2-15-04
Most contentious story ever told
"For many Christians, especially those already
angry over pop culture's tendency to mock their faith, Gibson's film has
become a rallying cry. It has become a symbol of their right to tell the story
of Jesus in the way they choose -- without bending to the winds of political
correctness."
100 years of fury over Jesus films
"The controversy surrounding Mel Gibson's forthcoming "The Passion of the
Christ" is nothing new; if there hadn't been a controversy, that would be
new."
Gibson
explains reasons for making 'The Passion of the Christ'
"It's very violent and if you don't like it,
don't go, you know?" Gibson said in excerpts of the interview provided by ABC.
"If you want to leave halfway through, go ahead."
Monday, Feb. 16 at 10
p.m. ET on ABC
Mel Gibson addresses the controversy surrounding his new film, The
Passion of the Christ, in an exclusive interview with Diane Sawyer.
2-15-04
Court to hear 'Roe's' challenge to '73 ruling
"In a move hailed as a breakthrough by abortion opponents,
a federal appeals court agreed to hear oral arguments in an attempt by the
original plaintiff in Roe vs. Wade to overturn the landmark decision."
2-15-04
Israeli military court indicts IDF soldier who killed British activist
"A Southern Command Military Court charged an Israel Defense Forces soldier over
the weekend with killing British peace activist Tom Hurndall in the Gaza Strip
town of Rafah in April 2003. The indictment, which originally charged the
soldier with 'grievous bodily harm,' was changed to charges of manslaughter
after Hurndall's death in January."
Activist's family rejects manslaughter charge
"The family of Thomas Hurndall is not satisfied with
the manslaughter charge issued last week against the soldier who fatally shot
the British pro-Palestinian activist last April."(Real News 24/7: And why
should they be satisfied? When interviewed last month on BBC radio, his
sister Sophie Hurndall , declared: "We know that he (the soldier) was using a
telescopic lens. We know that he's lied consistently. We know that other
soldiers lie for him. We know that he knew that Tom was wearing an orange
jacket. And he's confessed that he knew Tom was unarmed at the time." Oh, and
just a few more "minor" details: Tom Hurndall was unarmed, was doing nothing
more menacing than shepherding little children to safety and was shot from
behind¼in the head.
For more on the subject, see our
Tom
Hurndall links from January 14th of this year.)
2-15-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 62
Iraqis want to try Saddam without POW status
"The U.S.-backed
Iraqi Governing Council will ask the United States to hand over Saddam Hussein
and to remove his status as a prisoner of war when Iraqis take over power on
June 30, Iraq's foreign minister says."
US has murky picture of Iraq resistance
"A spate of arrests - including the capture of Saddam Hussein - have broken
rebel command networks and forced fighters underground, a top U.S. military
official told The Associated Press. Yet attacks persist, crowned by a bold
daylight assault this weekend on security compounds in Fallujah that freed 87
prisoners and killed 25 people, mostly police."
NEW TO REAL NEWS
24/7 The
Saddam Hussein Sourcebook
"Washington D.C., 18 December 2003
- Newly
declassified documents posted today on the Web by the National Security
Archive show the British Embassy in Baghdad recommending Saddam Hussein to
London in 1969 as a 'presentable young man' with an 'engaging smile,' 'with
whom, if only one could see more of him, it would be possible to do business.'
U.S. documents published in today's Saddam Hussein Sourcebook quote
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1975 telling the Iraqi foreign minister
"we do not think there is a basic clash of national interests between Iraq and
the United States" (the Iraqi disagreed), and that Israeli influence on U.S.
policy would diminish given "our new electoral law" which means 'the influence
of some who financed the elections before isn't so great.'"
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-15-04
The FTAA
deception
"According to its proponents, the Free Trade Area of the
Americas, or FTAA, will create a 'free trade' area encompassing the entire
hemisphere -- from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego.¼At
least, that's the story. It's an attractive one, and to many a persuasive one.
Many Europeans eagerly embraced an earlier version of the same story about the
European Common Market, now known as the European Union. Sold to the public as a
free-trade pact, the European Union is rapidly taking shape as a centralized
socialist mega-state." (Real News 24/7: If you think about it, viewed in
this context President Bush's "temporary worker program" [that is, "amnesty" for
illegal aliens when stripped of its bureaucratese] makes perfect sense;
according to the Insiders' thinking, if the goal is to turn the hemisphere into
an "American Union," then the illegals aren't really "illegal" anymore, since
the borders are to be eradicated.)
2-15-04
Utah Votes Against 'No Child Left Behind'
"In a rebuke to the Bush administration, the Utah House voted yesterday to
prohibit the state's education authorities from using any local money to comply
with the president's signature education law, No Child Left Behind."
2-15-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CXIX
Hitler's
debt to America
"Hitler proudly told his comrades how
closely he followed American eugenic legislation. 'Now that we know the laws
of heredity,' he told a fellow Nazi, 'it is possible to a large extent to
prevent unhealthy and severely handicapped beings from coming into the world.
I have studied with interest the laws of several American states concerning
prevention of reproduction by people whose progeny would, in all probability,
be of no value or be injurious to the racial stock.'"
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends
have launched a petition drive urging Florida State Attorney Bernie McCabe to
investigate charges that she was a victim of physical abuse. The petition says
that McCabe has ignored "well-founded allegations of abuse, neglect and
exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-14-04
Why Christians should not vote for George W. Bush
"George
W. Bush professes to be a Christian, goes to church, makes references to Bible
verses, and says, “God bless America,” but so did Bill Clinton, so this alone
cannot be sufficient to win our vote."
Bush vs. Kerry: the power elite’s dream ballot
"If you hear gleeful giggling from behind the curtain shielding the
political elites from the mere masses, you’re not alone. There’s a party going
on and we haven’t been invited. It’s a presidential election party, where the
puppeteers of our democracy are celebrating an upcoming election that they
can’t lose. It’s a contest between two of their own."
2-14-04
Gibson
urges: Don't play 'blame game' with 'Passion'
"'I hope that most people see it, Diane, as a
passion of love,' [the Anti-Defamation League's Abe] Foxman says. 'Maybe when
it's all over, in a sobering manner, we'll be able to come back and look each
other in the face and say, 'We have to deal with this hatred that's still out
there."' Gibson said he, too, wants dialogue. 'Let's get this out on the table
and talk about it,' he said. 'This is what the Talmud says. This is what the
Gospel says. Let's talk.¼'"
(Real News 24/7: Abe Foxman's comments are self-serving, as usual. Mel
talks about how the Talmud bids people to discuss the issues. For a detailed
examination of Talmudic traditions, visit the
Come and Hear website. In addition
to our Disclaimer, because there are several items on the site
which are go against legitimate Christian teachings, such as the infamous
"Jefferson Bible," a monstrous "improvement" over earlier editions in which all
the miracles of Christ have been omitted! Jefferson called himself a
"materialist" and once boasted that "the day will come when the mystical
generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his Father, in the womb of a virgin
will be classified with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of
Jupiter." Then, also, to be avoided is the page that ludicrously maintains that
Christ was not a Jew. [Not a Jew? Then why was His life prophesized in Jewish
scripture? Why was He born into the Jewish House of David? Why did the Magi say
they were seeking the King of the Jews, when they went in search of Jesus? Why
was He taken to the Jewish Temple eight days after His birth, a religious custom
observed by the parents of Jewish boys? Why did He teach at the Jewish
synagogue? Why did He, the Savior, teach the Samaritan woman at the well that
salvation comes from the Jews? Why did He celebrate the Jewish feast of Passover
with His disciples? Why did He not deny being the King of the Jews when asked by
Pilate? etc. etc. etc.] So we urge those who go to the Come and Hear site to
be forewarned: While there is much on this huge site that is food for thought,
one must be careful not to ingest the poison that sits on the same shelves!)
2-14-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CXVIII
American Center for Law and Justice on "Terri's Law" ruling
"The decision by the appeals court is
encouraging and opens the door for Terri's parents to intervene directly in
this critical case," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, which is
representing the Schindlers in the state case. "This decision gives us one
more opportunity to convince the court to do what should have been done from
the very start - permit Terri's parents to take a direct and active role in
defending the state law that is the only thing keeping their daughter alive.
While we believe that 'Terri's Law' ultimately will be upheld as
constitutional, it is our focus now to ensure that Terri's parents be
permitted to be directly involved in a case that will ultimately decide the
fate of their daughter."
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends
have launched a petition drive urging Florida State Attorney Bernie McCabe to
investigate charges that she was a victim of physical abuse. The petition says
that McCabe has ignored "well-founded allegations of abuse, neglect and
exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-14-04
What's wrong with Monopoly (the game)?
"You have surely played the Parker Brother's board game Monopoly. It has been
published in 26 languages and in 80 countries around the world. Since being
introduced in 1935, in fact, an estimated one-half billion people have played
it. It has taught the multitudes what they know about how an economy works. The
problem is that the game seriously misrepresents how an actual market economy
operates.¼"
2-14-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 61
Rebel assault routs Iraqi security forces in Fallujah
"Guerrillas shouting "God is great"
launched a bold daylight assault on an Iraqi police station and security
compound west of Baghdad on Saturday, freeing prisoners and sparking a gunbattle
that killed 21 people and wounded 33, police and hospital officials said."
