http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=917053#3


Informant: Michael Novick

noe.ORF.at; 28.8.05

Im Streit um die nö. Handymastensteuer kritisiert LH Erwin Pröll (ÖVP) in einem Interview im Kurier die Mobilfunk-Chefs von Mobilkom und T-Mobile-Austria. Die beiden würden Österreich enormen Schaden zu fügen, so Pröll.

Erwin Pröll kritisiert Mobilfunk-Chefs
http://oesterreich.orf.at/noe/stories/54338/


LH Erwin Pröll
31.08.2005

Kein Nachgeben bei der Handymastensteuer

An der Handymastensteuer wird nicht gerüttelt. Das hat LH Erwin Pröll (ÖVP) in der TV-Sendung "NÖ-heute" am Mittwochabend bekräftigt. Er kritisierte auch die aus seiner Sicht verantwortungslosen Mobilfunk-Manager.

"Ein Kampf mit den Wirtschaftslobbys"

Wirtschaft brauche auch Verantwortung. Die Steuer sieht er als Druckmittel, die Handybetreiber an diese Verantwortung zu erinnern.

Pröll äußerte scharfe Kritik an aus seiner Sicht verantwortungslosen Managern, denen die Politik entgegentreten müsse. Deshalb werde es immer mehr ein Kampf zwischen der Politik und den mächtigen Wirtschaftslobbys, so Pröll. Nicht nur in Niederösterreich, sondern auf der ganzen Welt, so der Landeshauptmann.

"Neo-Liberalismus ist eingekehrt"

"Und zwar deswegen, weil mittlerweile weltweit ein Neo-Liberalismus eingekehrt ist, nach dem Motto: Was kostet die Welt, ohne sich dabei zu kümmern, wer auf der Strecke bleibt", so die Kritik von LH Pröll.

Mit der Steuer betreibe das Land Niederösterreich nachhaltige Wirtschaftspolitik, so Pröll.

http://noe.orf.at/stories/55099/ (Auszug)

http://alt.ngs.noaa.gov/katrina/KATRINA0000.HTM
CLICK BLACK BOXES


Informant: Dani Djinn

Who lost Iraq? Robert Scheer says that someday, as a fragmented Iraq spirals further into religious madness, terrorism and civil war, there will be a bipartisan inquiry into this blundering intrusion into another people's history.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/083105O.shtml

Unsere Erfahrungen mit der Ministerialbürokratie und die bedingungslose Unterstützung des Mobilfunkausbaus durch die Staatsregierung und Dr. Stoiber:

http://www.omega-news.info/uig_wie_stoiber_die_wolfratshauser_taeuscht_050828.doc


Zur Information und weiteren Verwendung/Verbreitung.

Gruß

Hans Schmidt
Sprecher BI Wolfratshausen gegen Elektrosmog

by Phyllis Bennis, TomPaine.com

Once again, the United States has declared war on the United Nations. Once again, the U.N. must stand up for itself.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20050831/a_declaration_of_war.php

by David Corn, TomPaine.com

President Bush took the country into war on purpose and without reason. And Americans of all stripes are starting to acknowledge it.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20050831/george_bushs_original_sin.php

Fife Today

A PROPOSED mobile mast to the north of Markinch looks set to be refused by councillors.

Vodafone Ltd., has asked Fife Council for permission to install a 14-metre high mast, three antennas and associated equipment cabins on the north side of the A92 junction with Stobcross Road.
The application was due to come before councillors at the Central Area Development Committee Meeting in the Town House, Kirkcaldy yesterday (Tuesday).

A report prepared by planner Stuart Wilson, and placed before the committee, said there are three planning considerations to be looked at - government guidance, the Development Plan and objections received.

Mr Wilson said although the proposed mast was higher than the existing 12-metre high street lamp post, it would not impact on the overall area.

And when looking at the Development Plan, Mr Wilson said the application site is located within a green corridor but as the mast would be installed within the road verge, it would not be detrimental to this.

The proposal is also in accordance with policies relating to design and visual impacts.

But the proposal was recommended for refusal on road safety grounds.

Fife Council's head of transportation and the Scottish Executive were consulted on the plans and while there was no objection from the local authority, the Executive rejected the application.

Its objection related to road safety as maintenance vehicles would have to be parked on the local unclassified road near to the A92 junction.

Mr Wilson said: "If approved, it will set an undesirable precedent for similar developments elsewhere."

31 August 2005

The Northern Echo 31.08.05

A TELECOMMUNICATIONS company is appealing a planning committee's decision to refuse permission to erect a mobile phone mast in a north Durham residential area.

O2 wants to install a 12-metre signal transmitter on land south of Carlingford Road, on the Garden Farm Estate, in Chester-le-Street.

It was refused permission in June by the Chester-le-Street District Council's planning department.

The committee has received 600 letters of opposition to the mast from locals following a campaign started by the Garden Farm and West Lane Community Association.

Association chairman Reg Nelson said: "I can't quite understand why they want to put it in the middle of a residential area near the local shops.

"There are plenty of other areas in Chester-le-Street where they can put the aerial, so I do not know why they are so determined to put it there."

Mr Nelson urged people with strong views on the matter to write to the planning inspector who will investigate the council's decision to refuse permission.

Letters should quote reference number APP/G1305/A/05/1185984 and be sent to The Planning Inspectorate, Room 3-03, Kite Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol, BS1 6PN.

No one from O2 was available for comment when contacted by The Northern Echo yesterday.

Lincolnshire Echo

10:30 - 31 August 2005

Plans to erect a mobile phone mast near three schools have surfaced for the third time, leaving people living nearby seething.

Mobile phone operator O2 has been refused planning permission to site the 12.5 metre high pole off Nash Lane, in North Hykeham, twice in the past two years.

The company has now lodged an appeal against the refusal, saying it needs the mast so its customers get a good signal in the area.

But those living nearby say nothing has changed and they will still fight the plans for their own safety and that of children studying at nearby All Saints' Primary School, Robert Pattinson School and North Kesteven School.

Retired Mike Baldwin (61), of Moor Lane, said he was angry to see the plans back again.

"O2 has said that there is no proof that being near to a mobile phone mast can damage your health, but the way I look at it there is also no proof that it is 100 per cent safe," he said.

Omega there is proof that being near to a mobile phone mast can damage your health. See under:
http://omega.twoday.net/topics/Wissenschaft+zu+Mobilfunk/ and
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Cancer+Cluster
http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

"I'm also concerned about the visual impact of such a high mast. It would be higher than a telegraph pole and hard to hide. You'd be able to see it from my garden."

North Hykeham town councillor Jackie McAll said she was disappointed to see the plans surfacing again.

"I have always had concerns about this plan and don't think that Nash Lane, in the middle of a residential area, is the best place for a mobile phone mast," she said.

"We suggested they consider putting the mast in the cemetery at South Hykeham, where it is less residential, but they seemed to have passed that idea off without giving any real reason."

The second planning application for the erection of the mast was refused on February 5 because North Kesteven District Council felt it would be too close to houses.

But O2 has now put together and submitted a full planning appeal against the refusal.

"Every attempt has been made to minimise the visual impact of the scheme toward nearby properties by careful siting," the appeal states.

"The proposed design represents the best compromise between the visual impact of the proposal on the amenity of the area and meeting the technical coverage requirement for the appellants."

Angela Johnson, from O2, said the appeal was standard practice.

"As a rule if we do not get planning permission for a site that's urgently needed, like this one, we will put in an appeal as we have done now," she said.

For more stories on plans for Lincolnshire log on to http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/environment

Blackpool Today

PLANS to site a phone mast close to a primary school have met with furious opposition from parents. More than 500 letters of opposition have been handed to Vodafone in response to plans by the telecommunications giant to erect a four metre high antenna on top of a building close to Norbreck Primary School.

Darren Stringer, 40, who organised the protest and delivered 558 letters and a 137 name petition to the firm said residents of North Shore were horrified. The father-of-three, who has an eight-year-old daughter at the school, said: "There is huge opposition to this mast from parents and local residents who are concerned about the health risks. "Our campaign is based on numerous reports warning about radiation from the antenna and I don't want my children subjected to that kind of health risk. "If the Government warns us not to let kids use mobile phones too much, and we should not use them in petrol stations, then surely that shows there is a problem."

A nursery school within the grounds of Norbreck Primary, the outer edge of which is 70m from the antennae, is also set to open, causing further concern for Mr Stringer's partner Joanne Rigby. She added: "Not only are there schoolchildren, but also nursery children who will be involved. "There has been no long-term study on the effects of mobile phone masts. "Why wouldn't we want to err on the side of caution until the facts are properly known? "We would appeal to Vodafone one last time, people in this area do not want this mast here, can it not go somewhere else?"

Vodafone consulted local residents at a recent exhibition in Cleveleys prior to notification going to Blackpool Council, which is not required to grant permission due to the height of the antennae. Although Vodafone sent 600 letters to objectors, the drop-in session was attended by just 25 residents.

Mum-of-two Amanda Holden said: "They organised it in the middle of the summer holidays when many people are away and from 4.30pm to 7.30pm when mums of children at the school are giving them tea and putting them to bed. "It could not have been organised at a time more inconvenient to most of the protesters."

Norbreck ward Coun Peter Callow said: "There needs to be a full and proper public meeting for the people of this area to have their say rather than an exhibition held when many people are on holiday. "We were also disappointed that the drop in was in Cleveleys and not Norbreck, but the company knows it will be in for a hard time if it does call such a meeting because feelings are running high."

While there are no plans for another meeting Vodafone bosses confirmed they are looking at alternative sites suggested by those who attended the exhibition before the antennae is erected. A Vodafone spokeswoman said: "There were 13 alternatives which we are looking at, but residents must realise that as the antennae has a small coverage area there will be one in this vicinity. "In our view this is the preferable option because it is discreet and does not require a new structure on the highway." The spokesman added the company had followed European and World Health Organisation guidelines which cover radio signals from mobile phone masts, TV, radio and emergency services communications equipment.

Omega see "Base Stations, operating within strict national and international Guidelines, do not present a Health Risk" under:
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/771911/

heather.butler@blackpoolgazette.co.uk

31 August 2005

by Monica Benderman

War is promoted. Anti-war responds. Anti-war protests. War counters. Somewhere in the middle is the truth. Peace. Freedom to make a choice. Sgt. Kevin Benderman sits in confinement at Ft. Lewis, Washington. His crime? Making a choice. He chose Peace....

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Aug05/Benderman0831.htm

by Walter Brasch

George W. Bush likes numbers. A day after he received 50.7 percent of the vote in the 2004 general election, he decided he had a mandate. At a White House press conference, one of the few he held in four years, President Bush told America, “[T]here is a feeling that the people have spoken and embraced your point of view, and that's what I intend to tell the Congress” His victory, he said, “is like earning capital. . . . I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it. It is my style.” But, George W. Bush also doesn’t like numbers. First, there’s the economy. When Bush came into office. Bill Clinton left him a $230 billion surplus and a balanced budget. Not only isn’t the budget balanced, that surplus from five years ago has turned into a $7.95 trillion deficit, increasing at the rate of about $1.7 billion a day. That’s about $27,000 for every American, including those who are unemployed....

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Aug05/Brasch0831.htm

President Bush, who cannot summon up the courage to speak to Vacaville housewife Cindy Sheehan, has admonished Palestinians to show “political courage.”

http://snipurl.com/hbmj


From Information Clearing House

By weakening America's defenses, Rumsfeld has paved the way for deploying troops and aircraft within the country and setting the precedent for a permanent military presence within the nation. It is one giant step towards direct military rule.

http://informationclearinghouse.info/article10039.htm

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001771.htm


From Information Clearing House

According to the poll, 52 percent of those surveyed say that the president should talk to Mrs. Sheehan. 53 percent of Americans support Mrs. Sheehan's actions in holding a vigil outside of Mr. Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch while 42 percent oppose her actions.

http://snipurl.com/hbmg


From Information Clearing House



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

As if the resemblance between Iraq and Vietnam were not enough, President Bush, Livingston argues, has closed the circle for us. Never mind that the original rationale for the war - preventing Iraq from using its stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction against us - has evaporated; the issue now is that ever-reliable call to arms: freedom, ours and the Iraqis'

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/083005G.shtml
.

Congressional Democrats demanded an investigation Monday into the demotion of a senior US military contracting official who publicly criticized a controversial no-bid contract awarded to Halliburton Corp. for work in Iraq.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/083005E.shtml

Although most mainstream hurricane scientists are skeptical of any connection between global warming and heightened storm activity, the growing intensity of hurricanes and the frequency of large storms are leading some to rethink long-held views.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/083005A.shtml

Last year, Mendocino County California became the first county in the U.S. to ban genetically engineered (GE) crops. Since then, two more California counties and two cities have followed Mendocino's example, starting a domino-effect of similar anti-GE ordinances across the nation. Fearing the contagious spread of BioDemocracy in North America, the Biotech Bullies are striking back. In the past several months, 14 U.S. states, prodded by Monsanto and the Farm Bureau, have made it illegal for local communities to ban GE crops. Two recently introduced bills (AB 1508 and SB 1056) in the California legislature would make California the 15th state to eliminate local communities' rights to ban or otherwise regulate genetically engineered seeds. This "preemption" bill would overturn GE-Free victories in Mendocino, Trinity, and Marin counties, as well as the cities of Arcata and Point Arena, and prohibit local communities from banning or regulating genetically engineered crops in the future. Take action today to stop the Biotech Bullies from taking away our democratic rights in California! Send a message to your state legislators by clicking here!

http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/oca/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1139


Informant: Hopedance

http://progressive.org/?q=mag_mc082905&PHPSESSID=d2622663e653154ea788cea1aeb6ede7

McCarthyism Watch

Matthew Rothschild August 29, 2005

Law enforcement officials in Michigan have been busy slapping the “terrorist” label on domestic groups.

An FBI document, released on August 29 by the ACLU, shows extensive monitoring of a whole bunch of organizations, ranging from the Aryan World Church and the Christian Identity movement to animal rights groups, an anti-war collective, and a leading pro-affirmative action coalition.

The document, dated January 29, 2002, is a summary of a domestic terrorism symposium that was held six days previously.

In attendance were the FBI, the Secret Service, the Michigan State Police, the Michigan State University police, and Michigan National Guard.

“The purpose of the meeting was to keep the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies apprised of the activities of the various groups and individuals within the state of Michigan who are thought to be involved in terrorist activities,” the document states.

One of those “terrorist groups” is By Any Means Necessary, which says its aim is “to defend affirmative action, integration, and fight for equality.”

The FBI document said a detective, whose last name was blotted out, “presented information on a protest from February 8-10, 2002, in Ann Arbor, Michigan,” by the group.

That “protest” was actually the Second National Conference of the New Civil Rights Movement, which was co-sponsored by the Reverend Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH, with keynote speaker Jonathan Kozol.

“We’re standing up for education equity, and the American government is spying on us? That’s an outrage,” says Luke Massie, one of the national co-chairs of By Any Means Necessary. “This is palpable proof of what a lot of progressive people have worried about since 9/11: The Bush Administration is shredding our Bill of Rights before our eyes.”

The February 8-10 conference was designed to build public support for affirmative action just as the Supreme Court was deciding two Michigan affirmative action cases.

“The timing of this shows the political motivation of the Bush Administration,” says Shanta Driver, the group’s other national co-chair. “We’re completely nonviolent. But it’s no surprise to us that people who are devoted to a new civil rights movement and the cause of equality would be targeted for this kind of surveillance and attack.”

The FBI document acknowledged that the group was not violent. “Michigan State Police has information that in the past demonstrations by this group have been peaceful,” the document states.

The FBI and Michigan law enforcement also discussed the Animal Liberation Front, as well as a local group. “Michigan State University (MSU) Public Safety . . . presented information on a group called East Lansing Animal Rights Movement,” the document states. Then, after blotting out information about a student at Michigan State, the document adds: “MSU Public Safety feels that this group has approximately 12-15 members at this time.”

On the web, ELARM identifies itself as a “grassroots animal rights advocacy group” that “believes strongly in the value of all animals, human or non-human, and therefore opposes any and all forms of animal exploitation. Our purpose is to educate the public regarding animal rights issues, and to expose and oppose animal abuse wherever it is found.”

The group actually is defunct now, according to Julie Hartman, who says she revived it in 2001 only to see it fold two years later.

“We did a couple of circus protests and that kind of thing,” she says.

She got a copy of the FBI document last week.

“I was really surprised, considering we never once broke the law, that they would spend the time investigating us,” she says.

The fact that the Michigan State University police estimated that there were twelve to fifteen members in her group creeps her out, she says.

“That seems to indicate that they would have to have come to a meeting to find out how many people were involved,” she notes. “That actually made me start thinking, who was coming to our meetings?”

