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The War So Far: a Failure Worse Than Vietnam by Patrick Cockburn in Baghdad "The need for the White House to produce a fantasy picture of Iraq is because it dare not admit that it has engineered one of the greatest disasters in American history. It is worse than Vietnam because the enemy is punier and the original ambitions greater." Get the answers you're looking for in the subscriber-only edition of CounterPunch ... CounterPunch Online is read by millions of viewers each month! But remember, we are funded solely by the subscribers to the print edition of CounterPunch. Please support this website by buying a subscription to our newsletter, which contains fresh material you won't find anywhere else, or by making a donation for the online edition. Remember contributions are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! or write CounterPunch, PO BOX 228, Petrolia, CA 95558 |
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October 26, 2005 Kathy Kelly Gary Leupp Mike Marqusee Eric Ruder Patrick Cockburn Joshua Frank J.L. Chestnut, Jr.
October 25, 2005 Paul Craig
Roberts Ken Sengupta / Patrick Cockburn Conn Hallinan Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed Jackie Corr Robert Day John Sugg
October 24, 2005 Dave Lindorff Michael Donnelly Patrick Cockburn Mike Whitney Norman Solomon Bill and Kathleen
Christison
October 22 / 23, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Billy Sothern Saul Landau Ralph Nader Behrooz Ghamari Brian Cloughley Diana Barahona Fred Gardner Lee Sustar Patrick Cockburn Laura Carlsen James Petras Joshua Frank Manuel Garcia,
Jr. Michelle Bollinger Missy Comley
Beattie Kona Lowell Ben Tripp Jeffrey St. Clair Poets' Basement Website of
the Day
October 21, 2005 Dave Lindorff Winslow T. Wheeler Col. Dan Smith Norman Solomon Madis Senner Michael Donnelly
Dave Lindorff Ray McGovern Jeremy Brecher
/ Patrick Cockburn Kevin Zeese Ross Eisenbrey Randy Shields Justine Davidson After Lucas
Cranach Joe Allen
October 19, 2005 Christopher Reed Stephen Soldz Chet Richards Patrick Cockburn Scott Richard
Lyons Ralph Nader Website of
the Day
October 18, 2005 Chet Flippo Ron Jacobs Keeanga-Yamahtta
Taylor Dave Lindorff Virginia Rodino Thomas Healy Ralph Nader Stephen Lendman Patrick Cockburn
October 17, 2005 Peter Linebaugh Norman Solomon Cockburn /
Sengupta Mike Whitney Uri Avnery Harold Pinter Website of
the Day
October 15 / 16, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Patrick Cockburn Saul Landau Neve Gordon Moshe Adler Christopher Brauchli Diane Farsetta Sam Husseini Monica Benderman Mickey Z. Douglas C.
Smyth Lee Sustar Fred Gardner Elizabeth Schulte Joshua Frank David Vest Ben Tripp Poets Basement Website of
the Weekend
October 14, 2005 Farrah Hassen Ron Jacobs Sasha Kramer Katrina Yeaw Nicole Colson Raúl Zibechi Nikolas Kozloff Website of the Day
Jeremy Scahill Jeff Birkenstein Brendan Smith / Jeremy Brecher Stan Cox Anis Memon Gary Leupp Dave Zirin Matthew Koehler Werther Website of
the Day
Omar Waraich William Cook Phil Gasper Dave Lindorff Matt Vidal John Gautreaux Diana Johnstone Mark Weisbrot Brian J. Foley Website of
the Day
October 11, 2005 Roger Morris
/ Steve Schmidt Lila Rajiva Bill Quigley Paul Craig Roberts Dave Lindorff Dr. Teresa Whitehurst Mitchel Cohen Tariq Ali Website of
the Day
October 10, 2005 Cindy and Craig
Corrie Joshua Frank Gideon Levy Alan Wallis Mickey Z. CounterPunch News Service Paul Craig
Roberts Website of the Day
October 8 / 9, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Ralph Nader Jennifer Van Bergen Saul Landau Jeff Halper Lenni Brenner Nikolas Kozloff Brian Cloughley Alice Slater John Gautreaux Fred Gardner Niranjan Ramakrishnan M.G. Piety Tom Gorman Mike Whitney Aseem Shrivastava Ben Tripp Poets' Basement
October 7, 2005 Larry Johnson Will Youmans Dave Lindorff Judith Scherr Russell D. Hoffman Jared Bernstein Jennifer Van
Bergen Website of
the Day
P. Sainath Scott Parkin Paul Craig
Roberts Andréa Schmidt Dave Lindorff Joshua Frank M. Junaid Alam Matthew Koehler Robert Pollin
October 5, 2005 Heather Gray Robert Jensen Ramzy Baroud Col. Dan Smith Dave Zirin Paul Craig Roberts Alan Maass
October 4, 2005 Nikolas Kozloff Mike Roselle Joshua Frank John Chuckman Alan Farago Mickey Z. Christine & Ethan Rose Gary Leupp Website of the Day
October 3, 2005 Vijay Prashad Paul Craig
Roberts Joshua Frank Seth Sandronsky Jeffrey St. Clair
October 1 / 2, 2005 Cockburn
/ St. Clair Dave
Marsh Ralph
Nader Flavia
Alaya Uri
Avnery Chris
Kutalik Greg
Moses Brian
J. Foley Nicole
Colson Ray
McGovern Fred
Gardner Justin
Felux Will
Youmans Mike
Ferner David
Krieger Agustin
Velloso Saul
Landau Ben
Tripp Poets
Basement Website
of the Weekend
September 30, 2005 Mary
Geddry Paul
Craig Roberts Dave
Lindorff Gregory
Wilpert Benjamin
Dangl James
McMurtry T.R.
