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CounterPunchers! We Mean It!
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Today's Stories November 9, 2009 Linn Washington November 6-8, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Mark Grueter Paul Craig Roberts Patrick Cockburn Gareth Porter Mike Whitney James Bovard Dean Baker Robert Lawless Saul Landau Jayne Lyn Stahl Stephanie Westbrook M. Shahid Alam Marc Levy Franklin Lamb Ron Jacobs David Ker Thomson John V. Whitbeck Julien Mercille Rannie Amiri John Ross David Michael Green Carl Finamore Farzana Versey Missy Comley Beattie Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Kim Nicolini Poets' Basement November 5, 2009 Pam Martens Vijay Prashad Brian Gallagher Norman Solomon Nadia Hijab Joseph Shansky Andy Thayer Tracy Rosenberg Website of the Day November 4, 2009 Stan Cox Andy Worthington From Gitmo to Palau: Who are the Uighurs? Robert Weissman Susan Galleymore Ralph Nader Michael Leonardi Bitta Mistofi Robert Bryce Martha Rosenberg Dave Lindorff Website of the Day November 3, 2009 Patrick Cockburn Mike Whitney Franklin C. Spinney Laura Carlsen Serge Halimi John Stanton Sophia Weeks Dave Lindorff November 2, 2009 Steven Higgs Ishmael Reed David Macaray Bouthaina Shaaban David Michael Green David Swanson Ellen Brown Adam Federman James McEnteer Stephen Fleischman Website of the Day October 30 - Nov. 1, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair / Carl Ginsburg Mike Whitney Joe Bageant Gareth Porter Saul Landau Anthony DiMaggio Dave Lindorff Rannie Amiri Niranjan Ramakrishnan Jayne Lyn Stahl Rev. William E. Alberts Alvaro Huerta Martha Rosenberg Binoy Kampmark Norm Kent Charles R. Larson Roth's "The Humbling:" Nothing Like a Novel From an Old Pro Ron Jacobs David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Kim Nicolini Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 29, 2009 Michael Neumann Mike Whitney Gary Leupp Conn Hallinan Marshall Auerback Laura Flanders Eamonn McCann David Macaray Mark Weisbrot Stephen Soldz Christopher Brauchli Website of the Day October 28, 2009 Moshe Adler Dave Lindorff Frank Joseph Smecker Alexandra Early M. Shahid Alam Vijay Prashad John Ross Franklin Lamb Gregory Travis Susan Galleymore Website of the Day October 27, 2009 Mike Whitney Patrick Cockburn Stewart J. Lawrence Alan Farago Ralph Nader Dave Lindorff Bouthaina Shaaban Brian M. Downing Elections in Afghanistan, the Second Time Around Iain Boal Carl Finamore Jayne Lyn Stahl Website of the Day October 26, 2009 Bill Quigley / Paul Craig Roberts Uri Avnery Mike Whitney Michael Snedeker Shamus Cooke David Michael Green Martha Rosenberg Patrick Bond Binoy Kampmark Website of the Day October 23-25, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Christopher Ketcham Jeff Gore Gareth Porter Jayne Lyn Stahl Saul Landau Mike Whitney Nikolas Kozloff Ron Jacobs Russell Mokhiber Missy Beattie Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Stephen Lendman David Ker Thomson Rannie Amiri Ronnie Cummins Norm Kent Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Ben Sonnenberg Kim Nicolini Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 22, 2009 Dan Pearson / Jonathan Cook Paul Craig Roberts The US as Failed State Mark Engler Johann Hari Brian M. Downing Eric Toussaint Tom Mountain Israel Shamir Charles Thomson Website of the Day October 21, 2009 Pam Martens Linn Washington, Jr. Liaquat Ali Khan D. K. Wilson Franklin Lamb Norman Solomon Stephen Fleischman Patrice Higonnet Binoy Kampmark Kevin Coval / Website of the Day October 20, 2009 Sharon Smith Tariq Ali Mark Brenner Bouthaina Shaaban Michael D. Yates Dean Baker Dave Lindorff John Ross Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Kevin Zeese Gilad Atzmon Website of the Day October 19, 2009 Mike Whitney Greg Moses John Ross Michael Donnelly Jayne Lyn Stahl Eric Walberg Russell Mokhiber Barbara Rose Johnston John V. Whitbeck Christopher Ketcham Website of the Day October 16-18, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Saul Landau Paul Craig Roberts Carl Ginsburg Ralph Nader Nikolas Kozloff Carlo Galli Dave Lindorff Catherine Rottenberg