She believes the university police department has skewed priorities.

“It’s certainly a waste of their resources,” she says. “This is a large university. The number of rapes on this campus is astounding. The police always complain they don’t have enough resources to do their job, but they’ re spending their resources to spy on peaceful groups! That’s really just sickening.”

The Michigan State University police gave no comment.

Another local group that law enforcement linked to ELARM is called Direct Action. Interestingly, the document notes that both groups had demonstrated against the FBI local office because of “perceived injustices by law enforcement.” Included as an attachment to the FBI document was a clipping from the Lansing State Journal of January 19, 2002, about the protest, which was ironically entitled: “Dozens march against terrorism.” The first sentence reads: “Dozens of students and others marched Friday to protest racial profiling and terrorism—which they say includes United States military action in Afghanistan.”

On its website Direct Action says, “We desire to challenge the calls for retribution, endless war, and destruction of civil liberties. Direct Action also wants to defend the gains made by the movement against corporate power that was birthed in this country on the streets of Seattle.”

Primarily a youth-based group, Direct Action is now focusing a lot of its work on counter-recruitment efforts.

Tommy Simon, a member of Direct Action, dismisses the terrorist label.

“What is a terrorist? The word is just a propaganda tool used to dissuade people from getting involved in activism—especially young people,” he says. The group has never been violent, unlike the Bush Administration, he adds.

“We’ve organized protests and spoken out against the government, but that does not make us a threat in any way,” he says. “We’re working for peace here.”

Sarah Mcdonald, a longtime member of Direct Action, was taken aback by the designation of her group.

“I was shocked,” she says. “I was really disturbed that the FBI is misusing its power this way. They’re trying to squash dissent, and they’re doing that by monitoring anti-war groups and other groups against the Bush Administration.”

The ACLU also condemns the police surveillance and the use of the label “terrorist” to describe the peace group and the affirmative action group.

“This document confirms our fears that federal and state counterterrorism officers have turned their attention to groups and individuals engaged in peaceful protest activities,” said Ben Wizner, an ACLU staff attorney. “When the FBI and local law enforcement identify affirmative action advocates as potential terrorists, every American has cause for concern.”

Wasn’t me, says the FBI.

“A plain reading of the document clearly notes that there were presentations at the symposium by someone outside the FBI that discussed the groups By Any Means Necessary and Direct Action,” says an FBI press office statement of August 29. “The FBI does not make any representation about these groups in the document other than to note they were discussed during the symposium.”

Kary Moss, executive director of the ACLU of Michigan, is not impressed with that statement. “What else can they say, other than we didn’t do it, someone else did?” The point is, she says, law enforcement, including the FBI, were discussing these political groups on the assumption that they were “involved in terrorist activities,” as the document states.

“Whenever you give police increasing powers, there’s going to be confusion about where to begin and where to end,” Moss says. “And that’s what we’re seeing here.”


Informant: Charles Bremer

Helen Thomas says: "It's time for the Democratic Party to take a courageous stand and call for the withdrawal of troops from the senseless war in Iraq."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/083005S.shtml

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan said Monday that the 10th anniversary commemoration of the Million Man March will include a broad spectrum of black organizations from mainstream civil rights groups to black nationalists and "street organizations." The 10th anniversary effort, called the Millions More Movement, will also include women.

http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/083005WA.shtml

A far-reaching inquiry into the careers of three of the US's most senior climate specialists has been launched by Joe Barton, the chairman of the House of Representatives committee on energy and commerce. He has demanded details of all their sources of funding, methods and everything they have ever published.

http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/083005EA.shtml

It's amazing the things one experiences in life...and how we worry and fret over some very small things...though at the time it seemed like the end of the world... I now realize how blessed I've been after seeing the deconstruction caused by Katrina...having experienced combat numorous hurricanes 4 last year and thunderstorms all summer year after year as the Tampa Bay area is the lightling capital of the world...I find myself even more blessed and humbled... We all cry and complain about little things in our lives...things that are so trival and at times unimportant...we fight and complain about each other here on Care2...I ask that we all take a real look at what's happen too the people affected by Katrina...that we take the time too realize that we really don't have problems compare to those who were thwe victims of a savage storm...that we are still alive have food & clothes and a home...let us humble ourselves and spend some time on our knees and give thanks for the things we have...no matter how small or big...pray for our brothers & sisters...and realize that we are truly mortal and live life in a loving and caring way...hug your family and friends and remember life comes and goes...it's just a winkle of the eye....

God Bless You All... Ghost pirate...
sent by Care2 Connect member: GHOST PIRATE TAMPA BAY

http://promo.virginrecords.net/artists/a_perfect_circle/imagine_clickable/player/

1,877 U.S. Military Fatalities in Iraq (thru today)

13,877 U.S. Military Maimed in Iraq (Last DoD Update: 06-Aug-05)

26,773 Iraqis Reported Killed (thru today)

0 wmds, 0 osama, 0 credibility, 0 substance!

GW Bush Jr left Texas Bankrupt

GW Bush Jr has already bankrupted - Arbusto Energy Corp.

GW Bush Jr has already bankrupted - Spectrum 7 Corp.

GW Bush Jr has already bankrupted - Bush Exploration Company

GW Bush Jr has already bankrupted - Harken Energy Corp.

55billion$ trade deficit

7% unemployment

2 trillion debt

300 billion$ needless war

Americans hated abroad and polarized at home

$8.8 billion dollars unaccounted for....over 1800 dead soldiers.....all due to lies and incompetence!.


This message was sent by Care2 Connect member: John Beard

This message is available on the Internet at http://www.WantToKnow.info/911conspiracy

"Anyone who types the words '9/11' and 'conspiracy' into an online search engine soon learns that not everybody buys the official narrative of what took place on Sept. 11, 2001.

A professor emeritus at the Claremont School of Theology,
66-year-old David Ray Griffin...compiled a summary of material against the accepted story... 'The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions,' a critique of the Kean commission document in which he suggests that a chunk of the blame for the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil lies closer to home than the caves of Afghanistan."

-- Los Angeles Times, 8/28/05

August 31, 2005 Hello from my heart!

An eye-opening article recently published in the Los Angeles Times raises questions of a 9/11 conspiracy. The below Times article presents an interview with distinguished theologian David Ray Griffin, who has become a major proponent of a 9/11 conspiracy based on glaring inconsistencies and omissions in the 9/11 Commission Report. For more excellent information suggesting a 9/11 conspiracy, see Wikipedia's 9/11 conspiracy page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11_conspiracy_theories

See also the abundance of reliable, verifiable information available at our 9/11 Information Center

We are convinced that once more media give substantial coverage to the verifiable facts revealing a 9/11 conspiracy, concerned citizens around the world will join in demanding a real investigation.

This will lead to major reforms designed to strengthen democracy and assure that our elected governments work together for the good of all.

You can help by spreading this vital information to your friends and colleagues. And to help us move from a heartfelt place of compassion in this, see the "Hello From My Heart" movement at http://www.hellofrommyheart.com/pages/main.htm for an inspiring 9/11 message.

Take care and have a wonderful day!

With best wishes, Fred Burks for the WantToKnow.info Team

P.S To watch a revealing C-SPAN program covering a recent 9/11 hearing held by Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney on August 31 and September 2 at 8:00 PM (Eastern time), click here.

http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/magazine/la-tm-crgriffin35aug28,1,3835884.story http://www.WantToKnow.info/050828latimes911conspiracy

Copy of LA Times 9/11 Conspiracy Article

Getting Agnostic About 9/11

A society of nonbelievers questions the official version

MARK EHRMAN

Anyone who types the words "9/11" and "conspiracy" into an online search engine soon learns that not everybody buys the official narrative of what took place on Sept. 11, 2001.

As a professor emeritus at the Claremont School of Theology,
66-year-old David Ray Griffin would seem to have more affinity for leather elbow patches than tin hats, yet after friends and colleagues prodded him into sifting through the evidence, he experienced a conversion.

Now he's spreading the bad news. Griffin compiled a summary of material arguing against the accepted story that 19 hijackers sent by Osama bin Laden took the aviation system and the U.S. military by surprise that awful day in his 2004 book "The New Pearl Harbor"
(published by Interlink, a Massachusetts-based independent publisher covering areas including travel, cooking, world fiction, current events, politics, children's literature and other subjects).

He recently followed up with the book "The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions" (Interlink), a critique of the Kean commission document in which he suggests that a chunk of the blame for the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil lies closer to home than the caves of Afghanistan.

We contacted him at his Santa Barbara-area home for a report on his journey from mild-mannered scholar to doubting Thomas.

How did you join the ranks of those questioning the official account of the 9/11 events?

I was rather slow getting on board.

For the first year and a half I just accepted the conventional view, really the blowback thesis, that this was blowback for our foreign policy.

When a colleague suggested to me about a year after 9/11 that he was convinced our own government or forces within our own government had arranged it, I didn't accept that.

Then several months later another colleague sent me [a link to] a website that had a timeline.

Once I started reading that and saw all those stories drawn from mainstream sources that contradicted the official account, I decided I needed to look into it more carefully, and the more I looked, the worse it got.

I considered it an obligation to kind of organize, compile the evidence and put it out there for the public.

The Internet is full of 9/11 conspiracy theories.

What have you contributed to the discussion?

My main contribution has been the second book, [showing] that the 9/11 commission report is not worthy of belief, and the implication of that is that they were covering up the government's own guilt.

What would constitute a "smoking gun" against the official 9/11 account?

There are many. By just ignoring them, the 9/11 commission implicitly admitted they couldn't answer them.

The towers coming down into a pile only a few stories high is a smoking gun.

Many laws of physics had to be violated if the official story about the collapses is true.

[The collapses] had all the earmarks of a controlled demolition by explosives.

One of those is total collapse into a small pile of rubble. The fact that Building 7 [a skyscraper near the towers] collapsed when it had not been hit by an airplane, and collapsed in seven or eight seconds, that's a smoking gun.

The fact that standard operating procedures were not followed that morning, and we've gotten three different stories now by the U.S. military as to why they did not intercept the planes, that's a smoking gun.

The Secret Service leaving the president and themselves wide open to being attacked by [not responding immediately], that's a smoking gun.

I can't say one is bigger than the other. You've got six or seven that are equally big.

Critics of the official 9/11 account seem to draw sinister inferences from instances where people, buildings or physical objects didn't react or behave as one might expect in theory.

For example, if the hijackers were devout Muslims, why were some drinking, eating pork chops and cavorting with lap dancers?

Doesn't real life unfold inconsistently, even bizarrely?

That's true, but the 9/11 commission simply ignored those questions.

They're creating this image of fanatics who were so devout and convinced of the truth of their religion that they were ready to meet their maker, yet here's all this evidence that suggests they were not devout at all. [The commission] simply ignored evidence.

Dissenters also seem to find it suspect that in a dire emergency, individuals and agencies bumbled, fumbled, delayed, dropped the ball or choked.

Won't that occur in any emergency?

Well, of course, that is the official theory.

It's a coincidence theory that just happened to be that on those days, everybody became terribly incompetent.

Take the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration]. They've got these standard procedures: If a plane goes off course, if you lose radio contact or lose the transponder, you call the military.

On this day we're told these FAA officials hit the trifecta. They got all three of these things, and yet they would stand around debating, "Should we call the military? No, I don't think so."

And when they finally call, the people at headquarters won't accept their calls because they were in conference or wouldn't pass the call on.

They have roughly about 100 hijack warnings a year where planes have to be scrambled, but suddenly they become just all thumbs.

The whole thing is just implausible.

The other thing is, if you've got accidents, screw-ups, some ought to go one way and the others the other way.

Here everything goes the same way.

Everybody fails to do their jobs in relation to something to do with
9/11.

With others, you have alleged that inconsistencies, omissions or lies in the 9/11 record point to a cover-up, or even collusion or orchestration, by the American government. What would motivate such a scenario?

You've got liberal Democrats and Republicans and Independents who are appalled by what Andrew Bacevich [a professor of international relations at Boston University] called "the new American militarism" in the book "American Empire."

New meaning, qualitatively different than before.

This post-9/11 push to a new level has made the world an enormously more dangerous place.

Many people apart from thinking about 9/11 as an inside job have decided that the United States is doing what [Princeton University emeritus international law professor] Richard Falk calls a "global domination project."

Chalmers Johnson [Japan Policy Research Institute president], a previous conservative, now says that we have become a military juggernaut intent on world domination.

Have you followed polls on what the public believes about 9/11?

There was a Zogby poll in New York. The question asked was, do you believe the government had advance knowledge of the attacks and consciously let them happen?

Forty-nine percent in New York City said yes. I believe it was 43% statewide.

That is a pretty remarkable figure.

In this country there has not been a poll that asked, do you believe the government actually planned and orchestrated the attacks? The question has been raised in Europe and Canada and has gotten to somewhere around 20%.

It would be interesting to have such a poll in the United States.

Conspiracy theorists are often dismissed as marginal types. Where do your views on 9/11 place you in the eyes of your peers in academia?

One thing to point out is, the official account itself is a conspiracy theory.

It says that 19 Arab Muslims under the influence of Osama bin Laden conspired to pull off this operation.

The question is not whether one is a conspiracy theorist about 9/11.

It's which conspiracy theory do you find most supported by the evidence?

Does your role as a 9/11 dissenter depart from your life's work as a scholar and theologian?

At first glance it may seem strange, but the task of a theologian is to look at the world from what we would imagine the divine perspective, [which] would care about the good of the whole and would love all the parts. [So] 9/11, if it was brought about by forces within our own government for imperial reasons, is antithetical to the general good.

Evil has been a subject of your academic writing. It's also been a recurring theme in administration rhetoric. Is that strange?

In these politicians' mouths, it's used to describe certain groups and organizations when it's politically convenient to do so, and then to overlook even greater evil when it's politically convenient to do so.

If you understand the divine as an all-powerful and wrathful creator who seeks vengeance, and uses overwhelming power to destroy its enemies, why then, if you've got the political power, you're probably going to think you're acting like God if you do that.

The [Christian] church during the early centuries was anti-empire. Rome was the enemy.

With Constantine, the empire accepted Christianity, and Christianity started accepting empire and all that entailed.

There has been a long history of support for militarism, so from that perspective, it's not so strange.

Prior to your 9/11 work, did you have an anti-establishment streak?

I never burned my bra. I was fairly critical like a lot of Americans are, but I don't think people would have looked at me and said, "There's an anti-establishment guy."

Do you get hate mail?

I've had a few people suggest I need to see a psychiatrist, and one psychiatrist in L.A. even kindly offered his services.

For more reliable 9/11 information: http://www.WantToKnow.info/911information


Informant: Friends

Two of the people who have been sounding off about the Bush Administration, 9/11, and other issues reveal threats and burglary.

On the Heels Of Death Threats Coming Out Of Washington, WTC Janitor Has Jersey City Apartment Burglarized

Journalist Wayne Madsen has left Washington over death threats and William Rodriguez, 9/11 truth-seeker, had his apartment burglarized. Both fit the description of the person supposedly targeted by the government.

By Greg Szymanski

August 27, 2005

(8-27-05)Journalist Wayne Madsen has left Washington over death threats and William Rodriguez, 9/11 truth-seeker, had his apartment burglarized. Both fit the description of the person supposedly targeted by the government.

Coming on the heels of reports today that government operatives are trying to assassinate someone highly critical of the Bush administration, William Rodriguez, the WTC janitor who has been speaking out across the nation about a 9/11 government conspiracy, came home to find his Jersey City apartment burglarized Saturday. [ ...] Read it all at http://tinyurl.com/7csya

Maybe with the light of day on any threats against them, nothing more serious will happen?


© Virginia Metze

Democrat Patrick Leahy Says Roberts to Be Questioned on Torture Memo, Presidential Power
By JESSE J. HOLLAND Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON Aug 29, 2005 — Democrats plan to question Supreme Court nominee John Roberts about a disavowed Justice Department memo that critics say led to torture in foreign prisons, top Senate Judiciary Democrat Patrick Leahy of Vermont said Monday.

Leahy said he gave Roberts a copy of the so-called "Bybee memo" during a meeting Monday in the Senate's Russell office building. It was the second meeting between the two men since July, when President Bush nominated Roberts to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Then-Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee argued in a Jan. 22, 2002, memo that the president has the power to issue orders that violate the Geneva Conventions as well as international and U.S. laws prohibiting torture.

