Kurdish officials and Iraqi opposition leaders have hinted they would seek help from Iran, a U.S. enemy that hosts thousands of exiled Iraqi Shiite warriors - the "Badr Brigades" of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq - on Iraq's eastern border.
This won't be the first time that the US has left the Kurds to die. It is revolting the way we have toyed with that people's ambition for freedom and have been so complicit in their opppression by both Iraq and Turkey. If this war had anything to do with freedom, we would not be allowing Turkey to do this.
From a recent "Get your war on." --- I still can't believe we're going to repeat all of our mistakes from the last war. You would think we didn't learn anything.
Free Posters for Peace - . . .teams of artists and activists postered New York City with thousands of copies of photographs of Iraqi people. The aim was to show Americans the faces of the men, women, and children who will bear the brunt of a U.S. attack. If you want to do the same in your city follow the link.
NewsOK: It's Time for Public Vote on State Lottery - very surprised that the Oklahoman has come out in favor of this. I have mixed feelings myself. On one hand I am 100% opposed to the lottery, but on the other hand I have a hard time saying that the people should not be allowed to vote on such an important issue. I will say this, I think it is commendable that the Oklahoman is consistent in its philosophy for once since it used this same logic to push for a vote on the so-called "Right to Work" law.
Subject: Anti-English Only Rally at the Capitol, 3/3/03 1:30
Dear Friends,
The Oklahoma English Act, HB 1020, is scheduled for a vote Wednesday, March 5 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives (but it may come to a vote sooner). Intertribal Wordpath Society is calling for a rally of our members and supporters, and other groups who are opposed to HB 1020, on the South steps of the Capitol on Monday March 3, 1:30-3:30 pm. We are especially interested in working with Indian Tribes, Hispanic and Asian-American organizations, language preservationists and other professionals who see the insult and the folly of making English the official language of Oklahoma and forbidding the state to use most other languages for most purposes.
We have reserved the Capitol P.A. system for the rally; speakers from a variety of organizations and groups will address the crowd on issues related to HB 1020. We have in mind groups like the 39 tribes, LULAC, LCDA,TICAR, OKTESOL, churches, and political parties that are against "English Only" laws, etc. Please help us spread the word to similar organizations, and make us aware of individuals who would like to speak. Appropriate signs and banners naming concerned groups or succinctly stating reasonsfor opposing the law will be welcome. We suggest direct, but not personal (ad-hominem) statements (When you attack my language, You attack my people...HB 1020: English Supremacists Exposed ... An attack on one is an attack on all ... Don't let our children be language-deprived ... Oklahomans for Bilingual ed ...Diversity is good ... etc. ... invent your own!) We would love for supportive legislators to come and address the crowd as well, and we will invite the press. This is being put together with very little lead time, so please organize your contingents as quickly as possible. Take your lunch hour a little later if you can, and join us. Carpool with friends! We hope for a crowd of somewhere (!) between 500 and 5,000 people.
I hope to see you there!
Alice
Here is a letter to the editor that I have sent to the Daily Disappointment. Let's see if they'll run it or not.
Dear Editor,
I am writing regarding HB 1020 (sponsored by Rep. Ron Kirby) that proposes to make English the official state language and prohibit the state from using other Oklahoma languages in official state business.
While I am very concerned about the racist overtones of Rep. Kirby's bill, my greatest concern is public safety.
Texas currently offers drivers licence tests in Spanish. There was once reluctance there to take this step but in time the people of Texas have realized that doing this supports their own economy (through the ability of Spanish-only speakers to drive to work) and insures greater safety for the public (since there would be fewer unlicenced and uninsured drivers on the roads).
It is unfortunate that Rep. Kirby wants Oklahoma to fall behind Texas in ensuring the safety of the driving public.
J.M. Branum Member of the Oklahoma Green Party Executive Committee Newcastle, OK
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that federal racketeering and extortion laws were improperly used to punish aggressive anti-abortion protesters, lifting a nationwide injunction that barred people from interfering with clinic business.
The court's 8-1 ruling applies to protests of all sorts, not just at abortion clinics.
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, writing for the majority, said that when protesters do not "obtain" property, they cannot be punished under federal extortion laws.
The court's ruling is a victory for Operation Rescue, anti-abortion leader Joseph Scheidler and others who were ordered to pay damages to abortion clinics and were barred from interfering with their businesses for 10 years. The ruling ends that injunction.
Rehnquist said their protest activity did not qualify as extortion.
That outcome had been sought by activists like actor Martin Sheen, animal rights groups and even some organizations that support abortion rights. They argued that protesters of all types could face harsher penalties for demonstrating, if the court ruled otherwise.
The demonstrators had been sued in 1986 by abortion clinics in Delaware and Wisconsin and the National Organization for Women, which contended that racketeering and extortion laws should protect businesses from violent protests that drive away clients.
They accused the groups of blocking clinic entrances, menacing doctors, patients and clinic staff, and destroying equipment during a 15-year campaign to limit abortions. The demonstrators were ordered to pay about $258,000 in damages.
Rehnquist said there is no dispute that abortion protesters interfered with clinic operations and in some cases committed crimes.
"But even when their acts of interference and disruption achieved their ultimate goal of 'shutting down' a clinic that performed abortions, such acts did not constitute extortion," he wrote.
The punishments were meted out under provisions of the 1970 Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, and the Hobbs Act, a 1946 law aimed at crushing organized crime. The Hobbs Act makes it a crime to take property from another with force.
Justice John Paul Stevens filed the only dissent. He said the court was limiting the scope of the Hobbs Act and limiting protection of property owners in its "murky opinion."
The Supreme Court has previously said that the Hobbs Act should be read broadly, he said.
"The principal beneficiaries of the court's dramatic retreat from the position that federal prosecutors and federal courts have maintained throughout the history of this important statute will certainly be the class of professional criminals whose conduct persuaded Congress that the public needed federal protection from extortion," Stevens wrote.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote separately to say that the court was "rightly reluctant" to extend the reach of the RICO law, which allows prosecutors and private groups to seek hefty penalties.
The issue dates back to the 1980s when large groups of anti-abortion demonstrators used aggressive tactics to disrupt clinics. In 1998, a jury in Illinois found demonstrators guilty of dozens of violations, including four acts involving physical violence or threats of violence.
The court did not address a related issue in the case over whether the racketeering law gives individuals the right to ask a federal judge to stop a disputed activity. The law is most often used by federal prosecutors to go after organized crime figures, alleged conspirators and other criminals.
The cases are Scheidler v. National Organization for Women, 01-1118, and Operation Rescue v. National Organization for Women, 01-1119.
This test is for your consideration. If you can pass it, you are eligible to join the peace movement. This test consists of one (1) multiple-choice question (so you had better get it right!)
