home / subscribe / donate / tower / books / archives / search / links / feedback / events
|
|
|
The War So Far: a Failure Worse Than Vietnam by Patrick Cockburn in Baghdad "The need for the White House to produce a fantasy picture of Iraq is because it dare not admit that it has engineered one of the greatest disasters in American history. It is worse than Vietnam because the enemy is punier and the original ambitions greater." Get the answers you're looking for in the 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 |
|
October 21, 2005 Michael Donnelly October 20, 2005 Dave Lindorff Ray McGovern Jeremy Brecher
/ Patrick Cockburn Kevin Zeese Ross Eisenbrey Randy Shields Justine Davidson After Lucas
Cranach Joe Allen
October 19, 2005 Christopher Reed Stephen Soldz Chet Richards Patrick Cockburn Scott Richard
Lyons Ralph Nader Website of
the Day
October 18, 2005 Chet Flippo Ron Jacobs Keeanga-Yamahtta
Taylor Dave Lindorff Virginia Rodino Thomas Healy Ralph Nader Stephen Lendman Patrick Cockburn
October 17, 2005 Peter Linebaugh Norman Solomon Cockburn /
Sengupta Mike Whitney Uri Avnery Harold Pinter Website of
the Day
October 15 / 16, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Patrick Cockburn Saul Landau Neve Gordon Moshe Adler Christopher Brauchli Diane Farsetta Sam Husseini Monica Benderman Mickey Z. Douglas C.
Smyth Lee Sustar Fred Gardner Elizabeth Schulte Joshua Frank David Vest Ben Tripp Poets Basement Website of
the Weekend
October 14, 2005 Farrah Hassen Ron Jacobs Sasha Kramer Katrina Yeaw Nicole Colson Raúl Zibechi Nikolas Kozloff Website of the Day
Jeremy Scahill Jeff Birkenstein Brendan Smith / Jeremy Brecher Stan Cox Anis Memon Gary Leupp Dave Zirin Matthew Koehler Werther Website of
the Day
Omar Waraich William Cook Phil Gasper Dave Lindorff Matt Vidal John Gautreaux Diana Johnstone Mark Weisbrot Brian J. Foley Website of
the Day
October 11, 2005 Roger Morris
/ Steve Schmidt Lila Rajiva Bill Quigley Paul Craig Roberts Dave Lindorff Dr. Teresa Whitehurst Mitchel Cohen Tariq Ali Website of
the Day
October 10, 2005 Cindy and Craig
Corrie Joshua Frank Gideon Levy Alan Wallis Mickey Z. CounterPunch News Service Paul Craig
Roberts Website of the Day
October 8 / 9, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Ralph Nader Jennifer Van Bergen Saul Landau Jeff Halper Lenni Brenner Nikolas Kozloff Brian Cloughley Alice Slater John Gautreaux Fred Gardner Niranjan Ramakrishnan M.G. Piety Tom Gorman Mike Whitney Aseem Shrivastava Ben Tripp Poets' Basement
October 7, 2005 Larry Johnson Will Youmans Dave Lindorff Judith Scherr Russell D. Hoffman Jared Bernstein Jennifer Van
Bergen Website of
the Day
P. Sainath Scott Parkin Paul Craig
Roberts Andréa Schmidt Dave Lindorff Joshua Frank M. Junaid Alam Matthew Koehler Robert Pollin
October 5, 2005 Heather Gray Robert Jensen Ramzy Baroud Col. Dan Smith Dave Zirin Paul Craig Roberts Alan Maass
October 4, 2005 Nikolas Kozloff Mike Roselle Joshua Frank John Chuckman Alan Farago Mickey Z. Christine & Ethan Rose Gary Leupp Website of the Day
October 3, 2005 Vijay Prashad Paul Craig
Roberts Joshua Frank Seth Sandronsky Jeffrey St. Clair
October 1 / 2, 2005 Cockburn
/ St. Clair Dave
Marsh Ralph
Nader Flavia
Alaya Uri
Avnery Chris
Kutalik Greg
Moses Brian
J. Foley Nicole
Colson Ray
McGovern Fred
Gardner Justin
Felux Will
Youmans Mike
Ferner David
Krieger Agustin
Velloso Saul
Landau Ben
Tripp Poets
Basement Website
of the Weekend
September 30, 2005 Mary
Geddry Paul
Craig Roberts Dave
Lindorff Gregory
Wilpert Benjamin
Dangl James
McMurtry T.R.
Johnson
September 29, 2005 Sen.
Russ Feingold Carl
G. Estabrook Ramzy
Baroud Dave
Lindorff Mike
Whitney Jozef
Hand-Boniakowski Gary
Handschumacher Winslow
T. Wheeler
September 28, 2005 Dr.
