http://www.truthout.org/093009R?nMatthew Cardinale, Inter Press Service: “Despite statements by US President Barack Obama that he wants to see the world reduce, and eventually eliminate, nuclear weapons, the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration continues to push forward on a programme called Complex Modernisation, which would expand two existing nuclear plants to allow them to produce new plutonium pits and new bomb parts out of enriched uranium for use in a possible new generation of nuclear bombs.” 

From this post:

PALO ALTO, CA –Apple, Inc. has censored  an iPhone application promoting health insurance reform in the United States.

iSinglePayer, an iPhone application that advocates for single-payer health care reform was rejected from the App Store by Apple because it is “politically charged.”  The application displays charts and bullet points about single-payer health care systems, and it allows users to call members of congress.  iSinglePayer even calculates your local congressperson using GPS, and displays the amount of money donated to each congressperson from the health sector.

…

 There are applications developed for particular political candidates, like the official Obama application, but since those have the official support of a politician they are acceptable.   When a single developer wants to voice his opinions, Apple censors it. 

 Go to the post for more details….

Right now, the Obama administration is making decisions about how the United States will continue to engage the conflict in Afghanistan. It’s a good time to review:

 From the beginning, the Green Party has sharply disagreed with government and military strategy. In 2001, when the 9/11 attacks happened, the Green Party condemned the 9/11 terrorists and demanded justice. It called for an international police action to capture or otherwise bring to justice the Al Quaeda members who planned and carried out the attacks.   

As part of that, Greens asked for a long hard look at Saudi Arabia, where the terrorists were from. Of course, Afghanistan, which had become a terrorist haven, was also of interest. What would have made sense as a police action that was intent on catching Bin Laden would have been for the U.S. intelligence agents to infiltrate the Afghan interior and enlisted the local populace into helping hunt Al Qaeda. Special forces, going back to Lawrence of Arabia, have had great success in creating their own insurgency to battle other foreign elements on their own level, by horseback if necessary. Sometimes these sorts of campaigns take time to build, but they are relatively inexpensive and easy to support once they are in place.  

Consider what the Bush administration did instead. It heavily bombed the poor country of Afghanistan, as if it had not bombed enough by their previous occupiers, the Soviet military. It declared war on the Taliban government, which although repressive, was not totally illegitimate and not exactly in full control anyway. At the same time, the Bush administration waged a media campaign to implicate Iraq in 9/11, which was in fact a complete fallacy. It then bombed Iraq. Whole armies, including National Guard, have been sent in to occupy and ‘nation build’ both countries, with very questionable results and GIGANTIC expense and loss of life.   

Obama campaigned with the idea that he would EVENTUALLY end these catastrophic wars (Green and other third-party candidates promised more immediate ends). The Green Party calls upon Obama to reject calls for even more troops and change strategies. It’s not just what makes sense for the U.S., it’s what makes sense for Afghanistan, and in the end, justice. We can and should concentrate on bringing Bin Laden and other terrorists to justice, not further occupation of foreign countries.

From Gizmodo.com post :

I guess military tech always finds its way home. Pittsburgh city officials believe their police department’s use of a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) at last week’s G20 protests was “the first time the sound cannon had been used publicly.”

Police used the device to emit a painful shrill that forced demonstrators to cover their ears and withdraw while police threw tear gas and stun grenades. “Other law enforcement agencies will be watching to see how it was used,” Pittsburgh’s police bureau chief told the NY Times.

Political Tricks & Intimidation at the RT-D Healthcare Public Square

“Congressmen Scott and Congressman Cantor, I believe in following the money. The monetary source for the medical industry, the Pentagon and other institutions that control the US government is the Federal Reserve Bank which lends out trillions of dollars without disclosing where the loans go or what the collateral is.  I have two questions for the both of you. How do you respond to people like me who claim you are bought and paid for by the moneyed interests that control our government like the medical industry and the Pentagon?  And how are the American people supposed to trust a central bank that behaves like a ponzi scheme? “  I planned to ask these questions to the Congressmen at the The Times-Dispatch Health Care Public Square.  I didn’t.  But not because I arrived late.  I was waiting in line at 4:40AM, over an hour before the next person showed up.  I was given a piece of paper with the #1 on it.  I then followed all the guidelines for people wanting to ask questions given by the organizers which was to sit near the microphone at the front of the room. I was closer to the microphone than anyone else. So what happened to the “first come, first serve” rule that was advertised by the Times-Dispatch?

After I had taken a seat, Dana Millbank of the Washington Post interviewed me because I was the first person to the event. We then discussed the questions that I was going to ask Scott and Cantor.  Some minutes later an announcement was made that anyone who wanted to ask a question needed to form a line in the hallway which was in the back of the room. This is significant because those who arrived early, had the first numbers on their arrival order and had followed all instructions to that point, were in the front of the room near the microphone.

