Vatican seeking patron saint of…
Bob Morris @ Jan 31st 2003 18:22 - Category: Unfiled ;
Vatican seeking patron saint of the Internet
Cast your vote - online of course - at www.santiebeati.it
As Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up.
Archive for January, 2003
UK bans antiwar rally, forced…
Bob Morris @ Jan 31st 2003 18:08 - Category: Unfiled ;
UK bans antiwar rally, forced to eat words
“Anti-war rally may shift to The Mall.
UK: The government is facing the embarrassing prospect of reversing its ban on an anti-war protest at Hyde Park.” [Guardian Unlimited]
What a “coincidence”
Bob Morris @ Jan 31st 2003 11:01 - Category: Unfiled ;
What a “coincidence”
From Talking Points Memo
“Is there more to the (apparently wrongful) INS pick-up and detention of Brookings scholar Ejaz Haider than we’d been led to believe? On Tuesday Haider was picked up by two armed INS agents in front of Brookings. There has been some dispute over which rule Haider may have violated and whether he was in fact told by the INS that a particular registration deadline had been waived.
But a follow-up in today’s Post says “Justice Department spokesman Jorge Martinez challenged Haider’s account and said the journalist was aware of the program’s requirements because he had written articles critical of it. [itals added]”
That sounds a touch like ’serves him right’, doesn’t it? “
And it also sounds like more of the usual lummoxed-brained antics from the notoriously dimwitted INS.
Kwon Young Ghil
Bob Morris @ Jan 31st 2003 00:08 - Category: Unfiled ;
Kwon Young Ghil
Some fellow Greens and I met today with Kwon Young Ghil, President of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) of South Korea prior to a speech he gave today in L.A. at the Korean Immigrants Workers Association.
Kwon ran for President in South Korea in 2000, getting 3% of the votes. Last year, in the local elections the party polled 8.1%, effectively making them the serious third party in South Korea. They expect to win several national seats in the upcoming 2004 election.
The DLP, roughly, is the Green Party of South Korea - a fast growing third party aimed at major reform of the system. And yes, he’s been accused of helping elect the wrong guy (shades of Nader!) however, unlike here, they are allowing him into the Presidential debates…
South Korea has some major politics happening. The North Korea - US war of words (so far) over nuclear facilities is obviously of huge and immediate interest to them. The DLP favors no nuclear facilities on the peninsula, negotiation between North Korea and the US, and reunification as equals. Kwon pointed out that the breakdown of the North Korea - US agreement was at least as much due to the US as to North Korea and wondered if the US was doing this out of ignorance or deliberately.
The killing of two South Korean schoolgirls last summer in a US military accident has spawned huge mass vigils and major serious “anti-Americanism”. The soldiers who ran over the girls were whisked out South Korea, and found not guilty in US court. A petition signed by 1.3 million Koreans (in a country of 40 million) was delivered to the White House. George Bush refused to receive it. I’d say they have legitimate grounds to be angry. Kwon favors revision of the Status of Forces Agreement, the laws which, in effect, state that US military are not subject to Korean law.
He spoke about how the sad working conditions of much of the labor force is directly related to Neo-liberalism, flexible labor, and other such policies that favor the monied class but leave little for anyone else. Some of the nasty union busting tactics include laws that permit union and personal assets to be seized if a strike occurs because such money might be needed to pay damages if they should occur. Workers under such laws can’t collect paychecks, and homes have been seized and sold.
He pointed out that when you have floating capital going round the world finding the absolute cheapest price someone will work for, then exploitation can be expected to happen. Yes, DLP are Socialists. I’ve decided a working definition of a Socialist is someone who believes the “invisible hand of Capitalism” is actually giving them the finger.
One final thought; a South Korean friend was talking about North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, and how what the West views as a cult of personality is actually something more complicated. Then she laughed, saying, “Well look at your President in the State of the Union address. All the Congress kept jumping up to applaud when they were supposed to. Which country has the cult of personality?”
Indeed.
Articles about Kwon: Korea Times, recent speech at Cornell Univ.
Mandela attacks ‘racist’ Bush
Bob Morris @ Jan 31st 2003 00:02 - Category: Unfiled ;
Mandela attacks ‘racist’ Bush
Nelson Mandela yesterday launched a contemptuous attack on George Bush, accusing him of racism, an inability to think and a desire to attack Iraq purely for its oil.
