 From: billyoc at gmail.com (Bill O'Connor) Date: Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:48:45 -0400 Subject: [A-List] =?utf-8?q?Excellent_video_of_Eva_Golinger=3A_clarity_on_?= =?utf-8?q?the_coup_d=27=C3=A9tat_=28Spanish=29?= In-Reply-To: (Yoshie Furuhashi's message of "Fri, 7 Aug 2009 11:26:04 -0400") References: <94767E63DFEF4A538FDEF5B48F3B8C33@home9sg93n9r5y> Message-ID: <86y6pvd3qa.fsf@gmail.com> Yoshie Furuhashi writes: > I couldn't find it there. Click on the link and the site says > El v?deo que intentas ver no existe o ha sido borrado de TU.Tv. > Afortunadamente, el sistema ha encontrado v?deos relacionados a tu petici?n. > ?Disfr?talos! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_mNPZ0V38E -- In Solidarity, Billy O'Connor From critical.montages at gmail.com Fri Aug 7 11:27:15 2009 From: critical.montages at gmail.com (Yoshie Furuhashi) Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 13:27:15 -0400 Subject: [A-List] =?iso-8859-1?q?Excellent_video_of_Eva_Golinger=3A_clarit?= =?iso-8859-1?q?y_on_the_coup_d=27=E9tat_=28Spanish=29?= In-Reply-To: <86y6pvd3qa.fsf@gmail.com> References: <94767E63DFEF4A538FDEF5B48F3B8C33@home9sg93n9r5y> <86y6pvd3qa.fsf@gmail.com> Message-ID: Got it this time -- thank you! 2009/8/7 Bill O'Connor : > Yoshie Furuhashi writes: > >> I couldn't find it there. ?Click on the link and the site says >> El v?deo que intentas ver no existe o ha sido borrado de TU.Tv. >> Afortunadamente, el sistema ha encontrado v?deos relacionados a tu petici?n. >> ?Disfr?talos! > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_mNPZ0V38E > > -- > In Solidarity, > Billy O'Connor > > From tboyle at rosehill.net Fri Aug 7 12:29:30 2009 From: tboyle at rosehill.net (Todd Boyle) Date: Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:29:30 -0700 Subject: [A-List] Debate on Honduras on DemocracyNOW Message-ID: See the debate between Greg Grandin and Lanny Davis on DemocracyNOW this morning. http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/7/honduras Gratuitous comments follow. I think Lanny Davis walked away with the vast majority of the viewers. Davis is a superb publicity agent. He repeated at least 20 times that the Supreme Court voted 15 to 0, to remove Zelaya from office. Davis also repeated many times the Honduran congress had also voted to remove him from office. Davis repeated numerous times that this was a constitutional issue and it was settled by due process of law, by civilian institutions. Davis said Zelaya's crime was lawbreaking, leading street mob into illegal breaking into a base to steal the printed ballots of an election. What are you going to say about that? Your rebuttal better be damned good, if Davis's facts are true. If an American president rallied a bunch of supporters to break into government facilities, obviously we are entitled to an impeachment proceeding. I think I support the idea of an impeachment process, in such cases. NOT a military coup but certainly an impeachment --which might result in a transfer of power. Any rebuttal of Lanny Davis cannot be a 3000 word essay, all the convoluted stuff I have read coming out of the left. First, you have to defeat the Supreme Court of Honduras by getting into the nitty gritty of the case against Zelaya. Greg Grandon completely failed to do that. He left the Supreme Court standing. That left Greg Grandin in the position that he could only switch attention to larger context issues --- such as the existing divisions between propertied classes and working poor in Honduras. Not a terrific place to be, in a short broadcast debate against one of the worlds top trial lawyers-- arguing against a rule of law and the constitution, against the legitimacy of all the elections that have taken place. But it would have been useful if Grandin were better prepared to describe the "defects" in the constitution and institutinos of Honduras. I think the best tactic by Grandin would be to focus attention on who went for the guns first? The facts that the political stalemate was settled by thousands of troops with assault rifles pointed at the population of the country defeats the legitimacy of the coup regime. Also, Grandin should repeat however many times necessary-- the Supreme Court decision did NOT call for an ouster of Zelaya or transfer of power to the Army. It is utterly irrelevant, and shameful demagoguery for Davis to keep repeating the supreme court decision, especially, the party breakdown of the supreme court. (What is he implying? that it's a political decision? I thought he was talking about a rule of law.) I listened to the whole segment and still don't understand what the ballots were about, what did Venezuela have to do with it. Neither Grandin nor Davis wanted to elaborate on it. If