Social Upheaval

December 31, 2007

Social Upheaval in 2008

A lot has happened in the world in 2007. I didn't keep up with the news in the past year the way I did in previous years - you can read about some of what I was up to on angelheaded hipster, my other blog. I even forgot that Time named "You" person of the year.

The mainstream media has been focused on the 08 presidential race horse race since at least January 07. More air time was spent on Sunday morning talk shows discussing candidates' relative viability in Iowa and New Hampshire than was spent discussing the substantial policy positions that differentiate them. Scariest statistic learned from this over-flow of information: only 5.7% of eligible voters participate in the 2004 Iowa caucuses. Tell me again why Angelenos live in too big of a city to have our votes count equally with those in rural states.

Elections haven't been going well around the world - among corruption charges, Kenya's elections are bloodier than normal (yes, sadly, violence is a regular aspect of national elections there). They aren't going well in Pakistan either, where Benazir Bhutto lost her life attempting to bring democracy back to a country plagued by military dictatorship buttressed by US foreign aid. Many in the US think democracy is duking it out with socialism in Venezuela, but personally I think the story is more complicated than that.

I'm looking forward to a New Year when people's movements for change encourage more people to get involved in social change. I look forward to more people believing they can make a difference - when more people delve deeply into the issues that intertwine us all, make their voices heard, and start building the nonviolent movements for change that will create the social upheaval needed to build a more just, peaceful world.

I believe we will be the change we wish to see in 2008. I believe together we will change the world. I believe 2008 will be more peaceful and just. I look forward to the New Year.

Want to support women's advocacy for peace & justice both in the US and throughout the world? Then give a tax deductible contribution to the Jane Addams Peace Association.

To join the world's oldest women's peace organization, click here.

Posted by cj at 8:19 PM | Comments (0)

October 7, 2007

We'll Be Paying for Empire Expansion Till the End of Time

This Just In: Paying for war when it occurs is fiscally irresponsible. That is, if you believe the mouthpiece of the administration, the White House press secretary. If the war hawks have their way, we'll be paying for this empire expansion till the end of time.

But that's okay, because the surge is making Iraqis safer. The Public Editor of the NYT makes the case that maybe there's been a decrease in the number of civilian casualties since the surge began. Then again, he ends the column by reminding us that it is still unsafe to live in Baghdad, according to an article written by 15 NYT reporters (never mind what's happening elsewhere in Iraq - it's too unsafe for US writers to venture beyond Baghdad).

Let's not get bogged down in details. It's important to remember the frame through which the occupation of foreign countries became acceptable to the US public: by creating a culture of fear that blames the ills of the world on so-called "Islamofascists." Nevermind that the word is meaningless. Pay no attention to reality: fascism is alive and well in the Western world. Even university courses on political science in the US have a difficult time defining fascism. Perhaps because the core of fascism is simple: the military & corporations taking control of the levers of political power. Instead of allowing this simple definition of fascism to be understood, Western leaders propel a a blurry, fearful understanding of a combination of racism and authoritarianism as the only "true" definition of fascism. Furthermore, instead of debating people who recognize the full scope of power held by the military industrial complex, Western political and intellectual "leaders" dismiss us as crazy left-wing nut cases.

Military force must always be the last resort of states and the international community. As Albert Camus said:

Mistaken ideas always end in bloodshed, but in every case it is someone else’s blood. That is why some of our thinkers feel free to say just about anything.

Do not be persuaded by the rhetorical flourish of individuals who believe democracy and freedom can be created through bloodshed and military occupation. The monolingual, jingoist armed forces of the US are even less capable of building peace in the Middle East than the biased State Department.

The safety of the world relies on more individuals becoming engaged in the political process, supporting international institutions, creating dialog with people in other countries, and demanding that the international political and economic structures be based on human security and human needs rather than on corporate greed.

Camus quote from this Op-Ed piece in today's NYT.

Posted by cj at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)

September 13, 2007

UN Adopts Rights of Indigenous People

Today the UN General Assembly adopted The Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People. Interestingly, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United States voted against it. Work on this declaration began in 1982, which either shows you how long it takes to write a document in the UN or tells you a lot of thought went into this declaration.

It's non-binding, but is supposed to set a minimum standard for future laws. The Kiwi government rep said they fully support indigenous rights, but that the declaration goes against their constitution, treaties, and laws. I guess they were looking at the broadest possible interpretation, rather than focusing on the symbolic use of a rights declaration. The US'ers complained about being shut out from negotiations on the text of the declaration (perhaps because my country is being represented by people who would rather blow up the UN building than seriously work within multinational organizations). I imagine the Canadians and Aussies are also afraid of rampant reparations demands, since like the Kiwis and US'ers they stole their countries from indigenous people.

On the positive side, 143 countries voted in favor of the declaration.

UN Press Release on Declaration of Indigenous People's Rights
AP story via the International Herald Tribune

by the way, the UN Commission on Human Security just issued its first quarterly newsletter for civil society (that's us regular folks) (pdf).

Posted by cj at 9:43 PM | Comments (0)

September 11, 2007

Support the UN Human Rights Council

It is a shame that the UN Human Rights Council has been unable to take strong stances on more issues in the world. I am not an expert on UN reform, so I cannot speak to what is holding it back from completely denouncing the genocide in Darfur. I do know that the US government looks like morons for trying to cut off funding to the organization. The US Congress claims that the council is bias against Israel - biased because it has denounced Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine and Israel's illegal war on Lebanon. It is a testamount to the Israel Lobby (both Jewish and Gentile), that cutting off funding to the Council has bipartisan support in the US.

Please tell your Congressional representatives that the only way to further human rights is to support the international organization created to enforce them. Human Rights for All People - not just those who look like us.

AP article by Justin Bergman
Washington Times article by Betsy Pitsik

HRC opened its 6th session on Monday

Posted by cj at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)

September 9, 2007

The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself

If you listen to Republican presidential candidates and Sunday morning pundits, you'd assume that the only way to project power and create security is to be the biggest bully in the world, with the most active military. Political discussion in the US media allows the following fascinating range of discussion on security: those who only understand US culture and think everyone hates our freedom and we therefore have to teach them democracy through the barrel of a gun and those who only understand US culture and think we can teach the world freedom through a combination of military force and free-market capitalism.

Do you ever hear a peace expert asked for their opinion? I'm not talking about those folks who organize marches on the mall, I mean people who study the root causes of war and can explain what happens in the world based on a nuanced understanding of history. Not only do US legislators, military, and pundits not understand Iraq, they don't understand the basic reasons that ethnic conflict becomes ethnic violence.

The answer to the chaos in Iraq is not splitting the country up by "ethnic regions." First, people don't live in schtetls. It's not like the entire populace hates each other b/c of ethnic differences. Differences are being exploited by strong men seeking power; the Other is a powerful tool in rallying support for a leader. Forcing the populace to follow these bullies into separate states is a white man's way of dealing with racial violence. The US has never understood the basics of racial justice, so how can we possibly lead another country into an ethnically diverse, working democracy?

Second, why does no one say "hey idiots - perhaps we should turn this operation over to the UN Peacekeeping?" Take a look at the official site of the DPKO. I fundamentally believe that the only way to move forward in creating peace is to work through the UN. Many things have gone wrong in past and current missions, but if we honestly supported the UN, and implemented Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, I believe we would be closer to achieving real security for Iraq and the world.

Security means more than having the biggest gun. Human security is dependent on a continuous food supply, access to healthcare, a place to sleep, and peace with neighbors.

I'm constantly fascinated by the lack of real discussion on the Sunday gab fests. I'm watching last week's Real Time with Bill Maher show and Barbara Bodine is offering more insight on Iraq "reconstruction" than 2 hrs of male talking heads on ABC and NBC. Slate tells me I must read the NYT and WaPo stories on Iraq as background to the coming week's announcements. Quite honestly, I'm done wasting my time on such articles. Until SCR 1325 and human security become part of the dialog, what's the point of me reading mainstream news accounts of the US imperialistic occupation of the 2nd largest oil reserve in the world?

Posted by cj at 3:53 PM | Comments (0)

March 26, 2007

Death, Harrassment, & Possible Peace

UN officials would like to remind you that there is a genocide in Darfur. It's getting worse, not better. All those Nicolas Kristof columns haven't saved very many people from murder, rape, and pillaging on the basis of ethnicity. So read another article on the genocide, by Reuters / AP via Intl Herald Tribune. Or go to Save Darfur to get active on the issue.