"It will be raised, partly on the question of to what area if any can a president be considered above the law," Leahy told reporters. [...] Read it all at the abcnews web site: http://tinyurl.com/b3v67


© Virginia Metze

LINWOOD BARCLAY
Monday 29th August 2005 (03h29) :
Source: La Jornada (Mexico)
sent & translated by Luis Martin
Bella Ciao web site

Foreign Ministers of the Latin American countries belonging to the Rio Group expressed confidence that U.S. authorities will set in motion the "appropiate legal processes" to punish the call of evangelical telepreacher Pat Robertson to assassinate Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

The declaration, signed by diplomats of 19 Latin American and Caribbean nations meeting in Bariloche, Argentina states, in relevant part: "We are amazed at the declarations of Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition, an organization linked to the Republican Party of the USA, urging the assassination of the democratically-elected president of Venezuela." The declaration described the telepreacher’s remarks as "a clear call, to commit a crime." [...] Read the rest at: http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=7928


© Virginia Metze

by peacenik23
Mon Aug 29th, 2005 at 12:10:20 PDT

[...] But here's a quick refresher on Sen. Feingold

ONLY senator to vote NO on the USA PATRIOT ACT

voted NO on the War in Iraq

ONLY senator to call for withdrawal by 12/2006

Pro-choice

Pro 2nd Amendment

Co-Author of McCain-Feingold (Campaign Finance Reform Act)

[...] If you are interested, check out the thread on the Dailykos web site: http://tinyurl.com/ass4k


© Virginia Metze

What Bush and the NeoCons have done to this country is becoming worse daily. Now we have terrific storms, without the manpower to evacuate people and lead them to safety. Why not? Because the National Guard, which normally are available for problems at home, are being killed, maimed, and irradiated in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Remember that I commented last week about how the Republican preachers on the far right were too hypocritical to say that God was punishing Florida for having a Republican governor. I got the perfect answer shortly after the column "hit the streets," so to speak: They will decree that the state is being punished for DisneyLand.

Did you realize that Pat Robertson has called for the impeachment of Bush?


© Virginia Metze

REALITY REPORT

From: Mark Hazelwood Here's what the ptb don't want you to know about Katrina

The manipulation is clear.

-- Mark Hazelwood Goto http://jmccanneyscience.com/ and follow the link there to the subpage. This is a new posting on top of McCanney's website:

August 29, 2005 posting !!!! NEW !!! visit the new Oil Futures Sub Page ... where greed and profit go hand in hand ...


PREFACE NOTE: Just as "insiders" made a killing on airline futures (short-selling stock) right before 9-11, so we see -- once again -- oil futures (selling short) by "an administration" of oil insiders who made a killing as this hurricane broke all natural laws of hurricanes and veered into the oil refineries and platforms as though steered from satellites that can do it. Details at

http://jmccanneyscience.com/ and
http://jmccanneyscience.com/Sun-Earth-Connection.HTM

--CR --------- article follows:


KATRINA AND THE SCALAR WEATHER WARS

Posted By: billym
Date: Monday, 29 August 2005, 11:09 a.m.

Today Cloak and Dagger has linked an article on scalar wave weather engineering by Stefan Grossmann. Of course it references the work of Col. Tom Bearden, the leading western expert on the subject.

Engineering the weather with scalar weapons is done by simply pouring heat into certain regions, and extracting heat (cooling) other regions. In the article Bearden describes how by heating and cooling areas in a rotational pattern the atmosphere can be made to rotate (hurricane). Also, since the power of a hurricane is related to the temperature of the sea at a given point, a hurricane can be increased by simply heating the ocean under it. If you think about, nearly all weather phenomena are the result of differences in temperature between one region and another. The scalar weapons in weather mode are basically giant heaters and coolers controlled from afar and able to target any place on earth with either heat or cold.

According to Bearden the chief weather war mischief makers are the KGB and a consortium of the "Yakuza" and "Aum Shinrikyo" cult, to which the KGB has handed over most of the routine work. Bearden says the West is playing catch-up ball here, but is no longer totally undefended. I am not sure if this "weather war defense" involves HAARP or not. In any case the resulting picture is not pretty.

Slowly but surely Bearden's information is getting out there and people are starting to realize the true terror of the situation. Is the secrecy beginning to break down, like a Louisianna levee? People must demand to be told the truth about scalar weapons. Only once, to my knowledge, has the official U.S. acknowledged these weapons. This was in a statement by Sec. Def. William Cohen which Bearden tirelessly repeats.

"Others [terrorists] are engaging even in an eco-type of terrorism whereby they can alter the climate, set off earthquakes, volcanoes remotely through the use of electromagnetic waves... So there are plenty of ingenious minds out there that are at work finding ways in which they can wreak terror upon other nations...It's real, and that's the reason why we have to intensify our [counterterrorism] efforts."

--Secretary of Defense William Cohen at an April 1997 counterterrorism conference sponsored by former Senator Sam Nunn.

This statement was made over 30 years after Krushchev announced such weapons! At that time no one in the world knew what he was talking about, and generally, they still don't!

Even worse than these weather wars, in my opinion, is the use of scalar weapons to induce earthquakes along fault lines. Bearden is convinced that the KGB/Yakuza has registered a number of longitudinal wave interferometers on the Yellowstone caldera to try to trigger a super eruption.

I suggest reading the whole Grossman article, but here are a few excerpts.

http://www.cloakanddagger.de/media/Grossmann/Scalar_Weather_Wars.htm


Scalar Weather Wars:

Hurricane Katrina and the Rape of New Orleans

by: Stefan Grossmann

8-29-5

1. The Bush Jr. regime is a hair's breadth away from collapsing in chaos, infamy and insanity as the Cloakanddagger.de truth radio is about to break the story how G. W. Bushfraud bribed his way into the White House in late 2000. See separate news coverage coming soon.

What happens in such situations is: News diversions are orchestrated in order to take away the public's attention from the homespun disasters. Such as, a whale strands in the arctic and all the oil- soaked spy-riddled mainstream media babble about stranded whales for days or even weeks until the news about the actual catastrophe at home is forgotten and, for practical purposes, suppressed.

This well-known routine is happening again. As the to-be-covered-up news event (Bush bribed his way into the White House) is so huge, the cover-up ploy is also huge: A scalar-engineered hurricane named Katrina. The shadow government has decided to sacrifice an entire city, New Orleans, to cover up the coming news of bribery and in order to further rig the price of oil.

2. Weather engineering includes the blow-up of small hurricanes into large ones. The technology is zealously denied by so-called meterologists and physicists, but it exists anyhow. It has been described, for example, by veteran Pentagon scientist and scalar researcher Col. Tom Bearden at his huge web site, http://www.cheniere.org

Grossman then goes on to quote from Bearden about how the technology works. He mentions the Russian "Woodpecker grid" by which the scalar waves are aimed at anypoint on earth. This Woodpecker grid is a system of EM broadcasts (either transverse or scalar EM) from a number of locations. The interference patterns of these transmissions (so named because they sound, if put through a speaker, like a woodpecker pecking) make a grid pattern and the scalar waves run along the grid to their target location.

Then Grossman writes a very intriguing paragraph:

"Today, weather engineering is also part of the Pentagon's military arsenal and is at the command of America's public enemy Nr. 1, the shadow government.

"Basically, the U.S.A. lost the cold war - contrary to all newspaper allegations - against the Soviet Union because of scalar weapons and weather controlling technology. This is one of the key reasons for the multi-trillion dollar Pentagon black budget and secret arms program, namely to catch up in the scalar arms race. The main part of this technology was developed for the Pentagon by Israel and its ultra-secret scalar weapons program and is the reason why the U.S.A. has basically lost its sovereignty to a clique of internationalist scalar terrorists with hyper-tech abilities (such as also demonstrated in the "plane" deceptions on 9-11-1)."

Grossman ends with the following:

3. Category 5 mega-hurricane Katrina bears signature marks of being rigged and magnified using scalar weather engineering. There has been a suspicious increase in frequency of otherwise very rare category 5 hurricanes. Before hurricane Andrew (1992, apparently a time when scalar technology was available) there were only two recorded category 5 hurricanes in the U.S.A. Katrina is actually more than category 5; it is category 5+ (the scale has no category 6). It originated as a small medium hurricane, but suddenly and inexplicably over the Gulf of Mexico it exploded into a monster of category 5 (allegedly due to the "warm Gulf waters" that have never behaved this way any time before). Then, the next item of suspicion is the target: New Orleans, shaped like a basin and beneath sea level, also conveniently a center of oil refining for the U.S.A. and located near the Gulf of Mexico oil production.

The weather wars are getting serious and no one knows the long term macro effects they will have. For one thing, if exothermic mode (heating) is used more than endothermic mode (cooling) then the operations are likely contributing to global warming, since the added energy is coming from the vacuum of space, not from any other place on earth (3-space).

FULL ARTICLE

http://www.cloakanddagger.de/media/Grossmann/Scalar_Weather_Wars.htm


Informant: V

http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495;article=90173;show_parent=1
http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495;article=90177;show_parent=1

BBC News website 30.08.05

Brian Willcock faces getting rid of his goats if the mast is installed

Residents in an East Sussex village are fighting a fifth application to site a mobile phone mast near their homes.

O2 wants to site a 20m (60ft) mast at Nutley in the Ashdown Forest, next to Humphrey's Farm, where Brian Willcock makes organic goats' milk and cheese.

Mr Willcock said if it was approved, the goats would have to go because of fears radiation could affect the milk.

O2 said it believed the site was the best choice in the locality and was chosen from a range of options.

Good coverage

The company said it had held consultations on the siting of the mast over several months.

At least 60 residents have sent letters to Wealden District Council opposing the mast.

They believe it conflicts with a planning document which states "any development in the High Weald must enhance and beautify the surrounding area".

Residents question whether the mast is needed, as there is already good mobile coverage in the area.

They say they have already defeated four similar applications for masts and are ready to fight again.

Mr Willcock said the proposed site for the mast was in a field 8-9m (24-27ft) from his kidding house.

"It is a highly dangerous place to put a mast," he said.

"The herd would have to go because we couldn't risk selling milk that might be altered. People buy it for health reasons."

This is local London 30.08.05

A TEENAGER is calling on residents to oppose an upgrade to a phone mast.

Laura Taylor, 14, says people living near the Vodafone mast at Barnehurst station have suffered health problems since it was put up in 1992.

She believes residents' nosebleeds, headaches and dizziness are directly liked to the 15ft-high mast.

Vodafone intends to make alterations, which do not require planning permission, to the phone mast to enable it to transmit 3G services.

Laura, of Windermere Road, Barnehurst, said: "To me it's too much of a coincidence residents have suffered these health problems ever since the mast was erected."

A 250-name petition has been organised and the Erith School pupil is calling on residents to get involved in the protest.

A Vodafone spokesman said: "There is no evidence of any adverse effects for mobile phone users under the recommended guidelines."

Omega this is not true. See under:
http://omega.twoday.net/topics/Wissenschaft+zu+Mobilfunk/ http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Cancer+Cluster
http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

August 30, 2005

O2 mobile phones

http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/archives/2005/08/o2_mobile_phone.html

I've been thinking more about the way O2 are treating my constituents. Frankly, they're refusing to mend their bridges. One of their operatives phoned me on Tuesday suggesting we meet. I said that there was little point. They know exactly what the situation is and the only way they are going to put things right is by removing the mast that is casting a shadow over the home of my poor constituent.

Why on earth are they doing this? That's a question, I've been asking myself over the last week. I think they know they've made a huge mess of this one and they're desperately looking for another site. They have to do this within six months anyway. My only conclusion is that they're playing for time.

This is still not good enough. The mast they put up is wrongly sited. At this point I can hear you asking yourself why I am so angry about this particular mast. All I can say is that you would be too. I'm going to get more photos of the site to show you later this week.

My thinking is this. The only way we're going to get this company (and Mr Kevin Hull) to get a move on is to give them more press exposure.

So I'm asking for your help with the "Shame on you O2" campaign. I have a plan that will mean that O2 mobile phones have more publicity than they have ever had before over a mast.

I could do with:

1. A logo - preferably with the words "shame on you O2" but I'll leave it up to you. I have to be able to put it on letterheads and stickers.

2. Images that I can reproduce and put on placards.

3. A blog skin.

We'll make this a competition. If you can do one of the above I'll empty the parliamentary goody box and award some prizes to the best ones.

Posted by tom at August 30, 2005 08:15 AM

http://www.uruknet.info?p=15202


Informant: Milo

August 26, 2005

The strangest thing about some organisations is that they spend all that money on advertising, PR, branding and sales and then they go and mess it all up by being rude, indolent and ignorant.

After writing to the Chief Executive of O2 about their outrageous disregard for the family life of my constituents,

http://www.expressandstar.com/articles/news/es/article_79141.php

I get a letter from a man called Mr Kevin Hull of telephone company O2 Acquisition Developments (whatever that is). Here's what he says:

"Thank you for your letter concerning the telecommunications installation reference above. Your views have been noted. We will respond in due course"

Not good enough Kevin Hull. Not good enough at all, Kevin.

My constituent wakes each morning to look 20 feet out of his window to see the monstrosity that you have erected without having the decency to consult him about it.

So here's my response to your non-response:

1. My visit to the 02 site yesterday

http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/archives/shame%20on%20you%20smaller%20.html

2. I have been invited to meet the Chief Executive of 02 when he visits my party conference next month. The first thing I will be demanding is that he answers my letter, the second will be "why is Kevin Hull of 02 acquisition developments so rude?"

3. I'm asking people to give you a little encouragement to get a move on by letting you know their views at your kevin.hull@02.com email address.

Posted by tom at August 26, 2005 12:52 PM

Aug 16, 2005

Express and Star West Midlands and Staffordshire

A mobile phone company was given a police guard to start work on replacing a controversial phone mast before dawn today.

The mast had been pulled down amid protests. Residents last week blocked the entrance to the site in Stone Cross, West Bromwich, when phone firm O2 arrived to replace the mast and workers were turned away.

But workers returned to Walsall Road at 4am yesterday with a police guard and erected a fence around the site in Walsall Road. Angry residents accused the company of "sneaking" onto the site to avoid any protests.

The residents have been backed by local MP Tom Watson who said the 60ft mast in Walsall Road was an eyesore.

Mr Watson said the phone firm had abused its emergency powers and added that he had written to O2's chief executive Peter Erskine to complain.

He said: "These powers are there to keep the phone networks up and running during genuine emergencies like the terrible events we have witnessed in London, not just to bypass the planning and consultation process.

"O2 should be ashamed of themselves for what they are doing."

Residents' campaigner Ric Keeling, said the actions of O2 were disgraceful.

"They came at 4am when they knew everyone would be in bed.

"How low can you get to have to use tactics like this?.

"This mast will be just 20ft from my house and of course we are all deeply worried over the effects it could have on children and even adults.

"Round two might have gone to the company but this matter is not over yet," added Mr Keeling.

O2 declined to comment but have now set up a "one-to-one meeting with residents on September 30.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/the-us-collapses-a-scenario/2005/08/28/1125167552525.html


Informant: Lew Rockwell

http://fairuse.1accesshost.com/news2/salon-hitchens-kinney.html


Informant: Lew Rockwell

To view this item online, visit
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46062

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Posted: August 31, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Joseph Farah
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

Pat Buchanan, former communications director to President Ronald Reagan, former presidential candidate and WND commentator, has come to the conclusion that a courageous Republican legislator should move a bill for impeachment of President Bush.

I reluctantly agree – and for the same reasons.

President Bush has had nearly six years in office to honor his oath of office and enforce immigration laws in this country.

He has not only failed, he has intentionally neglected this sworn duty, instead claiming he prefers to promote a vague immigration "reform" plan that involved a "guest worker" program that has served as an encouragement to the most massive influx of illegal immigration this country has ever seen.

Some will tell me this can't be done and that it is irresponsible to propose it because Bush is a wartime president.

My response? It is precisely because this nation finds itself in a desperate war declared by a formidable foe determined to use our open borders to destroy this country that we must act now.

Some will remind me I endorsed Bush just two years ago for re-election.

My response? I made it very clear at the time that I was not really endorsing Bush, per se, but seeking the only practical way to defeat his reckless and irresponsible and treasonous opponent. There is no contradiction here. Kerry had to be defeated. Now Bush must go. America can do better.

I don't agree with many of Pat Buchanan's foreign policy ideas. But on the border, he is 100 percent right. Bush has been a disaster. No matter how successful we might be in our campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, we can lose this war against jihadist Islam right here at home.

Our enemies have already used the open border to penetrate this country – and they will do so again.

When Bush placed the old Immigration and Naturalization Service under the new Department of Homeland Security, I actually believed he recognized how critical border security was to the defense of our homeland. I was fooled.

In the current issue of my premium, online, intelligence newsletter, G2 Bulletin, author Paul Williams recounts in extravagant detail how al-Qaida operatives have already used the open Mexican border not only to sneak operatives into the country but to smuggle in nuclear weapons with the help of the MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) street gang.

The fuse has been lit.