/ Neve Gordon Marshall Auerback Nicola Nasser Windy Cooler James L. Secor Ron Jacobs Wes Jackson Jesse Lerner-Kinglake David Ker Thomson Against Leaders Missy Beattie Emily Ratner Stephen Martin Michael Snedeker Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Peter Stone Brown Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 15, 2009 Andrew Cockburn Brian M. Downing Ramzy Baroud Danny Weil M. Idrees Ahmad Margaret Kimberley Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Harvey Wasserman Nirmal Ghosh Charles R. Larson Website of the Day October 14, 2009 Michael Neumann M. Reza Pirbhai Gareth Porter Paul Craig Roberts John Strausbaugh Fortress Moon Ralph Nader Dean Baker Charles Modiano Nadia Hijab Walter Brasch Website of the Day October 13, 2009 Peter Linebaugh Shamus Cooke John Ross Brendan Cooney Frida Berrigan Yves Engler David Macaray Dave Lindorff Mark Weisbrot Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Binoy Kampmark Website of the Day October 12, 2009 Pam Martens Mike Whitney Martha Rosenberg Jessica Arents Eamonn McCann Bill Hatch Sen. Russell Feingold Niranjan Ramakrishnan Gideon Levy Iyad Burnat Alan Cabal Dan Bacher Website of the Day October 9-11, 2009 Alexander Cockburn James Bovard Kathleen and Bill Christison Andy Worthington Marc Levy Tariq Ali Mike Whitney Paul Craig Roberts Alan Nasser Jack Z. Bratich Steve Breyman David Michael Green Dave Lindorff Paul Buchheit Jim Goodman Missy Beattie Michael Leonardi Nadia Hijab Mel Packer David Macaray James T. Phillips Charles R. Larson Michael Donnelly David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 8, 2009 Saul Landau Paul Fitzgerald / Linn Washington, Jr. Marshall Auerback Dave Lindorff David Rosen Chris Darimont / Misty MacDuffee John V. Walsh Stewart Lawrence Charles R. Larson Website of the Day October 7, 2009 Brendan Cooney Paul Craig Roberts Dean Baker Jonathan Cook John Stanton Joanne Mariner Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Stephen Lendman Sen. Russell Feingold Mary Lynn Cramer Website of the Day October 6, 2009 Mike Whitney Gareth Porter Jonathan Cook Boris Kagarlitsky Iain Boal Ron Jacobs John Ross Michael Dickinson Stephen Fleischman Ira Glunts Missy Beattie Website of the Day October 5, 2009 Pam Martens Mike Whitney Paul Craig Roberts Harry Browne Sara Mann Omar Barghouti Shamus Cooke Brenda Norrell Fred Gardner Binoy Kampmark Copenhagen Blues: McChrystal and the Afghan Trap Website of the Day October 2-4, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Saul Landau Diana Johnstone Greg Moses William Blum Brian Cloughley Russell Mokhiber John Ross Ellen Brown David Ker Thomson David Macaray Gary Engler Robert Fantina Lisa Stolarski / Naomi Archer Anthony Papa Joe Allen Harry Browne Ron Jacobs Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend
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The Great MarginalizationTo be Young and Unemployed ForeverBy CARL GINSBURG A visit to a Bronx public high school last week is a disturbing reminder of the penal quality of life for young Americans on the lower end of the economic spectrum, lower end being close to a majority, or more, a number certainly on the upswing given pervasive unemployment, structural change affecting work opportunity, the use of technology to eliminate jobs, sub-standard public education, and the rest. Officially, 27.6 percent of 16-19 year olds are unemployed, the biggest number on record; the real number is much higher and there is no relief in sight. Across the country, public schools report historic levels of overcrowding, no new textbooks, suspended after-school programs, summer school gone, all in response to the fiscal crisis caused by the credit crisis, a crisis during which banks, today, sit on in excess of $13 trillion in cash, awaiting better times, in the name of prudent investment and fiduciary responsibility. Try explaining that investment philosophy to these kids. The school doors swing open to metal detectors.. once through, uniformed escorts are summoned to open each and every door—corridor entrances, bathrooms, classrooms, all locked. There are no sports, no computers, dismissing altogether the physical and techno-educational development of these teens. One of America’s ugly secrets is this: segregation never ended, and that is plain to see here, where the entire student body of 2,500 students is black or Latino. Suburbs, replete with traveling soccer leagues and advanced computer labs, are segregated in some large measure, too. The setting here in this Bronx high school brings to mind county jails visited over recent years in places like Denver, Houston, Mobile, Los Angeles, where drug use, or just plain truancy, lead to teen jailing, with open-ended terms and psychiatric drugs. ..s ometimes kids are mixed with adults. What lands you in a teen mental health clinic in tony Westchester County – replete with sports and computers - gets you jailed in Watts. But that’s an old story. What does it say about our society that urban schools look, feel and function like prisons? In a society where productivity, stock markets and profits go up as a consequence of the marginalization of the population, the future of our youth is murky, at best. Who wants to impart that lesson to kids looking for a start, for some hint of the prospect of an independent life, someday? There