If you're Nigerian and female, you must be willing to be raped to get a college diploma. Read the horrific details in "Lecturers Prey on Nigerian Women, Girls," by Katharine Houreld of the AP in WaPo. To stand up for a woman's right to education without forced rape, join Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

SecState and SecGen UN are trying to renew peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. Or at least that's what they're telling the press. But, see, they continue the lie that there's equity between Israel and the Palestinians. That somehow, a stateless people, whose elected leaders are barred from the negotiations should be held to the same standards as occupiers who continue to appropriate land, water, and other resources. Instead of pressuring Israel to get the hell out of the West Bank and to allow Gaza to trade with its Egyptian neighbors, the US entourage continues the facade that the most useful thing for Israel to do is talk through the US to all Palestinian representatives and pretend to be open to Saudia Arabia's 2002 peace plan (that called for Israel to fully withdraw from the West Bank, not expand its illegal settlements). Read the watered down version of this news from Reuters. To voice your opposition to the status quo US policy on the Middle East, join WILPF's campaign - Women Challenge US Policy: Building Peace on Justice in the Middle East.

Posted by cj at 7:53 PM | Comments (0)

November 23, 2006

Taking the Foreign Service Exam

Editor's Note: This was originally posted on July 26, 2004 on my old blog. That blog gets a huge amount of traffic based on this one post. I decided to move it to this site to try to entice people to read my more recent ramblings.

Recently, many people have found my blog by searching for info on the FSWE and the FSOA. Lemme just say this as a previous test taker (took the FSWE four times, passed the first three times; took the FSOA three times, got on the passing list once). To be clear - I am *not* an FSO. I was on the list of eligible hires for 18 months, but never got into an A-100 class. If these terms make no sense, then send me an email or post a comment and I'll answer your question as best I can. I got a lot of help preparing for the FSWE and FSOA. My profs at Wellesley prepped us during seminars about the oral exam (even before we'd taken the written). My class dean's jaw dropped when I announced I had passed the written exam during my senior year of college (proving that yes, even those without straight As can get ahead in life). If you follow foreign affairs regularly and did well on the AP U.S. History exam, you'll probably pass the written exam. (check and check; I got a 5 on that exam.) To be honest, I passed the oral exam because I took it after spending a week learning how to be a union organizer. Sound strange? Here's why it's not: I had to explain my position, discuss sensitive issues, and reach compromises with people during that week of training. Those are the same things you have to do at the orals. I've also spoken to a few FSOs, one of whom worked as an oral examiner.

[For Google's Eyes Only. Update: For some reason, people are finding other posts about these topics but not this all inclusive one. So here's my attempt to teach google to find this post. Keywords: FSWE, FSOA, foreign service, foreign service exam, foreign service oral assessment, foreign service written exam, passing the foreign service exam, State Department, diplomat, blog.]

How to Study for the Foreign Service Exam
1. Don't look to Amazon for a good list of books before taking the written exam. Read the newspaper and weekly news magazines, especially The Economist. Read a book on management theory and one on economics. Read the Constitution. Play games about geography and learn as much world geography as possible. Learn how to write an essay. If you don't know any American cultural history, especially famous books about politics, read about that as well. (I think one of those big books of American culture would suffice.) Don't bother learning any more about the foreign service or diplomacy before taking the written exam. It's not worthwhile.

2. If you get to the orals, join the Yahoo groups on the subject. Also search the web for sites written by diplomats and expats for an idea of what you're getting into. Know the game before you get there: you'll have a group exercise to start the day. The point isn't to win (getting your project funded). All the projects are worthwhile. The point is to be a leader who brings your group to a consensus within the time period. Also pay attention to what the directions ask you to talk about during your presentation, and talk about those points. Introduce yourself before speaking. Stop taking notes on your project before the presentations start. Take notes on what your colleagues say.

3. Learn more management theory. It's really important. Learn how to read a budget and analyze a budget and manage idiotic underlings.

4. The point of hypothetical questions isn't to test your knowledge of diplomatic procedure. You can learn about the consular and administrative rules for embassies, but past that who cares? Always start by asking your supervisor for advice. Defer to them often. When asked why you want to be a diplomat, have an answer besides wanting to be an ambassador. Most FSOs never get to that point on the career ladder cause they haven't given money to a presidential campaign. (It's important to leave the really important jobs to diplomatic novices.) It doesn't matter if you know five languages or one, if you have five degrees or none. It's important to have a realistic career goal for going into the service. For me, I wanted to get into the Naval War College (the oldest war college in the country) and get paid to get a Masters degree in Security Studies. I thought that would look good on a resume above my Peace and Justice Studies degree.

5. Think hard about what you want to do in the Service and afterwards. If you want to get to know people in your host country, you should choose the Public Affairs or Consular cones. Those are the only cones that actually interact with the natives. The Economic and Political cones don't even chat with the foreign nationals who work at our embassies and consulates. There also isn't much power left in the Economic and Political cones. Economics is done by the Commerce Dept and politics are handled by Congress and every Administrative dept not labeled State. The public affairs officers create cultural exchange programs and teach host country citizens about American values and educational opportunities. Alternatively, you could join the Administrative cone since administrative job skills are the most easily transferable in the outside world. Consular officers do a thankless job and there aren't enough of them, so people in every other cone have to spend at least two years on a consular post. You stamp passports and deny entry to suspicious people. Least exciting work, but also the easiest way into the service b/c it has the lowest passing grade on the oral exam. You can't change your cone once you enter the service, so stop thinking the administrative and/or consular cones will offer a back door into politics or economics. If you're really interested in a meaty foreign policy job, go work at the Commerce department or at the House or Senate foreign relations committees. State does not make any policy, it only enforces it. You aren't going to change the world in a hugely significant way by being in the service, and if you agree with any other post on this site, you'll be a miserable and lonely person in the service.

6. Don't lie on any form you fill out. If you've done drugs, admit it. If it was at least two years ago, they wont care too much especially if it wasn't a "hard" drug. They'll throw you out of the running if they catch you in a lie. If you do lie on a form, fess up as soon as you have your first interview w. the FBI (or whoever it is that runs the background check). They're going to talk to your elementary schoolmates and your mamma's best friend and that chick who lived down the hall from you in college who hated your guts. They're also going to follow you and ask you why you went to a particular movie during your period of review and who that same-sex date was. Also, you wont get clearance to work anywhere in the world if you've got serious medical problems, so don't bother with these tests if you couldn't hack it in a third world country with minimal medical attention.

7. You'll live like royalty in a foreign land. That land will probably be a poor, newly independent state your friends have never heard of and probably have no intention of visiting you in. It will be a lonely and thankless life, offering little reward. There are much easier ways to work abroad. Teach English. Be part of the capitalist beast and go into international finance. Marry a foreigner. But don't marry a foreigner if you eventually want to be an FSO. It'll be harder to pass the background check if you do.

11/21/04 Update: I received an email from a retired FSO who pointed out that I discussed a lot of things you could do via the Public Affairs cone as responsibilities of the Administrative cone. My apologies for the confusion. When I first started taking the exam, the Public Affairs cone didn't exist (because it was still part of the U.S. Information Agency and just getting merged with State).

And just to reiterate: I'm not in any way affiliated with the USG. I've given up on my dream of being an FSO. Mostly because I love expressing my own opinion on world affairs and so instead am trying to eventually be a professional writer. For now, I work in the Midwest Advertising Office of a major national magazine that maybe you've never heard of.

Editor's coda: I'm currently home in Los Angeles looking for a job in advertising / marketing / community organizing / public policy advocacy. And I no longer want to give out advice over email. If you're curious for more info, just drop a comment.

Posted by cj at 11:02 PM | Comments (0)

October 9, 2006

All Nine Nuclear Powers Are Violating Non-Proliferation Treaty

North Korea has perhaps, probably joined the "prestigious" club of out and proud nuke owning countries. That makes eight official world-annihilators and one in the closet. (The closeted annihilator is, of course, Israel. Can't have a gendarmerie in the Middle East without giving it teeth.)

Missing from mainstream news coverage of this auspicious moment in world history is the fact that all nuclear powers - including the US - are violating the NPT.

More deets by Scott Galindez, managing editor of Truthout.

article found via portside.

More info on the NPT via Reaching Critical Will, a project of WILPF at the UN.

Cross-posted from the WILPF US blog.

Posted by cj at 10:57 PM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2006

Gleanings from the Sunday NYT

Israel fires shells into Gaza Strip continuously to deter extremist Palestinians from launching much more primitive weapons into Israel. On Friday, the Israeli military managed to murder eight Palestinians with an errant shell, including the many members of the Ghaliya family. In retaliation, Hamas fired rockets into Israel on Saturday. According to the mainstream press, the actions of Hamas ended the 16 month truce between Israel and Palestine. Apparently, Israel is allowed to launch weapons at its neighbors and still be seen as upholding its end of a truce, whereas Palestinian leadership is held to a higher standard. Intriguingly, the article that ran in the paper gave erroneous information. The article, "Errant Shell Turns Girl Into Palestinian Icon," by George Azar is a much clearer explanation of the tragedy and its politicization.