The war in Iraq, which I have supported, will mean little when, not if, a nuclear weapon is detonated inside our own country.

When that happens, we will no longer be having debates about who has more culpability for Sept. 11 – Bush or his predecessor. Bush has had ample opportunity to address the mistakes of the past. Instead, he has repeated them. They say hindsight is 20-20. Not for Bush.

Even if the border issue and the tsunami of illegal immigration was not strictly speaking the No. 1 national security issue we face, enforcing the laws of the land would be the right thing to do – the only moral and right thing to do.

Americans are dealing with more joblessness, higher crime, skyrocketing taxes, a crippled medical system, overcrowded jails, an overburdened judicial and law enforcement system, costly and divisive language barriers and changing demographics that are permanently transforming the U.S. culture.

Why?

Bush claims it is because America needs cheap labor. That's what the law of supply and demand is all about. It's not his duty or responsibility to acquire workers for big corporations and other fat cats below what the market will support.

I don't even believe Bush is being honest when he makes this argument. I am convinced there are international agreements behind this. I am persuaded the systematic destruction of the American way of life through uncontrolled and illegal immigration is part of a master plan for merger and global consolidation – first with our neighbors in this hemisphere and later worldwide.

This secretive plot must end here and now.

America was founded on the principle of independence and sovereignty. The president is betraying our most sacred national heritage.

Bush is ignoring the will of the people and he is violating the law of the land.

It's time to turn up the heat.

As Buchanan suggested: Will even one courageous Republican member of Congress have the guts to sponsor a bill of impeachment?


Joseph Farah is founder, editor and chief executive officer of WND and a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. He is also the founder of WND Books, publishes the premium, online, intelligence newsletter Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, and is the author of the highly acclaimed book "Taking America Back." In addition to his daily column in WND, he writes a nationally syndicated weekly column available to U.S. newspapers through Creators Syndicate.


Informant: Milo



http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=impeach
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Downing+Street+Memo

KATRINA BLOGS & LOOTING:

WIKIPEDIA GENERAL LISTINGS:
http://katrinahelp.info/wiki/index.php/Blogs

THE TRUTH LAID BEAR:
http://www.truthlaidbear.com/topicpage.php?topic=Katrina

.............

KATRINA: "YOU LOOT, I SHOOT"
By Michelle Malkin August 31, 2005 01:42 AM

Darkness is descending on New Orleans, literally and figuratively. Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, the N.O. Times-Picayune blog http://tinyurl.com/c5lg4 reports that the local children's hospital is under siege:

...

Late Tuesday, Gov. Blanco spokeswoman Denise Bottcher described a disturbing scene unfolding in uptown New Orleans, where looters were trying to break into Children's Hospital.

Bottcher said the director of the hospital fears for the safety of the staff and the 100 kids inside the hospital. The director said the hospital is locked, but that the looters were trying to break in and had gathered outside the facility.

The director has sought help from the police, but, due to rising flood waters, police have not been able to respond.

Bottcher said Blanco has been told of the situation and has informed the National Guard. However, Bottcher said, the National Guard has also been unable to respond.

...

Things are spiraling completely out of control--and contrary to some naive observers, the crimes are not just being committed by people desperate for basic food and sustenance. Earlier, the Times-Picayune blog reported http://tinyurl.com/85ltr :

...

Those trapped in the city faced an increasingly lawless environment, as law enforcement agencies found themselves overwhelmed with widespread looting. Looters swarmed the Wal-mart on Tchoupitoulas Street, often bypassing the food and drink section to steal wide-screen TVs, jewelry, bicycles and computers. Watching the sordid display and shaking his head in disgust, one firefighter said of the scene: "It's a f---- hurricane, what are you do with a basketball goal?" Police regained control at about 3 p.m., after clearing the store with armed patrol. One shotgun-toting Third District detective described the looting as "ferocious."

"And it's going to get worse as the days progress," he said.

In Uptown, one the few areas that remained dry, a bearded man patrolled Oak Street near the boarded-up Maple Leaf Bar, a sawed-off shotgun slung over his shoulder. The owners of a hardware store sat in folding chairs, pistols at the ready.

Uptown resident Keith Williams started his own security patrol, driving around in his Ford pickup with his newly purchased handgun. Earlier in the day, Williams said he had seen the body of a gunshot victim near the corner of Leonidas and Hickory streets.

"What I want to know is why we don't have paratroopers with machine guns on every street," Williams said.

Like-minded Art Depodesta sat on the edge of a picnic table outside Cooter Brown's Bar, a chrome shotgun at his side loaded with red shells.

"They broke into the Shell station across the street," he said. "I walked over with my 12-gauge and shot a couple into the air."

The looters scattered, but soon after, another man appeared outside the bar in a pickup truck armed with a pistol and threatened Depodesta.

"I told him, 'Listen, I was in the Army and I will blow your ass off,'" Depodesta said. "We've got enough trouble with the flood."

The man sped away.

"You know what sucks," Depodesta said. "The whole U.S. is looking at this city right now, and this is what they see."

In the Bywater, a supply store sported spray-painted signs reading "You Loot, I Shoot" and "You Bein Watched." A man seated nearby with a rifle in his lap suggested it was no idle threat. At the Bywater studio of Dr. Bob, the artist known for handpainted "Be Nice or Leave" signs, a less fanciful sentiment was painted on the wall: "Looters Will Be Shot. Dr. Bob."

Reminds me very much of the chaos that ensued after the Los Angeles riots, in which Korean grocery store owners were left to fend for themselves and it was up to good Samaritans to try and quell the violence.

Chris Regan at Junkyard Blog reports that the mayor of New Orleans may go ahead and make a bona fide martial law declaration. What's he waiting for?

...

WAL-MART LOOTED ON CAMERA IN NEW ORLEANS NBC10 August 30, 2005

http://www.nbc10.com/news/4917570/detail.html

Video just into NBC News shows New Orleans residents looting a Wal-Mart after the state government ordered the city's evacuation.

The video first aired on MSNBC on Tuesday night, on "Live And Direct With Rita Cosby."

There were many reports of looting in the city as temperatures rose along with flood waters in the sub-seal level city.

In downtown New Orleans, where looters are floating garbage cans filled with clothing and jewelry down the street.

Some of the looting has been taking place in full view of police and National Guard troops. One man with an armload of clothes even asked a police officer if he could borrow his car.

At a Walgreen's drug store in the French Quarter Tuesday morning, people were running out with grocery baskets and coolers full of soft drinks, chips and diapers.

When police finally showed up, a young boy stood at the door and shouted a warning, and the crowd scattered.

A tourist from Philadelphia compared the scene to "downtown Baghdad."


Informant: NHNE

31. August 2005

Zum Wahlaufruf der SPD erklärt Bundeswahlkampfleiter Bodo Ramelow:

Vor dem Hintergrund von Hartz IV, Rentenkürzungen, Aufhebung der Parität in der Krankenversicherung und wachsender Kinderarmut klingt die zentrale Botschaft des SPD-Wahlaufrufs wie ein Hohn. Die SPD hat in den letzten sieben Jahren das Markenzeichen soziale Gerechtigkeit verspielt. Deutschland ist unter Rot-Grün ein Land geworden, in dem Freiheit beschränkt wurde, Gerechtigkeit auf der Strecke geblieben ist und Solidarität nichts mehr gilt. Schon 1998 und 2002 versprach Gerhard Schröder soziale Gerechtigkeit. Bekommen haben die Menschen die so genannten Reformen der Agenda 2010. Deren Lasten wurden einseitig auf den Schultern der kleinen Leute abgeladen, während Konzerne, Besserverdienende und Vermögende entlastet worden sind. Dem Einkommensmillionär hat Rot-Grün eine zusätzliche Mercedes S-Klasse vor die Tür gestellt, dem oder der älteren Arbeitslosen des Arbeitslosengeld zusammengekürzt und ihn oder sie in Hartz IV-Verzweiflung gestürzt. Der Armuts- und Reichtumsbericht hat es an den Tag gebracht: Unter Rot-Grün sind die Reichen reicher und die Armen zahlreicher geworden. SPD und Grüne sind keine Alternative zu Schwarz-gelb, sondern deren Brüder (und Schwestern) im Geiste des Sozialabbaus. Wer einen wirklichen Richtungswechsel der Politik, wer Schwarz-Gelb noch verhindern und Rot-Grün die rote Karte zeigen will, hat eine bundesweit wählbare Alternative: Die Linke.

http://sozialisten.de/presse/presseerklaerungen/view_html?zid=29688

Competitive Enterprise Institute
by Iain Murray

08/30/05

A Tufts University School of Medicine reporter has realized that a pretty large amount of scientific findings are, well, wrong. This work follows on from a recent publication of his that found that a third of medical research articles published in major scientific journals and then cited over a thousand times in the literature are later contradicted or have major questions raised over them. The reasons are many...

http://www.cei.org/gencon/019,04799.cfm


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

--------

Thanks for that link to "Questioning the authority of scientific journals" but it needs to be pointed out that the link provided http://www.cei.org/gencon/019,04799.cfm is to one of those pro corporate spin groups, The Competitive Enterprise Institute, that will make their own spin out of the paper.

Please tell your readers to go to the article directly, which is at:
http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=index-html&issn=1549-1676

There's some other good articles there as well.

Regards

Don Maisch

CounterPunch
by Roger Morris

08/30/05

What a surreal moment -- this faded end-of-summer 2005. We are locked in an evil lost war of staggering costs. Some flail at the atrocity in a cause that seems equally lost. Most play on in the ebbing season's sun, oblivious to reckonings. In Washington rules the worst regime in memory. Yet it falls to a fiercely bereaved 48-year-old mother, camping beside a dusty ditch in Texas, to embody the conscience of the culture, at least until the media move on. The regime in its outrage struts essentially unopposed in our supposed democracy. Protest rises powerless. The oblivious go uninformed, unled. ... Despite the seeming death of politics, we have never known a crisis and opportunity more political. The moment cries out for politics fought as never before...

http://www.counterpunch.org/morris08302005.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Salon
by Rob Patterson

08/31/05

On Wednesday, Sheehan decamps from Crawford and heads to Austin. She will hold a rally at City Hall to kick off her bus tour that will end in Washington at a major antiwar demonstration planned for Sept. 24. Since she first camped out alone on the side of the road on Aug. 6 at what became known as Camp Casey I, thousands of Americans have also made the pilgrimage to the town and countryside near the president's vacation getaway to show their support. And millions have witnessed her crusade via the media... [subscription or ad view required]

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/08/31/casey/


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

08/30/05

Consider the mentality of most presidents, justices, and Senators, and the incentives they face. Expanding the reach of government power is just considered integral to the job description. They may choose to expand in one area as versus another based on the quid pro quos they owe for the past election and the next one, but the idea of diminishing overall government makes no sense to them -- any more than it makes sense for a cook to encourage dieting, or a housing contractor to encourage cave-dwelling. Once a politician or bureaucrat tastes power, he or she becomes a member of the governing caste, which means advancing the public sector first...

http://www.mises.org/story/1899


The definition and defense of freedom

The Raw Story

08/30/05

The American Civil Liberties Union today released an FBI document that designates a Michigan-based peace group and an affirmative action advocacy group as potentially 'involved in terrorist activities.' ... The file was obtained through an ongoing nationwide ACLU effort seeking information on the FBI's use of Joint Terrorism Task Forces to engage in political surveillance. 'This document confirms our fears that federal and state counterterrorism officers have turned their attention to groups and individuals engaged in peaceful protest activities,' said Ben Wizner, an ACLU attorney. 'When the FBI and local law enforcement identify affirmative action advocates as potential terrorists, every American has cause for concern'...

http://tinyurl.com/asvxl


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Cincinnati Enquirer

08/30/05

Even with a robust economy that was adding jobs last year, the number of Americans who fell into poverty rose to 37 million -- up 1.1 million from 2003 -- according to Census Bureau figures released Tuesday. It marks the fourth straight increase in the government's annual poverty measure. The Census Bureau also said household income remained flat, and that the number of people without health insurance edged up by about 800,000 to 45.8 million people... [editor's note: When you keep raising the threshold to which you peg your definition of "poverty," you get more of it ... imagine that - TLK]

http://tinyurl.com/dqcu9


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

http://www.newstarget.com/022488.html


Informant: Salvador Lourdes

--------

Long-Term Mobile Phone Use and Brain Tumor Risk
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/161/6/526

--------

Questioning the authority of scientific journals
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/940688/

--------

Long-Term Mobile Phone Use and Brain Tumor Risk
Interphone British Results
Criticism on former Interphone Study
Letters to the Editor

http://www.omega-news.info/morganlamjepidemiology.pdf

--------

verif
Sent: Friday, September 02, 2005 11:03 AM
Subject: Denmark

http://www.mast-victims.org/index.php?content=news&

Professor: "Report on acoustic-neuroma is worthless"
Denmark
Created: 1 Sep 2005

Danish Professor Albert Gjedde of Aarhus Hospital knocks the recently published results in a international study that suggest that people using mobile phones for more than 10 years are at greater risk of developing "acoustic-neuroma", a benevolent type of tumor in the ear.

In the British-Scandinavian part of the study, 678 people with acoustic-neuroma tumors and a control group of 3553 people without the tumor, were tested.

"The study shows a possibilty [for developing acoustic-neuroma] that warrants further investigation, but it does not prove any direct risk and is basically just a hypothesis or theory. The study in itself is worthless" - says Prof. Albert Gjedde.

Prof. Albert Gjedde disputes the test on the grounds that the results relied on the testees recalling their own amount of mobile-phone usage going years back in time. He suggests that this may have lead the tested people with acoustic-neuroma to subconsciously excaggerate their recollection of mobile-phone usage.

The study is a cooperation between England, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland and is a part of the "Interphone" project that aims to study possible relationsships between mobile-phone usage and brain/nerve related diseases.

Danish Government has given 30 million kroner (= 2.7 million pounds) to research into health effects of mobile telephony, but that won't go far says Albert Gjedde who would like to see more money for research.

Article text in Danish
Source: ComOn.dk, 1. sept. 2005


Informant: Iris Atzmon


Omega see also:

Professor Albert Gjedde of Aarhus Hospital
http://www.cfin.au.dk/index.php?menu=31
http://www.cfin.au.dk/index.php?menu=187
http://www.cfin.au.dk/index.php?menu=188

--------

Now we learn that the study checked phone use that is equivalent to only one hour a week....

Iris Atzmon.

----- Original Message ----- From: christinedoyle To: Iris Atzmon Sent: Monday, September 05, 2005 9:05 AM Subject: Emailing: newsprint.htm

Doctor warns against long-term cellphone use

Hong Kong - People should avoid long-term use of cellphones a Hong Kong neurosurgeon has warned, a media report said on Sunday.

Dawson Fong To-sang, chief of neurosurgery at Tuen Mun Hospital, said further research was needed to study the effects of phone use on the brain, the South China Morning Post reported.

Fong wanted more investigation to be done on the effects of phone use in the temporal region of the brain which is slightly in front of and above the ear. That area is most likely to be covered by the mobile phone and exposed to the highest frequencies, the doctor said.

He was commenting following the most recent study, carried out by Britain's Institute of Cancer Research, which found no links to the incidence of acoustic neuroma-type brain tumours which occur directly underneath the ear.

Surveyed 678 people who have used cellphones for 10 years The results of study, which surveyed 678 people who have used cellphones for 10 years, were published last week.

Fong said the study was limited because only one type of brain tumour -acoustic neuroma - was studied and the amount of time people spent using their phone was only equivalent to one hour a week.

He believed this was much less than many people, particularly youngsters and businessmen, spend using cellphones.

Fong said people should limit cellphone use to emergencies and avoid buying them for children under 14 years old.

"It's a very good invention, but to abuse it might well cause trouble in later years," he added. - Sapa-dpa

Published on the Web by IOL on 2005-09-04 10:46:16 © Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.

--------

Thanks for this Iris!!!

I knew there had to be something missing -- the same way studies were done re EMF RAPID -- either not checking effects of the obvious "white blood cells" which is the well-known way to check for overdose of ionizing radiation. As you know, "white blood cells" are related to Leukemia/Leukaemia regardless of the type of radiation and yet one scientist after another chooses some other parameter for their studies to prove whether there are effects. Then, as you know, studies are often re "intermittent exposures" unlike what happens to the innocent child/person who sleeps close to electric appliances, high frequencies on electrical wiring, electric meters, high voltage powerlines and cell tower antennae.

Assoc. Prof. Olle Johansson of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden specializes in dermatologic effects. You will note his research re EMR does investigate known effects of chronic, prolonged ultraviolet exposure when studying other EMR effects.

Since Leukemia/Leukaemia has been known to be the main cancer associated with nuclear radiation for over 50 years and since Leukemia/Leukaemia is the primary cancer that has been linked to Leukemia/Leukaemia, the most obvious studies to prove/disprove effects of chronic, prolonged EMR exposures at low doses are those that focus on white blood cell changes.

