From Negatives to Positives

Discovery in News archives leads to publication of unseen photographs tracing progress of civil rights movement through Birmingham

Hundreds of photos from that era were lost, sold, stolen or stored in archives. Some of those pictures appear today for the first time in the newspaper, in an eight-page special section titled "Unseen. Unforgotten."
The section is the result of research by Alexander Cohn, a 30-year-old former photo intern at The News. In November 2004, Cohn went through an equipment closet at the newspaper in search of a lens and saw a cardboard box full of negatives marked, "Keep. Do Not Sell." Photos found here

A Story Straight from the Film 'The Burbs'

The NYTimes:A Haunted House, Clinging to Secrets

The husband was German and the wife stayed in most of the time, she said. She could not recall the family name. One of the sons, who appeared to be mentally handicapped, was friendly and waved when he walked to the corner store for cigarettes, she said.

Wow, what a well liked President we have!

Thousands to protect Bush on first India visit

About 5,000 personnel including snipers, commandos and U.S. marines using helicopters, bomb detectors and electronic jammers will protect President George W. Bush during his visit to India this week, officials said on Monday.

Dirty Delay Aides Back to Old Tricks

Texas Nonprofit Is Cleared After GOP-Prompted Audit

This audit was political retaliation by Tom DeLay's cronies to intimidate us for blowing the whistle on DeLay's abuses," McDonald said. "Enlisting the IRS to intimidate critics is a dirty trick reminiscent of Richard Nixon.

American gulag

Torture, force-feeding and darkness at noon -- this is Guantanamo, a lawyer for prisoners says.

THE AMERICAN PRISON CAMP at Guantanamo Bay is on the southeast corner of Cuba, a sliver of land the United States has occupied since 1903. Long ago, it was irrigated from lakes on the other side of the island, but Cuban President Fidel Castro cut off the water supply years ago. Continue reading here...

It's the Corporation, Stupid

By Molly Ivins

The government is willing to outsource American jobs for the holy grail of free trade. Why is it surprising that national security is ditto? So, aside from the fact that it's politically idiotic and at least theoretically presents a national security risk, just what is wrong with the Dubai Ports deal? Continue reading here...

Ike Saw It Coming

By Bob Herbert

Early in the documentary film "Why We Fight," Wilton Sekzer, a retired New York City police officer whose son was killed in the World Trade Center attack, describes his personal feelings in the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11. Continue reading here...

What the Right has Created

Iraq warns of risk of endless civil war
Iraq's defence minister warned of the risk of an endless "civil war" as sectarian violence flared again on Saturday, killing over 40, and Sunni and Shi'ite leaders met to try to halt four days of bloodshed. Related: Vehicle bomb rocks Iraqi city
More Carnage: Two US soldiers killed by roadside bomb in Baghdad
Car bomb explosion wounds four in Kashmiri city

Government Sponsored Homophobia

More nice work from the Tennessee Guerilla Women

But bigotry is all the rage in the USA. Ballot measures against same-sex marriage will appear on ballots this year in Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Idaho and South Dakota. Also check out... Underground Railroad to Abortion Services

Where faith, work meet

It's 6:30 a.m. at the Fridley headquarters of Medtronic Inc., and a small cluster of employees is gathering in a spare conference room to praise their leader. It's not CEO Art Collins. Palms upraised and eyes closed, the workers sit in silent adoration around a conference table as religious music plays on a laptop computer. One member suddenly drops to his knees in rapt devotion.

17 Arrested at Florida Neo-Nazi Rally

None however were the neo-nazis pigs
Fistfights broke out and police made 17 arrests Saturday at a neo-Nazi rally and march through a predominantly black neighborhood. In khaki uniforms, tall black boots and red arm patches bearing swastikas

If “by their fruits…..”

By John R. Bomar

Can anyone doubt that the war in Iraq has proved to be Osama bin Laden’s sweetest dream come true? In his book on the run up to war, Richard Clarke, the counter-terrorism czar at the White House, immediately recognized this potential risk of an Iraq invasion. Continue reading here...

FBI to Gitmo: Hostile Interrogations Risky

FBI officials, whose names were blacked out, indicated that senior military officials, including former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, were aware of and in some cases had approved of putting hoods on prisoners, threatening them with violence and subjecting them to humiliating treatment. A spokeswoman for Wolfowitz, now president of the World Bank, did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Rumsfeld Plagiarizes Orwell!

War in the Information Age
An opinion piece written by Rumsfeld from The LA Times

Our nation is engaged in what promises to be a long struggle in the global war on terror. In this war, some of the most critical battles may not be in the mountains of Afghanistan or the streets of Iraq but in newsrooms in New York, London, Cairo and elsewhere. Although the enemy is increasingly skillful at manipulating the media and using the tools of communications to its advantage, it should be noted that we have an advantage as well. And that is, quite simply, that truth is on our side. Ultimately, the truth wins out.