Here's a list of the countries that the U.S. has bombed, one way or another, since the end of World War II, compiled by historian William Blum:
China 1945-46 Korea 1950-53 China 1950-53 Guatemala 1954 Indonesia 1958 Cuba 1959-60 Guatemala 1960 Congo 1964 Peru 1965 Laos 1964-73 Vietnam 1961-73 Cambodia 1969-70 Guatemala 1967-69 Grenada 1983 Libya 1986 El Salvador 1980s Nicaragua 1980s Panama 1989 Iraq 1991-99 Sudan 1998 Afghanistan 1998, 2001-3 Yugoslavia 1999
In how many of these instances did a democratic government, respectful of human rights, occur as a direct result?
Choose one of the following:
(a) 0 (b) zero (c) none (d) not a one (e) a whole number between -1 and +1
This quiz is compliments of Vietnam Veterans Against the War Ben Chitty USN 65-9 VN 66-7 68 NY/VVAW peaceCENTER P.O. Box 36, San Antonio, Texas 78291 (210) 224-HOPE or 224-4673 FAX (210) 222-1097
There has been a tremendous amount of news lately concerning the fast approaching war in Iraq. I catch the gist of these stories from NPR's drive-time radio shows but have not had the time to research these stories or provide links to them here. Sorry but this is one of those times when life has crept in and kept me from blogging like I would like to.
So what that means is that the stories I'll be linking today and over the next few weeks are those that I either think are being ignored by the mainstream media or that I want to comment on. If you want general news on the war and protest actions I would check the media links on this page.
Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame)to the London Observer about the validity of the reasons given by George W. Bush for attacking Iraq.
I'm really excited by George Bush's latest reason for bombing Iraq: he's running out of patience. And so am I! For some time now I've been really pissed off with Mr Johnson, who lives a couple of doors down the street.
Well, him and Mr Patel, who runs the health food shop. They both give me queer looks, and I'm sure Mr Johnson is planning something nasty for me, but so far I haven't been able to discover what. I've been round to his place a few times to see what he's up to, but he's got everything well hidden. That's how devious he is. As for Mr Patel, don't ask me how I know, I just know - from very good sources - that he is, in reality, a Mass Murderer. I have leafleted the street telling them that if we don't act first, he'll pick us off one by one.
Some of my neighbours say, if I've got proof, why don't I go to the police? But that's simply ridiculous. The police will say that they need evidence of a crime with which to charge my neighbours. They'll come up with endless red tape and quibbling about the rights and wrongs of a pre-emptive strike and all the while Mr Johnson will be finalising his plans to do terrible things to me, while Mr Patel will be secretly murdering people.
Since I'm the only one in the street with a decent range of automatic firearms, I reckon it's up to me to keep the peace. But until recently that's been a little difficult. Now, however, George W. Bush has made it clear that all I need to do is run out of patience, and then I can wade in and do whatever I want!
And let's face it, Mr Bush's carefully thought-out policy towards Iraq is the only way to bring about international peace and security. The one certain way to stop Muslim fundamentalist suicide bombers targeting the US or the UK is to bomb a few Muslim countries that have never threatened us.
That's why I want to blow up Mr Johnson's garage and kill his wife and children. Strike first! That'll teach him a lesson. Then he'll leave us in peace and stop peering at me in that totally unacceptable way. Mr Bush makes it clear that all he needs to know before bombing Iraq is that Saddam is a really nasty man and that he has weapons of mass destruction - even if no one can find them. I'm certain I've just as much justification for killing Mr Johnson's wife and children as Mr Bush has for bombing Iraq. Mr Bush's long-term aim is to make the world a safer place by eliminating 'rogue states' and 'terrorism'.
It's such a clever long-term aim because how can you ever know when you've achieved it?
How will Mr Bush know when he's wiped out all terrorists? When every single terrorist is dead? But then a terrorist is only a terrorist once he's committed an act of terror. What about would-be terrorists? These are the ones you really want to eliminate, since most of the known terrorists, being suicide bombers, have already eliminated themselves. Perhaps Mr Bush needs to wipe out everyone who could possibly be a future terrorist? Maybe he can't be sure he's achieved his objective until every Muslim fundamentalist is dead? But then some moderate Muslims might convert to fundamentalism. Maybe the only really safe thing to do would be for Mr Bush to eliminate all Muslims?
It's the same in my street. Mr Johnson and Mr Patel are just the tip of the iceberg. There are dozens of other people in the street who I don't like and who - quite frankly - look at me in odd ways. No one will be really safe until I've wiped them all out. My wife says I might be going too far but I tell her I'm simply using the same logic as the President of the United States. That shuts her up.
Like Mr Bush, I've run out of patience, and if that's a good enough reason for the President, it's good enough for me. I'm going to give the whole street two weeks - no, 10 days - to come out in the open and hand over all aliens and interplanetary hijackers, galactic outlaws and interstellar terrorist masterminds, and if they don't hand them over nicely and say 'Thank you', I'm going to bomb the entire street to kingdom come.
It's just as sane as what George W. Bush is proposing - and, in contrast to what he's intending, my policy will destroy only one street.
The Counter Clinton Library - a funny idea, but come on Dittoheads... aren't there bigger fish in the world to fry than this? This just really makes you seem silly and inconsequential. Clinton is gone. He can't run again. Get a life folks!
I very much disagree with him on this, but I do think part of the problem is that Stanley is not seeing the culture of the writers of the New Testament. There are several scriptures in the NT that seem to support the idea of not speaking out against the evils of the governing powers and obeying the laws to the extent that conscience allows. (Being the kind of quiet or even complicit citizen that Stanley would support.)
However, given the fact that the first century was under the oppression of the evil Roman Empire at the time, I think those instructions were primarily written as a matter of survival. Certainly God did care about the oppression of people in those days but more importantly God wanted the church to be established. Once the church was well established, then the church did take on culture and government. (for instance, once Christianity became the official state religion of Rome slavery was abolished) The question was time and place.
Christians were persecuted plenty for simply practicing and teaching what they believed. If the early church had also taken on sexism, racism, etc. head-on it would have been crushed. Instead, the church was more subversive than that, living out the principles of egalitarianism and love for all in their own community, while hoping and praying for the time when they could do more.
OKLAHOMA CITY - One concerned veteran says his story is reason enough to be skeptical of what the government is telling us these days.
Robert Thompson fought two campaigns in Vietnam. He was an engineer for the navy. He says the U.S. government tested chemical and biological weapons on him for months without his knowledge. And, he refuses to trust the government won't do it again. "At 20 years old you're carefree," he said. "Nothing will happen to you."
Petty officer 2ndclass Robert Thompson was just 18 when he enlisted.
By 20 he was on his second campaign. He sailed the Thomas into Asia.
Until last year Thompson had no idea he and his shipmates were government guinea pigs.
"They waited so long to tell us, it's just so disappointing to me," he said. "What they did, not just to me...."
Just a few months ago, Veterans Affairs sent Thompson a letter. After 36 years, the government confessed the navy was involved in chemical and biological tests during Thompson's tour. Tests, the letter said, which included exposing American service men to botulism, Sarin gas, anthrax and more.
"I don't know why they couldn't come forward earlier to locate people," Thompson said. "Certainly when they found people were dying at three times the rate of the general public."
