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Inside the New Print Edition of Our Subscriber-Only Newsletter! Drug Companies and Psychiatrists
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Inside the New Print Edition of Our Subscriber-Only Newsletter!
Drug Companies and Psychiatrists
Partners in CrimeEugenia Tsao reports on the upcoming revision of one of the most important books in America, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Here’s where the drug lords, the shrinks and the insurance companies collude in establishing hundreds of bogus psychic conditions requiring the psychotropic drugs from which they reap billions every year. There are about 250,000 migrant laborers in Israel, mostly from the Philippines and Thailand. Meanwhile tens of thousands of Palestinians can’t find work. From Tel Aviv, Yonatan Preminger reports on Israel’s vicious employment strategy. Also in this latest newsletter Andrew Cockburn updates his CounterPunch world exclusive on how the U.S. has secretly helped build Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. Get your new edition today by subscribing online or calling 1-800-840-3683 Contributions to CounterPunch are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! CounterPunch books and t-shirts make great presents.
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Today's Stories July 3-5, 2009 Eamonn Fingleton July 2, 2009 Andrew Cockburn Nikolas Kozloff Wendell Potter Ellen Hodgson Brown Christian Christensen Iran: Networked Dissent? Patrick Irelan Binoy Kampmark Returning Iraq Nicola Nasser Brian Tokar Dan Bacher Website of the Day July 1, 2009 Vijay Prashad Alberto Vallente Thorensen Paul Craig Roberts Robert Weissman Manuel García, Jr. Victor Figueroa-Clark / Pablo Navarrete Norman Solomon Franklin Lamb Martha Rosenberg Diane Rejman Website of the Day June 30, 2009 Michael Hudson Esam Al-Amin Benjamin Dangl Jonathan Cook Franklin Lamb George Wuerthner Todd Gordon Ron Jacobs Kenneth Libby Julian Vigo Website of the Day
June 29, 2009 Ishmael Reed Nikolas Kozloff Clifton Ross Patrick Cockburn Uri Avnery Conn Hallinan James G. Abourezk Ralph Nader Carol Miller Greg Moses Website of the Day June 26-28, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Doug Peacock Daniel Wolff Mike Whitney John Ross David Rosen Emily Ratner Gareth Porter Farid Marjai Nadia Hijab Paul Craig Roberts Fred Gardner Carl Ginsburg Paul Watson David Ker Thomson Farzana Versey Geoff Berne Todd Alan Price Ramzy Baroud Jeff Sher Dr. Carol Paris Despite My Arrest by Max Baucus, I Will Continue to Advocate for Quality Health Care for All Walter Brasch Adultery as Family Value? Glen Johnson Charlotte Laws Charles R. Larson Kim Nicolini David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend June 25, 2009 Kathy Kelly Jack Bratich Wendell Potter Charles R. Larson Alan Farago Jonathan Cook Gareth Porter Bitta Mostofi / David Macaray Mark Schuller Website of the Day June 24, 2009 Andrew Cockburn Dean Baker Andy Worthington James Bovard Diana Gibson / P. Sainath Gareth Porter Robert Alvarez Dave Lindorff Steven Colatrella Remembering Giovanni Arrighi Website of the Day
June 23, 2009 David Price Patrick Cockburn James Ridgeway / Dave Lindorff Carmelo Ruiz-Marrero Gary Leupp Brian M. Downing Robert Bryce Nicholas Dearden Yousef Munayyer Website of the Day June 22, 2009 Michael Hudson Esam Al-Amin Chris Floyd Jack Z. Bratich Atash Yaghmaian Laura Carlsen Paul Craig Roberts Vijay Prashad Fred Gardner Andy Thayer David Macaray Website of the Day
June 19 - 21, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Patrick Cockburn Al Giordano Henry A. Giroux Anthony DiMaggio Paul Craig Roberts John Ross Gareth Porter Carl Ginsburg Tommi Avicolli Mecca Joe Bageant Serge Halimi P. Sainath Jim Goodman Dave Lindorff Rannie Amiri Robert Fantina Harvey Wasserman Walter Brasch David Ker Thomson Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Kim Nicolini Ben Sonnenberg Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend June 18, 2009 Uri Avnery Robert Sandels / Anthony DiMaggio Robert Weissman Joshua Frank Jonathan Cook Reza Fiyouzat Norman Solomon Ali Jawad James Ridgeway Website of the Day June 17, 2009 Carl Boggs Dr. Bryant Welch Winslow T. Wheeler Liaquat Ali Khan Jonathan Cook Binoy Kampmark Karim Makdisi Dave Lindorff David Swanson Gene Marx Website of the Day June 16, 2009 Patrick Cockburn John Ross Afshin Rattansi Marc Levy Paul Craig Roberts Behzad Yaghmaian Brian M. Downing Merle Lefkoff David Macaray Robert Jensen David Swanson Website of the Day June 15, 2009 Michael Hudson Reza Fiyouzat Patrick Cockburn James Ridgeway Marjorie Cohn Rannie Amiri Dave Lindorff Ron Jacobs Leonard Schwartz Martha Rosenberg Website of the Day June 12-14, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Gareth Porter Mike Whitney Mark Ames Esam Al-Amin Franklin Lamb Patrick Cockburn Andy Worthington Heather Gray Felice Pace Ron Jacobs George Wuerthner Jeffrey Buchanan / David Ker Thomson Renaud Lambert Kevin Zeese David Macaray Evelyn Pringle Chris Genovali David Michael Green Brian J. Foley Charles R. Larson Kim Nicolini David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend
June 11, 2009 Kathy Kelly / James Bovard Tristan de Bourbon Dave Lindorff Kevin Zeese Ralph Nader Harvey Wasserman Nicole Colson Mark Weisbrot Dan Bacher Website of the Day June 10, 2009 Ismael Hossein-Zadeh Jennifer Van Bergen / Douglas Valentine Kathy Kelly Paul Craig Roberts Rev. William E. Alberts Peter Lee Carol Miller Emily Ratner Robert Weissman Dave Lindorff Website of the Day June 9, 2009 Winslow T. Wheeler Mike Whitney Stan Cox Sibel Edmonds Jonathan Cook David Macaray Robert Jensen Nadia Hijab Mark Weisbrot Website of the Day June 8, 2009 John Ross Paul Craig Roberts Franklin C. Spinney Franklin Lamb Uri Avnery Jonathan Cook Eric Toussaint Jim Goodman Norman Solomon Reza Fiyouzat Website of the Day June 5 -7, 200 Alexander Cockburn George Galloway Paul Craig Roberts Jennifer Loewenstein Franklin Lamb Mike Whitney Andy Worthington Missy Comley Beattie Farzana Versey Stanley Heller John V. Whitbeck Robert Weissman Lee Sustar Dave Lindorff William Blum Ernest Callenbach / Greg Moses Ron Jacobs David Yearsley Tim Stelloh Belén Fernández David Ker Thomson Karyn Strickler Christopher Brauchli Charles R. Larson Kim Nicolini Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend
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Weekend Edition Afghanistan/Iraq = Mexico/ColombiaLa Cina e VicinaBy C. G. ESTABROOK Given the much-anticipated death of newspapers, and despite the efforts of the electronic media to direct your attention to the important foreign news -- those nasty Iranians (it is Iranians, isn't it?) and Susan Boyle -- you may have missed the important speech by the new President of China in Havana, Cuba, three weeks ago. On June 4 the Chinese President delivered a speech entitled "Remarks by the President on a New Beginning" (remarkably enough, the same day that the new President of the United States was delivering a speech on a similar topic in Cairo, Egypt). You may also have missed the fact that China has an army of more than 100,000 fighting in Mexico to stop terrorism and suppress the drug trade. The religious-based Zapatista movement has no air force or heavy weapons, but they have continued their fanatical attacks on the Chinese troops for more than seven years. After its invasion and occupation of Colombia more than six years ago -- to establish a model of social progress for a backward section of the world -- China can hardly allow terrorists a safe haven in Mexico, from where they could launch attacks against China and its allies. After all, there are Uighurs in Bermuda. (China's position about them is that they should be allowed to confess and be executed.) Chinese drone rocket attacks on certain neighborhoods in Bermuda, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica have been successful in "taking out" (as the President likes to say) several high-value targets, but the fact that hundreds of civilians have died by accident has upset people and governments throughout the Caribbean. China nevertheless insists that these people and governments must realize that they face an existential threat from terrorists, and must therefore redouble their efforts to kill them themselves. Despite some dismay about Chinese military operations half a world away from home, the whole world is in fact wildly excited about the new Chinese President, Hu Jintao (whose middle name, remarkably enough, is Christopher), because he is in fact only half Han Chinese. His other half is ... something else, but that's really important. What he actually said may be less important, but here are some selections, provided by the Forbidden City Office of the Press Secretary (Havana, Cuba): FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- June 4, 2009 PRESIDENT HU: Thank you very much. Good afternoon. I am honored to be in the timely city of Havana. And I'm also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the Chinese people, and a greeting of peace from Christian communities in my country: God bless you! (Applause.) We meet at a time of great tension between China and Christians around the world -- tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Christianity and the East includes centuries of coexistence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by a form of communism that denied rights and opportunities to many Christians, and a Cold War in which Christian-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Christians to view the East as hostile to the traditions of Christianity. Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Christians, who had influence on the Bush administration. The continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Christianity as inevitably hostile not only to China and Eastern countries, but also to human rights. All this has bred more fear and more mistrust. So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end. I've come here to Havana to seek a new beginning between China and Christians around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that China and Christianity are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles -- principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings. I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight. I know there's been a lot of publicity about this speech, but no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have this afternoon all the complex questions that brought us to this point. But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly to each other the things we hold in our hearts and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. As the Holy Bible tells us, "Tell the truth and shame the Devil." (Applause.) That is what I will try to do today -- to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart. As a student of history, I also know civilization's debt to Christianity. It was Christianity that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe's Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was innovation in Christian communities that developed our codex, the bound book; our telescope and magnetic compass; our mastery of writing and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Christian culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant painting and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Christianity has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality. (Applause.) I also know that Christianity has long been a part of China's story. In the 16th century the government of China declared, "China has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Christians." And since then Chinese Christians have enriched China. They have fought in our wars, they have served in our government, they have stood for civil rights, they have started businesses, they have taught at our universities, they've excelled in our sports arenas, and participated in our Olympics. My experience guides my conviction that partnership between China and Christianity must be based on what Christianity is, not what it isn't. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of China to fight against negative stereotypes of Christianity wherever they appear. (Applause.) But that same principle must apply to Christian perceptions of China. (Applause.) Just as Christians do not fit a crude stereotype, China is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. China has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. So let there be no doubt: Christianity is a part of China. And I believe that China holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations -- to live in peace and security; to get an education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity. Of course, recognizing our common humanity is only the beginning of our task. Words alone cannot meet the needs of our people. These needs will be met only if we act boldly in the years ahead; and if we understand that the challenges we face are shared, and our failure to meet them will hurt us all. Let me speak as clearly and as plainly as I can about some specific issues that I believe we must finally confront together. The principal issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all of its forms. China is not -- and never will be -- at war with Christianity. (Applause.) We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security -- because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject: the killing of innocent men, women, and children. And it is my first duty as President to protect the Chinese people. The situation in Mexico demonstrates China's goals, and our need to work together. Over seven years ago, China pursued the Colombian drug cartels and the Zapatista Army of National Liberation with broad international support. We did not go by choice; we went because of necessity. Drug violence kills thousands of people each year. The victims were innocent men, women and children from China and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach. These are not opinions to be debated; these are facts to be dealt with. Now, make no mistake: We do not want to keep our troops in Mexico. We seek no military bases there. It is agonizing for China to lose our young men and women. It is costly and politically difficult to continue this conflict. We would gladly bring every single one of our troops home if we could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Mexico and now the Caribbean determined to kill as many Chinese as they possibly can. But that is not yet the case. And that's why we're partnering with a coalition of 46 countries. And despite the costs involved, China's commitment will not weaken. Indeed, none of us should tolerate these extremists. They have killed in many countries. They have killed people of different faiths -- but more than any other, they have killed Christians. Their actions are irreconcilable with the rights of human beings, the progress of nations, and with Christianity. The Holy Bible teaches that an injury to one is an injury to all. (Applause.) And the Holy Bible also says whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me. (Applause.) The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the narrow hatred of a few. Christianity is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism -- it is an important part of promoting peace. Now, we also know that military power alone is not going to solve the problems in Mexico and the Caribbean. That's why we plan to invest $1.5 billion each year over the next five years to partner with Caribbean nations to build schools and hospitals, roads and businesses, and hundreds of millions to help those who've been displaced. That's why we are providing more than $2.8 billion to help Mexicans develop their economy and deliver services that people depend on. Let me also address the issue of Colombia. Unlike Mexico, Colombia was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world. Although I believe that the Colombian people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of the drug cartels, I also believe that events in Colombia have reminded China of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible. (Applause.) Indeed, we can recall the words of Confucius, who said: "If you would govern a state, you must pay strict attention to business, be true to your word, be economical in expenditure and love the people." Today, China has a dual responsibility: to help Colombia forge a better future -- and to leave Colombia to Colombians. And I have made it clear to the Colombian people (applause) that we pursue no bases, and no claim on their territory or resources. Colombia's sovereignty is its own. And that's why I ordered the removal of our combat brigades by next August. That is why we will honor our agreement with Colombia's democratically elected government to remove combat troops from Colombian cities by July, and to remove all of our troops from Colombia by 2012. (Applause.) We will help Colombia train its security forces and develop its economy. But we will support a secure and united Colombia as a partner, and never as a patron. So China will defend itself, respectful of the sovereignty of nations and the rule of law. And we will do so in partnership with Christian communities which are also threatened. The sooner the extremists are isolated and unwelcome in Christian communities, the sooner we will all be safer. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Hu Jintao, we love you! PRESIDENT HU: Thank you. (Applause.) END. For a comparison, see the White House, Office of the Press Secretary, June 4, 2009: "Remarks by the President on a New Beginning," Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. C. G. Estabrook conducts "News from Neptune" on Urbana (IL) Public Television. He can be reached at carl@newsfromneptune.com. An earlier version of this speech appears in "Smile Politely, Champaign-Urbana's Online Magazine"
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Now Available from CounterPunch Books! Yellowstone Drift:
Spell Albuquerque:
Waiting for
Lightning
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