There are many people in jail that have been beaten and pepper sprayed at close range November 30, 2003 The people of color from our mobilization have been specifically targeted and attacked. The people of color have been put in cells without bathroom facilities and had their shoes and other clothes that would keep them warm taken away, and they are hosed down with cold water every two hours with high powered water hoses. During the night one Hispanic male and an African American male were taken from the group and the Hispanic was beaten and pepper sprayed within inches of his face for two hours then returned to the cell. He was beaten so badly that his skin split open. Another person of color had a head injury from the police before being taken to jail and was refused care and they beat him again and he is hemorrhaging from the brain and in intensive care now. This is only a slight case of what is going on with the police and the jails here in Miami. austin.indymedia.org

Protests and Repression in Miami November 30, 2003 Thousands protest the FTAA trade talks in Miami, Florida. While trade representatives further plans for the world's largest trade bloc, the Free Trade Area of the Americas, demonstrators take to the streets in opposition to “free” trade and the expansion of corporate globalization. With momentum gaining for the global justice movement the state has answered the aggressive, yet peaceful, demonstrations with a disturbing level of brutality with several hundred injuries from police batons, taser guns, rubber bullets, concussion grenades, beatings and chemical sprays and gasses. For pictures, stories, audio recordings, and videos, check out FTAA Indymedia. http://austin.indymedia.org/

The war on dissent November 30, 2003 By NAOMI KLEIN Heavy-handed police and propaganda tactics brought Baghdad to Miami. In December, 1990, U.S. President George Bush Sr. traveled through South America to sell the continent on a bold new dream: "a free-trade system that links all of the Americas." Addressing the Argentine congress, he said that the plan, later to be named the Free-Trade Area of the Americas would be "our hemisphere's new declaration of interdependence . . . the brilliant new dawn of a splendid new world." Last week, Mr. Bush's two sons joined forces to try to usher in that new world by holding the FTAA negotiations in friendly Florida. This is the state that Governor Jeb Bush vowed to "deliver" to his brother during the 2000 presidential elections, even if that meant keeping many African-Americans from exercising their right to vote. Now Jeb Bush was vowing to hand his brother the coveted trade deal, even if that meant keeping thousands from exercising their right to protest. globeandmail.ca

Bush makes protesters ‘disappear’ November 30, 2003 By CHARLES LEVENDOSKY Casper Star-Tribune President Bush has never been an advocate of the First Amendment. Even when he was governor of Texas, he prohibited demonstrations on the walkways in front of the governor’s mansion, an area that had traditionally been used for peaceful protests. As president, Bush has widened his restrictions on demonstrations against his policies. Anti-Bush protesters are now relegated to what are euphemistically called Free Speech Zones. These areas are cordoned off as far as a mile away from the president and the main thoroughfares, so that Bush cannot see the demonstrators, or their signs of protest, nor hear their chants. The free speech enclosures are only for those who disagree with the administration’s current policies. Those citizens who carry pro-Bush signs are allowed to line the street where the president’s motorcade passes. montanaforum.com

Under attack by the FBI November 30, 2003 The Boston Globe Attorney General John Ashcroft should be the chief protector of the United States Constitution, not its chief threat. By allowing the FBI to ask local police departments to report antiwar activities to the FBI's counterterrorism squads, Ashcroft makes the FBI look unsuited to protect Americans against the terrorist threat from Al Qaeda. That is the effect of the FBI memo to local police forces that was disclosed in The New York Times on Sunday. With this swipe at Americans wishing to exercise their constitutional right to free speech, Ashcroft and the FBI demonstrate an abject failure to understand two vital things: the delicate grandeur of American liberty and the political profile of the terrorists who flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. iht.com

Police broke protest promise November 30, 2003 BY AMY DRISCOLL Miami police did not abide by an agreement to allow 25 busloads of seniors access to an anti-free-trade rally, a retired workers leader says. Miami police reneged on their promise to give safe passage to 25 busloads of seniors who attempted to attend Thursday's AFL-CIO rally against the Free Trade Area of the Americas, the leader of a retired union workers group charged Tuesday. ''It is despicable when in good faith you have what is referred to as the greatest generation -- and I'm a Korean War veteran myself -- come down here in good faith and jump through every hoop the city of Miami asked us to jump through,'' Fansetta said. Calling Miami Police Chief John Timoney a ''junkyard dog'' in charge of a department that violated senior citizens' rights, he said the retired union workers had negotiated with police for months to ensure smooth entry into the protest area. miami.com

World Domination, Inc. November 30, 2003 By Sherif Hetata Living for some time in the US has also allowed me to follow the successive waves of influence of a powerful Zionist wing within the Bush administration, how it has built up an alliance with the strong and active Christian fundamentalist movement, and to realise what is being planned for the future of the Middle East. Bush is already preparing for the 2004 presidential campaign and has been able to collect $200,000,000 for it. The most active supporters of his campaign will be Zionist forces, the Christian fundamentalist movement and the Catholic right. Together they constitute a powerful electoral force buttressed by multinationals -- especially those involved in arms manufacturing, in oil, in the pharmaceutical industry and in the media -- as well as many higher levels in the armed forces in a country undergoing rapid militarisation. ahram.org.eg

Billionaire Soros Stakes Fortune On Defeating George Bush 'Matter Of Life & Death' November 30, 2003 By Andrew Gumbel George Soros has donated almost $5bn (£3bn) over the years to help emerging democracies in Eastern Europe recover from the shadow of tyranny. Now he is applying the same principles, and a large chunk of his fortune, to the United States, where he believes the defeat of George Bush in next year's presidential election is "a matter of life and death". rense.com

Treacherous Congress Sneaking Patriot Act II In Pieces November 30, 2003 These backstabbing jerks just don't get it, do they? Boy, are they going to be surprised when the voting tally comes out publicly before the next election day for State Reps and Congressmen. They knew we the people didn't want the Patriot Act II either, so now they're going to break it up in little parts and slip it into appropriation bills and such. We know they don't read these bills or they never would have passed the Patriot Act I, or would they? rense.com

Congress Drops Fight for Overtime November 30, 2003 By Eric Pianin Congressional leaders last night handed President Bush a major victory by dropping objections to his plan to revamp the nation's overtime pay policies, even though many lawmakers say it will cost millions of workers overtime benefits. washingtonpost.com

U.S. troops open fire on Iraqi police officers, 8 dead November 30, 2003 FALLULJAH, IRAQ - U.S. soldiers mistakenly opened fire on Iraqi police officers who ran though an American checkpoint, killing eight Iraqis and a Jordanian security guard, and wounding nine people. "We were chasing a white BMW with bandits. We turned around in front of Jordanian Hospital and some American forces started shooting at us," said Asem Mohammed, 23, a police sergeant who was among the injured. He said they were fired upon by an American Humvee. The U.S. military had no information on the incident. cbc.ca

Black November for foreign troops in Iraq November 30, 2003 In the latest attack on foreign troops in Iraq, two US occupation soldiers have been killed and one wounded when their convoy was ambushed with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms' fire. The ambush follows two separate incidents elsewhere in the country on Saturday, in which seven Spanish intelligence officers and two Japanese diplomats were killed. english.aljazeera.net

Two South Korean workers killed in Iraq November 30, 2003 (AP) BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Gunmen shot and killed two South Korean electricians and wounded two others near Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Sunday. In Baghdad, the U.S. military said a Colombian civilian working as a contractor for the military was killed Saturday in an ambush on a convoy. It was not immediately clear if he died in the same attack as the South Koreans. salon.com

