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Bolivia's Third Revolution Confused by Bolivia's upheavals? CounterPunch's Newton Garver gives you the history, the politics and a roadmap through the present great upsurge of Indians who say NO to centuries of theft and oppression. On the track of Guatemala's killers: a searing report from John Ross on the US-backed monsters who turned Guatemala into a charnel house and on the heroes who hunt them down. The rise and rise of a corporation called Halliburton: Jeffrey St Clair scours some of Texas' history's dirtiest pages and tells how Halliburton's cash helped put two presidents to the White House. 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 Bond / Brutus
/ Setshedi June 16, 2005 John Walsh Dave Lindorff Adrian Lomax Tom Crumpacker Jeffrey Kolakowski Julene Bair Michael Dickinson Francois Houtart / Isabel Parra,
et al. Tom Barry
June 15, 2005 Stan Goff Daniel Wolff Tim Wise Ricardo Alarcón Joshua Frank John Hilary Norman Solomon Alexander Cockburn
/ Jeffrey St. Clair Website of the Day
June 14, 2005 Paul Craig
Roberts Forrest Hylton Richard Gott Fred Gardner Steve Breyman Dave Zirin Robert Kent Paul Craig
Roberts
June 13, 2005 Gary Leupp Dave Lindorff John Stauber Fred Gardner Evelyn J. Pringle Norman Solomon Winslow T.
Wheeler
June 10 / 12, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Sharon
Smith Brian
Cloughley Chris
Kromm Heather
Gray Kevin
Zeese Mickey
Z. Gary
Leupp Eli
Stephens Nick
Dearden Oscar
Olivera Robert
Fisk Michael
Dickinson Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
Len
Colodny Christopher
Brauchli Ron
Jacobs Dave
Lindorff Katrina
Yeaw / Alex Schmaus Alan
Farago Saul
Landau
June 8, 2005 Jim
Hougan Alan
Maass Jason
Leopold Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Dave
Zirin Derrick
O'Keefe Diana
Johnstone Website
of the Day
June 7, 2005 Forrest
Hylton Greg
Moses / Susan van Haitsma Lenni
Brenner Col.
Dan Smith Joshua
Frank Dave
Lindorff Margot
Veranes / Adrian Navarro Michael
Neumann
June 6, 2005 Stew
Albert Paul
Craig Roberts Nicole
Colson Ali
Khan Jason
Leopold Charles
Walker Poff Ramzy
Baroud Rep.
John Conyers Evelyn
Pringle Gary
Corseri Website
of the Day
June 4 / 5, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn James
Petras Robert
Fisk Patrick
Cockburn Rev.
William Alberts Saul
Landau Mario
Lamo Jimenez Dave
Lindorff Lance
Selfa Tom
Crumpacker Joshua
Frank Fred
Gardner Michael
Dickinson Roger
Martin Reza
Fiyouzat Ben
Tripp Graeme
Greenback Poets'
Basement
June 3, 2005 Paul
Craig Roberts Joseph
Massad Jeff
Halper Tom
Barry Bruce
K. Gagnon Joshua
Frank Mickey
Z. Gary
Leupp Website
of the Day
June 2, 2005 Paul
Craig Roberts Forrest
Hylton Mike
Whitney Brian
Cloughley Mazin
Qumsiyeh Russell
D. Hoffman Norman
Madarasz Norman
Solomon David
Price Website
of the Day
June 1, 2005 James
Petras Justin
Delacour Edward
Jay Epstein Omar
Barghouti / Lisa Taraki Dave
Lindorff Kevin
Zeese Jason
Leopold William
S. Lind
May 31, 2005 Sen.
