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Eamonn Fingleton gives a stunning account of how the elite press – the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, the New York Times and Washington Post - pilloried US autworkers while systematically concealing the hidden subsidies which have allowed Japan and Korea to destroy Detroit. All this with the connivance of the US government. Also in our latest newsletter: Michelle Obama comes to Merced. Bill Hatch, the Balzac of the Central Valley, gives an uproarious account of Michelle’s state visit to UC’s new campus. 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 gear make great presents.
How the U.S. Press Helped Destroy the Auto IndustryOrder CounterPunch By Email For Only $35 a Year !
Meet & Debate (Perhaps Even Date) CPers Online at CounterPunch's New Facebook Page!
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Today's Stories June 5 -7, 200 Alexander Cockburn Paul Craig Roberts Jennifer Loewenstein Franklin Lamb Missy Comley Beattie Farzana Versey Stanley Heller Robert Weissman Dave Lindorff William Blum Ernest Callenbach / June 4, 2009 Arno J. Mayer Mike Whitney Gareth Porter Ayesha Ijaz Khan Mouin Rabbani Jordan Flaherty Adam Turl Nikolas Kozloff Yifat Susskind Website of the Day June 3, 2009 Paul Craig Roberts Kathy Kelly Alan Farago Franklin Lamb Bill Hatch Nadia Hijab Dean Baker Binoy Kampmark Manuel Garcia, Jr. Remi Kanazi Behzad Yaghmaian Website of the Day June 2, 2009 Uri Avnery Robert Weissman Conn Hallinan Gideon Spiro Roger Burbach Dylan Quigley Dave Lindorff Ray McGovern Belén Fernández Martha Rosenberg Willie L. Pelote, Sr. Website of the Day June 1, 2009 Pam Martens Yitzhak Laor Mark Weisbrot Ramzy Baroud Saul Landau Eugenia Tsao Afshin Rattansi Debra Sweet Abdul Malik Mujahid Bill Quigley John Wright Website of the Day May 29-31, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Patrick Cockburn Vijay Prashad Gary Leupp Ray McGovern Rannie Amiri Bill Hatch Chellis Glendinning, Stephanie Mills and Kirkpatrick Sale Phyllis Pollack David Yearsley Jean-Christophe Servant Dave Lindorff James McEnteer Missy Beattie James C. Faris David Macaray Harvey Wasserman Adam Federman David Ker Thomson Mark Seth Lender Stephen Martin Joseph Nevins Sophia Mihic Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend May 28, 2009 Joan Roelofs Paul Craig Roberts Ralph Nader Mouin Rabbani Joe Bageant James McEnteer Dedrick Muhammad Richard Morse David Macaray Harvey Wasserman Website of the Day May 27, 2009 Joanne Mariner Paul Craig Roberts Walden Bello Dave Lindorff Brian M. Downing Carlos Villarreal Nadia Hijab Adam Federman Laray Polk Isabella Kenfield David Michael Green Website of the Day May 26, 2009 Manuel Garcia, Jr. Mike Whitney Sharon Smith Marjorie Cohn Dean Baker Deepankar Basu Fred Gardner Jordan Flaherty Josh Ruebner Brian Cloughley Website of the Day May 25, 2009 Diane Christian John Ross Kenneth Hartman Uri Avnery Fred Gardner Cindy Sheehan Sen. Russell Feingold Sibel Edmonds Franklin Lamb Dave Lindorff Daniel Wolff Website of the Day May 22-24, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Michael Teitelman Mike Whitney Ray McGovern Sonia Cardenas / Clive Hamilton Conn Hallinan Fred Gardner Carlo Cristofori Dean Baker Rannie Amiri Andy Worthington David Macaray Nadia Hijab Franklin Lamb Ted Newcomen David Ker Thomson David Rosen Mark Weisbrot Robert Fantina Heather Gray Farzana Versey Chris Genovali Ron Jacobs Jay Diamond Dr. Susan Block Ben Sonnenberg David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend May 21, 2009 Jeffrey St. Clair / Paul Craig Roberts Chris Floyd Gerald Paoli Zach Mason Uri Avnery Andy Worthington Niranjan Ramakrishnan Norman Solomon Dave Lindorff Website of the Day May 20, 2009 Michael Hudson Gary Leupp Michael D. Yates Jonathan Cook Peter Lee Binoy Kampmark Peter Zinn William Loren Katz Gary Lapon Trudy Bond Website of the Day May 19, 2009 Kristoffer Rehder Mike Whitney Ray McGovern Vijay Prashad Mirjam Hadar Meerschwam Mustafa Barghouthi Andy Worthington Binoy Kampmark John Walsh David Macaray Website of the Day May 18, 2009 Dave Lindorff Abdul Malik Mujahid Jonathan Cook Ben Rosenfeld Patrick Cockburn Ralph Nader Stephen Soldz Eugenia Tsao Walter Brasch Roberto Rodriguez Charlotte Laws Website of the Day May 15-17, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair David Rosen Mike Whitney Bruce Page Jeremy Scahill Fred Gardner Tom Barry Mats Svensson Ramzy Baroud Mark Engler Mark Weisbrot Farzana Versey Ron Jacobs Hannah Wolfe Cal Winslow David Macaray Christopher Brauchli Mark Seth Lender Robert Fantina David Ker Thomson Stephen Martin Charles R. Larson Chase Madar Kim Nicolini David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend May 14, 2009 Michael Hudson Andy Worthington Paul Craig Roberts Jonathan Cook Ray McGovern Lance Selfa David Green Dave Lindorff Frida Berrigan Sue Udry Website of the Day May 13, 2009 Brian M. Downing Gareth Porter Robert Sandels Ricardo Alarcón Eric Walberg Dave Lindorff Deepak Tripathi William S. Lind Kevin Zeese Franklin Lamb Website of the Day May 12, 2009 Gary Leupp Richard Neville Wajahat Ali Dean Baker Franklin Lamb Norman Solomon Paul Craig Roberts Lisa M. Hamilton Bob Fitrakis / David Macaray Website of the Day May 11, 2009 Andrea Peacock Michael Hudson Patrick Cockburn Ralph Nader John Kelly Saul Landau Dave Lindorff David Michael Green Anthony Papa Paul Krassner Website of the Day
