Stop piping cats

Despite giggling when I first saw this heading, this is a mistake I've made for years.

Chavez Moves Forward

...and some say Chavez isn't interested in bottom up socialism.

Kasatka, the Sea World Orca

Jason Hribal writes on institutionalized cruelty to animals.

More on the monster

Pinochet's Death Spares Bush Family
The Crimes of Augusto Pinochet

Camouflaging racism

SPLC has long documented instances of extreme right white supremacist anti-immigrant groups attempting to cover themselves by either enlisting, or forming spin off groups of people of color sharing their anti-immigrant views. We've seen that on a local level with SOS through the Joe Turner and Ted Hayes connections. We've also seen a local MMP/SOS push to support a group they helped form called "you don't speak for me," purportedly a grass root Latino group against immigration.

Michele R. Marcucci, in Immigration group may not be what they seem, writes of a new development. Vietnamese for Fair Immigration, founded by a caucasian FAIR member, posing under a Vietnamese name. His wife, apparently sharing his virulent anti-immigrant views, has written articles that have appeared on the extreme right wing hate site VDARE. When questioned in about this, she replied:

"If you disagree with somebody's point of view, they say you're racist," Hoang said.

Why yes, I would think that anyone that disagrees with phrenology, and other pseudo-sciences like the bell curve as being justified in calling it racist. VDARE, slightly more cautious than a full blown racist site like Stormfront, features writers like Steve Sailer. Just a quick scan of his article titles should be familiar territory with Klansman and Nazis. I certainly hope Hoang's assertion to be understood in this light, we disagree with it and it IS RACIST!

Dead Monster

I saw news of Pinochet's death on Univision while in the laundry-mat yesterday. I caught part of it over the noise of the dryers, but the noise and my translation skills left a bit more out than desired. That said, it was obvious that Univision was treating it as somewhat of an unfortunate event. No mention of the over 14,000 Chileans he brutally killed during his fascist reign after the murderous coup the CIA helped him orchestrate in order to dispose of the democratically elected Allende. While the death of a monster like Pinochet is no sad thing, it allowed him to escape the justice that several governments, including Spain, might have brought him to. The ruling class has had two close calls this year, first with Ken Lay, now with Pinochet, in which the perpetrators of such unthinkable crimes escape justice through a premature death.
The Atrocities of Gen. Augusto Pinochet and the United States
But The Band Plays On
Death of a Pig
An Open Letter to Henry Kissinger from One of Pinochet's Political Prisoners

"I don't see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people. The issues are much too important for the Chilean voters to be left to decide for themselves." - Henry Kissinger

Kissinger, engineer of the first 9-11, is still a big supporter of democracy today, as is big daddy Bush (GHWB).
Tales From the Crypt: Pinochet, the Bushes and Fake Miracles
Death of a dictator

The Darkest Corner of the Mind

George Monbiot's piece on U.S. torture horrors, with the acknowledgment of the same practices having been perfected in the U.S. prison system. The article was also published in The Guardian as Routine and systematic torture is at the heart of America's war on terror. The ending passage is awesome:

President Bush maintains that he is fighting a war against threats to the "values of civilised nations": terror, cruelty, barbarism and extremism. He asked his nation's interrogators to discover where these evils are hidden. They should congratulate themselves. They appear to have succeeded.

Robolobster

White supremecy on a big budget

Los Angeles journalist Juan Santos tackles Mel Gibson's latest pro-colonialism, pro-supremacist propaganda piece in Apocalypto: The Cinematic Logic of Genocide. This careful analysis unveils both Gibson's and his potential audiences' racism and so called liberal Hollywood machine's financing of films supporting the tired old "white man's burden" ideology.

Pioneering Study Shows Richest Two Percent Own Half World Wealth

...or why Marx and Engels were right and why socialism is the only solution to the barbarism that is neoliberal capitalism.

Derrick O'Keefe's piece on Chavez's victory

The Withering of the Bush Dynasty

Midnight in Mexico

Bolivarian Dreams

Venezuela and the Bolivarian Dream Tariq Ali writes on how Venezuela and Latin America offer hope in an age of neoliberal capital. His book, Pirates of the Caribbean: Axis of Hope, is out now.

At Home with the Anti-Chavistas George Ciccariello-Maher discusses experiences and conversations with reactionary right wingers regarding their impressions of Chavez.

Hands Off Venezuela - the film

Ecuador and the Contradictions of Chavismo

Interesting article, showing how Latin America is continuing to reject the vicious yoke of U.S. imperialism, but at the same time how Chavez should be cautious.