US
engineers seal up Saddam's final hiding place
"U.S. Army engineers have sealed the
underground bunker where former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was captured to
prevent it from becoming a tourist attraction, a military spokesman said
Saturday. Soldiers lowered a 300 pound slab of concrete over the hole Feb. 4,
said Master Sgt. Robert Cargie, a spokesman for the 4th Infantry Division." (Real
News 24/7: If the photo on the left is any indication, their efforts will
only close down what has already become a very popular tourist site. For
the story behind the spider hole pic, click
here.)
NEW TO REAL NEWS
24/7 The
Saddam Hussein Sourcebook
"Washington D.C., 18 December 2003
- Newly
declassified documents posted today on the Web by the National Security
Archive show the British Embassy in Baghdad recommending Saddam Hussein to
London in 1969 as a 'presentable young man' with an 'engaging smile,' 'with
whom, if only one could see more of him, it would be possible to do business.'
U.S. documents published in today's Saddam Hussein Sourcebook quote
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1975 telling the Iraqi foreign minister
"we do not think there is a basic clash of national interests between Iraq and
the United States" (the Iraqi disagreed), and that Israeli influence on U.S.
policy would diminish given "our new electoral law" which means 'the influence
of some who financed the elections before isn't so great.'"
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-13-04
Commie general: Kerry's group helped us defeat U.S.
"The North Vietnamese general in charge of the military campaign
that finally drove the U.S. out of South Vietnam in 1975 credited a group led
by Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry with helping him achieve
victory. In his 1985 memoir about the war, Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap (photo, right)
wrote that if it weren't for organizations like Kerry's Vietnam Veterans
Against the War, Hanoi would have surrendered to the U.S. - according to Fox
News Channel war historian Oliver North."
Why
Families Say Kerry Betrayed POWs
"In April 1971, when as a leader of Vietnam
Veterans Against the War, he gave his infamous war-bashing testimony before
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry did not stop at declaring that
he and many other veterans of that conflict were war criminals. Pointedly,
Kerry also insisted that the United States had a definite obligation to make
extensive economic reparations to the people of Vietnam." (Real News 24/7:
Take a good look at the photo at the left. What do you see? A traitor being
applauded by his cohorts after giving aid and comfort to the Communist enemies
of the United States through his false testimony? Yes, though there's
something else depicted here, perhaps not as obvious, but just as real. It's a
snapshot of a Republic in total collapse, evident when a turncoat is permitted
to spout the Communist line in the highest chambers of government, while his
former compatriots are losing life and limb to serve their country and to
liberate another from the clutches of tyranny. Why does treason never
prosper? What can be the reason? Well, if treason prosper, none dare call it
treason!")
Heroic John Kerry?
"If a decorated firefighter becomes an arsonist, is he still considered a
hero? If a dedicated FBI agent leaves his agency, then attacks it--and becomes
a professional witness for the defense--is he still a 'hero?' The answers are
obvious to any common sense person. But, if a Vietnam-era soldier comes home,
blasts his country, gives aid and comfort to our enemies, and tosses his war
medals over the White House fence--in this unique circumstance--then he’s
apparently still a hero in the minds of many, including the mainstream media."
(Real News 24/7: Of course there is someone in American history whose name is
synonymous with this 180 degree change from patriot to turncoat:
Benedict Arnold. And
earlier the same website has raised this name in connection with the would-be
President in a column entitled
John (''Benedict'') Kerry.
However, like his cohort 'Hanoi' Jane Fonda, Kerry has been able to escape the
traitor tag he really deserves due to the technicality that the Vietnam
War was not a declared war [try telling that to the families whose sons came
back in body bags, if at all!].)
Kerry denies affair: 'It's untrue. Period'
"John Kerry, making campaign rounds Friday in Madison, Wis., denied having
had an extramarital affair. Asked about the report by Internet Web site
operator Matt Drudge, Kerry told reporters on his campaign: 'I just deny it
categorically. It's rumor. It's untrue. Period.'"
2-13-04
Israel hems in a sacred city
"Israel is close to finishing a decades-long effort to surround
Jerusalem with Jewish settlements, walls, fences and roads that will severely
restrict Palestinian access to the city and could reduce the chance of its
becoming the capital of a Palestinian state, according to documents, maps and
interviews with Israelis, Palestinians and foreign diplomats."
2-13-04
The new Jewish problem
"'Why shouldn't the Israelis
immigrate en masse to Europe?' demanded Ivo Goldstein, a history professor from
Zagreb. 'Europe is the natural place for Jews,' chimed in French philosopher
Andre Glucksmann. And as if this were not enough, Susan Neiman urged the
Israelis to go back to Germany.¼"
(Real News 24/7: This article on "reverse Zionism" appears in the Israeli
publication Haaretz. How many Israelis will heed this call remains to be seen,
but it is one of the more unique ideas we've read in a while.)
2-13-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 60
Rumsfeld: No war if Saddam opened up
"Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said war
could have been avoided if Saddam Hussein had complied with
UN Resolution 1441 and opened
his weapons systems to inspection. 'He chose war,' Rumsfeld said of Saddam
at a Tuesday Pentagon press briefing. 'If he had chosen differently, if the
Iraqi regime had taken the steps Libya is now taking, there would have been no
war,' said Rumsfeld.'"
(Real News 24/7:
Rumsfeld's statements are outrageous on a number of grounds: 1. the assertion
that Saddam didn't comply with a United Nations resolution flies in the face of
Iraq's allowing the UN's weapons inspection team into its country soon after the
passage of the resolution on November 8, 2002; 2. the UN is not yet a
fully-functioning world government [and, God willing, never will be] that can
order sovereign states to do its bidding, but must rely on voluntary
compliance, so Saddam was under no obligation to abide by such a resolution in
the first place; 3. Scott Ritter, who was part of the UN inspection team from
1991-98, stated that there were no WMDs well before the invasion took place, but
was ignored and later smeared,
only to be vindicated; 4.
Saddam was not threatening to attack the United States [and based on the
failures of to unearth any WMDs by the UN inspection team [whose head
Hans Blix declared that Iraq had destroyed WMDs 10 years ago]
prior to the US invasion and, subsequent to it, by the our occupation forces,
it's evident Iraq wouldn't have had the where-with-all to launch a serious
attack in the first place], which is the only way such a "preemptive war" is
justifiable in the first place, not non-compliance to a voluntary resolution; 5.
the choice of Iraq as a target is arbitrary, since Communist China, which is the
most murderous regime in history and far more powerful that Saddam's regime,
has threatened to attack Los Angeles,
yet that threat was kept from the American people by our government and by the
news media and China continues to be a most favored trade partner; 6. similarly,
Israel has continued to develop WMDs without the slightest censure from the US
government; and 7. arguably the most important point, less than two weeks
after the passage of Resolution 1441, members of Britain's Parliament heard US's
Chairman of the Defense Policy Board
Richard Perle declare
that there was nothing Saddam could do to prevent the invasion.)
NEW TO REAL NEWS
24/7 The
Saddam Hussein Sourcebook
"Washington D.C., 18 December 2003
- Newly
declassified documents posted today on the Web by the National Security
Archive show the British Embassy in Baghdad recommending Saddam Hussein to
London in 1969 as a 'presentable young man' with an 'engaging smile,' 'with
whom, if only one could see more of him, it would be possible to do business.'
U.S. documents published in today's Saddam Hussein Sourcebook quote
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1975 telling the Iraqi foreign minister
"we do not think there is a basic clash of national interests between Iraq and
the United States" (the Iraqi disagreed), and that Israeli influence on U.S.
policy would diminish given "our new electoral law" which means 'the influence
of some who financed the elections before isn't so great.'"
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-13-04
Phyllis Schlafly:
Another CBS
travesty
"CBS paid big bucks for the television rights to come into the living rooms of
100 million Americans on Super Bowl Sunday. But public response to the thrilling
last moments of a truly exciting football game may be overwhelmed by public
disgust at CBS's airing of indecency during the half- time entertainment."
2-13-04
Newsweek peddles Gibson foes' revisionist claims "Newsweek
magazine’s cover story about Mel Gibson’s "The Passion of the Christ," carries
the byline of one Jon Meachem, but anybody the least bit familiar with the
recent statements and articles by Boston college’s Paula Fredericksen, Sr. Mary
Boys and the other dissident members of an ad-hoc committee of the U.S. Catholic
Bishop’s Conference interfaith group will immediately recognize where Meachem
got his material."
2-13-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CXVII
Court's ruling will keep Terri alive for months or longer
"A Florida appeals court Friday handed Gov.
Jeb Bush and the parents of Terri Schiavo two procedural victories in their
fight to keep the severely brain-damaged woman alive." (Real News 24/7:
Maybe "miracle" is too strong a word to describe these decisions, but, then
again, maybe not by much, given the makeup of courts these days.)
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends
have launched a petition drive urging Florida State Attorney Bernie McCabe to
investigate charges that she was a victim of physical abuse. The petition says
that McCabe has ignored "well-founded allegations of abuse, neglect and
exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-12-04
The murder of Dr. David Kelly continues
to be covered up
Doctors' letter:
Medical
evidence does not support suicide by Kelly
"We believe the verdict given is in contradiction to medical teaching; is at
variance with documented cases of wrist-slash suicides; and does not align
itself with the evidence presented at the inquiry. We call for the reopening
of the inquest by the coroner, where a jury may be called and evidence taken
on oath."
Medical professionals dispute how David Kelly died
"If Dr Kelly died neither from hemorrhage nor overdose, how did he die? Did
his heart condition play a part? Or were the items found at the scene of death
– the knife, the packets of pills, the bottle of Evian water – not evidence of
suicide as is widely assumed, but a false trail left in an attempt to cover up
the scientist’s murder?" (Real News 24/7: Also check related links
after the article.)
