Gary Secondino: World

A World that Stands as One

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:55:07 GMT

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama (as prepared for delivery) "A World that Stands as One" July 24th, 2008 Berlin, Germany Thank you to the citizens of Berlin and to the people of Germany. Let me thank Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Steinmeier for welcoming me earlier today. Thank you Mayor Wowereit, the Berlin Senate, the police, and most of all thank you for this welcome. I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before. Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen - a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world. I know that I dont look like the Americans whove previously spoken in this great city. The journey that led me here is improbable. My mother was born in the heartland of America, but my father grew up herding goats in Kenya. His father - my grandfather - was a cook, a domestic servant to the British. At the height of the Cold War, my father decided, like so many others in the forgotten corners of the world, that his yearning - his dream - required the freedom and opportunity promised by the West. And so he wrote letter after letter to universities all across America until somebody, somewhere answered his prayer for a better life. That is why Im here. And you are here because you too know that yearning. This city, of all cities, knows the dream of freedom. And you know that the only reason we stand here tonight is because men and women from both of our nations came together to work, and struggle, and sacrifice for that better life. Ours is a partnership that truly began sixty years ago this summer, on the day when the first American plane touched down at Templehof. On that day, much of this continent still lay in ruin. The rubble of this city had yet to be built into a wall. The Soviet shadow had swept across Eastern Europe, while in the West, America, Britain, and France took stock of their losses, and pondered how the world might be remade. This is where the two sides met. And on the twenty-fourth of June, 1948, the Communists chose to blockade the western part of the city. They cut off food and supplies to more than two million Germans in an effort to extinguish the last flame of freedom in Berlin. The size of our forces was no match for the much larger Soviet Army. And yet retreat would have allowed Communism to march across Europe. Where the last war had ended, another World War could have easily begun. All that stood in the way was Berlin. And thats when the airlift began - when the largest and most unlikely rescue in history brought food and hope to the people of this city. The odds were stacked against success. In the winter, a heavy fog filled the sky above, and many planes were forced to turn back without dropping off the needed supplies. The streets where we stand were filled with hungry families who had no comfort from the cold. But in the darkest hours, the people of Berlin kept the flame of hope burning. The people of Berlin refused to give up. And on one fall day, hundreds of thousands of Berliners came here, to the Tiergarten, and heard the citys mayor implore the world not to give up on freedom. "There is only one possibility," he said. "For us to stand together united until this battle is wonThe people of Berlin have spoken. We have done our duty, and we will keep on doing our duty. People of the world: now do your dutyPeople of the world, look at Berlin!" People of the world - look at Berlin! Look at Berlin, where Germans and Americans learned to work together and trust each other less than three years after facing each other on the field of battle. Look at Berlin, where the determination of a people met the generosity of the Marshall Plan and created a German miracle; where a victory over tyranny gave rise to NATO, the greatest alliance ever formed to defend our common security. Look at Berlin, where the bullet holes in the buildings and the somber stones and pillars near the Brandenburg Gate insist that we never forget our common humanity. People of the world - look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a continent came together, and history proved that there is no challenge too great for a world that stands as one. Sixty years after the airlift, we are called upon again. History has led us to a new crossroad, with new promise and new peril. When you, the German people, tore down that wall - a wall that divided East and West; freedom and tyranny; fear and hope - walls came tumbling down around the world. From Kiev to Cape Town, prison camps were closed, and the doors of democracy were opened. Markets opened too, and the spread of information and technology reduced barriers to opportunity and prosperity. While the 20th century taught us that we share a common destiny, the 21st has revealed a world more intertwined than at any time in human history. The fall of the Berlin Wall brought new hope. But that very closeness has given rise to new dangers - dangers that cannot be contained within the borders of a country or by the distance of an ocean. The terrorists of September 11th plotted in Hamburg and trained in Kandahar and Karachi before killing thousands from all over the globe on American soil. As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic, and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya. Poorly secured nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, or secrets from a scientist in Pakistan could help build a bomb that detonates in Paris. The poppies in Afghanistan become the heroin in Berlin. The poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of tomorrow. The genocide in Darfur shames the conscience of us all. In this new world, such dangerous currents have swept along faster than our efforts to contain them. That is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats, or escape responsibility in meeting them. Yet, in the absence of Soviet tanks and a terrible wall, it has become easy to forget this truth. And if were honest with each other, we know that sometimes, on both sides of the Atlantic, we have drifted apart, and forgotten our shared destiny. In Europe, the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our world, rather than a force to help make it right, has become all too common. In America, there are voices that deride and deny the importance of Europes role in our security and our future. Both views miss the truth - that Europeans today are bearing new burdens and taking more responsibility in critical parts of the world; and that just as American bases built in the last century still help to defend the security of this continent, so does our country still sacrifice greatly for freedom around the globe. Yes, there have been differences between America and Europe. No doubt, there will be differences in the future. But the burdens of global citizenship continue to bind us together. A change of leadership in Washington will not lift this burden. In this new century, Americans and Europeans alike will be required to do more - not less. Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice; it is the one way, the only way, to protect our common security and advance our common humanity. That is why the greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another. The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down. We know they have fallen before. After centuries of strife, the people of Europe have formed a Union of promise and prosperity. Here, at the base of a column built to mark victory in war, we meet in the center of a Europe at peace. Not only have walls come down in Berlin, but they have come down in Belfast, where Protestant and Catholic found a way to live together; in the Balkans, where our Atlantic alliance ended wars and brought savage war criminals to justice; and in South Africa, where the struggle of a courageous people defeated apartheid. So history reminds us that walls can be torn down. But the task is never easy. True partnership and true progress requires constant work and sustained sacrifice. They require sharing the burdens of development and diplomacy; of progress and peace. They require allies who will listen to each other, learn from each other and, most of all, trust each other. That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot turn inward. America has no better partner than Europe. Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that bound us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice, and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st century. It was this spirit that led airlift planes to appear in the sky above our heads, and people to assemble where we stand today. And this is the moment when our nations - and all nations - must summon that spirit anew. This is the moment when we must defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it. This threat is real and we cannot shrink from our responsibility to combat it. If we could create NATO to face down the Soviet Union, we can join in a new and global partnership to dismantle the networks that have struck in Madrid and Amman; in London and Bali; in Washington and New York. If we could win a battle of ideas against the communists, we can stand with the vast majority of Muslims who reject the extremism that leads to hate instead of hope. This is the moment when we must renew our resolve to rout the terrorists who threaten our security in Afghanistan, and the traffickers who sell drugs on your streets. No one welcomes war. I recognize the enormous difficulties in Afghanistan. But my country and yours have a stake in seeing that NATOs first mission beyond Europes borders is a success. For the people of Afghanistan, and for our shared security, the work must be done. America cannot do this alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, to develop their economy, and to help them rebuild their nation. We have too much at stake to turn back now. This is the moment when we must renew the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The two superpowers that faced each other across the wall of this city came too close too often to destroying all we have built and all that we love. With that wall gone, we need not stand idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom. It is time to secure all loose nuclear materials; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to reduce the arsenals from another era. This is the moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of a world without nuclear weapons. This is the moment when every nation in Europe must have the chance to choose its own tomorrow free from the shadows of yesterday. In this century, we need a strong European Union that deepens the security and prosperity of this continent, while extending a hand abroad. In this century - in this city of all cities - we must reject the Cold War mind-set of the past, and resolve to work with Russia when we can, to stand up for our values when we must, and to seek a partnership that extends across this entire continent. This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many. Together, we must forge trade that truly rewards the work that creates wealth, with meaningful protections for our people and our planet. This is the moment for trade that is free and fair for all. This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East. My country must stand with yours and with Europe in sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear ambitions. We must support the Lebanese who have marched and bled for democracy, and the Israelis and Palestinians who seek a secure and lasting peace. And despite past differences, this is the moment when the world should support the millions of Iraqis who seek to rebuild their lives, even as we pass responsibility to the Iraqi government and finally bring this war to a close. This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands. Let us resolve that all nations - including my own - will act with the same seriousness of purpose as has your nation, and reduce the carbon we send into our atmosphere. This is the moment to give our children back their future. This is the moment to stand as one. And this is the moment when we must give hope to those left behind in a globalized world. We must remember that the Cold War born in this city was not a battle for land or treasure. Sixty years ago, the planes that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs; instead they delivered food, and coal, and candy to grateful children. And in that show of solidarity, those pilots won more than a military victory. They won hearts and minds; love and loyalty and trust - not just from the people in this city, but from all those who heard the story of what they did here. Now the world will watch and remember what we do here - what we do with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity and opportunity; by security and justice? Will we lift the child in Bangladesh from poverty, shelter the refugee in Chad, and banish the scourge of AIDS in our time? Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe? Will we give meaning to the words "never again" in Darfur? Will we acknowledge that there is no more powerful example than the one each of our nations projects to the world? Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law? Will we welcome immigrants from different lands, and shun discrimination against those who dont look like us or worship like we do, and keep the promise of equality and opportunity for all of our people? People of Berlin - people of the world - this is our moment. This is our time. I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, weve struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. Weve made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions. But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived - at great cost and great sacrifice - to form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful world. Our allegiance has never been to any particular tribe or kingdom - indeed, every language is spoken in our country; every culture has left its imprint on ours; every point of view is expressed in our public squares. What has always united us - what has always driven our people; what drew my father to Americas shores - is a set of ideals that speak to aspirations shared by all people: that we can live free from fear and free from want; that we can speak our minds and assemble with whomever we choose and worship as we please. These are the aspirations that joined the fates of all nations in this city. These aspirations are bigger than anything that drives us apart. It is because of these aspirations that the airlift began. It is because of these aspirations that all free people - everywhere - became citizens of Berlin. It is in pursuit of these aspirations that a new generation - our generation - must make our mark on the world. People of Berlin - and people of the world - the scale of our challenge is great. The road ahead will be long. But I come before you to say that we are heirs to a struggle for freedom. We are a people of improbable hope. With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our hearts, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again.