Eyad Serraj William
A. Cook Liaquat
Ali Khan Mike
Whitney Joshua
Frank CounterPunch
Wire Chris
Genovali Linn
Washington, Jr.
September 27, 2005 Forrest
Hylton Jason
Leopold Jennifer
K. Harbury Ray
McGovern Mike
Ferner Antony
Loewenstein Harry
Browne
September 26, 2005 Rafael
Rodriguez Cruz Joshua
Frank Lamis
Andoni Mike
Marqusee Rep.
Cynthia McKinney Ron
Jacobs Norman
Solomon John
Chuckman Paul
Craig Roberts
September 24 / 25, 2005 Kathy
and Bill Christison Ralph
Nader Saul
Landau Greg
Moses Roger
Burbach Vijay
Prashad Laura
Carlsen Robert
Fisk Dave
Lindorff Kirkpatrick
Sale / Thomas Naylor Maj.
Anthony Milavic Brian
Concannon, Jr.
September 23, 2005 CounterPunch
News Service Diane
Farsetta Robert
Sandels Christopher
Brauchli Alan
Farago Dave
Zirin Maxine
Conant David
Price
September 22, 2005 Smith,
Wood, Leas, and Greenfield Patrick
Cockburn Manuel
Garcia, Jr. Lucia
Dailey Mokhiber
/ Weissman Russell
D. Hoffman Kona
Lowell Jason
Leopold Website
of the Day
September 21, 2005 Jorge
Mariscal Linda
S. Heard Joshua
Frank Eric
Ruder Pierre
Tristam Dave
Lindorff Mike
Ferner Missy
Comley Beattie Jeffrey
St. Clair Website
of the Day
September 20, 2005 Steve
Breyman George
Galloway Patrick
Cockburn M.
Shahid Alam Mike
Whitney Winslow
T. Wheeler Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Paul
Craig Roberts
Subscribe Online
|
October 21, 2005 "We Have Lost Government to Money"Abusing KatrinaBy MADIS SENNER Remember what Conservatives did after 9-11? They exploited a moment of vulnerability by passing laws like the PATRIOT Act and taking us to war. Now look at Katrina. They are again using human suffering and tragedy as the ruse to ratchet up their agenda, today arguing that we need spending cuts in social programs to pay for hurricane relief. Katrina Exposed Us to Poverty and Squalor We were bombarded with horrible sights--dead bodies covered with sheets, people stranded on roof tops to escape rising flood waters, others huddled in relief centers without enough foodall waiting to be helped. Just about all of them African Americans. Who can forget the story of Henry Jackson who lost his wife Tonette:
Since the majority of folks suffering were African Americans the national media for the first time since 9-11 began talking about racism and poverty, implying that government policies had failed them. Team Bush reinforced the notion through its words and actions that helping the poor and African Americans was not a high priority for a conservative government. FEMA head Michael Brown told CNN's Paula Zahn after days of media coverage of the Katrina victims suffering in the Convention Center that: "[T]he federal government did not even know about the convention center people until today." Then there was the President Bush who chose to show his concern by flying at a distance overhead instead of spending time with those suffering on the ground. Many of felt like joining in the chorus victims in the Convention Center chanting, "Help us, Help us, Help us..." All of this had Progressives beaming with hopes that their issues of poverty, economic justice and racism would become the nation's agenda. Conservatives were quick to agree that Katrina was about to change the political agenda in Washington. Speaking on News Hour, Conservative columnist David Brooks of NY Times talked about similar times when national crisis had precipitated a shift in policies towards progressive issues:
Brooks continued and made it seem that almost every major tragedy in the past had led to a resurgence in progressivism:
Santa was Mugged Katrina appeared to have provided the perfect opportunity for Progressives, but instead Conservatives were able to successfully hijack the national mood and use it to further their cause. Senator John Kerry speaking at Brown University, September 19, 2005 noted how the Conservatives had again seized the day:
Let's not forget that all the poverty and misery we saw were the result of failed conservative experiments in social engineering. Now Kerry was telling us that a new round of experiments lay ahead for the poor? He went on to elaborate:
The laboratory Kerry is referring to is not being confined to the Gulf States region. To pay for Hurricane relief, Congress is resorting to cuts in spending, most of it coming from causes dear to Progressives. House Republicans have pledged to cut $50 billion in entitlement programs to help pay for Katrina relief. A proposal to cut or postpone the medicaid drug program is also being bandied about. Then there is the trial balloon of a tax cut. There is also an effort to further reduce civil liberties and increase militarism. On October 4 President Bush requested Congress to repeal the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which prohibits the use of the military in domestic policing except for the purpose of quelling a revolution While effort has been made in cutting some pork on the highway bill, at 258 million, it is minuscule. In the face of all this Congress voted to fund the war with Iraq another $50 billion. What happened? How were conservatives able to turn what seemed an apparent set-back in their agenda into a victory? While Progressives were silent for months after 9-11 because they wanted to show national unity, it was not so with Conservatives in the wake of Katrina. With corpses still floating in the flooded streets of New Orleans Conservatives began arguing that local governments were to blame for the failure of the emergency response, not the Federal government (Conservatives and Team Bush). It all came across like a bizarre funeral where the