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Calling All CounterPunchers!
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Calling All CounterPunchers!
Annual Fundraising AppealWe interrupt your regular reading habits to bring you the following important announcement: CounterPunch needs your financial support!
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Barack Obama came into office preaching hope and promising change. Nine months later, hope is diminishing and change has yet to arrive. From the cratering economy to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, from warrantless wiretaps to a fatally compromised health care plan, from banker bailouts to ongoing rendition flights, this new administration governs a lot like the old. In spite of this, many progressive outlets have gone soft on Obama. We haven't. That's why so many of you have found a refuge at CounterPunch and made us your homepage. You tell us that you love CounterPunch because the quality of writing you find here every day and because we never flinch under fire. We appreciate the support and are prepared for the fierce battles to come.
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Today's Stories October 28, 2009 Moshe Adler October 27, 2009 Mike Whitney Patrick Cockburn Stewart J. Lawrence Alan Farago Ralph Nader Dave Lindorff Bouthaina Shaaban Brian M. Downing Elections in Afghanistan, the Second Time Around Iain Boal Carl Finamore Jayne Lyn Stahl Website of the Day October 26, 2009 Bill Quigley / Paul Craig Roberts Uri Avnery Mike Whitney Michael Snedeker Shamus Cooke David Michael Green Martha Rosenberg Patrick Bond Binoy Kampmark Website of the Day October 23-25, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Christopher Ketcham Jeff Gore Gareth Porter Jayne Lyn Stahl Saul Landau Mike Whitney Nikolas Kozloff Ron Jacobs Russell Mokhiber Missy Beattie Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Stephen Lendman David Ker Thomson Rannie Amiri Ronnie Cummins Norm Kent Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Ben Sonnenberg Kim Nicolini Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 22, 2009 Dan Pearson / Jonathan Cook Paul Craig Roberts The US as Failed State Mark Engler Johann Hari Brian M. Downing Eric Toussaint Tom Mountain Israel Shamir Charles Thomson Website of the Day October 21, 2009 Pam Martens Linn Washington, Jr. Liaquat Ali Khan D. K. Wilson Franklin Lamb Norman Solomon Stephen Fleischman Patrice Higonnet Binoy Kampmark Kevin Coval / Website of the Day October 20, 2009 Sharon Smith Tariq Ali Mark Brenner Bouthaina Shaaban Michael D. Yates Dean Baker Dave Lindorff John Ross Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Kevin Zeese Gilad Atzmon Website of the Day October 19, 2009 Mike Whitney Greg Moses John Ross Michael Donnelly Jayne Lyn Stahl Eric Walberg Russell Mokhiber Barbara Rose Johnston John V. Whitbeck Christopher Ketcham Website of the Day October 16-18, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Saul Landau Paul Craig Roberts Carl Ginsburg Ralph Nader Nikolas Kozloff Carlo Galli Dave Lindorff Catherine Rottenberg
/ Neve Gordon Marshall Auerback Nicola Nasser Windy Cooler James L. Secor Ron Jacobs Wes Jackson Jesse Lerner-Kinglake David Ker Thomson Against Leaders Missy Beattie Emily Ratner Stephen Martin Michael Snedeker Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Peter Stone Brown Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 15, 2009 Andrew Cockburn Brian M. Downing Ramzy Baroud Danny Weil M. Idrees Ahmad Margaret Kimberley Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Harvey Wasserman Nirmal Ghosh Charles R. Larson Website of the Day October 14, 2009 Michael Neumann M. Reza Pirbhai Gareth Porter Paul Craig Roberts John Strausbaugh Fortress Moon Ralph Nader Dean Baker Charles Modiano Nadia Hijab Walter Brasch Website of the Day October 13, 2009 Peter Linebaugh Shamus Cooke John Ross Brendan Cooney Frida Berrigan Yves Engler David Macaray Dave Lindorff Mark Weisbrot Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Binoy Kampmark Website of the Day October 12, 2009 Pam Martens Mike Whitney Martha Rosenberg Jessica Arents Eamonn McCann Bill Hatch Sen. Russell Feingold Niranjan Ramakrishnan Gideon Levy Iyad Burnat Alan Cabal Dan Bacher Website of the Day October 9-11, 2009 Alexander Cockburn James Bovard Kathleen and Bill Christison Andy Worthington Marc Levy Tariq Ali Mike Whitney Paul Craig Roberts Alan Nasser Jack Z. Bratich Steve Breyman David Michael Green Dave Lindorff Paul Buchheit Jim Goodman Missy Beattie Michael Leonardi Nadia Hijab Mel Packer David Macaray James T. Phillips Charles R. Larson Michael Donnelly David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 8, 2009 Saul Landau Paul Fitzgerald / Linn Washington, Jr. Marshall Auerback Dave Lindorff David Rosen Chris Darimont / Misty MacDuffee John V. Walsh Stewart Lawrence Charles R. Larson Website of the Day October 7, 2009 Brendan Cooney Paul Craig Roberts Dean Baker Jonathan Cook John Stanton Joanne Mariner Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Stephen Lendman Sen. Russell Feingold Mary Lynn Cramer Website of the Day October 6, 2009 Mike Whitney Gareth Porter Jonathan Cook Boris Kagarlitsky Iain Boal Ron Jacobs John Ross Michael Dickinson Stephen Fleischman Ira Glunts Missy Beattie Website of the Day October 5, 2009 Pam Martens Mike Whitney Paul Craig Roberts Harry Browne Sara Mann Omar Barghouti Shamus Cooke Brenda Norrell Fred Gardner Binoy Kampmark Copenhagen Blues: McChrystal and the Afghan Trap Website of the Day October 2-4, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Saul Landau Diana Johnstone Greg Moses William Blum Brian Cloughley Russell Mokhiber John Ross Ellen Brown David Ker Thomson David Macaray Gary Engler Robert Fantina Lisa Stolarski / Naomi Archer Anthony Papa Joe Allen Harry Browne Ron Jacobs Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend
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Business as Usual in HebronPeace Cycle to PalestineBy SUSAN GALLEYMORE The Peace Cycle, an annual ride for peace from London, just ended in Jerusalem. At the same time, Ehud Olmert just ended what he may have hoped would be a victory lap speaking around the United States and Palestinian school children from the villages of Tuba and Maghayir Al Abeed were prevented from attending school in At-Tuwani. The first two events received far more publicity than the last and yet they're all connected by the banal and the mundane: business as usual. Laura Abraham, co-founder of the Peace Cycle, came to Israel and the West Bank after she heard reports in Britain about the bombardment of Jenin in 2002. The Israelis sealed off that town and refused access to ambulances and journalists. “I listened to how people were killed when buildings were demolished on top of them. It was so horrific that I realized I needed to do more than just know about it, I had to do something about it.” This year's peace cyclists rode from Amman, Jordan to Jenin and other West Bank towns and villages, including Hebron. The ancient city referenced in the Old Testament is shuttered now and wire mesh covers its walkways. This, to prevent fundamentalist Jewish settlers who live above street level from tossing garbage onto pedestrians below.