Now, an Oklahoma community is trying to understand why Uncle Sam wants to use its back yard. Experts say it's totally safe.
"We will not intentionally cause harm to people," said Mark Thompson of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Thompson's doctors give him a year before his lungs shut down. Hope for his recovery is gone. But, he says, he will fight to warn against blind trust.
"It broke my heart to hear people saying 'I know the government wouldn't harm us,' I can't believe that anymore," he said.
Representatives from the EPA and the army say comparing secret testing from the '60s and the tests they want to do now is like comparing apples and oranges. Also, they say, they would never consider using harmful agents, like sarin or anthrax. Instead, for this test they insist they're using harmless products like ground soil and egg whites.
There's still a chance the army will decide to postpone the tests. But, if it's approved, the crop duster will begin its work in the Goldsby area a week from today.
An interesting article, given Oklahoma's recent infatuation with lotteries and casino gambling to "save" education. But, I would also have to say that I would take anything this group (The American Family Association) says with a big honking grain of salt because they also publish ignorant diatribes like this one that say things like this . . .
One side of me thinks this is wonderful that America can send money to help these people dying with AIDS. The other side of me says we could use that money on our own seniors here at home to help offset the high costs of health care and prescription drugs. Or how about taking that $15 billion and letting states keep some of that money to help get them out of the red ink many are drowning in.
Besides, I ask myself, what in the world are these people doing over there in Africa to cause 30 million adults to have AIDS?? That is mind boggling! And this is a difficult disease to contract. Basically you have to have sex with someone who is infected or have some kind of transfer of body fluids such as a blood transfusion. Surely they know how AIDS is spread after all these years?"
What is wrong with this man? I am amazed that a self-professed Christian would say something this innane and insensitive. I wonder what Mr. Wildmon would say about a wife who is faithful to her husband who unknowing to her is cheating on her. What if she contracts AIDS from her adulterous husband?!?! ... something tells me Mr. Wildmon doesn't care. I find this disgusting.
And last but not least, good ol' Charles Stanley takes the cake. He has such a nice calming voice on the radio, but sheesh(!) this man has some issues. In a recent article on Intouch.org he says:
Even if we do not actually participate in the fighting, we are also called to create unity and harmony within the country. We need to support whatever decisions our nation makes, as long as they do not directly violate the Word of God. How can we justify the protests and marches against war? I understand that, in America, for example, we have a right to express our different opinions. However, there comes a time when our personal opinion is not a priority. The only reason we have the freedom to protest in this country is because thousands were willing to die for that liberty in the past.
Instead of resisting, we should offer to serve the war effort in any way possible during this time, especially by encouraging and helping the families of our soldiers. And the most important and powerful thing we can do for our nation is pray. Pray for our President, leaders, military, and even our enemies. God honors the prayers of His children and expects us to support those in authority.
Does Mr. Stanley understand democracy? Folks (who at least in Oklahoma City are about 80% Christian would be my guess) who protest against war do it because of their faith, not in violation of it. And, we are very patriotic, that is why we protest because we expect more of America than this.
I certainly believe in praying for our leaders, and those of our "enemies" too. (Phil Ware discusses this far more eloquently than I could at http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200302/20030203_pause.html). But doing this does not mean that one won't protest against the action of those same leaders either.
I think it is wrong for Stanley to say that is wrong for Christians to protest. Christians have protested since the early days of the church (starting with St. Patrick, the first person to speak against slavery in history and going to the present era, when folks of faith were the driving force behind the American Civil Rights movement.). This is good and right.
I do think though that Christians bear a higher responsibility in protesting (just as they do in life). We should avoid being hateful towards people (something I struggle with daily) and instead to fight ideas not the people who advocate them. This is going against the flow of the tone of some recent protests (which were too hateful IMHO), but I've also noticed that in those areas where Christians are involved to a larger extent, the protests don't have that vibe. Here in OKC our protests have been not been hateful, something which I am very grateful for.
Ok, off my soapbox now. (I should add though before you jump my case, I think Christian leaders are fair game for criticism. Jesus ripped into the religious leaders of his day, so you can be assured that when I see folks like Stanley and the guy from AFA advocating un-Christian attitudes, you bet I'm going to let 'em have it. They should know better.
--- STANDING CALLS FOR EMERGENCY ANTI-WAR ACTIONS ---
CALL FROM AUSTIN AGAINST WAR: If a full-fledged war starts against Iraq, join a protest in front of the State Capitol at 4:30 PM, followed by a march at 5:15 to the Congress Avenue Bridge. The US and UK have been illegally bombing Iraq for over a decade, and almost daily for the past three weeks. But when it escalates and becomes official (when the networks cut into regular programming and the cable news channels trot out their new war logos) it will be time to come to the State Capitol (11th and Congress) at 5 pm.
CALL FROM CAMPUS COALITION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE: The day after the US begins its war on Iraq, gather for a rally at 12:00 noon on the South Mall of UT Campus.
From CPTnet: IRAQ: Things are not as they seem, part 2 by Jim Loney
February 18, 2003
[The author was part of CPT's December 26-January 9 delegation to Iraq.]
Hassan is my favourite person in Iraq. He is ten years old. Every day I was in Baghdad he shined my shoes for 500 dinars, or 24 cents. Double the going rate. (We were told not to give more than that.) His hands took hold of brush and polish and rag as if he was doing the most important thing in the world.
A priest from Notre Dame University, had given Hassan a soccer ball. Business was slow and I happened to be passing by. Hassan invited me to play with him.
In the sidewalk there was a plastic tube that came out of the ground: a public supply of water. A kneeling police officer was filling a jug with water to wash his patrol car. A thirsty Hassan ran up to the officer, who held the tube out for Hassan to drink from. He drank greedily and rushed back to steal the ball from me.
That afternoon, we met our government minder, Mr. Wadah, the Foreign Ministry official responsible for our safety and for approving our itinerary. The very first thing he said to us was, "Please, you must not drink the water. It is not good for us. You must only drink some bottled water."
The day before, we went to a hospital. Dr. Ahmed, assistant director of Saddam Central Paediatric Teaching Hospital, took us to one of the wards. He brought us to a bed where there was no child--only a bunched-up blanket that lay at the head of the bed.
"A six month old baby," he told us, " was brought in last night, suffering from diarrhea. She died this morning from dehydration." There was an old woman, a grandmother, sitting on the bed with the blanket, her hands folded helplessly in her lap. I suddenly felt sick. The blanket was concealing a dead child.
Dr. Ahmed asked the grandmother if he could show us the baby. She nodded and moved to the next bed. He pulled the blanket back.
There she was, little Azhar, lying on her side, face frozen in the manner of her last breath. Her eyes were open; her features colourless, cranial, emaciated. There was a white film about her lips. Tiny fingers curled gently into a fist.
"Please, if you like, you can take some pictures," Dr. Ahmed said. No one did. Mercifully, he covered her again with the blanket. The old woman stared blankly, did not move.