Zelaya is so great, and the people support him, how did it come to pass that his party in the congress voted to arrest him? Is this a case of a fake, 2-party duopoly, like we have in the U.S.? Or the business elites control over the media, like we have in the U.S.? ( or, am I ethocentric again.) Greg Grandin failed to neutralize the point about the Supreme Court. So, in my opinion, this round is over. I don't even see why we care about Zelaya; we need guys in there who can be more effective, without relying on street mobs. Todd From noreply at coha.org Fri Aug 7 12:20:14 2009 From: noreply at coha.org (Council on Hemispheric Affairs) Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 14:20:14 -0400 Subject: [A-List] Honduras - A Month Gone; Venezuela and Colombia's Tattered Ties Message-ID: <20090807181827.CB4E83E59D6@mx-out.daemonmail.net> A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/html Size: 8138 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090807/05f11d1e/attachment.txt From the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com Fri Aug 7 16:42:16 2009 From: the.buffalo.in.the.midst at gmail.com (Leighm) Date: Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:42:16 -0700 Subject: [A-List] Christian Science Monitor On Iran's " Revolutionary Guards" Message-ID: <4A7CADC8.5020405@gmail.com> With some interesting twists: How US pressure strengthens IRGC's hand Why Iran is not a military dictatorship Here:http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0806/p06s07-wome.html From nscchicago at igc.org Fri Aug 7 23:11:22 2009 From: nscchicago at igc.org (NSC WORKERS COOP) Date: Sat, 8 Aug 2009 00:11:22 -0500 Subject: [A-List] HONDURAS DAY 38 07 de Agosto 2009 Message-ID: <67DAD8843FB042FF80AE1EB01D25FA84@NSCCHICAGO> Tom Baker here forwarding more news on Honduras and US strategy of military military Refugees from Honduras in Nicaragua, and those yet in Honduras Call for Global Day of Action for Honduras Helping with your donations -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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From: SOA Watch Subject: Aug.11: Global Day of Action for Honduras Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 11:28:03 -0400 (EDT) Size: 12572 Url: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090808/f966c4d3/attachment-0005.eml -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: Cort Greene Subject: [socialist_youth] Soldiers occupy Honduras hospitals as strikes spread Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 09:41:12 -0500 Size: 11093 Url: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090808/f966c4d3/attachment-0006.eml -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: Cort Greene Subject: [CLAS] LATIN AMERICA THREATENED BY US MILITARY BASES IN COLOMBIA -Where is the Outcry against it? Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 07:26:21 -0700 (PDT) Size: 16734 Url: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/attachments/20090808/f966c4d3/attachment-0007.eml From shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp Sat Aug 8 03:13:10 2009 From: shimogamo at ashisuto.co.jp (Bill Totten) Date: Sat, 8 Aug 2009 18:13:10 +0900 Subject: [A-List] Thanks to Our Fossil Fuel Addiction ... Message-ID: <20090808181310.0d6bd89d.shimogamo@ashisuto.co.jp> We May Be Setting Ourselves Up for a Catastrophic Natural Event by Scott Thill, AlterNet AlterNet (July 03 2009) What is hydrogen sulfide? It smells like farts and rotten eggs. You can find it in swamps, sewers, landfills, volcanic and natural gases, and pretty much everywhere there is a petroleum refinery. Unfortunately, you can also usually find it whenever and wherever you've got mass extinctions. In fact, it is hydrogen sulfide, rather than killer asteroids or some other interstellar death-bringer, that has possibly become the go-to kill-shot of most mass extinctions in Earth's history. "It doesn't take much hydrogen sulfide to kill off anything", Gerry Dickens, professor of earth science and paleoceanography at Rice University, explained to AlterNet by phone. He should know: It was Dickens' work with methane hydrates that completed the puzzle of the Permian-Triassic extinction event, more aptly known as the Great Dying, in the 2002 BBC Horizon documentary The Day the Earth Nearly Died. During the Great Dying, over 250 million years ago, flood basalts in the Siberian and Emeishan traps unleashed hell on Earth, spewing titanic walls of lava, ash, debris and greenhouse gases into the sky, blotting out the sun and surrounding hundreds of thousands of miles in a biblical inferno for which there is no contemporary analogue, at least in reality. But even that wasn't enough to wipe out the 96 percent of Earth's marine, terrestrial and