Laura Abraham tells of a Palestinian youth who joined her group's visit to the mosque. “All his life, this twenty-year-old has lived 200 yards from the mosque and this was his first visit there. When I ask why he visited on this day, he said he feels safe with us because we are from England, the 'outside', and can protect him from Israeli soldiers and settlers who set upon Palestinians. He said, 'They attack us less when Internationals can see them.'” Abraham states, “This is another reason international individuals and organizations such as our Peace Cycle must visit the region: besides learning about the situation and telling others about it, Internationals reduce the day-to-day violence against Palestinians, at least while they're here. Once they leave Palestinians are harassed with impunity.” Meanwhile, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert leveraged business as usual and scaled new heights of chutzpa on his speaking tour around the United States just months after he was indicted in a corruption scandal that may put him behind bars. The charges predate his 2006 to 2009 term and include defrauding the government and overseas Jewish groups for double- and triple-billing travel charges, taking bribes, and for impropriety in maintaining a relationship with a business partner while a minister of trade and industry. Ever urbane and witty, Olmert tossed one liners as protesters in audiences around the country stood up and accused him of war crimes, of having blood on his hands, of murdering women and children in Gaza, and of the illegal use of White Phosphorous munitions against civilians. It is a sad business when Israeli soldiers must escort Palestinian children to and from their villages of Tuba and Maghayir Al Abeed to their school in At-Tuwani, near Hebron. The Israeli Knesset mandates the Israeli military ensure the children's safety and avoid the daily threat of violence from adults of the Israeli settlement of Ma'on and the illegal outpost of Havat Ma'on. When Israeli soldiers are late, the fearful children walk a longer route to and from school – or do not go to school at all. Additionally, the children report that soldiers sometimes use violence against them, that soldiers usually drive military vehicles next to them rather than walk alongside them and, sometimes, they drive so fast that the children must run to keep up. A lagging child risks being isolated from the others and is vulnerable to attack by settlers. So, while Olmert spoke about his legacy and cycle participants rode and learned four adult Israeli settlers, one masked and armed with a slingshot, prevented small children from attending their studies. Soldiers were late that day, as they are most of the time, although this time they claimed they were new to the situation and did not know where to meet the children for the escort. The day before, soldiers failed to arrive at all, forcing the children to take the longer path...where they have been attacked on numerous past occasions. Did I mention that former Prime Minister and current Middle East envoy Tony Blair visited Hebron at the same time as the Peace Cycle? And that his eight-year-old niece Alexandra and her mother Lauren Booth – Blair's sister-in-law – participated in this year's Peace Cycle? After his visit to Hebron Blair and his convoy swept past the cyclists stopped on the side of the road. Alexandra waved then asked Laura Abraham, “Do you think my uncle saw me?” I'm sure Laura Abraham's answer was appropriate to the child's age and that it models the humanity she has displayed ever since she learned about events in Jenin. I may have said, “Probably my dear. But, out here, children and Palestinians count for nothing when it comes to maintaining business as usual.” Susan Galleymore is author of Long Time Passing: Mothers Speak about War and Terror, host of Raising Sand Radio, and itinerant artist illustrating the effects of war in her Families of War Series. She lived and worked in Israel from 1975 to 1977 where she also learned Hebrew.
Inside the New Print Edition of Our Subscriber-Only Newsletter! Obama and Black America Ten months into Obama-time, the plight of black Americans is terrible. Yet overwhelmingly they rally behind the president. In a powerful report from the Deep South Kevin Alexander Gray asks the question: what should the black political agenda be? Mark Rudd counterposes “organizing” with “activism” and describes what it will take to build a movement. H. Bruce Franklin gives a chronology of the march into Afghanistan. Get your new edition today by subscribing online or calling 1-800-840-3683 Contributions to CounterPunch are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! CounterPunch books and t-shirts make great presents.Order CounterPunch By Email For Only $35 a Year !
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Now Available from CounterPunch Books! Yellowstone Drift:
"Powerful and shocking ..
Waiting for
Lightning
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