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Weekend Edition Pot Home InvasionsBud and Blow TorchesBy TIM STELLOH As any local will tell you, this slice of the Emerald Triangle has seen its share of unforgettable pot-related stick-ups over the years. Our County's reputation precedes it: Every would-be dope grower has heard the name "Mendocino" -- and every NorCal stick-up artist looking for someone to rob has taken note. Take, for instance, the still-unsolved murder of Les Crane -- the one-time tie-dye clothing salesman who, after leaving Florida, landed in Mendocino County, opened two pot dispensaries and became Laytonville's reverend of medical marijuana. Crane was shot dead in his home four years ago while a group of ski-masked thieves stole his pot and cash. Two years later, Roy Valdez Jr. and Roy Valdez Sr. came along. This father-son duo from Santa Rosa masqueraded as water company workers to gain entrance to a grow near Ukiah. Shotgun and revolver in hand, pop and junior grabbed 14 pounds of pot and hit the road; they were nabbed by police shortly after while driving 100 miles an hour down State Street in Ukiah. Then, last year, the blowtorch bandits hit Fort Bragg. Perhaps worried that Coasties hadn't shared in the terror, these Oakland thugs burned -- or threatened to burn -- the genitals of their victims if they didn't hand over the dope and money. While most of the county's home invasions remain private affairs -- unpleasant, sometimes violent exchanges between entrepreneurs of often illicit endeavors -- the above mentioned stick-ups are among the few home invasions that each year actually get reported and investigated. With the last of these unsettling episodes, there could be some justice of the non-vigilante variety in the near future: The trial of Glenn Samuel Sunkett, an ex-con from Oakland and one of the alleged blowtorchers, begins next month. Sunkett was arrested last September in his hometown after some sharp detective work put the puzzle pieces in place: Sheriff's detectives canvassed local motels where the thief allegedly stayed, gathered eyewitness info, retrieved credit card and car rental details, and were able to put together sketches of Sunkett based on what they learned. The charges against Sunkett are many: he faces multiple counts of robbery, kidnapping, torture, false imprisonment and threatening -- all committed with a firearm. He's pleaded not guilty on all counts. The details of the stick up in question are as grisly as they come: Sunkett and two other perps -- who detectives are yet to track down -- were allegedly staked out in the bushes of a house just north of Fort Bragg late one night last July. When three men and a woman pulled up to the house, the thieves -- wielding a revolver -- ambushed them, according to Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Greg VanPatten. Michael Bennett, the homeowner, was knocked unconscious in the process; Sunkett and crew put one of the men in handcuffs, tied up the rest up with zip-ties and threatened to blow torch their testicles if they didn't talk. Nobody was burned, but Bennett was beaten so severely he's lucky to be alive, VanPatten said; after the incident he was airlifted from Mendocino Coast Hospital to Santa Rosa after the Coast decided it couldn't treat his serious injuries. While the group was tied up, Sunkett and crew plundered the place, grabbing several hundred in cash along with some jewelry and pot, VanPatten said. After the robbery, police found 884 indoor plants growing at the property; about 50 more had been uprooted and taken. Given that Sunkett and crew knew where to go and who to target, they had probably been tipped off by locals, VanPatten said, adding that while it's likely Sunkett robbed other grows in the area, he's a person of interest in only one other home invasion in the county -- the robbery last May at Fuschiarama, the flower and gift store just north of Fort Bragg on Highway 1. For lack of evidence, detectives haven't taken that case to the district attorney. The Fuschiarama heist followed a similar pattern as the robbery that would come later that summer: Three perps ambushed a man named Dusty Loewen, tied him up and threatened to light his crotch on fire. This time they followed through. Loewen suffered minor burns, VanPatten said. Loewen told police the robbers absconded with only $800 in cash -- though detectives heard later that it was a pot robbery. Not that it would have been difficult for your less-than-average thug to spot: helicopter pads had been built in Fuschiarama's front yard -- mere feet from Highway 1 -- and before the robbery, a helicopter could be seen parked out front. Rumors abound among Coast growers about which of Mr. Fuschiarama's activities lead to the confrontation last May, but one thing is clear: He wouldn't have won a popularity contest with his colleagues. These days, the chopper is nowhere to be seen, and a For Sale sign recently appeared beside the concrete pads. According to the realtor's listing, the 13-acre property, which went on the market for $1.3 million, includes majestic ocean views, a park-like setting with barbeque pits, 10,000 square feet of greenhouse space, horseshoe pits and picnic tables. Helicopter not included. Tim Stelloh is a reporter for the Anderson Valley Advertiser and can be reached there at ava@pacific.net.
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