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Why Hillary Clinton Has Always Been a Republican In the first of a series of profiles, Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair chart the formative years of Hillary Clinton. Watch her as she zigzags from Nixon campaigner and vote-fraud investigator in 1960 to Goldwater Girl and President of Young Republicans at Wellesley to her internship for Gerald Ford and campaigner for Nelson Rockefeller. Witness her reaction to the student protests at Yale and the demonstrations at Grant Park during the Democratic Convention in 1968. Learn how she and Bill vowed to "remake" the Democratic Party--using the Nixon model HRC learned about as a member of the House impeachment staff. And much more! Plus: David Price on anthropologist Andre Gunder Frank, the FBI and the Bureaucratic Exile of a Critical Mind.
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Today's Stories July 7 / 8, 2007 Saul
Landau July 6, 2007 Daniel
Ellsberg Gary
Leupp Harvey
Wasserman Omer
Subhani Marjorie
Cohn Christopher
Brauchli David
Michael Green China
Hand Renee
Saucedo Corporate
Crime Reporter Website
of the Day
July 5, 2007 Andy
Worthington Mike
Stark Norman
Solomon Michael
Schwartz Susie
Day Jacob
Hornberger Bill
Hatch Don
Fitz John
Wright Website
of the Day
July 4, 2007 St.
Clair / Frank Vijay
Prashad Carl
G. Estabrook Ron
Jacobs David
R. Dow Claudia
Johnson William
S. Lind Gregory
Afghani Paul
Edwards D.
K. Wilson Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Thomas
Jefferson Cindy
Sheehan Website
of the Day
Bill
Quigley Gary
Leupp Lynda
Brayer Richard
Thieme Helen
Redmond David
Swanson Jacob
Hornberger Ayesha
Ijaz Khan Franklin
Lamb Ray
McGovern Kevin
Zeese Dave
Lindorff Website
of the Day
Andy
Worthington Nina
Serrano Jack
Hirschman Paul
Craig Roberts Bill
Williams Anthony
Papa Sonja
Karkar Louay
Safi Anthony
Gregory Monica
Benderman Website
of the Day
June 30 / July 1, 2007 John
Ross Alan
Farago Peter
Quinn Christopher
Brauchli Robert
Fisk Uri
Avnery Judith
Siers-Poisson Saul
Landau Abbas
Zaidi Ron
Jacobs Ralph
Nader Donald
Worster Mike
Whitney Jacob
Hill Kenneth
Couesbouc Missy
Beattie Mohammad
Kamaali Ramzy
Baroud Leonard
Peltier Phyllis
Pollack Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
June 29, 2007 St.
Clair / Frank Brian
Cloughley Patrick
Cockburn Gilad
Atzmon Dave
Lindorff Jennifer
Matsui / Kevin
Zeese Daniel
Klimek David
Michael Green John
Chuckman Website
of the Day
June 28, 2007 Bill
Quigley Vijay
Prashad Margaret
Kimberley Winslow
T. Wheeler Philip
Rizk D.
K. Wilson Bill
Williams Mahmoud
El-Yousseph Richard
Rhames Paul
Krassner Website
of the Day
Marjorie
Cohn Dr.
Susan Rosenthal, MD Alan
Farago Carla
Blank Matthew
Abraham Sunsara
Taylor Russell
D. Hoffman Robert
Weissman Sen.
Russ Feingold Paul
Buchheit Website
of the Day
June 26, 2007 Jonathan
Cook Ralph
Nader Corporate
Crime Reporter Ron
Jacobs Martha
Rosenberg John
Chuckman Denny
Haldeman Anthony
DiMaggio Stephen
Fleischman William
S. Lind Website
of the Day
Paul
Craig Roberts Jennifer
Loewenstein Bob
Anderson Robert
Pollin Patrick
Cockburn Eva
Liddell Dan
Bacher Larry
Atkins Mark
Brenner James
Rothenberg Website
of the Day June 23 / 24, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Jeff
Taylor Oren
Ben-Dor Gary
Leupp Robert
Fisk David
Rosen Russell
Mokhiber Alison
Weir Robert
Fantina D.
K. Wilson Nicole
Colson Stephen
Soldz, Steven Reisner and Brad Olson Dave
Lindorff Benjamin
Dangl Michael
Dickinson Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
June 22, 2007 Andy
Worthington Sherwood
Ross Eliana
Monteforte Robert
Weissman Richard
Rhames Christopher
Brauchli Ramzy
Baroud Ehud
Krinis, David Shulman and Neve Gordon David
Michael Green Kathryn
Webber Website
of the Day
June 21, 2007 Peter
Linebaugh Natsu
Saito Ron
Jacobs Saree
Makdisi John
Stauber Scott
Liebertz Tom
Clifford Robert
Jensen Michael
J. Smith Jeb
Sprague Website
of the Day
Omar
Barghouti Andy
Worthington Margaret
Kimberley Robert
Weissman Russell
D. Hoffman Rannie
Amiri Stephen
Lendman Dave
Lindorff David
Swanson Anne
Dachel Website
of the Day
June 19, 2007 Ralph
Nader Dr.