Recipe For Terror: Assassinated Reuters Cameraman Uncovered Evidence of Mass US Casualties in Iraq November 29, 2003 By Felicity Arbuthnot Injured US troops are being flown 'in their hundreds, in the dead of night' back to US bases 'throughout Europe', in order to disguise the magnitude of casualty figures. The US military shuffles its fallen as quietly as possible into their final resting place. With the death toll of US soldiers having exceeded, in just seven months, that of the first three years of Vietnam it is worth asking if even these figures are the full truth. Many of those who have joined the military in Iraq, do not hold American passports, but were, broadly, promised that they would be given them on return, for their efforts against the 'war on terrorism'. According to Dr Rokke, should they die, their deaths are not factored in to 'U.S.' casualties. Further, Mazen Dana, the Award winning Reuters camera man, shot dead by US troops whilst filming outside Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison in August - with full permission and press accreditation from the US Authorities in Baghdad - told his brother Nazmi, a chilling tale days before he died. "Mazen told me by phone few days before his death that he discovered a mass grave dug by U.S. troops to conceal the bodies of their fellow comrades killed in Iraqi resistance attacks," Nazmi said. "He also told me that he found U.S. troops covered in plastic bags in remote desert areas and he filmed them for a TV program. We are pretty sure that the American forces had killed Mazen knowingly to prevent him from airing his finding." propagandamatrix.com

The Pentagons Death And Deception Commentary November 29, 2003  (ICH) In Iraq War I, the death rate of the combat wounded was 24%. That is, 24% of soldiers wounded in combat later died of their wounds. In Iraq War II the reported death rate is 0.37%. Are flak vests and medical facilities really that much better now or is the Pentagon lying through its teeth as it has so often before? informationclearinghouse.info

Guerrilla war in Iraq spreading US says attacks on rise outside Sunni Triangle November 29, 2003 By Bryan Bender, Globe Correspondent, WASHINGTON -- The guerrilla war in Iraq has moved steadily beyond the so-called Sunni Triangle and into areas of the country once considered peaceful, a potentially ominous development for security forces trying to restore order in the country. Since the end of major combat operations on May 1, nearly 40 percent of attacks on US and coalition targets have been outside the Sunni Triangle, home to many remnants of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's regime, according to internal Defense Department reports obtained by the Globe. boston.com

Reservists mobilized for Iraq, Afghanistan Pentagon says more Marines needed in Iraq November 29, 2003 WASHINGTON (CNN) Troops and their families and employers will soon find out if they will be affected by the Pentagon's latest mobilization of 17,000 reservists for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition those mobilized Wednesday, nearly 8,000 reservists have been alerted for deployment to Iraq and around 700 for deployment to Afghanistan. cnn.com

Bush’s PR stunt in Baghdad underscores US crisis November 29, 2003 By Patrick Martin President Bush’s Thanksgiving Day visit to US troops in Baghdad, organized by the White House to shore up crumbling public support for the occupation of Iraq, only confirms the deepening crisis of the administration. Political aides such as Karl Rove engineered the public relations stunt, hoping the televised images of cheering troops and the president serving out turkey dinners would boost Bush’s standing in the polls. But the circumstances of the trip, with Bush stealing in and out of Baghdad like a thief in the night, only demonstrate the fragility of the US grip on the occupied country. wsws.org

Billions for Bankers--Debts for the People November 29, 2003 by Pastor Sheldon Emry The estimated population of the United States is 270,374,697 so each citizen's share of this debt is $20,403.90. Today, as we stand before the dawn of a New World Order run by internationalist financiers, most of the revenue collected by the Federal government in the form of individual income taxes will go straight to paying the interest on the debt alone. At the rate the debt is increasing, eventually we'll reach a point where, even if the government takes every penny of its citizens' income via taxation, it will still not collect enough to keep up with the interest payments. The government will own nothing, the people will own nothing, and the banks will own everything. The New World Order will foreclose on America. libertyforum.org

The IRS Claims New Patriot Act Type Powers to Punish Political Dissenters November 29, 2003 by Robert R. Raymond In a precendent-setting case, the IRS wielded new power to punish the political speech of those who "espouse views" the government considers "inconsistent" with government-held beliefs. In a hearing originally closed to the public in a secret tribunal on a military island, but moved to a public location after protests from the press and the public, the IRS wants to wield this power against a former IRS whistleblower, who was forced to resign upon his discovery of fraud in the agency. sianews.com

Scandalous Measures States might lose controls on corporate crooks November 29, 2003 By A.C. Thompson and James A. Thompson The Bush administration is quietly seeking to roll back oversight of the banking business and the scandal-riddled securities market through two pending proposals—a planned rule change for the banking industry and a house bill—that diminish the ability of states to police banks and stock brokers. inthesetimes.com

Dollar at all-time low against euro November 29, 2003 Mark Milner and Charlotte Denny Europe's single currency yesterday climbed to its highest level against the dollar since it was launched at the beginning of 1999 - breaking through the $1.20 barrier for the first time. Dealers said the dollar was being driven down by worries about America's ballooning trade and investment gap and rising risks of protectionism as the US tries to control surging imports. guardian.co.uk

California Governor Schwarzenegger launches right-wing agenda November 29, 2003 By Don Knowland and Andrea Peters Within the first two weeks of taking office, California’s recently elected replacement governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has unveiled a series of reactionary measures. In addition to laying out an initial $3.8 billion worth of cuts in social services, Schwarzenegger is calling for the implementation of a budgetary spending cap and a massive borrowing scheme that will ultimately lead to the gutting of public services of all kinds. The Republican administration is seeking to provide big business with immediate benefits, while staving off fiscal insolvency by means of a $15 billion bond measure. This massive increase in state debt will enable Schwarzenegger to put off the most brutal cuts in social programs until after the November 2004 presidential election. wsws.org

Britain: Blair’s relations with Europe deteriorate after Bush’s state visit November 29, 2003 By Chris Marsden Prime Minister Tony Blair’s November 21 meeting with President Jacques Chirac of France was his first official engagement following the state visit of President George W. Bush to Britain. The meeting was billed as an attempt to rebuild relations between Britain and France and overcome major disagreements that arose over the US war against Iraq. It only served to expose how tensions between Britain, France and also Germany are worsening as a result of Blair’s prioritising of his alliance with Washington. wsws.org

Bush using GI parents as props November 29, 2003 I am outraged by President Bush's willingness to use the parents of fallen American soldiers as a means to prop up his collapsing re-election bid ("Bush visits families of GIs killed in Iraq,") It is obvious that the families of those servicemen were carefully screened to assure that they would act as proper puppetry for the president. One parent even dutifully recited the Bush absurdity that his son had "died for freedom." His son did not die for our freedom. Our freedom was never threatened by Saddam Hussein or by the nation of Iraq. What he died for was the bankrupt policies of our ignorant and increasingly dangerous president. oregonlive.com

Clark's True Colors November 29, 2003 by Matt Taibbi You can see something in the eyes of most all the Democratic candidates: the pugnacity of Howard Dean, the idealism of Dennis Kucinich, even (surprisingly) the elaborate sense of humor just under the surface of Joe Lieberman. Not Wesley Clark. His eyes are blank. commondreams.org

Left Vision, Iraqi Quagmire, and 2004 November 29, 2003 By Paul Street I first spoke about 9/11 one week after the September terror attacks at a big teach-in at Northern Illinois University. I concluded my talk with a series of dark observations and warnings. "When war machines move into gear," I said, "ordinary people die in mass, rich people get richer, politicians restrict civil liberties, and reactionaries ride high. The events of September 11,th" I added, "are a great gift to the nationalist right wing in this country. Unless checked by an aroused citizenry, they will lead to significant reductions in American civil liberties and to a massive and regressive diversion of resources from social to military and surveillance expenditure. zmag.org