is no plan of this government to effectively address the chronic, grinding unemployment that is youth in Obama’s America. When there is no plan invoke “market forces” and ratchet up the foreign wars. Smooth talk for a crude course is well worn by now. Ironically, youth unemployment here is the ultimate antidote to war, as growing segments of this country’s youth learn firsthand what’s been the fact of life in Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Gaza for many years.. the source of terror: no work, no independence, no family, no future. What exactly is the model we are proposing to bring to Afghanistan and those other places on a list of past-present-and-future Pentagon multi-decade armed visits? Regulation of rampant insider trading? Agri-business and big pharm gouging? De-linking housing costs from wages? Penal high schools? Did the US (or French) ever act to provide affordable rice in S. Vietnam? Or anywhere in the world? Harper’s magazine reports that 300 million people joined the ranks of the daily hungry since 2003, bringing the total number to more than one billion, an increase not attributable to low food stocks, but quite the opposite: “lack of money, not lack of food” quotes Harper’s. Again, that’s something that, thanks to President Obama, growing millions of Americans can now relate to, as they line up in record numbers at food pantries for a bag or two, while down the road supermarkets are bursting with product. Food beyond sale date is dumped by the markets and recycled through food banks. That is wonder bread. (Hey, you’re unlikely to get sick eating it, and if you do, not to worry, there’s a new health plan on its way, a plan however, like food distribution, stratified by class in a way Americans can’t conceive of ….stay tuned.) Not surprisingly, among liberal commentators there is a steady chorus of concern to the effect that the Great Marginalization is here to stay absent some creative and bold government spending to employ people. From Jeff Madrick, writing in New York Review of Books, “disappointment” with Obama’s economic offerings; New York Times’s Paul Krugman, a supporter of Obama on health care legislation, nonetheless chides him on the economy overall for “… doing too little. The fateful decision, early this year, to go for economic half-measures may haunt Democrats for years to come.” In The Nation, William Greider writes, “Far from proposing deep restructuring, Obama and his lieutenants are instead predicting prosperity around the corner…. If politicians surrender to the budget scolds, the nation will be stuck in this ditch for a long, long time.” Writing about youth unemployment, Times’s Bob Herbert puts it bluntly: “Without direct government intervention, the recession is never going to end for them.” But so far, a deaf ear from the White House. President Obama takes the support of these liberal voices for granted, their criticism not threatening but constructive, their votes in the bag. He reasons, with data to support from his all-star West Wing: where are the liberals going to go? But imagine a year from now, another extension of unemployment insurance the latest congressional accomplishment, that bare minimum existence now spilling over to year three of the Obama Administration… the high school graduating class of ’11 looking at a long, hot summer. Kids in the Bronx got food aid at lunch from the city last summer to avoid going hungry all day. Yes, the result of negligence and irresponsibility. But no, not on the part of their parents, friends or community for whom the meaning of “lack of money not lack of food” was grasped a long time ago . Blaming the community won’t wash a year from now, when tens of millions of Americans, some new to the list of low priority locales, face the same plight. What’s the message then? Carl Ginsburg is a tv producer and journalist based in New York. He can be reached at carlginsburg@gmail.com Inside the New Print Edition of Our Subscriber-Only Newsletter! Obama and Black America Ten months into Obama-time, the plight of black Americans is terrible. Yet overwhelmingly they rally behind the president. In a powerful report from the Deep South Kevin Alexander Gray asks the question: what should the black political agenda be? Mark Rudd counterposes “organizing” with “activism” and describes what it will take to build a movement. H. Bruce Franklin gives a chronology of the march into Afghanistan. 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.Order CounterPunch By Email For Only $35 a Year !
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Now Available from CounterPunch Books! Yellowstone Drift:
"Powerful and shocking ..
Waiting for
Lightning
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