In other news, Venezuela is paying $7/day for its citizens to join the reserves. Chavez says he's doing it to ensure resistance to any future American invasion. It's also a good unifying tactic around his government and himself. And oh yeah, since the USG approved and celebrated the 2002 coup attempt, Chavez has a legitimate reason to worry about his belligerent neighbor.

The assassination of Rafik Hariri, former prime minister of Lebanon, was probably the work of a suicide bombing. The UN International Investigation Commission released its fourth report on Saturday. The commission is requesting that the Security Council extend its investigation for another year. The Daily Star of Lebanon has what appears to be the actual text of the report.

And finally, watch your online persona. It could be the reason I'm not getting job interviews.

Posted by cj at 2:14 AM | Comments (0)

May 16, 2006

Madam Secretary Albright's Speech

Former SecState Madeleine Albright spoke today at the Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs. Many shout outs were given to Swellesley, a group photo of alums was taken (who knows if I'll be seen since a very tall woman decided to stand in front), and I purchased her new book and it was signed. The following is a transcription of my notes from the speech and Q&A:
-------------
Introduction:
Shout out to Wellesley alums. Albright realized post 9-11 that religion can't be separated from International Relations (IR). Major themes of her speech include morality and diplomacy; and liberals v. conservatives. She was SecState 1997-2001; received BA from Wellesley College, MA and Ph.D from Columbia. Currently heads the Global Strategy Group, part of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, a professor at Georgetown, and recently publishes The Mighty and the Almighty.

Speech
Will discuss themes from my book; different from writing a memoir: I'm the foremost authority on myself, but there are many people more knowledgeable on religion. Writing this book was a genuine learning experience. I'm not a theologian nor a mystic; I continue to be a problem solver.

It is evident that religion is a major part of international affairs. For example, Jerusalem: if it was just a real estate issue, it could have been solved by now. I enjoy giving this book tour b/c it allows me to explain my views better than the sound bites expected from television interviews.

My book has four themes.
1. US has to have a moral foreign policy.
State what our values are
Use vast power.
Not a moralistic - i.e. lecturing
There is an artificial division between realists and idealists in IR theory. I'm a realistic idealist or an idealistic realist.

2. DC is toxic.
People don't talk to one another.
There are subject that the right and left can agree on.
For example, I've been working with Senator Sam Brownback, a conservative Republican from Kansas. We created a conference at Georgetown that look at four main themes:
1. stopping genocide
2. stopping human trafficking
3. refugees
4. religious tolerance

3. I don't like the concept of clash of civilizations.
We are involved in a battle of ideas.
There are major differences between the rich and the poor.
State v. non-state actors.

Iranian President's letter
involved saber-rattling
basic questions were raised
it is important for someone at a high level to lay out what we're for.
Questions raised resonate with people and we must respond.

4. What the role of the individual is
For example myself: I was raised Catholic, married an Episcopalian, and found out I'm Jewish. I was also raised in the US instead of Czechoslovakia, giving me the opportunity to become SecState instead of having a career as a college professor.
The concept of the individual should be understood better.
It is part of all the Abrahamic religions.

We need to look at religion as a way to solve problems, rather than dividing people.

What really is the role of the US? From my book:
Have reponsibility to lead.
Liberty is G'd's gift, which makes it morally neutral.
Democracy is a human creation.
US should help others who desire help.
Promoting democracy is a policy, not a moral position.
We are not above the law.
Not a divine act: we can ask for G'd to bless America, but we should never assume that G'd blesses America.

Questions & Answers
"I loved being SecState; but one of the advantages of not being SecState is that I can actually answer your questions."

(1) Supporting religious charities?
We're dependent on charities / NGOs. How much are they accountable? It's good to support these NGOs. American missionary movements knew more about IR and other languages than other Americans. We must insure that those we work with have free access / tolerance instead of proselytizing.

For example, Palestinians.
Our official policy is that we don't deal with Hamas.
We're expecting NGOs to pick up the slack.
What is the end that happens with the money given? That is the question to be asked. Compare this to Saudi support of religious charities.

(2)First time a moral foreign policy is being suggested?
There are various periods in history where moral policy was emphasized (eg Wilson) then swing to realpolitik, personified by Henry Kissinger. Carter modernized moral FP with an emphasis on human rights. It's not that we're convinced we're right about everything. It is difficult to have a totally consistent FP b/c pragmatic steps are needed, therefore take cognicense. We need to stop lecturing.

The division between good and evil emphasized by Bush is difficult to accept because the definition of "good" is hard.

(3)I do think the US is an exceptional country, as an immigrant (legal)

The US is an indispensable nation. President Clinton originally said that, although it has been ascribed to me. I said that originally to get Americans hooked in to have interests internationally. Why do I believe this?

Things don't happen if we're not a part of them.
That doesn't mean we're above the law.
Whether you read the New Testament or Spider-man, "to whom much is given, much is expected."
Morality is not necessarily national.
For the foreseeable future, US will be a managing partner in world affairs; emphasis on partner. Therefore, building bridges is important.
The US gains from international support.
We can't be treaty allergic.

(4)Why do you think Democrats have such a difficult time stating what they're for?
1. We don't have control of anything.
2. The thing that makes us so charming - that we have a lot of different opinions - makes it difficult to articulate.
3. We have no leader.
4. We aren't disciplined. "I don't belong to any organized group; I'm a member of the Democratic Party." -- Will Rogers
5. Republicans have think tanks that stick around when Republicans are in power.
6. I'm involved in the Center for American Progress.
7. During the 2008 Presidential primary process, I hope we don't create a firing line in a circle.
8. US government has to function in checks and balances.

(5)[Oddball question re the power of 12 step programs]
It is necessary to recognize the power of people's individual faith. We still believe in the separation of church and state. That was originally conceived as keeping the state out of the church, not the other way around. We need to respect how people practice their religion.

(6) What brought on the toxicity in Washington?
"I'm going to try so hard to be good."
What happens when there's a complete shift in power: You try to explain national security policy of the S to people you don't like and you have to hand it over to. When I was gaining the seat of power, I listened carefully to the other side. We need a sense of continuity between presidents. The Bush admin had a complete disregard for Clinton's domestic and foreign policy. Bush said his national security team is the best the US has ever had. Maybe, but for the wrong decade. They really did have an ABC policy: Anything But Clinton. For example, re North Korea: I still have the dubious distinction of being the highest ranking US official to ever meet with Kim Jong Il. Even Congress feels it is not allowed to set the agenda.

We tried to have a bi-partisan foreign policy. For example, I worked with Jesse Helms, who at the time was the head of the Senate foreign relations committees.

Bush has convened former top level officials: in January he met with 13 of us, 7 former SecDefs and 6 former Sec States.

But there is a fundamental lack of respect for the other side's point of view and this is self-perpetuating.

(7)Wellesley Alumnae Club President's Question: What can we as individual micro-powers do to help achieve a moral foreign policy?
*We have a tendency to take the US for granted because we feel powerless because "they're taking care of it in Washington." (I assure you, they're not.)
*We in Washington want to hear from people.
*We need to take our duty as citizens much more seriously.
*Voting.
*Asking questions is important.
*Keep asking questions out loud: e.g. Are we really fighting terrorists in the right way?

(8)How do we reconcile the US' bloody history with working with others?
*American model isn't the only model of democracy.
*I believe we are all the same and want to make decisions for ourselves.
*As I tell my students at Georgetown, foreign policy is trying to get another country to do what you want.
*For example with Iran: Carter was forward leaning on human rights, but he did deal with the Shaw.
*We need to favor working with the N.
*But for example on Kosovo, we weren't able to get force approval from the UN. So sometimes you have to take a difficult approach.
*We'll never get complete approval for everything we do.

(9)Chavez is calling us a paper tiger and seems to want to take the mantle of Castro when he dies.
The Bush administration is not as unilateral as they are uni-dimensional. They only understand military power and only in the Middle East. I told Bush, you act as if you created democracy, whereas in truth I did. I created a community of democracies. I used to carry around this map of the evolution of Latin America from authoritarian to democracy. But democracies have to deliver. I don't mean to sound Marxist, but people prefer to eat rather than to vote. Land reform is needed throughout Latin America. When a populist becomes elected, he often becomes authoritarian. Free trade needs to move forward through bilateral agreements.

Countries are beginning to group in opposition to the US. Things happening aren't being paid attention to. Policy is about framing the choice. When the choice is between being for the Iraq War, Guanatanamo Bay, etc vs. other, people are going to choose the other. Then more people are against us. We can't have certainty that we're always right.

Posted by cj at 9:46 PM | Comments (0)

March 16, 2006

Still Here, barely...

