RADICAL ELECTION GUIDE, p8

Issue #115, February 1 – 21, 2008 the indypendentA FREE PAPER FOR FREE PEOPLE The Casino Economy Goes BUST p6

Gino Barzizza

Tear Down the Wall, p12

The Return of Winter Soldier, p5 Remembering Talkin’Brad Will, about p6 , p14 nyc.indymedia.org • indypendent.org • us.indymedia.org

community calender february Please send event announcements to Jessica Lee, Nicholas Powers and [email protected]. Steven Wishnia will discuss the super Tuesday Primary results and how to The next editorial meeting for The creatively respond this year’s elections. Indypendent is Tuesday, Feb 5 at 7pm. Freebird Books and Goods, 4 W. 43rd St, Room 311. All are welcome. 123 Columbia St. (Red Hook, Bklyn) freebirdbooks.com February is Black History month! FRI FEB 8 The Indypendent SAT FEB 2 7:30pm • $5-$10 suggested P.O. Box 1417 4pm • Free SCREENING/DISCUSSION: “WHAT New York, NY 10276 FILM: “AMERICAN BLACKOUT,” WE WANT, WHAT WE BELIEVE.” a chronicle of the election fraud of The Newsreel Collective worked with Curious why the mainstream media is ignoring that story in your Phone: 212-221-0521 2000/2004 as Black voters were removed The Black Panther Party to produce films neighborhood? Want to take a chance at writing it yourself? The Indypendent Fax: 646-478-9787 from voter rolls and denied access to that activists could use while organizing will host its community workshop, “Introduction to Journalism and Indymedia,” General Inquiries: voting machines. in their communities. Sunday, Feb. 10, 1pm-5pm. $5-20 sliding scale. RSVP requried by e-mailing [email protected] Rocky Sullivan’s of Red Hook, Bluestockings Books, 172 Allen St [email protected] or calling 212-221-0521. Be the media! Reader Comments: 34 Van Dyke & Dwight 212-777-6028 • bluestockings.com photo: JESSICA LEE [email protected] 718-666-2347 • rockysullivans.com Subscribe or Donate Online: SAT FEB 9 The New School, Wollman Hall, Sponsored by the Juvenile Justice indypendent.org SUN FEB 3 – SAT FEB 9 3-5:30pm • Free 65 W 11th St • 212-229-5488 Project/Correctional Association of NY, Editors: EVENTS: “ISRAELI APARTHEID WEEK,” FORUM: “IMMIGRATION AND IMMI- newschool.edu/publicprograms at 80 Maiden Lane, [email protected] panel discussions, cultural events, teach- GRANTS’ RIGHTS” with WBAI host 24th Fl training room, Advertising and promotion: ins, protests and other events all week at , as well as speakers THU FEB 14 RSVP : 212-254-5700 Arun Gupta: [email protected] various locations around the city. from the Carribbean and Arabic commu- 6-7:30pm • Free [email protected] Outreach: Sponsored by NYU Students for Justice nities. Sponsored by Prospect Lefferts TALK: “HOW THINKING LIKE AN Amy Wolf: [email protected] in Palestine, Falasteen & the Arab Stu- Voices for Peace & Justice. ECONOMIST UNDERMINES COM- THU FEB 21 Volunteer Coordinator: dents Assn at Columbia, Action WEDs Refreshments and childcare provided. MUNITY,” with Professor Stephen A. 6-9pm • $10 suggested/Free for Vets Jessica Lee: [email protected] Against the War, Adalah NY, Palestine Church of the Evangel, Bedford Ave & Marglin. Please RSVP. The New School BENEFIT: WINTER SOLDIER Submissions: [email protected] Education Project, WESPAC Foundation Hawthorne St, Bklyn for Social Research, 65 5th Ave, INVESTIGATION: & AFGHANI- News Coordinators: and others. endisraeliapartheid.net [email protected] Wolff Conference Room STAN. Iraq Veterans Against the War John Tarleton, Jessica Lee, Erin Thompson 212-229-5901 x4911 • newschool.edu/cepa benefit to raise money for upcoming Culture Coordinator: MON FEB 4 8-10:30pm • $12/$9 members March 13-16 investigation where vets will Irina Ivanova 9am • Free MUSIC: BEV GRANT/JUDY GORMAN/ SAT FEB 16 talk about war crimes they committed or Illustrations Coordinator: COURT SUPPORT: For Sean Bell family ALIX DOBKIN at the People’s Voice Cafe 10am-9pm • $5 sugg. witnessed in the Middle East. Frank Reynoso during case of , Gescard to honor and celebrate women’s history. BENEFIT: “UNITY RALLY AGAINST New York Ethical Culture Society, Designers: Isnora and Michael Oliver, the officers The Workmen’s Circle, 45 E 33rd St HATE CRIMES,” Black History Month 2 West 64th St (at Central Park West Ryan Dunsmuir, Anna Gold that killed Bell. 212-787-3903 • peoplesvoicecafe.org Benefit & Open Mic for the Williams ivaw.org • [email protected] Queens Supreme Court, Family. With performances, dance, IndyKids: [email protected] 88-11 Sutphin Blvd • justiceforsean.net SUN FEB 10 spoken word, and more. FRI FEB 22 IndyVideo: [email protected] 866-695-2992 2-4pm • $10/$15/$25 sliding scale Medgar Evers College, Founders 7:05pm • $5 suggested DISCUSSION: “PSYCHOLOGY & Auditorium, 1650 Bedford Ave, Bklyn CONFERENCE: “DREAMING THE The Indypendent is a New York-based free TUE FEB 5 ECONOMICS: A MARXIAN PERSPEC- [email protected] /THE BODY POLITIC IN newspaper published 17 times a year on Fridays. 7pm • Free TIVE.” with Harriet Fraad and Richard PERFORMANCE.” All day conference Since 2000, more than 600 citizen journalists, DISCUSSION: BLUE GRIT: MAK- Wolff. Brecht Forum, 451 West St 7:30pm • $4 Suggested donation with discussion in the evening: “Plan artists and media activists have contributed ING IMPOSSIBLE, IMPROBABLE & 212-242-4201 • brechtforum.org FILM: iDA b. wells: a passion for : Impunity, the ‘Drug War’ & their time and energy to this project. Winner of INSPIRATIONAL POLITICAL CHANGE IN justice. A documentary about a radical Human Rights in Mexico. Sponsored by dozens of New York Independent Press Associa- AMERICA, with author Laura Flanders. TUE FEB 12 African American journalist and anti- NoPassport, Alliance for Inclusion in the tion awards, The Indypendent is dedicated to 1st Tue Series hosted by author/activist 6:30pm • Free lynching crusader. Arts, and Translation Think Tank. empowering people to create a true alternative Mark Crispin Miller. TALK: “RACE AND NATIONAL POLITICS Freedom Hall, 113 W. 128 St. Bring photo ID. to the corporate press by encouraging citizens McNally Robinson, 52 Prince St IN AMERICA: A HISTORICAL .com CUNY Grad Center, 365 5th Ave, to produce their own media. The Indypendent 212-274-1160 • mcnallyrobinsonnyc.com PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT THE OBAMA Martin E. Segal Theatre • 212-817-8215 is funded by subscriptions, donations, grants, CANDIDACY MEANS FOR AFRICAN WED FEB 20 web.gc.cuny.edu/mestc/programs/ merchandise sales, benefits and advertising from THU FEB 7 AMERICANS.” The historical legacy of 9:30am-12:30pm • Free spring08/nopassport.html organizations with similar missions. Volunteers 7pm • Free African Americans in politics from the WORKSHOP: “WORKING WITH UN- write and edit articles, take photographs, do forum: 2008 elections. 1800s to the presidential candidacy of DOCUMENTED YOUTH IN THE Next Issue, February 22. design work and illustrations, help distribute Indypendent contributors Arun Gupta, Senator . JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.” papers, update the website and more! The In- dypendent reserves the right to edit articles for length, content and clarity.

The Indypendent is the newspaper project of reader comments the , which is affiliated with the global Indymedia Response to “A Crack Opens in was doing to their older siblings knowing it is radical media, takes tant. Populism is dangerous: it is movement (indymedia.org), an international Drug Law Sentencing,” Jan. 12: and decided for themselves that a stab at critique. What we get to the promise of the tyranny of the network that is dedicated to fostering crack was bad news. This is read is an okay “on the ground” majority on any subject. media production. NYC IMC sponsors three Mandatory minimum prison sen- not to say nothing can be done piece with some superficial analy- Principled stances, like those of other projects, the children’s newspaper Indy- tences have done little other than about hard drugs like crack or sis on the race. So you have good Kucinich, Gravel and Paul, are di- Kids, the IndyVideo news team and the NYC give the land of the free the high- methamphetamine, the latest reporting and then you fall short rectly opposed to this. Most poli- IMC open publishing website (nyc.indymedia. est incarceration rate in the world. headline grabber. Access to sub- on explaining it all to the reader. ticians are populists. These guys org). NYC IMC relies on volunteer participa- The deterrent value of tough drug stance abuse treatment is critical. —Anonymous aren’t going anywhere, largely tion and is open to anyone who is interested. laws is grossly overrated. During Diverting resources away from because they aren’t populists. the crack epidemic of the 1980s, prisons and into cost-effective —John Volunteer CONTRIBUTORS: New York City chose the zero treatment would save both tax Responses to “Populists Need Sam Alcoff, Nicholas Allanach, Chris Anderson, tolerance approach, opting to dollars and lives. Not Apply,” Jan 12: Steven Arnerich, Eleanor J. Bader, Kazembe arrest and prosecute as many of- —Robert Sharpe, MPA Balagun, Gino Barzizza, Charlie Bass, Bennett J. Baumer, Lani Bouwer, Jed Brandt, Mike fenders as possible. Meanwhile, Populism does not equal prin- Burke, José Carmona, Kepfram Cauley, Matt Washington, D.C., Mayor Mar- cipled stance. Neither presidential Cavanaugh, Rahul Chadha, Susan Chenelle, ion Barry was smoking crack and Response to “Voters Desperate candidates Dennis Kucinich nor Ellen Davidson, Jeff Faerber, Renee Feltz, Leo America’s capital had the high- for Solutions, Candidates Offer Ron Paul are populists. Poll watch- Garcia, Shira Golding, Samantha Gorelick, Liana est per capita murder rate in the Soaring Rhetoric,” Jan 12: ers are populists. I’ve continually