Steven Mather on the approaching Venezuelan election

Siege and Seizure in Korea

No more a left of center liberal? Cindy Sheehan is starting to sound like she is radicalized with a correct understanding of inperialism. We had a local protest in support of the Korean farmers in Daechuri not long ago.

FAPLA Protest

FAPLA demonstration in support of AMLO and his struggle for the people in Mexico and the importance of Oaxaca and how we must make it an international struggle. November 20, 2006 in front of the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles.

Until they get their way

Two good articles. One on an upcoming book by an author who used the freedom of information act to obtain unequivocal proof of the Bush regime's participation in the 2002 coup attempt against Hugo Chavez entitled The Chavez Code - Cracking US Intervention in Venezuela. The new book, Eva Golinger's New Book - Bush vs. Chavez, will certainly warrant reading as well.

Another article Coup D'etat in Venezuela: Made in the USA discusses the well funded and orchestrated efforts to tamper with and cast doubt on the validity of Venezuela's upcoming elections. The U.S. ruling class as headed up by el Bush, know Chavez's popularity disallow the kind of trickery they pulled off recently in Mexico with Calderon, so they have had to resort to a much more sophisticated way to subvert the will of the peoples.

Clever Cetaceans

Dolphins sing 'Batman' theme
Dolphin mums teach daughters to sponge

The General Who Called Out the Devil

Quick Items

Union Sundown: The Corporate Elite Takes Off its Mask Chris Floyd discusses transnational corporate anger at the Chinese government's announcement to crack down on sweatshops and allow some unionization.

Conn Hallinan's Hunting Hugo discusses the administration's increasing efforts to depose Chavez.

Bush Moves Toward Martial Law

Mixed Bag

El Salvador's Water: Not for Sale

Israel admits phosphorus bombing

Mixed Bag

Sam-bo-il-bae support Korean farmers from being displaced by the imperial war machine!

What happens when you are executed by electrocution? nothing cruel or unusual about that?

Joe Turner: School board candidate or demagogue?

Supremacists' Anti-Immigrant Outreach Strategies

Sugg's piece exposes the secret life of many MMP/SOS members and sympathizers. Quotes on supremacist tactics for working with partners like Gilchrist, Turner et al"

His most vitriolic comments were reserved for Hispanics, the new punching bags of the far right. "They breed like rats, worse than niggers, and send their money back to Mexico," Griffin roared. "Only thing I got for them is a bullet right between the eyes. Ship their dead butts back to Mexico."

Chris James, a delegate from White Revolution, also picked up on the anti-immigrant theme. He preached that racists could attract converts by finding "common ground" with the general public on issues such as illegal immigration. "Think racially and act locally," he urged.

When Minutemen and Save Our State make their specious claims about not being racists, understand that the quotes above are ideas the type that many of their membership subscribe to. Note too, that Aryan Nations members staffed Gilchist's congressional campaign office. The convention described in linked article is what AN believes in.

When the Gringos Go Down South

Mike Davis' piece reveals another side of the border crossing debate. Not mentioned is the flood of anglo geriatrics heading south for cheap prescriptions.

Real Terrorism

With all the reactionary rationals of 'fighting terrorism' to support thier murderous policies overseas and repressive actions domestically, we might want to look at what real and tangible terrorism really is and how it seems to escape their 'talking points.' Firstly, we still have the outstanding issue of Luis Posada Carriles. Not a suspected, or even in Bush-think, a remotely connected with terrorism--but a confessed (and boastful) murderer and terrorist. Well loved by the U.S. ruling class for commiting his atrocities against other brown people, he is holed up in Bush's adopted state of Texas. Note that none of the white supremacist 'border vigilantes' like the MMP or SOS made a peep when Carriles entered the country without papers. So much for the racists' weak claim that they are enforcing the law. SW had a good article last month entitled Will the U.S. free a right-wing terrorist?.

The principled left have always maintained that the real threat of terrorism is some of the oldest right wing groups at home, including old standbys like the Klan. Despite the efforts of the reactionary media to paint Muslims as persons prone to violence, the most dangerous persons typically are white supremacists and U.S. militia types. When UK tech site "The Register" published an article about Sen. Kyl's right wing propaganda proclaiming neo-con vigilance in stopping terror, it was no surprise that topping the list was a white supremacist and several militia members. When the liberal left tells us to ignore racist groups like the Minutemen Project and Save Our State, we have good reason to point out that they are proto-fascist, nascent terrorist groups and must be stopped at any cost.

