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Should the Left Cheer the Dollar's Drop? How to make the bankers scream: Robert Pollin, world's best obituarist of Clintonomics, explains it all for you. Do police states make people feel safer? Vicente Navarro on Franco's Spain, Cockburn on Ireland in the Fifties under the Catholic Hierarchy, Alevtina Rea on growing up in Brezhnev-time. Capitalism's true utopia? St Clair on the Pentagon's no-bid arms contracts. How's the press doing in Iraq? Patrick Cockburn tells all to Omar Waraich. Get the answers you're looking for in the latest 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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Other Lands Have Dreams: From Baghdad to Pekin Prison by KATHY KELLY  Today's Stories May 5, 2005 Carles
Mutaner Brian
Concannon, Jr. May 4, 2005 Colin
Kalmbacher John
Walsh Greg
Moses Ali
Khan Chris
Floyd Linda
S. Heard Dave
Zirin William
S. Lind Gary
Leupp Website
of the Day
May 3, 2005 Dave
Lindorff Brian
Cloughley Ira
Kurzban Seth
Sandronsky Gilad
Atzmon Michael
Donnelly Alex
Sanchez Peter
Linebaugh
May 2, 2005 Ron
Jacobs Stan
Goff Karyn
Strickler Joshua
Frank Kevin
Zeese Vicente
Navarro
April 30 / May 1, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Gabriel
Kolko Jennifer
Loewenstein Lee
Sustar Saul
Landau T.W.
Croft Nikolas
Kozloff William
Blum Dave
Lindorff Joshua
Frank Doug
Giebel Steven
Erlanger Fred
Gardner Mike
Whitney Kurt
Nimmo Joe
DeRaymond Michael
Dickinson Mickey
Z. Justin
Taylor Poets
Basement Website
of the Weekend
April 29, 2005 W.
John Green Luke
Brothers Norman
Solomon M.
Junaid Alam Jackie
Corr Hunter
Greer Sharon
Smith Website
of the Day
April 28, 2005 Omar
Waraich Kevin
Zeese Dave
Lindorff Greg
Moses Toni
Solo Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Werther
April 27, 2005 John
Ross Joshua
Frank Ray
McGovern Mark
Donham Dan
Smith
April 26, 2005 Dave
Lindorff Alevtina
Rea Greg
Moses Joshua
Frank Diana
Johnstone
April 25, 2005 Uri
Avnery Alison
Weir Lee
Sustar Leonardo
Boff Gary
Leupp
April 23 / 24, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Gary
Leupp James
Petras Harry
Browne Fred
Gardner Ron
Jacobs Elizabeth
Schulte Chris
Floyd
April 22, 2005 Saul
Landau Kevin
Zeese Joshua
Frank Mike
Whitney Michael
Flynn Lee
Sustar Website
of the Day
April 21, 2005 Bill
Quigley Dave
Lindorff Jason
Leopold Kathleen
Christison
April 20, 2005 John Ross Kevin Zeese Uri Avnery Website of the Day
April 19, 2005 Jean-Guy Allard Dave Lindorff Neve Gordon Brian Concannon, Jr Murray Hudson Frank B. Ford Monty Python Michael Dickinson Paul Craig
Roberts Website of the Day
Linda Schade
/ Kevin Zeese John Ross Brian McKenna Mike Whitney Patrick Cockburn Dave Zirin Eli Stephens Harry Browne Website of
the Day
April 16 / 17, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Mark Dow Omar Waraich Robert Buzzanco Sherry Wolf Fred Gardner Ron Jacobs Mark Weisbrot John Pardon Yoshie Furuhashi Mike Roselle Ralph Nader Ramzy Baroud Jackson Thoreau Michael Dickinson Richard Neville Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend
April 15, 2005 Brian Cloughley Bill Glahn Mickey Z. Stephanie McMillan Josh Mahan David Russitano Jorge Mariscal Rodolfo "Corky"
Gonzales Tom Reeves
April 14, 2005 Karyn Strickler Pat Williams Jessica Pupovac Joshua Frank Jerzy Mankowski Talli Naumann Antony Loewenstein Virginia Rodino Saul Landau
/ Farrah Hassen Website of the Day
April 13, 2005 Maria Carrión Mike Whitney Terry Jones Dave Lindorff Nathaniel Livingston, Jr. Kurt Nimmo Don Fitz Tom Crumpacker JG Jack McCarthy Kevin Zeese Jeffrey St.