plant species claimed by the Great Dying. A growing scientific consensus explains that the death stroke was probably delivered from Earth's anoxic oceans, whose resultant out-of-whack pH balance, once literally defined as the "power of hydrogen", released catastrophic stores of either methane hydrate or hydrogen sulfide into the atmosphere. Whichever one it was, hydrogen had the power to bring Earth to its knees. And it could happen again. "It's unannounced stealth nastiness", Peter Ward, professor of biology and paleontology at the University of Washington, declared by phone to AlterNet. "My new book ends with a hydrogen sulfide extinction". That book, The Medea Hypothesis (2009), posits not one but five hydrogen sulfide extinction events, including the Great Dying, throughout Earth's history. Going further, it flips the Gaia hypothesis on its head by suggesting - with increasing persuasion, given our current climate crisis of too much carbon dioxide in the air and too little oxygen in the oceans - that Earth is not seeking an optimal physical and chemical environment for its life. In fact, Ward argues, its multicellular life is actually suicidal in nature, whose doom will eventually return Earth to the microbes that have dominated most of its history. Although the truth probably lies somewhere between Gaia and Medea, Ward seems to be right about one thing: Hydrogen sulfide is an unheralded executioner. "If ancient volcanism raised carbon dioxide and lowered the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere, and global warming made it more difficult for the remaining oxygen to penetrate the oceans, conditions would have become amenable for the deep-sea anaerobic bacteria to generate massive upwellings of hydrogen sulfide", Ward wrote in a Scientific American clarion call titled "Impact from the Deep". Virtually no form of life on the earth was safe". Ward - who has also written the books Under a Green Sky: Global Warming, the Mass Extinctions of the Past, and What They Can Tell Us About Our Future (2008); Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe (2009); and the forthcoming Our Flooded World - concludes his Scientific American piece with the obvious question: Could it happen again? All the pieces seem to be moving into place. Global warming is a runaway train, carbon dioxide levels are exponentially rising, and oceans are subsequently losing oxygen. There are even hydrogen sulfide blooms being found in Namibia and other places where industrial pollution is spilling waste into the water. The good news? We know that in the Permian and other mass extinctions that it took levels of around 1,000 parts per million of atmospheric carbon dioxide to rob the oceans of oxygen and kill off most life on Earth. The bad news? We're closer to that devastating concentration than we think. With carbon dioxide hovering around 385 ppm, but increasing at an annual rate of two to three ppm, it doesn't take a math teacher to realize that we could hit 900 ppm by the end of next century. Or earlier, given the exponential nature of climate change. "It's not quite linear", Dickens explained. "As you make the system worse, less carbon gets taken up by the oceans, which are sinks on a global scale. When that has happened in the past, suddenly a whole bunch of carbon has come out of the ocean fast. The magnitude is extraordinary. And there's also a temperature component: As things get warmer, the process amplifies." Currently, it's amplifying at a fearsome rate. For his part, Ward believes we're headed toward a penultimate moment in Earth's history, one we should be ashamed of. "We're way beyond anything from the Pleistocene, and heading towards the Cretaceous", Ward told AlterNet. "If we hit 800 to 1,000 ppm, we're in trouble. The sun is also getting warmer, so 1,000 ppm is really going to be like 2,000 ppm. We're talking about the second-hottest period in the planet's history." Right now, Ward and other scientists who have proposed parallels between the mass extinctions of the past and the one we could be experiencing now, known as the Holocene extinction event, are lost in the wilderness of geopolitical machination and rampant global consumption. But interest in their destabilizing theories are growing. "NASA called me about three months ago, and the administrator at Ames Research Center said, 'You've got to be kidding about this stuff!'" Ward said. "So myself and several other scientists put together a white paper on hydrogen sulfide, because this is a matter of national security. Just because its longer-term than other problems doesn't mean it's any less deadly. Our species is going to be in trouble in a hundred to a thousand years from now. What happens if the oceans go anoxic, within this century