THE INDYPENDENT Grey, Mary Heglar, Alex Kane, Ruth Kelton, country. Yet crack use declined in read Kucinich and Paul being de- Jennifer Lew, Samantha Lewis, Gary Martin, both cities simultaneously. This is an okay article. It’s indica- scribed as populists, but they are Ari Moore, Nik Moore, Ana Nogueira, Donald The decline was not due to a tive of radical media’s combina- not. Understanding the dangers of Paneth, Cat Perry, Louis Peterson, Nicholas slick anti-drug advertising cam- tion of indifference and curios- actual populism, where you pitch Powers, , Ann Schneider, Andrew paign or the passage of manda- ity towards the horse race. This whatever ideas people most want y 1 – 21, 2008 Stern, Caroline Sykora, Gabriella Szpunt, Xavier tory minimum sentencing laws. paper couldn’t resist the attempt to hear, and are willing to run Tayo, Dana Vindigni, Eric Volpe, Hal Weiss, Simply put, the younger genera- to get caught up in the horse roughshod over any law or rule Steven Wishnia and Rusty Zimmerman. tion saw firsthand what crack race aspect of the campaign, but that gets in the way, is very impor- Continued on Page 15 2 februar local Linking ‘The Dream’ to Today’s Reality King’s Interviews and Photos by Alex Kane Radical Roots On Jan. 21, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, nearly 1,000 people marched in freezing weather from WABC headquarters on West 32nd Street to CNN headquarters on West 58th Street. They invoked King’s message of racial equality while focusing on present-day race By Ali Winston relations, including the anti-immigrant sentiment espoused by CNN anchor Lou Dobbs, the NYPD shooting death of Sean Bell and the Jena Six case. The Indypendent caught up r. Martin Luther King Jr. was assas- with some of the marchers, who discussed how they connected King’s message to present sinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968, day struggles. Dshortly before he was to lead a march of striking sanitation workers, part of his Poor People’s Campaign. Forty years later, King’s aborted cross-racial campaign for economic Erica Brody, Brooklyn justice is seldom referenced, despite a record “[I’m marching here today] because I be- wealth gap between rich and poor today. lieve that racism is one of the worst ills that Tina, Al Awda, Palestinian Right to Interest in King’s radical legacy and drive we have in this country. I wanted to come Return Coaltion, Syracuse, NY for true change (not the saccharine variety out not only in support of ending racism, “I connect [the Palestinian struggle to Dr. pushed in this year’s presidential race) is but all of the other intertwining oppres- King’s message] because the U.S. has … a rac- nonetheless alive and well. On Jan. 20, more sions. I’m out here getting signatures in sup- ist foreign policy that includes giving lots and than 400 people attended WNYC’s panel dis- port of same-sex marriage, looking to end lots of support to a state like Israel, [which] cussion, “Embracing the Radical King: Pro- homophobia and sexism and transphobia, obviously is daily persecuting the Palestin- phetic or Passé?” at the Brooklyn Museum. as well as racism. It’s always great to see an ians. [T]hat reflects [the U.S. government’s] Moderated by WNYC radio host Brian Leh- incredible community of people out here for attitude toward racism at home. When we rer and April Yvonne Garrett, the president the same reasons. I think that Martin Lu- have things like the Jena Six and Hurricane and founder of the non-profit Civic Frame, ther King would be out here marching with Katrina, that sort of racist policy is reflected the panel featured Princeton Professor Eric us for all of these same issues. And I think internationally and domestically.” Gregory, Brown Professors Tricia Rose and the dream is being lived right now.” Corey Walker and Professor Patricia Wil- liams of Columbia University’s Law School. “There’s so much more to him than the Frankie Clark, few lines that are quoted in the reductionist “As of now, [King’s message] has been media,“ said Lehrer, who also noted, “really watered down. It’s been watered down as a exploring the larger body of Martin Luther commodity … If you look at fast food com- King’s work and his relevance today.” mercials, they’re talking about his dream, but Were he alive today, said Williams, King they’re neglecting the rest of his speech. He would have focused heavily on issues of actually spoke out against the Vietnam War voting power, the persuasive power of media … Incidents like Sean Bell have occurred, and an ‘unraced’ political sphere. King would [demonstrating] that there are persistent have expanded his notion of coalition to the problems that are facing African Americans new realities of a globalized world, and would and other minorities in this country. It’s very have employed his strategy of nonviolent deplorable. It needs to be talked about. And protest on new battlefields. it needs to be acknowledged.” Teresa Gutierrez, May 1st “Just imagining that makes him much Coalition for Immigrant Rights more radical than anything I see happening “I’m marching because I think that if it today’s world,” said Williams, envisioning Daekwon Young, Brooklyn Martin Luther King were alive today that King climbing the walls on the U.S.-Mexico “I’m here to be a part of the crowd and he would be marching for immigrant rights. border, marching alongside Pakistan’s law- to stand for the rights of others…[The And he would not be going along with the yers, and standing hand-in-hand with Ra- indignities that face African-Americans Lou Dobbs demonization of immigrant chel Corrie against Israeli bulldozers. include] police brutality, injustice in the workers. The struggle to defend immigrant However, Tricia Rose opined that the fa- criminal system, inequality in the work- workers is a struggle against racism. And ther of the Civil Rights Movement would be force and inequality of medical access I think that we need to unite all the races, challenged and vexed by the entertainment for people with chronic illnesses. [King] Black, Latin, Asian, Arab, white, in order industry’s “new minstrelsy” and the canni- would absolutely be in solidarity with us to overcome all the problems that we have balization of African-American culture and here because injustice for one is an injus- today. Martin Luther King talked about the a burgeoning culture of violence in inner-city tice for all.” war, against the war. [He] went to Memphis communities. to fight for workers in Memphis. And we’ve “I’m not sure he would expect so much ca- got to continue that legacy.” pitulation to capitalism and a culture of vio- lence,” Rose said, adding that the gains of the Civil Rights Movement have been met with 40 fighting for 125th Street years of backsliding and sustained resistance by entrenched institutions of power. n response to the proposed rezoning of 125th Speaking on King’s role as a social ethi- Street in Central Harlem, approximately 60 peo- cist, Gregory stressed the inclusive nature of Iple attended a Harlem Community Forum orga- King’s politics, which stand in sharp contrast nized by the Harlem Tenants Council Jan. 23. Un- to contemporary political strategies that tar- der a New York City Department of City Planning get ‘niche’ voters. “King as a Christian rep- Proposal, 24 blocks along 125th Street in Harlem resents an incredible mix of traditions. He will be rezoned to “encourage the development of didn’t have to be un-raced as a Christian, he a regional business corridor by stimulating new didn’t use faith to exclude anyone from poli- investment as well as new arts, entertainment tics as we see it today,” said Gregory, adding and retail activities,” according to an October that King never parsed personal charity from 2007 Department of City Planning press release. . In many case, the rezoning will allow for higher- King’s modern legacy, said Corey Walker, density residential and commercial development. has been edited and presented to the coun- Six panelists discussed the Bloomberg pro- try in a way that obscures the systematic, posal in stark terms, urging residents to fight bottom-up critique of American society that THE INDYPENDENT februar back against the gentrification sweeping Har- his speeches and writing articulate. lem. Sikhulu Shange, owner of the Record Shack “King challenges not only our comfort lev- located on125th Street, who is fighting his own el,” said Walker, “[but] the very fabric of our battle against eviction, claimed Harlem was, “be- society, a society where the rich continue to

ing prepared for the existence of the richest.” Mi- exploit the poor [and] where economicsY 1 – 21, 2008 be- chael Henry Adams, Harlem historian and author comes the entrée to political power. It’s quite of the book, “Harlem Lost and Found,” said, “What interesting that we’re in a moment where, if is happening in Harlem now is poised to change you don’t raise $100 million, you’re not a vi- the demographics of Harlem for the next hundred able candidate for the presidency.” years.” According to Adams, the rezoning of Har- lem will determine “whether Black, Latino, poor people or any non-rich people will live on Manhat- tan island” ever again. —ALEX KANE photo: alex kane 3 4 February 1 – 21, 2008 THE INDYPENDENT R v en- was activists, community and officials elected groups, environmental unions, bor of cry of an ad la- hoc coalition rallying cial Hole inBed Stuy CopRooftop ShotLeaves local NYPD ShillsTerror Bill Coppin Kheil shot police where is It azine. by analysis an to cording ac- — 2000 since five — officers partment New by shootings fatal of it.” away get with and anyone kill i shot was 19, Stansbury, where from street F Feltz Renee By making sure that we know where these de- these where know we that sure making by concern public unnecessary and alarms sampling environmental equipment? other and tors N of 9/11-related contamination. sure expo- to due sick now people to healthcare provide to legislation federal of proponent leading a is Nadler sampling.” ronmental envi- independent radiological and biological conduct chemical, that organizations community-based and environmental and unions, institutions, research academic by made contributions important the threaten Council, to potential City great “a bill the the called Nadler to Testifying Center. World the of Trade site the includes district tobreathe. safe was r city. the in used sampling environmental independent any for permit a require to plan Department’s Police City when he heard a about report the New s as a harsh reminder of officerimpunity. ape i Lwr ahta atr 9/11 after t Manhattan Lower in samples p a obtaining first without contamination for samples water or air analyzes and collects that device any and counters, Geiger tors, detec- carbon-monoxide and smoke clude radiological c or biological chemical, mea- sures that device any use, or own, to City a 8meeting. Jan. Committee Safety N law, by was unveiled 650, which as Intro known proposed the oppose all activists ual W Bennett Jonathan By n a n hat debunked the claim by the the by claim the debunked hat onmental Protection Protection onmental aid Tiffany Tiffany aid ontamination. ontamination. ironmental activist activist ironmental ermit from N from ermit ep. 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mother Stansbury’s to with show joined the video Hein his death.neighborhood.friend’s his on focus new a documentary hour with stairs. the ing ascend- people to hear them clearly allowed out and a pointed that vent to next the door stairwell the to Neri shot doorway where Stansbury Officer roof the on up went and levard. been has car that Lexingon of block police the down drove a as Stanley, Joe neighbor mer areas. residential high-density in drawn weapons their patrolling with for discretion own their use to of p presence thick the despite steady main much. the across changed not have lives shortcuts their anymore, roof takes one no while that say neighbors His died. and lived bury Stans- where entryway stairwell the clutter them.” to serve there are don’t police feel around walk “They h Precinct. 79th the from officer lice po- retired a Leader Noel said police,” the patrol. heavy under area an in police with relations community poor of impasse an at olice. N olice. ate racist, abusive police. police. abusive racist, ate B Fisherfinished personallyhis narrated half- “They get away with murder,” said for- said murder,” with away get “They C longer no vigils monthly from Candles “ A u rime rates in in rates rime New YorkNew Daily News t the outcome of the case has arrived arrived has case the of outcome the t lot of young people don’t really hate hate really don’t people young of lot renamed Timothy Stansbury Jr., Stansbury Timothy renamed Y PD guidelines still allow officers officers allow still guidelines PD B edford Stuyvesant people people Stuyvesant edford B dod tyeat re Stuyvesant edford — E . rin B Th t hn you when ut ompson Bou - - THE INDYPENDENT february 1 – 21, 2008 5 - - .S. U AR For more

W W has put A ANTIW W is in a uniqueinisa W posi A sia, there was a near media A W hopes that the experiences A A documentary filmwas eventu hile IV “Our target audience is GIs,” said W In In this age of instant and communication ilitaryfamilies, IV rolific independent media, IV ion to undermine the continuation of war policies. “We thought long and about hard what are we best positioned to we realized do, that there are very few antiwar organizations that have the abilityoutreach among the GIs.” to do IVAW will hold Soldier benefit a Feb. 21, 6-9pm at the New New York Ethical Culture York Society, 2 West 64th Winter StreetsuggestionCentralat West. $10 Park donation, free for all veterans. of of soldiers will and politicians’ help ideas inform about the reality the the war, of the public group’s strategy is mainly on reaching those who can most directly stop the war: active-duty families. soldiers and their Vasquez, who explained that by fomenting resistance within the military m and within out out a call to artists, journalists, filmmakers testi- spread to help makers media other and hearings. the from mony t in Southeast ally created using the testimony, but “had documentary,beentherethinknota don’t I even we’d know about the [1971 investiga- said Vasquez. tion],” p information, or if you are a media involved,wantsgetthatmakerto visit ivaw.org or email [email protected]. blackout. - - n A .S.war .S. sol U U mony Ds” Ds” and the impunity af E W is taking inspiration and esti A T

ty hile IV i armon remembers watching W initially based their questions on the W to be interviewed for the hearings, A A D went off and soldiers starting spraying Harmon, who has coped with substance In addition, in 1971, when Vietnam vet- H W iers shoot a 2-year-old girl in the leg. “ een planting I iencedandcarried duringout the V V E I bullets in all directions. The little girl was caught in the crossfire while driving in her family car.” abuse issues since in 2005, was leaving one of the the firstI members military of learning from the 1971 Winter Soldier In- vestigation, they acknowledge that they are differenta differentworld, “a a dealingwith war,” said Vasquez. To collect testimony, I 1971 questionnaire. However, they foundthat many the of questions needed to soon be updated; the questionnaire is now more than nine pages long, after starting at only two. They are also taking steps to provide who psychologicalsoldiercounseling any to testifies, in thehopes of avoiding the sharp increase in suicides that occurred after the 1971 testimonies. erans holed up in a Detroitscribe a motel litany of to atrocities de-they had expe- r forded to soldiers who killedsoldierswho to fordedcivilians ex- as amples policies of that lead to atrocities. d despite the fact that, “I don't like to thinkjust is It to. have don't I when warthe about a horrible, misguided debacle.” pointed to the standard operatingdure of shooting any Iraqi civilian proce- carrying a at shovel night, “because they might have b troc - - A