Blair's offer to comfort Kelly widow meets stony silence
"Tony Blair faces fresh embarrassment over the death of Dr David Kelly as
Downing Street officials admitted last night that Janice Kelly, the widow of
the weapons expert, has pointedly failed to reply to a confidential offer by
the Prime Minister to meet her."
Dr Kelly made most important contribution to politics - poll
"Dr David Kelly, the
Government scientist at the center of the Hutton Report, was tonight voted the
person who made the most important contribution to politics last year."
Dr. Kelly part of a growing list of scientists dying mysteriously
(Real News 24/7: Those shown at the top of the
page are of varying degrees of interest [for example, while Professor Don
Wiley's disappearance reeks of foul play, while Dr. Steven Mostow's death in a
plane crash may be harder to prove], but there is much more information about
many more scientists to be found by scrolling down to the "Articles of
Interest" section.)
2-12-04
Kerry faces big test in internet storm about
mystery woman
"The campaign of Senator
John Kerry, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, faced its first media
storm last night after a Right-wing website alleged that he had asked a woman to
leave the country for personal reasons."
2-12-04
'Hanoi' Jane
Fonda rides to Kerry's rescue
"'Hanoi' Jane Fonda rushed to defend Sen. John Kerry on Wednesday after
a photo
published by NewsMax.com on Monday picturing her with the Democrats'
presidential front-runner sparked outrage across the nation." (Real News 24/7:
Kerry must be thrilled to have such a defender. A group that is none too
thrilled with the Kerry-Fonda connection [and who has compiled a photo gallery
on Kerry, from his preppy days aboard the Kennedy yacht to him in Hanoi as a
visiting dignitary seated beneath a bust of Communist tyrant Ho Chi Minh, after
Sen. Kerry ridiculed the efforts to find POW/MIA] is
Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry.)
2-12-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 59
How Saddam misjudged America’s resolve
"A complacent Saddam Hussein was so convinced
that war would be averted or that America would mount only a limited bombing
campaign that he deployed the Iraqi military to crush domestic uprisings rather
than defend against a ground invasion, according to a classified log of
interrogations with captured Iraqi leaders and former officers."
NEW TO REAL NEWS
24/7 The
Saddam Hussein Sourcebook
"Washington D.C., 18 December 2003
- Newly
declassified documents posted today on the Web by the National Security
Archive show the British Embassy in Baghdad recommending Saddam Hussein to
London in 1969 as a 'presentable young man' with an 'engaging smile,' 'with
whom, if only one could see more of him, it would be possible to do business.'
U.S. documents published in today's Saddam Hussein Sourcebook quote
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1975 telling the Iraqi foreign minister
"we do not think there is a basic clash of national interests between Iraq and
the United States" (the Iraqi disagreed), and that Israeli influence on U.S.
policy would diminish given "our new electoral law" which means 'the influence
of some who financed the elections before isn't so great.'"
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-12-04
Speech ban still unconstitutional
"In an effort to restore the free speech rights of Americans during
political campaigns, American Conservative Union Chairman David A. Keene has
announced his support for legislation to be introduced by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett,
R-MD. The Bartlett bill would repeal the ban on broadcast advertising in the
weeks preceding federal elections."
2-12-04
Victories over homosexual activists
"Win #1 was in Kansas where the ACLU and radical homosexual activists
tried to use the Lawrence v. Texas decision to reduce the sentence of Matthew
Limon, who had been convicted of engaging in sodomy with a fourteen-year-old
developmentally disabled boy. Limon – who had been convicted twice before of
committing sodomy with minors – had been charged under a Kansas law that bans
sodomy between an adult and a minor of the same sex. He was to receive over
seventeen years in prison."
2-12-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CXVI
Terri Schiavo makes us think about health care decisions
"Pat Anderson is Terri’s parents’ attorney. She
says she believes that Michael suddenly had a change of heart regarding
Terri’s long-term care once he won the settlement. 'The fact is, he was the
model husband, right up until the moment he got the money from the medical
malpractice case,' she says. 'And then, it was like flipping a light switch.'
Three months after being awarded the money, Schiavo asked the courts to allow
him to remove Terri’s feeding tube. Terri did not have a living will, so the
courts listened to testimony by his witnesses that Terri would not want to
live in her brain damaged state."
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends
have launched a petition drive urging Florida State Attorney Bernie McCabe to
investigate charges that she was a victim of physical abuse. The petition says
that McCabe has ignored "well-founded allegations of abuse, neglect and
exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-11-04
South Dakota House
passes bill criminalizing abortions; challenge to Roe v. Wade
"After
over two hours of emotional debate, the South Dakota House last night
overwhelmingly passed House Bill 1191, 54 to 14. The Bill establishes that
life begins at conception and would outlaw abortions in the state making the
practice a five year felony. The Bill is designed to have the U.S. Supreme
Court reconsider its 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade which legalized abortions
nationwide."
South Dakota House Passes Abortion Ban after Women's Testimony
"A bill that would effectively outlaw most abortion in that state has passed
the House in South Dakota. The bill passed after dozens of women testified to
the House State Affairs Committee to the disaster abortion had caused in their
lives."
South Dakota State House
Approves Bill Banning Most Abortions "A
bill that would ban virtually all abortions in South Dakota has advanced
further, with state House members giving it a 54-15 vote. The vote followed an
intense debate lasting almost three hours." (Real News 24/7: A link to
the bill can be found at the end of the article.)
2-11-04
Families angered 9-11 panel accepting briefing summary "The
independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks backed away
yesterday from a threatened legal showdown with the White House, agreeing to
accept a 17-page summary of the presidential briefing documents it had sought."
(Real News 24/7: Some "independent" commission!)
2-11-04
Pat Buchanan:
A matter of trust "Most Americans yet
believe President Bush did the right thing in ridding Iraq and the world of
Saddam Hussein. Yet, how we were persuaded to go to war raises grave questions
about the character and competence of those who led us into it."
2-11-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 58
Among the 'ruins' of Arab nationalism
"For the neo-con architects of the invasion,
'Iraqi exceptionalism,' the belief that Iraqis were immune to 'anti-Western
rhetoric' because of Saddam's oppression, as George Packer wrote in the New
York Times Magazine last March, marked it out as an ideal launch pad for
remaking the Arab world." (Real News 24/7: Okay, if Saddam's reign meant
the Iraqis were "immune to 'anti-Western rhetoric,' how is it those same
neo-cons were able to convince the American people that same reign was so
violently anti-Western [specifically, anti-American] it could not be allowed to
remain standing? It sounds like someone was being conned.)
NEW TO REAL NEWS
24/7 The
Saddam Hussein Sourcebook
"Washington D.C., 18 December 2003
- Newly
declassified documents posted today on the Web by the National Security
Archive show the British Embassy in Baghdad recommending Saddam Hussein to
London in 1969 as a 'presentable young man' with an 'engaging smile,' 'with
whom, if only one could see more of him, it would be possible to do business.'
U.S. documents published in today's Saddam Hussein Sourcebook quote
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1975 telling the Iraqi foreign minister
"we do not think there is a basic clash of national interests between Iraq and
the United States" (the Iraqi disagreed), and that Israeli influence on U.S.
policy would diminish given "our new electoral law" which means 'the influence
of some who financed the elections before isn't so great.'"
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-11-04
White man's burden "The war in Iraq was conceived by 25
neoconservative intellectuals, most of them Jewish, who are pushing President
Bush to change the course of history." (Real News 24/7: This article,
published in the Israeli paper Haaretz, spells it out who the neo-cons
are in no uncertain terms. If an non-Jewish, American journalist wrote this, he
or she immediately would be branded an anti-Semitic, so tight are the clamps on
free speech in this country.)
2-11-04
'Missing' Russian politician says he feared for life The strange tale of
Ivan Rybkin grew even murkier Wednesday when the would-be Russian president said
he had felt under threat from special service agents during his five-day mystery
absence in Ukraine.
2-11-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CXV
"Jane Doe" beats odds, awakens from coma
"It
was the little signs they noticed first. In November, Kelly Barker started
spontaneously opening her eyes and keeping them open for several minutes. Then
she began shaking her head yes and no, an achievement of huge proportions
considering that Kelly had lain on her back, her eyes closed, locked in a coma
— a persistent vegetative state — since the beginning of September."
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends
have launched a petition drive urging Florida State Attorney Bernie McCabe to
investigate charges that she was a victim of physical abuse. The petition says
that McCabe has ignored "well-founded allegations of abuse, neglect and
exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-11-04
Flashback: Good priests, bad
rabbis "There is the disgraceful case of the former headmaster
Kopolevitch of Netiv Meir yeshiva high school who lived in a pedophile’s heaven
for the last fifteen years, abusing dozens, even hundreds of boys under his
tutelage." — Naomi Ragen (Real News 24/7: To hear the national news media
discuss clergy sexual abuse, one could be excused for thinking this was a
uniquely Catholic phenomenon, but the above is an in-depth [and, the reader
is hereby warned, sometimes somewhat graphic] look at over two dozen Jewish
clergymen indicted for sex related offenses in the past few years, a figure
which constitutes approximately the same percentage as priests indicted, much
smaller in numbers only because of the much smaller Jewish population. The point
of carrying this is not to suggests that all or even most rabbis are sex
offenders, merely to show how these cases are almost universally ignored by the
controlled news media [most of the sources here are Jewish publications, so it
could be said that such exposés are strictly "in-house" and not for general
consumption] and how the same media is quick to print even unsubstantiated
reports when the suspect is a priest. Curious, since the media typically loves
to cover scandals, the more controversial, the better. The author covers that
point and the underlying motive near the end of his study, in a section entitled
"The Assault on Christianity." He also provides a link that has numerous cases
of Protestant
ministers' falls from grace, lest he be accused of singling out any one
religion.)