News That Concerns Me:
Israel staking out a prison in Jericho with the tacit collusion of the US and British forces that coincidentally left the prison after securing it for four years on the day of the invasion.

SecState and SecDef telling Congress / the world that Iran is "the biggest threat out there."

Milosevic dying before he could be convicted of crimes against humanity.

Sectarian violence. Ethnic tension.

People allowing their differences to divide them instead of uniting them.

POTUS shredding the NPT by signing an illegal side-deal with India.

Rampant Islamaphobia in the US and Western Europe.

Not enough mainstream news coverage of Latin America.

Mainstream news.

Lack of updates on my blogs.

Posted by cj at 10:51 PM | Comments (0)

January 1, 2006

The Year in Review

When I was younger, I thought the best way of understanding the world was by going from the macro to the micro level. I am still most fascinated by macro-level theories; but now I recognize the importance of beginning on the micro-level to fully appreciate the interconnectedness of the world.

As I look back on 2005, it was a time of chaos and turmoil, hope and rebirth. My micro viewpoint starts with my own life. I learned how to love and share life, how to be whole in tandem, how to accept heart break and move forward in my own individual life. I leave behind every single shared dream I started 2005 with; although I hold out a faint glimmer of hope to eventually find the person who will truly support me and share my life in a mutually beneficial way.

Because of the abrupt changes in my social circle this year, I don't have a firm grasp on what's happened to my community this year. I can say that my family and friends (the true friends; who were there before 2004 and will remain long after 2006) have grown and prospered and deeply lived in ways I never imagined. I'm proud of all of them, especially those whom I lost touch with and am just reaching again.

I've now lived in Chicago 1.5 years. One of the best aspects of this town is Chicago Tonight, the PBS weekday news broadcast. It is by far the best local news broadcast I have ever seen. While I'm never really interested in the long sports roundtables, what other program would give time to two music critics chatting about U2's concerts and the politics / economics of music venues? I chat with my coworkers about the monarchy of Mayor Daley; none of them seem to care that there is no democracy in city politics (as long as the trash is picked up, the streets are relatively safe, and the trains/buses continue to run). Outside of political writers, it seems that no one in Chicago cares that Daley's administration was plagued by scandals; seems to them like Republicans trying to make politics illegal. I'm struck by the complete lack of imagination when it comes to politics in this town. Sure, we got to help elect Barack Obama in 2004; but in reality, Chicago is cut up into ethnic enclaves that few people cross and even fewer try to bridge. Radical democracy is an utterly foreign concept in this town. Geographic divisions remain even stronger than ethnic ones: many die-hard Cubs fans refused to rejoice for the White Sox's epic World Series win. It is difficult to express how divided Chicago is between the North and South sides. Most of the media - print, tv, radio - either also owns the Cubs or is produced for the North side audience. Of course, mainstream media is usually produced for the more affluent members of a community; but the confluence of ownership by the Tribune corporation of the Cubs, the Trib newspaper, WGN tv and radio, along with their many companies in other major markets (from tv to radio to newspapers, including the LA Times) is simply astounding. To me, it says more about class culture that the equally numerous Sox fans rarely sold out their stadium during the regular season, than it does about the Trib company. Then again, South-siders are quick to point out that Cellular Field holds about twice as many ppl as Wrigley Stadium, and that their attendance was roughly on par with the Cubs all season. But seriously, the Cubs are everyone's favorite losers; shouldn't winners be able to sell out a stadium?

National news was depressing and more depressing. Bush's second term continued the failed policies of his first term: destructive hegemonic foreign policy, imperial occupation of foreign countries, complete disregard for the environment, civil liberties, and human life, all coming into stark relief when he praised his incompetent lackey FEMA Administrator Brown during the initial aftermath of the man-made disaster following Hurricane Katrina. Anderson Cooper and CNN provided the absolute best media coverage of that terrible catastrophe which we still haven't recovered from; nor have we begun to change the problems that created it. Territorial in-fighting caused a lack of serious upkeep of the dams surrounding New Orleans; passing the buck attitude kept the majority of New Orleans mired in poverty; failure to recognize the lack of resources available to most of the population left hundreds of thousands of people in the Gulf Region stranded; failure to create real communication links between local, state, federal emergency authorities since the great warning of 2001 greatly expanded the level of destruction; and the national public and national leaders have left the Gulf Region behind because our worst problems as a society seem insurmountable, or at least unable to be solved within the span of a news or election cycle and therefore untouchable.

The greatest hope in 2005 came from social movements outside of the US. Protests in Lebanon forced the removal of many of Syria's overt forms of occupation, unfortunately also leading to the assassination of two leaders of the reform movement. Women continue to be left out of the state-formation process in Iraq, but at least they were guaranteed a small percentage of seats in the Afghani parliament. Egypt had another sham election, praised by the USG; but recognized as a farce by most people. Israel withdrew from Gaza while increasing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and continuing to build a "security" wall, that was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice.

Darfur, Sudan continues to suffer from a state-sponsored genocide, while world leaders stand around wringing their hands. Rape as an act of war continued unabated in many African conflicts; and rape survivors and their children continued to be shunned by societies so ensconced in backward morality that their religious leaders often refuse to accept condoms as a necessary weapon in the fight against AIDS. I have to admit, I do not follow African news as closely as I do other parts of the world, so it is difficult for me to name specific countries and what's happening. Interesting to note that Zimbabwe continues to be ruled by the wretched Mugabe, who threw out Western journalists and kicked poor people out of their homes, continuing his reign of terror which began with an interesting desire to re-distribute land to the black majority population and is currently a dictatorship of disastrous proportions.

In Asia, North Korea and China continue to top the world headlines. First, there's the Bush administration's muddled actions towards stopping North Korea's nuclear program. Kim Jong Il recently kicked out international aid agencies, saying I guess that the famine that is killing many of his constituents is bad for his country's image, so better to cut off aid than remind ppl that it exists. China continues to be the "sleeping dragon," or perhaps really has already resumed its position as a super-power, but Westerners are too myopic to see that. It mediates six-nation anti-nuke talks with North Korea; it holds a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and has strong links to Iran; and it produces tons of manufactured goods. It undercuts the US around the world, buying up oil and other resources from regimes disliked by the US.

Speaking of resource-rich countries currently standing tall against US hegemony, Latin America is by far the best success story of 2005. Bolivia elected its first indigenous president, Evo Morales. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez led a grassroots protest against US economic abuse at the Fourth Summit of the Americas in November in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The second female to be democratically elected head of state in Latin America, Michelle Bachelet, is on her way to power, leading the polls during the first round of elections in Chile and fighting for her position against a billionaire in a run-off later this month. Alas, not all news from Latin America was positive this year. The people of Guatemala protested loudly against ratification of CAFTA, but after the military tear-gassed them out of the capitol, the Guatemalan parliament accepted CAFTA. Nevertheless, the power of Mercosur, and the power of the people of Latin America provides a powerful check on the expansion of corporate globalization in this hemisphere.

In other global news, South Asia continues to rebuild itself after being hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami. It is yet another example of human inability to create sustainable development in a short period of time after a natural catastrophe. In some places, civil strife was tempered by a shared desire to rebuild, while elsewhere civil war has re-kindled. North Americans thought they understood The March of the Penguins of Antarctica, but really only saw a Disney-fied glimpse of a species threatened by global warming. There was a terrorist attack in London on the heels of the 2012 Summer Olympics host announcement, and on the first day of the G8 summit. Speaking of G8, it produced a global free concert series, Live 8, an attempt to help Make Poverty History through music. Much more happened in Europe and Russia, but I don't follow those areas very closely. In Southeast Asia, a horrific earthquake rocked Kashmir. The subsequent aid from Westerners did more to boost Pakistani opinion of us than any other interaction in recent years.

Despite catastrophic natural and man-made disasters, I continue to believe 2005 will lead to an even brighter 2006. Time recognized philanthropists and a crusader as Persons of the Year; Latin Americans pushed back against neo-liberal economics; young Westerners were enlightened that their governments' foreign policy exacerbates Africa's problems; and women continue to take a stand for their equal participation in government and economics around the world. On the whole, I think it's been a very good year; although the details are not all so rose-colored.

Posted by cj at 1:11 PM | Comments (1)

December 21, 2005

UN Creates Peacebuilding Commission

The UN General Assembly and Security Council passed resolutions creating a Peacebuilding Commission to help insure that post-conflict societies do not slide back into conflict. Apparently, over half of the conflicts in the past 20 years have reignited after their initial cease-fires. From the GA resolution that created the commission:

Emphasizing the need for a coordinated, coherent and integrated approach to post-conflict peacebuilding and reconciliation with a view to achieving sustainable peace [...]