Mike Gravel David
Krieger Tad
Daley Joshua
Frank Richard
Gott Norman
Solomon Tom
Segev Walter
Brasch Diana
Johnstone
May 28 / 30, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Richard
Lichtman Sharon
Smith Paul
Craig Roberts Dave
Lindorff Ramzy
Baroud Brian
Cloughley Fred
Gardner Lee
Sustar Joshua
Frank Justin
E.H. Smith Jackie
Corr Michael
Kimaid Toufic
Haddad Justin
Taylor Amir
Butler Ben
Tripp Poets'
Basement
May 27, 2005 Gary
Leupp Daniel
Estulin Kevin
Zeese Robert
Fisk Dave
Zirin Website
of the Day
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
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June 17, 2005 Blue State WarriorsHow Democrats Derailed the Peace MovementBy JOSHUA FRANK
Although it was indeed sad, it was not surprising that Dennis Kucinich, the feisty liberal representative from Ohio who ran - er, hobbled - for the Democratic presidential nomination, would roll over and play dead for Senator John Kerry just days before the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston. "Unity is essential to bring change in November," announced Kucinich on July 22, 2004. "Unity is essential to repair America. Unity is essential to set America on a new path." Despite Kucinich's emphasis on the importance of "unity," it wasn't exactly clear what his "new path" mantra was all about. After all, Kucinich delegates failed (though they never really had a chance) to make "immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq" a central plank in Kerry's narrow platform just one week earlier. Kerry, of course, promised to put more troops in Iraq and call on NATO to intervene in the occupation and essentially be a more kick-ass administrator of Bush's egregious foreign policy than the neocons had been. The second Democratic presidential candidate to abandon his antiwar base, Kucinich allowed his candidacy to be absorbed back into the dank establishment sponge. Just months earlier, Howard Dean embarrassingly touted the novel Democratic line of "unity at all costs," snarling in late March 2004, "In the end, it is Generation Dean voting for John Kerry for president of the United States that is going to send George Bush back to Texas, where he belongs." Like Dean, Kucinich urged his former supporters not to succumb to Ralph Nader's tempting antiwar allure even though John Kerry did not oppose the war in Iraq or the ongoing occupation. "I intend [to] reach out on behalf of the Kerry-Edwards ticket to unite our party with all those who may have felt left out," he contended. "I will let them know that the time has come to unite in a common effort for change, which is essential, not only for America but for the world." Meanwhile, many Kucinich delegates
at the convention felt dejected. Initially, the man for whom
they had devoted much time and energy intimated that he would
"release" them, paving the way for their robotic votes
for Kerry. Later, after hearing impassioned (and tearful) testimonies from his delegates, Kucinich changed his mind and told them to "vote their conscience." Fair enough. But many voted for Kerry regardless. And what did they receive in return for their support? Not much. Despite the generally symbolic role of the platform in modern politics (Bush in 2000 infamously bragged that he had never read the GOP platform), 17 Kucinich platform demands were axed in exchange for a borderline illogical statement with no indication of an exit strategy or an impending pullout from Iraq. It pledged to remove troops "when appropriate so that the military support needed by a sovereign Iraqi government will no longer be seen as the direct continuation of an American military presence." Absent from the platform was support for Palestinian rights, homosexual civil unions and marriage, as well as repudiation of the preemptive-war doctrine in principle and as executed in Iraq. "I ask you, are millions of antiwar/anti-occupation Americans welcome in the Democratic Party? If such voters are indeed welcome, I urge you to demonstrate this by permitting debate within the party on the war and occupation issue, both in Miami and in Boston," wrote Jesse Jackson, prior to campaigning for John Kerry, who said nary a word about the exponential proliferation of the racist prison-industrial complex, increasing poverty, or black male unemployment, now over 50 percent in New York City alone. The Democratic National Convention itself was a difficult affair for many who attended. As polls indicated, 80-90 percent of the attending delegates declared themselves antiwar. Those trying to express such a view quickly received the muzzle. Charles Underwood, the only Minnesota Kucinich delegate to vote for Kucinich, told Amy Goodman's radio program Democracy Now!: "I am just very disappointed that there is no ability to express any hope for peace on the floor of this convention. We have had our signs confiscated, we've had our scarves for peace, you know, 'Delegate For Peace,' confiscated. We have had people that tell us to sit down and be quiet." Meanwhile, the antiwar delegates were not lucky enough to hear any speeches at the DNC that reflected their point of view and were instead presented with two gung-ho militaristic orations. Vice presidential candidate John Edwards told the antiwar delegates: "We will always use our military might to keep the American people safe. And we, John and I, will have one clear unmistakable message for al-Qaeda and these terrorists. You cannot run. You cannot hide. And we will destroy you." Move Over, MoveOn MoveOn, the liberal online advocacy group that backed both Howard Dean and Dennis Kucinich, had also been asking its members, who overwhelming opposed the Iraq war, to donate cash and time to the pro-war Kerry campaign. Following the release of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, the organization sent an e-mail plea to its constituents.
