ALBA

Bolivia, Cuba and Venezuela sign a trade agreement as an alternative to the neo-liberal model.

Clovis?

Land bridge?

New Chen Kaige Film

Promise, a new film by Chen Kaige.

The Propoganda Offense Stage 3

IRAN ATTACKS KURDS! War against Kurds continues. The Iranian portion of war on these people without a nation will now be used for the war against Iran. Are we really this gullible?

Kieth Falls Out Of Palm Tree

Kieth has had worse days.

Wannabe Bombers

You too can be a bombing planner. Check out this site where the BBC lets us "Click on the maps to find out more about the people, land and infrastructure of Iran." so we can all play Donald Rumsfeld!

My Hero!

Besides Werner Herzog these days Thomas Frank is my hero. Here's why.

Opening Day

Burlsman. Take a look at the slideshow.

All Out For May First!

FALSE RUMORS OF RAIDS IN WISCONSIN--AN EFFORT TO INTIMIDATE THE LATINO COMMUNITIES PARTICIPATION IN THE MAY 1 MARCH--NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

False Rumors
This weekend there was an effort on the part of anti-immigrant people to scare the immigrant community. Their purpose was to intimidate people to not participate on the May 1st march.

Widespread rumors of massive raids occurred in various parts of the state including Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Brown Deer, Janesville, Waukesha, Kenosha, Sheboygan, Green Bay and La Crosse. People spoke of raids occurring at local businesses, churches, soccer games, and public streets. The Latino community, intimately affected by this issue through friends and family, resulted in families not going to church, businesses closing, and parents not sending their children to school.

Voces de la Frontera was able to verify through multiple visits at the sites where these raids were supposed to be happening and through confirmation with Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) that these rumors were false.

There is substantial evidence to indicate that there are individuals who are impersonating ICE officials. Voces de la Frontera has obtained testimony from witnesses at a local church and a local store that can testify to this matter. Voces de la Frontera is asking the US Attorney General to investigate the situation as it is a federal crime to impersonate a government agent.

Clearinghouse & Community Response
VF is asking the Latino community to not heed these false rumors and instead of promoting false rumors, as happened over the weekend, to investigate the origin of these rumors and to inform Voces de la Frontera at 414-643-1620 if there are any witnesses or evidence of such activity. This information will be forwarded to the appropriate agencies.

May 1 March and A Day to Not Buy Anything

MAY 1: NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION
PARTICIPATE IN THE MARCH TO WIN A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP THIS YEAR
CIVIL RIGHTS &
HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL
March will start at 10:00am sharp on 5TH & Washington in Milwaukee. It will proceed to National Avenue then turn north on First street and East on Wisconsin Avenue. The program will be at Veteran's Park from noon to 1PM.
· A DAY TO NOT BUY ANYTHING

WE NEED HELP DISTRIBUTING THIS MESSAGE,
PLEASE FORWARD THIS INFORMATION AS WIDELY AS POSIBLE!

COME BY VOCES DE LA FRONTERA TO GET A LETTER FOR YOUR EMPLOYER OR DISTRIBUTE ATTACHED LETTER

FOR MORE INFORMATION
CALL 414-643-1620

Voces de la Frontera

Why Leftists Distrust Liberals

Robert Jensen on "thanks but no thanks" defenses.

Anti-gay Bigots Want To REALLY Discriminate Against LGBT

Within the next several weeks, both the United States Senate and House of Representatives will vote on passage of the Federal Marriage Amendment (also known as the so-called “Marriage Protection Amendment”). Americans United has taken a leading role in opposing the Federal Marriage Amendment, particularly on religious liberty grounds. It is imperative you take action as soon as possible to urge your Senators and Members of Congress to oppose this misguided proposed constitutional amendment.

Take some action.

He Is The Eggman!

I am the egg head, I'm the Commander, I'm the Decider
Koo-Koo-Kachoo He is the decider, he hears the voices!

Lawyering: Texas Style

Shut up fat boy!

Agitprop

Paste this image around town campaign.

Lopez Obrador Now Show at Debate

Mexican presidential "debate" goes on with an empty podium as Left candidate Lopez Obrador opts out.

Fukuyama's Argument

Imperialism yes! But not this messy kind.