Reaffirming the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, and stressing the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security and the need to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution and peacebuilding

From the UN website (pdf)

Apparently, there is some concern among developing countries that the Security Council has too large a role in the commission. On the other hand, the SC correctly pointed out that their purview is international peace and security and peacekeeping. So it sorta makes sense to check with the SC regarding peacebuilding. Yet, we all know that the SC can be used as a tool of the five permanent members with veto power, so it does seem to continue an anti-democratic vein to allow the SC oversight of the Peacebuilding Commission.

Regardless of the above dispute, the creation of the Peacebuilding Commission is a momentous occasion. I look forward to it being part of the process to fully implement SC Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

More information:
"UN creates new body to help states out of war," by Evelyn Leopold for Reuters on AlertNet
"UN acts to help peace processes," by Susannah Price of BBC News
"U.N. Creates Commission to Assist Nations Recovering From Wars," by Warren Hoge in the NYT
Alerted to the news by UN Wire, a free email publication of the UN Foundation

Posted by cj at 9:44 PM | Comments (0)

November 20, 2005

Bolivia: The New Frontier

I am fascinated by all areas of the world. Recently, I've been intrigued by the conundrum of Latin America - why have most countries remained extremely poor and poorly developed despite having natural resources? According to one informed friend, it is a 50/50 combination of corrupt, European-descendant leaders within the region and corrupt, Western corporations and governments. It seems to me that deeply ingrained racism is a serious pillar of the poverty experienced by the majority of Latin Americans. My friend told me there are areas of Argentina that are large, gated communities where you must prove German ancestry to gain residency (and outsiders are not allowed in). This is another problem Latin America faces - many Nazis took refuge there at the end of WWII. And they were, for the most part, welcomed with open arms.

Don't get me wrong, there is hope both for Latin America and the world through the influence of new Latin American leaders. Evo Morales is the first full-blooded indigenous Bolivian to run for president, and as the leader of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), he has a really good chance of winning. The David Rieff in the NYT magazine refers to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as a "leftist populist military strongman" several times, but from my previous reading of current events, he also seems to be leading the charge against corruption and undo influence of corporate greed on national economic development plans. The article says that the USG is tone-deaf to the new movements for change in Latin America; clearly the USG leadership is worse than tone-deaf. There are very few Evil Men in the world, and equating Morales with Osama bin Laden, as several high ranking USG officials have, only proves that ignorant, reactionary, isolationists are in charge of the USG (partially because The Left in this country has never had a truly effective political arm).

I am surprised that Rieff never mentioned the amazing uprising of ordinary Bolivians against Bechtel's attempt to privatize all water in the country (including rainfall). Perhaps I will find a more complete article on Morales and Bolivia in the future. I think using Che as the frame for his article led Rieff to omit more important, more recent events in Bolivia.

"Che's Second Coming?" by David Rieff in today's NYT Magazine

Posted by cj at 6:09 PM | Comments (0)

October 18, 2005

Rise in Violence in Darfu

[apologies for the break in posting - I have been ill.]

There are more militia factions in Darfur, Sudan now then previously. The janjaweed are now fighting the government, other militias, and terrorizing and murdering the people of Darfur. The situation is so bad the UN has pulled out most of its personnel.

The "silver lining" is that, according to the NYT, conflicts tend to intensify as peace becomes imminent. Supposedly the new groups want a seat at the table and/or some of the spoils of war.

More info: "Chaos Grows in Darfur Conflict as Militias Turn on Government," by Marc Lacey in the NYT

Posted by cj at 8:18 AM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2005

More on Ian Fishback and Systemic Use of Torture by US Military

The NYT wrote an article about Captain Fishback, including the not surprising news that the Army is more interested in hunting down the two anonymous sources for the Human Rights Watch report than in changing its abhorrent practices.

"Officer Criticizes Detainee Abuse Inquiry," by Eric Schmitt in the NYT

The Human Rights Watch Report on Torture in Iraq that started this mainstream media blip.

WaPo published Fishback's letter to John McCain, which they say they obtained by neither Fishback nor McCain. (Note to self: all correspondence is apparently fair game for newspapers to reprint.)

"Mr. Flanigan's Answers," the WaPo editorial re Fishback's revelations and the larger problem of rampant abuse by the US military and elected officials. Note that Congress could have held the administration accountable when the Abu Ghraib scandal came to light, but chose instead to accept this so-called war on terror as an excuse to torture prisoners and disregard the Geneva Conventions and morality in general. They already confirmed Gonzales as attorney general, despite the fact that as chief White House counsel, he is primarily responsible for this administration's b.s. waffling on the definition of torture. Now, his former deputy is about to be confirmed as his new deputy - Timothy Flanigan is Shrub's nominee for deputy attorney general, having first served as Gonzales's deputy White House counsel.

Posted by cj at 8:12 AM | Comments (2)

September 19, 2005

Bono and Debt Relief

We all know Bono is the rock star with a cause; the best of the many rock stars with causes. He got Jesse Helms to cry and corralled a bunch of conservative Republicans to promise debt relief which really hasn't happened, and an AIDS project, which actually does more harm than good. But at least he's using his fame for a good cause, right?

Well...I suppose. But what does that say about the state of the world? We live in the era of global capitalism. So why do we leave the most important jobs in developed countries to volunteers? Why do we say "we don't have enough teachers, let's get volunteers to do two year stints"? Why do we say "we want to teach American values and the American way of life to the world, let's send volunteers through a program created by Kennedy called Peace Corps"? When we send volunteers to kill foreigners, they get paid. When we send them to build a well, they get close to nothing.

I am sick of living in this pseudo-volunteer culture. The only people who have enough time and resources to do this volunteering are mega-rich actors and singers and children of the upper middle class. Enough already! I went to school with plenty of investment bankers and management consultants. What I want to do with my life is no less important than what they're doing - and I expect to get paid for it. Not popcorn salary and not "volunteer some more so we know you're really committed to the cause" but real greenbacks to pay off all the debt I've accumulated trying to survive in this capitalist society.

I'm not calling for an overthrow of the economic system - I still think that is a fantasy. But until people get real and face the fact that in a capitalist society work should be honored and PAID, we will never live in the world we wish to see.

That doesn't mean I'm going to stop all of my volunteer work for WILPF. It just means that sooner, rather than later, I need to find paid work in "the movement." Otherwise, I might as well turn my little black box back on and find another escapist fantasy to keep me numb from reality.

More on that Irish bloke: "The Statesman," by James Traub in Sunday's NYT Magazine

Posted by cj at 9:13 PM | Comments (1)

September 3, 2005

Castro Offered Medical Personnel and Supplies to Aid Hurricane Victims

From a member of WILPF, I received this statement of Fidel Castro, President of Cuba:

PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO REITERATES MEDICAL CARE OFFER TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN HIS REMARKS DURING THE TV ROUND TABLE.

Our country is ready to send, in the small hours of morning, 100
clinicians and specialists in Comprehensive General Medicine, who at
dawn tomorrow, Saturday, could be in Houston International Airport,
Texas, the closest to the region struck by the tragedy, in order to be
transferred by air, sea or river to the isolated shelters, facilities
and neighborhoods in the city of New Orleans, where the population and
families are that require emergency medical care or first aid.

These Cuban personnel would be carrying backpacks with 24 kilograms of
medications, known to be essential in such situations to save lives, as
well as basic diagnosis kits. They would be prepared to work alone or in
groups of two or more, depending on the circumstances, for as long as
necessary.

Likewise, Cuba is ready to send via Houston, or any other airport of
your choosing, 500 additional specialists in Comprehensive General
Medicine, with the same equipment, who could be at their destination
point at noon or in the afternoon of tomorrow, Saturday, September 3.

A third group of 500 specialists in Comprehensive General Medicine could
be arriving in the morning of Sunday, September 4. Thus, the 1100 said
medical doctors, with the resources described tantamount to 26.4 tons of
medications and diagnosis kits, would be caring for the neediest persons
in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.

These medical doctors have the necessary international experience and
elementary knowledge of the English language that would allow them to
communicate with the patients.

We stand ready waiting for the US authorities' response.
September 2, 2005
18:00 hs

A Google News Search only gave one news sources confirming the above information:
"Cuba Willing to Send Immediate Medical Help to US, Says Fidel Castro," in Prensa Latina, the Latin American News Agency

I do not know the origins of the above press release, only that it was emailed to me by a trusted source.

Posted by cj at 5:54 AM | Comments (0)

August 27, 2005

Newly Discovered News Source: IMEMC

The International Middle East Media Center is located at http://www.imemc.org. This is an online English-language daily with non-partisan up-to-date accounts and analysis from Israel/Palestine.

Interesting news from IMEMC:
Abbas: "Israel should evacuate W. Bank settlements"

"This withdrawal is not a Palestinian or Israeli victory", Abbas said, "It is a victory of peace for everyone". [...]

