Action Point with Cynthia Black 06-08-2008: The Reference Shelf

Today's article and item links:

• NEW WEBSITE: THE SWAY BLOG: Aside from being Action Point's interviewees for today, coauthors of SWAY, Rom and Ori Brafman's excellent The SWAY Blog brings us clear action we can take to help check our all-too-emotional selves.
  

• MINORITY ISSUES: MISOGYNY: Like it or not, misogyny was alive and well in the campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton's bid for the Democratic nomination. The question of why Obama's subtle “gender card” play was not as vehemently rebuked as Clinton's “race card” play will have to be answered. Skirting that question directly but at least putting the general question in play The Nation starts here: Iron My Skirt:

  Clinton's run has put to rest the myth that we are living in a postfeminist wonderland in which all that stands in women's path is women themselves. Like a magnet--was it the pantsuit?--Clinton drew out the nation's misogyny in all its jeering glory and put it where we could all get a good look at it. "Iron my shirt" hecklers. Wearers of Bros Over Hos T-shirts and buyers of Hillary nutcrackers. Fans of the Citizens United Not Timid website (check the acronym). Vats of sexist nastiness splattered across the Comments section of hundreds of blogs and websites. It's as if every obscene phone caller and every exhibitionist in America decided to become an amateur political pundit.

• NATIONAL SECURITY: IRAN: From Project for a New American Policy on Iran, comes a day of action (Tuesday June 10) in which you can play a role.

  The Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran (CNAPI) is organizing an innovative “Time to Talk with Iran” event and press conference on Capitol Hill. With the U.S. Capitol as a backdrop, Members of Congress, celebrities, former officials, and other citizens will use a row of 60’s-era red “hotline” telephones to talk directly to ordinary Iranian citizens. Concurrently on June 10, the Campaign is organizing a nationwide Call-in to Congress for Diplomacy with Iran so those outside of DC can participate and make their voice heard.

  AND: An interesting observation from Firedoglake : Why Are Democrats Giving Bush a Green Light On Iran?

  Even more troubling, if the Bush Administration is planning to attack Iran, claiming it's necessary to carry out their promise not to allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons, it doesn't appear the Democrats said anything to AIPAC that could be interpreted as demanding the Administration stop. If everyone says, "we won't allow Iran to do this," while adding "we won't rule out military force to make sure they don't," then there's no reason to expect George Bush and Dick Cheney to interpret these statements as anything other than a green light to do as they please. The only thing to decide is the timing.

  AND: 'Unavoidable' attack on Iran looms, says Israeli minister:

  "If Iran continues with its programme for developing nuclear weapons, we will attack it. The sanctions are ineffective," Mofaz, who is also Israel's transport minister, said in comments published today by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. "Attacking Iran in order to stop its nuclear plans will be unavoidable."

• NATIONAL SECURITY: IRAQ: US issues threat to Iraq's $50bn foreign reserves in military deal:

  The US is holding hostage some $50bn (£25bn) of Iraq's money in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to pressure the Iraqi government into signing an agreement seen by many Iraqis as prolonging the US occupation indefinitely, according to information leaked to The Independent.

  AND: America's Medicated Army:

  While the headline-grabbing weapons in this war have been high-tech wonders, like unmanned drones that drop Hellfire missiles on the enemy below, troops like LeJeune are going into battle with a different kind of weapon, one so stealthy that few Americans even know of its deployment. For the first time in history, a sizable and growing number of U.S. combat troops are taking daily doses of antidepressants to calm nerves strained by repeated and lengthy tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The medicines are intended not only to help troops keep their cool but also to enable the already strapped Army to preserve its most precious resource: soldiers on the front lines. Data contained in the Army's fifth Mental Health Advisory Team report indicate that, according to an anonymous survey of U.S. troops taken last fall, about 12% of combat troops in Iraq and 17% of those in Afghanistan are taking prescription antidepressants or sleeping pills to help them cope. Escalating violence in Afghanistan and the more isolated mission have driven troops to rely more on medication there than in Iraq, military officials say.

• POLITICS: ELECTION 2008: Adviser Says McCain Backs Bush Wiretaps: As we go forward it behooves us to stay on the clear distinctions of the nominee-elect candidates of the party. Here is one are important to those concerned about the expansion of the “imperial presidency”. Let's just say given this, I would think we will not see that expansion collapsed under the hand of McCain:

  In a letter posted online by National Review this week, the adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, said Mr. McCain believed that the Constitution gave Mr. Bush the power to authorize the National Security Agency to monitor Americans’ international phone calls and e-mail without warrants, despite a 1978 federal statute that required court oversight of surveillance.