PS: I had just finished this and noticed Orcinus had a like-minded post

Mixed Bag

Mark Weisbrot, Correcting the Facts on US/Venezuela Relations on Chavez and Venezuela

Amy Goodman interviews Scott Ritter

Jorge Mariscal, How Military Recruiters Pitch to Latinos

Outrage as Misdirection

Ruling class hypocrisy aside, this is the real context in which to view the Foley scandal.

Chavez's Reading, Bush's Reading

Leader of the Free World Speaks at UN

The leader of the free world spoke at the United Nations. He spoke in his familiar true and bold style about imperialism and the perpetrators of the most unconscionable crimes. He spoke of how the remaining free nations had to resist U.S. hegemon. His speech is a must read for all those that oppose evil and neoliberalism. President Hugo Chavez is the biggest hope the world has today.

George Galloway: Popular Resistance from Caracas to Cairo

What Ohio and Mexico Have in Common

It's bad enough that the myth of voting=democracy is pervasive in bourgeois 'democracy.' However, the documented widespread fraud in Florida 2000 and Ohio 2004 make even the most corrupt governments envious of the empire's recent election 'results.' Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s piece in Rolling Stone is one of the most comprehensive critiques of the mendacity of recent U.S. elections.

Even more Diebold hacks

Security Analysis of the Diebold AccuVote-TS Voting Machine

They Said it Couldn't be Done: Diebold Voting-Machine Hack Announced at SD Best Practices

More Good Diebold Hacks

Cracking a Diebold In 4 minutes and 12 Dollars
blackboxvoting.org

Mujeres unida, jamas sera vencida

Los Angeles Sep 2, 2006 -- Around 3,500 people marched through downtown demanding amnesty for all immigrants. In keeping with the march theme of solidarity with immigrant mother Elvira Arellano the march was led by women, particularly immigrant women, to the chant of "Mujeres unida, jamas sera vencida" while bearing a large banner calling for equality and justice for all.

Marchers came from a broad range of groups and surrounding cites and were all in excellent spirits. One woman said she had come because she heard of the event on TV the night before. Expecting a May Day 2006 sized crowd she was going to go home until she learned the march was in support of Elvira Arellano and was shown Elvira's story in "Socialist Worker." Visibly moved by the story she said "We all take the risk she has, we all live in fear." A member of the Los Angeles Port Truck drivers said of Elvira "it is important for all workers to support her because she is a worker."

Several key activists of the Los Angeles immigrant rights groups were in attendance. President of the Mexican American Political Association Nativo Lopez took some time to talk with "Socialist Worker." Most important was his view on how to re-vitalize the movement. "I feel the remaining principled members of the March 25th coalition must work directly with the National Alliance for Immigrant Rights (NAIR). The only way to sustain the movement is to build local, grass roots leadership on the ground. That means we need to be building within organized labor, within the churches, within the communities. Reaching out to create leadership and organization as a local branch of NAIR is the next step."

The march ended in front of Los Angeles City Hall. There an all women panel of speakers spoke to the gathered activists. Many people were searching for ways to be more involved and many were eager to share their stories. One immigrant named Jerry told of how he had been across the border five times and that he had been beaten on one occasion by immigration authorities.

Fighting Racist Hate in Maywood

August 26th saw anti-racist activists taking on the SOS/MMP protest in Maywood California. Aside from their usual assortment of jingoistic signs and flags, they had some telling items behind their line of police protection. First a banner calling for a openly racist Colorado congressperson to run for president. They also held up a placard straight out of National Vanguard white supremacist rhetoric. It reads "five hundred years of European advancement, get over it." Dripping with racism, the sign sums up the real motivations and wrong headed mindset of the SOS/MMP crowd. More on this soon.

Todd Chretien for Senate!

Todd Chretien is running against warmonger Dianne Feinstein. Quotes like the following show why everyone in California needs to vote for him:

Condemning "both sides" in the Middle East is just like condemning "both sides" in the American Civil War.

Interview Pamela Style

August 12 Protest

Los Angeles, California -- Over 1,000 people demonstrated against Israel's ongoing campaign of murder in Lebanon and Gaza on Saturday August 12. A pair of huge (tennis court sized) flags, one Lebanese, on Palestinian, were born along the route. The Downtown march ended in front of the Federal Building and saw protesters chanting a range of slogans including: "From Beirut to Jenin, stop the Israeli war machine," and "Bush!, Olmert!, how many kids did you kill today?"

Reflecting Los Angeles' multi-ethnic composition, the demonstration saw turnout from a range of anti-war and progressive organizations, as well as Arab American organizations and local Mosques being well represented. A group of young Muslim students had travelled from Corona. When asked what they thought of the protest, one of the Hijab clad students remarked "This is so important to protest the killing. We have to stop the killing." She went on to explain she was happy to see broad support for Lebanon.

