An On-going, ever-changing collection of
significant commentary on national and world affairs
selected for clarity, directness and
depth of coverage
Last Updated February 16, 2006
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Taming The Beast, February 12th, 2006
Uri Avnery - Israel - Updated February 16th Doris Colmes - Unique Perspective - Updated December 1st Chris Floyd - Sharp, detailed criticism - Updated February 16th John S. Hatch - Updated December 1st Dahr Jamail - Iraq - Updated February 16th Joey B. King - New This Month! Jason Miller - Unique Perspective - Updated February 16th Bill Quigley - Updated January 22nd Sheila Samples - Current Issues - Updated February 16th
Sanction the IAEA Board, not Iran Porter Goss's Op-Ed: 'Ignoturn per Ignotius!' FEMA's Unholy Trinity Iran : The Next War Why the McCain Torture Ban Won't Work On the President's Warrantless Wiretapping Program
February 16th The next issue will not be published until early in March. At that time we will resume publishing at approximately two-week intervals and with a few modifications of the site. We appreciate your interest in the site and, because of that interest and word of mouth, it is growing. During the next two weeks, while waiting for the next issue, you might go back into the editorial and other archives to examine how earlier predictions of many writers are now becoming true. Many writers predicted dire consequences should George W. Bush be re-elected in 2004. Most of those consequences have occurred: Iraq is a disaster area, Afghanistan is a disaster area, Israel/Palestine in a disaster area, Katrina affect areas in the south are disaster areas, our privacy and civil rights have been attacked, job market is nil, education, health, environment, VA benefits and treatment of vets in general has been almost completely negative. Yet, Bush is allowed to go on trampling our country to death and a significant portion of the Congress has joined him. Fear pervades. Relatively few people realize that the fear has been caused by deliberate efforts on the part of the government to scare them. The citizens of Britain sustained themselves during the vicious air raids of World War Two by exhibiting an extraordinary amount of courage and bravery. They realized that their country was fighting for its life and that, scared as they might be, they had to work to preserve it. The majority of Americans appear to lack that bravery and courage. They appear to be clinging helplessly and fearfully to the hope that their government will save them and are willing to give up the basic rights upon which that government they value so highly was built. But this government is not in a population-saving mode. It is unable to think that way or operate that way. The sooner that is recognized, the sooner that hopelessness and fear can be attacked and dissipated. That takes courage and real patriotism. Courage and patriotism can be shown by simply voting for your rights, for education, health benefits, decent housing and sustaining our environment. Your big opportunity to start the change process will occur in November. That’s just 7 months away. Think about it now. Start following political campaigns. Ask questions. See who you think really cares about you. If you can’t tell, follow sites such as this one and we’ll try and help by pointing out, as we often do, the failings of our leadership. And don’t think for one second that because we criticize that leadership, we are not patriotic. We criticize precisely because we love our country and don’t want to see it destroyed. Personally, I spent 37 years working for the US Army as a civilian studying ways to protect your sons and daughters from the effects of various stresses. I didn’t do that to see them needlessly sacrificed in illegal wars and neglected when gravely damaged. February 3, 2006 The latest figures on average global temperatures shows that 2005 is virtually tied with 1998 as the hottest year on record. For people living in the Northern Hemisphere-most of the world's population - 2005 was, in fact, the hottest year on record since 1880. The temperature data for 1998 and 2005 are so close it is difficult to differentiate. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released their final numbers for 2005 and ranked it as the hottest under new methodology they are beginning to use, and 2nd hottest under the old analysis. The NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) ranked 2005 as the hottest and the United Kingdom's Met office ranked 2005 as 2nd hottest. You can download a copy of this fact sheet on our website, http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science/ You are welcome and encouraged to download and print out the "2005 Vies for Hottest Year" fact sheet for use in public speaking, meetings with policymakers, interviews with the press, and in your classrooms. Editor’s Disclosure: I am a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists. I admire the important work of this organization very much. _________________________________________________________ We are please to welcome Joey B. King as a Participating Author. Joey, from Tennessee, is a former army Ranger who has since had a radical change in his political outlook. A more extensive bio can be found on his page in the Participating Authors Section. _________________________________________________________ Participating Author Bill Quigley was quoted extensively in a long article in the Boston Globe recently. Bill, a law professor at Loyola University, directs Loyola’s law clinic and poverty law center. The article contained an extensive description of an attempt by an absentee landlord (Leonard J. Samia) of Boston (MA) to evict tenants from buildings he owns on the west bank of the Mississippi River about 6 miles from the French Quarter in New Orleans and of the subsequent efforts by lawyers, housing advocates and community activists to fight back in support of the evictees. One can access the article by going to Boston Globe.com and requesting the January 29, 2006 issue, specifically the article “LA. Tenants Take Landlord to Task for Eviction.” There probably is a small charge to access the article, but it is worth it in order to get a better understanding of the kinds of problems faced by poor area residents uprooted by Katrina in staking out a claim to a decent place to live in the area that once was their home. Bill is deeply engaged in assisting with solutions. Our government has absolutely no understanding of the turmoil that has beset the poorer residents of New Orleans or any apparent concern for their well-being. To Bush and company, it’s just more collateral damage. _________________________________________________________
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