Wal-Mart 'Eats' More U.S. Manufacturers November 29, 2003 by Richard Freeman In mid-November, Wal-Mart, the world's largest corporation and leader of the "globalization" drive, forced the closing of a national children's clothing store, Kids 'R' Us, and pushed the famous Hoover vacuum cleaner manufacturer to the brink; by the end of November, it is expected that Hoover may announce the shift of a substantial portion of its production facilities to Mexico, laying off hundreds of American workers. larouchepub.com

Diebold Folds In DMCA E-Voting Lawsuit November 29, 2003 Posted by simoniker on Thursday sunbird writes "Diebold has filed a responsive pleading (PDF) in the lawsuit brought by the Electronic Frontier Foundation to challenge Diebold's practice of using the DMCA to suppress discussion of the critical flaws with electronic voting. Diebold states that it has "decided to withdraw its existing DMCA notifications and not to issue any further ones . . . ." Other recent developments include: this transcript of the court hearing on EFF's application for a preliminary injunction and Dennis Kucinich's linking to Diebold memos from his webpage at the U.S. House of Representatives. Stay tuned- the judge has scheduled a status conference for this Monday in the case." slashdot.org

A Prisoner Of Panic After 9/11 Algerian-Born Detainee Seen as Victim of Excess November 29, 2003 By Michael Powell Washington Post BATAVIA, N.Y. -- Benamar Benatta sits in a whitewashed cell, lost in a post-Sept. 11 world. Jailed the night of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the Algerian air force lieutenant with an expired visa has spent the past 26 months in federal prisons, much of that time in solitary confinement -- even though the FBI formally concluded in November 2001 that he had no connection to terrorism. washingtonpost.com

Glaciers’ retreat causes alarm November 29, 2003 The world's glaciers, including those in Switzerland, are melting at an alarming rate, says the WWF. If governments don't take urgent action, the organisation warns, billions of people could face severe water shortages. The WWF released its report on climate change and global glacier decline ahead of the ninth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change, taking place in Milan next week. The organisation warns that if global temperatures rise by four degrees over this century, most of the world's glaciers will disappear. As a result billions of people will be without water, as glaciers contain 70 per cent of the world's freshwater reserves. In addition, rising sea levels will destroy coastal communities. swissinfo.org

How Aspartame Became Legal - The Timeline November 29, 2003 From Rich Murray From Norfolk Genetic Information Network In 1985 Monsanto purchased G.D. Searle, the chemical company that held the patent to aspartame, the active ingredient in NutraSweet. Monsanto was apparently untroubled by aspartame's clouded past, including a 1980 FDA Board of Inquiry, comprised of three independent scientists, which confirmed that it "might induce brain tumors." rense.com

The Doomsday Machine November 28, 2003 By John Chuckman It occurred to me to write a satire about Osama and the boys sitting around in the mountains somewhere holding a conference about the worst possible damage they could inflict on the United States and deciding that it would be whatever act got Bush re-elected. But retired American General Tommy Franks came along and spoiled the fun. General Franks has followed the advice of the fictional Doctor Strangelove by announcing to the world what he believes will happen if the United States is attacked by terrorists using strategic weapons: he says Americans will scrap the Constitution and set up a military government. rense.com

LA Times: American armed forces are assuming major new domestic policing and surveillance roles November 28, 2003 By William M. Arkin Los Angeles Times American armed forces are assuming major new domestic policing and surveillance roles. Preoccupied with the war in Iraq and still traumatized by Sept. 11, 2001, the American public has paid little attention to some of what is being done inside the United States in the name of anti-terrorism. Under the banner of "homeland security," the military and intelligence communities are implementing far-reaching changes that blur the lines between terrorism and other kinds of crises and will break down long-established barriers to military action and surveillance within the U.S. refuseandresist.org

AARP Faces Revolt Over Medicare Bill November 28, 2003 BOSTON (AP) Senior citizens angry over the AARP's endorsement of the Medicare bill are ripping up or burning their AARP membership cards and flooding the lobbying group's Internet message board with complaints in what could be the biggest revolt in its ranks since the 1980s. nytimes.com

Killing Medicare November 28, 2003 by Trudy Lieberman The Medicare "reform" legislation just passed by Congress sends the program on a path to destruction. Crafted in the heady days of the Great Society, Medicare has worked reasonably well for almost four decades for seniors and disabled Americans, many of whom are unable to buy health coverage in the private market. But the nation's financial commitment to Medicare--$224 billion in 2000--got in the way of the right's ideological goals of reducing the cost of government and making people fend for themselves. So nearly a decade ago right-wing politicians and their allies at the Heritage Foundation embarked on a campaign to transform Medicare into a private insurance program and ultimately to remove the government from the business of guaranteeing healthcare for the oldest and sickest citizens. thenation.com

US soldiers kill two girls in Iraq November 28, 2003 US troops have shot dead two young Iraqi sisters near Baqubah, north of Baghdad. Iraqi police and family members say American troops shot the 12-year-old and 15-year-old as they were collecting wood from a field. The older girl died on the spot and her sister died later of her wounds. A policeman claims that US forces handed one of the girls' bodies over to the police "arguing that she had a gun in her possession". Police searched the family home but found nothing suspicious. abc.net.au

US terrorizes Iraqis; resistance strengthens November 28, 2003 BY ROHAN PEARCE The US has launched a campaign of terror against Iraq's civilian population - including renewed bombing raids by F-16 fighter-bombers, the strafing of Iraqi cities by AC-130 gunships and presence of heavy tanks. The US has also turned to Israel-style collective punishment, such as the demolition of "suspected" guerrillas' houses and widespread arrests. Washington's goal is to break the will of the Iraqi population to resist and counter their growing belief that the resistance movement can defeat the US occupation. Some US "hawks" say the terror campaign must go even further. greenleft.org

US moves to silence Iraq’s most popular TV news channel November 28, 2003 By Mike Head In another indication of the “freedom” and “democracy” that Washington is bringing to the people of Iraq, the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) shut down the Baghdad bureau of the country’s most watched television news channel on November 24. Without warning, more than 20 police and Interior Ministry officials arrived at the Al Arabiya facility, ordered its closure and seized its broadcasting equipment “until further notice”. wsws.org

Iraq War Critics Sue After Winding Up on 'No Fly' List November 28, 2003 By Nicholas F. Benton The New York Times reported Sunday that critics of the Bush administration's Iraq policy have sued the government to learn how their names ended up on a "no fly" list used to stop suspected terrorists from boarding planes. This latest politically-motivated abuse of power by the Bush administration, in particular Attorney General John Ashcroft, is only the beginning. The outrageous assaults to date on the civil liberties of law abiding U.S. citizens by Ashcroft's abuse of the USA Patriot Act and assignment of new, intrusive investigative powers to his FBI are but a foretaste of more to come. fcnp.com

How British charity was silenced on Iraq November 28, 2003 Kevin Maguire One of Britain's most high-profile charities was ordered to end criticism of military action in Iraq by its powerful US wing to avoid jeopardising financial support from Washington and corporate donors, a Guardian investigation has discovered. Internal emails reveal how Save the Children UK came under enormous pressure after it accused coalition forces of breaching the Geneva convention by blocking humanitarian aid. guardian.co.uk