Shepherd Bliss Bill
and Kathleen Christison Jeff
Leys Dave
Zirin Chris
Floyd Ben
Terrall Anthony
Papa VIPS Linda Flores Website
of the Day
John
Ross Paul
Craig Roberts Martha
Rosenberg Norman
Solomon Don
Santina Isabella
Kenfield James
Brooks Eva
Liddell Sam
Husseini Akiva
Eldar Website
of the Day
Alexander
Cockburn John
Halle Robert
Fisk Andy
Worthington Uri
Avnery Fred
Gardner Saul
Landau P.
Sainath Missy
Comley Beattie Alan
Gregory Walter
Brasch Website
of the Weekend
June 15, 2007 Alan
Farago Andy
Worthington Michael
Simmons Franklin
Lamb Gary
Leupp John
Ross Website
of the Day
June 14, 2007 Michael
Donnelly
Faisal
Kutty Harry
Browne Charles
Jonkel Steven
Higgs Bruce
Dixon Bruce
K. Gagnon
Website
of the Day June 13, 2007 Glen Ford Marjorie Cohn Bill Christison Charles Jonkel Silvia Cattori Richard Gott Firmin DeBrabander William S. Lind Keith Rosenthal Website of the Day June 12, 2007 Jeffrey St.
Clair Paul Craig
Roberts P. Sainath Ralph Nader Omar Waraich Dave Lindorff Harvey Wasserman Malini Johar
Schueller Ramzy Baroud Website of
the Day
June 11, 2007 Patrick Cockburn Paul Craig
Roberts Uri Avnery Norman Solomon Eva Liddell Rannie Amiri Rachel Voss Christopher
Brauchli D. K. Wilson Website of
the Day
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Weekend
Edition When Negativity Messes Up Your MoodModes and Melodies of ResistanceBy RON JACOBS There are a couple of discs out there in the world of music that bear listening. Echoing a modern world where paranoia masquerades as security and the fetish for material things has become religious in nature, these discs satirize and reject this world we find ourselves in. Nothing is sacred here, yet everything has value. Whether it's a positive or negative worth is a matter of where one comes from. Like the music itself. Vijay Iyer and Mike Ladd Vijay Iyer is the son of Indian immigrants raised in upstate New York. His works include the intriguing Memorophilia and the 2003 release Blood Sutra. Iyer expanded his jazz stylings in 2004 when he collaborated with hiphop artist Mike Ladd on the CD In What Language? This disc explores Iyer's world of dual nationality and jazz with beats and piano. The lyrics are intoned by Mike Ladd, Latasha N. Nevada Diggs, Alison Easter and Ajay Naidu. They tell stories of police harassment and air travel and are based on the experiences of the Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi at JFK airport in the spring of 2001. While he was changing planes at JFK Panahi was shackled to a bench in a holding cell by INS agents and and ultimately sent back to his previous departure point Hong Kong. As Panahi told the story, he wrote, "I wanted to tell my fellow passengers, "I'm not a thief! I'm not a murderer! I'm just a ... filmmaker. But how to tell this? In what language?'" Hence the CD's title. The liner notes make the point of this work clear. "The airport is not a neutral place....This album is a commentary on the non-neutrality of transit." For anyone who spends time in airports, they know this is true. There is a police presence always and there are divisions that are quite apparent if one only looks for them. Iyer and Ladd do this in a manner that transcends anything I could write here. Like any quality music, this disc becomes part of the listener's consciousness if one allows it to. Iyer's second collaboration with Ladd, titled Still LIfe With Commentator, is a commentary on the world of information bombardment that we live in. At once replicating the cacophony of words and images we live within and without and a construct that shows how the packaging of that information makes us either at peace, fearful or frustrated, the album is frenetic at times and almost religious at others. Vijay's keyboard magic enhances the words and enlightens the message. Indeed, the vocal and instrumental interplay on the piece "Cleaning Up the Mess" on Still Life With Commentator is transcendent in the manner that the best religious music is transcendent. Think Beethoven's Missa Solemnis or the chants of the Gyuto Monks of Tibet. Those are moments when nothing comes between the listener and the spirit world. Yet here the lyrics are of a more temporal and earthly nature, if only because of their topic. Then there's the tune (well, it's not really a tune...it's more like banter) titled "Fox N Friends." This little spoof of the morning nonsense that passes for intelligent banter on the morning TV news shows is just plain funny. The words are irrelevant to the frenetic caffeine-laced cadence they maintain. The tune "Infogee Rhapsody" opens the disc with a bass line that is also a heartbeat. Then the piano begins. Beyond Gil Scot Heron but taken from his seed, the lyrics wrench themselves from the dreamlike sounds of the music into your consciousness. Then it's into a rap that headlines noises taken from the video game of your choice. A religious hymn of the Catholic variety titled "Cleaning up the Mess" follows. Vijay is a cerebral pianist that my ear cannot help but compare to Keith Jarrett and even Thelonious Monk. The music of Iyer and his combo is stream-of-consciousness poetry without words implanting themselves secretly in your being like a bird's song heard first thing in the morning. Speaking about that combo, its members vary. Indeed, it would be more accurate to say the there is no constant grouping on Still Life With Commentator. Instead, Iyer performs primarily by himself or with guitarist Liberty Ellman and cellist Okyyung Lee. There is some percussive and vocal enhancement occasionally provided by Guillermo Brown and Pamela Z. but the work is essentially Iyer and Ladd. In What Language? features a more traditional combo on most of the selections. That combo also includes Ellman. He is joined by Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet, Rudresh Mahanthappa on alto, Dana Leong on a variety of brass, Stephen Crump on bass and Trevor Holder on drums.