Clair
April 12, 2005 John Wheat
Gibson Kevin Zeese Alan Farago Dave Lindorff Ron Jacobs Nelson P. Valdes Dave Zirin Website of the Day
April 11, 2005 Tom Barry Saul Landau Monique Dols Phil Gasper Mike Whitney Edwin Krales Paul de Rooij Website of the Day
April 9 / 10, 2005 Jeffrey St.
Clair William A. Cook Gary Leupp Alan Maass Laura Carlsen Joe DeRaymond Nikolas Kozloff Dave Lindorff Greg Moses Fred Gardner Justin Smith Ron Jacobs M. Junaid Alam Ira Kay Elizabeth Schulte Jackie Corr Christopher
Brauchli Leslie A. Fiedler Ben Tripp Poets Basement Website of
the Weekend
April 8, 2005 Rob Eshelman Hom Raj Acharya
/ Sally Acharya Felice Pace Neve Gordon Mike Whitney Don Monkerud Adam Engel Vicente Navarro Website of the Day
April 7, 2005 Joshua Frank Yitzhak Laor Alan Maass Steven Sherman Dave Lindorff Gerry Adams John Chuckman Michael Dickinson John Ross Website of the Day
April 6, 2005 Peter Camejo Kevin Wehr Matt Vidal Robert Creeley
/ Bruce Jackson Nikolas Kozloff Sea Shepherd Crew Brenda Child Terry Eagleton David Swanson Cindy Ellen
Hill Website of
the Day
April 5, 2005 Jim Connolly Paul Craig
Roberts Gary Leupp Dave Lindorff Ron Jacobs Dan Smith Mark Engler Richard Oxman Greg Moses Website of the Day
April 4, 2005 Kevin Zeese Paul Craig Roberts Larry Birns
/ Sarah Schaffer Karyn Strickler Joshua Frank Michael Dickinson Surendra R.
Devkota Derrick O'Keefe Uri Avnery Website of the Day
April 2 / 3, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Stan Goff John Ross Saul Landau Robert Creeley Mike Roselle Joshua Frank Fred Gardner Greg Moses Fran Quigley Kurt Nimmo Nicole Colson Chris Genovali Alan Farago Lawrence Reichard Ben Tripp Avantika Regmi Lee Sustar Ron Jacobs Dave Lindorff Poets' Basement Website of
the Day
April 1, 2005 Tom Barry Rahul Mahajan Charlie Cray
/ Jim Vallette Dave Lindorff Zeynep Toufe Suzan Mazur Michael Dickinson Stan Cox Ra Ravishankar Daniel Wolff
March 31, 2005 Sharon Smith Ron Jacobs Tariq Ali Michael Dickinson Kanak Mani
Dixit Mitchell Zimmerman Xuan-Trang
Ho Dave Zirin Joe Bageant Jeff Halper Website of
the Day
Hot Stories Alexander Cockburn Subcomandante
Marcos Norman Finkelstein Steve Niva Dardagan,
Slobodo and Williams Steve
J.B. Sheldon
Rampton and John Stauber Wendell
Berry CounterPunch
Wire Cindy
Corrie Gore Vidal Francis Boyle
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May 5, 2005 "I Am Nothing More Than a Pawn"May Day with an American Soldier in RomeBy MICHAEL LEONARDI Rome, Italy.