Afghani are p re rmy veteranwho rmy W chapter Presi A A P g/hawconf .S. U .or ets V fghanistan, the use of chem of use the , ork ork City IV fghanistan. Y and raq ghanistan wars. ghanistan,after Vietnam-the1971 During the series of panels, multi- The goal of hearings, named the Info and Registration: f f I ther war crimes. Iraqi and A media presentations and more than 45 testimony, current and former sol- diers plan to describe the indiscrimi- nate killing and injuring of civilians in Iraq ical weapons, the and killing of killing and torture the weapons, ical detainees, rape — within the military itself and against Iraqi civilians — the denial of medical care to the injured and the mutilation of the dead, o and civilians, as well as reporters not em- bedded with the military, are sched- uled to verify many of the stories that will be described by the soldiers. WinterSoldier Investigation: Iraqand A ichael Harmon,ichael a “It’s “It’s easy for the military to ostracize “When other vets are willing to discuss aid New raq and A era investigation of the same show name, that is systematic to government policies are to blame for the I myriad atrocities in servedin Iraq from 2003 2004.to Harmon soldiers. We want to demonstrate that the policies that are set at the highest level are what’s creating the reality on the ground,” s dent Jose Vasquez. “Soldier after rotation soldier, after rotation, these what’s policies creating are the environment in which these atrocities occur.” thenegativethings, of some peopleshows it that it is not just an isolatedM event,” said - gainst A .historiansagainstwar www The presenters are , the 1971 docu- W hopes that antiwar A W) has asked antiwar groups A uring the fifth anniversaryIraq of invasion in the March, there will not be hundreds of thousands of Over twenty panels, roundtables, and work

nstead, the IV

I

shops on a broad range of topics. academics, activists, educators, and students. PLUS:

est. That’s because Iraq Veterans the War (IV from March 13-16. not to stage a D.C. mass demonstration or witnessed while serving in the Iraq and days about the atrocities they committed diers, who will testify during those four the voices of veterans and active-duty sol- activists and the media will help amplifiy D t ington, D.C., for another afternoon pro- people mobilizing in the streets of Wash-

fied about atrocities they saw or committed. mentary about Vietnam Veterans who testi-

A scene from Winter Soldier

Return Soldier the Winter of By Erin Thompson 6 February 1 – 21, 2008 THE INDYPENDENT may deem us insane for doing the same same result. a different the and thing expecting doing for insane generations us deem future may don’t, we If present. the than better future a build can we how and wrong went what about questions big spree at Walmart. a payment, new mortgage or TV a shopping a half to cleaner comparison in a pale and environment imports oil reduced ture, infrastruc- modern safer a end the In this. and oil gasgreenhouse emissions. imported of use our both reduce would European That have. already our rivals Asian and like system transit public infrastructure. production petitive safer com- more lower-cost and systems environment, transit improved an water, cleaner us give could This overdue. is that investment uniting long-term a is It trades. related and building from displaced equip- ment and people some absorb will and agencies, federal and local state, through distributed be can Funds plan. billion $150 proposed the of size the about stimulus a be would action critical of roll-out 10 percent A trillion. $1.6 is infrastructure our ing destruction. sive mas- of weapons slumbering are systems treatment damsandwater levees, bridges, roads, Our commerce. on drag a creating and movement of freedom restricting life, imperiling of point the to neglected been has our that infrastructure national reports our decaying infrastructure. A lution. use better of money would be to fix so- optimal and most the not and sighted slow short likely is taxes Refunding alterna- tives. radical more presents so Doing economy. the andsurvey out zoom to islus housing- of work. related out switching in assistance people need the great housing boom busts, As workers. displaced for education and course. better the buck always is less bang, More income. on and make that they so escape little taxation These folks will bates. not and can not save re- bigger with folks income lower target could We effects. economic positive blunt which of all goods, imported purchase to used or savings and taxes to diverted be will stimulus the of much know We sense. no makes does, plan the which employed, plan. vote-buying would be a effective less It burden. tax America’s lower and administrative costs reduce policy, would the This speed recipients. target on burden tax the lowers that assessment an be just Uncleback Sam, with could there and forth money mail Americans having of Instead later. months rebate tax a get then and 15, Americans will pay taxes to the IRS by April to mail out rebate checks. This means many government is waiting until after tax season package. the Currently, correct? details the are One, stimulus billion $150 proposed recession Every crisis is an opportunity to ask the the ask to opportunity an is crisis Every with problems many are there know I national a build to begin even could We upgrad- of cost minimum estimated The Engineers Civil of Society American The stimu- the critiquing of way second The retraining in invest might plan wiser A andearners low-wage the un- Excluding areThere broad two ways the to critique A B A s etter t i m ul w ate a y y t —MFW o g housing difficulties. our through halfway than less are we that finance household have been vanishing at a rapid and clip. It’s likely realty retail, tion, construc- in Jobs fallen. have home the for n weak-severe with visiblymost months, eral tanked economy the how stimulation. this all spiring in- is that slump the on in peek to need we tonesses encourage investment spending. billion $100 would go to and individuals the rest to busi- around stimulus, proposed billion $150 the Of be. will assistance the massive and vital how of idea an you gives This $400. is payment card credit monthly cluding averagerelated The costs. minimum in- $2,400, to $1,800 is payment mortgage households. The average range for a monthly to $1,200 and taxpayers individual to $600 coverage. media and fundraising with leaders political our help should which business, to assistances A Wolf Fraad By Max h Sales of new homes have fallen. Home fallen. prices have homes existing of have Sales fallen. permits building New down. down, down, heading been have homes to related h into shifts election presidential the time the around June, in arrive should that rebates tax sending be will They how? Help vote. that families working hard help to mean I ess in housing. in ess ave fallen. avefallen. ar igh igh gear. Financial Financial markets have suffered as builders, The economy has been wheezing for sev- for wheezing been has economy The B The White House proposal is to distribute candidates. Democratic leading two the of platitudes media-indulged the than gree de- a greater to needy the to assistance economic and poverty on was focus Edwards’s policies. economic progressive other and taxes and rate corpo- increasing poverty earners, of high-income onto issues taxes on shifting campaigned for called he race, the of out dropping plan. on the negotiations during excluded been have proposals these of all virtually but activity, economic more gener- ating by buck stimulus the for bang biggest the the to create particularly unemployed, aid, of types these contend economists Some aid. grant local and state and funding Medicaid stamps, food benefit, ment unemploy- extended relief, homeowner favor contenders presidential u y martin John Edwards announced a stimulus plan last November. Before Before November. last plan stimulus a announced Edwards John Democratic the focus, and strategy of differences are there While t before examining the stimulus plan, plan, stimulus the examining before t stimulating ideas to get votes. Oops, Oops, votes. get to ideas stimulating agents in Washington have a series of mid a slumping economy, our selfless DEM A long with the checks are various R etail sales related to all things things all torelated sales etail S THR A cross the nation all things things nationtheall cross OW PENN I E S

t o end 02 and 2002 t their homes in the second half of 2007. More holds. Well over a quarter million people lost s in pain growing been has borrowing against the future the against borrowing were fast and very large and are ongoing. ened our descent. Interestingly, these actions soft-slowedonlyand has this far So serves. re- borrow to other each charge bank rates interest and Fed the from get borrowing when banks rates interest to apply cuts The 30. Jan. on cut percent 0.5 a recently most slashed interest rates fivetimes sincelast fall, in in home mortgage debt. slump$10.4and dragging fat,big,atrillion howis weendedup with That period! same the during trillion $4.5 of — people all to income of types all — income disposable in increase total the precisely matches almost This loans. home in trillion $4.4 addition t by spending class middle up kept millions pushed off the debt cliff. have been spending less and many have been R massive billions and — has been made available. of hundreds — cash facilitated of quantities mergers held, been have Meetings institutions. financial Much assistance has been given to distressed Washington. large in quickly and registers firms investors, financial banks, for pain pain, of kind This losses. massive report to Many creditors have and will likely continue increasingly paying late or missing payments. han han a million rig hi hms into homes their urning ure in 2008. Tough times mean Toughmean times 2008. in ure e Less obvious to those inside the inside those to obvious Less How do we dig our way out of the slump? With stagnant wages and rising prices, prices, rising and wages stagnant With h Tesr Dprmn ad Federal and Department Treasury The P serve have led these efforts. The Fed has has Fed The efforts. these led have serve O VERT buyers and credit card holders are are holders card credit and buyers A ugust 2007 we borrowed an an borrowed we 2007 ugust Y tumble. Home buyers, car car buyers, Home tumble. A mericans mericans could face foreclo Debt Tanks Economy From Bubble to Rubble $10 Trillion Home Mortgage sistance, with more to follow if unemployment rises consistently. rises unemployment if follow to more with sistance, as- rebate tax per family and $500 per individual of round $250 ansuggested initial Obama Sen. weaken. to continues economy the further if in rebates billion $40 additional an proposes and Plan Five-Part tailed hard. fought Neither insurance. unemployment pand ex- and extend to sought least, at rhetorically Both, Obama. $10 for billion versus billion appor- $30 homeowners, Clinton distressed to light. money more green tioned Senate the awaiting plan House-backed more and White the to complex closer and simpler is billion more $75 for Obama’s plan smaller, specific. slightly is plan billion $70 Clinton’s A Sen. Clinton offers $5 billion in energy assistance as part of her de- her of part as assistance energy in billion $5 offers Clinton Sen. similar. are records, voting their like plans, Obama and Clinton The A merican house merican TMs. TMs. bankers and and bankers s r e l i a t e r n profits and s e c i r p seen have their stock stock their A mericans mericans B B etween etween eltway - - tmlto. hs en te government the s means This Stimulation. a mind to bring plans Present spending. more and moreborrowing trouble with economic to responding of years on based is spending and the government borrows more. more rises budgetdeficit the money. cases both outIn pays it spending increases ment govern- the If revenues. its cuts reduces it government taxes the If grows. deficit our P The MacroScope, Global Post, Huffington online, regularly websites the including appears work finance and strategy economics international His University’s School Affairs. International Program in Graduate who New The economist in an teaches is Wolff Fraad Max in Iraq. money our byexpensive trimming war habit some raise couldwe perhaps public, the sist at moment.trillion this spending and massive government debt, $9.2 consumer muchtoo from already stem lems prob- morelarger structural Our poorcure. h and consumers to moneymore ever.Giving beats nothing. Something parties. important and helpwill some of the affected is that value symbolic have plans these less, Nonethe- outlined. package stimulus the of results case best the dwarf will this decline, to continue prices house If holdings. estate o stimulus proposal represents just 0.7 percent m in wealth from one hour of turbulence in the economic effects — if they work at all. Losses havetomonths broad require these like cies poli- Fiscal success. of likelihood and scope different result.” a expecting and thing same the doing is ity pends more and, or taxes less. less. taxes or and, more pends great quote from quote great f the valueofthe f aving rudent arkets often exceed $150 billion. exceed often arkets The The idea of more borrowing for consumer If we really need to free up funds to as- to funds up free to need really we If not Iam excited how- about stimulus, the size, in modest is package stimulus The

U B ncle borrow Sam is a the difference ear and Seeking andear Seeking A merica’s $21 trillion in real merica’sreal in $21 trillion A lbert lbert T he A E A lpha instein: “Insan instein: sia Times, The The Times, sia . E ither way,ither A —MFW nd the the nd - How Wall Street Killed the Economy By A.K. Gupta