Johnson
September 29, 2005 Sen.
Russ Feingold Carl
G. Estabrook Ramzy
Baroud Dave
Lindorff Mike
Whitney Jozef
Hand-Boniakowski Gary
Handschumacher Winslow
T. Wheeler
September 28, 2005 Dr.
Eyad Serraj William
A. Cook Liaquat
Ali Khan Mike
Whitney Joshua
Frank CounterPunch
Wire Chris
Genovali Linn
Washington, Jr.
September 27, 2005 Forrest
Hylton Jason
Leopold Jennifer
K. Harbury Ray
McGovern Mike
Ferner Antony
Loewenstein Harry
Browne
September 26, 2005 Rafael
Rodriguez Cruz Joshua
Frank Lamis
Andoni Mike
Marqusee Rep.
Cynthia McKinney Ron
Jacobs Norman
Solomon John
Chuckman Paul
Craig Roberts
September 24 / 25, 2005 Kathy
and Bill Christison Ralph
Nader Saul
Landau Greg
Moses Roger
Burbach Vijay
Prashad Laura
Carlsen Robert
Fisk Dave
Lindorff Kirkpatrick
Sale / Thomas Naylor Maj.
Anthony Milavic Brian
Concannon, Jr.
September 23, 2005 CounterPunch
News Service Diane
Farsetta Robert
Sandels Christopher
Brauchli Alan
Farago Dave
Zirin Maxine
Conant David
Price
September 22, 2005 Smith,
Wood, Leas, and Greenfield Patrick
Cockburn Manuel
Garcia, Jr. Lucia
Dailey Mokhiber
/ Weissman Russell
D. Hoffman Kona
Lowell Jason
Leopold Website
of the Day
September 21, 2005 Jorge
Mariscal Linda
S. Heard Joshua
Frank Eric
Ruder Pierre
Tristam Dave
Lindorff Mike
Ferner Missy
Comley Beattie Jeffrey
St. Clair Website
of the Day
September 20, 2005 Steve
Breyman George
Galloway Patrick
Cockburn M.
Shahid Alam Mike
Whitney Winslow
T. Wheeler Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Paul
Craig Roberts
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October 26, 2005 The Future of Black Leadership in AmericaThe Legacy of Rosa ParksBy J.L. CHESTNUT, Jr. Rosa Parks passed October 24, 2005. She was an unassuming, remarkable woman who came to symbolize the black struggle in this country, and by refusing to get up out of a bus seat this humble but grand black woman taught black Americans how to stand up. She gave birth to a movement that changed America. I met her on a number of occasions but really didn't know her. The passing of Ms Rosa Parks this week caused me to think again about black leadership, today and tomorrow. As a young, activist lawyer in Selma and Birmingham during the turbulent and really dangerous 1960s, I came to personally know Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall, Fred Shuttlesworth, John Lewis, Bernard Lafayette, James Foreman and most of the black leaders of that day. These men were dedicated, courageous and often they were larger than life. Privately, some of them harbored serious policy disagreements with some of the others and two or three of them even disliked some of the others personally but they usually tried to compliment each other for the sake of the struggle. Not one of them was perfect, and they all were flawed. These were real black leaders. Several didn't survive the 1960s and have since been elevated to mythical status by mainstream leaders and others. It is revealing to study how America treats black rebels in life and in death. Neither King nor Malcolm was viewed kindly during their very short lives by much of white America; yet, a mere 40 years after his assassination King is quoted almost daily (and more often misquoted) by white leaders. It is also revealing to understand that America never really feared King, but many powerful white Americans deeply feared what they regarded as his unattainable goals. On the other hand, America nervously demonizes black leaders it fears such as Malcolm who, after all these many years since his assassination, continues to be viewed in frightened suspicion by many in mainstream America. The early Malcolm was one of the very first to become almost a 100% creation of television and he shrewdly elevated street corner "wolfing" and "jiving" to the level of an art form. His primary weapon was a very big gift to use really provocative words and sharp TV images to promote fear in white America. Malcolm never fired a shot or threw a punch at anyone, black or white, and as far as I can tell, was probably almost as non-violent as King; however, he used the white media to carefully create a public image as being the personification of a strong, fighting-back, black manhood and sent guilty white America into fits. I always smile today when a young African-American Hip Hop intellectual holds up his favorite poster with Malcolm peering menacingly from behind curtains, as the apostle of armed resistance, armed with rifles and prepared to make bloody war. Many Hip Hoppers and the romantics regard Malcolm and King as irreconcilable opposites, but the two leaders indirectly helped each other to produce change in America. King in the law; Malcolm in our consciousness. Malcolm's highly televised