Blusion The band Blusion is a blast. Their music is solid dance funk with a tinge of disco and reggae and their CD titled Sign Of The Times is about changing the world. It uses the same frustration and anger with he status quo that Vijay's discs do and adds a dance step to it. Where Iyer's approach is metaphysical, Blusion's is flat out physical. The contrast between the lyrics and the music is slightly disconcerting if only because one isn't used to hearing dance tunes that call a pig a pig. One of my favorite spots in the CD occurs midway through the song "Pirate in a Pinstripe Suit." This involves the band reworks the old folk tune "What do You do With a Drunken Sailor." They turn the old English tune into an indictment of capital criminality. And it swings. Some of the music here is Bernsteinesque in its time signature. Some of it is just plain rock and roll fun. When I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area I used to go to a music festival on the Eel River a hundred miles or so north of the city. The site is a beautiful slice of California nature. Trees, water and sunshine--just like a postcard. This is where I imagine myself when I listen to Blusion. Dancing away the day with hundreds of others. A beer in my hand and sunshine on my back. A collection of originals and covers, Sign Of The Times takes the anger of a Rage Against the Machine album and moves it to the woods of Northern California. This transition can't help but mellow the edges a bit. The bass guitar that is a weapon in the hands of Rage's Timmy C. becomes a dance master in Paul Dean's hands. The funk emanates from those fat strings a la Larry Graham in his days with Sly Stone. Dean takes Rob Hart's drums and Kendrick Freeman's percussion straight to the dance floor. The sharpness of Dave Schrader's horns is not intrusive but leading and the vocals of Rustie Woods are deceptively entrancing. Greg Schlaepfer's keyboards melt effortlessly into the mix like a dancer composed of California breeze. These folks know their audience. There are a good number of politically inspired punk bands and a fair number of hiphop artists that speak their minds, but there are very few (if any) political bands in the genre Blusion hails from. As noted before, the music is dance music and should naturally appeal to those who consider themselves too hip (or hippie) to get involved in the political world. You know the refrain, why bring yourself down with all that stuff, man? There's a response to hip apathy on this disc and it's called "Party Song." It's essence can be found in the chorus: (imagine a good funk disco beat behind this chant)
That's not self righteous but it's not nice, either. This album proves you can be angry and active without giving up the dance floor. Emma Goldman once said something to the effect that she didn't want to be part of any revolution that wouldn't let her dance. I think she would be glad to know that Blusion is around. Ron Jacobs is author of The
Way the Wind Blew: a history of the Weather Underground,
which is just republished by Verso. Jacobs' essay on Big Bill
Broonzy is featured in CounterPunch's collection on music, art
and sex, Serpents
in the Garden. His first novel, Short
Order Frame Up, is published by Mainstay Press. He can be
reached at: rjacobs3625@charter.net 
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CounterPunch Books of the Crossroads: HOW THE IRISH INVENTED SLANG By Daniel Cassidy  Click Here to Buy! How the Press Failed The Gang's All Here: Judy Miller, Bob Woodward, Rupert Murdoch, Bill O'Reilly...End Times Leaves No Reputation Unstained!  Buy End Times Now! CounterPunch Books! Saul Landau's Bush and Botox World with a Foreword by Gore Vidal  Click Here to Order!  Michael Neumann's Devastating Rebuttal of Alan Dershowitz Grand Theft Pentagon: Tales of Greed and Profiteering in the War on Terror by Jeffrey St. Clair           The Occupation by Patrick Cockburn   Humanitarian Imperialism By Jean Bricmont               CITY BEAUTIFUL By Tennessee Reed        Bruce Springsteen On Tour By Dave Marsh                   |