Foreign investors veto Fed rescue

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:13:44 GMT

The U.S. financial crisis (A.K.A.; shit) has hit the proverbial fan. And it appears that it is only being reported by news organizations outside the United States. I hate to say it but I predicted the Bush administration was attempting to destroy our democratic government when I heard about the KBR/Halliburton detention centers. I think now we should prepare for the Federal martial law that will be invoked to handle the Financial Riots of 2009.

So, how's that Iraq security 'surge' going?

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:12:36 GMT

Here's a report Ten U.S. Soldiers dead as Iraqis prepare for massive anti-American rally Iraqis Protest to Mark Baghdad's Fall Insider: Missteps Soured Iraqis on U.S. Security Increase Made Baghdad "Deadlier Battleground" For US Troops I'd say it's equal to the rest of the Bush Neo-Con Republican administration achievements. Update: Reality based analysis by Prof. Juan Cole

Collapsing Iran

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 12:41:48 GMT

Global Guerrillas Networked tribes, infrastructure disruption, and the emerging bazaar of violence. An open notebook on the first epochal war of the 21st Century. By John Robb I've just re-read John's estimate on what the US will do to take down Iran. His scenario seems to be even more likely today than in April 2006 when he first published. Domestic US after effects will be severe oil shocks and a crippled ecomomy that will collapse. It will get real ugly quickly in the US. Think about it.

My New Years Message

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 12:44:38 GMT

Tomorrow Never Knows: Lyrics, AMG, Wikipedia Whithin You Without You: Lyrics, AMG, Wikipedia

World of Wealth

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:57:28 GMT

Richest 10 per cent of adults accounted for 85 per cent of assets The richest 2 per cent of adults own more than half the world's wealth, according to the most comprehensive study of personal assets. Among the largest economies, Britain boasted the third-highest average wealth of $126,832 (£64,172) per adult, after the United States and Japan, a United Nations development research institute found. Those with assets of $500,000 could consider themselves to be among the richest 1 per cent in the world. Those with net assets of $2,200 per adult were in the top half of the wealth distribution. Although global income was distributed unequally, the spread of wealth was more skewed, according to the study by the World Institute for Development Economics Research of the UN University.

Darfur News

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 12:38:14 GMT

Sudan and Darfur are in crisis. There seems to be no effective action from the U.N. "U.N. Chief: Darfur Is in 'Free Fall'". UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The conflict in Darfur has spread to two neighboring countries and is now in "free fall" with six million people facing the prospect of going without food or protection, the outgoing U.N. humanitarian chief said Tuesday. "Rebels Threaten to Withdraw Peace Deal". KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) -- The only Darfur rebel group to sign a peace agreement with the government threatened Tuesday to pull out from the deal if Khartoum-backed militias continue to attack civilians in the troubled region.

Exiled Dissident: Iran Hiding Nukes

Mon, 19 Sep 2005 11:49:36 GMT

iSay - Looks and smells just like a page out of the Bush agenda lie book that lead up to the US invading Iraq. And those readers who are reality based know how badly that situation is going. Yeah I'm complaining and no I don't have the answers for exactly what to do. But I think common sense says if they produce oil then you eliminate your dependence on their oil and convince other nations to do the same. Work to strategically isolate the bad guys and squeeze the black market.