threats helped King win concessions. In 1965, at Malcolm's request, I arranged for him to meet secretly with King and Abernathy in the Selma jail (that fact is ignored even today by the romantics though I spoke of it in detail in my 1990 autobiography). King and Malcolm understood that they complimented each other, and Malcolm said as much publicly during the one day in 1965 he spent in Selma making provocative speeches. Malcolm's successor, Louis Farrakhan, has as many problems as the early Malcolm experienced. Powerful white forces have the power to help make and break black leaders. In Malcolm's time, however, there was no layer of pliable, opportunistic black politicians operating as a buffer between white leaders and black America. Malcolm, King and the NAACP pretty much had the field to themselves. Farrakhan's situation is different, but in some ways similar. Like Malcolm, Farrakhan is super smart, super articulate and he speaks the uncompromising truth about racists and racism in America and elsewhere. Therefore, TV hosts, who consider themselves smarter than any black person, have their staffs research and prepare all kinds of denigrating questions designed to make Farrakhan appear outrageous and irresponsible. They try it every time. On camera, these highly paid, well-known, mainstream performers attack Farrakhan with racist vengeance, but there's never any real contest because Farrakhan is always calm, the master of anything they can dream up and he handles these people with consummate ease. In addition, damn near every white television personality tries to seduce other blacks into condemning Farrakhan. Over the years I have been asked repeatedly, "Have you heard what Farrakhan said the other day and what do you have to say about it?" One learns early on that if a black person says 100 positive things about Farrakhan but adds one minor criticism, the taped TV segment will be headlined: "Black spokesman condemns Farrakhan." Likewise, Jesse Jackson will be renounced forever because of his regrettable description of New York City as "Hymietown." Jesse's apologies were ignored. I advised him within days of the incident to stop making apologies and go on the offensive. It is racist nonsense not to forgive a black man with no governmental power for making an unfortunate racial crack but to always quickly forgive or seek to explain away the worst racist cracks about blacks from a small army of white government functionaries with power. Ronald Reagan launched his first presidential campaign with a racist speech in Philadelphia, Mississippi. The press almost didn't bother to report it. Blacks who insist on saying what whites don't want to hear are universally demonized. Blacks who say what whites want to hear are elevated. In 1991, President Bush nominated a black nobody, Clarence Thomas, to a seat on the Supreme Court and described Thomas as "the most qualified person for the position." Given Thomas's modest academic background, his youth, his lack of litigation experience and his undistinguished record, the nomination wasn't based on anything except Thomas spent his recent years saying all the backward things he knew pleased the most powerful racists in the country. The landscape is inundated with other such examples. Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Shelby Steel and Glenn Loury (before he reversed position) and a stable of so-called black scholars all gained easy national celebrity because of their willingness to minimize the effect of white racism on the lowly status of blacks. They are not fit to be mentioned in the same breath with Rosa Parks. But too often, in 2005, these sort of pliable, nothing opportunists represent what passes for black leadership. Lord help us! J.L. Chestnut, Jr. is a civil rights attorney in Selma, Alabama. He is the founder of Chestnut, Sanders and Sanders which is the largest black law firm in Alabama. Born in Selma and, after graduating from Howard University Law School, he began practicing law in Selma in 1958. He started as the only black lawyer in the town and has been challenging the establishment since then. His law firm now owns two radio stations in Selma and Mr. Chestnut hosts a radio talk show three days a week touted as the most popular radio show in south and central Alabama. He is the author of "Black in Selma" with Julia Cass (1989 Farrar, Straus and Giroux), and writes a weekly column called the "Hard Cold Truth". He can be reached at tmarshall@csspca.com.
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from CounterPunch Books! The Case Against Israel By Michael Neumann  Grand Theft Pentagon: Tales of Greed and Profiteering in the War on Terror by Jeffrey St. Clair                      |