"The Palestinian and the Israelis should start talking about the future of the West Bank, Israel should freeze all of its settlement activities, Europe should practice more pressure regarding this issue".

"Poll: Majority in Israel support more withdrawals from"

As many as 54 percent of the Israelis said they believe the Israeli government should withdraw from more territories in the West Bank and to reach peace with the Palestinians, while a bigger majority believed that the unauthorized outposts in the West Bank must be dismantled, a poll conducted by the Israeli Newspaper Yedioth Ahronot showed.

It is hopeful that both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli people support more withdrawals from the West Bank.

In related news, Israeli Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice last Wednesday. He spoke to her about several things, including Israel's $2.2 billion additional aid request. More details at "Olmert calls on Palestinian Authority to disarm militants," in Haartez, an independent Israeli daily newspaper.

My thanks to my fellow WCUSP leadership team members for directing me to the above websites. WCUSP = Women Challenge U.S. Policy: Building Peace on Justice in the Middle East, a national campaign of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

Posted by cj at 9:04 PM | Comments (0)

August 23, 2005

Philadelphia 1787 v. Baghdad 2005

Fred Kaplan wrote an engaging article in Slate on "Bush's lousy analogy."

He puts forth many succint differences between the founding of the U.S.A. and the current situation in Iraq. Unfortunately, as is the perogative of a white male, he fails to recognize the depth of failure in Philadelphia in 1787. The constitution didn't just punt a difficult issue - it legalized the fiction of people as property and maintained women as property. It is not acceptable for a new government in 2005 to merely meet the standards set in 1787. Any constitution created today, to be truly democratic, must unflinchingly declare the rights of all people - regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or any other differentiating aspect - to complete freedom and inclusion in the political process.

I am sick of listening to people give excuses for discrimination. If the U.S. is truly a country spreading freedom and democracy around the world, it must be firm in its committment to the freedom of all people, not just those willing to work with U.S.-based multinational corporations.

Posted by cj at 8:27 AM | Comments (0)

August 21, 2005

Jewish Americans Buying "Property" on Confiscated Palestinian Land

An article was forwarded to the International WILPF listserv yesterday regarding Nof Zion, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, half of which is on land owned by Palestinians in the East Jerusalem village Jabel Mukhaber. The Palestinian land was confiscated for "public services." The new real estate will be a gated community and many of the units are being sold to Jewish Americans who will probably never reside in the West Bank full time.

More info:
"Settlements go down, settlements go up: New Settlement Puts Pressure on Jerusalem Palestinians," by Jon Elmer in the New Standard, available on Znet

To subscribe to WILPF listservs:
First, please join WILPF.

The International WILPF listserv:
send a blank email to wilpf-news-subscribe AT igc DOT topica DOT com
Replace AT with @ and DOT with . (address written that way to prevent spammers from emailing it)

The US WILPF listserv:
send a blank email to wilpf-us-news-subscribe AT igc DOT topica DOT com

Cross-posted from the US WILPF Members blog.

Posted by cj at 3:22 AM | Comments (0)

August 18, 2005

Damn Fine Reads

I found some great blogs and articles tonight. While I'm at the end of my ability to write coherently, and therefore wont be commenting on my reading, I thought I'd share the URLs -

Raising Yousuf: a diary of a mother under occupation, from a Palestinian journalist in Gaza City

Rafah Notes, a blog by a woman in the U.S.

Pandagon's "Friday real female characters in movies blogging" post

"Ten Movies That Get Women Right, by Sheerly Avni on AlterNet

"Can White Hollywood Get Race Right?" by Jeff Chang and Sylvia Chan on AlterNet

Posted by cj at 10:10 PM | Comments (1)

August 8, 2005

War Criminal, Perpetrator of Genocide, Captured in Argentina

Bosnian Serb Milan Lukic was captured today in Argentina. He was sentenced in absentia by the Hague to twenty years in prison for his crimes against humanity and is currently being processed for extradition.

More info:
"Bosnian Serb Suspect Caught in Argentina," by Bill Cormier, AP at Yahoo News

Posted by cj at 7:43 PM | Comments (0)

July 22, 2005

Labor for Palestine Conference

Tomorrow, I'll be going to the Labor For Palestine Conference at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

It's an all day event, so I look forward to plenty of information and hopefully some time to get to know some local activists.

I'm going as a representative of WILPF's campaign, Women Challenging U.S. Policy: Building Peace on Justice in the Middle East.

It's interesting that they're holding the conference ahead of the AFL-CIO convention here in Chi-town next week. I wonder if I'll see anyone from my union days at the conference...

Posted by cj at 4:32 PM | Comments (0)

July 19, 2005

Iraq's War on Women

Via a link from Juan Cole, I found "Iraq's War on Women," by Lesley Abdela.

Abdela describes the way Iraq has become an increasing hostile place for its female citizens. Women are 60% of the population, yet must deal with death threats from religious extremists who murder with impunity.

Iraqi women want us to know about their situaton - why wearing makeup is an act of defiance that can get you raped and killed; why a successful beauty shop was closed; why female university students are being targetted for rape and murder.

And they need action - from the U.S. occupying force, from other Western countries and the United Nations, from the Iraqi government.

Please send an email to your representatives in Congress, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the President urging them to read this article and take significant actions to stop the violence against Iraqi women.

cross-posted from US WILPF's blog.

Posted by cj at 12:10 PM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2005

News Recap from the Last 24 Hrs

1. Power outage in Chicago not even reported by the Trib. Details on angelheaded hipster.

2. North Korea agreed to resume 6 party nuclear talks during the week of July 25. China announced it will host the talks. NYT article online version updated today to include SecState Rice's approval of diplomacy. My Nation Edition paper version quotes an unidentified "senior administration official traveling with Ms. Rice, who did not want to be identified because Ms. Rice had not yet made a formal announcement." That phrase appears on page 1 of the NYT. Isn't that a good use of space?

3. Meet the Press is slipping behind This Week. For the past several weeks, they've shared the major guest and here in Chicago, This Week comes on a half hour earlier than Meet the Press. How long can one person listen to Chertoff? Why finish MtP when ABC shows Ebert & Roepert at 10:30 and they're reviewing the new version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?"

4. NASA is sending a human-driven shuttle back to space. Its scheduled for a Wednesday launch, if the weather permits. Not clear what the astronauts will be doing, but the widows of the astronauts who died in the Columbia tragedy get page 1 coverage of how difficult it is to be in the media spotlight.

5. More ink on the Supreme Court vacancy. Maybe that's why the anti-choice activists were out in force last week in downtown Chicago. More talk show chatter (but left till the absolute end of the shows). Wishing that Jerry Springer VH1 special was on....

Posted by cj at 10:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 7, 2005

Wikipedia Entry for London bombings

Via Daniel Drezner, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Guardian blog, I found the Wikipedia Entry for the London bombings. This online collaborative encyclopedia has given me the information I've been trying to understand by watching network and cable news for the last three hours.

Timeline
All times are in British Summer Time (BST) which is 1 hour ahead of UTC.

• 08:51: Initial reports of an incident between Liverpool Street and Aldgate East tube stations, either an explosion or a collision between trains. The reports from the two stations were initially thought to relate to two separate incidents.
  
• 08:56: Explosion on train between Kings' Cross and Russell Square. Eyewitnesses report explosion appeared to come from outside the train.
  
• 09:17: Explosion on train at Edgware Road station.
  
• 09:28: Tube operator Metronet says the incident was caused by some sort of power surge.
  
• 09:33: Reports of an incident at Edgware Road tube station. Reports that passengers on a train hit by an explosion attempted to break windows with umbrellas in order to escape.
  
• 09:46: British Transport Police announce there had been more explosions at Kings' Cross, Old Street, Moorgate, and Russell Square.
  
• 09:47: Explosion on bus at Upper Woburn Place/Tavistock Square. Fatalities, but number not yet known.
  
• 09:49: Whole London Underground system shut down.
  
• 10:00: National Grid announce there had been no problem with power surges.
  
• 10:40: First report of fatalities, government source speaks of 20 dead.
  
• 11:08: Bus services suspended across central London.
  
• 11:10: Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair confirms fears that it is a co-ordinated terror attack, but appeals for calm, asking people not to travel to London or make unnecessary calls to the emergency services.
  
• 12:00: Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks out on the incident, calling the attacks a coordinated series of "barbaric" terrorist attacks.

(From ITV News and Metropolitan Police press conference)

Posted by cj at 10:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

London Bombings

Why would terrorists strike in anger at a G8 meeting? Is it related or is it only a response to military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq? There is absolutely no excuse for terrorism, and the continued attacks on mass transit frightens me personally since I use it and enjoy using it to get to work.