Inflammation is the beginning of the precancerous process. Inflammation can initially be identified by white blood cell changes. Studies must simulate "real life exposures" such as sleeping in one location for 6-8 hours every night for a month to six weeks (at a minimum depending on distance from source) re chronic, prolonged EMR exposures and obviously, any study relying on cell phone usage for an average of one hour even if evaluating months of exposure, does not come close to providing meaningful results!!!

Each and every study that did not find EMR adversely affects health should be challenged in similar way. Take care - Joanne

Joanne C. Mueller Guinea Pigs R Us
731 - 123rd Avenue N.W. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55448-2127 USA Phone: 763-755-6114 Email: jcmpelican@aol.com

--------

The breaking of bonds in DNA during transcription need not be the high-energetic effect of covalent bonds, but more likely breaking the much weaker Van der Waals forces. Damage during transcription is not the same as watching DNA being literally blown apart by photons.

Further, the damage is just as likely to be via free radicals, which do cause DNA damage. And since studies show that EMF does affect both the generation of free radicals and the supression of free radical removal, this mechanism cannot be dismissed either.

Therefore we have observational studies of actual DNA damage, and two possible mechanisms.

Andy

--------

And I really can't understand where they get "the absence of a known biological mechanism for this" from.

Sorry: I keep muttering about this study. Interesting that even the establishment is remaining very cautious over this study. How would its methodology be challenged if the results had been the other way? I'd like to see the whole Journal article: does anyone have access?

Andy

--------

Risk of a tumour on the same side of the head as reported phone use was raised for use for 10 years or longer (OR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-3.1).

Andy, did the news report this? An increased risk of 80% (OR=1.8) on the same side of the head.

--------

Dear Andy,

is the 'Swedlow' referred to as the chief investigator in this study, the 'Swerdow' with an R, who used to work for the telecoms and in fact was the one who tried to stop all further research as it would be a 'waste of time'? If they are one and the same, the conclusions of this study are no suprise - and obviously extremely suspect!

BW Jenny

--------

I believe it is one and the same. And Chairman of AGNIR. Swerdlow also noted the night-time melatonin and women shift workers, which was brought up in the Andrew Mitchell MP debate, Jan 04.

Did he actually say no more research? Several time he has remained cautious "we still don't know".

--------

Andy, I'm almost certain Swerdlow is the one who called for research to stop....perfectly safe, no need to waste more time and money. Unfortunately I can't recall the details or when this occurred - but if anyone else can call it to mind with anything more accurate than a memory, it could be useful I would think. If I am correct (and I think I am) the fact that he is also a 'telecom' man pretending to be independent, should indicate bias and bring this study into disrepute. Perhaps this might be something for the PR people?

BW Jenny

Hi Jenny and Andy.

The Dane "Jorgen Bach Andersen" who is the main person on the Danish research into "Mobile damage" is one of those you call a "Telecom man" Pretending to be an independent ( he was also on the European study, The name COST). Our H3G expert witness Dr. Chadwick was on the same study, repeating the "same old" INCIRP, NRPB, whatever, nothing not repeated or read (I wonder how did Dr. Chadwick ever get a degree?, or has he?) Yeah, the schools degrade!

Andersen has been successful to convince the Danish Government to hire him as "THE INDEPENDENT SCIENTIST" they could use for this project and they are wondering (Danish government) why foreign scientists do not want to join the program. Why would they? With Anderson at the steering wheel they risk serious discrediting if they do not agree with him.

The thing is, he is not a scientist, he earns his living by working for the mobile phone industry, but then, he serves up all the answers the government wants to hear. There is a Danish scientist who has been fighting for the harmful mobile telephony cause for years. Her name is Sianette Kwee, who would have made a really good job of this research, so why do you think she has not been asked and she has been degraded, (even her university website has been taken away). SHE IS NOT POSITIVE ENOUGH. So much for Nordic Democracy! She has the same views as Olle Johansen. She has been warning of dangers for years. Look her up

http://www.grn.es/electropolucio/omega271103.htm

If you type in her name on Google you get loads more.

We have just got the cost bill from the courtcase from Freshfields, Hutchisons lawyers in our court case for £. 470.000.- (yesterday) so I am a bit bloody minded right now, but I will be OK tomorrow if I can sleep, for a few hours, and get even more bloody minded and tell them to: F... O..) So see you later.

Best regards.

Agnes.
http://www.mast-victims.org

--------

The wrong signals
http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/0000000CAD33.htm

Before you read this bear in mind that it is in Spiked an online publication and BT and the Mobile Operators Association are amongst its sponsors. They also rather curiously have the Medical Research Council as a sponsor. Spiked claims to stand for liberty, enlightenment and something else - writing biased and poorly researched articles hardly bears that out. It seems to have Burgess amongst its supporters. The study referred to is the one out the other day. Andy has written us a press release which went out yesterday.

To contact Spiked go to
http://www.spiked-online.com/Sections/central/About/Index.htm

the email address to write/complain to is editorial@spiked-online.com

They boast that content is of immense importance to them. I think this lot below can be torn apart fairly easily. Please email this article to anyone who has fought a mast campaign because they claim that one or two campaigners force others to join them and so stop masts going up. Please could anyone suffering ill effects from masts email them. This article is badly researched and they are ill-informed and bear in mind BURGESS has no scientific qualifications whatsoever.

Thanks

sian

--------

What a remarkably ignorant editorial from "Spiked". Technology is wonderful, don't worry about the risks till later? Sounds like "New Orleans is a great holiday destination, don't shore up the levees, it won't happen" (as per today's news).

Of course you have to think worst case.

Andy

--------

Re the 'Spiked' outfit.

Note their past ill-doings in the promotion of gm crops and foods - as uncovered by gmwatch and forerunner - 'ngin' in their article - 'Strange Bedfellows'- http://ngin.tripod.com/190303d.htm

--------

The wrong signals

A major new study rejects the notion that mobile phones cause cancer. That the health authorities tell us to worry anyway shows that there's more to this debate than the science. First they don't say the real findings (it's about benign tumors, it shows increase AFTER 10 years), and then they continue their own manipulation and build a whole theory on this. It's ridiculus. it's spin in spin in spin etc....

I find it hard to grasp how the journalists are ready to make such idiots of themselves, and how "experts" from government can say very unscientific things and people still treat them with respect. They should be ridiculed publically, they invite it. It's unbelievable how brainwash works. Things like "an apple is black" can be accepted without question. Just makes you wonder what a world we live in.

--------

To editorial@spiked-online.com

Although you describe yourself as an online publication which stands for liberty and "enlightenment", your latest article on mobile phones is an appalling piece of journalism, which demonstrates the exact opposite. Looking at your list of sponsors, it becomes glaringly obvious why your article is so biased and ill researched. I will discuss this with Mike Dolan of the MOA at our next meeting.

To attack the precautionary approach on the basis of your obvious lack of understanding of Science is a dangerous path to tread, in particular as your article fuels a careless attitude to mobile phone use. This approach will backfire in due course when the dangers become clear.

Ever heard of the Freiburger and Bamberger Appeal which was signed by thousands of European medical professionals and the Naila Study, carried out by German doctors, which indicates that within a 400 m radius around a mobile phone mast cancer rates treble?? Obvioulsy NOT!

Please check the credentials of "Scientists" like Burgess before solely relying on their evidence. It is also very disturbing that Prof. Swerdlow from Cancer Research is Chair of AGNIR, advising government on non ionising radiation. Don't you think that this represents a conflict of interest?

Attacks on campaign groups like MastSanity - a registered National charity, representing thousands of members and giving help and advise to people who experience health problems due to exposure to pulsed magnetic fields - demonstrate your desperate attempt to appease your sponsors. For further feedback please see

http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/?p=199

I. Dickenson


From Mast Sanity

--------

New study on acoustic neuromas and cell phone use

Here’s some good news for the Telcos spin factories: “No brain cancer link to mobile phones, study says” Watch the spinning of media articles coming out proclaiming the old ‘mobiles proven safe’ line. More justification for Motorola’s call to end all future research.

Note however, that Swerdlow is not saying there is no risk, just no “substantial risk in the first decade after starting use”. This is not new news as it is generally accepted that it would take at least 10 years for a statistically detectible risk to appear - if there is a risk. And what about that other study that found a connection with acoustic neuroma after 10 years of cell phone use?

What about what the Russian and Chinese RF scientists who see the risk of a whole range of possible neurological effects from prolonged cell phone use?

Note what Swerdlow et al said in December of 2004*:

“Despite the ubiquity of new technologies using RF’s, little is known about population exposures from RF sources and even less about the relative importance of different sources. Other cautions are that mobile phone studies to date have been able to address only relatively short lag periods, that almost no data are available on the consequences of childhood exposure, and that published data largely concentrate on a small number of outcomes, especially brain tumor and leukemia.”

* Ahlbom A, Green A, Kfeifets L, Savitz D, Swerdlow A, Epidemiology of Health Effects of Radiofrequency Exposure, Env. Health Pers. Vol. 112, NO. 17, Dec. 2004

This study is just another footnote in a long history of studies that have failed to give any real answers to the urgent question. What will be the effects on their mental wellbeing for the millions of children using mobile phones in 10-15 -20 years of use?

Don Maisch

http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=193 (excerpt)

The Lonn study: no connection with mobile phone use and cancer. Really? http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=195

The Lonn study, commentary from Lloyd Morgan
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=196

Definitive Comments from the Central Brain Tumor Registry (USA)
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/?p=204

The Lonn study: commentary from Sam Milham
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=197

Power Watch analysis on that acoustic neuroma study
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=202

Spinning of the Interphone study from “Spiked”
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=199

The Bizarre foundations of “Spiked”
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=201



http://tinyurl.com/2o3sph
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=brain+tumor
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=acoustic+neuroma
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Interphone
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=MTHR
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Challis
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Coghill
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Lloyd+Morgan

31. August 2005

Zur Situation auf dem Arbeitsmarkt im Monat August erklärt Bundesgeschäftsführer Rolf Kutzmutz:

Auch die letzte Arbeitslosenstatistik vor den Bundestagswahlen ist keinerlei Grund zur Freude. Denn der leichte Rückgang der statistisch erfassten Arbeitslosigkeit um 44.000 auf jetzt 4,73 Millionen hat vielmehr mit der Zunahme von Ein-Euro-Jobs als mit neuen versicherungspflichtigen Arbeitsplätzen zu tun. Entgegen den Äußerungen aus dem Wirtschaftsministerium ist der Rückgang versicherungspflichtiger Arbeitsplätze keineswegs aufgehalten. Immer noch gehen an jedem Tag in Deutschland mehrere Hundert Vollzeitarbeitsplätze verloren. Dagegen boomen die Ein-Euro-Jobs. Die Kommunen wollen die Zahl dieser so genannten Arbeitsgelegenheiten von derzeit 200.000 auf 350.000 ausbauen. Ein-Euro-Jobs sind nur schlecht verbrämte Arbeitslosigkeit, die mit der Not der Menschen spielt, die sie annehmen müssen. Ein Weg zu vollwertiger Arbeit sind sie jedoch nicht. Sie sind in erster Linie ein Trick, um die Statistik zu schönen und in Wahlzeiten die Zahl der Arbeitslosen unter der 5 Millionengrenze zu halten. Die Rezepte der Konservativen würden diesen Trend nur noch verstärken: Schleifen des Kündigungsschutzes, Niedriglohn, Beschneidung der Arbeitnehmerrechte und Ein-Euro-Jobs als Allheilmittel lösen das Problem der Arbeitslosigkeit nicht und verschärfen nur die Lage der Arbeitnehmer. Vordringliches Ziel der Linkspartei ist es, Menschen in vollwertige, Existenz sichernde Arbeit zu bringen. Dafür haben wir tragfähige Konzepte. Dazu gehören:

* der konsequente Abbau der Überstunden,

* die Erhebung einer Ausbildungsplatzumlage für Unternehmen, die nicht ausbilden,

* der Aufbau eines öffentlich geförderten Beschäftigungssektors und die Förderung regionaler Wirtschaftskreisläufe,

* das Vorziehen von Infrastrukturmaßnahmen und öffentlichen Investitionen in Ostdeutschland und

* die Unterstützung strukturschwacher Regionen im Westen,

* die Schaffung regulärer, sozialversicherungspflichtiger Beschäftigung in öffentlich geförderten und gemeinnützigen Beschäftigungssektoren, finanziert durch die Bündelung der gegenwärtig für das Arbeitslosengeld II, die Kosten der Unterkunft und die so genannte Mehraufwandsentschädigung für Ein-Euro-Jobs aufgebrachten Mittel - kombiniert mit bereits vorhandenen Förderfonds von Ländern, Bund und Europäischer Union.

http://sozialisten.de/presse/presseerklaerungen/view_html?zid=29687

http://www.aachener-zeitung.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=541086&_wo=News:Wirtschaft&_wobild=menue_news.gif&template=detail_standard_azan

Neue Untersuchungen bestätigen Gefahr von Mobilfunk-Strahlung
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/939195/

Ärzte warnen vor Langzeitfolgen von Handy- und Schnurlostelefonieren
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/939911/

Kinder und Mobilfunk
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/311977/

30.08.2005 14:49

Österreichische Ärztekammer: Erstmals haben sich auch in epidemiologischen Untersuchungen am Menschen Schädigungen der Erbsubstanz gezeigt.

Die Österreichische Ärztekammer (ÖAK) warnt nun auch vor den Folgen von Handy- und Schnurlostelefonie. Laut ÖAK haben erstmals auch epidemiologische Untersuchungen ergeben, dass vor allem das Handy Schädigungen der Erbsubstanz sowie ein erhöhtes Tumor-Risiko verursachen kann.

Tumore. Zwei in der Fachzeitschrift "Environmental Research" und der Fachzeitschrift "Neuroepidemiology" publizierte Untersuchungen aus Schweden würden das vorliegende Bild ergänzen. Sie zeigen laut ÖAK wie schon zwei vorhergehende Studien ein erhöhtes Risiko für Tumore des Hörnervs sowie erstmals auch für bösartige Gehirntumore wie etwa Astrozytome nach langjähriger Verwendung von analogen und digitalen Handys sowie von Schnurlostelefonen.

Die Dosis zählt. "Es geht wie bei vielen Umwelt- und Lebensstilfaktoren auch bei elektromagnetischen Feldern und Strahlen um die Dosis. Und die kumuliert im Laufe der Jahre, wie die vorliegenden Studien uns zeigen. Kinder sollten Funktelefone deshalb grundsätzlich nicht verwenden", sagte der Referent für Umweltmedizin der Österreichischen Ärztekammer, Dr. Gerd Oberfeld, am Dienstag in einer Aussendung.

Viel zu wenig bekannt sei außerdem, dass auch die Verwendung von schnurlosen Heimtelefonen zu einer Strahlenbelastung führe, so Oberfeld. Die ÖÄK rate daher, für Telefonate zu Hause Schnurtelefone zu verwenden.

Schlafstörungen und Depressionen. Auch für die Belastung durch Handymasten und die Basisstationen von Schnurlostelefonen können immer mehr Beweise gefunden werden. Unzählige Fallberichte zeigen zum Teil deutliche Auswirkungen auf Wohlbefinden und Gesundheit. In diesen Untersuchungen zeigten sich bei Anrainern von Handymasten unter anderem vermehrt Schlafstörungen, Konzentrationsprobleme, Energielosigkeit und Depressionen. Diese Symptome hätten in den vergangenen Jahren zugenommen.

http://www.kleine.at/nachrichten/hightech/artikel/_721967/index.jsp

STOPP!

Nun wird vieles klar, durchsichtig, und die früher im Verborgenen arbeitenden Interessenvereinigungen, treten heute völlig offen und erkennbar auf.

Trotzdem wird seit 5 Jahren die öffentliche Meinung, - Einschätzung massiv manipuliert, nicht von der Springerpresse alleine, sondern vorsätzlich.

Das Ziel ist wohl ohne Fantasie erkennbar.

Und die Kandidatin kann man nun auch klar einordnen.


Viele Grüße aus Westhausen!

Bernd Schreiner



Getarnte Lobby

Wie Wirtschaftsverbände die öffentliche Meinung beeinflussen

Lobbyarbeit ist in einer Demokratie wichtig, damit Öffentlichkeit und Politik über das Für und Wider der Argumente informiert sind und die richtigen Entscheidungen treffen können. Anders sieht es aus, wenn mächtige Verbände sich hinter scheinbar neutralen Organisationen verstecken und mit viel Geld die öffentliche Meinung in ihrem subjektiven Sinne beeinflussen, ohne dass das Publikum das erkennen kann.