By the beginning of 2001, UNICEF reports that the mortality rate for Iraqi children under five had increased 160% since 1990. In 1990, 95% of urban households and 75% of rural households had access to potable water. By 1996, all sewage treatment facilities in Iraq had broken down, and 300,000 tons of raw sewage are discharged directly into fresh water each day.
Dirty water. Dysentery. Diarrhea. Death. Take a picture. This is what sanctions look like in Iraq.
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative among Mennonite and Church of the Brethren congregations and Friends Meetings that supports violence reduction efforts around the world. Contact CPT, POB 6508, Chicago, IL 60680; Telephone: 773-277-0253, Fax: 773-277-0291.
To receive news or discussion of CPT issues by e-mail, fill out the form found on our WEB page at http://www.prairienet.org/cpt/
Here are my responses (questions are in red and authored by some of the pro-war bloggists, for anti-war bloggists to answer):
1) If you were President of the United States, what would be your policy toward Iraq over the next year? What advantages and disadvantages do you see in your proposed policies versus the current path being pursued by the Bush administration?
I would lift the sanctions against all non-military goods and engage in policy of humanitarian aid for the people of Iraq (bombing them with butter as the saying goes) while at the same time enhancing the current inspections regime (and possibly engaging in unilateral intelligence work) to ensure that Iraq does not have the capability to actually launch a weapons of mass destruction attack. I would also work with the people of Northern Iraq (Kurdistan) to help them develop infrastucture and greater autonomy in hopes of some day their achieving full independence from Iraq.
Finally I would begin radio broadcasts (and leaflet drops) into Iraq with educational materials on the methods of non-violent direct action, to encourage the people of Iraq to rise up in peaceful opposition to the Hussein regime.
I believe these policies would do more to help the people of Iraq and Kurdistan build their own lives, and hopefully in time achieve liberation through non-violent means from the Hussein regime. These policies also might prevent war.
2) Is there any circumstance that you can conceive of where the United States would be justified in using military force without the support of the UN Security Council --- or does the UN always have a veto against US military action for whatever reason?
I believe the US should never use military force, but IF theoretically such an action would truly be the lesser of two evils it should be done with the permission of the international community through the United Nations.
3) American and British military force has allowed Northern Iraq to develop a society which, while imperfect, is clearly a freer and more open society than existed under Saddam Hussein's direct rule. Do you agree that the no-fly zones have been beneficial to Northern Iraq --- and if so, why should this concept not be extended to remove Hussein's regime entirely and spread those freedoms to all Iraqis?
I agree the no-fly zones have been somewhat effective. However full-on regime change will not work with out the development of alternative governmental structures to take the place of the Hussein regime. The reason why the Kurds are able to function is that they did have in part the social infrastructure to make it work. I do not think the Iraqi people have that same situation yet.
4) Do you believe an inspection and sanctions regime is sufficient and capable of keeping weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of the Hussein regime --- and should this be a goal of U.S. policy? In what way is an inspection/containment/sanctions regime preferable to invasion? Civilian casualties? Expense? Geopolitical outcome?
I am unsure if the inspections regime will work, but I do believe the sanctions have not worked because they target the civilian population and not the military needs of the country. I do not think that continuing the sanctions is an appropriate alternative to war.
There is no perfect solution and time will tell what is best. Many have died from sanctions. Many would die from war. I don't think either alternative is a good one.
5) What, in your opinion, is the source of national sovereignty? If you believe it to be the consent of the governed, should liberating Iraq from Saddam Hussein's regime be U.S. policy? If so, how do you propose to accomplish this goal absent military action? (And if in your view the sovereignty of a state does not derive from the consent of the governed, then what is the source of sovereignty?)
I believe that national sovreignty in an ideal sense is generally found in the consent of the governed, but in a practical sense is found in political and military power.
This should be a goal for America and the world, to see democracy take root in Iraq (and many other repressive nations... i.e. China, Saudi Arabia, and others)
As a pacifist I do not believe that force is the way to enact social change. Maybe force would achieve the desired result (a free Iraq) but I doubt that it will. (most likely it will result in another dictatorial regime) That is why I think the US and other nations should help the Iraqi people directly with information on non-violent methods of revolution.
- O Lord, we pray you, may the wounds of war, hunger and abandonment which so many people suffer from be healed. We pray you for peace, the salvation of every people, may it come soon.
- O Lord, bestow your peace upon us, upon our brothers in the world and upon all countries at war. Disarm the hands and the minds of the violent, bend all hearts to the commandments of peace. May peace-building men and women arise in the world.
- O Lord, you hear the cry of the weak, the orphans and the widows, of the foreigners, help us to show your same compassion and go towards the poor with a generous heart.
- O Lord, disarm the plans of the violent, make the whole world rise again so that death, terrorism, violence and revenge may no longer rule over the heart of man and peace may reign everywhere. We pray you to protect all countries ravaged by war.
CPTnet: IRAQ: Things are not as they seem, part 1 by Jim Loney
Received via email today from CPT:
February 17, 2003 [The author was part of CPT's December 26-January 9 delegation to Iraq.]
I expected to see a crater blasted into the earth, smashed concrete, rubble--some obvious sign of destruction.
We came instead to an immaculately-kept, sand-coloured building. Though windowless and bulky, care had been taken to ease it into the neighbourhood. The entrance was marked by a series of pleasing arches, a mural of pastel geometric shapes to the side. If I had been in Canada I might have guessed that it was an arena.
This was Baghdad's Amiriya shelter, part of a network of thirty-four bomb shelters constructed during the Iran-Iraq war. It was here, on February 17, 1991, that two American "smart-bombs" incinerated 408 people.
We passed under the arches, went through a massive, vault-like portal and stepped into a hellish black cavern. The back of my neck tingled.
Then I saw it, in the ceiling -- what I recognized from pictures -- an oval gash of light that poured into black through a curtain of twisted steel. The light illuminated a crater of exploded cement and broken girders.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, the particularities of this horror began to emerge: mangled remnants of electrical and ventilation systems hung from the ceiling; black blotches where the backs and arms and legs of sleeping women and children were charred into the floor; massive concrete pillars stripped to re-bar; ghostly images of human beings seared into walls. Our guide pointed to the outline of a head, shoulder, bent elbow--a woman holding her baby.
The U.S. military delivered the bombs at 4 o'clock in the morning. According to an Associate Press reporter, "Most of the recovered bodies were charred and mutilated beyond recognition."
On the inside, place of agony, atrocity, horror, holocaust. On the outside, just another building. Things are not as they seem.
That last sentence speaks volumes. Things are often not as they seem, especially during war.
and 3,000 students and faculty at the University of Texas in Austin participating in an unpermitted class walk-out.
(Sigh... this picture brings back fond memories. I used to live about 250 directly south of the statute of George Washington that you can see in this picture.)
At first glance, this story looks like a silly publicity stunt but on further thought it really, really upsets me.
Neal Rowland, the owner of Cubbies is a xenophobic moron. The prejudice that America showed to German-Americans (especially to the pacifist Mennonites who wouldn't fight for anybody) was shameful. It is pathetic that Rowland was inspired by such a thing. I encourage him (and any like minded folks) to re-read their history books a little more, especially to what happened all across America to German-Americans and others who were suspected of disloyalty.