During the papal spectacle of the past month and a half, heavy clouds hung over the ancient capital carrying with them almost daily rains. It was as if some supernatural force was cloaking the ritualistic changing of the guard at the Vatican in a shroud fitting for a beacon of such a corrupt cult of death and molestation. Only an hour after the windswept funeral, the rains began to fall intermittently and almost daily as if cleansing the putrid and foul presence of all the war criminals and robber barons who had come to Rome to take part in the ostentatious drama played out on one of the world's most spectacular stages, Saint Peter's square. A couple days prior to the first of May, the weather finally began to change. And all of that rain gave way to a blossoming of Spring and a rainbow of colours. Many shades of Green sprouted forth most intensely thanks to the fertilizer from the Catholic excrement of the month past and what seemed like never ending rains. Warm sunny skies and this bursting of life provided a wonderful backdrop to celebrate the May Day weekend here in Rome and reminded us of "our relationship to the earth and what grows there from." Over the May Day weekend I met a 23 year old American Infantry soldier in a pub, who was here in Rome on a brief leave while being transferred from Germany to Fort Hood in Texas. Craig had already served a 15 month tour of duty in Iraq and is scheduled to return there in about three months. He described his experience as a complete and utter hell and provided great detail of his time spent north of Fallujah and in Baghdad. Craig's unit was hit with Improvised Explosive Devices daily and he witnessed the Red blood of death from many victims of this horrid war, both Iraqi and American. Craig, who originates from Portland, Oregon, volunteered for the military after 9/11 in the hopes of becoming part of a special forces unit. He had the naïve vision of targeting specific "terrorists" in covert operations as opposed to fighting in all out combat in a war that he does not believe in. He was misled by his recruitment officer into believing that he could quickly reach his desired post. Craig is completely disillusioned and feels, like so many soldiers, completely betrayed by his government. Craig does not believe in the war at all. He said "I am nothing more than a pawn," and does not want to go back to Iraq. On May Day, along with a group of friends, I gave Craig a tour of Roma ending up at the annual outdoor concert organized by CGIL, CSIL and UIL the three largest trade unions of Italy. He was excited about seeing some Italian music and being in the festive atmosphere among other young people. Craig was curious, open minded, observant and eager to learn, while we, in turn were learning much from him. We walked about seven kilometres to arrive at the concert passing many sites including: the Vatican and Saint Peter's wrapped in all of its hypocrisy and still radiating the effects of the papal spectacle; Castle Saint Angelo, where popes of the past escaped when under attack; Piazza Navona and Campo Dei Fiori, two of Rome's lovely public squares where spectacles and festivals were held in ancient Rome; and onward to the Pantheon, a construction marvel dating back two thousand years; the impressive Trevi Fountain; and finally making our way to San Giovanni in Laterano for the concert. We discussed Roman and World history, the corruption of power, and religion exchanging many intense and heartfelt views. Before meeting Craig I had a difficult time empathizing with soldiers who had so willingly signed up. Now I was gaining a new perspective. When we arrived at San Giovanni and witnessed the massive crowd of half a million people, we were reminded and explained to Craig that this had been the end point of the largest anti-war action in the world just two years past. On February the 15th of 2003, over 3,000,000 marched and attempted to converge in this same place to voice their opposition to the illegal attack on Iraq which he had now witnessed and participated in first hand. As American youth have little knowledge of May Day because of its elimination by the American Government after the Haymarket uprising, I gave Craig a brief history of this International celebration of the Red and Green. I identified the many flags waving above the crowd: Italy's Rainbow flag of peace; some of the trade unions; many of the communist party as Red was a dominant colour of the day; the red and black of the EZLN Zapatistas, Che Guevara, Cuba, Palestine, and then quite remarkably and directly behind us, when Craig had run off to buy us a beer a young man was waving the only Iraqi flag in the crowd. "How do you think our new soldier friend will respond to this?" I asked my friends. While opening up more and more to Craig we were conscious and sensitive to the fact that he had lost many friends in this bloody hell of a war! I approached the young man waving the Red, Black and Green flag of Iraq and introduced myself as an anti-war American, interested to know why he was carrying the flag and explaining that I was with a soldier who had been in Iraq. I imagined that this guy and his mates were in solidarity with the Iraqi resistance as are many here. This 25 year old was very friendly, open and extremely knowledgeable, as were all his friends and when Craig returned, a bit cautiously, he joined in the conversation with some translation help. Emanuele, the guy with the flag, actually supported the liberation of Saddam and the return of the Ba'ath party as a stabilizing socialist force in the region. We argued a bit about this, as I pointed out that Saddam seemed nothing more than a corrupt and ruthless businessman/politician like Bush and Berlusconi, with past strong business ties to both the US and Italy. Craig seemed a little taken a back by the whole thing, but we then all just started enjoying the concert together as the crowd erupted -- led by the raucous rebel band The Modena City Ramblers -- into a rousing rendition of "Bella Ciao," the anthem of Italian Communist resistance to the Fascists during World War II. When we left, Craig, the American soldier, and Emanuele, the Iraqi resistance supporter, gave each other a warm, Red handshake symbolizing the "relationship to other people and the blood spilt there among." I have contacted an old friend, CounterPunch contributor and fellow Toledoan, Michael Ferner of the Veterans for Peace and Program On Corporations Law And Democracy, for suggestions on helping Craig avoid a second tour of duty in Iraq. If anyone else has suggestions or ideas to help please send them along. Michael Leonardi originates from Toledo, Ohio, and
is currently living and working in Rome, Italy. He can be reached
at: mikeleonardi@hotmail.com
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