Artikel:

Druckversion - DasErste.de - [plusminus - Getarnte Lobby (30.08.2005)

http://www.daserste.de/plusminus/beitrag.asp?uid=818br7mnffjd1le4&cm.asp

Getarnte Lobby
Wie Wirtschaftsverbände die öffentliche Meinung beeinflussen SR, Dienstag, 30. August 2005

Ein Beitrag von Dietrich Krauß

Lobbyarbeit ist in einer Demokratie wichtig, damit Öffentlichkeit und Politik über das Für und Wider der Argumente informiert sind und die richtigen Entscheidungen treffen können. Anders sieht es aus, wenn mächtige Verbände sich hinter scheinbar neutralen Organisationen verstecken und mit viel Geld die öffentliche Meinung in ihrem subjektiven Sinne beeinflussen, ohne dass das Publikum das erkennen kann.

Ein Beispiel Blaubeuren in der schwäbischen Provinz. Die Volksbank hat zur Generalversammlung gerufen. Um die trockene Tagesordnung etwas aufzupeppen, gibt’s zum Nachtisch noch eine Portion Politik. Der ehemalige Haushaltsexperte der Grünen, Oswald Metzger. Ihm eilt der Ruf eines Querdenkers voraus. Sein Thema: Vision D - wie Deutschland aus der Krise kommt.

Oswald Metzger verspricht den Zuhörern: „Ich werde Ihnen heute Abend versuchen zu beweisen, dass auch ein Politiker in Zeiten vor den Wahlen durchaus Klartext redet, auch wenn die Botschaften nicht so angenehm sind.“

Unangenehm sind die „Botschaften“ aber fast ausschließlich für Arbeitnehmer und Rentner: länger arbeiten, weniger Rente, Gürtel enger schnallen - vor allem für die kleinen Leute. Das Publikum kennt die Litanei – wenn auch aus anderen Kreisen, wie eine zufällige Umfrage vor Ort beweist: „Leider ist er für mich in der falschen Partei.“ „Er macht eigentlich immer flotte Sprüche, nur passt das nicht zu den Grünen.“ Oswald Metzger Metzger firmiert zwar noch als Grüner, hat aber kein Amt mehr inne und lebt inzwischen als Publizist, Berater und politischer Vortragsreisender. Anderen Verzicht zu predigen - dafür wird man offenbar ziemlich gut bezahlt.

Oswald Metzger dazu: „Klar, ich hab 'nen ordentlichen Honorarsatz für 'ne Veranstaltung. Mein Normalsatz ist ein sehr ordentlicher, der fast einem Durchschnittseinkommen von einem normalen Arbeitnehmer entspricht.“ Pro Abend, versteht sich.

Was wohl die wenigsten wissen: Metzger ist Mitglied in vielen konservativen Netzwerken. Nicht zuletzt bei einem exklusiven Club, der sich „Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft“ nennt. Auf deren Internet-Seite staunen wir nicht schlecht: Metzgers Vortrag – „Vision D“ ist offenbar Teil einer großen Kampagne dieser „Initiative“.

Die Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft

Die Geschäftleitung sitzt in Köln - unter einem Dach mit dem Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft - also mit dem wissenschaftlichen „Kompetenzteam“ der Arbeitgeber. Kein Wunder: Es war der mächtige Metallarbeitgeber-Chef Kannegießer persönlich, der die Initiative vor fünf Jahren gründete. Aus Ärger.

Auslöser war eine repräsentative Umfrage. Danach stand die Mehrzahl der Deutschen der Marktwirtschaft kritisch gegenüber, wünschte sich auch in Zukunft einen starken Sozialstaat.

Den Arbeitgebern standen die Haare zu Berge. Sie beschlossen, das störrische Volk ins Visier zu nehmen. Der Plan: eine systematische Umerziehung von oben - durch PR. Denn da war sich der damalige Sprecher von Gesamtmetall, Werner Riek, sicher: „Das muss man doch vielleicht ändern können, dass das, was wir an notwendigen Reformen erkennen, auch von den Mitbürgern als eine positive Reform akzeptiert wird.“

Geld spielt keine Rolle

Kurz: Das ganze Volk muss auf Linie gebracht werden. Mit Geld, viel Geld. Fast 100 Mio. Euro werden für zehn Jahre Meinungsmache investiert, über 30 Redakteure und Werbe-Profis der Agentur Scholz and Friends engagiert. Sie erfinden die so genannte „Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft“ – gemeint ist natürlich: weniger soziale Marktwirtschaft.

Drei Botschaften werden den Menschen immer wieder eingebläut: Deutschland steht am Abgrund; Schuld sind der Sozialstaat und seine bornierten Anhänger; Rettung bringen nur harte Reformen nach dem Muster "Nehmt´s den Armen, gebt´s den Reichen" - genau wie Robin Hood - nur anders herum.

Damit die Botschaft auch gehört wird, werden zahlreiche Prominente verpflichtet. Wissenschaftler und Sportler, aktive und ausrangierte Politgrößen aus allen Lagern. Sie fungieren als Türoffner bei den Medien. Medien machen Meinung. Auf allen Kanälen sind die „Botschafter“ Dauergäste in den Talkshows, manchmal sitzen gleich drei in einer Sendung. Dort treten sie für SPD, Union, FDP und Grüne auf - oder als unabhängige Experten. Tatsächlich sind alle bei der gleichen Lobby im Boot – und fordern harte Einschnitte, von denen sie selbst nie betroffen sind.

Durch diesen Etikettenschwindel wird die öffentliche Diskussion manipuliert, sagt der Politologe Rudolf Speth. Er hat sich in einer Studie für die Hans-Böckler-Stiftung wissenschaftlich mit der Initiative auseinandergesetzt – und mit ihrer Wirkung auf das Publikum.

Pivatdozent Dr. Rudolf Speth, Politologe an der FU Berlin stellt fest: „Wenn alle Botschafter der Initiative dasselbe sagen, dann heißt das ja, oder dann bedeutet das ja: Das muss richtig sein. Da kann gar nichts falsch liegen, wenn so ganz unterschiedliche Leute dieselbe Idee vertreten. Das andere ist aber, dass dadurch die Alternativen unsichtbar werden, denn es gibt Alternativen, aber die werden dadurch faktisch ausgeblendet oder nicht thematisiert. Also insofern hat die Initiative die Strategie, Alternativen unsichtbar zu machen.“

Zahlreiche Journalisten und Medien sind inzwischen selbst Teil der Kampagne. Die Initiative liefert auf Bestellung Daten, sie machen daraus einen Artikel oder gleich eine ganze Doppelseite, wie in der „Welt“. Kernaussage: 50 Jahre Sozialpolitik – ein einziger Irrtum. Weg damit!

Preisträger machen Schlagzeilen. Besonders beliebtes Futter für Journalisten sind Ranglisten, so genannte Rankings, in denen Städte, Länder oder Politiker bewertet werden. Den besten „Reformer des Jahres“ lobt die Initiative jährlich vor einem erlesenen Publikum aus.

Immerhin: Sozialdemokraten bekommen mal einen Trostpreis. Geehrt wird man zum Beispiel für Aussagen, wie: „Weniger Geld für Arbeitslose“ oder „Mehr Wettbewerb“ aber am liebsten: „Weniger Steuern“.

Dass die rot-grüne Bundesregierung viele Forderungen der Arbeitgeber umgesetzt hat, dass seitdem aber nichts besser wurde, sondern die Krise noch tiefer, das ficht den exklusiven Club nicht an.

Im Gegenteil: Inzwischen scheint ein Arbeitgeber-Diplom fast Bedingung zu sein, um für Wirtschafts- und Finanzpolitik überhaupt noch als Kompetenz-Team-fähig zu gelten. So wie der radikale Steuersenker Paul Kirchhof, zu dem die Bundesvorsitzende der CDU, Angela Merkel, feststellt: „Er ist nicht von ungefähr im Jahr 2003 auch zum „Reformer des Jahres“ von der Initiative neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft ausgezeichnet worden“.

Oder Peter Müller als Experte für Wirtschaft und Arbeit. Angela Merkel: „Auch im Jahr 2003 ausgezeichnet zum Ministerpräsident des Jahres.“ Zwar nur von Gnaden der Initiative. Aber Auszeichnung ist Auszeichnung, und hinterher fragt niemand danach.

Wir von [plusminus wollten es dann doch noch etwas genauer wissen - von Oswald Metzger. Der wird zwar von der Arbeitgeberlobby für Auftritte bezahlt, kann es aber gar nicht leiden, wenn man ihn darauf anspricht und reagiert unwirsch: Oswald Metzger: „Sind sie von Attac bezahlt? Ich will ihnen nur spiegeln, was sie hier machen. Also, ich finde das schon fast unverschämt.“

Dieser Text gibt den Fernsehbeitrag vom 30.08.2005 wieder. Eventuelle spätere Veränderungen des Sachverhaltes sind nicht berücksichtigt.


Weiter dazu Wikipedia:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiative_Neue_Soziale_Marktwirtschaft

Die im Jahr 2000 gegründete Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft (INSM) bezeichnet sich selbst als Reforminitiative. Sie sieht sich als parteiübergreifende Plattform, die sich der Sozialen Marktwirtschaft verbunden sieht. Die Initiative hat ca. 40 feste und freie Mitarbeiter, dazu eine unbekannte Anzahl an sog. Kuratoren, Unterstützern und Botschaftern, zu denen auch Personen wie Arnulf Baring, Hans Tietmeyer, Friedrich Merz (CDU) und Oswald Metzger (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) gehören.

Träger der Initiative ist der Arbeitgeberverband Gesamtmetall der deutschen Metall- und Elektroindustrie, welcher die Initiative mit jährlich 8,8 Millionen Euro finanziert. Das Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft in Köln fungiert als wissenschaftlicher Berater.

2005 gründete sich ein Förderverein für die INSM, der „Förderverein Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft“, zu dessen Gründungsmitgliedern unter anderem Florian Gerster und Klaus von Dohnanyi zählen.

Die Inititative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft ist nicht zu verwechseln mit der Stiftung Marktwirtschaft, steht aber in engem Kontakt mit dieser.

Unter dem Leitmotiv "Chancen für alle" hat die Initiative das Ziel, die Menschen in Deutschland für marktwirtschaftliche Reformen zu gewinnen. Das bewährte Ordnungssystem der Sozialen Marktwirtschaft müsse an die Bedingungen des 21. Jahrhunderts angepasst werden: an die Globalisierung, die Wissensgesellschaft, die Veränderungen in der Arbeitswelt und den demografischen Wandel. Die Begriffe Eigeninitiative, Leistungsbereitschaft und Wettbewerb spielen bei diesem Anpassungsvorhaben eine zentrale Rolle.

Themen

Föderalismus
Lockerung des Kündigungsschutzes
Unterstützung von Angebotsorientierter Wirtschaftspolitik Privatisierung des Sozialstaates (Kapitaldeckungsverfahren statt Umlageverfahren):(Pflegeversicherung)
Einführung von Studiengebühren
Zurückdrängung der Mitbestimmung
Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen durch Förderung der Selbständigkeit Reduzierung der Lohnnebenkosten

Kritik

Kritiker wie die Hans-Böckler-Stiftung des Deutschen Gewerkschaftsbunds kritisieren die aus ihrer Sicht marktliberalen Positionen und die deutlichen Nähe zu Unternehmensverbänden. Der Initiative wird vorgeworfen, eine Tarnorganisation der Industrie zu sein, welche die "marktradikalen Konzepte" der Union und insbesondere von Friedrich Merz bewerbe.

Siehe auch
Reforminitiative, Denkfabrik, Lobbyismus

Weblinks

Webseiten der Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft

Kritische Studie der Hans-Böckler-Stiftung: Die politischen Strategien der Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft

Die Zeit: Lautsprecher des Kapitals „Die Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft“, Albrecht Müller, 11.03.2001: Getarnte Lobby - Wie Wirtschaftsverbände die öffentliche Meinung beeinflussen DasErste ARD Plusminus, SR, vom 30. August 2005



http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=betrayal

http://tinyurl.com/cvypl


Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

For those who want to find out more about the developing movement to stop global warming, go to http://www.climatecrisis.us.

Ted Glick

Katrina's Real Name

By Ross Gelbspan | August 30, 2005, Boston Globe

The hurricane that struck Louisiana yesterday was nicknamed Katrina by the National Weather Service. Its real name is global warming.

When the year began with a two-foot snowfall in Los Angeles, the cause was global warming.

When 124-mile-an-hour winds shut down nuclear plants in Scandinavia and cut power to hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland and the United Kingdom, the driver was global warming.

When a severe drought in the Midwest dropped water levels in the Missouri River to their lowest on record earlier this summer, the reason was global warming.

In July, when the worst drought on record triggered wildfires in Spain and Portugal and left water levels in France at their lowest in 30 years, the explanation was global warming.

When a lethal heat wave in Arizona kept temperatures above
110 degrees and killed more than 20 people in one week, the culprit was global warming.

And when the Indian city of Bombay (Mumbai) received 37 inches of rain in one day -- killing 1,000 people and disrupting the lives of 20 million others -- the villain was global warming.

As the atmosphere warms, it generates longer droughts, more-intense downpours, more-frequent heat waves, and more-severe storms.

Although Katrina began as a relatively small hurricane that glanced off south Florida, it was supercharged with extraordinary intensity by the relatively blistering sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico.

The consequences are as heartbreaking as they are terrifying.

Unfortunately, very few people in America know the real name of Hurricane Katrina because the coal and oil industries have spent millions of dollars to keep the public in doubt about the issue.

The reason is simple: To allow the climate to stabilize requires humanity to cut its use of coal and oil by 70 percent. That, of course, threatens the survival of one of the largest commercial enterprises in history.

In 1995, public utility hearings in Minnesota found that the coal industry had paid more than $1 million to four scientists who were public dissenters on global warming. And ExxonMobil has spent more than $13 million since 1998 on an anti-global warming public relations and lobbying campaign.

In 2000, big oil and big coal scored their biggest electoral victory yet when President George W. Bush was elected president -- and subsequently took suggestions from the industry for his climate and energy policies.

As the pace of climate change accelerates, many researchers fear we have already entered a period of irreversible runaway climate change.

Against this background, the ignorance of the American public about global warming stands out as an indictment of the US media.

When the US press has bothered to cover the subject of global warming, it has focused almost exclusively on its political and diplomatic aspects and not on what the warming is doing to our agriculture, water supplies, plant and animal life, public health, and weather.

For years, the fossil fuel industry has lobbied the media to accord the same weight to a handful of global warming skeptics that it accords the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- more than 2,000 scientists from 100 countries reporting to the United Nations.

Today, with the science having become even more robust -- and the impacts as visible as the megastorm that covered much of the Gulf of Mexico -- the press bears a share of the guilt for our self-induced destruction with the oil and coal industries.

As a Bostonian, I am afraid that the coming winter will -- like last winter -- be unusually short and devastatingly severe. At the beginning of 2005, a deadly ice storm knocked out power to thousands of people in New England and dropped a record-setting 42.2 inches of snow on Boston.

The conventional name of the month was January. Its real name is global warming.

Ross Gelbspan is author of ''The Heat Is On" and ''Boiling Point."

© Copyright 2005 Globe Newspaper Company.

Ted Glick
973-338-5398 indpol@igc.org P.O. Box 1132 Bloomfield, N.J. 07003

"How to bring into being a world that is not only sustainable, functional and equitable but also deeply desirable is a question of leadership and ethics and vision and courage, properties not of computer models but of the human heart and soul." Donella and Dennis Meadows and Jorgen Randers, Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update


UNITED FOR PEACE & JUSTICE | 212-868-5545


From ufpj-news

http://www.ufppc.org/content/view/3352/


Informant: jensenmk

From ufpj-news

(excerpt)

08/30/05 10:35:22

Subject: [Multidimensionalman] Your Internet Service Provider may be violating your freedom of speech.

Your Internet Service Provider may be violating your freedom of speech. Since the Passage of the Homeland Security law, MANY of my political adversaries have disappeared from the internet. Am I pleased? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Our freedom of speech is being taken away.

My own former ISP has told me that they have been provided with long lists of numerous domains that have already been "blacklisted".

Most of the Internet Service Providers are now using a program which "filters out" certain emails. Those who send the emails; which are not being delivered, ARE NOT GETTING AN ERROR MESSAGE, TO ADVISE THEM THAT THEIR MESSAGE WAS NOT DELIVERED. These messages are simply "black holed".

This program; which "filters out" certain emails, is allegedly to "protect" us from things such as spam, adult content, viruses, and "hate speech", etc. Who decides which "speech" is allowable????? The "Thought Police" are here now. I have repeatedly tested this program, by sending VERY SMALL political messages, TO ONE SINGLE RECIPIENT, who is a close friend. The messages had no "adult content", no virus, and had nothing that could remotely be called "hate speech". MANY OF these messages WERE NOT DELIVERED.