• PERSONAL SECURITY: THE ANDREW MYERS FILE: As the mercenary firm Blackwater continues to expand into security affairs internationally I think it is just a matter of time before they will be a mainstay of “institutional” government invasion. Somehow, we must find a way to stop it: Blackwater's Private Spies:

  Such an arrangement could find Blackwater operating in an arena with the godfathers of the war industry, such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. It could also see Blackwater expanding into Latin America, joining other private security companies well established in the region. The massive US security company DynCorp is already deployed in Colombia, Bolivia and other countries as part of the "war on drugs." In Colombia alone, US military contractors are receiving nearly half the $630 million in annual US military aid for the country. Just south of the US border, the United States has launched Plan Mexico, a $1.5 billion counternarcotics program. This and similar plans could provide lucrative business opportunities for Blackwater and other companies. "Blackwater USA's enlistment in the drug war," observed journalist John Ross, would be "a direct challenge to its stiffest competitor, DynCorp--up until now, the Dallas-based corporation has locked up 94 percent of all private drug war security contracts." The New York Times reported that the contract could be Blackwater's "biggest job ever."

• POLITICS: ELECTION INTEGRITY: Does RECOUNT do more harm than good? If you haven't seen the HBO dramatization of the 2000 election race that ended with the SCOTU appointing the worst president in histroy to the position, do so. And afterward, see if you agree with media critic Mark Crispin Miller's thoughtful critique above:

  Now, some might praise the movie for so strong an evocation of that moment some eight years ago, but I would say that, by inducing that old feeling of paralysis, Recount does more harm than good. Indeed, I liked it less and less the more I thought about it, realizing that it could have left us in a very different frame of mind.

Action Point with Cynthia Black 03-16-2008: The Reference Shelf

Today's article and item links:

• POLITICS: NATIONAL: CAMPAIGN 2008: The Violent Vision of Mccain's Newest Mentor: from Jeffrey Feldman:

  Parsley's views on Islam are just one aspect of his much larger violent vision--which focuses on the violent conflict between Christianity and what he calls 'secularism.' To read Parsley's violent language as he encourages his readers to join the so-called 'war' is to come face-to-face with the violent rhetoric John McCain will tolerate--even encourage--to win votes in November.

• PERSONAL SECURITY: NSA Domestic Spying Grows:

  The central role the NSA has come to occupy in domestic intelligence gathering has never been publicly disclosed. But an inquiry reveals that its efforts have evolved to reach more broadly into data about people's communications, travel and finances in the U.S. than the domestic surveillance programs brought to light since the 2001 terrorist attacks.

• INTERNATIONAL: Petraeus: Iraqi Leaders Not Making 'Sufficient Progress':

  Many Iraqi parliament members and other officials acknowledge that the country's political system is often paralyzed by sectarian divisions, but they also say that American expectations are driven by considerations in Washington and do not reflect the complexity of Iraq's problems.

• ECONOMY:Forget Spitzer, fire Bernanke:

  In essence, this is a US$200 billion facility that is being misapplied to rescue a specific part of the financial system at a preferential rate, and without any disclosure required on usage. Given all this, it is impossible for anyone to expect that the ultimate cost of this facility will not be borne by US taxpayers;

  AND: from Greg Palast Eliot’s Mess:

  While New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was paying an ‘escort’ $4,300 in a hotel room in Washington, just down the road, George Bush’s new Federal Reserve Board Chairman, Ben Bernanke, was secretly handing over $200 billion in a tryst with mortgage bank industry speculators;

  AND:Economy Hammered by Toxic Blend of Ailments:

  “We have to be careful about what medicines we throw at this, whether it’s stimulus packages or a bailout,” said Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab & Company. “A lot of what we are dealing with is a solvency problem. We need to let the system wash it out.”

• NO COMMENT: Bush says if younger, he would work in Afghanistan:

  "I must say, I'm a little envious," Bush said. "If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed."

  "It must be exciting for you ... in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. You're really making history, and thanks," Bush said.

• FUN, WEIRD & COOL: Lawrence Welk vs. The Hippies My favorite of this collection is the send-up of Lou Reed's 1960's “Sister Ray”!

  Thirty years before American Idol, parts of America were still uncomfortable with the very idea of rock songs even appearing on television, especially during Welk's squeaky-clean song and dance show. And since The Lawrence Welk Show ran for three decades, these videos suggest the ultimate long, strange trip. They're a window in time, capturing a bizarre never-world where the hour-long show actually surrendered happily to the coming onslaught of rock:

  Hat-tip to Freedom's Phoenix.