The best coverage is from the BBC.
Eyewitness Accounts

"London rocked by terror attacks"

I'm still trying to figure out what time the attacks occurred at. I understand it was during the morning commute, but at what time? And they're several hours ahead of us, so how long have they been dealing with this? Guess I should start checking blog sources...

Update: It started around 8:47am local London time and the last of the four explosions (on the bus) happened around 9:40am. Is that really when the majority of Londoners are on mass transit? Doesn't their workday start at 9am? I mean, thank goodness if the time helped alleviate the severity of the casualties, but I do wonder...And yes, I recognize that an estimated 40 deaths is 40 too many.

Posted by cj at 8:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 30, 2005

Small Glimmer of Reason in Congress

Quote of the Day from CQ Midday Update:

"Supporters have had a hard time selling this agreement. Its supposed benefits are murky, in the distance, while its flaws are all too obvious.... Late last evening I finally had to come to the conclusion that the problems with CAFTA as we have it before us clearly outweigh the very small benefits." — Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.

Say it again, brother. Say it again.

Posted by cj at 2:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 20, 2005

Demolishing Houses to Build Peace

SecState Rice brokered an agreement between Israelis and Palestinians over the weekend. They agreed that the Israeli army should destroy homes built by Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip and Palestinians should be paid to clear the rubble after the Israeli army and settlers leave. Apparently, the middle class homes barricaded on the most fertile land in the area were deemed a waste of space by Palestinian Authority officials. They want to build multi-family homes, schools, and other buildings on the land. The Gaza Strip is one of the most over-populated areas in the world - 1.3 million Palestinians live there without adequate housing, so the fertile land being given back by Israelis should help.

The Israelis, by the way, didn't want to see "militants" taking over their former homes and Israeli politicians thought the site of Palestinians raising Palestinian flags in the abandoned homes on national television would spur the ultra-right wing.

I'm not convinced all the settlers will leave. I watched "Israel's Next War?" - an extremely disturbing Frontline program on the racist right-wing radicals who are determined to use their guns to stay in Gaza. To be clear: my fervent hope is for Israel and Palestine to exist as fully recognized countries, living as peaceful neighbors. I harbor no ill-will towards Israelis, Jews, Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, or any particular ethnic or national group. I detest violence, I detest violent people, and I detest people who sully the beliefs of good people by saying "G'd wants me to be a racist killer."

In related news, Israel agreed to not sell updates to unmanned aircraft it sold to China. From WaPo:

The United States has expressed concern over Israeli weapons sales to China for the past 15 years. But the issue came to a head five years ago when U.S. pressure scuttled Israeli plans to sell Phalcon reconnaissance aircraft to China, a deal valued at between $250 million and $1 billion.

The most recent dispute arose last year over Israel's plans to provide spare parts for a fleet of Harpy armed drone aircraft it originally sold to China in the late 1990s with U.S. approval. U.S. defense officials complained that the spare parts constituted a significant upgrade of the aircraft, possibly including the addition of sensors able to detect radar sites even when turned off. In protest, the Pentagon froze cooperation with Israel on several joint weapons projects.

Good to know the weapons the USG subsidizes for Israel are being put to good use in China.

More info:
"Settlers' Homes on Gaza Strip Will Come Down, Rice Says," by Glenn Kessler and Scott Wilson in WaPo

"Israelis and Palestinians Agree On Demolishing Houses in Gaza," by Steven Weisman and Greg Myre in NYT

"Israel, Palestinians Agree That Settlers' Homes Will Be Razed: Secretary of State Rice announces the decision in Jerusalem, erasing one issue in the Gaza withdrawal. It is unclear who will foot the bill." by Ken Ellingwood and Tyler Marshall in LAT

Posted by cj at 4:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 15, 2005

USG Helps Ethnic Cleansing in Kirkuk

It is almost impossible to believe today's lead story in the Washington Post. "Kurdish Officials Sanction Abductions in Kirkuk: U.S. Memo Says Arabs, Turkmens Secretly Sent to the North," by Steve Fainaru and Anthony Shadid explains the contents of a confidential State Department memo regarding the abduction of Arabs and Turkmens and their secret transfer to other cities.

While you might expect that without international help, an ethnic minority would seek retribution from their neighbors for Saddam Hussein's actions, it is amazing that the USG has done absolutely nothing to prevent the wide scale abuse of human rights. Indeed, the DOD is complicit in the kidnappings, since the US military aids the politically controlled Kurdish military in these abductions. Further, despite all of the evidence that these Kurdish military groups are corrupt, American commanders continue to call them extremely reliable allies.

Background info from the article: Hussein practiced ethnic cleansing during the 80s, and moved Arabs and Turkmens north into Kurdish cities.

Kurds, who are just shy of a majority in the city and are growing in number, hope to make Kirkuk and the vast oil reserves beneath it part of an autonomous Kurdistan.

You wonder why people distrust the USG? It's because of statements like this:

Blagburn, the intelligence officer, said that even though the Emergency Services Unit is largely responsible for the secret transfers, it continues to provide valuable assistance in the counterinsurgency. Blagburn termed the unit "a very cooperative, coalition-friendly system."

"We know we can drop a guy in there and he'd be taken care of and he's safe," Blagburn said. "That's the reason why the ESU is used most of the time. That's basically the unit we can trust the most."

Good to know torturers are willing to help out the US Occupation forces when they're needed.

I am thoroughly disgusted by this administration and their horrible abuse of power and mockery of democracy. I am grateful someone at State leaked the memo to WaPo and hope that it will soon be available to the public in its entirety.

Posted by cj at 12:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 14, 2005

This Just In: Airports Are More Important Than Human Life

The Department of Defense (DOD) has determined that airplane traffic supercedes concern regarding a dictator massacring unarmed political demonstrators. The State Department (State) believes in standing firm in opposition of flagrant violations of human rights, but since State has so little actual influence in this administration, DOD's choices remain the de facto official U.S. government (USG) policy.

Here's the deal: Europeans wanted to include a call for an independent inquiry into the massacre of citizens in Uzbekistan in a communique from NATO. Russia disapproved, but was willing to be persuaded to allow the language. DOD decided to block the language, offering the b.s. excuse that it shouldn't be part of a military alliance's policy statements.

Human beings everywhere should be outraged.

More info:
"U.S. Opposed Calls at NATO for Probe of Uzbek Killings: Officials Feared Losing Air Base Access," By R. Jeffrey Smith and Glenn Kessler with contributions by Ann Scott Tyson and Robin Wright in WaPo

From the aforementioned article:

There are stirrings of dissent on Capitol Hill about placing access to the air base at the center of U.S. policy, however. Six senators warned Rumsfeld and Rice in a letter last week that "in the aftermath of the Andijan massacre, America's relationship with Uzbekistan cannot remain unchanged."

The senators -- Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), John McCain (R-Ariz.), John E. Sununu (R-N.H.), Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) and Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) -- added that "we believe that the United States must be careful about being too closely associated with a government that has killed hundreds of demonstrators and refused international calls for a transparent investigation." They suggested that the administration explore alternative basing arrangements "in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and elsewhere in the region" to give Washington more flexibility.

When even the Republicans in Congress think human rights are more important than a military base, you know DOD's gone too far in their "war on terror." It disgusts me that we even need the debate.

Yesterday's LAT also had an article on Uzbekistan which gives easy to read background info: "Uzbekistan Tests U.S. Policy Goals: Bush's aim of spreading democracy appears to clash with need to keep strategic military bases." by Sonni Efron

articles found via Today's Papers by Eric Umansky in Slate

Posted by cj at 11:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 8, 2005

Even Contractors are Being Treated Inhumanely by American Troops in Iraq

From Slate's Today's Papers, by Eric Umansky:

The LAT for some reason only teases a fascinating but murky incident in Iraq during which some American security contractors appear to have mistakenly fired on Marines, who then tossed the roughly two dozen contractors in jail for a few days, where apparently they didn't get the best treatment. The contractors' lawyer said they were stripped and "slammed around." As they were being tossed about, one of the Marines reportedly shouted, "How does it feel to be a big rich contractor now?" The contractors say they never fired on the Marines, who in turn say they never abused the contractors. (Last year, Slate's Phil Carter looked at the "legal murkiness" that contractors operate in.) It's clear that the LAT has independent reporting on the story, but FYI, a site called CorpWatch had a more detailed piece yesterday.

Turns out, mercenaries make a helluva lot more money than enlisted men. Shocking, eh? According to a sidebar on the CorpWatch article, Zapata mercenaries make between $520,000 and $700,000 a year. Which rankles the feathers of enlisted folks, who eke out a living and get hassled by the government for filing health insurance claims for the many mental and physical injuries they incur while on duty.