2-11-04
While at Yale, radical Kerry advocated UN
control of US troops
"[Democratic presidential candidate
John] Kerry’s conservative opponents have already begun painting the
Massachusetts senator and former deputy governor as an elite, New England
liberal, and his 21-year voting record in the Senate may provide considerable
ammunition."
Matthews:
Kerry has 'Hanoi Jane' problem "MSNBC 'Hardball' host and
longtime Democrat Chris Matthews said Tuesday that a
photo
showing Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry protesting the Vietnam
war with "Hanoi" Jane Fonda is a real problem for his party's top
candidate."
Photo of
Kerry with Fonda enrages Vietnam veterans "A photograph of John
Kerry together with Jane Fonda at an anti-Vietnam War rally in 1970 in
Pennsylvania has surfaced on the Internet, angering veterans who say his
association with her 34 years ago is a slap in the faces of Vietnam War
veterans."
Kerry Had Phony 'Veterans' Commit Perjury Against U.S.
"Just as Mr. Kerry threw away medals only to claim them back again, Sen. Kerry
voted to take action against Iraq, but claims to take that vote back by voting
against funding the result.
Catholics confront Kerry on abortion
"Demonstrators confronted Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry
last night to warn he cannot be a Catholic in good standing and support
abortion."
Kerry's voting record on abortion (Real News 24/7:
His record is consistent¼consistently
bad.) Archdiocese
unlikely to criticize Kerry here "With
Milwaukee's Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan still deciding how to handle Catholic
politicians whose votes clash with church teachings on abortion and other key
issues, John F. Kerry is unlikely to face the criticism in Wisconsin that St.
Louis Archbishop Raymond L. Burke imparted before Kerry won Missouri's recent
Democratic presidential primary." (Real News 24/7: There was a proven remedy
for the John Kerrys of the world prior to Vatican II. It was called
excommunication. What is evidenced by their weak-kneed policies, even the
"best" of this new breed of bishops should be referred to as CINO bishops
[that is, Catholic In Name Only]!)
(Real News 24/7: For more on John
Kerry's radicalism, go to the articles posted on February 3rd.and
for those concerning his membership in the elitist secret society Skull and
Bones, see February 1st and 6th.Two
days ago we posted the link for the Stop
Hillary PAC website and noted that the idea of Hillary Clinton running for
President seemed remote. We still feel that way, but now somewhat less so with
the latest revelations on Kerry. However popular he is at this moment among
Democrats, even that popularity might not be enough to save his candidacy if
the political baggage of his radical past is deemed to be too great a
liability. While Comrade Clinton has just as much of a radical past as the
Massachusetts presidential wannabe, she's a Clinton and, as we've seen many
times with her husband, the Clintons have a Teflon coating that makes them
immune to attacks of what for many would be fatal flaws. It remains to be seen
whether Kerry is so equipped.)
2-10-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 57
Scott Ritter and Saddam's missing WMDs
"Like it or not, Maj. Scott
Ritter had it right all along. Most of the rest of us, from the president to his
key advisers, such as Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell, Rice, Wolfowitz and Tenet, to
the majority of Congress and to most of the talking heads [Real News 24/7:
See article on Bill O'Reilly also posted today] – including the pre-Iraq War NBC
analyst David Kay, who reported WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) behind every
Iraqi sand dune – blew it big-time when it came down to the awesome arsenal that
Saddam had supposedly squirreled away."
The WMDs inspector
no one heeded "In September 2002, Time magazine asked Ritter
whose Iraq policy was worse, Bill Clinton's or George W. Bush's. Ritter's
response: 'Bush, because of its ramifications. It threatens a war that probably
lacks any basis in law or substantive fact. It has a real chance of putting
thousands of American lives at risk and seeks to dictate American will on the
world.'"
Scott Ritter:
Kerry, too, needs
to clear the air: "President Bush should rightly be held
accountable for what increasingly appears to be deliberately misleading
statements made by him and members of his administration regarding the threat
posed by Iraq's WMD.¼But John Kerry seems to share in this culpability, and if
he wants to be the next president of the United States, he must first convince
the American people that his actions somehow differ from those of the man he
seeks to replace."
NEW TO REAL NEWS
24/7 The
Saddam Hussein Sourcebook
"Washington D.C., 18 December 2003
- Newly
declassified documents posted today on the Web by the National Security
Archive show the British Embassy in Baghdad recommending Saddam Hussein to
London in 1969 as a 'presentable young man' with an 'engaging smile,' 'with
whom, if only one could see more of him, it would be possible to do business.'
U.S. documents published in today's Saddam Hussein Sourcebook quote
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1975 telling the Iraqi foreign minister
"we do not think there is a basic clash of national interests between Iraq and
the United States" (the Iraqi disagreed), and that Israeli influence on U.S.
policy would diminish given "our new electoral law" which means 'the influence
of some who financed the elections before isn't so great.'"
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-10-04
Will Sharon help Bush win re-election?, "No foreign leader has
visited the Bush White House more often than Sharon, to whom Bush has referred
in talks with visitors as 'my friend Arik.' For Sharon, the 2004 presidential
election may be crucial to the fate of the policies he foresees. As a
consequence, the U.S. race could be a key factor in determining outcome of a
possible re-election campaign of Sharon's own."
2-10-04
Bush's record in Guards vexes "War President" "Since George W. Bush first
sought public office, his time in the National Guard has been a character issue.
In 1994, when he was running for the Texas governorship, Mr. Bush had to explain
why he joined the National Guard while others his age went off to fight in
Vietnam: "I was not prepared to shoot my eardrum out with a shotgun in order to
get a deferment. Nor was I willing to go to Canada. So I chose to better myself
by learning how to fly airplanes," he told the Houston Chronicle." (Real
News 24/7: The Democrats are wasting their time if they this this criticism
is going to go anywhere. After all, it didn't prevent him from being elected
Governor of Texas and President of the United States! And, of course, there are
bigger questions than this one that he should be made to answer. Questions
concerning what he knew prior to 9-11, how he can justify the War in Iraq
considering the lack of evidence regarding WMDs or Saddam links to terrorists,
why Israel is permitted to influence [some may chose to substitute "define,"
"dominate" or "dictate" here] American policy in the Middle East to the extent
it does, his involvement with secret societies, etc.)
2-10-04
Bill O'Reilly:
"I
was wrong" about WMDs "Conservative
television news anchor Bill O'Reilly said on Tuesday he was now skeptical about
the Bush administration and apologized to viewers for supporting prewar claims
that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction." (Real News 24/7:
Congratulations, Mr. O'Reilly, for keeping your word and for finally admitting
the truth of what people like former chief weapons inspector Scott Ritter has
been saying and websites like Real News 24/7 have been reporting since before
the war started. Welcome to the real world!
2-10-04
Join the clubbed: Catholics know pain of being bashed
"Catholicism has been represented far more frequently than any other faith. I've
probably seen more films about the Catholic Church (and movies with nuns or
priests as supporting characters) than all other religions put together. Just
from the last four years, I could easily put together a Catholic Film Festival
-- but I don't think too many Catholics would be pleased with the entries." (Real
News 24/7: It's fascinating how when Jewish advocacy groups whine about how
Mel Gibson's upcoming film is going to provoke an anti-Jewish backlash, the
controlled news media churns out such one-sided articles, columns and reports
tacitly supporting these groups and at such a staggering pace that one could be
excused for thinking that these news stories were coming straight from the
groups' public relations departments, but when Catholics complain about the
strong anti-Catholic bias that has been a regular staple of Hollywood in recent
decades, the silence is deafening. For the rivers of in that flow from
newspapers and magazines in response to the Anti-Defamation League and allied
organizations, one is lucky to find a thimbleful in response to groups like the
CATHOLIC LEAGUE for Religious and Civil Rights.
Considering this across-the-board policy by media giants, the present piece is
for that reason as much news as the subject it covers! Oh, yeah, by the way, the
last time we looked the U.S. Census figures reported over 60 million Catholics,
but less than six million Jews in America.)
2-10-04
"Rectifying" Big Brother’s embarrassing words "In Orwell’s classic
precautionary tale 1984, the hapless central character, Winston Smith,
was employed by the totalitarian state’s 'Ministry of Truth.' Smith’s job was to
scour the public statements made by Big Brother and 'rectify' those that
subsequently proved to be in error; he did this by excising the offending words
from the database, reworking the public record to fit the current party line,
and casting the offending comments down the "memory hole." In this way the Party
and its embodiment, Big Brother, were always right."
2-10-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CXIV
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State
Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of
physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded
allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-9-04
High-tech twist for Maryland's election
"The new touch-screen voting system is making it harder for
counties to recruit election judges."
Will the election be hacked?
(subscription) "A few weeks after Election Night 2002,
Roxanne Jekot, a computer programmer who lives in Cumming, Ga., began fearing
demons lingering in the state's voting machines. The midterm election had been
a historic one: Georgia became the first state to use electronic touch-screen
voting machines in every one of its precincts.¼"
Pentagon gives e-voting the boot "The Pentagon won't use an
Internet voting system for overseas U.S. citizens this fall because of
concerns about its security, an official said Thursday. The official, who
requested anonymity, said Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz made the
decision to scrap the system because Pentagon officials were not certain they
could 'assure the legitimacy of votes that would be cast.'"