• NEW!! JOIN THE SHOW ON SUNDAY'S with NEW LIVE CHAT!! Voice of Arizona now hosts Action Point on it's 50 state online network, Voice of North America! Log on, join in!! Thank you VOA!!
  

Action Point with Cynthia Black 9-02-2007: The Reference Shelf

Today's article and item links:

• Entertainment (?): A new film about the killing of 14-year-old Iraqi girl, Abeer Qasim Hamza al-Janabi-- gang raped and burnt by American soldiers in March 2006-- is the subject of "Redacted" U.S. director Brian De Palma's new film. "Redacted ...spares the audience no brutality to get its message across."

• Local News: Bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease found in Phoenix. Not much to add to that!

• Frameshop: Dems Should Walk Away: Supplemental reading.

• Hold My Hair Please, I'm About to Puke: Reid Opens Door To Pact With Antiwar Republicans: Why does this weeny-whiney rhetoric remind me of Rumsfeld?
  

  "I don't think we have to think that our way is the only way," Reid said of specific dates during an interview in his office here. "I'm not saying, 'Republicans, do what we want to do.' Just give me something that you think you would like to do, that accomplishes some or all of what I want to do."

INCOMING: In the Election Integrity community we thought Holt HR 811 was a mostly dead issue. We were wrong. How wrong?

Michelle Mulder, counsel to Rep. Rush Holt, has just informed supporters of HR 811 that the bill will come up for a vote on the House floor next week.

The following are links to info you need BEFORE calling your representative THIS Tuesday!

• Mark Crispin Miller: Exposé: Holt bill was revised by Microsoft, Diebold and ES&S

• Brad Friedman: People for the American Way (PFAW) Continues Dishonest Lobbying Campaign for Holt Election Bill

• Vicki Karp: Ask your rep to vote NO on HR 811 NOW!

• Steven Rosenfeld: Pending Election Reform in Congress Doesn't Give Citizens Right to Sue
  

• Steve Rosenfeld: Will Electronic Voting Reform Create New Ways to Steal Elections?

• Nancy Tobi: Rebuttal to Dill's support of the HR 811 Trojan Horse
  

CONGRESS CONTACT INFO

Hat Tip: Mark Crispin Miller

British Prime Minister Drops Phrase 'War on Terror'

Oh, sweet sanity. When will it reach our shores?

New British Prime Minister Brown drops 'war on terror,' redefining the fight - International Herald Tribune: "What had just been narrowly averted, he said, was not a new jihadist act of war but instead a criminal act. As if to underscore the point, Brown instructed his ministers that the phrase 'war on terror' was no longer to be used and, indeed, that officials were no longer even to employ the word 'Muslim' in connection with the terrorism crisis."

I feel a wave of relief. Finally. Could world leaders possibly be ready to quit Bush's Crusade?

Combat "Rage Fatigue": Get Perspective

Ask any liberal talk show host; due to perceived let-downs of newly-elected Democrats to the House-- especially regarding Iraq policy-- supporters feel let down, burned out and worse--angry: rage fatigue.

How do you combat that sense of anger and the fatigue of carrying it with you? There are many ways to manage anger, but those not requiring activities longer then a blog post can cover, work too.

First check your expectations. In nearly every case anger is a result of expectaions being misaligned with reality (yes, this is a personal responsibility thing). Recognizing your own part in inflating your expectations, though humbling, can go a long way toward lowering your blood pressure.

Then try getting a broader perspective of the over-all issue and look for the areas of "wins" behind which you can invest what's left of your passions. The occupation of Iraq (please do yourself a favor and loose the "war in Iraq" frame NOW) is a part of not only larger foreign national policy concerns but a symptom of this administration's general policy attitudes.

There are many fronts from which Democrats must fight--not just one fire to put out-- but a whole country's worth. If you simply *must* focus on Iraq, look for the news that reinforces the opportunity to discuss solutions--like what was working in the arena before this whole mess started-- and then revive pertinent areas of those debates. Take this for example:

Told you so, U.N. Iraq arms inspectors' report says on Yahoo! News: "'Despite some skepticism from many areas within the international community, in hindsight, it has now become clear that the U.N. inspection system in Iraq was indeed successful to a large degree, in fulfilling its disarmament and monitoring obligations,' said the unit's 1,160-page summing-up report.

'The UN's verification experience in Iraq also illustrates that in-country verification, especially on-site inspections, generate more timely and accurate information than other outside sources such as national assessments.'"

By going back to what the world was like before the invasion of Iraq you find there was sanity and methodology for problem-solving. Those solutions are still sound.

Find what has worked and what can work and focus on solutions--not failures--and your anger will find direction.