Separate Oil And State!

Click on image for video
















Hat tip to my buddy The Sedition Edition for another disturbing find that the Right Wing Christo-Fascist Zombie Brigade will make fun of.

Bush's Mysterious 'New Programs'

By Nat Parry from Consortium News

Not that George W. Bush needs much encouragement, but Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales a new target for the administration's domestic operations - Fifth Columnists, supposedly disloyal Americans who sympathize and collaborate with the enemy. Continue reading here...

Pentagon: Opposing ports deal means the terrorists win

Dozens of bodies discovered in Baghdad

Thank you George Bush, and Right wingers, you're responsible for this crap!

The bodies were found riddled with bullets as fears grew that the country was sliding into civil war after the attack yesterday which destroyed the golden dome on the al-Askari shrine, one of Shia Islam's most revered sites. Police and army officials said the bodies of 31 men were found at eight sites in the capital, predominantly in Shia areas. Most had their hands bound, and they had had all been shot.
More Blood on Bush's Hands: Four U.S. Soldiers Killed North Of Baghdad

Freeway Blogger

The Baby in the Gym Bag
"I was in Nasariyah and a couple came up to me on the street asking for help. They were carrying a large gym bag, an 'Adidas' bag, with their daughter inside." The city was in chaos, and they came up to me, I suppose, because I was a westerner and they thought I could help them.

Google News: I Love Dick

Blast Destroys Golden Dome

Insurgents dressed as police commandos detonated powerful explosives on Wednesday morning inside one of Shiite Islam’s most sacred shrines, destroying most of the building, located in the volatile town of Samarra, and prompting thousands of Shiites to flood into streets across the country in protest. Shiites protestors took to the streets shortly after the explosion. In Baghdad, militiamen loyal to radical cleric Moktada al-Sadr, who is a fervent believer in the prophecy of the Imam Mahdi, drove through the streets of Sadr City with Kalashnikovs, many accusing the Americans of carrying out the attack.
AP:Mosque Attack Pushes Iraq Toward Civil War

Bush Threatens to Veto! Would Be First!

I am trying to conduct foreign policy now by saying to the people of the world, 'We'll treat you fairly." Fairly? Hello! Iraq War anyone!
Car Bomb in Iraq Kills 22, Injures 28
I guess this is fair isn't it Bush. You PIG!
President's aides tied to Arab firm in deal
Bush Shrugs Off Objections to Port Deal
This is not a race issue. Do not let them turn it into that. Some of the Sept. 11 hijackers used the United Arab Emirates as an operational and financial base.
Corporate Control of Ports is the Problem By John Nichols
The Dirty Little Secret Behind the UAE Port Security Flap From David Sirota

Ugly World

Troops to train at 'Little Fallujah,' USA

Olive Group, a British firm that supplies personnel and combat training for armies and corporations in the world’s scariest hot spots, plans to open the first three blocks of its mock city this summer.
“It’s been a major growth industry since 9 / 11,” Mason said. Burning cars and role players wearing Middle Eastern garb will animate the set. Olive recently won its first U. S. government contract — as a subcontractor to Bechtel Corp. providing security along the Gulf Coast.

Plan for ID Cards Drawing Criticism

Privacy advocates are particularly concerned about one option being considered, Radio Frequency Identification Technology, in which an embedded microchip contains information that can be read with a scanner. The government's planned use of the chips on U.S. passports, scheduled to start by the end of the year, has prompted a swell of panic from business travelers. Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Tax Reform, American Conservative Union, National Lawyers Guild, Gun Owners of America and others sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security speaking against using it.

Bush:"I truly am not that concerned about him"

Bin Laden Vows Never to Be Captured Alive

Osama bin Laden promised never to be captured alive and declared the United States had resorted to the same "barbaric" tactics used by Saddam Hussein. Video:Bush Mishaps Hat tip to Not A Sheep

Enlisting opposition

Anti-war activists visit schools
Since last spring, Elizabeth Frank has carried her anti-war crusade to the hallways of several northwest suburban high schools. Once a month she sets up a table in the commons stacked with pamphlets and decorated with a shocking pink sign that reads: "Do You Know Enough to Enlist?"
Most of the kids in this article sound awful

The Torturers Win

By Bob Herbert

Justice? Surely you jest.
Terrible things were done to Maher Arar, and his extreme suffering was set in motion by the United States government. With the awful facts of his case carefully documented, he tried to sue for damages. But last week a federal judge waved the facts aside and told Mr. Arar, in effect, to get lost. Continue reading here...