The “subprime mortgage” mania began have an interest in seeing the loan repaid. bonds goes up. In addition to the blow of in 2004 when lenders started giving out a recession, Americans will see government mortgages to almost anyone — with little or Then, lenders took risky mortgage services slashed and having to pay more for no proof of income — be- backed securities (rated Bbb, for instance) the services that remain. cause of profits that and repackaged them as highly attractive could be made off Aaa financial products. Some of these are Wall Street made staggering profits fees, high inter- called “collateralized debt obligations” or from the housing and credit bubbles. est rates and CDO. Ratings firms generated huge profits Now that they’re taking a beating, the Federal reselling the from giving these dodgy products the seal Reserve and U.S. Treasury Department mortgages. of approval. Moody’s earned nearly $850 are bailing them out on the public’s dime To sell sub- million from structured finance products in by pumping tens of billions of dollars into prime loans, 2006 alone. be paid out. the market and by lowering interest rates, lenders gave which fuels inflation. Thus, profit is private, low rates for Here’s where things get nutty. An un- but losses are socialized. Such is the free the first two regulated market, totaling a breathtaking market. years. $45 trillion, grew up as banks, hedge funds, After this the mortgage rate would shoot up, brokers and insurers sold these swaps back sometimes doubling or even tripling monthly and forth. It’s pure gambling, where buyers payments. and sellers often do not hold the underlying debt. As hundreds of thousands of home- owners began defaulting on subprime loans, many MBSs started going bad, too. By last year, there was $1.3 trillion in CDOs world- wide and 56 percent of this was made up of mortgage backed securities. The final player is “monoline” insur- ance companies, which insure more than By last year, one small monoline in- illustrations by $1 trillion in municipal bonds. If a city wants surer, ACA, had accumu- Frank Reynoso to build new schools or roads or expand lated more than $69 Caught between stagnant wages mass transit it sells bonds. To lower costs, a billion in exposure and rapidly increasing house values, city buys insurance from monoline insurers, to corporate and Americans turned their homes into cash such as MBIA or Ambac. This makes the mortgage debt but machines this decade and withdrew trillions bond more desirable to the buyer because the only had $425 mil- of dollars in equity. By last year, many lion of capital to subprime loans were resetting at higher rates cover it. Ratings Glossary and homeowners started to default. This agencies also review cooled off the housing market fast. Jobs insurance firms, and Bond—a bond is an instrument were lost in real estate, construction and ACA had a single A of debt issued by corporations and home lending, and retail spending slowed, rating. Then it re- governments. For example, Boeing slowing the economy. ported a loss of $1 billion last November issues $1 million bonds with a from MBSs. A month later, it was down- 20-year maturity at 5 percent. This How does graded to a junk rating of Ccc. means the buyer purchases the this link to bond for $1 million, gets 5 percent the financial This made ACA’s insurance policies interest per year ($50,000) for 20 sector? Say worthless, affecting the value of the debt years, and at the end gets paid you’re Bank of they insured. Fearful this could lead to a back the principal of $1 million. America. You insurer will pay out if the city defaults. market panic as players tried to “unwind” have 1,000 their swaps, banks have been negotiating Collateralized Debt Obliga- mortgages ly- Just as lenders pushed risky subprime to rescue the insurer, but already Merrill tion—a complex security that ing around, so mortgages, monoline insurers started Lynch, CIBC and Citigroup have written off can be based on a wide variety of you “bundle” insuring mortgage backed securities. billions of dollars in losses linked to ACA. debts such as mortgages, credit them and cre- An example shows how this works. Suppose Losses this year on swaps could total $250 card debt, auto loans, etc. ate “mortgage your company is Goldman Sachs. GM wants billion, equal to the expected losses in the backed securi- to borrow $100 million. You give it a loan subprime market. Mortgage Backed ties” (MBS) to at 5 percent interest, which means they pay Securities—are either commer- sell to banks, $5 million a year in interest. To be sure your The damage is cial or residential mortgages that hedge funds, loan is safe you buy insurance from MBIA. spreading on Wall are bundled to create a bond. The

and foreign investors. You get your cash Deciding GM is a good risk, MBIA sells you Street with large pool of mortgages acts as asset THE INDYPENDENT back, and a steady stream of fees for man- the policy at 1 percent. So while GM pays job cuts in finance for the MBS and generates cash aging the mortgages. To sell MBSs, you go you $5 million a year, you pay MBIA $1 mil- and a credit crunch payments to the buyers in the form to a ratings agency like Moody’s Investor’s lion a year to assume the risk. If GM defaults that’s making it of interest and principal from the Service or Standard & Poor’s. You slice up on the loan, MBIA will cover the loss. harder for businesses mortgages.

the bundle like cuts of beef. The choicest and homeowners to bruary 1 – 21, 2008

f MBSs get Aaa ratings, meaning they will al- These insurance contracts are known borrow. This creates more problems. As Subprime mortgages— e most certainly be paid back. The ratings go as “credit default swaps.” Taking the ex- foreclosures multiply and property values sometimes labeled “predatory down — Aa, A, Baa, down to Ccc and then ample above, GM starts bleeding money and decline, many cities and states are facing lending,” this means greater unrated — according to the likelihood they can’t service its debt. This causes the value huge tax shortfalls. On the cusp of recession, than the prime rate, currently will be paid back. of your loan to decline, but the value of your they have to borrow more money to fund 6.5 percent, which is the lowest As lenders were writing trillions of dollars insurance contract, the credit default swap, operations. But as monoline insurers are interest rate banks offer to their

in mortgages to sell, not to hold, they didn’t rises because it’s more likely it will have to downgraded, the cost of insuring municipal best customers. 7 election 2008

Compiled by Jessica Lee The Indy’s Guide to the Primaries Illustrations by Gino Barzizza

While Democratic candidates are promising “change” after seven years of the Bush administration’s policies, what the candidates say, and what they actually mean, are two different things. Now that the primary field has been narrowed to a Clinton-Obama scuffle,The Indypendent takes a look at the dismal reality of two leading candidates’ platforms. For comparison, we also look at the positions of John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich, who The Republicans Have Already Won By A.K. Gupta recently dropped their presidential bids. Edwards and Kucinich will still be on the ballot in New York’s Feb. 5 Democratic primary. n another life, Rudy Giuliani’s only brush with public in the general election by Bush because they all support notoriety would have been in an orange-jumpsuited, the same failed policies. Barack obama john edwards dennis kucinich Ishackled perp walk for setting fire to a dog. For 30 years, many Americans have drank the An unstable bundle of petty vindictiveness and sadism, conservative Kool-Aid: that cutting taxes on the super Environment complemented by vampirish hairdo and grin, he instead wealthy would trickle down to improved middle class life; brushed the heights of power. But that’s that endless war would bring peace; · Calls for 60 billion gallons of homegrown biofuels to be · Calls for 60 billion gallons of biofuels to be produced · Calls for 65 billion gallons of biofuels to be produced in the · Says biofuel research must be balanced now all unraveled with his failed presiden- that the private sector would solve available for use in vehicles in the by 2030 in the United States each year by 2030 United States each year by 2025 with global agricultural and environmental tial bid. every crisis from healthcare to climate · Supports a cap-and-trade system to cut U.S. emissions 80 · Supports a cap-and-trade system to cut U.S. emis- · Supports a cap-and-trade system to cut U.S. emissions 80 concerns Rudy was supposed to be the Republi- change; that finger-pointing piety was percent below 1990 levels by 2050 sions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 · Supports a phase-out of all coal power and cans’ king in waiting. Once he entered the preferable to welfare for easing the · Supports “clean coal” and coal-to-liquid fuels if they emit · Supports “clean coal” and coal-to-liquid fuels if they · Calls for a ban on new coal power plants unless they are coal mining contest, so went conventional wisdom, he burdens of poverty. 20 percent less carbon than conventional fuels emit 20 percent less carbon conventional fuels compatible with carbon-capture and -storage technology. · Supports complete phase-out of all nuclear would glide to the nomination, combining This led to the eight-year-long di- · Does not want to emphasize nuclear power as an energy · Supports nuclear power and has received cam- Opposes coal-to-liquid fuel technologies power plants, and for more stringent regula- a tough-on-terror pose with 9/11 celebrity saster called Bush. The next president source unless waste-storage and other problems are solved paign donations from nuclear power companies · Opposes nuclear power tion of nuclear waste and crossover voter appeal. will face grinding wars abroad and Obama · Proposes “Global Green Deal” to create sus- It was not to be. Giuliani’s packaging economic decline at home. Most Amer- tainable energy production in United States could not hide his foibles: estranged chil- icans have wisened up to the insanity: While the positions advocated by the leading Democrats may sound appealing tion” will displace millions of people, disrupt global food markets and create an ecologi- and with partner developing nations dren, Bernard Kerik, having the city pay that more of the same is not going to to voters — they do little to address the urgency of global climate change, cal nightmare. Carbon-trading schemes only create a mega-billion dollar giveaway of · Proposes “Works Green Administration” to for mistress protection and then trying to produce different results. The Republi- and do not solve any of the underlying causes. Climate scientists claim that the public airspace to private interests while not reducing much pollution. And there is provide new jobs and stimulate the economy cover the accounting trail. cans have not, and as such, don’t have a reason to be any reducing carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2050 will still result in a 3.6 degree no such thing as “clean” coal — mining and processing coal is ecologically devastating · Supports signing the Kyoto Treaty His troubles are symptomatic of the GOP’s existential more. Few are moved by a platform of more prayer, more Fahrenheit increase in global temperatures. Experts say that a biofuel “solu- and harmful to local communities crisis. Despite a large field of presidential contenders, no war and more wealth to the super-rich. one has united the base. The Republicans’ problem is they The ultimate reason the Republicans are exhausted is embody an exhausted ideology that they are unable to because they won the historical battle a long time ago. War Kucinich repudiate. The Reagan Revolution ushered in neoliberalism, the eco- Reagan and Bush both united the right under a big tent nomic doctrine that all relations must be subject to mar- · Voted for Iraq war in 2002 and subsequent · Publicly opposed the Iraq invasion, in his first two years as a U.S. Senator · Voted for the Iraq War in 2002 and continued to support · Voted against Iraq War in that sheltered crazies of all sorts, those who believed gov- ket forces, which came to fruition under Clinton. He gave re-authorizations of force and funding through 2007 he voted for every war funding request totaling $300 billion. the war by voting for funding and reauthorizations of force 2002 and has subsequently ernment is always bad or our fair nation, is being overrun us the North American Free Trade Agreement, the end · Now supports phased withdrawal of some, but not all, · Voted against a 2006 bill to begin withdrawing troops out of Iraq by July through 2005; renounced his vote to invade Iraq during the voted against every bill by mud people or reverence for life does not extend be- of welfare, deregulation of industry, finance and media, troops by 2013 2007 2004 presidential campaign; authorizing more troops yond the womb or greed is good. downsizing of government, faith-based social services, · Voted in favor of sanctions against Iran and the decision · Claims as president that he will “immediately begin to remove our troops · Proposes immediately withdrawing 40,000 to 50,000 combat and money Now, however, the Republicans have and the privatization of prisons, edu- to list an Iranian military unit as a terrorist organization from Iraq” but refuses to pledge that all troops will leave by 2013 troops; refuses to pledge to remove all troops by 2013 · His “Strength through split into deranged factions that remain cation and warfare. · Supports dramatic increase in the Pentagon's budget and · Supports direct negotiations with Iran, but says all options should be on · Favors direct negotiations with Iran, but has criticized the Peace” agenda includes powerful. Each candidate has to preach Bush just added to this. Sure his expansion of the size of the military the table, including military force Bush administration and United Nations for not being con- defunding the war and with- orthodoxy to appeal to a right-wing group, administration gave neoliberalism a · Received $52,600 in campaign donations from the five frontational enough drawing troops immediately but they have little hope of winning over personal touch with corrupt crony largest U.S. arms manufacturers · Supports direct diplomacy with the broader electorate because the public capitalism from the Gulf of Mexico Iran and opposes military action; claims U.S. has tired of the fanaticism. to the Persian Gulf, but Enron was a While overwhelming opposition to the war in Iraq was cited as a main reason of the troops before 2013. As senators, Clinton, Edwards and Obama must disarm its own nuclear program Huckabee wooed evangelicals with his Clinton-era byproduct. Bush may have for voters’ rejection of Republican candidates in the 2006 elections, none of voted to continue funding and authorizing the war. · Voted against the Iran sanctions and to list a talk of the Constitution reflecting “God’s made real the high-tech police state, the leading Democratic candidates have proposed immediate withdrawal state military unit as a terrorist organization standards.” Ron Paul is the libertarians’ but the Democrats embrace it eagerly. · Proposed to create a U.S. Department of darling because he wants to abolish the Desperate for change, the public ap- Peace IRS. Tancredo’s bloviations about immi- pears willing to back Democrats in Re- gration threatening our culture appealed publican clothing. Clinton and Obama Healthcare to nativists. Guiliani’s “Islamo-fascism” rhetoric has won look to the market to solve healthcare by mandates and the hearts of the Muslim haters. And Romney’s business global warming by carbon trading, plus they reject with- · Proposed plan will require every U.S. citizen to obtain · Proposes a new national “affordable” health plan that would include · Proposed plan will require everyone to obtain health · Supports a universal single-payer not-for-profit background secured the support of free-market zealots. drawal from Iraq and issue threats against Iran. They may private health insurance guaranteed eligibility, portability and subsidy for those who do not qualify insurance by law healthcare plan for everyone, “Medicare for The one Republican bucking the trend, John McCain, tinker at the edges and tone down the holy war rhetoric · Plan will be subsidized by employers, public for Medicaid · Plan will be subsidized by employers, public funding and the All” is the one despised by conservatives because he strays against Muslims, immigrants and gays, but war, econom- funding and the elimination of tax cuts for · Plan will be subsidized by employers, public funding and the elimination elimination of tax cuts for households earning more than · Plan would eliminate insurers and use a single- from party orthodoxy on immigration, campaign finance ic instability and global ecocide will continue. households earning more than $250,000 of tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000 $200,000 payer tax pool to fund healthcare providers reform and global warming. But McCain is no moderate, If there is a real difference, it’s that they’re not as de- · Supports strengthening Medicaid and State · Allows individuals to opt out, which means healthy individuals are less · Will create regional private “Health Care Markets” that directly as much as he cultivates the image. Whoever emerges vic- ranged as the Republicans. And that’s what this election Children’s Health Insurance Program likely to purchase insurance, raising the cost for everyone else must include at least one public plan · Co-sponsored the “Medicare for All” torious from the Republican scrum will be weighed down comes down to. · Has received $269,436 from pharmaceu- · Will require that all children have healthcare coverage · Expand Medicaid and the State Children’s Health bill (H.R. 676: The U.S. ILLUSTRATIONS BY LEO GARCIA ticals/health products industry in the 2008 · Will expand eligibility for the Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insur- Insurance Program National Health Insur- election cycle ance Program programs ance Act) in the U.S. · Has received $261,784 from the pharmaceuticals/health products industry House of Representatives Clinton