or by the end of next century? You'll have conditions that might be irreversible for a very long time." Ward says that the Obama administration has been cool to the possibility of anoxic oceans and the various hydrogen terrors that lie in wait on its floors or its chemical processes. And for his part, even Dickens is not as worried about mass extinction at the hands of climate change as he is about terrors closer to home. "I've got more important things to keep me up at night", the good-natured scientist wisecracked over the phone, "like finding the next grant so I can go study this stuff". But time, and probably not a lot of it, will tell which terror is more worthy of our immediate attention, expense and innovation. But whatever may come and whatever we decide, Ward warned, we better get our lazy asses in gear. The worst that could supposedly happen is that we could be wrong and lose trillions of dollars to saving the planet, and thereby ourselves, rather than throwing them down the black hole of credit-default swaps and hyper-real derivatives. But the worst that could really happen is that anthropogenic global warming could throw the planet's pH balance into chaos, as the combination of carbon dioxide-choked skies and anoxic oceans release the mother of all mass-extinction farts into the atmosphere, a killing joke we could never recover from. And who wants to go out like that? "There's bad stuff before you even get to hydrogen sulfide", Ward concluded. "And there's not much you can do about any of it, in terms of geoengineering. The simple solution is to reduce global greenhouse-gas emissions, and do it now. Here's the scary thing that can happen: Human extinction. Let's get serious." _____ Scott Thill runs the online mag Morphizm. His writing has appeared on Salon, XLR8R, All Music Guide, Wired and others. (c) 2009 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved. http://www.alternet.org/story/140912/ http://www.billtotten.blogspot.com http://www.ashisuto.co.jp From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sat Aug 8 03:29:33 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sat, 8 Aug 2009 10:29:33 +0100 Subject: [A-List] 7 military bases in Colombia -- dictatorship - supported, if tacitly by Washington - in Honduras is consolidating Message-ID: <9C655AD98A97446E97EAFCA43E468064@home9sg93n9r5y> http://www.chavezcode.com/2009/08/latin-america-threatened-by-us-military.html Thursday, August 6, 2009 LATIN AMERICA THREATENED BY US MILITARY BASES IN COLOMBIA The announcement of the US occupation of more than 7 military bases in Colombia comes at a time when a after almost a month and a half has passed since the violent coup d'etat forced Honduran President Manuel Zelaya from power. The increased US military presence in Latin America has been perceived by a majority of nations in this hemisphere as a threat to stability and peace in the region. How does the Obama administration justify increasing the Pentagon's budget and investing almost $1 billion in its Latin American military operations this year? Well, maybe by trying to blame Venezuelan President Hugh Ch?vez of supporting, funding and arming "terrorist" leftist groups in Colombia and "facilitating drug trafficking". Both allegations have never been founded on solid evidence. In fact, yesterday, President Ch?vez gave a killer press conference to international media, deconstructing every accusation presented against his government by Colombia and Washington. The latest allegation involved Swedish missile launchers sold to Venezuela in the 1980s that apparently ended up in the hands of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The Uribe government in Colombia, together with Washington, was trying to blame Ch?vez for selling the weapons to the FARC, therefore justifying its increasing aggression and military presence in the region, to combat "terrorist threats". "You're either with us or against us..." Ch?vez revealed a document - given to him previously by the Colombian government - dated 1996 after a FARC attack had taken place on Venezuelan soil against Venezuelan armed forces and a quantity of weapons had been stolen. The 1996 document detailed the named Swedish missile launchers as having been taken during that attack, more than 2 years before Ch?vez won office and became involved in government. "Dirty, dirty tactics", said Ch?vez regarding Uribe's accusations against him. The Colombian government knows very well that those weapons were in the hands of the FARC well before Ch?vez became president. So why blame him now for something he has nothing to do with? Cowardly and pathetic Colombian President Uribe is desperately trying to justify turning his country into the launching pad for Washington's war on Latin