For example in Oklahoma during the "Great War" there were many German-American towns that decided to change their names so as to not be considered "German" (from Korn to Corn for example), and Mennonites were forbidden by law to speak their native language or to publish their German language newspapers.
Also, there was little toleration for Pacifists in general, especially those of an non-conformist nature. In my own ancestral religious tradition (the Churches of Christ), several hundred members were sent to prison for the duration of the war because they refused to fight and their C.O. claims were denied since the Churches of Christ are autonomous congregations that do not have a stated creed besides the Bible. There was also a college affiliated with the Churches of Christ, Cordell Christian College in Cordell, OK which was shut down because their professors refused to encourage the students to fight in the war.
Let's hope that Mr. Rowland's ignorance of the past isn't infectious.
American unilateralism has to do with the motives and the methods of American behavior in the world, but any discussion of it has to begin with a discussion of the structure of the international system. The reason that we talk about unilateralism today is that we live in a totally new world. We live in a unipolar world of a sort that has not existed in at least 1500 years.
At the end of the Cold War, the conventional wisdom was that with the demise of the Soviet Empire, the bipolarity of the second half of the 20th century would yield to a multi-polar world. You might recall the school of thought led by historian Paul Kennedy, who said that America was already in decline, suffering from imperial overstretch. There was also the Asian enthusiasm, popularized by James Fallows and others, whose thinking was best captured by the late-1980s witticism: “The United States and Russia decided to hold a Cold War. Who won? Japan.”
Well, they were wrong, and ironically no one has put it better than Paul Kennedy himself, in a classic recantation emphasizing America’s power: “Nothing has ever existed like this disparity of power, nothing. Charlemagne’s empire was merely Western European in its reach. The Roman Empire stretched farther afield, but there was another great empire in Persia and a larger one in China. There is, therefore, no comparison.”
We tend not to see or understand the historical uniqueness of this situation. Even at its height, Britain could always be seriously challenged by the next greatest powers. It had a smaller army than the land powers of Europe, and its navy was equaled by the next two navies combined. Today, the American military exceeds in spending the next twenty countries combined. Its Navy, Air Force and space power are unrivaled. Its dominance extends as well to every other aspect of international life – not only military, but economic, technological, diplomatic, cultural, even linguistic, with a myriad of countries trying to fend off the inexorable march of MTV English.
But that said, I think empires are an evil phenomenon as a general rule, and our Constitution was not written for an empire but rather a free nation. It's high time we trash the unilateral attitude of "whatever makes us the most money" and instead start working multilaterally for the values of democracy, liberty, and social equality.
Tens of thousands of people thronged the streets of Sydney and other Australian cities on Sunday, beginning a second day of global marches against a possible U.S. war on Iraq. In a massive wave of demonstrations not seen since the Vietnam War, more than six million peace protesters took to the streets in towns and cities from Cape Town to Chicago on Saturday.
This means that over the weekend, a combined number of between 10 and 20 million people protested the coming war in Iraq.
I don't think Bush and Blair have any idea how much the people of the world question this war. Call me a pessimist but if the B&B team refuse to listen to this, then there is little hope left (except in God... at this point, I think divine intervention will be the only way to stop the slaughters of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi people.).
Estimates range from 4-11 million who participated in this weekend's anti-war marches across the world. The biggest crowds were in those nations that are blindly following US policy... the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy.
My prediction is that if those countries don't change their course of action, there will be changes of government soon (esp in the UK where Blair may possibly face a "no confidence vote from his own cabinent). Here are 3 reports from different perspectives...
The following links (accompanied by abstracts of the stories) were taken from the latest email newsletter from the American Constitution Society. (I should add that while I am a member of OCU's chapter of ACS. I do not agree with all of the positions that are advocated by ACS but do agree with their general mission... of preserving a rule for liberal thought in the increasingly conservative American judiciary.)
Native American Nation Address Addresses Progress, Challenges:
In the first ever “State of the Indian Nations” address, Tex Hall, president of the National Congress of American Indians, outlined many of the major national issues of concern to Native Americans while offering a number of recommendations on key public policy questions. http://www.ncai.org/form/docs/SOIN_ADDRESS.pdf
ABA Demands Legal Rights for U.S. Citizens Held in Terror Probes:
On Monday, the ABA denounced the classification of U.S. citizens as “enemy combatants,” a policy that has allowed the government to hold some individuals indefinitely and block access to lawyers and courts. The ABA’s resolution urges Congress to set standards for the detentions that, among other things, would provide citizens who are detained with access to attorneys and the ability to challenge their imprisonment in court.http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1044059453636.
House Dems Ask Ashcroft to Explain New Terror Restrictions:
House Democrats have demanded that Attorney General John Ashcroft explain reports that the Justice Department plans to ask Congress to expand the scope of the USA PATRIOT Act to increase surveillance while restricting access to information and limiting judicial review. CNN reports: http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/02/10/anti.terror.law.ap/index.html
Bush Could Tap African-American Woman to Potential Supreme Court Vacancy:
If a vacancy opens on the Supreme Court, President Bush appears to be giving serious consideration to California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown, a conservative African American judge who has ruled against affirmative action and abortion rights, according to Newsweek: http://www.msnbc.com/news/870468.asp
I received a funny email today of slogans used by Peace Protests recently. Some of them while humerous were more harm than good (they just will make folks mad, and hence no persuasive power... besides I don't think Bush is an evil person. I think he is wrong person, someone who has a critical misunderstanding of the world and regretably the power to act up on that misunderstand . . . but I still think he has good intentions so I don't like some of the hateful anti-bush signs.), but I did dig some of them. Here they are...
Who would Jesus bomb?
How did our oil get under their sand?
Sacrifice our SUV's, not our children.
Draft dodgers shouldn't start wars.
You don't have to like Bush to love America.
Stop the *excess* of evil--- $396 billion dollar defense budget
$1 billion a day to kill people -- what a bargain.
Pro-lifers: Wake from Bush's propaganda spell -- war kills innocent children.
Empires fall.
An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind (Gandhi).
Let Exxon send their own troops.
9-11-01: 15 Saudis, 0 Iraqis.
Don't waive your rights while waving your flag.
I asked for universal health care and all I got was this lousy stealth bomber
America's problems won't be solved in Iraq.
Ok, I have one mean-spirted one, but it is so funny I have to share it...
IsThatLegal.blogspot.com was featured on the blogs of note section of Blogger.com recently and discusses the illegal incarceration of American citizens of Japanese ancestry during WWII, including some connections to today's state of affairs, especially with regards to Congressman Coble's recent statement (as stated by The Highpoint Enterprise ) that
. . . he agreed with the World War II policy of placing Japanese-Americans in internment camps. He said that action was necessary for their own protection and in view of national security considerations at the time.
. What is scary is that this man is the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.