If you are one of the tens of millions without healthcare, don’t fret. Clinton and Edwards aim to not buy health insurance. Obama, on the other hand, simply proposes using tax dol- create universal healthcare not by addressing a failed system, but rather by making it illegal to not lars to further subsidize the profit-driven private insurers that have failed to provide DON’T JUST VOTE, TAKE ACTION! have health insurance. Their plans will recreate on a nationwide scale the failed healthcare plan healthcare to millions of Americans. of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, which will slap $1,000+ fines on residents who do WAR ENVIRONMENT 1. Military Counter-Recruitment: Stop the militarization of 5.Join the campaign to stop new coal-powered power Education America’s youth and keep them from joining the war plants. Visit ran.org, sierraclub.org, risingtide- machine. Visit counterrecruitmentguide.org, courageto- northamerica.org. · Wavers between ending and reforming the No Child Left · Supports NCLB, voted for it and wants more money to fund it · Supports a merit-based pay plan of offering raises (up · Proposed cutting the U.S. Pentagon budget 15 resist.org, warresisters.org, youthandthemilitary.org. 6. Consume less. Behind Act (NCLB) · Agrees with Bush administration on more “accountability” through to $5,000) for teachers who improve their classes in percent to fund free universal education (pre- 2. Reduce Oil Consumption: Resource wars are only going 7. Eat locally. Most food crosses 1,200 to 2,500 miles be- · Supports universal pre-kindergarten education standardized testing, charter schools and corporate investment in the under-served schools kindergarten through college) to intensify. Quash the demand. It’s not just gasoline, fore it is consumed. Visit justfood.org, greenapplemap.

· Supports merit-based payment per school, not individual education system · Supports creating a “West Point-like” academy to · Voted for NCLB, but co-sponsored “Keep oil is used to make thousands of products that could be org, cenyc.org, freegan.info. THE INDYPENDENT february 1-21, 2008 9 teachers · Supports “merit pay” per individual teacher, not per school train teachers our Pact Act,” mandating NCLB to be fully made with sustainable materials. Get educated. · Supports reforming NCLB, after having voted for it as funded every year EDUCATION senator HEALTHCARE 8. Break out of the American public education stranglehold Edwards 3. Support the movement for universal, single-payer health- on our youth. Run for your local schoolboard, support

THE INDYPENDENT care (H.R. 646)! Visit healthcare-now.org. progressive educators like the New York Collective of While the specific platforms on education vary from candidate to candidate, neither Clinton, pay” based on students’ performances on standardized testing, is also a contentious issue among 4. Kick corporate America out of your body and take charge Radical or start a democratic, alternative free school. Obama or Edwards has proposed ending the Bush administration’s controversial No Child Left educators. In contrast, Kucinich’s education agenda is part of a larger plan to reprioritize values in of your own health. Holistic, preventive healthcare is Visit brooklynfreeschool.org, nycore.org. Behind. Made law in 2002, No Child Left Behind promised to reform the nation’s “failing” schools, America, including addressing inequities rooted in race, class, gender and sexual preference discrimination part of the growing popular health movement. Edu- 9. What are you learning anyway? Support independent by imposing frequent standardized testing. Under the plan, schools that fail to achieve improvement in that pervade the classroom. Noting that only 2.9 percent of the budget is spent on education, Kucinich would cate yourself at your local bookstore and listen to great media in the classrooms! For 4th to 8th grades, check students’ performances are penalized and eventually will be shut down. Many teachers say that the rigorous slice the pie differently, giving less money to war and more to peace initiatives, which include taking care of health programs on WBAI (99.5FM). Visit rockdove- out Indykids.net. testing is burdensome, forcing students to regurgitate information without understanding. The issue of “merit America’s youth. — Additional reporting by Mike Burke and Bennett Baumer collective.org, radherb.org, .org. —Jessica Lee february 1-21 , 2008 8 february election 2008

Divide and Conquer Clintons Exploit Black-Latino Tensions

By Al Giordano went to Nevada and made a noisy public play for Latino vot- ers. She walked through a predominantly Hispanic north Las LAS VEGAS—The chairs in the Concorde Ballroom of the Vegas neighborhood as her first post-New Hampshire media Paris Casino were arranged as if for a wedding, but were appearance, and noshed guacamole and chips at the Lindo more a prelude to an ugly divorce. Michoacan restaurant. During that session, with the TV On one side of the at-large caucus room were supporters, cameras running, a man shouted, “my wife is illegal.” (What mostly Mexican American, of Sen. Hillary Clinton, led by man, if his wife is truly in the country without permission, an organizer for the American Federation of State, County would advertise that fact on national television? The Clinton and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) . campaign had been caught earlier in the campaign planting On the other side of the aisle were supporters, overwhelm- questions, and this incident carried the same media-manipu- ingly African American, of Sen. Barack Obama, led by a lating smell.) Clinton’s response — “No woman is illegal!” shop steward for the Culinary Workers Local 226. — caused many to forget her doubletalk at a debate last Oc- Both groups participating in the Jan. 19 Nevada caucus tober about drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants were made up predominantly of women. They shouted at when she took both sides of the issue. Indeed, during the each other, booed, hissed and hurled thumbs down in open, Nevada caucus, some of her supporters gushed to reporters sneering contempt for the opposition. The hostility toward that “Hillary supports amnesty” for immigrants. their sister workers on each side had more to do with each That blatant level of pandering from the team that had, dur- other than with the candidates they supported. ing eight years in power, done so much damage to Mexican- Capitalism and its politicians have long played divide and Americans and their country of ancestry, has to be viewed now conquer to divide immigrants from other economically sup- in the context of the race-baiting tactics that have dominated pressed demographic groups. A generation or two ago, Irish, the Democratic primaries in early 2008. According to the en- Italians and Jews were bunched by those in power into the trance poll of Nevada caucus-goers, 64 percent of Hispanic same congressional, legislative and city council districts to voters favored Clinton to just 25 percent for Obama, while 83 compete for the same scraps of political representation while percent of African-Americans backed Obama to only 16 per- White Anglo-Saxon Protestants took the rest of the pie. The cent for Clinton. If those percentages hold in the Feb. 5 Cali- same has occurred in recent years as Blacks and Latinos fornia primary (and in other contests that same day in New — the two most solid Democratic Party voting demographic York, New Jersey, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, also groups — have been shoehorned into increasing conflict. with large numbers of Hispanic voters), Clinton may soon be As census trends explode to bring, just two or so decades on the road to the Democratic nomination. from now, the Caucasian population of the United States into minority status, entire industries have been launched to pre- Disarming a Time Bomb vent a majority alliance from forming along class-solidarity The day after his narrow defeat in Nevada, Obama went lines. There are book contracts aplenty waiting for divisive to the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and pundits like Earl Ofari Hutchison, author of The Emerging seemed to acknowledge that he has work to do to reverse, or Black GOP Majority (2006) and Latino Challenge to Black at least dampen, the trend of Latino voters for Clinton. America (2007). Black-Latino tensions bubble up from high From the pulpit where Martin Luther King Jr. once school brawls in to City Council antics in Buf- preached, he said to the predominantly Black congregation: falo to the prison system where gangs often choose up sides “If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none Dana Vindigni along ethnic and racial lines. of our hands are entirely clean. If we’re honest with our- But now it’s exploded out into the open in the Democratic selves, we’ll acknowledge that our own community has not presidential nomination battle, with the Clinton campaign cember 2000, there were 125,692: an increase of 55 percent always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community. leading the charge. over eight years, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. “We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of Remarkably, the race baiting has had little effect on white The Clinton administration’s criminalization of the eco- embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, voters who would be expected to bite, particularly those in nomically poor fell heaviest upon Hispanic-Americans. revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us rural areas — considered by white urban and suburban lib- By 1997, more than halfway through the Clinton White have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of erals to be the racist ones — who in Iowa, New Hampshire House years, 27 percent of federal inmates were Hispanic companions in the fight for opportunity.” and Nevada delivered bigger percentages for Obama than (compared to 17 percent of state level inmates). By 2000, The Obama camp certainly recognizes the problem, but urban and suburban voters. But perhaps white folks were 43 percent of all federal drug war prisoners were Hispanic, so far hasn’t taken that message to the ground level, to the never the intended target of such divisive politics. No, it led, the most likely group to be first-time offenders, and the least homes and neighborhoods and restaurants, and, yes, in front instead, to the Black-Latino divide on display in Las Vegas, likely to have committed a violent crime. (If anything, these of television cameras, to break bread together with Hispanic- one that could cause lasting harm to all progressive efforts numbers undercount the real impact, since most Hispanic Americans to make his case more forcefully. — electoral or not — in the near future of the United States inmates are classified by the prison system as “white.”) Obama — not Clinton — was a co-sponsor of the Immi- of America. Contrary to what CNN’s Lou Dobbs says, these Hispanic grant Reform Bill that was the central issue of 2007 for the prisoners are not primarily “illegal immigrants.” U.S. born Latino population. He has to make that case and do so fast The Clinton White House vs. Mexican-Americans Hispanic men are seven times as likely to end up in prison or the Black-Latino rift that the Clintons have so cynically While president from 1989 to 1993, George H. W. Bush tried than foreign-born Hispanic men. encouraged could become the story of the remaining Demo- to gain approval for a North American Free Trade Agreement And during Clinton’s presidency, the White House made cratic primaries, leading to such acrimony that one group, or (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada. Just as no effort to reform immigration laws or set a path to citi- the other, stays home in November. tried before him, he couldn’t convince a Democratic -con- zenship for the millions of new immigrants streaming Even with an endorsement by Sen. Ted Kennedy, the most trolled Congress to go along. That magic trick required the across the border as a result of NAFTA. President George visible sponsor of the Immigration Reform Bill and highly Democratic regime of Bill Clinton — backed by a multi-mil- W. Bush has been more progressive on immigration than respected by many Latino voters, Obama is going to have to lion dollar corporate lobbying campaign — which rammed Clinton ever was. confront the Black-Latino rift seen in Nevada head-on if he NAFTA through. But after winning the New Hampshire primary, Clinton has hope of gaining the nomination. NAFTA took effect in 1994. It soon The terrible Clinton legacy of U.S. devastated Mexican family farmers, government mistreatment of Mexican- many of whom fled across the U.S. Americans — including the majority border while many more were dis- “The Booty Call” that are legal citizens — provides the placed into Mexican cities and border by Nicholas Powers constitutional law professor and civil states to work in sweatshops. That, ELECTION rights lawyer from Illinois the open- in turn, sparked a marked increase in “Campaign Painkillers” ing to do so. But the time bomb of THE INDYPENDENT undocumented workers in the United by Steven Wishnia Black-Latino division is ticking and States, who are now on the receiving could explode, as soon as Tsunami Web Exclusive! “Q&A: How the Presidential end of the same repressive policies and Tuesday rolls in Feb. 5. Primaries Actually Work” media-fed demonization that were by John Tarleton