9 - 11 Victims' Relatives: Extend Probe November 28, 2003 WASHINGTON (AP) Victims' relatives who pressed for an independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 attacks say the panel risks being undercut by the government's failure to cooperate with it. The Family Steering Committee, a group of victim advocates, marked the one-year anniversary of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States by urging an extension of its May 27 deadline for submitting findings and recommendations. ``Unfortunately, the production of a timely report no longer seems to be possible, in large part because of the delays caused by the (Bush) administration and the agencies that report to it,'' the group said Wednesday in a statement. nytimes.com

Credit-card implant provokes criticism November 28, 2003 New Scientist An under-the-skin implant that makes credit card payments via radio signals is attracting widespread criticism from technologists, privacy lobbyists and security experts. Advanced Digital Solutions in Palm Beach, Florida, announced a plan to turn its rice-grain-sized Verichips into a method of payment at ID World 2003 in Paris, France recently. The company's previous proposal to implant GPS systems inside people also prompted scepticism. But ADS claims its Veripay system, which is based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, would end the problems of identity theft and make it impossible to lose your credit card. The injectable chip could also one day store PC and cellphone log-ins, medical information, and wireless car and building entry codes, says ADS's Matthew Cossolotto, who is already "chipped up" with the device. propagandamatrix.com

International Buy Nothing Day To Be Celebrated In 55 Countries November 28, 2003 In observance of what may very well be the most important holiday of the year for the anti-capitalist movement, people in at least 55 countries will celebrate "International Buy Nothing Day" this weekend. Begun in 1993 by the founders of Adbusters, the concept has taken root in diverse communities and manifested in multiple ways in cities throughout the world. In Europe, International Buy Nothing Day (BND) is celebrated the last Saturday in November (the 29th) while in the United States and Canada the event has coincided with the day after Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, a group of "anarcho-situationists" from Montreal have decried Buy Nothing Day as a "misplaced...notion of consumer empowerment." Seeking to raise the bar on anti-consumerist action, they have called for Steal Something Day, to be held Friday, Saturday and everyday. indymedia.org

Two Million Customers = Good Business = Two Million Kids Drugged on Stimulant Medications November 28, 2003 by Rob Kall What would you think of this idea. Identify two million kids who have the personality and inclination to be great hunters. Then drug them throughout their childhood to block those tendencies so they become obedient little drones. That’s pretty much what’s been going on for the last 10-15 years. Johns Hopkins researchers have reiterated this theory that kids and adults with Attention deficit disorder have characteristics that work very well for hunters and not very well for farmers. And lets face it, teachers and administrators in the average school classroom want neat, organized, docile, neatly lined up in a row farmer types. opednews.com

Wont Get Fooled Again? ‘Meet the new boss, same as the old boss…’ November 28, 2003 Rixon Stewart That line, from an old song by the Who, says it all. For in the wake of the Iraq invasion, a number of factors have become all too apparent. Firstly, far from being greeted as liberators, ordinary Iraqis have come to view British and American forces as an army of occupation, as indeed they are. Second, both Britain and America are getting sucked into a conflict that is getting bloodier by the day, and could ultimately assume Vietnam like proportions. Finally, despite extensive searches, Saddam Hussein has still not been found and his Weapons of Mass Destruction, which were originally used to justify the invasion, are conspicuous by their absence. So it’s clear that Britons and Americans have been lied to. As a result ordinary Iraqis are dying and mounting numbers of Coalition forces are returning home in body bags. thetruthseeker.co.uk

A Tale of Cops in Two Cities November 28, 2003 Alexander Cockburn these days lawful political protest is a very dangerous business. Top cop in Miami was none other than Miami police chief John Timoney. Back in the summer of 2000 this same Timoney was police chief in Philadelphia, trampling on rights to lawful assembly during the Republican National Convention. His storm troopers were found later by the courts to have have infiltrated protesters' meetings and acted as agents provocateurs; to have acted with undue force; to have illegally detained peaceful protesters. The macabre climax of Timoney's rampages was the arrest as he walked down the street of John Sellers of the Ruckus Society. Sellers famously became the first American ever accused of brandishing a cellphoner with intent to commit a crime. Bail for Sellers was initially set at $1 million before a judge threw the charges out. thetruthseeker.co.uk

IDF Kills 4 More Unarmed Palestinians, Legalizes Settlements November 28, 2003 By Mustafa el-Sawwaf Islam Online OCCUPIED JERUSALEM While four Palestinians, including a 9-year-old boy, were killed by Israeli gunfire overnight, the Israeli government announced Thursday, November 27, plans to legalize several settlements in the West Bank. Relatives of the Palestinian martyrs were quoted by the Israeli daily Haaretz as saying that the three cousins were shot as they drove to celebrations for Eid Al-Fitr holiday in the central Gaza Strip. rense.com

Changes in Water Policy Opposed November 28, 2003 By Elizabeth Shogren WASHINGTON — Just more than half of the members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday urged President Bush to drop regulatory changes that could reduce the number of streams and wetlands protected under the Clean Water Act. They asked the president in a letter to abandon a rulemaking process launched in January and to rescind guidance sent to regulators telling them how to interpret a 2001 Supreme Court ruling. The letter was signed by 218 legislators, including 26 Republicans. latimes.com

"What Country Is This?" Hogtied and Abused at Fort Benning November 27, 2003 By Kathy Kelly director of Voices in the Wilderness. Police took us to a warehouse on the base for "processing." I was directed to a station for an initial search, where a woman soldier began shouting at me to look straight ahead and spread my legs. I turned to ask her why she was shouting at me and was ordered to keep my mouth shut, look straight ahead, and spread my legs wider. She then began an aggressive body search. When ordered to raise one leg a second time, I temporarily lost my balance while still being roughly searched and, in my view, 'womanhandled.' I decided that I shouldn't go along with this dehumanizing action any longer. When I lowered my arms and said, quietly, "I'm sorry, but I can't any longer cooperate with this," I was instantly pushed to the floor. Five soldiers squatted around me, one of them referring to me with an expletive (this fucker) and began to cuff my wrists and ankles and then bind my wrists and ankles together. Then one soldier leaned on me, with his or her knee in my back. Unable to get a full breath, I gasped and moaned, "I can't breathe." Four soldiers then carried me, hogtied, to the next processing station for interrogation and propped me in a kneeling position. Today I have a black eye and the soreness that comes with severe muscle strain. Mostly, I'm burdened with a serious question, "What are these soldiers training for?" The soldiers conducting that search must have been ordered not to tolerate the slightest dissent. They were practicing intimidation tactics far beyond what would be needed to control an avowedly nonviolent group of protesters who had never, in thirteen years of previous actions, caused any disruption during the process of arrest. Bewildered, most of us in the "tank" inside the Muskogee County jail acknowledged that during the rough processing we wondered, "What country do we live in?" We now live in a country where Homeland Security funds pay for exercises which train military and police units to control and intimidate crowds, detainees, and arrestees using threat and force. counterpunch.org

BUSH VOWS TO START MORE WAR November 27, 2003 By James Hardy GEORGE Bush yesterday vowed to start more wars for the "moral goal" of liberation. Just 24 hours before today's mass anti-war rally in London, he defended invading Iraq. Mr Bush paid lip service to global anti-war feeling - then threatened military action whenever he felt like it. www.mirror.co.uk

The “war on terror” and American democracy—some ominous warnings November 27, 2003 By Patrick Martin Three commentaries published recently in the US media, all by well-connected observers of the US military, have suggested that a major new terrorist attack within the United States could disrupt the 2004 elections and even result in military intervention on the streets of America as well as the suspension of the Constitution. wsws.org