Tapping Fears of Big Business

From The New York Times

Mr. Perkins's core message is that American corporations and government agencies employ two types of operatives: "economic hit men," who bribe emerging economies, and "jackals," who may be used to overthrow or even murder heads of state in Latin America and the Middle East to serve the greater cause of American empire. If you haven't read this book, I suggest that you do.

Advise and Assent

An LA Times Editorial

That The UNITED STATES Senate has a body called the Intelligence Committee is an irony George Orwell would have truly appreciated. In a world without Doublespeak, the panel, chaired by GOP Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, would be known by a more appropriate name—the Senate Coverup Committee. Continue reading here...

The Mensch Gap

By Paul Krugman

"Be a mensch," my parents told me. Literally, a mensch is a person. But by implication, a mensch is an upstanding person who takes responsibility for his actions.
The people now running America aren't mensches. Continue reading here...

'Little Red Wagons' by Pitchfork aka The Era

Taking a break from revealing the wreckage of our state. This song I wrote sometime ago could be related to what is happening now in some poetic way. The theft of our country, the dark alleys that are still the paths taken by our leaders in our names to create chaos through out the world and so on. The fact is, it's based upon a true event in my life when some older kid threatened to beat me up or he would steal my little red wagon. Click title to listen.

China's Cyberdissidents and the Yahoos at Yahoo

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Suppose that Anne Frank had maintained an e-mail account while in hiding in 1944, and that the Nazis had asked Yahoo for cooperation in tracking her down. It seems, based on Yahoo's behavior in China, that it might have complied.
Continue reading here...

War Profiteers

From The Washington Post:The Other Americans in Iraq
When Americans think about Iraq they tend to focus on the 137,000 U.S. troops here. But there also are 944 Defense Department civilian employees working in the country. They generally are older than the troops, with many grandparents among them, and seem to be glad they are here. "They called me 'Grambo,' " she said with a grin. Not everyone wants to be here. "It's a hellhole," said Jim Lamontagne. "Our accommodations are so nice," said John Burk. Those interviewed agreed that their biggest point of unhappiness is taxes. "If we were contractors, we would probably make $40,000 to $60,000 more," York said.
Related:Bombs, Gunmen Kill More Than 20 in Iraq
Americans Take a Stand: U.S. Church Alliance Denounces Iraq War

Compassion for Cheney as Victim Heads Home

What the Hell? Who Writes this Crap? From the NY Times:
the 78-year-old man who was shot by Vice President Dick Cheney at a weekend quail hunt emerged from the hospital here Friday looking tanned, cheery, robust and speckled with bruises. "Huh? Tanned, speckled with bruises?" Dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and gold tie, with only a few scratches and purplish blotches visible above his crisp collar, Mr. Whittington walked out of the hospital and spoke for slightly more than three minutes, taking no questions. "Alright, Rick Lyman & Kirk Johnson, thanks for the obvious misinformation."

The Lone Patriot

Russ Feingold, the only person in the Senate to vote against the Patriot Act
Feingold's courage needs to be honored, not by celebrating him as a brave loner, but by following his leadership. Legislators of both parties need to preserve our liberties, despite ominous claims of permanent war and unchecked power. If not, God save the Republic.

US Says has "Inoculation" Strategy to Curb Chavez

In what Rice termed an ``inoculation'' strategy, Rice said she had sought support from Europe and other Latin American nations to highlight U.S. charges that the populist Chavez abuses his power to target political opponents and business leaders.
in·oc·u·la·tion (ĭ-nŏk'yə-lā'shən) pronunciation
n. 1 The act or an instance of inoculating, especially the introduction of an antigenic substance or vaccine into the body to produce immunity to a specific disease.
pop·u·list (pŏp'yə-lĭst) pronunciation
n. A supporter of the rights and power of the people.
adj. Of or relating to populism or its advocates: a populist aversion to business monopolies.
Related:Lawmakers Seek Info on Cheap Venezuela Oil
Update:Chavez warns US on oil after Rice remarks. Be careful Senor, the Right wingers love assassinations. They've been doing it in South America for years! Need I remind you of the Right wing religious nut job Pat Robertson calling for this exact act!

The Lord of War

Pay Close Attention to When Rummy Goes Overseas
Rumsfeld Visits Algeria:Pentagon officials admitted that arms sales were a possibility. Tunisia:Donald Rumsfeld and leaders of Tunisia pledged Saturday to build closer military ties to help combat Islamic extremism. Morocco:A strong military-to-military relationship between our two countries.
Update: Rumsfeld says US 'losing media war to al-Qaeda'
That's okay Rummy, we got 'em beat in the arms race don't we!

