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Should the Left Cheer the Dollar's Drop? How to make the bankers scream: Robert Pollin, world's best obituarist of Clintonomics, explains it all for you. Do police states make people feel safer? Vicente Navarro on Franco's Spain, Cockburn on Ireland in the Fifties under the Catholic Hierarchy, Alevtina Rea on growing up in Brezhnev-time. Capitalism's true utopia? St Clair on the Pentagon's no-bid arms contracts. How's the press doing in Iraq? Patrick Cockburn tells all to Omar Waraich. Get the answers you're looking for in the latest subscriber-only edition of CounterPunch... CounterPunch Online is read by millions of viewers each month! But remember, we are funded solely by the subscribers to the print edition of CounterPunch. Please support this website by buying a subscription to our newsletter, which contains fresh material you won't find anywhere else, or by making a donation for the online edition. Remember contributions are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! or write CounterPunch, PO BOX 228, Petrolia, CA 95558 |
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Other Lands Have Dreams: From Baghdad to Pekin Prison by KATHY KELLY  Today's Stories May 24, 2005 Dave
Zirin Uri
Avnery Joshua
Frank Stephen
Dunifer Paul
Craig Roberts
May 23, 2005 Esther
Sassaman / Thomas Nagy Mike
Whitney Ramzy
Baroud Michael
Dickinson Walter
Brasch Dick
J. Reavis Maria
Tomchick Norman
Solomon Kevin
Zeese Website
of the Day
May 21 / 22, 2005 David
H. Price Gabriel
Garc'a Márquez Oren
Ben-Dor Gary
Leupp Laith
al-Saud Elaine
Cassel Greg
Moses Fred
Gardner Dave
Lindorff Alan
Maass William
Blum Tom
Crumpacker Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Doug
Giebel Evelyn
J. Pringle Carolyn
Baker Chris
Floyd Frederick
B. Hudson Ben
Tripp Poets'
Basement
May 20, 2005 Dave
Lindorff Kevin
Zeese Paul
de Rooij Christopher
Brauchli Mark
Engler Joshua
Frank Robert
Jensen Jeffery
R. Webber
May 19, 2005 Bill
Forman Stan
Goff Neve
Gordon Michael
Dickinson Karyn
Strickler Andrew
Freedman Paul
Craig Roberts
May 18, 2005 Jean
Bricmont Laura
Carlsen Mike
Whitney Joshua
Frank George
Galloway Manuel
Garcia, Jr. Dwight
D. Eisenhower Dave
Lindorff
May 17, 2005 Mickey
Z. Petuuche
Gilbert Paul
Craig Roberts Ramzy
Baroud Robert
Jensen / Pat Youngblood Stan
Cox Dave
Zirin Diana
Barahona Website
of the Day
May 16, 2005 Michael
Gillespie Jason
Leopold Jesse
Muldoon Norman
Solomon Robert
Cray Patrick
Cockburn Website
of the Day
May 14 / 15, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Saul
Landau Gary
Leupp JoAnn
Wypijewski Ben
Tripp Brian
J. Foley Tom
Barry Mitchell
Verter Mike
Ferner Dan
Smith Mark
Scaramella Don
Fitz Diane
Farsetta Michael
Dickinson Ron
Jacobs Fred
Gardner Farrah
Hassen Douglas
Valentine Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
May 13, 2005 Tom
Stephens Patrick
Cockburn Mike
Whitney Chris
Floyd Jenna
Orkin Dave
Lindorff Joshua
Frank Website
of the Day
May 12, 2005 Paul
Craig Roberts Uri
Avnery Greg
Moses Carolyn
Baker Pat
Williams William
S. Lind Jack
Random Gary
Leupp
May 11, 2005 Patrick
Cockburn Kevin
Zeese Christopher
Brauchli Zalman
Amit Robert
Shull Mike
Whitney Dr.