Evidence Indicates Wellstone Crash Was No Accident November 27, 2003 By Jim Fetzer Duluth News Tribune Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone was a serious man who cared profoundly about his fellow citizens. He took courageous stands against an administration that he viewed with profound suspicion, arguing eloquently against tax cuts for the rich, the subversion of the Constitution, and violating international accords. He would have led the opposition to the war in Iraq if only he had had the chance. Everyone knew it and he may have died because of it. rense.com

The Radical Mind of Dick Cheney: An In-Depth Look at the Vice President November 27, 2003 By Spencer Ackerman We take an in-depth look at the historical role Vice President Dick Cheney has played in U.S. foreign policy, his treatment of the intelligence community and his hawkish influence on President George W. Bush. We speak with The New Republic’s Spencer Ackerman who co-wrote this week’s cover story on Cheney. Listen to: Segment || Show  Watch 128k stream  Watch 256k stream  Read Transcript  democracynow.org

Scary and scandalous November 26, 2003 The US administration's defence authorisation bill for fiscal year 2004 was signed into law by George Bush this week. In all, it totals $401.3bn. Amazingly, this figure does not include one-off appropriations for US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan of approximately $150bn. Overall US defence expenditure under Mr Bush is at record levels. It is higher, in relative terms, than equivalent, average American spending during the cold war years when a hostile Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact confronted the US and its allies with thousands of nuclear warheads deployed on land, at sea and in the air, as well as chemical and biological weapons and vast conventional forces. Yet Mr Bush suggested that terrorism now represented the most potent threat in the history of the US. guardian.co.uk

Homeland Security Chief Added To Presidential Succession? November 27, 2003 From Liz This is a real eye opener. What does it say to you? Subject: S. 148, To provide for the Secretary of Homeland Security to be included in the line of Presidential succession. rense.com

Let'em Eat Cake - Citizens Ripped-Off Big Time November 27, 2003 By Judith Moriarty "Let'em Eat Cake", that's the message from Washington/AARP, now identified as, American Association of Repugnant Pimps; per the Bill written-of, for, and by the pharmaceutical companies. rense.com

The Subversion of Education in America: Lesson #1 November 27, 2003 By Alan Caruba I’ll bet you think that the problems with our nation’s schools are a fairly recent phenomenon. Wrong. It dates backs to the 1960’s. Those that have implemented the subversion of our educational system have sought to fly well below the radar of public awareness, depending on stealth and duplicity to achieve the wreckage that has already stunted the lives of thousands who have passed through it. In this and three other commentaries, I will walk you through the history of the problem with the help of an extraordinary book, "The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America" by Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt. anxietycenter.com

Dollar Drops Further Against Euro November 27, 2003 (Bloomberg) The dollar had its biggest decline against the euro in a week on concern the U.S. won't attract enough capital to narrow its record current account deficit, even as the economy expands at the fastest pace since 1984. rense.com

Attacked for telling home truths November 27, 2003 Robert Fisk Two of the three men were killed in the Black Hawk helicopter crash over Tikrit just over a week ago, but of course President Bush, our hero in the "war on terror'', won't be attending their funerals. The man who declined to serve his nation in Vietnam but has sent 146,000 young Americans into the biggest rat's nest in the Middle East doesn't do funerals. thetruthseeker.co.uk

About the Bush Cartel's "Smiley Face" Spin on the Grim November Record for GI Deaths in Iraq -- And the Month's Not Over Yet November 27, 2003 BUZZFLASH If you are a FOX News GOP butt-sniffer, you might have been heartened by the Pentagon reassuring Americans that "U.S. Says Attacks on Troops in Iraq Decline"  In fact, since it was a Reuters report, you could have just been a mainstream newspaper reader and felt relieved. But of course, it is just the usual Bush Cartel Soviet style spin. You can imagine this is the kind of propaganda that the Soviet forces kept feeding to the Russians as their soldiers were being killed in Afghanistan. buzzflash.com

U.S. plan for mini-nukes worries Japan November 27, 2003 TOKYO (UPI) Japanese officials expressed concern Tuesday about a U.S. plan to research the development of small, low-yield nuclear weapons. The Kyodo news service reported Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said the U.S. government has told Japan the move is solely for research into small nuclear weapons, and it would not lead to the development or use of such weapons. washingtontimes.com

GO F*CK YOURSELF, MR. PRESIDENT You don't scare me one friggin' bit November 27, 2003 Justin Raimondo I am so sick of George W. Bush: sick of his petulant preppie voice, sick of his studied belligerence, and, most of all, damned sick of his threats. If we don't toe the line and support his crazed foreign policy of "preemptive self-defense," he constantly claims, we will reap the whirlwind. As he puts it in a recent television ad paid for by the Republican National Committee: antiwar.com

Bush Brother Business Deals Detailed in Divorce November 27, 2003 By REUTERS HOUSTON Neil Bush, younger brother of President Bush, detailed lucrative business deals and admitted to engaging in sex romps with women in Asia in a deposition taken in March as part of his divorce from now ex-wife Sharon Bush. nytimes.com

‘Frauds-R-Us’ The Bush Family Saga November 27, 2003 By William Bowles Part II - Part I Here "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you have to focus on" – GW Bush
"You have to look at the entire Bush Family in this context -- as if the family ran a corporation called ‘Frauds-R-Us,’
George Jr.’s specialty was insurance and security fraud.
Jeb’s specialty was oil and gas fraud.
Neil’s specialty was real estate fraud.
Prescott’s specialty was banking fraud.
And George Sr.’s specialty? All of the above." -- Lt. Cmdr. Al Martin, US Navy,(Ret) informationclearinghouse

George Bush, The CIA, Mind Control & Child Abuse November 27, 2003 Not only did King’s pedophile ring lead to the top echelons of the Republican Party it also lead to the top of the Bush administration and the Oval Office. Several of the children in Kings prostitution ring recount stories of seeing George Bush at some of King’s Parties. While an outsider would not suspect anything amiss, the children in the ring would know what was taking place. At least one of King’s young prostitutes reported that at one party, she saw George Bush pay King and then depart with a young black man. chile.indymedia.org

Paul Krugman: It's fair to be uncivil when liberty is at stake November 27, 2003 Paul Krugman NYT PRINCETON, New Jersey 'One of the problems with media coverage of this administration," wrote Eric Alterman in The Nation, "is that it requires bad manners." He's right. There's no nice way to explain how the Bush administration uses cooked numbers to sell its tax cuts, or how its arrogance and gullibility led to the current mess in Iraq. So it was predictable that the administration and its allies, no longer very successful at claiming that questioning the president is unpatriotic. iht.com

No regrets or culprits, just cash for series of random killings November 27, 2003 Rory McCarthy in Baghdad (The Guardian) For more than an hour Siham al-Tamimi has been waiting in a muddy field marked "holding area" at the entrance to an American military base. Siham has come, like so many others be fore her, to the headquarters of the Second Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division in south-western Baghdad to understand why American soldiers shot dead her husband 12 days earlier. In the months since America's war in Iraq, an uncounted number of ordinary Iraqis have been killed or maimed by the army that boasts daily of its swift "liberation" victory. The US military has not punished any soldier for shooting an unarmed civilian and refuses even to keep count of the civilians its soldiers kill. Yet for several months now, American officers have been quietly paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to relatives of the dead and injured, offering polite but carefully-worded condolences and promising investigations that lead nowhere. informationclearinghouse.info

Generating Crises and Winning Votes by Pretending to Solve Them November 27, 2003 By Ivan Eland president Bush’s first political ad for the 2004 campaign indicates that he will play on post-September 11 public fear to attempt to convince voters not to change presidents in the middle of a national security “crisis.” Yet such opportunism is a classic case of a politician contributing to and exacerbating a crisis and then taking advantage of it politically. independent.org