2-9-04
Poll:
60% oppose homosexual "marriage" "A new
poll shows a majority of Americans do not want state laws that would make
same-sex marriage legal. The survey was taken after the Massachusetts Supreme
Judicial Court said last Wednesday in an advisory opinion same-sex couples are
entitled to marriage and not an alternative, such as Vermont-style civil
unions." (Real News 24/7: The bad news is that the figure for those
opposed isn't higher, much higher.)
2-9-04
One less than six million
"It was the event of the 20th century, at least according to the history as
written by the conquerors. It has pervaded Western thinking and morals for over
50 years now, and those in the West (particularly in America) are not spared a
day wherein they are not reminded of its importance. It is the subject of
literally hundreds of films, from Schindler's List to Sophie's Choice
to the obligatory programs appearing on public television.¼"
2-9-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 56
Letter: Bin Laden has recruiting problems
"A letter seized from an al-Qaida courier
shows Osama bin Laden has made little headway in recruiting Iraqis for a holy
war against America, raising questions about the Bush administration's
contention that Iraq is the central front in the war on terror."
NEW TO REAL NEWS
24/7 The
Saddam Hussein Sourcebook
"Washington D.C., 18 December 2003
- Newly
declassified documents posted today on the Web by the National Security
Archive show the British Embassy in Baghdad recommending Saddam Hussein to
London in 1969 as a 'presentable young man' with an 'engaging smile,' 'with
whom, if only one could see more of him, it would be possible to do business.'
U.S. documents published in today's Saddam Hussein Sourcebook quote
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1975 telling the Iraqi foreign minister
"we do not think there is a basic clash of national interests between Iraq and
the United States" (the Iraqi disagreed), and that Israeli influence on U.S.
policy would diminish given "our new electoral law" which means 'the influence
of some who financed the elections before isn't so great.'"
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-9-04
If Americans knew
1
Israeli home has been destroyed by Palestinians and
2,202
Palestinian homes have been completely destroyed (14,436
partially destroyed) since September 29, 2000. (Real News 24/7: This
and several other little-known facts about the Middle East conflict. Sorry, but
we can't put as much stock in the United Nation's resolutions against Israel,
however appropriate censures are, for reasons familiar enough for regular
visitors to this site. For those not familiar, we suggest you scroll down to our
listings for February 6th, where you'll find a number of links that outline why
the UN must be opposed.)
2-9-04
Stop Hillary PAC (Real News 24/7:
We aren't posting this link to get people supporting it, but out of interest's
sake, since it shows the concern of some over a possible Hillary Clinton run for
the White House. It sounds like a joke, until you consider some of the info
found on that site. Significantly, in a recent poll the most popular figure
among Democrats wasn't named Kerry or Edwards, Dean or Clark, but Clinton (who
finished second in the survey)—and not Bill, but
Hillary! And it wasn't even all that close, either: The former First
Lady's favorability rating of 73 percent was a full 35 percentage points higher
that any current candidate. Bush hasn't been getting great approval rating
lately, either. Still, the President's reelection seems like a slam dunk at this
time; it would take, say, some drastic increase in the unemployment figures or
some shocking revelation about how the nation was tricked into war to make him
vulnerable. Not likely, but who's to say what might transpire between now and
the conventions this summer? One thing is fairly certain: If the power brokers
decide they want Bush out, they can find a way to quickly send him packing. And
make no mistake, if Bush is perceived as vulnerable enough the Clintons aren't
going to wait around until 2008, when a some other Democrat is occupying the
Oval Office. But Hillary says she's not interested. OK, them why is she
soliciting contributions of $20.04 (that's 2-0-0-4) to fight back against
the Stop Hillary website? And why hasn't told those involved in websites like
VoteHillary.org and HillaryNow.com to put their efforts behind another candidate
or wait until 2008? Then, again, when have we ever believed a Clinton before
now?!)
2-9-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CXIII
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State
Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of
physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded
allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-8-04
Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve
monster
"The only way that money, which is
created out of thin air, is put into circulation is by creating debt to the
public at large, or to the government. The absurdity of the situation was
highlighted shortly after the September 11th bombings as economic gurus popped
onto the television screens telling American’s to incur further credit card
debts in order to stimulate the economy. A small elite group of American and
international bankers has the ability to control the United States government
and the people through what amounts to nothing more than interest slavery."
(Real News 24/7: This column originally appeared in October 2002 on the Ether
Zone website, but because of its continuing relevance, we've deemed it worthy
of reconsideration, along with the following current link and Ron Paul's call
to get rid of the Fed, also from 2002.)
The
ever-declining dollar "'The first
panacea for a mismanaged nation is inflation of the currency; the second is
war,'
observed Ernest Hemingway. 'Both bring a temporary prosperity; both bring a
permanent ruin. But both are the refuge of political and economic
opportunists.' The Bush administration’s agenda of perpetual war and unchecked
spending is sowing the seeds of national ruin."
Abolish the Federal Reserve
"Though the Federal Reserve policy harms the average American, it benefits
those in a position to take advantage of the cycles in monetary policy. The
main beneficiaries are those who receive access to artificially inflated money
and/or credit before the inflationary effects of the policy impact the entire
economy. Federal Reserve policies also benefit big spending politicians who
use the inflated currency created by the Fed to hide the true costs of the
welfare-warfare state. It is time for Congress to put the interests of the
American people ahead of the special interests and their own appetite for big
government."
2-8-04
Watch out for Kerry "'Is there anything about
the war-hero/Viet Cong sympathizer "Irish"-Jewish-Brahmin, left-wing moderate,
pro-abortion Catholic, patrician-tribune-of-the-people that's real?' asks
columnist Don Feder about John Kerry."
Kerry: War Zero (Don Feder's original
article)
2-8-04
Corporate Profits Don't Lead to Hiring "'We listened to
over a hundred quarterly earnings conference calls and we have not heard from
anybody who says they are picking up the pace of hiring,' said Richard Yamarone,
director of economic research at Argus Research. 'Not one.' U.S. companies
continue to look toward India and China for cheaper labor, adding to the worries
of some that new jobs are headed to Guangzhou and Bangalore rather than Chicago
or Boston." (Real News 24/7: Raise your hand if you know someone who's
unemployed. Okay, now, raise your hand if you're unemployed!)
2-8-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 55
Bush suggests Saddam removed Iraq weapons
"President Bush denied he marched America
into war under false pretenses and said the U.S.-led invasion was necessary
because Saddam Hussein could have developed a nuclear weapon. 'I don't think
America can stand by and hope for the best,' the president said. Bush suggested
Saddam may have destroyed or spirited out of the country the banned weapons the
Bush administration cited as a main rationale for the war."
Transcript of President George W. Bush's Meet the Press interview
(Real News 24/7: Preposterous, but will the American people even notice
or care? As we have stated numerous times, no nation has the moral right to
invade another based on "what ifs." Yet that is what we're being asked to buy
into. Saddam, according to Bush and his neo-con advisors, the very
personification of evil, a megalomaniac who suppressed his own people and was a
menace to other nations—not
only in his own region but halfway around the globe. And yet, while some aspects
of these allegations may be true, others don't add up. When the leader of the
most power nation on earth publicly declared for months in advance that he was
intent, not just in invading Iraq, but in toppling Saddam's regime, it defies
reason to think that a dictator sensing that he was on the verge of losing
everything would not use WMDs if he had them. Why hide them or transport them to
another country? What good would they be to him then? No, Saddam had nothing to
lose in going out with a "blaze of glory"; if he was another Hitler, what better
way to end it all than with a Nazi-style scorched earth policy! But then again,
if, for the sake of argument, the President is right, and the nuke was taken to
parts unknown, it's pretty clear that Saddam was no imminent danger to the
United States and, perhaps, not one at all, since the weapon might have been
constructed for a much-nearer target! The speculations of what Saddam might or
might not possess in the form of advanced weaponry cannot be used to justify
war. If Saddam, why not China? We know they have nukes and they've even
threatened to attack Los Angeles
if we were to intervene militarily on behalf of Taiwan! Bush's remarks are
important, however, because he confirms
Richard Perle's admission
that the invasion was going to happen—WMDs
or no WMDs!)
NEW TO REAL NEWS
24/7 The
Saddam Hussein Sourcebook
"Washington D.C., 18 December 2003
- Newly
declassified documents posted today on the Web by the National Security
Archive show the British Embassy in Baghdad recommending Saddam Hussein to
London in 1969 as a 'presentable young man' with an 'engaging smile,' 'with
whom, if only one could see more of him, it would be possible to do business.'
U.S. documents published in today's Saddam Hussein Sourcebook quote
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1975 telling the Iraqi foreign minister
"we do not think there is a basic clash of national interests between Iraq and
the United States" (the Iraqi disagreed), and that Israeli influence on U.S.
policy would diminish given "our new electoral law" which means 'the influence
of some who financed the elections before isn't so great.'"
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-8-04
Blix doubts on
Iraq intelligence "Former UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix has said
Britain and the US dramatized intelligence information to bolster the argument
for the Iraq war."
2-8-04
Challenger to Putin for Russian presidency is missing
"One of Vladimir V. Putin's challengers in next month's presidential election is
missing, and the police and security services announced today that they had
begun a search for him. Ivan P. Rybkin, a former Parliament speaker and national
security adviser under Boris N. Yeltsin, has not been seen or heard from since
Thursday evening, raising fears among his family and campaign aides that
something dire had happened to him."