Teresa Whitehurst Norman
Solomon
May 10, 2005 Richard
Drayton Dave
Zirin Jackie
Corr Dave
Lindorff Michael
Donnelly Reza
Fiyouzat Scott
Parkin Stephen
Babcock Alan
Farago Michael
Neumann Website
of the Day
May 9, 2005 Louis
Proyect Robert
Fisk Kevin
Zeese Joshua
Frank Sasha
Kramer Andrew
Wimmer Jeffrey
Webber Jeffrey
St. Clair
May 7 / 8, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Gary
Leupp Saul
Landau Joe
DeRaymond Daniela
Ponce Heather
Williams Gregory
Elich Anis
Memon John
Chuckman Mike
Whitney Ron
Jacobs Colin
Kalmbacher Lance
Selfa Fred
Gardner Ben
Tripp Mickey
Z. Richard
Joseph Dr.
Susan Block Poets'
Basement
May 6, 2005 Patrick
Cockburn Erin
Yoshioka Sam
Husseini Dave
Lindorff Kevin
Zeese Joshua
Frank Dan
Bacher P.
Sainath
May 5, 2005 Carles
Mutaner Carl
G. Estabrook Farrah
Hassen Kevin
Zeese Michael
Leonardi Bennett
Ramberg Ray
McGovern Norman
Solomon Nicole
Colson Brian
Concannon, Jr.
May 4, 2005 Colin
Kalmbacher John
Walsh Greg
Moses Ali
Khan Chris
Floyd Linda
S. Heard Dave
Zirin William
S. Lind Gary
Leupp Website
of the Day
May 3, 2005 Dave
Lindorff Brian
Cloughley Ira
Kurzban Seth
Sandronsky Gilad
Atzmon Michael
Donnelly Alex
Sanchez Peter
Linebaugh
May 2, 2005 Ron
Jacobs Stan
Goff Karyn
Strickler Joshua
Frank Kevin
Zeese Vicente
Navarro
April 30 / May 1, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Gabriel
Kolko Jennifer
Loewenstein Lee
Sustar Saul
Landau T.W.
Croft Nikolas
Kozloff William
Blum Dave
Lindorff Joshua
Frank Doug
Giebel Steven
Erlanger Fred
Gardner Mike
Whitney Kurt
Nimmo Joe
DeRaymond Michael
Dickinson Mickey
Z. Justin
Taylor Poets
Basement Website
of the Weekend
Hot Stories Alexander Cockburn Subcomandante
Marcos Norman Finkelstein Steve Niva Dardagan,
Slobodo and Williams Steve
J.B. Sheldon
Rampton and John Stauber Wendell
Berry CounterPunch
Wire Cindy
Corrie Gore Vidal Francis Boyle
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May 24, 2005 The End of the Innocence...AgainBehind the Green(back) CurtainBy MICHAEL DONNELLY
Gormer Mother Jones editor Mark Dowie has had a long career as an award-winning investigative journalist. He is credited with breaking the Ford Pinto exploding gas tank story and that of the corporate cover-up of the hazards of the Dalkon Shield intrauterine device. In 1996 he wrote the Pulitzer-Prize-nominated Losing Ground, a critical take on the ever-failing tactics of the Big Greens and followed that up with an expose of the big foundations, American Foundations. An Investigative History. Lately, Dowie has focused on the convergence of his two book topics; the money fueling the feeble environmental movement, a topic I've written about time and again. Dowie has referred to the foundations' funding of diversionary, slowdown tactics as "drag anchor funding." New Mexico forest activist Sam Hitt famously and irrefutably called the influence of the big foundations the movement's "Death Star."(One foundation minion, to his credit actually, once told a group of us forest defenders, "We fund reform, not revolution.") Dowie's most recent take is presented in the short film "Empowering the Grassroots" by Randy Olson. Dowie notes the constant disparagement of grassroots activists that emanates from the offices of the big foundations and the Big Greens. He notes the $3.5 billion that enters the coffers of the movement each year; with 70% of that ($2.45 billion) going to the 25 largest "conservation" groups. The other 15,000 or so groups --- mostly small local groups on the front lines thousands of miles away from the orbit of the Beltway "greens"--- taking on subsidized extraction corporations, the usual rural oligarchy and their politician allies, make do on the rest... most of that raised by themselves with the usual bake sales, benefits, auctions, etc.