“I’m sorry, but our president is a young person and has a romantic view of war, but I think it could go on and on and on. And he is making us hated, and I don’t like our country being hated.”
The Gazette ran my letter to the editor in this week's edition. Here's what I wrote...
Dear Editor,
The headlines are full of dire warnings about Oklahoma's $350 Million funding shortfall; a crisis which cries out for true leadership.
Regrettably our state's highest official, Governor Brad Henry wants to make the problem worse with a regressive tax against the poor and desperate (a.k.a. "the lottery") Henry says that the lottery could raise $300 million annually ("Henry seeks late summer lottery vote" Daily Oklahoman, Jan. 16, 2003) but has not told us the true cost of these millions.
Let's look at the math a little more closely. If an Oklahoma lottery operates with the same margins, as does the Texas lottery, then only 30% of the average wager will go into state coffers (with 58% going to prizes, 7% for lottery administration, & 5% going to retailers).
Hence, if Henry's lottery is to net $300 million for the state, $1 billion of lottery tickets must be sold each year.
If 40% of Oklahoman's 3.4 million residents do not buy lottery tickets, there would be a pool of 2.04 million potential lottery players to buy the needed $1 billion of tickets. (Certainly out-of-state residents might buy Oklahoma tickets, but Oklahoma residents may also continue to buy out-of-state tickets so the net gain will likely be a wash). If we then divide the needed sales ($1 billion) by the number of potential players (2.04 million) we get an average of $490 per person.
Finally if we take that number ($490) and multiply it by the average Oklahoma household size (2.49 according to the 2000 census), the result would be an average of $1220 spent on lottery tickets each year by lottery-playing families.
If Governor Henry's plan does net $300 million we will be in for a world of hurt. Marriages will be shattered. Children will go hungry. People will kill themselves. Lives will be ruined.
J. M. Branum Newcastle, OK
Lastly the Gazette did a major redesign starting with this issue. The new look is excellent. Check it out if you have the chance. (If only they'll redo their sorry website. They could learn a lot from the Austin Chronicle's website.
"North Dakota, still in its cultural infancy, cannot be trusted to responsibly handle weapons of mass destruction," French President Jacques Chirac said. "We are talking about a place that doesn't even have a Thai restaurant or movie theater that shows foreign films, but still they have the resources to build thousands of warheads. Do not believe their claims of being 'The Peace Garden State.'"
According to Chirac, North Dakota's development of nuclear arms "represents a grave threat to peaceful states the world over, none more so than its longtime neighbor and rival across the 45th Parallel, South Dakota."
. . .
The man at the center of the controversy is North Dakota's leader, Gov. John Hoeven. Having risen to power in 2000 after amassing tremendous wealth in the private sector, Hoeven lives a life of comfort and excess inside the heavily patrolled North Dakota governor's mansion, a lavish dwelling paid for entirely by the state, while many of his people engage in subsistence farming.
Some suspect that Hoeven is using the nuclear program as a bargaining chip to gain badly needed economic benefits for his state. Hardly at the forefront of technology in other aspects, North Dakota has a largely rural population and a child-poverty rate of 14 percent—a fact critics have been quick to point out.
"North Dakotans live a horrible life of isolation and deprivation, struggling to grow crops in a hostile, sub-zero climate while their indifferent government routinely prioritizes bolstering the state's military might," BBC World correspondent Caroline Eagan said. "There are people starving there, and yet high-tech weapons laboratories and military bases abound. It's deplorable."
Added Eagan: "And, no big surprise, the U.S. played a major role in arming this place. I hear most of the missiles are American-made."
Many U.S. citizens have expressed fear, some realizing for the first time that North Dakota has thousands of weapons capable of reaching any major American city within minutes.
"It is absolutely frightening that there are all these weapons of mass destruction practically in my backyard," said Karen Stiles of Moorhead, MN. "Do we really know enough about these people who have their finger on the button that could kill millions?"
Added Stiles: "How did our elected officials let this happen?"
Read this story if you can take the time as it is likely one of the most telling stories I have linked to in the last few weeks. It tells how that Dick Cheney back in his days as Defense Secretary had a government researcher fired for releasing the true numbers on civilian casulties during the Gulf War of '91, and how she got her job back through the courts (with the help of the ACLU).
BTW, here are the true numbers that caused the researcher to get fired...
13,000 civilians were killed directly by American and allied forces, and about 70,000 civilians died subsequently from war-related damage to medical facilities and supplies, the electric power grid, and the water system, she calculated.
In all, 40,000 Iraqi soldiers were killed in the conflict, she concluded, putting total Iraqi losses from the war and its aftermath at 158,000, including 86,194 men, 39,612 women, and 32,195 children.
If 158,000 died during the '91 Gulf War, I would suspect that at least that many or more will due during the fast approaching war of '03. To put that in perspective, that is the equivilent of 25 times the carnage of September 11th.
Thanks go out to Jennifer @ Mellow-drama (a fellow Law student) for many of today's links. I disagree with much of what she says (she is a pro-war Libertarian from what I can make out), but I will say that she makes me think.
Sun Herald: 800 missiles to hit Iraq in first 48 hours (This is dated from Jan. 25th. I have tried to confirm this story with later coverage with no luck. If this is true, however, the American military's war plans are sick and twisted and appear to be planned in a way to deliberately cause thousands upon thousands of civilian casulties. May God have mercy on us all if this is to be.)
If the immediate artistic response to the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington was the theater of grief, some of the nation's poets, musicians, writers, actors and playwrights have moved on to the theater of protest. The prospect of an imminent military confrontation with Iraq has incited a new sense of creative urgency.
"I don't think it's an accident that in totalitarian societies they always arrest the artists first, though we don't seem particularly dangerous," said André Gregory, the theater director and actor. "I think the responsibility of the artist, each of us in our way, is to tell the truth. And the truth generally involves a great deal of ambiguity, and in times of war ambiguity and paradox are the first things to go. People want simple black and white answers."
When Colin Powell goes to the United Nations today to make his case for war with Saddam, the U.N. plans to throw a blue cover over Picasso's antiwar masterpiece, "Guernica."
Too much of a mixed message, diplomats say. As final preparations for the secretary's presentation were being made last night, a U.N. spokesman explained, "Tomorrow it will be covered and we will put the Security Council flags in front of it."
Mr. Powell can't very well seduce the world into bombing Iraq surrounded on camera by shrieking and mutilated women, men, children, bulls and horses.
Reporters and cameras will stake out the secretary of state at the entrance of the U.N. Security Council, where the tapestry reproduction of "Guernica," contributed by Nelson Rockefeller, hangs.
The U.N. began covering the tapestry last week after getting nervous that Hans Blix's head would end up on TV next to a screaming horse head.
(Maybe the U.N. was inspired by John Ashcroft's throwing a blue cover over the "Spirit of Justice" statue last year, after her naked marble breast hovered over his head during a televised terrorism briefing.) . . .
Good news here in OkieLand. Alice Anderton, fellow Exec committee member of the Oklahoma Green Party and Executive Director of the Intertribal Wordpath Society has reported by email that HB 1020 the ""English Only" bill was killed by the Rules Committee of the OK House of Representatives.