"Fukuyama's misreading of European sentiments is now conventional. His view of Islamic fundamentalism, on the other hand, is refreshingly unconventional, at variance with both his own milieu and mainstream wisdom. Compared with the great historic antagonists of capitalist democracy, Fascism and Communism, Al Qaeda and its affiliates are a minuscule force. Other than by somehow getting hold of weapons of mass destruction, they have no chance of inflicting serious damage on American society, let alone becoming a global threat to liberal civilization. Proclaiming a generalized "war against terrorism" is a pointless inflation of the punctual operations needed to stamp out the handful of fanatics who dream of a new Caliphate. Panicking over this relatively minor threat risks major miscalculations and is to be avoided, above all by Americans, who since 9/11 risk further attacks less than do Europeans, with their larger enclaves of Muslim immigrants."

Here here! And:

"Though such fears are now widespread, they bear little relation to reality. European hostility to the war is broad but not deep. The invasion was widely opposed, but once consummated has not given rise to much further protest. Demonstrations against the occupation have been few and far between, in stark contrast with the global wave of protest sparked by the war in Vietnam. The British government that joined in the American attack has not been punished at the polls. The German government that opposed the invasion was soon helping out behind the scenes, providing information on targets in Baghdad and assistance with CIA renditions. The French government, taxed by Fukuyama with double-crossing the United States in the Security Council, in fact told the White House to go ahead without a new resolution, and has worked closely with Washington to install suitable regimes in Haiti and Lebanon. All stand united on Iran. European hostility to the current presidency is more pique than conniption. What has grated is indifference to diplomatic niceties, and insufficient homage of acceptable vice to ostensible virtue. Elites and masses alike are attached to the veils that have traditionally draped compliance with American will and resent a government that has discarded them. Grievances of this kind, a matter of style rather than substance, will pass with a return to decorum. A Clinton restoration would no doubt see a swift and rapt reunion of the Old World with the New."

Perry Anderson. This is worth the read.

20 Years After

The Chernobyl accident. How it happened.

Brits Get Bad Review From Rough Guide

Getting fatter, TV, celebrity obssesed and drunk. Rough guide gives a Britain a rough review.

Commie Jokes

The role of comedy in the Stalinist states.

Did Tactics Lose the Iraq War?

I disagree with Lind here that US grand strategy has been defensive but his larger point about the war itself being the problem is well taken. Not Kerry's or any of the major Democrats' position by the way.

3121

Check out the latest from the purple one.

Opiate of the Masses

Now here is the headline that as a Detroiter you should cringe at. Detriot Produces the Top Teams in Both the NBA and NHL. I would trade the whole lot in for SMOG!

The Path To War?

Normon Soloman thinks so.

Nothing Changes In White House "Shake-up"

If there ever was a cosmetic move in US politics this was it as Karl Rove stays put and the flak cathcher McClellan heads home.

Thousands March In Milwaukee For Justice

An aquittal by an all white jury of cops who beat a multi-racial man, Frank Jude Jr., has outraged many in Milwaukee. In particular Milwaukee's black community is pissed and they took to the streets yesterday demanding justice.

From these eyes the march was remarkable in its consistency of message and dignified rage with a few exceptions from Milwaukee's wannabe Malcolm X who called his fellow members on the stage at the federal courthouse "leadershit" and asked for symbols of "piece" for those who disagreed with him. The speakers made demands for federal prosecution, future pressure on the the legal and political system and better jury selection processes. The organizers were shrewd in their choice of speakers keeping comments short and representing a fairly wide section of the community although whitey was not very visible.

Two speakers stood out at the Federal courthouse from this perspective, the Nation of Islam's speaker and an impassioned testimony from a sister of a young black man who was killed by a Milwaukee policeman. The Nation's speaker made two points, 1) we need to reach out to everyone in this community if we want things to change and he listed the usual suspects but made a point to welcome the Jewish and Gay representatives who were present (Gay/Black relations are somewhat strained in Milwaukee given widespread homophobia and exploitation of the issue by Michael Magee-a militant Alderman and big mouth) even though the gay representative got an icey reception and 2) that the Black community needs to build institutions within the community if any change is to be expected. Nothing that new from the Nation but the cross community appeal, particularly to Jews and Gays was particularly principled. The anguished plea from the sister of the victim of another police excess put a point on the entire march.