greedy relatives were arguing over the will before the body was in the ground. Several news stories were planted with the media to help reinforce the image of the local government's incompetence. For example, Chris Wallace on Fox Sunday showed Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu a picture of hundreds of school buses that were idly parked and said that they could have been used to evacuate indigent New Orleans residents. He was trying to intimate that the idle school buses showed that the local government was unprepared for the Hurricane and consequently compounded relief efforts. The blame the victim strategy began to raise doubt about whether it was the Federal or the local government that was at fault over the failure of evacuation. It also gave the conservative base an arguing point, albeit a dubious one. While people were smouldering over Katrina, President Bush took to the airwaves with several carefully staged presentations. In a nationally televised speech in battered New Orleans on September 15th the President promised the Americans: "We'll do whatever it takes." This was the first of several speeches for the President, who would continue to reaffirm his and the government's commitment to taking care of the victims of Katrina and helping rebuild the ravaged Gulf Coast. The speech was a milestone because it was the first time that President Bush had publicly admitted that he had made a mistake since being elected President. The President's speech stopped his hemorrhaging in the polls. Since President Reagan began running deficits, Conservatives have been employing a de facto "scorched earth" policy. "Scorched earth" refers to a battle strategy, more often employed by retreating than advancing armies, of burning land and buildings so that nothing is left salvageable for the enemy. General Sherman is still held in infamy by many for his march to Atlanta when he burned everything in the path before him. For this, he was immortalized in the movie "Gone With the Wind,. Today, instead of burning food and property, the conservatives spend money and put the country deep into debt, the rationale being that deficits reduce the ability of "Liberals" to spend money. President Bush has decided not to follow in the footsteps of President Clinton, who endeavored to balance the budget. Bush opted instead to put through the largest tax cut in history that, along with the invasion of Iraq, caused the largest deficit in the USA's history. So how do we fund Katrina, estimated to cost $200 billion? Being in a deficit reduces our ability to go further into debt. So something has to give. This is what the "scorched earth" policy doesit reduces your choices to either you put food on the table or you pay the rent. You chose. With the war in Iraq becoming increasingly unpopular it seemed only natural that the war should be placed on the chopping block. It was not. President Bush took the brunt of the Katrina fallout. But is he the real villain? Does lambasting him serve progressive goals? Making an issue personal, whether it be Katrina relief or funding your local school board, is polarizing. It is easy and energizes the base. We can revel in the fact that President Bush is at an all time low popularity. But does it help the cause? The more we focus on Bush the more the debate turns away from the failures of conservative policies. Would having a different President change anything? Is there any doubt that conservatives would serve up the President to satisfy the masses and deflect attention away from the failures of their policies? One need only look to how Conservatives have pounced on President Bush over his recent selection of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court to answer the question.
A Terrible Vision The scenes of suffering and squalor we saw in New Orleans after Katrina are images that will linger with us for a long time. But as haunting or as disturbing the images coming out of Katrina were, they have changed nothing. That it is the most difficult reality to accept. That horrible scenes of people suffering do little to effect change. To think that only a few generations ago people were moved by the scenes of little girls being bit by dogs and hosed by policeman to make changes in government. Not so today. That may sound hopeless, it is not. It is only a reflection of how things have changedfrom the media becoming spin dominated, to understanding how ruthless and wily conservatives are, to seeing how money running politics. That is a difficult pill to swallow. For example, many of us say that money runs politics, but when it comes to bringing about change we are only to quick to run to Washington. Do we believe it, or not? When we look at any program designed to bring about radical change in people, such as the AAA, it begins by understanding that you are at a low and need to make dramatic changes because the old ways aren,t cutting it. Once you do that you will begin to move forward. Say it: "We have lost government to money." Good. Now lets starting talking about ways of affecting change outside of government. Let's think outside of the box. A new world is possible. Madis Senner, CPA, is an ex global money manager
turned faith-based activist. His causes include supporting a
Muslim doctor, Dr.
Rafil Dhafir, convicted of violating the Iraqi sanctions
and protesting the Federal
Reserve.
|
from CounterPunch Books! The Case Against Israel By Michael Neumann  Grand Theft Pentagon: Tales of Greed and Profiteering in the War on Terror by Jeffrey St. Clair                      |