Specifically she reports that the committee chairman cited the large number of phone calls he received especially from American Indians who were opposed to this bill.
There is the possibility that this bill will get submitted again next year so we must remain vigilant. I know for some of my readers this may seem like an inconsequential issue, but to speakers of Native languages this is a big deal and would be considered an insult if enacted.
Also, I would argue from a public safety perspective that this bill if passed would have prohibited the giving of driver's license tests in Spanish, which would result in a higher number of unlicensed drivers on our highways.
I received this from SWT's campus Greens listserve...
Hey everyone- Im encouraging you to be a part of the largest antiwar movement ever on sat feb 15 at 1 om at the Capitol. There will be demonstrations nation wide. Send the message with your actions. if you dont, we're in big trouble. Do your part. see ya there. Skye- SWT Campus Greens
This next message was from another Austin-area activist listserve...
Wednesday, February 12, 11:30 AM UT WALK-OUT AGAINST THE WAR IN IRAQ Walk out of class to show your opposition to war in Iraq. Walk-out at 11:30 AM followed by gathering at East Mall and march.
I received this via email today. It sounds like CPT is taking a very bold move, one that will very possibly result in the sacrifice of their own lives. Whether you agree with them or not, you can't doubt the strength of their convictions.
CPTnet February 4, 2003 CHICAGO/TORONTO: CPT announces delegation to Iraq, February 24-March 10, 2003
Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is recruiting peacemakers to travel to Iraq as the U.S. continues to threaten war with that country. The next delegation, CPT's fifth since October, is scheduled for February 24-March 10, 2003. Although many uncertainties in the current political climate make plans necessarily tentative, prospective delegates MUST APPLY BY FEBRUARY 11 to provide enough time for visa processing. Applicants must have a valid passport that is free from any indication of travel to Israel.
Delegations will stay in Baghdad or other cities in Iraq. They will visit facilities such as hospitals, schools and markets, and meet with representatives of governmental and non-governmental agencies. In case of a U.S. attack, delegates will strive to be present among people and institutions that support life. An effort will be made to connect with churches in Iraq.
As in all CPT delegations, participants accept the risks to personal safety and uncertainties of travel inherent in being present in a conflict zone. An additional risk for U.S. citizens is that travel to Iraq violates U.S. federal law. In the event that bombing actually starts, travel in and out of Iraq could be difficult or delayed. Delegates should be prepared for the possibility that their term may be extended due to situations beyond the control of organizers.
Minimum age for participants is 21. Cost of the delegation is $2000 US, which includes round-trip airfare to Amman, Jordan, simple accommodations and food, all on-ground travel, and other team support. CPT seeks participants who are interested in human rights work, committed to nonviolence, and willing to participate in team worship and reflection. In addition to contacting media and government officials before travel to Iraq, delegates will be invited to develop plans for sharing about the trip upon return to their home communities and congregations.
For more information or to apply, contact CPT at the address below, or see CPT's website at: http://www.cpt.org. Fax completed applications to 773-277-0291 or e-mail to guest.76645@MennoLink.org.
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative among Mennonite and Church of the Brethren congregations and Friends Meetings that supports violence reduction efforts around the world. Contact CPT, POB 6508 Chicago, IL 60680; Telephone: 773-277-0253, Fax: 773-277-0291.
WASHINGTON--If you've ever used a peer-to-peer network and swapped copyrighted files, chances are pretty good you're guilty of a federal felony. It doesn't matter if you've forsworn Napster, uninstalled Kazaa and now are eagerly padding the record industry's bottom line by snapping up $15.99 CDs by the cartload.
Be warned--you're what prosecutors like to think of as an unindicted federal felon.
I'm not joking. A obscure law called the No Electronic Theft (NET) Act that former U.S. President Bill Clinton signed in 1997 makes peer-to-peer (P2P) pirates liable for $250,000 in fines and subject to prison terms of up to three years. (You may want to read it, since you'll likely be hearing more about it soon.)
That's a long time to spend cooling your heels in Club Fed.
Yet something strange is going on here. So far the Justice Department has made precisely zero prosecutions of peer-to-peer users under the NET Act.
This odd delay is not because peer-to-peer piracy is legal. It's not. The NET Act covers people who willfully participate in the "reproduction or distribution" of copyrighted works without permission, when that activity is not covered by fair use rights.
The law even grants copyright holders the right to hand a "victim impact statement" to the judge at your trial, meaning you can expect an appearance from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) or the Business Software Alliance (BSA), depending on what kind of files were on your hard drive. You'll no longer have that hard drive, of course, because it'll have been seized by the FBI, and you'll be in jail.
Fretting that not enough peer-to-peer pirates are already in the slammer, a band of congressmen asked Attorney General John Ashcroft last July to begin some NET Act prosecutions, pronto. Their letter complained of "a staggering increase in the amount of intellectual property pirated over the Internet through peer-to-peer systems." The 19 politicos--including Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.--urged Ashcroft "to prosecute individuals who intentionally allow mass copying from their computer over peer-to-peer neworks."
It didn't take long for the Justice Department to respond. A few weeks later, John Malcolm, a deputy assistant attorney general, said to expect some NET Act prosecutions. "There does have to be some kind of a public message that stealing is stealing is stealing," said Malcolm, who oversees the arm of the Justice Department that prosecutes copyright and computer crime cases.
Since then, however, there's been nothing but silence. The Justice Department has been tight-lipped about its plans, and did not reply to a request for comment on Friday.
Yet there are signs that prosecutions are coming soon. A person close to the RIAA told me that it has had recent meetings with the Justice Department.
A second hint that pressure on the Justice Department is increasing lies in a statement of principles that the RIAA signed this month with the Computer Systems Policy Project and the BSA. The trio of groups say they want more "governmental enforcement actions against infringers."
For its part, the RIAA sent me a statement on Friday that seems to back that up: "We are in constant communication with various law enforcement agencies about all forms of piracy. It's illegal, and there clearly is an important role that law enforcement can play...It's important to remember that a 'Kazaa user' trafficking in copyrighted music without permission is doing something that is clearly illegal, as numerous courts have held that uploading and downloading copyrighted works without permission constitutes direct infringement. And it is well-established that copyright infringement can be a federal crime, so government enforcement seems perfectly appropriate."
Bob Kruger, BSA's vice president of enforcement, says his group is not actively lobbying for prosecutions of peer-to-peer users, but would not oppose them, either. "Industry has an obligation to make law enforcement aware of the problems that beset it," Kruger said. "Congress has recognized that government enforcement efforts are part of the overall solution."
History of the law Rampant file-swapping is precisely the activity that the NET Act was designed to punish. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., the co-chairman of the Congressional Internet Caucus, drafted the law to close what had become known as the "LaMacchia Loophole."
In 1994, David LaMacchia was a junior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was charged with wire fraud for creating a file-swapping site on the Internet. But a federal judge dismissed the criminal charges, ruling that although LaMacchia could be sued in civil court, he was not guilty as charged. "It is not clear that making criminals of a large number of consumers of computer software is a result that even the software industry would consider desirable," said U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns.