MoveOn was at least attempting to put pressure on John Kerry, you say? Unfortunately, an organization can't donate money to a campaign without articulating certain demands, and MoveOn's demands were far too meager. When I e-mailed MoveOn staffer Noah Winer regarding the role he wanted his organization to play if Kerry prevailed in the election, he responded,
So I e-mailed Noah back and asked him whether MoveOn would be as hard on a Kerry administration as it has been on Bush, for Kerry would certainly continue the illegal Iraq occupation. Winer failed to reply. Lacking any visible remorse just like Dean and Kucinich, MoveOn alienated its huge antiwar base, continuing to operate under the illusion that progressively garnered PAC funds could influence Kerry or any of the other New Democratic elite. Waging this futile effort, MoveOn should've known better. History was not on their side. Prior to the Iraq war, for instance, MoveOn, hoping to stop Bush's imminent assault, organized meetings between its members and U.S. senators. Few senators attended the gatherings, leaving their underlings and MoveOn spokespeople to debate this heated subject. Predictably, few listened, and most ignored the activists' distress. Despite what the spin doctors say, Democrats are largely to blame - not only for discounting the peace movement but also for laying the groundwork Republican hawks needed to justify attacking Saddam's regime and waging Bush's greater "War on Terror." Bush's Iraq Attack On Oct. 10, 2002, the House of Representatives voted 296-133 in favor of giving Bush the green light to punish Saddam. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with President Bush on the White House lawn, Dick Gephardt, who helped draft the measure, explained,
Meanwhile, Bush was amassing support for his war in the Senate. Helping Bush's cause was Tom Daschle, the Democrat Majority Leader at the time, who surmised that Saddam's threat "may not be imminent. But it is real. It is growing. And it cannot be ignored." Hitching a ride on the war-wagon, New York Senator Hillary Clinton added,
Buying Bush's war propaganda hook-line-and-sinker, the Democrats were all too eager to support the Iraq war. They believed Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and joined with Republicans in using it as a pretext to support aggression. They were convinced he was a threat to U.S. sovereignty. They even thought Saddam had ties to Osama bin Laden. The donkeys were bewildered. As far back as 1998, President Clinton articulated his concerns about a possible Iraq threat, announcing after a Pentagon briefing, "If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program." It should come as no surprise that Senators John Kerry, Tom Daschle, and Carl Levin wrote President Clinton that same year to illuminate the threat Saddam allegedly represented, emphasizing,
The tide, it seemed, had a window of opportunity to turn away from this prelude to war, but predictably, the Democrats, on their heels and hoping not to lose control of the Senate in a congressional election year, cowered in 2002. Although Rep. Kucinich perceptively saw the looming war as a momentous error and organized opposition in the House - some 130 votes - his decent effort failed. With political interests and propaganda in mind, most establishment Democrats ignored his rationale, leaving the millions of protesters who took to the streets across America prior to the invasion with few representatives in Washington, historically or otherwise. And as the story goes, Bush easily got his way, much to the protesters' chagrin: on March 19, 2003, U.S. forces rattled Baghdad with a military conquest like no other seen in history. The warmongers proudly dubbed their lethal deed "Shock and Awe." By then, the Democrats, who had failed to articulate any basis for citizens to vote for them as opposed to their Republican rivals regarding the Iraq situation, had lost control of the Senate as well as many seats in the House. They didn't challenge Bush on any major issue. They supported his invasion of both Afghanistan and Iraq. It was a horrific display of political ineptness. The Democrats - unlike the millions of Americans who knew Bush and Co. had ulterior motives for unilaterally attacking Iraq - had been eager to back an illegal war. By mid-summer 2004, the U.S. death toll in Iraq had reached well over 1,000, with soldiers dying at a pace that far outnumbered the Vietnam War at its comparable stage. Tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis had perished; millions more mourned the loss of loved ones. There were no WMD hiding beneath Iraq's turbulent soil. Saddam didn't have ties to bin Laden's gang after all. Iraq had posed absolutely no threat to the United States, let alone its neighboring countries, which did not support the U.S. invasion. Bush and the Democrats' war had played right into the terrorists' hands. According to intelligence reports, and bin Laden himself, recruitment for such groups escalated almost exponentially. The ensuing level of hatred toward the U.S. was unprecedented. Needless to say, claims that this war has made the United States - and we the people - any safer are laughable. Democratic henchmen Al From and Bruce Reed must have been hallucinating when they proclaimed Kerry would protect America from all that is evil. Kerry, of course, has proven to be no different from Bush on foreign policy issues, save for the "D" next to his name on the ballot in 2004. An aggressive unilateral policy only breeds terrorism, and Kerry's foreign policy would have only nurtured future terrorist activity, as Bush's is surely doing now. Unfortunately, the same cretins continue to control the Democratic platform. They dictate what is or is not acceptable discourse within the party. Being antiwar, as we know, is most definitely unacceptable, which explains why those who listened did not hear Kerry breath even the faintest sigh of peace rhetoric along the campaign trail. Although 82 percent of registered Democrats believed the war to be a grave mistake, according to a 2004 USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll conducted on June 21-23, Kerry was steadfast in his support for the Iraq war. His own campaign platform was a glaring memento of the Democrats' inability to offer significant alternatives to George W. Bush. They simply believed they could manage the situation more astutely. "This administration did not build a true international coalition," Kerry's campaign platform proclaimed. He simply would have done it better. In the context of a party hell-bent on war, whose foreign policy is essentially identical to the Republican policy, it doesn't matter how many MoveOn members donate money to the Democratic Party. In the end, such reformers are left with nothing. No party. No money. No hope. And - perhaps worst of all - no unity. Joshua Frank is the author of the forthcoming book, Left Out! How Liberals Helped Reelect George W. Bush, to be published by Common Courage Press. You can pre-order a copy at discounted rate at www.BrickBurner.org. Josh can be reached at: Joshua@BrickBurner.org.
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