America - a war seeking to regain its domination and control over the region's vast natural and strategic resources, and to take out any seed of "socialism" remaining in the hemisphere. But the military bases in Colombia and the coup in Honduras evidence a dangerous and clear intent of Empire to also crush the vibrant people's movements that have been surfacing all over Latin America during the past decade - revolutions seeking to build new models of social and economic justice. Latin America is on high alert in response to this revived offensive emerging from Washington. Colombia, isolated in its efforts, is not backing down from opening its land to the vast and barbaric US military power. Where is the outcry inside the United States in response to hundreds of millions - billions - of dollars now directed towards waging war in Latin America? Don't wait until it's too late and another nation, like Panama 20 years ago, is bombed and invaded by US forces in order to secure Washington's long-term control over the region's strategic resources. Act now to resist and protest US military expansion in Latin America and US aggression against a humble people struggling for justice. From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sat Aug 8 06:05:52 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sat, 8 Aug 2009 13:05:52 +0100 Subject: [A-List] Is the US Firing Zelaya and Micheletti and Anointing Santos? Message-ID: <00979DB9EA494E4BA38380E557A5BA56@home9sg93n9r5y> Is the US Firing Zelaya and Micheletti and Anointing Santos? 2009 August 7 by hcvanalysis An article appeared in the El Nuevo Herald yesterday and all was revealed ? well, almost all. The article?s purpose is two-fold: put plenty of daylight between the civilian golpistas and the military golpistas and introduce Elvin Santos (golpista, former Vice-President, and current presidential candidate) to the world as the next president of Honduras ? whether before or after the election is the question. The "daylight" issue is critical because the post-coup stage must be more civilian and quite a bit less military. Several nagging issues associated with the military must be faded artfully: kidnapping, murder, disappearances, shutting down of media operations, torture and that damn body block the Honduran cop gave the Rector of La Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras a few days ago! To accomplish this, the Nuevo Herald article quotes several high-powered sources disassociating themselves from the kidnapping of President Zelaya. Adolfo Facusse, the head of the Industrial Association of Honduras, states flatly that he does not think the kidnapping of Zelaya was the right thing to do. Facusse adds that he has asked the military why they did not just detain Zelaya. Ominously, in responding to a question, Facusse says that the armed forces are going to have to be judged concerning the actions they have taken. I?m sure this is a huge charade where Facusse pretends to diss the military to help create the needed "daylight." The military will not be judged. The military is in on the joke and I?m sure last night Facusse and the top brass had a good laugh about all this over a bottle of rum. For an article designed to help distance the civilians from the military, there seem to be quite a few military officers quoted ?albeit kinder and gentler than we have seen thus far. Earlier in the week, the top military commanders went on TV to explain why they did what they did. Commander of the army, General Miguel Angel Garcia and Vice-Admiral Juan Pablo Rodriguez were concerned that Zelaya was bringing in "socialism disguised as democracy." Commander of the armed forces, General Romeo Vasquez stated that it was okay with him if Zelaya returns to Honduras as long as it is based on a plan worked out with President Arias. But, the star of this article, Elvin Santos, whose gorilla body guards beat and shot at students at the University on Tuesday because they called Santos a "golpista," seems to be the messiah we all have been waiting for. Santos, a member of Zelaya?s party, states that it was a big mistake to expel Zelaya from the country and he admitted that there were cracks in the consensus concerning removal of Zelaya. Santos states that he will go to every corner of Honduras to explain that he had nothing to do with the removal of Zelaya on June 28 ? I believe this is known as campaigning for president. Santos says that the monumental error was to take Zelaya out of the country because it left him in a defenseless state. So what does all of this soft, gushy stuff mean? It means that the US State Department has signalled that the post-coup stage must begin and that the following must be done: pretend Micheletti doesn?t exist until they can fire