FBI Plans for Antiwar Movement Spur Opposition November 27, 2003 by Jim Lobe A classified FBI intelligence memorandum, leaked to the New York Times last weekend, has raised concern among some civil-rights groups and lawmakers who worry that it reflects a growing tendency on the part of the Bush administration to promote security measures at the expense of key freedoms in the name of fighting terrorism. antiwar.com

BBC PROGRAM PROVES ISRAELI ARMY MURDERED RACHEL CORRIE November 27, 2003 By Christopher Bollyn American Free Press The BBC has released a remarkable film about the killing of three international peace ac tivists by the Israeli army in the occupied Gaza Strip. Documentary evidence provided in the film strongly suggests that the American Rachel Corrie - and two British activists - were murdered. engforum.pravda.ru

Patriotism vs. Politics November 27, 2003 by Stephen Crockett and Al Lawrence The Bush Republicans have been pushing the idea that anyone who opposes their radical Right Wing agenda is somehow not a patriot. The opposite is true. Patriotism in the United States of America should be defined as an adherence to traditional American values, institutions, ways of doing things and our Constitution (especially the Bill of Rights). Unfortunately, the Corporate Media has been very active spreading the doctrine of Republican Political Correctness that says criticizing the terrible performance of the Bush Republicans in dealing with national security, homeland security and civil liberties is giving aid and comfort to the enemy. This doctrine undermines traditional American values. Criticizing political leaders when their performance sucks is an American duty and not just a Constitutionally protected right. democratictalkradio.com

Medicare bill marks major step in destruction of government health plan for US seniors, A windfall for drug companies, private health insurers November 26, 2003 By Shannon Jones and Barry Grey The US Senate passed President Bush’s Medicare legislation Tuesday by a vote of 54 to 44. The measure, which provides partial coverage of prescription drugs for seniors, marks a significant step toward the privatization and ultimate destruction of government-sponsored health care for those over age 65. Eleven Democrats, nearly a quarter of the Democratic caucus in the Senate, voted with 42 Republicans and one independent to pass the measure. The margin of passage would have been wider if not for the defection of a number of right-wing Republicans who voted against the bill because they opposed the level of spending it entails and wanted a more sweeping assault on the traditional government-run program. wsws.org

Diverse Coalition Denounces Unprecedented Militarization of Miami, Brutal Police Tactics Applied Against Activists, Residents November 26, 2003 Diverse Coalition Denounces Unprecedented Militarization of Miami and the Brutal Police Tactics Applied Against Activists and Residents During The Recent FTAA Ministerial -- Victims of police abuse testify on the civil and human rights violations carried out by police including random detentions, unlawful arrests and use of excessive force Last week marked the worst and most brutal attack in recent history on the civil and human rights of activists and residents of Florida, according to South Floridians for Fair Trade and Global Justice. Many demonstrations, rallies and vigils were disrupted and participants detained, attacked and arrested both during and on their way to and from events. The most recent evidence shows that approximately two hundred and 250 people were arrested. While in custody more than five people were denied medical care, food and/or water for over 14 hours. There are 10 cases of sexual harassments and four cases of sexual assault. Thirty people endured serious hand cuff abuse. Ten people were pepper sprayed or beaten while handcuffed; as well as, 10 death threats and six other threats of bodily harm. Video footage of abuses will be shown. usnewswire.com / The Miami Model Paramilitaries, Embedded Journalists and Illegal Protests: Think This is Iraq? It's Miami November 26, 2003 By JEREMY SCAHILL counterpunch.com

September 11th and the Bush Administration: Compelling Evidence for Complicity November 26, 2003 by Walter E. Davis, PhD, Kent State University Why 9/11 was not prevented is one of the most critical questions in current times, because answers may well reveal to more people than ever before, the true nature of the U.S. corporate global empire – the most extensive and most destructive in human history. Newspapers across the U.S. called for an investigation into Bush's lies about the reason for war on Iraq. While it is relatively easy for the American people to accept deception for the killing of the Arab people in distant lands, few people will be as accepting if it is shown that this Administration was complicit in acts of atrocities against its own people. The evidence I present in this article suggests that the most plausible explanation of the events surrounding September 11, 2001, is that the Bush Administration was complicit in the terrorist attacks and has orchestrated its cover-up. The sources cited contain extensive detailed information, additional sources, and analysis beyond what is possible to provide in this summary. I hope that this information will incite public outrage leading to full accountability. physics911.org

10 US Dead In Afghan Chopper Crash - Not 5 Reported November 26, 2003 By Zafir Jamaal (JUS) News on the helicopter crash near Bagram airbase has now been received from sources in the area. An Ausaf reporter at the scene said a total of 10 US soldiers were killed in the chopper crash, not 5 as had been previously reported by US military sources. Two others were wounded in the incident and evacuated from the area. rense.com

Bush Dishonors Fallen Soldiers November 26, 2003 By Frederick Sweet The Bush Administration says it respects the killed soldiers and their families, what the Administration respects is winning the next election. The truth is that the White House is obsessed with not associating President George W. Bush with slain American troops so close to the 2004 presidential elections. Bush worries that it will harm the already poor image of his occupation of Iraq as a supposedly bloodless "piece of cake" for the United States. vaiw.org

Gag order leaves troops, reporters speechless November 26, 2003 Littwin COLORADO SPRINGS - Before the press was herded into the giant hangar in advance of George W. Bush's pep rally/photo op with the Fort Carson troops, we were given the rules. No talking to the troops before the rally. No talking to the troops during the rally. No talking to the troops after the rally. In other words, if I've done the math right, that means no conversation at all - at least, while on base - with any soldiers. After all, who knows where that kind of thing could lead? rockymountainnews.com

US pays up for fatal Iraq blunders Over 10,000 claims but families must waive rights November 26, 2003 Rory McCarthy in Baghdad The US military has paid out $1.5m (£907,000) to Iraqi civilians in response to a wave of negligence and wrongful death claims filed against American soldiers, the Guardian has learned. Families have come forward with accounts of how American soldiers shot dead or seriously wounded unarmed Iraqi civilians with no apparent cause. In many cases their stories are confirmed by Iraqi police investigations. guardian.co.uk

Over 800 million go hungry November 26, 2003 Hundreds of millions of people are starving across the world and the number is set to rise, warns a new UN report. The UN document, titled State of Food Insecurity in the World 2003 and compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, (FAO) calls on the international community to address the "setback in the war against hunger". Having reduced the number of hungry in developing countries by 37 million during the first half of the 1990s, the numbers increased again by 18 million in the second half of the decade, the report said. english.aljazeera.net

US civil rights groups accuse Bush govt of engaging in Orwellian tactics November 26, 2003 By Simon Marks, Channel News Asia's US Bureau Chief WASHINGTON : Civil rights groups in the United States are accusing the Bush administration of engaging in Orwellian tactics, after a leading American newspaper revealed that the FBI has been spying extensively on the country's anti-war movement. According to the New York Times, the 'Big Brother' is watching - in the form of FBI agents who are reportedly collecting data on America's anti-war movement in a bid to keep tabs on what the agency describes as anarchists and "extremist elements". Allan Lichtman, a professor of History at the American University, said: "If this report is true, I shudder for the future of this country." channelnewsasia.com

Schwarzenegger turns terminator Drastic welfare cuts to curb California's budget crisis November 26, 2003 Duncan Campbell Programmes for poor, disabled and elderly people will be the first victims of budget cuts made by Arnold Schwarzenegger as he seeks to balance the California state budget. Proposals due to be introduced yesterday by the new governor would scale back home care for pensioners and therapy programmes for mentally and physically disabled people, and reduce the number of people entitled to food stamps. Substantial job losses were also expected. guardian.co.uk