Democrats plan bill to block Dubai-US port deal

Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Hillary Clinton of New York said they would offer a measure to ban companies owned or controlled by foreign governments from acquiring U.S. port operations. Money for the September 11 attacks was wired through the UAE's banking system, according to U.S. officials. Two of the September 11 hijackers were UAE citizens.

Hackett Betrayed by an Old Boy Network!

The political novice withdrew under intense pressure from party leaders in Washington, clearing the field for Rep. Sherrod Brown -- a 30-year veteran of Democratic politics with more than $2.5 million in the bank. Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer act as if being in the Senate is like being in some Private Old Boys Club! I guess you aren't elected, you're invited!Screw the DLC!
Update:Economic sabotage, whisper campaigns, and threats: How the Democrats took Paul Hackett out.
Another betrayal...Thoughts from the Weed Garden

New Yorker, Suffering Memory Loss, Is Found in Chicago

Raymond Power Jr. stepped out of his life some time on Aug. 1, 2005, the last day he awoke in Westchester County as a lawyer and New Rochelle resident, a 57-year-old husband and father of two, a Boy Scout leader and churchgoer.

Some Are Enlightened: Thank You Jill

Wis. Referendums Call for Troop Withdrawal
Peace activist Jill Bussiere wants the United States to bring its troops home from Iraq immediately, so she went door-to-door in this community in the hopes of getting others to join her cause.

Era News Briefs

UnAmerican Ways: US Attacks UN Guantanamo Report
More UnAmerican Ways: Patriot Act Moves Closer to Renewal
Bullshit Gets Thick: Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales signaled the administration will sharply limit the testimony of former attorney general John D. Ashcroft and former deputy attorney general James B. Comey
Lunatics in Charge: NASA 'Pressured During '04 Campaign'

Iraq 'Death Squad Caught in Act'

Iraq has launched an investigation into claims by the US military that an Iraqi interior ministry "death squad" has been targeting Sunni Arab Iraqis. Hundreds of Sunni Arab Iraqis have been found dead since the 2003 war in what appear to have been extra-judicial killings. On Wednesday, the bodies of four unidentified men were found in Baghdad's Shia district of Shula. They had been handcuffed, blindfolded and shot in the head.

White House Defends Port Sale to UAE

The Bush administration on Thursday rebuffed criticism about potential security risks of a $6.8 billion sale that gives a company in the United Arab Emirates control over significant operations at six major American ports. Critics have cited the UAE's history as an operational and financial base for the hijackers who carried out the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Cheney Says He Can Declassify Secrets

Vice President Dick Cheney says he has the power to declassify government secrets, raising the possibility that he authorized his former chief of staff to pass along sensitive prewar data on Iraq to reporters.Cheney on Scooter:"He is a great guy. I worked with him for a long time. I have tremendous regard for him." The Law on Scooter: Libby was indicted last October on five counts of perjury, obstruction and lying to the FBI about how he learned of Plame's identity and what he told reporters about it.

Thoughts On National Security

From The Weed-Garden

Liberals are criticizing the president's warrantless wiretapping, most of which, they say, involves scrutinizing innocent people. But isn't it true that in order to find the real terrorists you "have to go down some blind alleys to find the tips that pay off"? Clearly, the Fourth Amendment is outdated. Continue reading here...

Rice Wants $85 mln for Democracy in Iran

The Bush administration, frustrated by Iranian defiance over its nuclear program, proposed Wednesday to spend $85 million to promote political change inside Iran by subsidizing dissident groups, unions, student fellowships and television and radio broadcasts. I think the Bush administration better stop trying to spread Democracy. Their track record sucks!

Turning the Corner, The Last Throes, Finishing Well

Bomb kills 4 children going to school in Baghdad as violence continues in Iraq

A bomb exploded in Baghdad on Wednesday, killing three girls and a boy on their way to school as violence targeted all walks of life in the capital. Nearly 20 people were killed in car bombings and shootings elsewhere. Related: Five Anti-War ‘Raging Grannies’ Arrested at Enlistment Office

Pigs in Power

Lobbyist Billed Malaysia $1.2 Million for Bush Invite
When the government of Malaysia sought to repair its tarnished image in the U.S. by arranging a meeting between President Bush and its controversial prime minister in 2002, it followed the same strategy as many other well-heeled interests in Washington: It called on lobbyist Jack Abramoff for help. In May 2002, Mahathir met with Bush in the Oval Office; his photograph with the president was beamed around the world. Abramoff received $1.2 million from the Malaysian government for his lobbying services in 2001 and 2002.