2-8-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CXII
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State
Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of
physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded
allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-7-04
The owner of the shadow: Mainstreaming the Conspiracy
"With the anticipation of terrorist attacks, prudent men might consider
this proposed legislation necessary. However, things are not always as they
appear. Terrorist attacks can be staged, additions to an already overblown
central power should be stopped, the possibility of opening the Constitution
to further mutilation in furtherance of the global order should be considered;
particularly so since the Constitution in Article 1 Section 2 and Section 4
already makes provision for this situation. There is a common denominator to
the course of world affairs. The Bilderberger gatherings, the meetings of the
G-8 nations, the CFR, the Trilateral Commission, Skull and Bones, the Masonic
Order, and the United Nations are all religiously humanistic, all arguments
revolve around human opinion and all power emanates from human sources."
Election shows where Bones are buried "No one
answers when you knock on the iron doors of the Skull and Bones society in the
middle of the campus at Yale University. If you have to knock, you are not
wanted in."
Conspiracies so vast "Conspiracy theory
was born in the Age of Enlightenment and has metastasized in the Age of the
Internet. Why won't it go away?" (Real News/ 24/7: Basically a
liberal pooh-poohing of conspiracy, yet with some points of interest and a
link to a website described as a "clearing house" for countless such theories.
Caveat lector: Not all conspiracy theories are created equal.)
2-7-04
Scott
Ritter accuses CIA Director George Tenet of deception
AUDIO
"CIA Director George Tenet has spoken out publicly for the
first time to defend the gathering of US Intelligence to justify the war on
Iraq. He says he never claimed Iraq was an imminent threat. But a former UN
weapons inspector has hit out, accusing Mr Tenet of 'deception'. Scott Ritter
says the CIA boss made allegations, but then failed to back them up with
substantive facts." (Real News 24/7: It should be remembered that Scott
Ritter is an ex-Marine who fought in the first Gulf War and a self-described
"conservative Republican" who voted for George Bush in the last election, so
it's not like he bears a grudge against the current administration.)
2-7-04
WMD commission's report due 5 months AFTER election "US President George W.
Bush has insured against political fallout by ordering the independent
commission into weapons of mass destruction intelligence to report on March 31,
next year -- almost five months after the November 2 presidential election."
2-7-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 54
NEW TO REAL NEWS
24/7 The
Saddam Hussein Sourcebook
"Washington D.C., 18 December 2003
- Newly
declassified documents posted today on the Web by the National Security
Archive show the British Embassy in Baghdad recommending Saddam Hussein to
London in 1969 as a 'presentable young man' with an 'engaging smile,' 'with
whom, if only one could see more of him, it would be possible to do business.'
U.S. documents published in today's Saddam Hussein Sourcebook quote
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1975 telling the Iraqi foreign minister
"we do not think there is a basic clash of national interests between Iraq and
the United States" (the Iraqi disagreed), and that Israeli influence on U.S.
policy would diminish given "our new electoral law" which means 'the influence
of some who financed the elections before isn't so great.'"
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-7-04
Hon. Ron
Paul: Congress abandoned its duty to debate and declare war "Our
intelligence agencies failed for whatever reason this time, but their frequent
failures should raise the question of whether or not secretly spending forty
billion taxpayer dollars annually gathering bad information is a good
investment. The administration certainly failed us by making the decision to
sacrifice so much in life and limb, by plunging us into this Persian Gulf
quagmire that surely will last for years to come. But before Congress gets too
carried away with condemning the administration or the intelligence gathering
agencies, it ought to look to itself. A proper investigation and debate by this
Congress-- as we’re now scrambling to accomplish-- clearly was warranted prior
to any decision to go to war.¼"
2-7-04
WANTED: New candidates who uphold Constitution
"If America is ever to return to the system of governance created by the
Founding Fathers, it will have to begin at the local level, where city councils
and county commissions honor and respect the limitations of government power,
rather than continually striving to expand government power.¼"
2-7-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CXI
Twin Ports mayors bring awareness to life planning issues
"Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson and Superior
Mayor Dave Ross proclaimed Thursday 'Life Planning Day,' in conjunction with
the State Bar of Wisconsin. 'Life planning is about preparing for the
unforeseen and dealing with issues when you can’t communicate,' said attorney
Ken Knudson of Superior. 'You have a lot of tragedy, families torn apart when
a person can’t make decisions for themselves.'"
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State
Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of
physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded
allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-6-04
Arizona legislation calls for UN withdrawal
The Arizona House of Representatives bill HCM 2009, supporting the American
Sovereignty Resolution Act of 2003, is gaining wide support from legislators.
(Real News 24/7: If you haven't done so already, we urge you to contact
your federal and state legislators to get behind the crucial drive to restore
America's sovereignty. This is literally an "act now" measure, since the
pro-UN forces have many in the government and controlled news media backing
their efforts to erode our nationhood. The United Nations has been in
existence for nearly sixty years and its goal of a one-world government grows
ever-closer to being realized.
Get US out! of the United Nations)
Full text of HR 1146--The American Sovereignty Resolution Act
(Real News 24/7: Please note that
while this is dated 1999, it was reintroduced in the House last year.)
American national sovereignty vs. UN "international law"
U.S. Congressman Ron Paul addresses his fellow Representatives on the crying
need for this legislation.
Analysis of HR 1146 "Without question this
subordination of America's national interests to those of the world community
as determined by the United Nations Security Council is an unconstitutional
delegation of the legislative power to declare war and the executive power to
conduct war. As Cornell University government professor Jeremy Rabkin observed
in 1998, 'the Constitution presumes American sovereignty.¼'"
UN - Stay in or get out? "'If action is taken
without the authority of the Security Council the legitimacy and support for
any such action would be seriously impaired,' U.N. Secretary General Kofi
Annan said today. Authority of the United Nations Security Council?! When did
the United Nations become the world's supreme government? When did Americans
(military and civilian) pledge their allegiance to the flag of the United
Nations, instead of the United States? When did Americans (military and
civilian) swear to uphold the Charter of the United Nations and denounce the
Constitution of the United States?"
2-6-04
More on the Skull and Bones
of George Bush and John Kerry "Like all of us, George W. Bush and John
Kerry have skeletons in their closet. But unlike ours, their skeletons have the
power to undermine the sovereignty of a nation." (Real News 24/7: Scroll
down to our February 1st News and Analysis for links on how Skull and Bones'
power and influence are impacting this year's presidential race.)
2-6-04
Body of missing 11-year-old Florida girl is found
"The body of an 11-year-old Florida girl whose abduction on Sunday was recorded
by a security camera was found early today behind a church in Sarasota. Joseph
P. Smith, 37, has been charged with her abduction and murder, Sheriff William F.
Balkwill of Sarasota County said today at a news briefing. Mr. Smith is believed
to be the heavily tattooed man seen in the video talking briefly with the girl,
Carlie Brucia, before leading her away by the arm."
Father of slain girl questions why suspect was free "The father
of a slain 11-year-old girl in Florida wants to know why the man who's now
charged in her murder was out on the street, instead of being behind bars."
Bleeding heart
liberal judges kept giving child murderer second chances "On more than
one occasion, the drug-addicted man accused of abducting Carlie Brucia stood
before a judge who could have given him maximum penalties of five years in
prison. Time after time, Joseph P. Smith received second chances. He was put on
probation and sent to treatment programs instead of jail." (Real News 24/7:
Stories similar to this one would all but stop if judges could be sued for
judicial malpractice! How is it that they have virtually no accoutaility?
Judicial malpractice is a concept which should seriously needs to considered;
had such laws been in place, Carlie might still be alive today!)
2-6-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 53
Saddam's Capture Justifies War
for Some
"For Staff Sgt. Isaac Day and many other American
soldiers serving here, ridding Iraq of Saddam Hussein made the war worthwhile—regardless
of whether anyone ever finds weapons of mass destruction. 'I'm glad we got
Saddam,' said Day, of Tarpon Springs, Fla. 'When I grow old I can tell my
grandchildren that we liberated this country.'" (Real News 24/7: To see
where this notion originated that the war is justifiable regardless of whether
WMDs are found, scroll down to yesterday's Saddam features and click on the link
concerning neo-con Richard Perle's revealing comments from more than a year
ago.)
U.S. taxpayers could back Iraqi Reds "With the Soviet Union gone, who is
to take up the communist cause in Iraq? If some in the U.S. relief effort have
their way, it will be the American taxpayer."
NEW TO REAL NEWS
24/7 The
Saddam Hussein Sourcebook
"Washington D.C., 18 December 2003
- Newly
declassified documents posted today on the Web by the National Security
Archive show the British Embassy in Baghdad recommending Saddam Hussein to
London in 1969 as a 'presentable young man' with an 'engaging smile,' 'with
whom, if only one could see more of him, it would be possible to do business.'
U.S. documents published in today's Saddam Hussein Sourcebook quote
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1975 telling the Iraqi foreign minister
"we do not think there is a basic clash of national interests between Iraq and
the United States" (the Iraqi disagreed), and that Israeli influence on U.S.
policy would diminish given "our new electoral law" which means 'the influence
of some who financed the elections before isn't so great.'"