In an e-mail to me, Goodlatte said: "We would like to see more done to help guard against the wholesale violation of our copyright laws. We have helped secure additional funding for the Department of Justice to enforce the NET Act."
The NET Act works in two ways: In general, violations are punishable by one year in prison, if the total value of the files exceeds $1,000; or, if the value tops $2,500, not more than five years in prison. Also, if someone logs on to a file-trading network and shares even one MP3 file without permission in "expectation" that others will do the same, full criminal penalties kick in automatically.
"I'd imagine there are, at minimum, several thousand file-swappers meeting this definition," said Polk Wagner, who teaches copyright law at the University of Pennsylvania. To duck a conviction, said Polk, "you'd have to, in essence, prove you were an idiot. Not a problem for some, but a big problem for most file sharers, I suspect."
Jessica Litman, a professor at Wayne State University Law School, says achieving a conviction wouldn't be trivial for prosecutors. "For purposes of a criminal prosecution, you'd have to show more than that the defendant made the files available--you'd have to show that she actually made or distributed copies," Litman says. "Not too difficult using today's tools, but you would need to show the actual copying of the file by third parties rather than merely proving that defendant downloaded the files into her share directory."
There already have been successful prosecutions under the NET Act of Web pirates--but not of peer-to-peer pirates.
In 2001, a 21-year-old Michigan man named Brian Baltutat was successfully prosecuted under the NET Act for posting a mere 142 software programs on the "Hacker Hurricane" Web site. Jason Spatafore, 25, pleaded guilty to posting just one movie on the Web--"Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace"--in December 2000.
A quick check of Kazaa on Friday afternoon showed that there were 4.1 million users online, sharing some 800 million files. The odds of any specific person getting busted are pretty low, but someone's going to be a test case. Got your lawyer ready?
Amarillo Globe News: Jesus Wouldn't Have a Prayer Among Today's Far Right, Op-ed by Erik V. Williams (from 29 January, 2003)
The Trinity of Robertson, Falwell and Swaggart -- the American Axis of "Good" -- has been busy preaching to its flocks on the evils of Islam.
These scholars, who only a short time ago thought Muslim was fabric of coarse weave which Jimmy encountered under his liaisons in cheaper motels, are today world-renowned experts, with Falwell credited with inciting riots in India.
Falwell called Muhammad, the founder of Islam, "a terrorist ... a man of war," while another reverent man of God, noting that one of Muhammad's many wives was but 9 years old, labeled him a "demon-possessed pedophile."
That is hardly the worst that has been said, but it does highlight the Right's usual prurient preoccupation with sex and violence.
Any historian will explain how inappropriate it is to measure the behavior of the people of one age by the moral standards of another. Muhammad's conduct, occurring more than 1,300 years ago, when warfare was business as usual and females were married while still children, was consistent with his contemporaries, including Christians.
Of course, that is beside the point to Robertson, Falwell and Swaggart, men determined to judge the seventh century by their more modern 14th-century sensibilities.
If one is keeping score, it is just as easy to point out the evils of Christianity. Tens of thousands of men, women and children, both Christian and non-Christian, have been terrorized and sped into the arms of their Maker on the point of a sword, or toasted on church bonfires, all in the name of Christ. It is a subject that seems to rarely come up in Sunday school for some reason.
Of course, the gentle Lamb of God did not commit such violence, but that actually creates a problem for the American ayatollahs.
Throughout the Cold War, Vietnam, and the Gulf War, the Right has had nothing but scorn for doves. If Jesus was alive today, wouldn't he be considered just another naïve, long-haired peacenik?
Haven't the ranks of the Right always celebrated the man who kills for his convictions and gets all the chicks? Haven't they found the guy who never married, never dated girls, and just threw wine-and-bread parties with the boys a little suspect? The American cultural icon is Rambo, not Mr. Rogers.
If the right-wingers really studied the matter, they'd find they have more in common with Muhammad than with Jesus. Muhammad was a merchant, a businessman and entrepreneur - a capitalist. Before Jesus walked off his job, he was a carpenter, a common laborer -- and with his talk of brotherhood, no doubt would have been a union man.
He hung out with the dregs of society: the poor, prostitutes, tax collectors, and finally thieves. Not exactly the kind of person to whom you would entrust your most precious and eternal possession: your stock portfolio.
Jesus revealed his anti-business agenda as soon as he threw the money-changers out of the temple. To the orthodox for whom taxation is government organized theft, Jesus' clear advocacy of paying taxes by "rendering unto Caesar" is a complete abomination. Scholars are still divided over whether the raising of Lazarus was to escape the death tax or an intent to pay it twice.
In addition to depriving the mortuary services industry of business, Jesus had a bad habit of healing the blind, lame and sick without prior approval from health maintenance organizations. He also offered these treatments without regard to ability to pay, an early attempt at universal health care.
The Right is thankful that this has as much chance today as it did 2,000 years ago -- barring another miracle.
Yet more subversive acts were the turning of water into wine and the multiplication of the loaves and fishes to feed the multitude. Supply-side economics and the careful management of scarcity would be utterly wrecked by cheap and plentiful goods on the market. Profits would collapse, CEOs would lose their jobs, and the specter of want would be lifted from the land.
What a capitalist nightmare. The unemployed rabble-rouser from Nazareth was obviously pushing for a welfare state.
Jesus mollycoddled the poor and went out of his way to condemn the rich. His warning that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy man to get into heaven was typical socialist blather. The affluent have had to devote themselves to breeding smaller camels and building larger needles ever since.
And in answer to that age-old question -- what would Jesus drive? - he did not ride an elephant into Jerusalem but a donkey, clearly an endorsement of the Democratic Party and the liberal socioeconomic agenda, not the Republican.
Perhaps it is time the furious Pharisees quit barking up the wrong tree. ***** Erik V. Williams of Amarillo is a frequent contributor to the Other Opinion page.
This quote is absolutely abhorent in its utter disregard for the hypocrisy of America's warmongering against certain tyrants but ignorance of others. Nevertheless, I'm posting it because it pinpoints when the full-scale war will likely start.
I am told by men who dine with generals that the war to remove Saddam Hussein will start on March 3 — the night of a new moon. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this dark evening will be one of the most fateful in our history, when America’s role changes forever and, we hope, for better. To usher in this new imperial age, Tony Blair comes to the White House to meet with President Bush — not to pass a torch, but to share one. What we used to call “The English Speaking Peoples” are joining hands to bring the Western idea of freedom to a part of the planet that, based on its sacred texts and a millennium and a half of history, distrusts the concept we hold so dear. . .
What I found especially interesting was the author's use of the word "Imperial Age." He hit the nail on the head.
about/contact
JMBzine.com is a free and independent media outlet protected by the
Bill of Rights, First Amendment.
Unless otherwise noted, JMBzine.com content is (c)2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995 J.M.B.
US Newsmedia
UK Newsmedia
