March 2004

6. What's so funny?
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1. Activists would do well to heed these words from Mother Theresa, lest we burn ourselves out altogether.

We must not think that our love has to be extraordinary. But we do need to love without getting tired. How does a lamp burn? Through the continuous input of small drops of oil. These drops are the small things of daily life: faithfulness, small words of kindness, a thought for others, our way of being quiet, of looking, of speaking, and of acting. They are the true drops of love that keep our lives and relationships burning like a lively flame. -Mother Teresa

Source: the Daily Dig, available at http://dailydig.bruderhof.org

2. The latest Army report on troop morale in Iraq is not a good one.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25127-2004Mar25.html (subscription service)

3. The L-word is, of course, "liar", "lie", "lying" etc. The press seems to think it applies to anyone but Bush, according to this writer.
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2004/032904.html

4. "We're kind of losing" in Afghanistan is what a high level official says, and goes on to explain why.
http://www.dailyherald.com/search/main_story.asp?intid=38073133

5. This columnist says it exactly as I see it - she has two choices if she testifies - admit she's been lying all along, or perjure herself. Thus, lots of "public" testimony on TV but none under oath.
http://gadflyer.com/articles/?ArticleID=51

6. This would be a powerful commercial.
http://www.blah3.com/joke.html

1. Update from Robert Fisk re: conditions in Iraq
2. Not exactly a peace issue but thought it important to pass along - GMO's on the loose
3. More on the Medicare cost cover-up
4. Pat Buchanan on terrorists and freedom-fighters
5. A perspective on mass marches
6. Justin Raimondo on Mr. Clarke's revelations re: 9-11/Iraq intelligence

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1. Robert Fisk has been reporting all along everything that the imbedded journalists left out - it's not great news but important to be aware of.
http://fairuse.1accesshost.com/news1/fisk12.html

2. GMO's LOOSE ON OUR LAND - via Jim Hightower
Jim asks "Am I the only one who sometimes comes across a gut wrenching, jaw dropping story in the daily paper and then wonders: Why did they bury this...why isn't this the lead story on the front page?"
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1663089&l=22595

3. HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson has come out in favor of an investigation of the alleged threat made to a Medicare actuary last year, in which this fellow was told not to let out the true cost of the new Medicare bill until after Bush signed it. The interesting thing about this article is how Thompson is distancing himself from Scully, the Medicare chief. I am continually amazed at how disloyal the Bushites are, even to each other!
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/world/8201674.htm?1c

4. As I've said before, strange bedfellows....Pat Buchanan has some very good points to make in this article
http://antiwar.com/pat/?articleid=2141

5. This writer has some strong critique of mass marches as a peace and justice strategy. Though you may not agree, it's a viewpoint to consider.
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0317-13.htm

6. Justin Raimondo has an interesting little piece -gives some snippets of what Clarke is saying, some of the White House response, and gives links for the various tidbits if you want more info.
http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=2172

1. More from Karen Kwiatkowski re: WMD pre-invasion
2. Results of a study on media coverage of WMD before war
3. Interview with a medic who served in both Iraq wars
4. More foreign policy ineptness from the Bush Administration
5. Rights abridgement makes strange bedfellows...

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1. This is a 9 page briefing from Karen Kwiatkowski regarding the Bush Administration's actions in the run-up to the Iraq invasion. She is retired military, was in the Pentagon. It takes a lot of courage to come forward and be so outspoken about this.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2004/03/10/osp_moveon/

2. I don't know why they had to do a study, they could have asked any one of us and we would have told them that the media coverage on the WMD issue was laughable! At least someone is looking at it, better late than never. Might the media learn anything from it?
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000456632

3. This is an anonymous interview, so we have to take it on faith that it is legitimate. Worth the time to read.
http://www.interventionmag.com/cms/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=668 <http://www.interventionmag.com/cms/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=668>

4. They just don't get the concept that folks don't want the US to tell them what to do. And do you think Powell truly understands that "nothing is going to work if it looks like it is being imposed"? Does he think that applies to Iraq, I wonder? If you want to read this, do it soon as NYTimes links are short-lived.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/12/politics/12MIDE.html?ex=1079672400&en=ede02d839db8164d&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