No Justice No Peace!

Washington Post Whopper

The Washington Post reports on the phenomenal growth rate of Mexico since NAFTA, the problem is the stats are totally false.

Nights of Cabiria

Two films today, Fellini's Nights of Cabiria and Werner's (I feel we are on a first name basis since incident at Loch Ness) Aguirre The Wrath of God. Surely I can add nothing that can be said about two films that make you think more than you want to. Must see Fellini. Werner does the Andes.

Take The Mexiphobia Quiz

Guillermo Gomez Pena

Got a Pension?

At a party this weekend for the 40-something liberal set and France and pensions came up. Outdated, obstructionist, trapped in the past, pensions are obsolete, lazy.... all sentiments from almost the entire group. A few points were made here and there but yikes do these folks need to distrust capital a lot less. Here's an article on talking pensions with those without them.

Where is the graveyard of dead gods?

In honor of the high holiday it seemed appropriate to hear from Mencken.

A History of the Car Bomb

Mike Davis talks carbombs.

The Latest Conquest of Jerusalem

The Economist on Israel's plan for Jeruslem.

Separated At Birth?

Monkey boy.

The Al Queda Myth

Not involved with the London bombings, mastermind of violence in Iraq? No. The Al Queda card has been played long and hard. How much longer can it last?

The East is Red

Amazing site about film and culture during the Chinese revolution. Clips of film, operas, TV like I have never seen. Incredible stuff.

Wafer Thin Majority for the Liberal/Left in Italy

Berlusconi charges foul.

Peru Election Goes to Runoff

Left and left-populists gain majority but no one candidate gets 50% plus 1 vote, a requirement of the constitution.The results.

Chomsky and Otto Reich debate the left turn in Latin America.

Brokeback Mountain Banned in Barbados, China, a Prison in the US

US prison. Barbados and China.

Half a Million March in Dallas Against Reactionary Immigration Laws

All out for today's nation-wide marches. The size of the Dallas march suprises many. African-American churches joined in the march widening the base of this human rights struggle.

Irish Wake Under Threat By EU

New rules by the EU could end the use of certain embalming chemicals that allow the beloved, and the flow of Guiness, to last longer than the rest of Europe.

The Irish Wake.

A Victory for All of Europe!

The French government capitulates on rewriting French labor laws. Democracy wins here and the race to the bottom, in France at least, has hit a major speed bump.

Spies

Every three years or so I re-watch The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Last summer I read le Carre's Absolute Friends and was blown away after having very mediorce reactions to a couple other books I had read of his. TSWCIFTC is probably one of the best thrillers I have ever seen. Burton is brilliant. Martin Ritt is no idealist and watching it you realize how crude the 007 series is in its sexy cold warriorism. Strong recommendation for the film about the Cold War in Europe.

Out Now! Exxon That Is!

"All right, what do we have to do, wait for a pack of crazed Latinos to crash a hijacked airliner into Disneyland before we realize that Venezuela and its power-crazed presidente cum dictator Hugo Chavez have declared war on the United States?"

Invade Venezuela now.

US mad that envoy is pelted with eggs.

Why we read the Cock!

"There is some sort of slow motion, semi-mutiny going on in the Democratic Party in bits of the country at the moment, and much of its rather tepid steam comes from the antiwar movement, aghast at the complicity of so much of the Democratic leadership in the war. But set the tempo of this mutiny next to what has been happening in France or on the streets of Los Angeles, and like Swindell one feels numbness in one's guts. The peace movement hasn't got fire in its belly. If it had, Obama, the rising star, would have passed up the invitation to go pitch for Lieberman, and two-thirds of the crowd would have hissed him when he did. As things are, they gave the new star a big cheer, instead of treating him the way the folks in Lancashire did Condoleezza Rice."



The entire article.

Urban Blight

The crisis in Black America, particularly young black males, has been making a minor stir in intellectual circles these days. Orlando Patterson's article in the Times a week back in particular has got social scientists exercised over his not exactly novel idea that culture has an influence on the cycle of poverty that has lead to high incarceration rates, endemic violence, low academic achievement, etc... in the Black community. He is not dismissing socio-economic forces, he believes they actually create culture, but he wants social scientists at least to incorporate culture into analysis as a variable, something many have shied away from.