y 1 – 21, 2008 perfected against African-Americans. This article originally appeared at In 1993, when President Bill Clin- For more Indy 2008 election counterpunch.org. For more of Al ton took office, there were 80,815 coverage, see indypendent.org Giordano’s 2008 election coverage, men and women in federal prisons. see ruralvotes.com/thefield.

10 februar By the end of his two terms, in De- GUANTáNAMO Disorder in the Court

By Ellen Davidson

n Jan. 11, the sixth anniversary of the opening of the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay, , some 50 activists Omilled around inside the Supreme Court building. Witness Against Torture, which organized the action, had chosen this site because the court will rule soon in the cases of Al Odah v. United States and Boumediene v. Bush on the constitutionality of holding nearly 300 Guantánamo prisoners without giving them the right to challenge their detention in a court of law. On this cold rainy day, there were few regular tourists pres- ent, and we tried ineffectually to be inconspicuous, intently studying the busts of the chief justices that lined the walls. At a Behind Fences & Beyond the Law signal around 1:15 p.m., several people moved toward the front door, attempting to get outside and unfurl a banner at the top Photo: CCr.justice.org of the steps. Meanwhile, some 250 hooded marchers wearing Interview By Jessica Lee and [opposed] the war against Iraq three months before it orange jumpsuits arrived outside after a procession across started. It is a made-up war, an illegal war. We are anxious the National Mall, and dozens of them stood on the steps with n February 2002, the Center for Constitutional Rights to [litigate] the Blackwater case because it will deal with the their own banner. Inside, I began singing a call and response: was the first, and for years the only, law organization to war. The war is hard to get at legally. “Ain’t we got a right to the tree of life?” The marble floors and Ichallenge the detention of those being held without legal walls of the Great Hall reverberated with our voices. redress at the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Q. Tell us about the Blackwater case? The Supreme Court Police jumped the banner-holders, At the time, no one was willing to stand up for the rights of This case is another example of how the Center is really repeatedly throwing one older woman down on the floor. purported “terrorists.” In 2004, however, the Center’s ha- looking at a situation and then taking really aggressive legal Another woman started reading a statement, only to have it beas corpus petitions on behalf of Guantánamo detainees, action. Our involvement in this goes back longer than Black- snatched from her hands. We knelt in two lines along the hall, reached the U.S. Supreme Court. In a shocking victory, the water, when we took up cases against [U.S. private military shouting “Shut it down!” Forty-three individuals were even- court ruled that detainees had the right under existing fed- contractors] Titan Corp. and CACI International Inc. for tually arrested inside, while 37 others were detained outside. eral statutes to challenge their detention in court. To thwart abuses in Abu Ghraib. Most of us had handed our IDs off to support people, and when the ruling, Congress passed the in We took up cases against the torture situation against asked our names, we each gave the name of a man being held 2005 and the Military Commissions Act of 2006, stripping detainees at Abu Ghraib and in Afghanistan. But it is very at Guantánamo. detainees of their rights. hard to litigate these cases in the United States due to immu- Unused to protests inside the building, the Supreme Court In a few months, the Supreme Court will decide in the nity issues. The administration is not going to do anything Police took hours to process the 80 protesters, and most of cases of Al Odah v. United States and Boumediene v. Bush, and Congress appears dead on these issues. We did the [war us ended up being reprocessed later at different facilities. if detainees have a constitutional right to habeas corpus, crimes] cases against Rumsfeld about Guantánamo; but we The next morning, after some of us had been moved through the fundamental right of those being held to challenge their lost. We decided in addition to going directly against Rums- as many as five different cells during the night, we arrived at detention before a court of law. The decision promises to feld, to go against the private contractors involved because holding cells behind the courtroom. I was with 13 other women have sweeping implications for civil liberties and the reach they would not get the same immunity. in a cell about two-thirds the size of my kitchen with a small of executive power. We received the court decision against CACI. It was sort bench along one wall. Some lucky ones had gotten a sandwich Taking a break from preparing opening arguments for the of a precedent against private contractors. With another during the 20 hours of custody. Three women in my cell were recent Supreme Court case, Center of Constitutional Rights lawyer, Susan Burke, we set up a place where we could get vomiting from dehydration. (The judge, on hearing of these President Michael Ratner spoke to The Indypendent about living hold of people who where tortured at Abu Ghraib. And as a conditions from our lawyers, ordered the marshals to give us on the political edge of civil rights litigation. result, when the Blackwater issue happened, we were already water.) Throughout the long day, we sang, trading songs with on the ground in Baghdad to take action. the men down the hall. The marshals told us we wouldn’t get Q. The cases of Al Odah v. United States and Boumediene v. This case is fundamental to what is going on in the coun- out that day if we didn’t shut up. Bush were brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights try, and the world, where things are being privatized, from After we spent 10 hours in shackles, they began taking us (CCR) and are the first to directly challenge the constitu- toll roads in Indiana to issues discussed in ’s up in small groups to appear before a judge on federal charges tionality of the Military Commissions Act of 2006. Why are book, The Shock Doctrine. This is a way to get at what I of protesting at the Supreme Court and, for those inside, an they so important? consider a negative change towards privatization. This case additional charge of “causing a harangue.” When we took the case, [Guantánamo prisoners] were con- is extremely exciting to me. Private armies running around “My name is Ellen Davidson,” I told the judge, “but I was sidered the “worst of the worst” by Donald Rumsfeld. These the world is medieval, the same as torture, acting on behalf of Arkin Mahmud, a prisoner at Guantánamo people were advertised as people who wanted to bomb the and Guantánamo. who was born in .” This was the moment we had spent 30 United States and who were involved in 9/11. We discussed hours in jail for. Finally, at least a few of the imprisoned men’s this case carefully at the Center and decided that these cases Q. CCR is often described as ‘ahead of the curve’ in both names would appear on the record in a U.S. court. were about the fundamental right for people to go into a court identifying a problem and in suggesting novel or radical Meanwhile, the same day as our protest, the D.C. Court of Ap- and ask the government why they are being detained. legal responses which, over time, become accepted and re- peals upheld the dismissal of a suit by four British men against for- We have always considered executive detention to be the divid- spected precedents and theories. Talk about this. mer U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other military ing line between being in a police state. Without habeas corpus, The Guantánamo and post-September 11 cases are the officials. The men had been held and tortured at theG uantánamo people can be disappeared. People at Guantánamo are held with- best recent examples. CCR took on representing the first prison. “Because the plaintiffs are aliens and were located out- out habeas remedy. [The question is], does the Constitution pro- person in Guantánamo in 2002, not another human rights side sovereign U.S. territory at the time their alleged claim arose,” tect the right of non-civilians at Guantánamo to habeas corpus? organization was willing to take it on. For this, we received said the ruling, “they do not fall with the definition of ‘person.’” a large amount of hate mail. Q. It has been more than six years since 9/11. From the We would talk about it in the office, about the risks we For more information, see witnesstorture.org. viewpoint of a human rights attorney, how did this event were willing to take by going along with representing the change the priorities of CCR? What are some of the legal “worst of the worst.” These set of risks included our credibil- challenges you worked on post-9/11? ity in the community, to our funding, and personal risks. We We had to take up an entire gamut of cases post-9/11. We couldn’t get some of the most progressive lawyers to work have 10 people doing Guantánamo-related work, who have with us in Washington. high-level security clearances. One of the people they are We went with the case in the face of both charges it would working with is one of the 14 “ghost detainees.” set a bad precedence and that it was unpopular. We are not We have taken on the so-called “war on terror.” We started concerned with the argument that the case would set a prec- litigating cases regarding the round-ups edent or make bad laws, but rather inter- [which began the day after September ested in representing clients and chang- 11, 2001], saying that you cannot detain ing the social landscape.

“non-citizens.” You cannot keep them THE INDYPENDENT februar in prison if they did nothing wrong. Michael Ratner is a CCR attorney and photo The second area of litigation was author and the 2007 recipient of the Puf- around the first case of extraordinary fin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship rendition involving a Canadian citizen for his lifelong work defending civil lib- : J oh

[Maher Arar], who was sent through erties. To read the extended interview, Y 1 – 21, 2008