him; take Zelaya out of the ball game altogether by continuing to pretend he doesn?t exist; and make Elvin Santos look like Honduras? savior (actually the US? savior). Other questions remain. Is the US going to install Santos before the election? Will the election be moved up? How long will it take for the people of Honduras to drag Santos into the streets? And, which country will Team Clinton-Davis-Reich-Negroponte-Llorens-Shannon-Noriega go to next and how long will they take to destroy it? The Nuevo Herald article is available at: http://www.elnuevoherald.com/210/story/511727.html?storylink=omni_popular From james.irldaly at ntlworld.com Sat Aug 8 08:54:16 2009 From: james.irldaly at ntlworld.com (james daly) Date: Sat, 8 Aug 2009 15:54:16 +0100 Subject: [A-List] State Department said Washington had still not made a decision as to whether Zelaya's ouster constituted a coup. Message-ID: <0D99D40ED1D4421084672AB1C522F9B5@home9sg93n9r5y> Greg's post (below) is very optimistic, believing in people power. The others see an arrogant unipolar US policy undemocratically imposing a government. To do that it would take all necessary means, including a full return to the death squad era. In the meantime it would promote the fast-growing consensus, articulated so well by Lanny Davis and surviving the feeble challenge of Prof Grandin, that the "interim" government behaved legally and constitutionally, except for the little slipup of not trying him in Honduras for his crimes, but deporting him. One of the most urgent needs of the moment (apart from turning the spotlight on the isolation of the USA in refusing to recognise a coup) is to prepare and propagate a detailed refutation of the Davis story. It does not seem to me that seeking a rapid return of Velaya (democracy!) is unwise. The Fabian approach courts disaster. However, the wind seems to be going out of the sales of the rapid return approach. The present position of the OAS and Chavez seems to have accepted defeat. -- James Re: U.S. appears to soften support for Honduras' Zelaya Posted to CN by: "Greg McDonald" sabocat59 at mac.com gregiww Fri Aug 7, 2009 7:01 am (PDT) What Fred says is true, but even if elections are held under auspices of the current dictatorship, they will not have legitimacy either outside or inside the country. The OAS will not give legitimacy to a new democratic dictatorship in Honduras. And another thing, most of the would be candidates are publicly known as supporters of the coup, such as Liberal pretender Elvin Santos. Santos was advised by his north american pr handlers to make a public appearance the other day at the university autonoma in Tegucigalpa. He was met by a group of students who denounced him as a golpista, and his bodyguards proceeded to get into a fight with the students, even brandishing their weapons and pistol-whipping one of the students before retreating from the university grounds. Not coincidentally, the very next day the Cobra police, now under direct leadership of the military, entered the university to repress the students. This is exemplary of how the coup mongers are undermining themselves. The university had attempted to maintain neutrality under the coup regime, as many of the teachers and administrators are in fact supporters of the coup, but now the rectora is suing the police and the student federation and most of the teachers have come out publicly as supporters of the resistance. The coup is undermining itself at such an accelerated rate that I don't think people need to worry so far ahead. Another sign: yesterday the air traffic controllers of Honduras, all 96 of them, have come out in strike until Zelaya is restored to power. In effect, there are now no international flights in or out of Tegucigalpa. Radio Globo held an informal poll to see if people would abstain under elections held under the coup regime. Most indicated they would not vote. Each day the coup regime remains in place, (which we should now be calling a dictatorship by the way), the resistance grows stronger and the regime grows weaker. More positive signs on the international front: Zelaya's cabinet is now in permanent and clandestine session in Tegucigalpa. In an important article published in today's Mexican "La Jornada", Arturo Cano writes about the diplomatic outcome of Zelaya's meeting with Mexican president Calderon. According to Honduran Justice Minister Victor Orlando Meza, Zelaya asked his Mexican counterpart to pressure Obama to come out publicly and legally to declare the coup as a coup. This would force him to follow suit and cut off all economic and military aid to the dictatorship and to withdraw their duplicitous ambassador. Obama certainly needs some help to state the truth unequivocally, and to stop with all the "huevadas" and double talk. They say one thing to the republicans, and another to their more liberal supporters. No more hueveando Obama, or people will start calling you President Huevon. Yesterday the State Dept, came out once again stating that they support the return of Zelaya to power, in contrast to the now infamous letter to republican senator Lugar which stated that the US government did not support any single figure in Honduras. At this point, it really is impossible to trust in anything coming out of the mouth of the State Department spokesperson of the day. The only thing which counts is diplomatic action to back up the until now empty words. An international delegation of the OAS is planning a visit to Honduras next week, led by dignitaries from Costa Rica, Chile, Brazil, and Peru or Panama. Meza expresses his hope that Mexico will also participate in the delegation. For the record, Meza has indicated that the direct diplomatic intervention of Venezuela has not been helpful, and he contrasts the Venezuelan stance to the "absolutely moderating" stance of Cuba. Meza is asking Arias to invite Spain to play a more active role as well. For the rest of the article, which details the unravelling of relations between the ten families of the oligarchy and the Zelaya government, see: http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2009/08/07/index.php? section=mundo&article=020n2mun Greg McD On Aug 7, 2009, at 12:47 AM, Fred Feldman wrote: What Phil says is true, but I can't help worrying about the tendency to insist on a high speed timetable for victory in Honduras, with absolute deadlines. Victory must take place before Zelaya's constitutional term runs out or before the coup makers can stage a new election under their control. This is one of the fundamental battles of the recent Latin American experience and it is time to start preparing our side for the idea that it will take the time it takes, and that failure to finish by some date certain will be the same as defeat or will illegitimize the legitimate government of the country. The job the Honduran people have to do will not be done for them (or for those who solidarize with them) in Washington. This is not an hourglass running out a la The Wizard of Oz. The crisis is more fundamental than that and a resolution in favor of the people will take the time and political development that it takes. Fred _____ From: CubaNews at yahoogroups.com [mailto:CubaNews at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Phil Stuart C Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2009 7:58 PM To: undisclosed recipients: Subject: [CubaNews] Re: (REUTERS): U.S. appears to soften support for Honduras' Zelaya Introduction: The softening of the US stance of "opposition" to the Honduran military coup, the Tegucigolpe, has been underway for some time. The State Department has inched slowly away from characterizing the coup as a coup, and it now has the status of an "event," in Washington statements. The thrust of blame for the government crisis in Honduras is now pointed at President Zelaya, not the golpistas. Now, the issue is not Zelaya's "immdiate and unconditional return" (OAS formal stand that the US voted for), but finding an acceptable compromise. Hints are made that perhaps even a modified coup government would be more suitable than a castrated Zelaya government. The weight of evidence seems that the US is now on a course of trying to prolong the death agony of the coup regime, and use delay as a means to disorient and demoralize the mass movement. From projectsafehaven at hotmail.com Fri Aug 7 15:57:09 2009 From: projectsafehaven at hotmail.com (Gerry Condon) Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 21:57:09 +0000 Subject: [A-List] [VFP92] Debate on Honduras on DemocracyNOW In-Reply-To: <20090807182901.DD9FB3418198@parrot.riseup.net> References: <20090807182901.DD9FB3418198@parrot.riseup.net> Message-ID: Todd, I believe you mistakenly began this exchange on the wrong listserve. My understanding is that vfp92 at lists.riseup.net is reserved for VFP 92 business, while vfp92speak at lists.riseup.net is for general discussions about whatever is on our minds. There is a reason why some people fled from one to the other, and I think it is important for us to respect that. I am copying this correspondence to the latter. I also listened to the debate about the coup in Honduras this morning on Democracy Now. Lanny Davis didn't walk away with me. But then I am prejudiced. I know something about Central America, having visited numerous times in solidarity with the poor masses who are struggling to make real democracy. (The ones you and Lanny called "mobs"). It's true that Lanny Davis had Greg Grandin on the ropes a few times, but I