5. The US exhibits some striking similarities to some Asian nations when it comes to dealing with people who are deemed to be national security threats. But don't worry, Tom Ridge says "We have an open and transparent system of justice in the US".
http://antiwar.com/ips/macan.php?articleid=2126

1. Privacy invasion by the govt continues, though they are trying to keep it quiet
2. WE all knew that Saddam and bin Laden weren't exactly best buddies...
3. A good website regarding campaign funds and who gets the payback for contributing to Bush.
4. Some thoughts from Daniel Ellsberg
5. When the occupation ends but really doesn't...
6. Report from Iraq by Robert Fisk
7. Historical analysis from the American Conservative - worth reading
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1. Just because the TIA and Poindexter dropped off the screen doesn't mean our privacy isn't still being invaded via data-mining
http://washtimes.com/national/20040301-124426-3959r.htm

2. Here's a very nice summary of how the Bush Admin exaggerated and misrepresented the facts regarding Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden - more good stuff for a letter to the editor, once all the town meetings are done!
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0303-01.htm

3. This is primarily about Bush's campaign contributors, but there's a little about Dean and Kerry too. Could be some good letter to the editor material.
http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/contributorsandpaybacks/page.cfm?pageid=519

4. Ellsberg sees parallels between Vietnam and Iraq, and paints a grim picture of the future if Bush is re-elected.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/29/CMG3R50LHE5.DTL

5. The Pentagon will control most of the $18 billion in Iraq reconstruction aid, rather than the State Dept. What's really disgusting is how little of the money will end up in the hands of the impoverished Iraqi people.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20040307-1004-iraq-aidspigot.html

6. Robert Fisk has been reporting from Iraq since before the war started. He is not so optimistic about how much things have changed.
http://fairuse.1accesshost.com/news1/fisk11.html

7. This is a very informative analysis of American military doctrine and past democratization efforts. A little long but worth the time.
http://amconmag.com/2004_03_15/feature.html

1. Uri Averny on US-Israel relations
2. The parallels between Afghanistan and Iraq
3. It's not Bush's Guard record that matters so much
4. Haiti and US support for democracy
5. A lengthy interview with a member of RAWA, the Afghani anti-fundamentalist women's group
6. Proposed RI Homeland Security bill targets "anarchists"

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1. This essay by Uri Averny (Israeli peace activist) caught my eye, re: US-Israel relations. It is called the Dancing Bear, analogous to the bears who used to dance in the streets in the past, chained to their masters. In this case, GWB is the Bear and Sharon is the master.
http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article291.html

2. Afghanistan is hardly a success story and clearly the Bush Administration is not very concerned about it. They are perpetuating the same model in Iraq, with similar results to be expected.
http://www.counterpunch.org/whitney02202004.html

Security and insurgent attacks are major issues in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/politics/8032284.htm

3. Steve Perry hits it on the nose, what I have been saying - it's the cover-up that is the issue, not what he was or wasn't doing. Some interesting tidbits still hanging out there.
http://babelogue.citypages.com:8080/sperry/2004/02/15

4. This is a good summary of the ramifications of the US response to the crisis in Haiti. It further belies the Bush Administration's professed love of democracy around the world. The issue isn't how good or bad Aristides was, it is HOW the people in a democracy make changes in their government when they are unhappy with it.
http://www.counterpunch.org/whitney03022004.html

5. This interview is long but very informative about what is going on in Afghanistan, particularly in regards to women and the new constitution. Again, the US does not clearly demonstate its support for true democracy, in the eyes of this woman.
http://www.counterpunch.org/rawa03022004.html

6. The proposed RI Homeland Security bill would send you to jail for supporting or teaching anarchy. I should think it would be unconstitutional, but then again perhaps GWB will propose amending the Bill of Rights to eliminate that pesky free speech thing.
http://www.counterpunch.org/grenier02202004.html