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-6-04
Amnesty and Betrayal “'Millions of people who broke
the law by entering, staying, and working in our country will not be punished,
but rather rewarded with a visa,' comments Rep. Paul. 'This is amnesty, plain
and simple. Lawbreakers are given legal status, while those seeking to immigrate
legally face years of paperwork and long waits for a visa.'”
2-6-04
Mel Gibson vs. the Pharasees "Mel
Gibson's The Passion of Christ (opening Feb 25) has the potential to become a
major cultural turning point by focusing attention on the fundamental difference
between Christianity and Judaism. Since the Holocaust, Christians have blurred
their beliefs for fear of seeming anti-Semitic. But Jesus and the Pharisees had
a deadly enmity. This antagonism is the essence of Christianity and cannot be
denied. At the same time Gibson's film might inspire Jews to take a hard look at
Judaism."
2-6-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CX
Terri Schiavo family alarmed by
stark admission from husband's attorney
"In a statement on Friday, the family of Terri Schiavo says it is concerned
about a statement that appears in a Florida newspaper's editorial. George
Felos, the assisted suicide advocate who is the attorney for Terri's estranged
husband Michael, is quoted as admitting that 'tens of thousands' of disabled
persons like Terri have faced death over the years."
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State
Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of
physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded
allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-5-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 52
CIA
Chief: Saddam wasn't imminent threat
"Intelligence
analysts never told President Bush before the invasion of Iraq that Saddam
Hussein's rule posed an imminent threat, CIA Director George Tenet said Thursday
in a heated defense of agency findings central to the decision to go to war."
Text of Tenet's Speech
(Real News
24/7: No surprise there, of course, but what has totally slipped down the
memory hole is former Pentagon advisor
Richard Perle's admission
to British Parliament in November 2002 that the United States was going to
invade Iraq regardless of whether Saddam possessed WMDs. That's
the smoking gun that no one, not even the self-proclaimed "antiwar" websites,
even seem to know exists! [Accept, of course, those who are quite content that
America is completely oblivious to this bombshell.] We are the only ones to our
knowledge who continue to remind people of this critical piece of history. And
we reiterate that if Saddam was not an imminent threat to the US, the invasion
cannot be morally justified.)
NEW TO REAL NEWS
24/7 The
Saddam Hussein Sourcebook
"Washington D.C., 18 December 2003
- Newly
declassified documents posted today on the Web by the National Security
Archive show the British Embassy in Baghdad recommending Saddam Hussein to
London in 1969 as a 'presentable young man' with an 'engaging smile,' 'with
whom, if only one could see more of him, it would be possible to do business.'
U.S. documents published in today's Saddam Hussein Sourcebook quote
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1975 telling the Iraqi foreign minister
"we do not think there is a basic clash of national interests between Iraq and
the United States" (the Iraqi disagreed), and that Israeli influence on U.S.
policy would diminish given "our new electoral law" which means 'the influence
of some who financed the elections before isn't so great.'"
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-5-04
Speakers Cornered:
Orwellian "Free Speech Zones" violate Constitution "Presidential
campaigns are when our would-be leaders speak most boldly to us about their
plans for our country. Campaigns are also when Americans are most politically
engaged, most eager to speak their minds. American elections have historically
been carnivals of
free speech. But perhaps no more." (Real News 24/7: Speaking of
squelching free speech in the name of free speech, don't forget Clintonite
comedian/writer/activist
Al Franken's
take-down of a heckler at a Howard Dean rally last month. How's that for
liberal tolerance of diverse opinion!? He would have fit right in wearing a
brown shirt and "defending free speech" in Nazi Germany. Al, listen, you really
need to talk to your buddy Stuart Smalley. He can fix you up with one of those
12-step programs designed for rage-oholics.)
2-5-04
The Great
Bait-and-Switch "While the administration
definitely exaggerated the progress of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons
programs of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in their public addresses, the far more
important administration scandal is the utterly false allegations of al Qaeda
ties. Why? Because most Americans who eventually consented to the war did so
because they were spoon-fed the nightmare of Iraqi-armed al Qaeda terrorists
detonating nuclear, biological and chemical weapons over American cities."
2-5-04
Traditional
Catholic professor punished for beliefs "A college professor in
Ohio has been punished for refusing to hide his religious identity from his
students. According to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, or
FIRE, officials from
Lakeland Community College removed
Dr. James Tuttle from his philosophy classes and threatened him with dismissal
because he made statements on his syllabi and in class that disclosed his
traditional Catholic religious faith and how that shaped his personal
philosophy."
2-5-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CIX
Marching in the defense of life
"Clad in winter woolens and carrying
a sandwich sign board of the Virgin Mary, two fellow Catholics from Minnesota
walked through Muscatine to Grandview Wednesday as they continued their March
in Defense of Life crusade. They've committed to walk 16 miles a day from
December to May with a goal of reaching Tallahassee, Fla. by May 13 for the
Feast of Our Lady of Fatima."
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State
Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of
physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded
allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-4-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 51
Saddam’s
capture: was a deal brokered behind the scenes?
"For a story that three weeks ago gripped
the world’s imagination, it has now all but dropped off the radar. Peculiar
really, for if one thing might have been expected in the aftermath of Saddam
Hussein’s capture, it was the endless political and media mileage that the Bush
administration would get out of it . After all, for 249 days Saddam’s
elusiveness had been a symbol of America’s ineptitude in Iraq, and, at last,
with his capture came the long-awaited chance to return some flak to the
Pentagon’s critics."
Attacks aimed at future Iraqi government, commander says
"A senior U.S. commander said Wednesday that recent attacks in Iraq are the work
of groups seeking to sabotage - or gain leverage in - a future independent Iraqi
government that is due to take power by July. Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno,
commander of the Army's 4th Infantry Division, also predicted that coalition
forces would be able to crush the insurgency within a year, despite continued
American losses since the Dec. 13 capture of Saddam Hussein."
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-4-04
ADL,
Wiesenthal Center slam Mel Gibson's views on the "Holocaust" Rabbi
Marvin Hier denounced Gibson's remarks, saying: "To describe Jewish suffering
during the Holocaust as 'some of them were Jews in concentration camps' is an
afterthought that feeds right into the hands of Holocaust deniers and
revisionists." (Real News 24/7: First they want to tell him how to
produce his movie, now they want to tell him how to think!)
Why do Jewish leaders want to censor
Mel Gibson? "The earliest persecutors of Christianity were the Jewish
leaders (known as the Pharisees and Sadducees) who showed extreme religious
intolerance for early Christians, among them the first recorded martyr,
Stephen, who was stoned to death by an ancient “lynch mob” provoked by the
Jewish leaders. The Apostle Paul was a former Pharisee who persecuted early
Christians with an uncommon zeal before his roadside conversion."
2-4-04
Ricin: It's
lethal, easy to make, but impractical for terror
"Ricin is one of the deadliest poisons and among the easiest to manufacture,
but the toxin has generally been used as an instrument of murder and intrigue
rather than as a weapon of war and terrorism, experts say. The reasons are
practical: Contaminating masses of people with ricin could be difficult. It does
not reproduce, like bacteria, and the illness it causes cannot be passed from a
victim to another person. In addition, symptoms take hours to develop, making
ricin useless for inflicting quick death."
Facts about ricin "In
1978,
Georgie Markov, a Bulgarian writer and journalist who
was living in London, died after he was attacked by a man with an umbrella. The
umbrella had been rigged to inject a poison ricin pellet under Markov’s skin." (The
BBC on the Markov assassination.)
More about ricin "There is currently no vaccine
or prophylactic antitoxin available for human use, although immunization appears
promising in animal models. Use of the protective mask is currently the best
protection against inhalation."
2-4-04
Israel knew Iraq had no WMDs, says MP "A prominent Israeli MP said
yesterday that his country's intelligence services knew claims that Saddam
Hussein was capable of swiftly launching weapons of mass destruction were wrong
but withheld the information from Washington."
2-4-04
Born-alive infanticides may be
occurring despite federal law preventing them A Florida pro-life
group is investigating allegations that babies are being left to die in the
state -- despite a federal law requiring medical care to be given to them. And a
nurse who drew nationwide attention to the practice says many hospitals still
may not know about the pro-life law designed to care for the infants.
2-4-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CVIII
Florida lawmakers' goal for law: Keep Terri Schiavo alive
"For the second time in a year, conservative state legislators want to pass a
law to prolong the life of Terri Schiavo, the comatose Tampa woman whose
plight has provoked a national debate over the right to live and die."
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State
Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of
physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded
allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-3-04
The real John F. Kerry and his anti-American past
"Kerry, far from being a war hero, has a long history of
being an anti-war, anti-American radical and traitor to his country as
evidenced by his organizing militant anti-war rallies along with his Communist
party (CPUSA) allies funded by 'Hanoi Jane' Fonda. Kerry helped lead and
organize a rally of hundreds of Vietnam vets who marched on the Capitol Mall
in Washington with many displaying the Communist clenched fist salute."
Kerry wins five states; Edwards prevails in SC, Clark captures Oklahoma
"Democratic presidential front-runner John
Kerry rolled up big victories and a pile of delegates in five states Tuesday
night, while rivals John Edwards and Wesley Clark kept their candidacies alive
with singular triumphs in a dramatic cross-country contest. Edwards easily won
his native South Carolina and Clark, a retired Army general from Arkansas,
eked out victory in neighboring Oklahoma. Howard Dean earned no wins and a
handful of delegates, his candidacy in peril. Joe Lieberman was shut out, too,
and dropped out of the race. 'It's a huge night,' Kerry told The Associated
Press, even as rivals denied him a coveted sweep.