My own Internet Service Provider has told me that the program; which "filters out" certain emails, was developed using guidelines from the Department of Homeland Security. At the same time, the Internet Service Provider is now being told that they are now regulated by the Federal Communications Commission; which in turn, receives guidelines from the Department of Homeland Security. OF COURSE there is no legitimate justification for Federal Communications Commission regulation of the internet; since it does not use shared air ways. "Surveillance" of the internet is not new. Visit: http://www.dojgov.net/USDOJ_Carnivore_Scam.htm

To read e-mail the FBI can order an Internet Service Provider to place a special monitoring computer called Carnivore (now renamed Data Collection System 1000) on its network servers. The FBI can then select the e-mail of surveillance targets for capture and storage. Not content with this device, the FBI now seeks to expand its surveillance capability to the entire Internet.

"Surveillance" has now been upgraded to include actual censorship. Visit: http://www.cdt.org/speech/

It is time to update a famous quote from Rev. Martin Niemoller Rev. Martin Niemoller, commenting on events in Germany 1933-1939 said:

"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time, no one was left to speak up." -- Rev. Dr. Martin Niemoeller, July 1, 1937; arrested by the Third Reich


John Perna April 22, 2000

"An evil exists that threatens every man, woman, and child of this great nation. We must take steps to ensure our domestic security and protect our homeland."


Are NOT dependent on which religion or ideology someone believes. If one group can be liquidated, it will just be a matter of time before they get around YOU.

THIS MESSAGE ALSO WILL BE A TEST TO BE CERTAIN THAT MY FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS NOT BEING LIMITED, AND MY CIVIL RIGHTS ARE NOT BEING VIOLATED.

The internet has the capacity to defend itself... for the time being. It would be wise to send test messages, to close friends, to determine if your FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS BEING LIMITED. If you find that your FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS BEING LIMITED, change your Internet Service Provider at once.

I suggest that you visit

http://www.1smartisp.net/sc/?page=ispsignup

to learn about ISP access that is respectful of freedom of speech. My former ISP gave me the web page for the company that makes the filter, AND ADMITTED that the protcols were developed from guidelines from The Department of Homeland Security.

You will find the page at http://www.surfcontrol.com/products/

Here is the page, where they tell, as much as they will tell you, about what gets filtered out:

http://www.surfcontrol.com/Default.aspx?id=354&mnuid=1.4.1.4
http://www.surfcontrol.com/products/email/images/screen_email_dictionary.gif

This is a direct copy and past:

E-mail Dictionary

Description/Criteria

Adult

* Sexually Explicit
* Adult-Oriented

Alcohol/Tobacco/Drugs

* Instructions
* Products
* Terms
* Promotion

Arts/Entertainment

* Media
* Humorous
* Horoscopes
* Art
* Activity Guides

Computing/Internet/Hacking

* Software
* Parts
* Accessories
* Hacking

Confidential

* Customize to meet your confidentiality needs

Finance

* Stock Trading
* Money Management
* Accounting

Gambling

* Tips
* Term
* Online Casinos
* Betting Pools

Hate Speech/Offensive

* Prejudice based on Race, Gender, Religion, etc.

Job Search

* Employment Agencies
* Job Listings
* Career Searches

Medical/Healthcare

* Medical and health care terminology

Shopping

* Internet Mall
* Online Catalogs
* Retail Stores

Spam

* Spam
* Bulk E-mail
* Mass Marketing

Sports

* Sports-related content

Travel

* Airlines
* Accommodations
* Destinations

Violence / Weapons

* Avocation or depictions of violent acts

They only mention the most popular types of censorship; HOWEVER, You will notice that many of the categories include an open door for the censorship of free speech, THAT IS PURELY LAWFUL, and unoffensive.

OF COURSE, anyone can voluntarily install this software if that is what they want.

I spoke with my former ISP on the phone several times a day for a week.

I also spoke with several other ISP competitors, while shopping for one that would not censor me. I got not contradictory information, and everyone said they were not allowed to hand out the guidelines. Both The Federal Communication Commission and Homeland Security were referenced repeatedly.


Informant: Karana777

General Assembly President Jean Ping named a core group of 30 countries to try and work through Mr. Bolton's 750 requested amendments. The group will focus on hard-core issues, such as "defining terrorism and financing development" where the US and most other countries in the world have completely opposite positions.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/083005K.shtml

George W. Bush coughed up his latest rationale for continuing the Iraq war - I think this is the fourth or fifth one of these to this point - by saying that because so many American soldiers have been killed, we have to keep sending American soldiers to get killed as a means of honoring the American soldiers who have been killed. William Rivers Pitt says this is big talk from a guy who spends more time on vacation than a French aristocrat.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/083005I.shtml

New Orleans is CLOSED, ALL water is contaminated-- folks dying in hospitals-no ox

Monday, August 29, 2005 10:11:38 PM
From: BioGerminator
To: apfn@apfn.org

Ken, (@ apfn)

The following IM was sent to me by my aunt, she lives near New Orleans and has electricity. She typed IM to me as the Mayor of New Orleans was speaking. It is absolutely horrible--people dying in hospitals from no oxygen, bodies floating in the water--all water is contaminated. Feel free to read and forward, perhaps others will add to the notes. Sorry the mailing is not organized--, I had to "come down" to get the news---there is no electricity where we are presently located. Hope you guys are ok--talk to you soon and GOD help us.........


BuildMeaRainbow: Morgan City didn't have major damage, just some downed trees and heavy rain

BuildMeaRainbow: all the New Orleans tv channels are gone - watching film from BTR

BuildMeaRainbow: its terrible here, and there is no Verizon working phones

BuildMeaRainbow: you wouldn't believe new orleans, 40,000 homes in St. Bernard parish are under water

BuildMeaRainbow: yes,

Cingular BioGerminator: cannot believe I am talking to you

BuildMeaRainbow: all of the big hotels windows blew

BuildMeaRainbow: the superdome's dome was damaged from flying debris

BuildMeaRainbow: All of St. Charles Parish had to evacuate

BuildMeaRainbow: Dee, you wouldn't believe new orleans, the large malls are destroyed, the highways, like Williams, Veterans, etc, are under 3 ft of water

BuildMeaRainbow: the mayor said "New Orleans is Closed" - no one can get back - state police are turning them around

BuildMeaRainbow: the yachts and sailboats are on top of each other at the lakefront - and the yacht club is on file - from gas leak they think - seems strange to see fire coming up from a flood

BuildMeaRainbow: all water in New Orleans is contaminated - hazmat warnings are up - there is an article on here but it doesn't give all the details

BioGerminator: trying to call you guys and all the numbers

BioGerminator: is there anything we can do

BioGerminator: that idiot in the white house was on the radio this morning talking about the rising oil prices as soon as the hurricane hit---

BuildMeaRainbow: school there is closed until she hears from the parish

BuildMeaRainbow: she got a call this morning not to try to enter the parish

BuildMeaRainbow: I10 has major problems, they have to test them for structural damage before opening them

BuildMeaRainbow: It came in at a 4, some gusts up to 190 though

BioGerminator: I heard it was big

BuildMeaRainbow: they said it went from Texas to S. Carolina

BuildMeaRainbow: that big BioGerminator: geeeeeeeeees

BuildMeaRainbow: I don't know what will happen to new orleans, it won't ever be the same I'm sure BuildMeaRainbow: too much has been lost

BuildMeaRainbow: 750,000 out of power

BuildMeaRainbow: the mayor is on now, from NO, said New Orleans is 80% under water, some as deep as 20 ft

BuildMeaRainbow: Search and rescue are only ones allowed, the twin span at NO east is gone - totally destroyed

BuildMeaRainbow: a large tanker is underwater, leaking oil into the water

BuildMeaRainbow: water is continuing to rise because of a break in the levee

BuildMeaRainbow: not sure of the soundness of the high rises - a barge hit one of them

BuildMeaRainbow: all of Slidell and most of Metairie are under water

BuildMeaRainbow: there is no clear path in and out of the city - expressway is still full of water

BuildMeaRainbow: geeze, its worse than the Tsunami

BuildMeaRainbow: they have to rebuild new orleans - its just horrible

BuildMeaRainbow: bodies floating in the water, significant loss of lives

BioGerminator: My God

BuildMeaRainbow: its unbelieveable - only roofs of buildings are viewable - winds were consistent at over 50 mph for hours

BuildMeaRainbow: they just did, the mayor is on a lead to the BTR tv channel, said its a nightmare

BuildMeaRainbow: all the n.o. channels are closed - no one can come in to get pictures

BuildMeaRainbow: I wish the world could see what has happened there

BuildMeaRainbow: blew a 2 block break in the levee system at the Industrial Canal

BuildMeaRainbow: and water is still coming through it

BioGerminator: we are trying now

BuildMeaRainbow: okay, phone is right here BioGerminator: no way--message........... due to the hurricane your call cannot be completed

BuildMeaRainbow: there are still 20,000 people in the superdome, no a/c

BuildMeaRainbow: I thought that would be the case, I'm sorry

BuildMeaRainbow: people are being pulled from the water, dead bodies into the boats

BuildMeaRainbow: We can only pray, and be thankful we're on a local utility company

BuildMeaRainbow: 20,000 boats are in search and rescue operations

BuildMeaRainbow: sure

BuildMeaRainbow: God, they are pumping from the levee break and its going in a circle from the pumps back to the levee - they don't even think the old Slidell bridge is operable

BuildMeaRainbow: FEMA said its absolutely the worse ever disaster

BuildMeaRainbow: looters are breaking into drug stores

BuildMeaRainbow: druggies stocking up

BuildMeaRainbow: highest casualities ever noted

BuildMeaRainbow: their power went off when the transformer blew at 3 a.m.

BuildMeaRainbow: not yet, but they do have many floating bodies

BioGerminator: be prepared for your lights to come and go Aunt Donna--

BuildMeaRainbow: I will be

BioGerminator: the folks in the superdome will go nuts with no AC

BuildMeaRainbow: the mayor just finished

BuildMeaRainbow: they are letting them outside for air

BioGerminator: was he shook up that you could see??

BuildMeaRainbow: hotels are running out of diesel - no food or fresh water available in NO

BioGerminator: oh my God--what a test

BuildMeaRainbow: yes, he says he's right in the middle of it, people are mad because they can't get to their homes - but what else can they do?

BuildMeaRainbow: he said all efforts now have to be search and rescue

BioGerminator: I am flipping speechless

BuildMeaRainbow: right, and I can understand that, so many used all their money on gas to get out of new orleans, can't afford hotel bills

BuildMeaRainbow: well, God watched out for us

BuildMeaRainbow: there is a good article on here, and about the only news people can get from New Orleans

BuildMeaRainbow: sorry bastard, if we were producing so much, why do we need Saudi oil?

BioGerminator: right

BuildMeaRainbow: he said in March $4 a gallon, guess he planned it well

BioGerminator: they gave the update on the hurricane and then the idiot came on and said if I could snap my fingers and make the prices go down I would...right!!!!!!

BioGerminator: 50 death toll BioGerminator: they just said on weather channel

BuildMeaRainbow: well, he said he would take crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, but the refineries are breaking down

BuildMeaRainbow: 50 so far?

BuildMeaRainbow: there are still people trapped in their attics

BioGerminator: that us what they just said-FEMA dir

BuildMeaRainbow: it will be thousands

BuildMeaRainbow: they just said that the Hyatt looked like Beirut

BioGerminator: they are showing East sider now

BuildMeaRainbow: if the storm hadn't turned to the east at the last moment, NO would be history

BuildMeaRainbow: I wish you could see the news on here

BuildMeaRainbow: maybe, but we would have been in Lafayette

BuildMeaRainbow: btr looks like it did when Andrew hit

BuildMeaRainbow: huge trees uprooted and fallen over houses, power is out, main power lines down

BuildMeaRainbow: one of the buildings in downtown NO blew apart, bricks are 3 and 4 deep across the streets

BuildMeaRainbow: The quarter wasn't destroyed - hows that for irony?

BuildMeaRainbow: do you know how big Charity hospital is?

BuildMeaRainbow: windows blown out, water on each floor, people are dying because they can't be sent by ems to other hospitals, no power

BuildMeaRainbow: they don't know when EMS can get them out, no oxygen, no power - its horrible

BioGerminator: oh my God

BuildMeaRainbow: the National Guard is there patrolling

BioGerminator: who is reporting

BuildMeaRainbow: and more are coming

BuildMeaRainbow: a channel 4 newscaster, CBS local NO, feeding through Baton Rouge station

BuildMeaRainbow: we ought to have our National Guard here in our nation for things like this, not fighting Bush's war


Informant: Be Kind Whenever Possible

ASL / Next-up (FRANCE)
http://www.omega-news.info/next_up_infos.htm

WIEN. Die Diskussion um den Mobilfunk ist seit gestern um eine Facette reicher: Nach einer schwedischen Untersuchung warnt auch die Österreichische Ärztekammer (ÖAK) vor der Mobiltelefonie.

Eine aktuelle Untersuchung aus Schweden, die in zwei Fachmagazinen veröffentlicht wurde, bestätigt: Das Mobiltelefon zeige auf allen naturwissenschaftlichen Nachweisebenen Schädigungen der menschlichen Erbsubstanz. Zu dem gebe es laut der Untersuchung ein erhöhtes Risiko für gewisse Tumore. Besonders gefährdet sei dabei der Hörnerv. Erstmals wurde jetzt auch nachgewiesen, dass bösartige Gehirntumore auch nach langjähriger Verwendung von Mobiltelefonen und Schnurlostelefonen entstehen können.

Mit diesen Studien im Petto folgt jetzt die ÖAK der Empfehlung der Wiener Ärztekammer, zu mehr Sorgfalt mit mobilen Kommunikationsmitteln vor allem für Kinder. "Es geht wie bei vielen Umwelt- und Lebensstilfaktoren auch bei elektromagnetischen Feldern und Strahlungen um die Dosis. Und die kumuliert im Laufe der Jahre, wie die aktuellen Studien zeigen. Kinder sollten Funktelefone deshalb grundsätzlich nicht verwenden", sagt der Referent für Umweltmedizin in der ÖAK, Gerd Oberfeld.

Die heimischen Mobilfunker wehrten sich gestern vehement gegen die Warnung: Es handle sich dabei um "ein weiteres Scharmützel im unreflektierten Feldzug der Österreichischen Ärztekammer gegen mobile Funktechnologien", so die Kritik des Forum Mobilfunk (FMK).

vom 31.08.2005

http://www.nachrichten.at/lokal/382808?PHPSESSID=2ff9b0847a15ac3b83582e65d1ed6f0d

Hurricane Katrina, one of the largest and strongest storms on record, roared onto shore this week, causing massive devastation in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and other states. But another danger to the region is still brewing. With storm surges of up to 20 feet in some areas, huge petro-chemical plants, gas stations and waste pits have unleashed a toxic cocktail of chemicals ranging from vinyl chloride to gasoline.

Take Action! Natural disaster or terrorist attack - Tell Congress to act NOW to prevent more tragedy.

http://usactions.greenpeace.org/action/start.php?action_id=63&session_action=reset

Already nicknamed "Cancer Alley," the polluted area now suffers from contaminated flood waters of up to 20 feet - which can affect homes, drinking water and surrounding waterways. In New Orleans, the city's levee system is now serving only to hold water in the city, creating a temporary lake of toxic chemicals, gas, oil and storm debris.

Deputy director of the Louisiana State University's Hurricane Center, Ivor van Heerden, warns, "We're talking about an incredible environmental disaster a bowl full of highly contaminated water with contaminated air flowing around and, literally, very few places for anybody to go where they'll be safe."

I've been working for Greenpeace for more than 14 years to prevent just this sort of tragedy. No one could stop Katrina, but chemical plants like those found in Cancer Alley and around the nation can be converted to safer technologies. Natural disasters, chemical spills during transport and the threat of chemical terrorist attacks are reason enough. The good news is that toxic chemicals such as chlorine, which are used to make these pollutants, have many safer alternatives - it's time to make the switch.