“If Saddam Hussein was not carrying out the UN instructions and resolutions, I will support the UN without reservation. But what I condemn is one power with a president who can’t think properly and who wants to plunge the world into a holocaust.”
Satire or fact? Click to…
Bob Morris @ Jan 30th 2003 21:16 - Category: Unfiled ;
Beware new Nigerian Bush spam…
Bob Morris @ Jan 30th 2003 20:22 - Category: Unfiled ;
Fixin’ to Die Rag lives…!
Bob Morris @ Jan 30th 2003 00:37 - Category: Unfiled ;
Fixin’ to Die Rag lives…!
From MetaFilter
“Country Joe’s Rag. Fixin’to Die after all these years.
Woodstock-era protest singer Country Joe McDonald still keeps an active pulse on today’s events on his website. One of what eventually came to be perhaps his most famous song, the “I-Feel-Like-Fixin’-to-Die rag” has taken new life in light of current events, which is quite simple to deduct: just substitute all the Vietnam references with “Iraq” and there you have it - as many people have been happy to do by submitting their own lyrics versions to the site, somehow confirming that the world actually hasn’t changed much in that respect 30 years after Vietnam… “
My comments:
Fixin’ to Die Rag absolutely did mobilize a generation. It was our anthem. Another equally great though lesser known group was The Fugs, whose “Kill For Peace” was maybe the best anti war song ever. The title says it all.
BTW, The Fugs are currently recording their final studio LP, and even with Tuli Kupferberg pushing 80, the fire (and humor) is still there.
Westwood Federal Bldg, Jan. 29
Bob Morris @ Jan 30th 2003 00:14 - Category: Unfiled ;
Westwood Federal Bldg, Jan. 29
There were a surprising number of people at this demo, especially considering it was called just a few days ago, to protest the expected warlike State of the Union address. And Dubya didn’t disappoint…
I’d guess about 1,000 people participated. Much positive response from those driving by. Lots of honks and yells in support. Very few opposed to us.
Tell me, why is it that those yelling “Bomb Iraq” are *always* young white males driving humunguous SUV’s? And I mean ALWAYS.
That’s Mike carrying the one of the ANSWER child-size coffins.
Frank Chu
Bob Morris @ Jan 29th 2003 23:26 - Category: Unfiled ;
Frank Chu
I first discovered Frank Chu at the Oct 26 SF demonstration because of his, um, unusual, sign (see picture). He was there again at the Jan 18 demo. So, I snapped a photo of his sign.
I’ve since discovered that he is a street person of some reputation in S.F. And to be notable for being an eccentric street person in San Francisco does take some doing y’know. We’re not talking Omaha here..
There are websites (here and here) about Frank Chu!
Boing Boing has this to say;
Consider this photo my contribution to Frank Chu-ology.
UN orders Wonka to submit…
Bob Morris @ Jan 29th 2003 10:01 - Category: Unfiled ;
UN orders Wonka to submit to chocolate factory inspections
“Responding to pressure from the international community, the U.N. ordered enigmatic candy maker William “Willy” Wonka to submit to chocolate-factory inspections Monday.
“For years, Wonka has hidden the ominous doings of his research and development facility from the outside world,” U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said. “Given the reports of child disappearances, technological advances in glass-elevator transport, and Wonka-run Oompa-Loompa forced-labor camps, the time has come to put an end to three decades of secrecy in the Wonka Empire.”
Bush’s mouthpiece gets aggro
Bob Morris @ Jan 29th 2003 09:50 - Category: Unfiled ;
Bush’s mouthpiece gets aggro
“Tony Blair today pledged that after dealing with Iraq, the UN would confront North Korea about its nuclear weapons programme.” [Guardian Unlimited]
And then Iran, and then Syria, and then oh, Venezuela, and then …
Iraq is an “imminent threat”,…
Bob Morris @ Jan 29th 2003 09:39 - Category: Unfiled ;
Iraq is an “imminent threat”, says Bush
What a laughable comment. To hear the poor man speak, you’d think he was hiding under his bed every night for fear the big bad Iraqis were going to come crashing through the window.
At least he didn’t declare war. Had millions of people not been in the streets across the globe saying No to an Iraq War, I’m sure he would have.
We are having an effect.
Onward to Feb 15. A day of planet wide “The World says NO to War” protests.
The Feb 15 NYC march & rally is looking like it will be gigantic. Maybe the biggest anti war protest ever.