The New JFK
"Well, the Democrats have been looking for a new JFK for a generation, and
they’ve finally got one. He may not have a rich father, but he has a rich wife
who can buy him all the charisma he needs. And like the other JFK, he’s a
decorated war hero. [Real News 24/7: This is disputed by other columns here.]
His position on the latest war is a little fuzzy, but the Republican chicken
hawks will have a hard time painting him as a worse coward than George W.
Bush."
Kerry postures as a war hero "In 1971, the
Communist Daily World delightedly published photos of him speaking to
demonstrators as a leader of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW).
The April 23, 1971 Daily World boasted that the marchers displayed a banner
depicting a portrait of Communist Party leader Angela Davis, who was on record
stating: 'I am dedicated to the overthrow of your system of government and
your society.'"
2-3-04
Bush's independent
commission: Exonerating the spooks "Bush's so-called independent
commission looking into "intelligence failures" will be handpicked by the
administration. It will be similar to the 9/11 investigative commission -- that
is to say it will produce results acceptable to Bush and the spooks. The
chairman of the 9/11 commission is Thomas Kean.
Consider Kean emblematic. 'Thomas Kean is a
director (and shareholder) of Amerada Hess Corporation, which is involved in the
Hess-Delta joint venture with Delta Oil of Saudi Arabia (owned by the bin
Mahfouz and Al-Amoudi clans),'
notes Michel Chossudovsky. 'In other words, Delta Oil Ltd. of Saudi Arabia
-- which is a partner in the Hess-Delta Alliance -- is in part controlled by
Khalid bin Mafhouz, Osama's brother in law.' You'd think concerned people
would be up in arms over a commission assigned to investigate a terrorist
incident blamed on Osama bin Laden with a director who does business with the
main suspect's family. And yet nothing said about it -- at least nothing said by
the Bush Ministry of Disinformation, otherwise known as Fox, CNN, and all the
other alphabet corporate news agencies."
2-3-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 50
US troops dying at rate of over 1 a Day
"American soldiers are dying at a rate of more than one a
day in Iraq, despite some commanders' recent claims to have broken the back of
the insurgency. The toll in January was 45 - five more than in December -
despite hopes that deposed President Saddam Hussein (news
-
bio) 's capture would stop the killings from roadside bombs and other
attacks."
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-3-04
Judge
overturns Virginia abortion law "A federal judge struck down Virginia's
ban on a type of late-term abortion Monday, saying the law violated privacy
rights and failed to make an exception for the health of the woman. US District
Judge Richard L. Williams called the ban on what opponents call partial-birth
abortion 'impermissibly void for vagueness.'"
2-3-04
Misguided passion about “ The Passion ” "Some
of the critics also say they do not like the blanket statement that “the Jews
killed Jesus,” while, ironically, making their own blanket statement that the
Romans crucified Him."
2-3-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CVII
2,100-mile
trek across US for pro-life promotion
"Two Minnesota residents intentionally
chose the winter months to bring attention to their cause, the March in
Defense of Life, a 2,100-mile walk across the United States promotes a
pro-life agenda. Miro Kovachevich is an activist who ran in 2002 on a pro-life
Constitutional Party platform against the late Paul Wellstone, a Democratic
senator of Minnesota. Kovachevich said during that campaign he walked barefoot
across the state. He is partnered with Colleen Clobes, a fellow member of the
Suspend Abortion Compact organization based in Minneapolis."
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State
Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of
physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded
allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-2-04
Zionism is still the
issue "For those who have forgotten or never understood what Zionism was
all about, two remarkable, recently published pieces will make salutary reading.
The first is an interview with the Israeli historian, Benny Morris, that
appeared in the Israeli daily Haaretz on January 4th 2004 and the second is an
article by Morris in the January 14th edition of the London Guardian newspaper.
In these he explains with breathtaking candor what the Zionist project entailed.
Few Zionists outside the ranks of the extreme right have been prepared to be so
brutally honest and Benny Morris claims to be on the political left.¼"
Central Connecticut State University slates debate on Zionism
"The debate, which will be open to the public
at no charge, will feature two prominent Arab-Israeli speakers presenting
juxtaposed reactions to the debate’s topic. Stephan Fuchs, senior rabbi of
Congregation Beth Israel, will speak for it, while CCSU history professor Norton
Mezvinsky will speak against the topic. Heidi Hadsell, president of the Hartford
Seminary, will moderate the debate."
2-2-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CVI
Florida Legislature to consider bill helping others like
Terri Schiavo "On
Tuesday, members of the Florida state legislature will hold a hearing on
pro-life legislation designed to help people who are in similar situations as
Terri Schiavo, the woman who has been the subject of a national debate as her
estranged husband attempts to end her life."
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State
Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of
physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded
allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
2-2-04
Kerry took
money from Communist China's military intelligence "Democrats are
counting on Sen. John Kerry's military credentials to convince voters that he
can be trusted with America's national security. But documents that surfaced
over the weekend raise serious questions about whether Kerry was duped in the
1990s into helping the Chinese military perfect its ability to strike the U.S.
with nuclear weapons." (Real News 24/7: Maybe "duped" is too kind a word.
2-2-04
Bush, Blair nominated for 2004 Nobel Peace Prize "President George Bush,
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the European Union were among known
nominees for the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize as the nomination deadline expired
Sunday." (Real News 24/7: How perfectly Orwellian: Launch a war, get
nominated for a peace prize. War is Peace.)
2-2-04
US secures
Qaddafi's submission as an example to other countries "When a US
secretary of state tells an Arab country to follow Libya’s example, and a US
president praises colonel Mu’ammar Qaddafi for his 'wise' and 'responsible'
decision, the view that the Bush administration’s foreign policy is
fundamentally and cynically imperial is reinforced. Since the 1980s Washington
has treated Libya as a 'rogue state' and Qaddafi as a dangerous lunatic.
President Reagan even bombed Qaddafi’s camp in Tripoli (1986) in an attempt to
assassinate him.¼" (Real
News 24/7: Those "other countries" mentioned do not include Israel, of
course, which continues to develop its WMDs without so much as a whimper of
protest from Bush and Co. No other nation in the region is allowed to get away
with what the Zionist state does.)
2-2-04
The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 49
[Real News 24/7 will continue to
carry news and other reports about the capture/incarceration of Saddam when it
becomes available, until such time as there he is brought to trial and
sentenced. See our daily coverage, dating back to the announcement of his
apprehension on December 14th.]
2-1-04
The secret society that ties Bush and Kerry
"The phenomenon of the 'Yalies,' as Yale alumni are known, has provoked an
intense debate over apparent elitism among Americans amazed that - in a
democracy of almost 300 million people - the battle for power should be waged
among candidates drawn from the 4,000 who graduated from Yale in four different
years of the 1960s."
The Order of Skull and Bones "Everything
you ever wanted to know, but were afraid to ask"
Who's who in Skull &
Bones
2-1-04
Microsoft in human rights row "Technology sold by Microsoft to the
Chinese government has been used by Beijing to censor the internet, and resulted
in the jailing of its political opponents. An Amnesty International report has
cited Microsoft among a clutch of leading computer firms heavily criticized for
helping to fuel 'a dramatic rise in the number of people detained or sentenced
for internet-related offences.'"
2-1-04
Police raid
home for evidence Nichols' attorneys say investigators never saw "The
Fairfax County, Va., home of John Culbertson – once a member of former U.S. Rep.
James Traficant's scandal-plagued congressional office – was raided Friday
afternoon by Oklahoma City police detectives searching for evidence related to
the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing."
2-1-04
What WMD?
"'The weapons do not exist,' was David Kay's reply to the question, 'What
happened to the stockpiles of biological and chemical weapons that everyone
expected to find in Iraq?'"
Much of Europe is derisive about report on Iraqi arms "Much of
Europe has given a collective snort to the testimony by David Kay, the former
chief United States weapons inspector, that there probably were no illicit
weapons in Iraq before the United States-led war there."
2-1-04
Castro in the classroom: Paid to teach, instead they preach
"If you can read this, thank a teacher. That is, unless the teacher is
spending his or her time preaching leftist nonsense to a captive audience of
students while you're paying them for it. The United States has a growing
problem in the classroom -- public education has become a tool for collectivist
indoctrination."
2-1-04
Joe Sobran: Brown
reconsidered "Judicial review was originally proposed (most notably in
Federalist No. 78) as a method of making sure legislatures didn’t pass
unconstitutional laws. Today it has become a method of changing the very meaning
of constitutions under the guise of interpreting them. The problem was
highlighted this past November, when the supreme court of Massachusetts handed
down the sensational ruling that the state’s constitution required that same-sex
'marriage' be recognized in law. The court didn’t even bother citing any
specific passage of the constitution that might be construed to mean this;
obviously it couldn’t find one. It just decided to do the “progressive” thing,
regardless of the text."
2-1-04
The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day CV
The rule of Terri's case strikes again
"The 'rule of
Terri's case' has struck again. The term was coined by Pat Anderson, attorney
for Terri Schiavo's parents Bob and Mary Schindler, who complained: "If
following a legal procedure will likely result in Terri dying, it will be
adhered to. But if a procedure could make that outcome more difficult to
attain, it will not be followed.'"
UPDATE!
The petition mentioned in the following has been
moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please
click
scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you
can help."
ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State
Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of
physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded
allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all
felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website
and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able
to thank you for your help!
[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry
news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration
tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation
of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October
15.]
Pray for Terri
Schindler-Schiavo & her family
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