Wed, 23 Feb 2005 20:16:52 GMT

Experts: Global Warming Is Real. Studies that measure ocean temperature rather than air temperature are more accurate in determining whether the climate is changing, scientists say. And the newest studies conclude that the planet is warming up, and people are to blame for it. [Wired News] [To Talk of Many Things]

China Admission Raises Number of SARS Cases

Thu, 03 Apr 2003 11:40:30 GMT

The number of reported cases of SARS, a mysterious respiratory illness, jumped on Wednesday as China admitted that it had more of them than it had said before. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr. and Lawrence K. Altman. [New York Times: Business]

Philippines Judge Orders Arrest of Muslim Rebels

Tue, 18 Mar 2003 21:59:48 GMT

A Philippine judge issued arrest warrants on Friday for scores of Muslim rebels wanted by police in connection with a bombing that killed 21 people last week in the southern city of Davao.
MILF: No peace talks if arrests continue ABS CBN News
Philippine troops, Muslim rebels each claim upper hand in renewed fighting San Jose Mercury News

Environment harm remains from Alaska drilling

Sat, 08 Mar 2003 11:34:00 GMT

The oil industry and regulatory agencies have reduced many of the harmful environmental effects of drilling in northern Alaska, but problems remain, according to a congressionally mandated scientific report.
Blue Planet: No rest for the ANWRy United Press International
Report looks at oil's effects Anchorage Daily News

Economic View: How to grow old gracefully

Sun, 02 Mar 2003 17:21:25 GMT

We are all getting older, but some of us are getting older faster than others. Three news items last week highlighted the impact of changing demography on the world economy: the latest United Nations estimates of population change; some testimony from Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, to the US Senate on the implications of aging.
Psssst, Greenspan Is Not God, Pass It On Forbes
US is graying, Greenspan warns Taipei Times
Toronto Star - Boston.com

Mr. Greenspan is not a god, right. But I think he is a man with a pragmatic view of the world and the platform to express his view. If you follow his public statements you'll see he speaks his mind with consideration to the politics of the then current administration. Lately though his public comments appear to be increasingly at odds with the Bush administration. His remarks seem to be warning signals to the US about current domestic fiscal problems, a bleak economic future if changes are not made, and what those changes should be. I think Mr. Greenspan is in his endgame and will not be back for another term and this is his way of giving us a path to return to financial growth and fiscal responsibility.

Or perhaps Mr. Greenspan has recognized this administrations "politics is war and winning is everything" motto combined with their discompassionate approach to managing the assets of the United States for now and into the future and he disagrees and has spoken up. I believe Mr. Greenspan when he says "large deficits matter". The right answer, as everyone knows, is to not have deficit spending at all! Paying back every deficit dollar spent includes interest which is real money that's taken out of our economy. When that happens It hurts everyone except the rich. The poor and the retired on fixed income are hurt the most and that simply is not the action of a compassionate or responsible government.

It's Not About Oil. Righhht

Wed, 12 Feb 2003 18:35:00 GMT

by Jacob Levich Here's the prewar zeitgeist in a nutshell: In a widely reported January 16 speech, Tony Blair proclaimed that the impending invasion of Iraq "has nothing to do with oil, or any of the other conspiracy theories put forward." One week later, Sen. Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, quietly passed word to Russia and France that their countries will be frozen out of staggeringly lucrative postwar oil contracts unless they roll over and endorse the US attack. Behind the Invasion of Iraq, the startling new book-length report authored by the Research Unit for Political Economy (RUPE), synthesizes the seemingly disparate threads of the US war drive in what amounts to a blistering indictment of American foreign policy. The report (available on the Web at www.rupe-india.org) is lavishly documented and jargon-free; the effect, especially for readers with limited understanding of global commerce and finance, is of puzzle pieces clicking decisively into place. The RUPE report wholly confirms the widely-held view of the coming war as a massive oil grab, "on a scale not witnessed since the days of colonialism." Further, the current debate about arms inspections and alleged links to al-Qaeda is revealed as pure political theater, since the decision to invade Iraq was made months ago. Links to the report

Why this Special Issue: India as a Pillar of US Hegemony

Behind the Invasion of Iraq (a summary)

Western Imperialism and Iraq:
From Colony to Semi-Colony
Towards Nationalisation
The Iran-Iraq War: Serving American Interests
The Torment of Iraq
Return of Imperialist Occupation