Los Angeles County closes major…
Bob Morris @ Jan 29th 2003 09:26 - Category: Unfiled ;
Los Angeles County closes major hospital
The liberal-tilting Board of Supervisors in Los Angeles County voted to close an important hospital. Other major hospitals are threatened too. The reason, the Board says, is that the money to fund them simply isn’t there.
“Faced with a $210-million health budget shortfall and few painless options for eliminating it, members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to close the county’s only rehabilitation hospital and to reduce the capacity of another hospital by 100 beds.”
Supervisor Gloria Molina had previously opposed the cuts to County-USC, which is in her district. She voted for them Tuesday, saying; “If we can’t do this, the whole system will sink.”
Rancho is the only hospital in the county system that provides rehabilitation services to people with severe head or spinal injuries. The 100-year-old hospital also treats stroke patients and victims of other degenerative diseases, including post-polio syndrome.
Although Rancho averages about 210 inpatients per day, thousands depend on the hospital for the outpatient services it provides .
And where will these people now get the rehab help they so desperately need? Chances are, they won’t…
The worst President ever?
Bob Morris @ Jan 29th 2003 09:09 - Category: Unfiled ;
The worst President ever?
Doubting Thomas offers her press veteran’s take on state of presidency
Dean of US press corps Helen Thomas calls Bush the worst president ever; here’s an excerpt: “She seemed to have sympathy and affection for everyone but George W. Bush, a man who she said is rising on a wave of 9-11 fear — fear of looking unpatriotic, fear of asking questions, just fear. “We have,” she said, “lost our way.”
Thomas believes we have chosen to promote democracy with bombs instead of largess while Congress “defaults,” Democrats cower and a president controls all three branches of government in the name of corporations and the religious right.
As she signed my program, I joked, “You sound worried.” “This is the worst president ever,” she said. “He is the worst president in all of American history.” The woman who has known eight of them wasn’t joking.” [Blog Left]
Ok, but what will he…
Bob Morris @ Jan 28th 2003 16:21 - Category: Unfiled ;
Ok, but what will he do for an encore?
Kid in car crash thrown 25 feet in air, hangs onto power lines until saved.
“A teenager was catapulted at least 25 feet in the air during an auto accident but grabbed onto overhead utility wires like an action hero and dangled for about 20 minutes before a rescue crew brought him down by ladder.” (With video). Link [Boing Boing Blog]
‘The Devil’s Excrement’
Bob Morris @ Jan 28th 2003 16:06 - Category: Unfiled ;
‘The Devil’s Excrement’
“Ten years from now, 20 years from now, you will see,” former Venezuelan Oil Minister and OPEC co-founder Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo predicted in the 1970s, “oil will bring us ruin.” … Perez Alfonzo had a different name for oil: “the devil’s excrement.”
Today he seems a prophet. When it hit the jackpot, Venezuela had a functioning democracy and the highest per-capita income on the continent. Now it has a state of near-civil war and a per-capita income lower than its 1960 level.
Far from an anomaly, Venezuela is a classic example of what economists call the “natural resource curse.” A 1995 analysis of developing countries by Jeffrey Sachs and Andrew Warner found that the more an economy relied on mineral wealth, the lower its growth rate. Venezuela isn’t poor despite its oil riches–it’s poor because of them. “
Will there be a Chinese…
Bob Morris @ Jan 28th 2003 16:04 - Category: Unfiled ;
Will there be a Chinese “Grapes of Wrath”?
‘Ecological meltdown’: huge dust cloud threatens Asia
“Gigantic dust clouds swirling over China are threatening the world’s most populous country with the first-ever “ecological meltdown”, experts here warn.
The institute blames “over-cultivation, overgrazing, over-cutting and over-pumping” for the escalating catastrophe. Marginal land is being increasingly pressed into cultivation, but quickly turns to dust under the strain. The country’s 290 million sheep and goats strip the vegetation off grazing lands. Cutting down forests removes the trees that bind soil to the ground. And excessive pumping of water from underground aquifers dramatically lowers water tables, drying out the earth.”
Earth to Microsoft
Bob Morris @ Jan 28th 2003 10:07 - Category: Unfiled ;
Earth to Microsoft
Worm hits Microsoft, which ignored own advice.
That’s right, Microsoft forgot to patch their own servers, and got whacked by the worm along with everyone else.
The UN inspectors report
Bob Morris @ Jan 28th 2003 09:52 - Category: Unfiled ;
The UN inspectors report
“Iraq unwilling to give up weapons, U.N. inspector says.” - LA Times headline.