JFK airport to Syria to be tortured. He see indypendent.org. Visit ccrjustice.org n Pa has been found not guilty and received for more information. u

substantial cash compensation [from the l H

Canadian government]. We have been or

involved in cases regarding the round- n ups, warrantless wiretapping and tor- b i c ture. Center for Constitutional Rights k We are firmly against the war in Iraq, President Michael Ratner 11 12 February 1 – 21, 2008 THE INDYPENDENT Fa planned. been long had Mosul on move the said but numbers, disclose not He would tal. capi- its Mosul, and province Nineveh the into “enablers” of force siderable told Hertling ably a Maj. slow process,” Gen. Mark P. prob- be to going It’s this ... battle be climactic to going third- not is Iraq’s “It city. Mosul, largest in efforts gency counter-insur- intensify to looking are Iraq northern in commanders U.S. Top L his presidency. during billion 35 and $15 between of fortune a amassed family his and Suharto leged al- International Transparency report, 2004 a In century.” 20th the of mur- derers mass worst the of “one Suharto called Network Action Timor war. East wage The Kissinger to go-ahead Henry the him gave State of Secretary and Gerald people Ford dead, President sion of up that Timor East left to 200,000 inva- 1975 the of eve the On coup. tary mili- U.S.-backed a in power to to’srise Suhar- following year the were during killed communists suspected 500,000 as many As Gurr. Barbara TedRobert and Harff historians reign, U.S. his to during according people million 1 of killings the over presided 1998, to 1966 from nesia Indo- ruled who Suharto, 86. was He failure. organ 27 due to Jan. multiple died harto Su- dictator sian Indone- Former C Indones Former international U is which pit, copperMexico's mine. largest copper Cananea the at repression the protest to strikes more threatened Union, Workers Metal and Mining National the of Ur-President rutia, Gomez Napoleon television, Bloom- berg with interview an In walkout. the to due revenue in million $600 lost has it estimates owner, mine’s the ico, Grupo Mex- conditions. working unsafe to due workers July of end the at strike on went The missing. others reported five were and injured were miners Twenty illegal. strike five-month-old a nea Jan. 11a labor after board declared Cana- of city northern the in miners ing strik- forces attacked Mexican security M poverty and global warming.” unemployment, of problems el, we can begin to address the massive “Once Ortega. we renounce the free trade mod- said Daniel President humanity,” Nicaraguan affecting cares problems huge the only solve can’t you profits, that about capital speculative nations. member in the programs health and cultural cational, in associal, edu- asment well progress develop- and integration infrastructural economic of projects promote to look will It $1 . from than primarily billion, more of financing initial with begin —will Spanish in means“Dawn” and for Americas the varian Alternative Boli- the for stands which — ALBA of Bank The Venezuela. confer- Caracas, in ence 25-26 Jan. a at policies trade fair promote to bank a form to agreed nations American Latin six of Leaders at roaks . e S Hertling said he was moving a con- a moving was he said Hertling “If your economy is controlled by by controlled is economy your “If i r T x . i S n i can Mi can t rade Bank rade A S ill mer urg The i ners U ners can Leaders Launch Launch Leaders can i ng i ng i an Di an nder A nder n Iraq ctator ctator ttack . al- f am “I is, grin broad a with reply inevitable the from, are they where asked When ple. the best description of how Gazans feel is a is feel Gazans howof description best the Perhaps siege. and sanctions of months 18 during 40 years of occupation and more than byGazans suffered horrorshumiliation and ogy is apt, it does not accurately describe the huge “jail break,” and while the prison anal- al- c beyond filled are beds pick-upwhose trucks and taxis packed with jammed is highway The people. of movement — indescribable almost — unbelievable an is it cart donkey with border the E crossed have Gazans of thousands of hundreds 23, Jan. of morning in erect to 2003 was began demolished by Hamas early on Israel the that wall border and “smelling new air.” cigarettes, scenery different smoking the enjoying clearly and joking talking, ber simply hang out, walking the city streets, a houses souq'scoffee thecrowd Gaza across of fromPalestinians Gaza. from Palestinians influx massive a by hours 48 past the over transformed virtually been has coast Sinai northern the of middle the in nestled town A Khalil Osamah By Freedom Surge: rom Palestine!”sleepy This apacityand racing from nd sandwich shops. sandwich nd g L- ic te oeig ea ad concrete and metal towering the Since A A ypt ypt daily. Traveling by foot, car, truck and E P June. last Strip the of control full took government, elected democratically tine’s Pales- Hamas, since Gaza isolate to effort the led have States United the and Israel infrastructure. basic other and plants sewage hospitals, Gaza’s power to fuel of alack to due crisis humanitarian of a risk at themselves find still residents million 1.3 Gaza’s border, the closed Egypt before goods basic on up stock to able were people While Egypt. from Strip Gaza the separates that awall in holes blew militants after 23 Jan. Egypt AR rish’s souq is alive and packed with peo ih Sm junlss ae ald t a it called have journalists Some rish. x h ODUS otos boy bought a sheep for one U.S. dollar. boy bought a sheep for U.S. one This Right: Egypt. in mattress a buying after smile daughter and mother A Left: ISH, ISH, : Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians streamed into into streamed Palestinians of thousands of : Hundreds : R E afah G Y PT—It is 4:30 a.m. and and a.m. 4:30 is PT—It . virtualactivism A n even greater num greater even n E gyptian gyptian E gyptian resort resort gyptian R afah to afah . net - - oe sple from supplies power in in the territory to a halt. construction brought has which of lack the the first items purchased,including concrete, among also were siege the during Gaza ing enter- from barred Items flour. to gas from everything supplies, essential buy to rushed 24first the hoursafter wall fell, Palestinians tia defeated Fatah forces in June 2007. In the was byimposed mili- Israelthe Hamas after that siege the and 2006 January in elected was Hamas since sanctions of combination rare here.commodities both — joy some and relief of exhale deep houses demolished by Israel in order to build other the On 3,000 more the cost, than side human theis long. so for oppressed suppressed and be only can people a that tion demonstra- clear a Washington, by under- written and backed policy siege Israel’s of remnant twisted and sliced the lies side one the On realities. competing and contrasting continues. siege d tor, to avoid adverse media attention. sec- health the of that particular in met, be will needs basic most the only that ensures a day.ity Israel’s resumption of supplies fuel ofelectric- hourseight havethan less needs, on Israel for the vast majority of their power middle Gaza, including Gaza City, which rely blackouts of eight hours a day. Northern and emolished A Gaza’sa devastatedby been economyhas Walking the length of the now partially partially now the of length the Walking

l though the wall has come down, the the down, come has wall the though Palestinians Break Through Wall Gaza R afah afah wall, one is struck by two R afah, which receives somereceives which afah, E gypt, still has daily daily has still gypt, te a Qishta, Fida long. kilometers several and concrete and sand, roughly a kilometer wide blasted of moonscape vast a creating main, re- houses those of remnants The wall. the o where her house once stood, as well as those Palestine. in fall to many of wall first the be will time this that hope only can One people. tinian Pales- for,andthe of, victory simplyaquite collective body. a as actdo whenthey can whatPalestinians cupation. More importantly, it demonstrates oc- and oppression from freedom for urge that powerful the illustrates andagain overagain line went Palestinians That gesture. futile a been have would it forces security t wall, to cross werewilling Palestinians the butunless destroy could Hamas process.” “peace the on impactabout its commentary simple dichotomyHamas-Fatah or the inane t have also demonstrated that there is more to 23 Jan. since days The seen. be to remains Gaza in life of reality the change will wall both realties. up sums it and life,” our is “this explains, Walaa cousin young Her years. eight past but the from holes shell and inhabited bullet with riddled still those are houses ished he border and face the threat of threat the face and border he the of destruction he f other relatives. other f acher and blogger from blogger and acher T W e etuto o the of destruction he ehr h dsrcin f the of destruction the hether B eyond the sea of demol of sea the eyond R afah wall than the the than wall afah R Advertisement R afah, points out points afah, fh al was wall afah E gyptian gyptian R afah afah - THE INDYPENDENT february 1-21, 2008 13 Box Box . For Global Center Center Confronting Confronting conference Impunity, Impunity, in Mexico Americas Program of the Plan Mexico: Plan Mexico: Dreaming the Americas the “Drug War” a panel presented at the at a panel presented presents a one-day conference and Human Rights Rights Human and . She has worked as a foreign policy analyst and will moderate the panel. His plays include is the Policy Education Coordinator for was a friend and colleague of Brad journalist Indymedia Friday, February 22nd, 10am–9pm Friday, NoPassport NoPassport . Visit jasongrote.com Visit . Progress Call We What is Storm This The Plan Mexico panel is at 7:05pm 7:05pm at is panel Mexico Plan The Jason Jason Grote and and and will feature diverse speakers, including: speakers, diverse feature will and Martin E. Segal Theatre, CUNY Grad Center, 365 5th Ave. in NYC Ave. 365 5th Grad Center, Martin E. Segal Theatre, CUNY for for International Policy journalist in Mexico for two decades and is more information visit www.americaspolicy.org co-editor of Hector Sánchez Harry Harry J. Bubbins Will and is involved. get to involved www.friendsofbradwill.org See in murder. the movement to achieve accountability for Laura his Carlsen is director of the Globalization: Economic Integration and Popular Resistance in Mexico Exchange’s Mexico Washington, DC., where . Program he coordinates efforts to legislators and key He organizations inform in support of new and priorities on trade organize and represents immigration. See www.globalexchange.org/countries/americas/mexico/ the program Playwright in Americana Dreaming The Americas / The Body Politic In Performance In Politic Body The / Americas The Dreaming photo courtesy of elenemigocomun.net reviews

Bach Is pels, for neglecting any discussion of “liberation theology,” which empha- sizes the Christian mission to bring Back justice to the poor and oppressed. Perhaps more fundamentally, later The Silence Before Bach volumes in the series seem to move Directed by Pere Portabella away from the focus on revolution- Films 59, 2007 ary theory to a more situational discussion of revolutionary practice. ven this early, it seems While there is nothing wrong with hardly premature to suggest this shift in focus per se, it is doubt- Ethat 2008 may not bring us ful that any general reader would a more purely beautiful film than be prepared to wade through more Pere Portabella’s The Silence Be- than 200 pages of Ho Chi Minh’s fore Bach. Now 78, Portabella, detailed strategic discussions of the who was the subject of a MoMA Vietnamese , de- retrospective last fall, has exerted spite Walden Bello’s praise of Ho’s a major force of artistic creativ- Shira Golding “non-theoretical revolutionary prag- ity, cultural renewal and political matism.” commitment on the past half-cen- What other volumes could be tury of Spanish cinema. Movies included in future installations of backed by his production compa- ? Certainly, one or two ny, Films 59, including Carlos Sau- Revolutions: Read All About ’Em 19th century anarchist thinkers will ra’s Los Golfos (The Delinquents, make the cut (complete with black 1959) and Luis Buñuel’s Viridiana covers). Revolutionary feminist (1961), went against the tide of the Mao: On Practice and series Revolutions, revolutions are ously sympathize with the former writings, and introductions written fascist Franco regime in subversive Contradiction more than marketing — no mat- view, an equally useful function of by women, are absent to an almost and iconoclastic style. (introduction by Slavoj Žižek) ter what the cynical salespeople of Hardt’s introduction is that it serves offensive degree (pink covers?). Notwithstanding his prominent the post-ideological Adbusters era as a foil for Slavoj Žižek’s far more Two additional groups of writings involvement in national politics Robespierre: Virtue and Terror might have to say. The eight books in extreme (and far more disturbing could also be added — entries that, (as a senator elected in Spain’s first (introduction by Slavoj Žižek) the series, wonderfully packaged in to American ears) meditations on like the juxtaposition of Mao and democratic elections and a co-writer a set of brightly-hued and ideologi- revolutionary transition and prole- Jefferson, would help continue the of the current Spanish constitution), Thomas Jefferson: The cally themed colors, run the gamut tarian “dictatorship.” usefully schizophrenic tenor of the Portabella’s own films reveal their Declaration of Independence from the Gospels of Jesus Christ Žižek, having written three in- series. The Islamic revolutionary political impetus “in attacking lin- (introduction by Michael Hardt) to The Putney Debates to Down troductions thus far, has the advan- movements may be a far cry from With Colonialism! And the almost tage of profligacy in order to make the series’ current focus but, com- Ho Chi Minh: Down With uniformly excellent introductions a point. For those familiar with his bined with Foucault’s reflections of Colonialism! written by modern-day revolution- recent argument in favor of a “re- the 1979 Iranian revolution and his (introduction by Walden Bello) ary theorists like Michael Hardt, turn to Lenin,” the point won’t be writings on biopower, their inclu- Walden Bello, Terry Eagleton and entirely new, but Žižek, as one of the sion in the series would mark a pro- The Levellers: The Putney Slavoj Žižek should justify plunking most important radical intellectuals ductive engagement of our current Debates down hard-earned cash on writings living today, has earned the right to historical zeitgeist. On the other (introduction by Geoffrey mostly available for free online. carry his argument to a larger audi- side of the spectrum, a collection Robertson) With a series so wide-ranging in ence. In a sense, Žižek sets himself of writings on revolutionary non- scope and temperament, where to the task of defending the indefen- violence (Tolstoy, Gandhi, King) Trotsky: Terrorism and dip in first? One option is to go with sible (with qualifications) — the would be most welcome. Biopoliti- the oddest selection to date — and Terror of the French Revolution, cal and the Civil Rights (introduction by Slavoj Žižek) I don’t mean with The Gospels, Trotsky’s “war communism,” and movement — the inclusion of these whose pages have been inspiring Mao’s “cultural revolution.” He bookends of our (post)modern Jesus Christ: The Gospels revolutionaries of various stripes for does this by attacking the very core revolutionary consciousness would guistic codes,” as he himself has (introduction by Terry Eagleton) thousands of years. No, surely the of Hardt and Jefferson’s arguments, carry Verso’s excellent series well stated. The aesthetic and political inclusion of the Declaration of Inde- debunking democracy in favor of into the 21st century. dimensions of his films are indistin- All Published by Verso, 2007 pendence and selected letters of the the dictatorship of the proletariat guishable, attesting to a cinematic (aristocratic, slave-raping) Thomas (and, it is implied, of the revolu- —Chris Anderson sensibility he shares with country- Jefferson has to be the first sign that tionary party). Democracy, for men Victor Erice and Jose-Luis ew people talk much about this series isn’t content to stay with- Žižek (as it was for Trotsky, Lenin Guerin, whose En El Ciudad De revolutions any more, and in the lines. In the best case, Mi- and others) is a dictatorship of the the indy Sylvia (In The City Of Sylvia, 2007) Fmany of those who do work chael Hardt’s introductory reinter- bourgeoisie that masks itself in the goes online proved one of the highlights of last in advertising. “The digital down- pretations of Jefferson salvage the idealist illusion of freedom. To the year’s New York Film Festival. load revolution” is one of the more revolutionary kernel of much radi- degree this is true, Žižek argues, a Check out indypendent.org for The Silence Before Bach estab- common invocations of the word cal American thought; in the worst dictatorship of the truly oppressed additional exclusive theater and lishes the unifying power of Bach’s “revolution” in 2008. The politi- case, Hardt’s vague discussion of is a far more preferable alternative. book reviews from this issue. music across scarcely connect- cal left, in particular, seems to have Jeffersonian and Of course, in any series as sweep- Don’t wait for the next issue to get ing narrative strands that bridge left it far behind. And yet on a ba- “democracy as a means and ends” ing as this one, a multitude of other your news or culture fix — we post countries and centuries to tap into sic level, argue the authors included dresses up a vapid species of liberal- issues arise. One can criticize Terry something new every day. the lives of a plethora of people, thus far in the excellent new Verso ism as militancy. Although I gener- Eagleton’s introduction to The Gos- including Bach himself, two mu- sical truck drivers, a bookseller, a Leipzig tourist guide, a cellist and the cantor of the St. Thomas Church. By tracing a (Germanic- flourishes, Portabella reconnects with gnantly and literally in the blood Men- close in on her, the IV drips la- Hispanic) bond of European his- the musicality and physicality of lan- delssohn wipes off the sheets of paper bor-inducing drugs into her tory through this music, Portabella guage through the rhythms of Bach. in which his butcher has wrapped an Reclaiming blood as strangers with medical does for Bach what Todd Haynes We see a dog, cat, horse, man and pi- order of meat, to discover that they degrees look down upon her.