Go on take the Money and Spin All so devastatingly true. But, the question begging to be answered is: "What has all this lucre bought us?" The Ancient Forest case study: According to the mantra of most all who have been paid enviros on the foundation dole this past decade: "Bill Clinton saved the public-owned Ancient Forests with his Northwest Forest Plan (Option 9) in 1994; he then saved 60 million acres with his 'Roadless Rule' (as he went out the door, eight days before Bush's inauguration): and it's only since Bush II arrived on the scene that Ancient Forests and Roadless Areas again came on the chopping block." Truthout environmental writer Kelpie Wilson sums up this flying-in-the-face-of-the-facts view this way recently in her article about the post-fire logging of Oregon's Siskiyou National Forest:
And historical objectivity has been buried under mounds of grant applications. Sadly, these twin paper tigers really did "define our success" during Clintontime when an average of 1.9 billion board feet of public Ancient Forest were cut annually, as opposed to this decade where just under 200 million board feet have been cut yearly under the great, Green Clinton administration's successor. Here's my quick take (more at end): Ancient Forest liquidation was stopped under an Injunction issued by the Reagan-appointed judge William Dwyer for the last two years of the Bush I regime; grassroots activists were told repeatedly by the Big Greens to rally around Clinton's campaign as his election would make the logging ban permanent; Bubba, once-elected, immediately leaned on the Big Greens, their funders and attorneys who bullied and bought off the regional groups who then surrendered the Injunction (Judge Dwyer went to his grave perplexed about that); Clinton held a stage-managed "Forest Conference" in Portland in April 1993 with "our" representatives chosen by the foundations and the Democrats, certainly not through any plebiscite of the very grassroots activists who elevated the issue in the first place; Clinton forced the eco-scientists involved to come up with an option that cut enough to satisfy his Big Timber supporters (Clinton and Weyerhaeuser go way back to his days in Arkansas); the chainsaws roared and the co-opted Big Greens called the resulting Option 9 managed Extinction Plan "our greatest victory." As if that wasn't enough, the multi-billion dollar Democrat Greenwash machine then went on to promote another tree-flesh tiger, the "Roadless Rule" of which they said, "This reasonable and well-balanced rule protects the last remaining wild and intact 58.5 million acres of National Forests and Grasslands from road construction and most logging, drilling, and mining." Yep. And we went into Iraq for the WMDs and Clinton did not have sex with that womantalk about your political lies; talk about being poisoned by fairy tales!
The End of the Innocence I wrote about the bogus Clinton Roadless Rule earlier this month the day after the Bush II regime replaced it with its own spurious version. Ever on top of it, the very same day, the Big Greens launched their new Roadless fund-raising/greenwash con. The American Lands Alliance (ALA), a wholly-owned foundation/Big Green subsidiary which morphed from its late-80s creation as the Western Ancient Forest Campaign (WAFC) after a decade wherein they and the Big Greens collectively raised and spent $100 million yet failed to permanently (obviously) save a single Ancient Tree. ALA jumped up with the 2005 National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act, another going nowhere effort with 78 co-sponsors, but with lots of fund-raising potential. These same folks attacked as "unviable" the grassroots efforts; the Act to Save America's Forests, which was sponsored by 133 representatives and six Senators and the 1997 Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA) and Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) - sponsored National Forest Protection and Restoration Act (NFPRA) which would have immediately canceled all the Clinton roadless sales and those that came under the Clinton Salvage Rider, saving priceless ecosystems and hundreds of millions in annual Big Timber subsidies. ALA and their sham grassroots ally, the Heritage Forest Campaign, a Pew Charitable Trust marionette, are now sounding the alarms and raising funds to defend what they continually told us was previously saved by their grand victories. These Democrat Greenwashers will never tell you that Ancient Forest logging, a lot in roadless areas and more in the more biologically diverse "uninventoried roadless areas" has been going on unabated since Clinton "saved the Ancient Forests" by resuming logging back in 1994. They won't tell you that if Bush's average cut continues, he will have not liquidated in eight years total what Clinton averaged per year. No, they tell us that Option 9 which didn't leave a single tree inviolate was "our greatest victory." They won't tell you that Clinton's Roadless Rule had a seven-year "grandfather" clause allowing continued logging in roadless Ancient Forests; a loophole that never did run out before Bush replaced the "rule." No, they tell us that 'Clinton saved 60 million acres."