The Real Reasons for the Invasion of Iraq—and Beyond: The Current Strategic Agenda of the United States
Home Front in Shambles
Military Solution to an Economic Crisis
Rehabilitating Colonialism

Appendices:
US Declares India a Strategic Pillar
The Pages Ripped out by the US from the Weapons Report

Cardinal Law Resigns

Fri, 13 Dec 2002 12:09:01 GMT

The Pope has accepted Cardinal Bernard Law's resignation as the Archbishop of the Boston Archdiocese. The public outrage from the information gathered by the release of the churches records last Wednesday and a letter signed by 58 Boston priests finally motivated Cardinal Law to do the right thing. Cardinal Law remains in the church as a priest and a Cardinal. He also still faces ongoing investigations and testimony in front of the Grand Jury in Massachusetts next Tuesday.

Carter Accepts Nobel and Gives Message on Iraq

Wed, 11 Dec 2002 11:19:00 GMT

New York Times - OSLO, Dec. 10 [~] With an ear-to-ear smile and an air of sublime satisfaction, former President Jimmy Carter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize today, then used the vaunted platform to try to steer events away from an armed conflict in Iraq. Mr.
Peace Prize winner Carter honoured by Oslo torchlight parade Norway Post
Carter accepts Nobel prize Boston Globe
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N.Korean Ship with Scuds Stopped in Arabian Sea

Wed, 11 Dec 2002 11:10:20 GMT

Reuters - Spanish warships have intercepted a North Korean ship carrying hidden Scud missiles, but the United States said on Wednesday that the discovery was unlikely to affect its policy on the reclusive communist state.
N. Korean scud discovery rocks Tokyo Mainichi Shimbun
North Korean Scud shipment seized in Arabian Sea Middle East Online
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US warns Iraq against using mass destruction weapons

Wed, 11 Dec 2002 11:07:35 GMT

Times of India - WASHINGTON: The United States warned Iraq and other potential foes Tuesday not to use any weapons of mass destruction (WMD) against US troops in the event of war, vowing to retaliate with ...
US Warns It Would Use N-Arms Salt Lake Tribune
US will use Nuclear Weapons in response to attack from WMD Hindustan Times
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Personnel records show drug use, sex abuse by priests

Wed, 04 Dec 2002 20:45:11 GMT

Thousands of newly released personnel files show the Archdiocese of Boston went to great lengths to hide priests accused of abuse, including clergy who allegedly snorted cocaine and had sex with girls aspiring to be nuns.
The life of a violent South Shore priest is detailed Boston Globe
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The perversion and cover up is much greater than everyone imagined. Did Bernard Law break the LAW? Seems so to me. These latest revelations dragged from the Diocese by court order will, in my opinion, guarantee that the Boston Diocese will declare bankruptcy to limit the losses and protect assets. Which if that happens will further diminish the RC church. When are they gonna get it? Just come clean, get rid of the perpetrators and the administrators who covered it up, and make celibacy a personal choice between a priest and GOD. Why not do these things?