I'm not condoning what the Marines did. I'm simply pointing out that the vast difference in pay makes enlisted soldiers wary of mercenaries. All humans should be wary of mercenaries - they operate outside the control of national and international law and waste a lot of taxpayer money that would be better used to increase social services (education, healthcare, etc.) at home and abroad.

FYI, the CorpWatch article is part of their War Profiteers microsite. CorpWatch works to hold corporations accountable in a variety of fields - from education to labor issues to war. The original War Profiteers website was created by the Ruckus Society.

Posted by cj at 10:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 6, 2005

Courageous Iraqis Leading the Way to Change

Despite the many setbacks, courageous Iraqis are re-building and maintaining a national oil pipeline while others report on current events despite repeated death threats.

Of course, the USG doesn't want you to know about these people. Particularly the General Union of Oil Employees (GUOE), whose members outperform private sector employees and maintain their refineries to a far better degree than the private corporations preferred by the Bush administration/coalition forces/"Iraqi government." Details in "Iraq's other resistance: Oil workers in Basra are ready to fight privatisation," a commentary by Greg Muttitt in The Guardian.

And if you listened to the Shrub administration, you'd think all independent Iraqi journalists were working for the insurgency. "Press in Iraq Gains Rights But No Refuge: 85 Workers Killed in 2 Years," by Jonathan Finer with contributions from Omar Fekeiki and Bassam Sebti in today's WaPo explains how important Iraqi journalists are to creating a truly democratic society in Iraq, and how dangerous the work is.

Posted by cj at 12:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 3, 2005

What Could Be More Pressing Than Genocide?

A fellow Chicago WILPFer pointed me to this Open Letter to President Bush on Darfur: Specific Actions to Stop the Ongoing Genocide, on the Black Commentator website.

The Open Letter to the President on Darfur asserts the need for an urgent international intervention to support the African Union’s mission in Darfur, in order to:

1. stop the killing and provide security for millions of internally displaced people (IDPs);
   
2. facilitate the urgent delivery of humanitarian assistance;
   
3. enforce the cease fire and provide a stable environment for meaningful peace talks to proceed; and
   
4. facilitate the voluntary return of IDPs to their land and the reconstruction of their homes by providing a secure environment.

The letter calls on the Bush Administration to:

1. work through the United Nations (UN) to achieve a stronger civilian protection mandate for the African Union mission and for a broader international force, and
   
2. encourage the UN to quickly approve and assemble a robust international force to integrate or co-deploy with the African Union and reinforce its efforts.

It is vitally important that we demand more action from the U.S. Government and the international community to stop the genocide in Darfur.

More information:
Nikolas Kristof of the NYT
Responding to readers - ways to help and more info on his current work in Darfur
"Day 141 of Bush's Silence," op-ed (with online multimedia presentation) from Sunday's NYT

Sudan: The Passion of the Present" blog recommended by Kristof for daily updates on the genocide

Eric Reeve's Sudan website, also recommended by Kristof. Reeves is a professor at Smith College in Massachusetts.
--------------------
cross-posted from the US WILPF blog.

Posted by cj at 1:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 26, 2005

Protestors - Esp Women - Attacked in Cairo

Horrific things are happening in Egypt, with USG approval and support. Shame on our elected and unelected officials, especially Laura Bush.

From WaPo:

CAIRO, May 25 -- A nationwide referendum on multi-party elections in Egypt turned violent Wednesday as pro-government mobs attacked and beat demonstrators on the streets of the capital.

Officials of President Hosni Mubarak's National Democratic Party, or NDP, led hundreds of young men who attacked anti-government demonstrators. Journalists and witnesses at the scene of several incidents, including this correspondent, saw riot police create corridors for stick-wielding men to freely charge the demonstrators. Women were particular targets, with at least five pulled from the mass of mostly male demonstrators on the steps of the Journalists' Syndicate in central Cairo and subjected to slaps, punches, kicks and groping. The blouses of at least two were ripped.

Emphasis added.
More info (including specifics on the attacks against women) at:"Protesters Attacked in Cairo: On Voting Day, Pro-Mubarak Mobs Beat Dissenters," by Daniel Williams in WaPo

Last graph from the LAT:

A British employee of the Los Angeles Times was among the journalists who were assaulted. She was groped and harassed by a crowd of pro-Mubarak supporters, then forced to the ground and kicked in the stomach and back. She escaped with bruises.

"Anti-Mubarak Protesters Beaten in Cairo," by Megan K. Stack with contributions by Jailan Zayan and Hossam Hamalawy in LAT

Posted by cj at 10:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 25, 2005

Official US Relations with Egypt and the Middle East

I don't know how many of you have been following the news about
"changes" in Egypt's election laws. I've been reading about it in the
Washington Post and saw the Prime Minister on Meet the Press two
Sundays ago. It's very frustrating that there isn't more outcry
against the Mubarak regime's pretend reform of election law. What's
particularly irritating (though not surprising) is that the First Lady
defended their "steps towards democracy" on Sunday and reiterated her
support yesterday. She also endorsed the creation of the Apartheid
Wall in Palestine / Israel.

Further Reading:
"First Lady Says Mideast Change Will Be Slow: Diplomatic Mission Ends With a Nod to Differences," by Jim VandeHei, WaPo

"In Egypt, Opposition Stymied by the State," by Daniel Williams, WaPo

Posted by cj at 12:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 5, 2005

Simple Explanation of US Nuclear Weapons

True Majority created a 90 second video to explain what's at stake at the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty Review Conference. They'll also email your Congresspeople about the issue on your behalf.

Posted by cj at 11:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 4, 2005

Brazil Spurns US Terms for AIDS Help

Via Blind Boy Grunt, Sarah Boseley and Suzanne Goldenberg of The Guardian report that Brazil rejected the USG's demand that Brazil agree to a declaration condemning prostitution in order to receive $40 million in AIDS funding.

Brazil, like most of the global public health community, believes in treating health crises without discriminating. Since Brazil is interested in protecting prostitutes and their clients from HIV and AIDS, it is refusing the USG's money.

I do not believe Brazil's decision makes a blanket statement in support of prostitution. Clearly, you could still be opposed to prostitution and work for the health of those affected by it. To me, this is similar to the idea of making condoms available in high schools. I hope high school students think long and hard before having sex, but recognize that some of them are going to continue to have sex regardless of what I want them to do.

Posted by cj at 5:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 3, 2005

Blaming Young Enlisted People for Systemic Prison Abuse Problems

Army Pfc. Lynndie R. England plead guilty yesterday for her part in the Abu Graib prison abuse scandal. The judge almost rejected her plea, because she initially told him that she received an order from a superior who was a trained military police officer and assumed it was a legal order.

By the way, the superior officer was Cpl. Charles A. Graner Jr. who is believed to be the father of England's infant son.

The court took a recess so England could be taught by her lawyers to declare her personal culpability in the crime.

More info:
"Army Private Pleads Guilty to Prison Abuse: Jury to Decide Her Sentence This Week," by T.R. Reid with contributions from Josh White in WaPo

Posted by cj at 12:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Local Journalists Receiving Death Threats From Iraqi Officials

Add this to the growing list of examples of how the USG is funding an anti-democratic state in Iraq:

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A photographer for a Baghdad newspaper says Iraqi police beat and detained him for snapping pictures of long lines at gas stations. A reporter for another local paper received an invitation from Iraqi police to cover their graduation ceremony and ended up receiving death threats from the recruits. A local TV reporter says she's lost count of how many times Iraqi authorities have confiscated her cameras and smashed her tapes.

From "Iraqi press under attack from authorities in Iraq," By Mohammed al Dulaimy with contributions by Hannah Allam, Knight Ridder Newspapers

Ain't it great to know we're fostering a culture of freedom in Iraq?

And in case you missed the NYT Magazine cover story on Sunday, you must check it out. It explains how American advisors to the counter-insurgency in Iraq are the same war criminals who worked in El Salvador. Here's a link - "The Way of the Commandos" by Peter Maas

Posted by cj at 12:20 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

May 2, 2005

Nuclear NonProliferation Op-Eds and Articles

"What Does Not Exist Cannot Proliferate" by Celso Amorim, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Dermot Ahern, Luis Ernesto Derbez Bautista, Phil Goff, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Laila Freivalds in the International Herald Tribune

"Jimmy Carter: Erosion of the Nonproliferation Treaty,"by Jimmy Carter in the International Herald Tribune

"Threats by Iran and North Korea Shadow Talks on Nuclear Arms," by David Sanger in Sunday's NYT

News In Review, a daily publication during the NPT Review Conference by the Reaching Critical Will project of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

Posted by cj at 5:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 29, 2005

WILPFer on Democracy Now! Today

Rhianna Tyson, the Project Manager of the Reaching Critical Will project, of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom will be on