Speakers pointed out the direct ties between the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Israeli assaults on Gaza and Lebanon. Many expressed outrage at the billions of dollars in U.S. aid and armaments, and called on an unified anti-war movement doesn't shirk at addressing Palestine. Many people were discussing organizing independently from the two pro-war parties. The fact that Los Angeles' Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, didn't attend wasn't lost on protesters. That the "liberal darling," had found time to show his strong support for Israel's war along with Governor Schwarzenegger late last month further proved to people that an end to wars for oil and empire won't be found by supporting the Democratic Party.

Rev. John Hagee's War The Manchurian Clergyman

The Aesthetics of Fascism

The human cost of 'measured responses'

Ten Days in Venezuela

Is Cheney Betting On Economic Collapse?

More Direct Ties Between Anti-Immigrant Groups and White Supremacists

Despite their constant specious claims they aren't racist, the anti-immigrant hate mongers are constantly being exposed for their white supremacist connections. The above report conclusively proves the ties between anti-immigrant lobbyiests (suit and tie klan) with major political groups. A quote from the 'repectible' Fred Elbel:

Damned right. I hate 'em all - negroes, wasps, spics, eskimos, jews, honkies, krauts, ruskies, ethopans, pakis, hunkies, pollocks and marxists; there are way too many of them. I'm all for trout, elephants, bacteria, whales, wolves, birds, parrot fish, deciduous foliage and mollusks. Time to rebalance the planet, bleeding heart liberals be damned. [sic]

This Saturday (07/08) at around 17:00 the rabidly racist SOS will be in Hollywood trying to show they aren't discouraged by their string of defeats in trying to frighten hard working day laborers. We need to show up in numbers to remind them that we will not stand for their racism and nativism.

Chemistry of Auschwitz

I hadn't known the untalented supremacist twins were code named after an agent of genocide. The anti-immigrant, racist right never cease to surprise.

Taken for a Ride on the Interstate Highway System

Revolutionary Radio in Venezuela

A Market Without Capitalists

Any article that mentions Gramsci in a positive light is good by me. However, global capital will only stand for so much of co-ops. Revolution is the only cure to the scourge that is capital.

Three Iraq Myths That Won't Quit

Scott Ritter takes the current round of ruling class propaganda to task.

The Hatred Behind 'Hadji Girl'

May Day!

May Day 2006 saw a historic return of working class solidarity against their oppressors and the right wing minutemen racists that have allowed the ruling class to blame their failures and a handful of working class immigrants.

Why Haditha Happened

Bruce Jackson's final quote sums up an utterly brilliant article:

[T]he Haditha killers who, in one family alone gunned down children of 14, 10, 5, 3 and 1: the problem isn't that they weren't sufficiently trained. The problem is that they were trained far too well.

Bush Targets Chavez and Morales

La Lucha Contra Carona-Mansoor

Protesting Costa Mesa's minute-klan Mayor, supremacist Alan Mansoor. A good turnout from anti-racist activists and labor were on hand.

Si Se Puede, photos from the historic march

Being part of the historic Los Angeles "Marcha" against the racist, ultra-reactionary HR4437 Sensenbrenner bill and the "me too" alternatives was an exhilarating experience to say the least. It will take more than a single march with anywhere from a half to a million and a half protesters, but the fight against racism and a new civil rights movement is beginning to awake. Where were the cowardly minutemen, S.O.S., and their white supremacist buddies to counter-protest all us "brown people lovers" and "race traitors" that marched along with our sisters and brothers from Central and South America? The working class is beginning to awake, we see no color, no sex, no religious differences. All we see is that we do all the work that creates the wealth and the exploiters that leech the wealth away. You are afraid that we are beginning to become class conscience. You are afraid that we will see that racism is a construction you created to keep us from forming a united front. You are afraid we might take back what you have stolen from us all our lives. You should be afraid.

March 18 Photos

Bolivarian

A great article discussing Venezuela's progess.

The Ghost of George Wallace

Santos accurately discusses Klansmen, er, I mean anti-immigrant leaders Ghilchrist, Tancredo et al. The connection he draws to the Dixiecrats is instructive and an important argument for today's civil rights activists to remember.

1001 Muslim Inventions

Interesting

Heck uva Job!

Peter Camejo Speaks out for South Central Farm

Gubernatorial candidate Peter Camejo to urge LA Mayor to intervene Thursday on the eviction of 350 families at South Central community farm

LOS ANGELES – Former vice-presidential candidate Peter Camejo – who has announced he will run for Governor – will hold a major news conference Thursday to comment on the pending eviction of 350 families who have been sustaining themselves for 13 years on a 14-acre South Central community farm, the largest U.S. urban farm.