COLOMBIAN REPORTER TELLS ALL - TO U.S. PRESS

Wed, 04 Dec 2002 19:19:55 GMT

by Lucy Komisar American Reporter Correspondent Colombian journalist Ignacio Gomez told a roomful of America's most influential journalists Tuesday how Washington-supported Colombian president Alvaro Uribe is connected to drug traffickers and how U.S. military trainers helped organize a massacre in his country. Among the 1,000 guests at the Committee to Protect Journalists' annual dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria grand ballroom were NBC's Tom Brokaw, CBS's Dan Rather, Time-Warner's Walter Isaacson, Reuters CEO Thomas Glocer and executives and reporters from the nation's major TV networks, newspapers and newsmagazines. Gomez, 40, has twice gone into exile after death threats. The media "stars" applauded him for his courage. But did they put his revelations into print or on air? If you didn't see the stories he recounted in the American press, don't be surprised. As they do every year at the CPJ event, "leading" U.S. journalists lauded the courage of people chancing death for telling the truth, but continue to pull punches in their own news organizations for fear of endangering their multi-million-dollar salaries. Here's more of what Gomez unveiled for colleagues. After he investigated a 1997 massacre in Mapiripan, in which 67 people were decapitated, Gomez reported in 2000 that the Colombian military officer accused of masterminding the crime had been accompanied "at all times" by a dozen U.S. military trainers. He also linked the massacre to paramilitary leader Carlos Castano. Gomez has written frequently about the role of Colombian military and paramilitary in massacres though Washington downplays their connection. Several months after the report was published in the Bogota daily El Espectator, Gomez was almost kidnapped while entering a taxi. He was forced into exile. Last year, as director of investigations for a public affairs television show "Noticias Uno," he reported that U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had discovered an airplane belonging to then-presidential candidate Alvaro Uribe and his brother at a drug lab belonging to the Medellin cartel. Uribe, eschewing peace talks in favor of a military response to Colombian rebels - something the Bush administration wants - suffered no Washington displeasure. But Gomez and the station news director got death threats, and Uribe declared ominously that "a free press is one thing, and a press at the service of ... shady deals is something else." As he accepted the CPJ award, Gomez told the audience that "Colombian journalists first exposed the corruption of the war on drugs, but because of an information monopoly tied to the current government, truth is dying in Colombia. We are no longer allowed to be heard." He said that one of the two national papers and 23 TV news shows had been shut down. "The picture of war," Gomez said, "is getting blurry - and Americans, whose taxes and whose drug consumption fuel this war, should be concerned." He said that seeing the audience, he felt Colombians were not alone, that they could "still prevail against the powerful forces who want to keepus mute." Brokaw, Rather, Isaacson and other media chiefs readily showed up, in black tie, to support the CPJ fundraiser, and their conscience money is needed. But their commitment might be taken more seriously if they stopped being "mute" in print and on air about stories - by Gomez and others - that challenge U.S. policy and actions in Colombia.

Colombia press appeals to Powell

Wed, 04 Dec 2002 19:01:51 GMT

BBC - As US Secretary of State Colin Powell holds talks with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on tackling illegal drugs and terrorism, one of the country's leading dailies complains the country is not getting the help it deserves.
Powell Discusses Narco-Terrorist Crackdown in Colombia Voice of America
Powell supports crackdown on lawlessness, opposes rights abuses Ha'aretz
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If you have read the previous two stories you may be wondering like me "where is the truth?". If you find it please let me know where. Thanks.

Refuting 'Big Brother' Charge

Thu, 21 Nov 2002 14:30:40 GMT

Newsday - Washington - Seeking to allay concerns of government spying on citizens, a Pentagon official yesterday said technology being developed to identify terrorists by mining millions of private and public records will be subject to ...
Massive database dragnet explored San Jose Mercury News
US defends plan for search of data Boston Globe
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I don't mind sharing my personal information for a cause or reason that I support. I'm a patriotic citizen, the security of America and the safety of it's people is a cause I support. But I object to the way this administration is dissolving my control over personal information without consent. This administration operates behind a wall of secrecy and now they plan to grab all of my personal information and do what with it, and give who access to it? The simple fact is I don't believe the words, but I do trust the actions. Unless whom ever must ask me with a reason each time they want to view my personal information and I have absolute veto power over the request I think this is wrong and a very bad law.

Bush's Homeland Security Team Tries to Reassure, Rally the Troops

Thu, 21 Nov 2002 14:02:10 GMT

Washington Post - Shortly after 7 am yesterday, Customs Commissioner Robert C. Bonner sent the agency's 22000 employees a message that tried to embrace the past and look to the future. Customs, a proud agency for 213 years, will develop ...
Agency Could Be Tough To Tame Hartford Courant
For openers, Cabinet-level agency faces simple tasks Boston Globe
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Do You Know Where Your Privacy Is?

Tue, 19 Nov 2002 17:38:17 GMT

San Francisco Chronicle - A federal review court has dramatically expanded the government's power to use wiretaps and searches to prosecute suspected terrorists and spies.
More Leeway On US Spying Hartford Courant
Ruling expands surveillance powers of Justice Department Kansas City Star
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A Rare Glimpse Inside Bush's Cabinet

Tue, 19 Nov 2002 16:29:49 GMT

In a 60 Minutes interview with Mike Wallace, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward discloses previously unknown information from his new book about how the president and his cabinet prosecuted the war on terror in the weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks. Woodward interviewed Mr. Bush in August at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas. "He said, 'One of the things I learned is, the vision thing matters,'" Woodward tells 60 Minutes about what Mr. Bush told him. And his vision includes getting rid of the evil from what he calls the axis of evil: Iraq, Iran, North Korea. Talking with Woodward, Mr. Bush dropped all pretense of diplomatic language as he tore into North Korea's leader Kim Jong II. And the President permitted Woodward to tape record his interview. John Robb says this interview has changed his view of the future.