Not claiming social scientist status here and these comments are purely anecdotal but the strengths of the arguments seem obvious, culturally speaking there certainly is a pose for many African-American males, call it a hip hop ascetic, that celebrates violence, crime, defiance of any sort of authority and crass materialism. As a high school teacher in a city where 50% of the youth don't graduate from high school, pants rarely stay at waist level and mother fucker is the adjective and noun of choice. And I teach in the second best school in the city. By the way, our school is disproportionately female as we lack male applicants.

The weakness, in Patterson's article, is his belief that economic conditions have somehow improved in central cities since African-Americans have had access to traditional stepping-stone jobs like bus drivers, cops, fireman, teaching, etc... He seems to over estimate the depth of the late nineties, for political reasons?, "economic boom." While some new immigrants have certainly raised their lot in the last 40 years the real condition of the urban United States and the working class, of all ethnicities, has been trending down as a result of the collapse of the industrial base. The union entry level jobs just aren't there any more for 16 year olds in the city and if you don't have at least a college education there is very little social mobility for anyone.

I actually think we know what will work; jobs, health care, equal opportunity, equal pay, etc...

Bob Woodward is Mad!

David Corn says BW misses the bigger issues in his book "Plan of Attack." Woodward replies, no I didn't you big fat doodie head (I paraphrase).

Another Choice for Left-Populism In LA

Peruvians go to the polls this weekend. The choices once again pit traditional parties against an ex-military officer with left wing populist rhetoric.

Wisconsin Votes Out Now!

Act locally.

A Prisoner Of Capitalism

"You want to issue a decree to help the poor, the indigenous people, the popular movements, the workers... but there's another law. Another padlock. It's full of padlocks that mean you can't transform things from the palace... I feel like a prisoner of the neo-liberal laws."

President Evo Morales on political power and state power within an international capitalist system. Very good article on the problems Bolivians face with their new radical government.

Dog Wagging

Chomsky has responded to an article making the rounds these days about
the Israeli Lobby. Always scary territory given the reflexive charge of anti-semitism when raised, The Red and the Black has always thought the idea of a small colonial outpost of ethno/religious zealots and their minions as puppeteer of the US empire as preposterous. It just goes against all logical analysis of history, institutional behavior and our favorite, economic determinism.

The view from these shores sees a well organized lobby no doubt with high levels of monetary contributions to the war parties, particularly the Democrats, and lots of voters (high turnout for a small group of people) in the Northern suburbs and cities in strategic states, New York, New Jersey, California, Illinois, Florida, etc... As well as high voter turnout pro-Zionist Jews have organized well with AIPAC being one of the most powerful organizations in Washington as well as lots of Israel supporters willing to do battle on campus, in letters to the editor, at the Rotary Club or any other venue that will hear them. This gives you power particularly when the interests of Israel and the US merge in the Middle East and other places, say Guatemala or Argentina, where the US doesn't want its fingerprints on the slaughter.

The current regime, since the 1940's, has seen the liberal democratic state of Israel as a kindred spirit and in the end more trustworthy than the Arab or Persian mass and although there are dissidents here in there that are Arabist the foreign policy elite believe that Israel will do what the US wants.

Co-interests internationally seem to be the drivers of US support for Zionism as well as domestic considerations but if Israel steps out of line, like they did at Suez or with Bush I, the US will say so and Israel will quickly change course.

No tail waging here.

Michael Nuemann weighs in.

A discussion of the issue at MaxSpeak.

More from Paul Woodward.

True Intentions (and stripes) Revealed Again

Check out the comments in this post of the article on Latino Milwaukee. The readers at MR always seem to be able to sniff out my true Klansmen ways.

New Charges

Serious question here. Why exactly are there new charges being brought against SH while his trial is already in progress?

You Too Can Be A Director

Enter the Apprentice Chevy Tahoe advert contest. Take a look at some of the entries.

Venezuela Re-Nationalizes Two Oil Fields

Italian and French corporations lose bids to keep oil fields in Venezuela.

"Socialism" and Vietnam

The new "socialist" man in Vietnam.

Mao More than Ever!

Mike Tyson visits his hero. Who's his hero you ask? Why Chairman Mao, of course.

Fact Check From Fiengold

Bush spying against the law? Yes.