Colleges trail prisons in funds November 26, 2003 By Marcella Bombardieri, Globe Staff For the first time in at least 35 years, Massachusetts is spending more on prisons and jails than on public higher education, according to a report released yesterday. This year's state budget included $816 million in appropriations for campuses and student financial aid, and $830 million for prisons and jails, said the report from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. whatreallyhappened.com

The coming currency devaluation November 26, 2003 By Cliff Droke After repeated warnings from currency analysts and market advisors (including yours truly) that the U.S. currency system is on the verge of becoming a blocked, two-tier system we now have confirmation that the country is one step closer to realizing this. When fully implemented, the new U.S. dollar will mean a "banana republic" type currency and across-the-board devaluation. gold-eagle.com

Don't try Bush's defense in court November 26, 2003 J. Bradley, Sedona So "pre-emptive self-defense" is the Bush doctrine. Just don't try to use that as a defense in a criminal trial. It is an oxymoron, used only by morons. It says that you acted in self-defense in shooting your neighbor because you suspected that he might have a weapon that he might some day use against you. All that defense would get you is a long stretch in the slammer - where the World Court one day will put this joker. azcentral.com

When Billy Graham Planned To Kill One Million People November 26, 2003 By Alexander Cockburn Let's visit another interaction between the great evangelist and his commander in chief Back in April, l989 a Graham memo to Nixon was made public. It took the form of a secret letter from Graham, dated April 15, 1969, drafted after Graham met in Bangkok with missionaries from Vietnam. These men of God said that if the peace talks in Paris were to fail, Nixon should step up the war and bomb the dikes. Such an act, Graham wrote excitedly, "could overnight destroy the economy of North Vietnam". counterpunch.org

Germany Halts Delivery of Submarines to Israel November 26, 2003 BERLIN The German government has unexpectedly halted the delivery of two German Dolphin submarines to Israel, citing fears of a new arms race in the Middle East, the weekly Focus magazine said Monday. The German government has voiced concerns after Israel had modified three other German-made submarines with nuclear warheads. Germany built and delivered at no charge three Dolphin submarines to Israel in 1999 and 2000. palestinechronicle.com

The state that cried “anti-Semitism” November 26, 2003 By Samah Sabawi Accusing Israel’s critics of anti-Semitism will have dangerous consequences ...a man asked “How can one support justice for the Palestinians without being branded anti-Semitic?” Before I had a chance to respond, a woman stood up and said “So what if they call you anti-Semitic. The first time it may feel bad, but hey, trust me, you’ll get used to it. We all have!” ramallahonline.com

The Founders Confront Judge Moore November 25, 2003 by Thom Hartmann Judge Moore, the "Ten Commandments Judge" in Alabama, says the controversy he and Fox news have stirred up is about religion. But it's not about religion. It's about power. A power that seeks, ultimately, to replace democracy. Religious fundamentalists, pandered to by Fox's evening entertainers, turned the showmanship of an Alabama judge (soon to be political candidate) into a national media circus just in time to divert media coverage away from George W. Bush gutting the Clean Air Act. The judge's main arguments for keeping a graven image of the Ten Commandments in the Alabama Supreme Court rotunda were, he said, that America is a Judeo/Christian nation founded by Christians, and that the foundation of American law is the Bible and the Ten Commandments. thepeoplesvoice.org

Lawmakers Bow to Bush on Media Ownership November 25, 2003 By ALAN FRAM, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON — Top congressional Republicans hope an eleventh-hour deal with the White House to allow networks to own more television stations removes the last major hurdle for passing a $390 billion spending package. latimes.com

Statement of Ralph Nader on Consumer/Taxpayer Concerns with the Medicare Legislation November 25, 2003 WASHINGTON, /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement of Ralph Nader on consumer/taxpayer concerns with the Medicare legislation: Any decision to expand federal coverage of pharmaceutical benefits should not be saddled with provisions that limit the ability of the government to negotiate for lower prices. If the US government is obligated to provide coverage, it must retain the flexibility to restrain patent owners from charging excessive prices for medicines. In the absence of even the possibility to negotiate lower prices, there will be no restraint in terms of price increases. The United States already is spending more than 2 percent of GDP on pharmaceutical purchases, and these outlays continue to skyrocket. Every European country and most OECD countries have authority in domestic legislation to negotiate lower prices for medicines under government reimbursement programs, and/or the authority to order the issuance of compulsory licenses in cases of abuses by patent owners. If the US government has no authority to protect consumers or taxpayers, they will predictably be exploited by drug makers. This is particularly galling, because US taxpayers already provide massive direct and indirect public subsidies for the development of new drugs. US taxpayers and consumers should not be by hamstrung by the Medicare bill. If Sam's Club can negotiate for lower pharmaceutical prices, why can't Uncle Sam? usnewswire.com

Medicare Bill Would Enrich Companies $125 Billion More for Employers, Health Firms November 25, 2003 By Amy Goldstein Washington Post The Medicare legislation that passed the House near dawn on Saturday and is moving toward a final vote in the Senate would steer at least $125 billion over the next decade in extra assistance to the health care industry and U.S. businesses, in addition to its widely heralded goal of helping older Americans pay for prescription drugs. washingtonpost.com

IRAQ: US terrorises civilians November 25, 2003 BY ROHAN PEARCE A November 19 press release from the US military's Central Command was headlined, “Operations Make Iraq Safer, Improve Quality of Life”. It was referring to the renewed offensive by US occupation forces against Iraqi resistance fighters. The US invaders are “improving” the quality of life for Iraqis with the aid of 500-kilogram bombs, F-16 fighter-bombers, heavy tanks, the obliteration of the homes of “suspected” guerrillas, widespread arrests and the strafing of Iraqi cities, including Baghdad, by AC-130 gunships. greenleft.org

US continues to humiliate Iraqis November 25, 2003 By Lawrence Smallman Pictures of US soldiers searching young girls on their way to class have provoked renewed international outrage. Exclusive photos show US-led occupation forces frisking schoolgirls – a move condemned by the girls’ parents and international human rights organisations alike. One father, Abu Muhammad, told Aljazeera.net on Sunday that if he ever hears his daughter has been touched by American soldiers again, he would “not be responsible for the consequences”. “This humiliation has got to end now. I refuse to live like this. I’d rather die and I’ll take a few soldiers with me – and that’s a promise, not a threat.” english.aljazeera.net

US occupation authority tramples on Iraqi workers’ rights November 25, 2003 By Alex Lefebvre The legal and economic position of workers in Iraq gives the lie to the Bush administration’s avowed democratic intentions in the occupied country. Few reports on the subject have appeared in the establishment media. However, what information has filtered through demonstrates that the American government has no intention of protecting the democratic rights of the working population. wsws.org

Iraqi families want retribution for deaths Some charge U.S. soldiers unjustly shoot, kill civilians November 25, 2003 Fallujah, Iraq -- It was a fateful turn in the road. Traveling home one night from a local farm -- where the al-Jumaidy family had bought live chickens for their store in town -- the driver turned the pickup truck on to the highway to Fallujah, which has been the flashpoint for anti-American attacks for months. sfgate.com

Public Growing Tired of Being Mislead on Facts in Iraq November 25, 2003 Dateline: Berkeley Retro Poll's findings on whether Americans agree with each other on the impact of government policies in the war on terrorism and other areas of national policy. At least one in three Americans believe that George W. Bush should face impeachment for misleading the public and Congress about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction to create support for war on Iraq. This is a new finding from a national survey conducted by the Retro Poll organization between October 29 and November 12. retropoll.org