Tell me, how can Iraq give up weapons when inspectors haven’t yet found any weapons?
“‘Inspection is not a game of catch-as-catch-can,’ Blix declares. But nuclear chief ElBaradei has found no proof of an atomic arms program.”
Indeed. Let me repeat that. No one has found any weapons. None. Zero. Zip.
However, the report has changed no opinions -
“Despite a tough report by chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix on Iraq, few members of a split U.N. Security Council changed their positions on war or peace, leaving Washington Tuesday scrambling for support.”
The Guardian comments
“Two main conclusions may be drawn from the interim reports delivered to the UN security council yesterday.
One is that while Iraq has shown a previously unexpected degree of cooperation in creating a “workable environment”, it still has many serious questions to answer and has very much more to do in helping the inspectors to fulfil their mandate.
The second conclusion to be drawn from this high drama in New York is that there are good reasons both to hope that the inspections can succeed and to persevere with them, for as long as it takes.”
A prayer from Mark Twain
Bob Morris @ Jan 28th 2003 00:22 - Category: Unfiled ;
“In the story, the buildup to this is terrific, in a church, with all of the prayers for victory, usual sanctimonious crap, and then this old guy shows up with a message from God: if you want to pray for victory, at least be absolutely certian what you’re praying for. After he tells them, he leaves, and they all decide that he must be insane because what he said made no sense. Mark Twain also had a piece, something like “A Letter From the Recording Angel”, which is a written answer to prayers. Per request, a variety of people are being afflicted with disease and catastrophe. Meanwhile, prayers for the poor and unfortunate, said aloud in church, have not been granted, as they conflict with secret supplications.”
A prayer from Mark Twain
O Lord our God,
Help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead: help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it.
For our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet.
We ask it in the spirit of love, of him who is the Source of Love, and who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all who are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts.
Amen.
A friend emails about this “prayer”
Shouldn’t we finish this war…
Bob Morris @ Jan 28th 2003 00:16 - Category: Unfiled ;
Shouldn’t we finish this war before starting another one?
“U.S. Forces Fighting Afghan Rebels. U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan are involved in the largest-scale fighting in nine months, the U.S. military said Tuesday.”
Dont mourn, organize
Bob Morris @ Jan 28th 2003 00:12 - Category: Unfiled ;
Dont mourn, organize
Iraq’s time running out, US says
This shouldn’t have been unexpected - that Hans Blix would play hard cop, whacking Iraq, thus giving the U.N. a fig leaf reason to vote for war. Too many peace activists, I think, have been relying on the U.N. to stop the war from happening. Don’t bet on it. The UN may crumple under pressure from the US and vote for war. It’s best not to rely on the UN. Or on “let the inspections work”, because the inspections are a rigged game at best.
Speaking of hard cop, look at Colin Powell, he’s been playing hard cop for some number of days now. Tell me, is Colin Powell really the moderate we have believed him to be? Or maybe he’s as much of a right wing ideologue as the rest of the Bushies, but hides it better.
5,000 Iraq children die each month because of the sanctions, and it’s been this way for a decade now. Hundreds of thousands will die in the coming war. For what?
Nothing materially has changed in Iraq in ten years. No new threats. No old threats, for that matter. So why the mad rush to war? Is there some clock ticking we don’t know about?
What it’s really about is empire, oil, and imperialism. The belief that the USA must be supremely dominant everywhere is the motivating force of the Axis of Weasels in DC. It’s madness, of course. It can’t and won’t succeed. I mean, they’ve said they expect us to be at war for twenty years or so, y’know, first Iraq, then North Korea, then Iran, then .. whoever.. Is this the kind of world you want to live it? I didn’t think so.
It’s time to mobilize and organize as never before. This Feb. 15 will be a worldwide “The World says No to War” day, with action and protests across the globe, in dozens of countries.
Imagine three million people in DC sitting down in the streets…
J29
Bob Morris @ Jan 28th 2003 00:10 - Category: Unfiled ;
J29
Today, in the State of the War address, George Bush will warn us of all manner of imminent peril if we do not immediately reduce Iraq to rubble.
Tomorrow, Jan 29, there will be mass protests across the country in response. Bring signs, banners, candles, drums. In LA, it’s at the Westwood Federal Bldg. 5 PM.
ANSWER has a partial list of cities, and flyers like the one pictured, but with a blank time & location, so you can create your own flyers.
Be there.