thought he came across as a total asshole. Not to mention that he is an openly hired gun for the Honduran oligarchy, who ordered the coup against President Zelaya because of his unexpected turn in favor of the poor. This was anathema even to his own party - yes, both parties do represent the rich. President Zelaya had raised the minimum wage by 40% and was trying to organize a non-binding plebiscite that would build momentum toward making changes in a constitution that is totally tilted toward the rich and powerful. Venezuela provided the ballots for the referendum. Zelaya had also brought Honduras, the second poorest nation in the hemisphere, into the Latin American trading bloc organized by Venezuela as an alternative to U.S.-dominated trade arrangements. The only just just solution to this crisis, as called for by the European Union, the Organization of American States and Nobel Peace prize winner Oscar Arias, is the return of Zelaya to finish his term and the end of the serious repression against Zelaya's supporters It is no accident that the initial tepid protest from the Obama administration has now gone virtually cold. The U.S. government and military had prior knowledge of the coup - they were even meeting with the coup leaders in the days before the coup - and they did nothing to stop it. Now they are giving the coup leaders a wink and a nod while going through a few motions pretending that they care about constitutional democracy and human rights. It is interesting that Venezuela, the country that has recently taken the lead in reversing the grave oppression of Latin America's poor, has now become the bogeyman. Hugo Chavez, who has been elected and re-elected, who has withstood several attempts to bring his government down through extraordinary referendums, and who graciously accepted the defeat of his own referendum to expand executive power, is constantly referred to as a dictator. The New York Times, a mouthpiece for the U.S. bourgeoisie, has published a steady drumbeat of hysterical editorials and negative stories about Chavez. This guy is really, really scary! He is actually serious about empowering the poor! Zelaya too! It's just that Zelaya had less of an organized base and was much easier to topple. Helen Von Erichsen and I will be visiting Venezuela in early September with a delegation that is being organized by the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee and the Venezuela Solidarity Committee. We are really excited about this great opportunity to meet with Venezuelans and learn more about the struggle there. We will be leaving Seattle on September 2 and returning on September 15. Of course, we will be happy to report back to VFP 92 and other interested people in the Greater Seattle area. La lucha continua! for peace and justice, Gerry (206) 499-1220 _______________________________________________ Soldier Say No / Project Safe Haven projectsafehaven at hotmail.com, SoldierSayNo at yahoo.com www.SoldierSayNo.blogspot.com > Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 11:29:30 -0700 > To: a-list at lists.econ.utah.edu > From: tboyle at rosehill.net > CC: vfp92 at lists.riseup.net > Subject: [VFP92] Debate on Honduras on DemocracyNOW > > See the debate between Greg Grandin and Lanny Davis > on DemocracyNOW this morning. > http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/7/honduras > > Gratuitous comments follow. > > I think Lanny Davis walked away with the vast majority > of the viewers. Davis is a superb publicity agent. > > He repeated at least 20 times that the Supreme Court > voted 15 to 0, to remove Zelaya from office. Davis also > repeated many times the Honduran congress had also > voted to remove him from office. > > Davis repeated numerous times that this was a constitutional issue > and it was settled by due process of law, by civilian > institutions. > > Davis said Zelaya's crime was lawbreaking, leading street mob > into illegal breaking into a base to steal the printed ballots of > an election. > > What are you going to say about that? Your rebuttal better > be damned good, if Davis's facts are true. If an American > president rallied a bunch of supporters to break into government > facilities, obviously we are entitled to an impeachment proceeding. > > I think I support the idea of an impeachment process, > in such cases. NOT a military coup but certainly an > impeachment --which might result in a transfer of power. > > Any rebuttal of Lanny Davis cannot be a 3000 word essay, all the > convoluted stuff I have read coming out of the left. > > First, you have to defeat the Supreme Court of Honduras > by getting into the nitty gritty of the case against Zelaya. > Greg Grandon completely failed to do that. He left the > Supreme Court standing. >