Army Reserve Battling An Exodus November 25, 2003 By Robert Schlesinger The Boston Globe WASHINGTON -- The US Army Reserve fell short of its reenlistment goals this fiscal year, underscoring Pentagon fears that the protracted conflict in Iraq could cause a crippling exodus from the armed services. rense.com

Carter chides U.S. on rights November 25, 2003 By MARK BIXLER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday civil liberties have eroded in the United States since Sept. 11, 2001, and that, in turn, has emboldened governments worldwide to abuse human rights under the guise of fighting terrorism. ajc.com

Arresting The Future November 25, 2003 By Tom Hayden reporting for AlterNet from the Free Trade Area of the Americas conference MIAMI, The police force continued operating with the brains and appetite of a carnivorous shark today as city officials kept demonstrating "the Miami model" of suppression even as protestors and trade ministers were leaving the city in droves. alternet.org

Jews As The Master Race All Hail The Jewish Master Race November 25, 2003 By Texe Marrs "Our race is the Master Race. We are divine gods on this planet. We are as different from the inferior races as they are from insects. In fact, compared to our race, other races are beasts and animals, cattle at best. Other races are considered as human excrement. Our destiny is to rule over the inferior races. Our earthly kingdom will be ruled by our leader with a rod of iron. The masses will lick our feet and serve us as our slaves." Begin, Carter recalled, believed the Jews were a Master Race, a holy people superior to Egyptians and Arabs. Begin also believed that God wanted the Jews to own the land, so there was absolutely no basis for peace. The Jews lusted after the land and intended to have it. Period. rense.com

The waiting game November 25, 2003 By Ahdaf Soueif I thought it was bad three years ago. Now the landscape itself is changed. New settlements spring up everywhere; more than 60 since I was here last. You can watch their metamorphosis from a handful of caravans, to some Portakabins, then basic bungalows and, finally, the bristling, concrete hilltop fortress that is an Israeli settlement. Hardly a Palestinian village exists without an Israeli settlement lowering down on it from above. Everywhere there is construction going on - illegally: wide, Israeli-only highways to connect the settlements to each other, great mounds of rubble and yellow steel gates to block the old roads between Palestinian villages. And there are people waiting; waiting with bundles, with briefcases, with babies, at gates, at roadblocks, at checkpoints, waiting to perform the most ordinary tasks of their everyday lives. guardian.co.uk

Whither the US dollar? November 25, 2003 By Nick Beams Will the fall in the value of the US dollar proceed gradually or will there be a financial crisis sparked by a rapid exit of funds from American financial markets? This is a question that is being asked more frequently in world financial centres as US indebtedness reaches new highs. Last week the US dollar hit a record low of almost $1.20 against the euro in the wake of news that investment inflows into the US in September had fallen to their lowest level in almost five years. wsws.org

IBM put gag on medics Ex-nurse testifies company tried to avoid illness blame November 25, 2003 A former IBM occupational nurse testified Wednesday that a manager ordered medical staff never to say workers' ailments were caused by toxic chemicals, and instead to blame symptoms on allergies, alcohol or fatty foods to avoid workers' compensation claims. sfgate.com

Pentegon launching tests for Super Soilder November 25, 2003 "The Pentagon has launched a series of remarkable medical experiments to find a way to keep its soldiers and pilots awake and alert for up to five days at a time. The mission to create an Extended Performance War Fighter, as the project is known, took on added urgency last week as the military's use of amphetamine stimulants - "go pills" as they are called - was plunged into deep controversy." abovetopsecret.com

Global Eye -- Dark Passage November 24, 2003 By Chris Floyd Not since "Mein Kampf" has a geopolitical punch been so blatantly telegraphed, years ahead of the blow. Adolf Hitler clearly spelled out his plans to destroy the Jews and launch wars of conquest to secure German domination of world affairs in his 1925 book, long before he ever assumed power. Despite the zigzags of rhetoric he later employed, the various PR spins and temporary justifications offered for this or that particular policy, any attentive reader of his vile regurgitation could have divined his intentions as he drove his country -- and the world -- to murderous upheaval. Similarly -- in method, if not entirely in substance -- the Bush Regime's foreign policy is also being carried out according to a strict blueprint written years ago, then renewed a few months before the Regime was installed in power by the judicial coup of December 2000. informationclearinghouse.info

Terrorism commission caves in to White House over 9/11 documents November 24, 2003 By Patrick Martin The independent commission charged with investigating the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington has backed down in the face of White House intransigence and agreed to let the Bush administration determine what information it will turn over to the panel. wsws.org

Global Terror Attacks Bear Hallmarks of US Black Ops November 24, 2003 By Hazel One by one, the world’s terror attacks bear more of the hallmarks of US Intelligence, “Black Ops,” than of Islamic terrorism. The signs are unmistakable, the CIA backed industrio-religious crusaders are staging terror campaigns throughout the world - absolutely - positively. The despicable US media giants were silent when undisputed proof surfaced that the CIA, NSA, British Intelligence, the US Secret Service and the FBI were all involved in the May 16th 2002 blast in a Philippine hotel room when their agent, Michael Meiring accidently blew his own legs off while constructing a bomb which was intended, if ignited as planned, to be a staged “Al Queda” terror attack, justifying a tightened US- Philippine military alliance. propagandamatrix.com

Black Copters, Underground Bases & Invisible Government November 24, 2003 By Will Hart By the time the shocking, surreal events of 911 settled into the national psyche, it seems that Americans had already surrendered their attachments to the principles of the rule of law that the country was founded upon. Goodbye constitution; we are already living in a new and very different country. rense.com

Civil-Rights Group Says Eight Legal Observers Arrested at Trade Talks in Miami, Four Beaten November 24, 2003 The Associated Press MIAMI Eight legal observers sent to monitor Miami police during trade protests were arrested, and four were beaten by officers, their organization said Saturday as dozens of protesters were issued bond. Heidi Boghosian, executive director of the National Lawyers Guild, said her group of legal observers had been targeted by police. abcnews.go.com

DEMOCRACY NOW! PRODUCER ARRESTED BY MIAMI POLICE November 24, 2003 Posted By: Mailbag Please take action and forward far and wide! Make the phone calls/emails below and demand the immediate release of Ana Nogueira At approx. 5 pm Friday evening, Nov. 21, Democracy Now! producers Ana Nogueira and Jeremy Scahill were reporting on the arrest of approximately 20 people who were in Miami to oppose the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Nogueira and Scahill had their press credentials clearly visible. Nogueira was videotaping the arrests. At the time of this writing, Nogueira was being held, handcuffed, in a Miami Police patrol wagon. rumormillnews.com

Pay no attention to the latest bloodbath Welcome to America where freedom reigns November 24, 2003 By Bev Conover "I've been here only a short time, but I've noticed that the tradition of free speech exercised with enthusiasm is alive and well here in London! We have that at home too."—George W. Bush, London, November 19, 2003 While George W. Bush was in Britain paying lip service to freedom and insisting democracy would succeed in Iraq, police in Miami, Florida, were busy stifling peaceful dissent against the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) summit with tear gas, pepper spray, Tasers, rubber bullets and batons. Of course, if you only watched television news, you wouldn't know that heads were being broken in the Sunshine State's tourist mecca. And the little coverage given the protests by the corporate press would have led you to believe that the protesters were the bad guys and the cops were the good guys. How fortuitous the timing of the sexual molestation accusations made against Michael Jackson. onlinejournal.com