fails to do for Bob Dylan in the anola move to music that envelops an contain the St. Matthew Passion. A Creation This is how 99 percent of the misconceived I’m Not There, invariably live soundtrack, but is never similarly visceral (re)discovery of Bach next generation enters the world which shows little interest in either performed for an audience. Between is what Portabella offers us. If the ar- The Business of Being Born in the United States. music or American history. the opening image of an empty gal- tistic achievement of a film means that Directed by Abby Epstein An unapologetic low-budget Portabella’s work cannot be cat- lery space and the white screen finale, it should be eye- and ear-opening, and Red Envelope Entertainment and documentary, The Business of egorized as documentary or fiction, a stage is set and a journey embarked on a good day even make us open our International Film Circuit, 2007 Being Born follows two moth- THE INDYPENDENT history or myth, but is predicated on, not of genius or showmanship, hearts, The Silence Before Bach tri- ers, TV icon Ricki Lake and New on the tensions between image and but bodily motion, the mechanics of umphs on all counts. York filmmaker Abby Epstein, as sound, space and time. The Silence instruments, the concentration of re- lone woman, sucking in they question why midwifery and Before Bach explores music as lan- hearsals and practice sessions. —Kenneth Crab air through a clear plastic homebirths have been pushed off guage through the cinema, and does The process of work and the prog- A mask, hair hidden under the table as birthing options. A so with uncompromising radicalism. ress of travel flesh out the life force The Silence Before Bach is current- a blue cap, lies fear-stricken on collage of women, doctors and In an age when vacuous rhetoric a hospital bed. The white walls midwives put the American medi- 1 – 21, 2008 F ebruary of Bach’s music, expressed most poi- ly playing at the Film Forum. 14 THE INDYPENDENT yfebruar 1 – 21, 2008 15 - M G ights A A R RO T ich Y S: N M R S F S R VE, ayspecial R AD IRL D E JU LO G achlin. R VEME R G G O eilland ETTE ” by ” IAN L N IN ' M R S RAND K O ahid A R TY:$P VE A N : G : WE elVecchio. LO AR O D S — — S ION C: ” by ” R I E P E G:“M G:“PE G P G ST.Share your old love S A olan- M TEGYwith Kamau Franklin of IN OIR E’S:$pread, the magazine by A STE DIN DIN D N Y I E N I E E P E A A RA L SCUSS Z P isco,Chelsea E E E ES LA H andfor sex workers, launches their 12thissue with contributors Gerry V Merritt. WEDFEB 13, 7PM FREE • R THUFEB 14, 7PM FREE • O A P Ken bluestockings radicalactivistbookstore | center fairtrade cafe • 212.777.6028 Allen St. 172 bluestockings.com TUEFEB 5, 7PM FREE • DI nightof cheerful, willful disrespect forlong-dead crushes and petty heartaches. FRI,FEB 15, 7PM FREE • R andthe Watershed Collective. WEDFEB 6, 7PM FREE • R T lettersValentine’sin a MEM R ST theCenter for Constitutional , e ollenbach, H on N

f avid o D m r A ndividualcopies Buy Buy None of Army The poster I ofy an can be purchased online atpurchased be can indypendent.orgemail,by or [email protected], phonebyat 212-221-0521or $5each/bulk prices available. artworkby —Anonymous is a lyrical depar- All All that said, this is review by a Honeydripper —Judith Mahoney —Judith Pasternak and and geo-economic factors than more the racial factors that conflict.this Arab/Mus-to The led have lim versus Black African Animist/ Christian angle plays in the conflict and the Iraq U.S.West’s the and demonize need to Arab Muslims. I African the alsoseethat American churches latched onto ery the aspect of the conflict, slav- that the Arab/Muslims took Black cans as That slaves. is not touched Afri- upon in this piece, is however; it a problem? Many mainstream Jew- ish American groups are heavily involved in bringing the situation Muslim- the again Once close. a to the fits into guy nicely bad as Arab Palestinian versus conflict. Israeli To read more reader visitindypendent.org. responses, ture for the usually austere John Say- John austere usually the for ture and les, edited directed who wrote, alarge paints he always, As film. the at tugging he’s time, this but canvas, has He minds. as well as heartstrings Gay Lisa by turns stellar of help the Hamilton as as Keach Pine Stacy spiritually Top’s Delilah, wife troubled sheriff, white malevolent Harmony’s as musician Mo’ a Keb’ street blind film, the for as a chorus serves who and, wife in wistful a the as appearance, single-scene Steenburgen Mary But citizen. wealthiest of Harmony’s his of performance the in Glover, together. it’s film the holds who career, man white a by film a of woman white it I sat, where From life. Black about a masterpiece, in Sayles’ be to appeared resilience human of particu- portrait in soaring resilience is Black picture and true a general it’s not or Sayles. Whether or — lar. me not say, to others for failing; no one wants to hear Pine barrelhouse Top’s piano anymore. Locals are going to a neighboring bar with full box a juke rhythmof and decides blues. Pine to im-Top port a blues guitar star from New a Then only. night one for Orleans, guitar-playing stranger drifts into town, with a new kind of music, and we are present at what may be the birth of rock and exactly the roll, kind of at Black bar that educated rock pioneers Elvis Pres- Jerry Leeand Lewis. ley Hon- the piano —Bruce Dixon , an epic in miniature,the in epic an , wo-thirds of the way through through way the of wo-thirds Honeydripper, player Tyrone “Pine Top” I I find inPowers’ article thathe And his best friend and partner of heart the is moment The

we we never hear about genocide in Congo, perhaps because Western what profiting from are companies happens there. In Sudan, the Chi- nese are getting the oil. So killings in Sudan are genocide. What’s up that? with Nicho- what wonder I Good piece. las Powers thinks about the racial element in Darfur. This war is of- framedten in terms:racial that it’s the Arab North versus the Black African South. However, I also read that race have in Sudan is not so, for lack of a better term, black and white. Often it is difficult to tell the difference between the two sides by just looking at someone’s exterior. emphasizes the natural resource Purvis (Danny Glover), imagines the the imagines Glover), (Danny Purvis first Black man who ever played a says, he slave, a house was It piano. instruments, African play could who give you if mud “play could who and got he’s tempo, the and key the him ev- in heart, his in head, his in music music. there’s him of piece damn ery the in alone he’s … day one And … comes he and piano that with room … bench the on down sits and over and … out fingers his spreads he and could I me, help ‘Lord thinks, … he this.’” with damage some do says, “Would have liked to been there. I mean to hear the cat play, it.” of rest the of none not eydripper told music American Black of story through one weekend in the of life the Honeydripper Café — and Pine Top, its pianist and propri- etor — in the rural Alabama town of Harmony in 1950. The café is Rockin’ History Honeydripper DirectedJohn Sayles by Anarchist’sConvention Films, HoneydripperFilms, 2007 T is cur- Witches, Midwives , authors Barbara

A homebirth, the film tells us, The film succintly covers the In one close-up shot, a nude

The Business Beingof Born cial justice health movement. FilmCenter. must be coupled with a wider so- rently playing at the Independent to our body. But this radical act power of creation and the rights the hospital” and reclaiming the is about “getting the hell out of tice medicine. stituted as requirements to prac- permitted only to men, were in- out as education and licensing, women and the poor were shut edgespread from the Arab world, burnt alive. As medical knowl- millions of women healers were ganized witchhunts, they write, rope. Through centuries of or- and childbirth throughout Eu- secured a monopoly on healing class, male medical profession 1972 book the Church, State and the upper- of modern childbirth. In their explore how the partnership of ers has created the nightmare and Nurses Ehrenreich and Deirdre English crimination against women heal- 1,500-year legacy of how dis- momentarily touches on the pros of a natural birth, but only nal into the water. second it slops from the birth ca- herselfthebaby takingher of hold the naked Ricki Lake documents of of labor. In a raw bathtub scene, ing her with the natural motions around her bare breasts, help- behind, hands locked together midwife hugs a near-mother from New York kitchen. In another, a of of bloody fluids, in her powerment women. of rushwomanindeliversa baby her alternativesthisto medical disem- dustrialized world — and explore birth-associated costs, in the in- born death rate, and the highest States has the second worst new- tics of hospital births: the United into question the alarming statis- cal establishment on trial, calling killed there since about 1996. But and and five million people have been its. its. Congo borders on the Sudan, cide” cide” when they make no prof- only brand mass brand only killings as “geno- Our country’s media and leaders fits may already beon the ground. water water and similar mercenary out- sign? There sign? are rumors that Black- Clinton Clinton do too. Isn’t that a bad supports supports intervention. Obama and ian” ian” intervention in Darfur? Bush one one that justifiesU.S. “humanitar- straining to sell us the same story, U.S. foreign policy establishment is establishment policy foreign U.S. What about the fact that the entire the that fact the Whatabout War,” Jan 12: Jan War,” Refugees Refugees Live with an Endless Stranded Stranded in the Desert, Darfur’s Responses to “A Hunger for Home: Home: for Hunger “A to Responses Continued from Page 2 Page from Continued reader comments L imited s eat s n ow availa ble $200 & $500

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