The news conference is set for 10 a.m. Thursday at the South Central Community Farm (Alameda & 41st St.).

Camejo is expected to strongly defend the rights of the community farmers, and publicly urge Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to intervene to protect the interests of the community against for his decision to give in to big developer Ralph Horowitz at the expense of those most in need in South Central.

The city allowed the South LA community to develop this land into a productive farm in 1992. The city secretly decided to sell it to developer Ralph Horowitz for about $5 million dollars in a back-room deal without public hearings. Horowitz is now demanding $16 million from the 350 families.

The farmers were to be evicted March 6, but have vowed to remain and even risk arrest.

For more information: www.southcentralfarmers.com
Contact: Randy Childs 310/869-6321 or Cres Vellucci 916/996-9170

Swift Minutemen

Black Liberation and Socialism by Ahmed Shawki

A sharp and insightful analysis of historic movements against racism in the United States--from the separatism of Marcus Garvey, to the militancy of Malcolm X and the Black Panther Party, to the eloquence of Martin Luther King, Jr., and much more--with essential lessons for today's struggles. In the forty years since the civil rights movement, many gains have been made--but there is still far to go to win genuine change. Here is a badly needed primer on the history and future of struggle against racism.

"Black Liberation and Socialism is a brilliant examination of the intersection of race and class in the United States. Shawki's rich historical analyses come with powerful theoretical insights into the relationship between anti-racist struggles and the fight for a liberated future for all. This book is essential reading for students of African American history and for activists involved in the struggle against racism today."
--Nagesh Rao, assistant professor, Post-colonial Studies, College of New Jersey

"The civil rights and black power movements of the late 1950s and 1960s had a profound effect on American society. The mass mobilizations to end segregation in the South helped break the stranglehold of McCarthyism and conservatism that dominated U.S. politics. The black power movement of the late 1960s represented a further radicalization of the movement involving thousands of activists, black and white, in political activity. Decades later the situation is completely different. There has been a steady erosion of the gains blacks won in the 1960s. The vast majority of African Americans are poverty stricken and many are the victims of brutal racist violence."
--From Black Liberation and Socialism

The o'hate factor

The culture of fear and hate fomented by this administration combined with the declining standard of living for all of us not in the elite 2%, has given white supremacists fertile ground. We saw it in full force when protesting the SOS/Minutemen all last summer. The Laguna Beach SOS/neo-nazi incident saw how closely anti-immigrant sentiment has become to being straight-out white supremacy. As the blame-the-brown-folks instead of the ruling class rhetoric continues to pour out of the capitalist parties, we will see an increase in the acceptability of open white supremacy.

Orcinus notes throughout the entire country a rise in white supremacy deserves close attention. In addition to monitoring and fighting hate on every front, we must continue effort at creating a vibrant multi-racial, working class, united front. The MVP campaign in California is an excellent place to get involved.

• www.todd4senate.org


• www.donnawarren.com


• www.sarah4super.org

Freedom and democracy?

The Shootist

Stan Goff puts the "deferment queen's" shooting incident in the only light it can be.

More Torture Horror

The Torture Photos Congress Didn't Want You to See
US Snubs UN Over Gitmo Report
Abu Ghraib Report Reveals Full Extent of Abuse

Nuclear Proliferation: A Gathering Storm

Anti-imperialist globalisation and the struggle for a better world

Fox News Fans the Hysteria

New Voting Discoveries

Diebold in Florida

State rebuffs raw vote demand

Command Responsibility?

Narcissism, the Public, and the President

Further proof of what the GOP means by supporting troops. Veterans like myself hold Bush in utter contempt to begin with, but this latest statement of his shows utter disregard for the suffering he has inflicted. It has long been said that Bush is a sociopath, incapable of feeling any compassion for another human being. His actions and words are incomprehensible in the light of the havoc he has wrought. Ralph Nader once called Bush "a corporation masquerading as a human being." I wonder if that statement is too kind considering what a monster Bush is.

Hugh Thompson and My Lai

Midweek Gems

The People Are Unfit to Rule: The Ideological Meaning of Maury Povich and Jerry Springer
Paul Street examines the careful ruling class manipulation and propagation of class stereotypes in this excellent piece.

Evo Morales: All Growl, No Claws?

Why the War is Sexist
Chew's analysis of misogyny through militarism is an important read.

Bush Could Bypass New Torture Ban
Despite signing the McCain bill, Bush and his bloodthirsty cohorts vow to continue torture unabated in their 'signing statement.'