I got out to the hall as quickly as possible, but of course, because I had followed the previous instructions, I was no longer first…I was seventeenth.  This change in plans rewarded the latecomers. When I asked a RT-D staff member about the change and shuffling the order, she replied that this is the way we are doing this now.  I responded that this did not answer my question.  

When the event began, I was hoping many people would get a chance to talk to the congressmen. However, it was clear that in order for those who arrived early and followed instructions to speak, the forum would have to last an additional two hours. This was in part because the RT-D did not enforce their own rule of a two minutes limit for each questioner. Some questioners had 15 min at the microphone. This was a shame too, because most of the people who arrived early had insightful questions whereas the latecomers seemed not to even know their facts.

When it was clear I would not get a chance to speak, I began telling an RT-D official sitting directly to my left that I thought it was unfair that I and others who arrived early did not get a chance to speak.  He paused and then replied with an extended “Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”, which was much louder than my question to him.  I told him that I did not appreciate his response and I wanted to discuss the flipping of the script afterwards.  I did not see him again.  However, after the event, I did approach the moderator, Tom.  I explained that I and others who had arrived earliest and followed instructions given by the RT-D organizers had been shafted.  He responded by saying “I am sorry you have a legitimate complaint.” 

I then noticed several Richmond Police and other security closing in on me.  I turned and asked the policemen sneaking up on my right hand side “What’s going on?”  The policeman on my left side said “Are you ready to leave?”  I responded by asking again, “What was going on?”  During this time I was neither loud nor disruptive. I was then ordered to follow the police out of the room.  Before the event, RT-D security had confiscated my bike pump which I had been traveling with since I had a slow leak in my bicycle tube.  I requested my pump back and the officers refused to give it to me until we got outside. Were these men with guns, most of whom were much larger than I, afraid of an unarmed citizen?   As I was being removed, I asked the police if I needed to call a lawyer, where they were taking me and also why I was being removed.  The police refused to answer all questions. When we were officially off RT-D property, I was told the organizers of the event wanted me removed because they did not like something I said earlier.  Since I was not allowed to speak, I can’t imagine what that could be. Perhaps they were referring to my vocal criticism of Congressmen Scott, Cantor and the RT-D.

Are we going to continue to accept these undemocratic intimidation tactics from our government, the media, and the police whose duty it is to uphold the Constitution?

Chris Dorsey

christopher.dorsey@verizon.net

804-564-1491

Read this article- where the national debate about pollution and national security meet.Let’s secure the nation’s water supply.

Potluck Veggie Dinner and a Documentary at the

William Byrd Community House

Thursday 10/1/09

Hosts John Richmond and Caroline Cox RSVPCarolion1@yahoo. com or 783-6316

6pm Potluck- please bring a vegetarian dish.

7pm The Corporation - This film psychologically evaluates what kind of “legal person” a Corporation might be…and

Feel free to forward invitation. See attached Flier.

Please bring a vegetarian dish w/ plates, cups and silverware to save la

Click here for full post.

Had this speech been given two years ago, it would have been a completely remarkable moment for an American President. But because two years ago we did not hear this speech, the targets President Obama speaks of are no longer sufficient. Due to a lack of leadership, inaction has only made this situation worse — targets must now be strengthened for both our long and short term goals. We have studied the science and have heard the scientists — we must commit to bringing our CO2 levels down to 350 parts per million.

President Obama is correct that developing nations are already living with the effects of climate change — that is why President Mohammed Nasheed of the Maldives stood at the UN and demonstrated the leadership that is necessary to make real progress on climate change. President Nasheed implored his fellow world leaders to turn their words into action — he said it is complacency that is killing his country.

I urge President Obama to heed President Nasheed’s call to turn words into action and make real progress in Copenhagen.

The words we heard today from President Obama were new coming from an American President, but his words lacked the details necessary to lead the world in these impending talks — and the United States must lead. We do not have much time to motivate the world to action and we cannot waste even one opportunity.

One of the better articles/opinion pieces written about Detroit has appeared in Time magazine.

But the whole time I read it, I was thinking of Richmond-

Does dying auto industry equal tobacco industry? Quite possibly.

The ugly effects of racial segregation and ignored schools? Check.

Myopic focus on downtown, riverfront development? Check.

Suburban denial? Check.

Greenbelts and renewable energy hopes? God, I hope so.

Hearing Ralph Nader on Democracy Now this morning  was a great way to start the week. Its so refreshing to hear someone speak to Americans in a straighforward manner, as opposed to what we are often left with by corporate media and the disgusting duopoly. Local community station WRIR has earned another financial pledge of support from me (though, like I keep telling them, I would be willing to donate more if they would put solar on their studio roof).