The More Things Change... The Ancient Forests have been headed down to the mills and export docks ever since Clinton resumed logging them (talk about "systematically chipping away at the Northwest Forest Plan!") Grassroots activists have been fighting for their backyard favorite irreplaceable places ever since. The only thing that has really changed is that less has been cut under Bush than under his predecessor. The rationale the Big Greens use for unending funding appeals remains the same: Republican stumps market better. "I like to fuck. But, if someone pays me to fuck, that makes mea whore." -- Steve "PWT with a GED" Spahr Oh, the non-profit professionals will tell you they're activists, too (better ones than you, at that); that they love the planet, too; that they're so dedicated and good at it that they deserve to get the salaries they get despite the lack of anything tangible in the win column. Mark Dowie is correct. Until the grassroots get at least half of that $3.5 billion annually, we'll continue to see non-profit professionals disparage the grassroots while taking credit for any grassroots victory when not sabotaging it while simultaneously using it as a fund-raiser. They'll always provide cover for any Democrat-led depravation and conversely attack any Republicans for doing the same. Unless we break the partisan chokehold on all things environmental and hold all politicians and non-profits accountable, pro-Democrat funders will continue to find spineless, ethically-challenged "enviros" who'll gladly take the money and spin while the Earth unravels.
A Grim Fairy Tale {Note: the first eight options of the original Northwest Forest Plan did not cut enough big trees, so Clinton sequestered the Forest Ecosystems Management Assessment Team (FEMAT) scientists in a hotel until they came up with a more rapacious option; hence Option 9. Every one of the 11 regional groups who ceded the Injunction got six-figure grants to, in their own words, "monitor the implementation of Option 9 in a tight, campaign fashion..." And what was it that these groups agreed to have implemented? The Extinction Pan actually is predicated on continued logging of the Ancient Forest ecosystem with continued decline in the number of northern Spotted Owls, the indicator species for the ecosystem whose rapid decline triggered the lawsuit and Dwyer Injunction. Option 9 predicts a loss of 1% of existing owls for the next fifty years! The preposterous psuedo-science behind it then claims that even though the owls will be down to half their 1994 endangered numbers by 2044, the owls will not drop below the point of no return. They will then miraculously recover once all the stumplands set aside in Late Successional Reserves (LSRs) will have grown into suitable habitat and the owls and others species they represent will rebound. If you buy that improbable fairy tale as the Big Greens would have you - (remember, to them it is "our greatest victory"), I've got a slightly used Bridge to the 21st Century for sale. Meanwhile the logging of big, old trees on public lands continues - even the big trees in the LSRs are being cut, as again, nothing was permanently put off limits by Option 9. Over three-fourths of the Siskiyou post-fire logging Wilson refers to in her article is in the LSRs and, get this, Roadless Areas of our twin great "victories." As could be expected, owl numbers have crashed. The 50% point is here ten years into the plan as the owls have declined by over 3.5% across their range, and over 7.3% in Washington state , meaning that they are down 35% across their range and 73% in Washington already!} MICHAEL DONNELLY of Salem, OR is a long-time grassroots activist instrumental in the nationalizing of the Ancient Forest issue. He and his allies have been vigilant in defending their local forests...long before and ever since Clinton "saved" them. He can be reached at: pahtoo@aol.com
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