Sincerely,

Rick Hind Legislative Director

P.S. This issue is extremely critical, so please, be sure to pass this message on to your friends and loved ones.

http://tinyurl.com/bb76n


Informant: NHNE




Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

The KPMG scandal shines a light on the epidemic of tax evasion -- and how corporations are paying less than they ever have.

http://www.tompaine.com/uncommonsense/index.php#6005

by Todd Gitlin, TomPaine.com

As opposition to the war grows, protestors would be wise to dissent in ways that increase -- not narrow -- their base of support.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20050830/antiwar_america.php

Arrestee Statement; Converge on Camp Casey now; also Sept. 17 event

DAY 16, Tuesday Aug 30, CAMP CASEY - NYC Converge on Camp Casey - NYC Statement from Camp Casey - NYC arrestee: "If you live in the New York Metropolitan Area and stand in solidarity with Cindy Sheehan and our campaign against the unconstitutional and illegal U.S. war on Iraq, please join us at Camp Casey - NYC in the South Plaza of Union Square. Whatever their point of view on Cindy Sheehan's vigil, U.S. North Americans must stand up for the First Amendment. If you support our rights, free speech and assembly, please converge on union square, today, tomorrow and every day as we mobilize for our march on Washington, D.C on Sept 24.

"Union Square, New York City is a national landmark commemorating the first Labor Day, Sept 5, 1882, where citizens fully exercised their rights to free speech and assembly. Union Square today is a convergence point for those who will continue to fully exercise these endangered First Amendment rights.

"Details to come of the arrest as well as date and time of an upcoming press conference and possible suit against the Mayor, Police and Parks Commissioners, NYPD, the arresting Inspector and arresting officers."

-- Paul "zool" Zulkowitz, Green Party Peace Action Committee (affiliation only)

There is a growing 24/7 anti-war vigil at Union Square South Plaza through September 23, 2005. A mass-action has been proposed for Saturday, September 17 as well. Zool was arrested at Camp Casey NYC Monday evening roughly 6:00 pm while exercising First Amendment rights of free speech and association along with numerous others maintaining a 24 hour vigil in support of Cindy Sheehan and Goldstar Moms, demanding, "U.S. Out of Iraq!"

Camp Casey tents were taken by a local PD Inspector. Zool was since released, promptly issued the above statement and meets tomorrow with Arthur Eisenberg of New York Civil Liberties Union to discuss the Parks Permits and First Amendment Rights.


Informant: Debi Clark



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday his government would take legal action against Pat Robertson and potentially seek his extradition after the US evangelist called for Washington to assassinate the South American leader.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082905M.shtml

Dr. Rosa Pegueros argues that Venezuela is right to publicize rumors that the US is planning to invade. If Cuba's experience, along with the CIA-sponsored coups against Arbenz in Guatemala in 1954 and against Allende in Chile in 1972, are any measure of our government's willingness to disregard international law for our own ends, Chavez cannot take these rumors lightly, particularly with the trigger-happy Bush at the helm.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082905G.shtml

While Robertson's remarks were shocking in their utter disregard for global democracy and the rule of law, he is by no means the first to beat the drum against Venezuela. In fact, Weiss remarks, his comments were merely a more vitriolic version of what the Bush administration has been saying for some time, with declarations to "contain" Chavez and the funneling of millions of dollars to opposition groups within the country.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082905C.shtml

KATIE NORMAN
KATIE.NORMAN@GRIMSBYTELEGRAPH.CO.UK

12:30 - 29 August 2005

A Mobile phone mast will be erected despite a petition against it signed by more than 500 people.

The decision to allow the 9.5-metre Vodafone mast on the corner of North Sea Lane and Carrington Drive, Humberston, was passed after a majority of six to five North East Lincolnshire Council planning committee members voted to accept the plan. Planning officers advised councillors not to take any rumoured health issues relating to the masts into account and assured them other considered sites were unsuitable.

Humberston Parish Council had opposed the mast because of the residential location and had suggested alternative locations which were apparently inadequate.

Its chairman, Coun Cedric Skelton, who lives on Carrington Drive, said: "I think it is completely wrong. The planning committee just do not take into account what people think of these things.

"There is no consideration given. Why do they want people's opinions if they are going to ignore them?

"No matter what we do we seem to get overruled every time."

But NELC's Coun Colin Eastwell (Lib Dem, Croft Baker), who voted in favour of the plans, pointed out that a mast already exists within the grounds of Lindsey School.

He said: "I have a mobile phone in my pocket the same as the majority of the people in this room.

"I do accept there may be hazards, but I do not think they come from antennaes, I think they come from the phones themselves if at all they do.

"Nobody seems to object when they are using mobile phones. I think there is a bit of hypocrisy with these things, quite frankly."

And Coun Doug Pickett (Lib Dem, South) suggested people should accept the masts if they wished to benefit from new technology.

He said: "I think a lot of people are objecting because they do not understand whether there is a problem.

"Nobody has proved anything either way."

Omega this is not true. See under:
http://omega.twoday.net/topics/Wissenschaft+zu+Mobilfunk/ and
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Cancer+Cluster
http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

Support for the residents was voiced by Coun Stewart Swinburn (Con, Immingham), but he was ultimately overruled.

He said: "How would you like having it outside your front windows?

"I am not in favour of having these things in such residential areas.

"Before we know it, they will be outside everybody's houses."

In agreement, Coun John Colebrook (Con, Humberston and New Waltham) added: "I am not convinced there is not a risk to health that might emerge in future years."

Nobody from Vodafone was available for comment.

Express and Echo Devon

12:00 - 29 August 2005

Campaigners against a mobile phone mast on a 'gateway' route into Exeter have seen what they had believed to be a planning victory being turned into a defeat on appeal. Last March, telecommunications giant Vodafone applied for planning permission under the 'prior approval' procedure to erect a 10-metre high mast on a green space close to the junction of Sweetbrier Lane and Honiton Road in Heavitree.

But 37 nearby householders objected, many citing health fears.

Councillors on the city's development control committee voted six to three to block the bid, on the grounds the mast would be an eyesore on one of Exeter's busiest 'gateway' roads.

But Vodafone has now overturned the original decision with a successful appeal to Whitehall planning inspectors.

The city council, as the local planning authority, and the objectors can take the battle to the High Court, but both feel more expensive legal wrangling would be unlikely to succeed.

Retired Church of England vicar the Reverend Vincent Gillett, who lives on Honiton Road, organised opposition to the mast in his capacity as Secretary of the Heavitree Bridge Association.

He said: "We don't seem to have any mechanism for democracy any more for local communities to express themselves.

"We weren't allowed to make representations to the inspectors or be present at his site inspection. I don't see how we can take it any further. We simply don't have the money for a High Court action."

He said the question of whether such masts caused health risks was unresolved, and residents felt the mast and equipment would clutter up the first green space on the approach to the city.

A city council spokeswoman said the authority could now only challenge the decision on technical grounds.

Vodafone said all its masts emitted at a level many times lower than advised in currently recognised international guidelines. It said the mast design was in keeping with the area's character.

Omega see to this theme "Base Stations, operating within strict national and international Guidelines, do not present a Health Risk":
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/771911/

Hi All,

it is with regret that I will have to leave the mailing list. My health is so poor now and I find I struggle to cope with the enormous amount of mails on the list when my pc has been off for a few days. My own address will remain the same if there is important data that you may think will be of interest to me. The area where I live is totally surrounded by masts so I live with a permanent migraine and despite taking Asphalia (which does help) my sleep pattern doesnt exist, I am suffering from total exhaustion and the inability to concentrate is a nightmare. So - to all of you who are working so hard for Mast Sanity - my good wishes to you all, you are doing a terrific job. Sincere regards to everyone - sue fergusson

--------

Dear Sue,

Really sorry to hear this, it must be awful to live under such conditions. Concentrate on taking care of yourself. Best wishes

sue g

--------

Hello Sue.

So very sorry to hear of your ill health. It is absolutely criminal that people are being forced to live in such conditions - and I desperately hope for all our sakes, that we can get something done about it quickly. Take care of yourself, and concentrate on getting better. Thank you for everything you've done and for being such a great supporter of the Mast Movement. All Best Wishes

Jenny

--------

Dear Sue,

I am so sorry that you are feeling dreadfully ill. It is so frustrating that the government will not listen to us. I am still writing down the evidence and sending it - two letter in progress, to Patricia Hewitt and to Orange pointing out the flaws in theirs replying to our letter from the Parish Council.

I'll be thinking of you, so sorry I can't do anything.

Much love and best wishes from

Gill

The Peace Action Education Fund and Progressive Democrats of America have launched an on-line petition campaign as part of a congressional pressure strategy aimed at ending the war in Iraq. Petitions will be delivered to Members of Congress to show grassroots support for ending Bush's quagmire. The National Organization for Women, Women's Action for New Directions, the After Downing Street Coalition, Peace Majority Report and Democrats.com are also supporting this petition campaign.

You can sign the petition on-line at
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/Peaceact/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=102, or via our homepage at http://www.peace-action.org/ and we ask you to forward the petition to individuals and organizations you think would be supportive.

We also seek organizational support for the campaign. Your organization can simply send out the link above, or you can set up the petition on your own website. We ask that you contact us so we can have overall counts of petition signers. You can send filled-out paper petitions to us at the address below. The campaign is less than two weeks old, but we are well on the way to 20,000 signers, aiming for at least 500,000 by mid-September.

For Peace,

Kevin Martin
Executive Director Peace Action and Peace Action Education Fund
1100 Wayne Ave., Suite 1020 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone (301) 565-4050, ext. 307 Fax (301) 565-0850 http://www.peace-action.org


UNITED FOR PEACE & JUSTICE | 212-868-5545


From ufpj-news

U.S. never played by trade rules so Canada can live without it.
http://snipurl.com/haqn


From Information Clearing House

As I like to say, these days Americans make a living by selling each other houses, paid for with money borrowed from China.

http://informationclearinghouse.info/article10029.htm

Chairman of the U.N. Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, issued a formal letter to the United States and questioned why Western Shoshone sacred land and treaty rights are not being honored.

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096411464

Stanford Law Professor Jenny Martinez is just 33, yet she's already stood before the Supreme Court to argue a case she is very passionate and very knowledgeable about, the case of "dirty bomber" Jose Padilla.

http://informationclearinghouse.info/article10021.htm

San Diego Candlelight Vigil:

A Gold Star Father, military families, veterans, and other patriotic Americans from the community will hold a candlelight vigil near President Bush’s hotel Monday night.

http://informationclearinghouse.info/article10027.htm

"I feel that it is our moral obligation to stand and to be courageous with these families, and particularly Cindy, that have become the conscience of this nation," said Sharpton, a former Democratic presidential candidate.

http://snipurl.com/hapv



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

A photographer friend of mine went down to Crawford to the Pro-War, Anti-Peace rally today. There were about 1500 people there he said. He also said that it was the most "third reich" spectacle that he had ever seen in America.

http://informationclearinghouse.info/article10030.htm



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

By the end of September the military cost of the war on terror, which began shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks with the invasion of Afghanistan, will top $250 billion.

http://informationclearinghouse.info/article10032.htm

Anxiety about terrorism is now shaping all of Britain's political debate and redefining allegiances.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1558306,00.html


From Information Clearing House

Tony Blair faced criticism for attempting to play down the role of the Iraq war in the London bombings after it emerged that the Foreign Office warned more than a year ago that the invasion was fuelling Muslim extremism.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article308795.ece


From Information Clearing House

In a worrying sign for the government and its US backers, leaders of the disgruntled Sunni Arab former elite, which has been the driving force behind the insurgency, immediately began mobilising Monday for a massive no vote in an October referendum.

http://snipurl.com/hapc


From Information Clearing House

U.S. forces are failing to make headway, and some commanders fear that much of the military effort is wasted.

http://informationclearinghouse.info/article10020.htm

US forces in Baghdad shot dead a Reuters television soundman and wounded a cameraman, Iraqi police said.

http://snipurl.com/habv


From Information Clearing House

By Jerry Ghinelli

“To suggest that God, would ever be on the side of an America—or any country, for that matter—which attacks poor, defenseless, impoverished people out of revenge, fear, ignorance or greed, contradicts everything I stand for today and, more importantly, died for two thousand years ago.”

http://informationclearinghouse.info/article10025.htm

http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0829-01.htm



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0829-22.htm



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

http://petition.powalliance.org/index.html


Informant: Ken Hamilton


"The high-minded man must care more for the truth than for what people think." -- Aristotle (384-322 BC) Greek philosopher

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." - Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

The New York Times editorializes against the Bush administration's rewrite of national park management rules, saying "it essentially undermines the protected status of the national parks."

http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/082905EA.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0831-24.htm

Memo Says

As a young government lawyer, Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. proposed reining in the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission because its civil rights positions were "totally inconsistent" with President Ronald W. Reagan's policies, a newly released memo says.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082905R.shtml

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082905Q.shtml

Note: the complete article had dire predictions for New Orleans... turned out not as bad as feared, but could have.

Hurricane Could Turn City into Toxic Cesspool The Associated Press Monday 29 August 2005 Experts warn 'incredible environmental disaster' is possible....<snipped>


The Deepening Climate Crisis
By Elizabeth Nash
The New Zealand Herald

Monday 29 August 2005

The category four storm threatening to cause havoc around the Gulf of Mexico is another example of the way global warming is altering the world's weather systems, environmental campaigners say.

As Hurricane Katrina bore down for a second time on Florida - with New Orleans in Louisiana also in its sights - parts of central Europe were battling to overcome floods that have killed dozens.

Portugal, on the other hand, was in the grip of a new wave of fires caused by high temperatures.

Alarmed residents in Florida have barely had time to clear up damage inflicted by Hurricane Dennis last month, or Hurricane Ivan last September.

Ending a week of extreme weather worldwide, the storm was expected to swing northwards on a course heading somewhere between the southern Florida panhandle and the Louisiana coast.

Florida has been pummelled by six powerful hurricanes since last August, in what forecasters describe as an "unusually active season."

Environmental campaigners say the turbulence is a product of global warming disrupting world weather patterns.

Katrina is the 11th storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1. That is seven more than are usually whipped up by this stage of the season in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, the United States' National Hurricane Centre said. The season ends on November 30.

Katrina's advance is being watched closely in Europe, where many people have felt subjected to comparable celestial punishment this week. From deluged south-eastern Europe, where 43 died in tumultuous rainstorms, to tinder-dry Portugal, where 11 new fires flared in the weekend despite weeks of desperate firefighting, Europeans have been assaulted by weather extremes unknown for generations.

Hardest hit was Romania, where 31 died, many of whom drowned when water engulfed their homes. Austria, Germany, Bulgaria and Switzerland reported 12 dead, with vast areas under water.

Fears remain that floodwaters could cause the Danube to burst its banks. In the small Swiss town of Thun, the local soccer stadium was destroyed, a loss given international prominence by the club's qualification last week for Europe's Champions League tournament.

Experts seeking an explanation for the chaos point to the irregularity of the jet stream, the wriggling ribbon of fast-moving wind that drives Europe's weather from the Atlantic.

A convulsive kink last week whipped turbulence into Eastern Europe, and locked Iberia in its pocket of hot tranquillity.

"But the jet stream is a permanent feature, it always wanders around, that's nothing new," said Wayne Elliott, a weather forecaster from the Meteorological Office in Exeter.

"The jet stream moves north in summer, south in winter, and the important thing is that it didn't come as far south as was expected last autumn. That's why the rains failed in Iberia, and why northern Europe is unsettled.

"Such behaviour is consistent with predictions by scientists who argue the climate is changing. Global warming could be the key."

The World Wildlife Fund said last week: "Global warming has started to exacerbate the frequency and intensity of meteorological catastrophes."

--- ENDS ---

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082905Q.shtml


-- Peace! *STRIDER*

Military expenditure by the United States makes up 47% of the world total.

http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=75551


Informant: jhw369


We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men: George Orwell

They could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they never fully grasped the enormity of what was demanded of them, and were not sufficiently interested in public events to notice what was happening : George Orwell

Political language. . . is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind: George Orwell

The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them: George Orwell

Liberty can not be preserved without general knowledge among people." (August 1765) John Adams

http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495;article=90098;show_parent=1



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=149495;article=90096;show_parent=1



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

http://www.lewrockwell.com/zeese/zeese14.html



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

http://www.lewrockwell.com/engelhardt/engelhardt110.html



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

The Bombing of Nagasaki August 9, 1945: The Untold Story
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/kohls3.html

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46019


Informant: ranger116

Teilnahme am Hartz-Schluss nun schon in 47 Städten! Bisherige Ankündigungen zum 5. September auf der Kampagnenseite
http://www.die-soziale-bewegung.de/2005/hartzschluss/angekuendigt.html

Online-Anmeldeformular der örtlichen Aktionen
http://www.die-soziale-bewegung.de/2005/hartzschluss/kontakt_hartzschluss.html

Hartzschluß. Interview von Dietmar Freitsmmiedl mit Peter Grottian bei Radio Lora, München, am 26.08.2005 http://freie-radios.info/portal/content.php?id=10073

Übersicht über regionale Anti-Hartz-&-Co-Bündnisse
http://www.labournet.de/diskussion/arbeit/aktionen/regionen.html wurde – nach langer Zeit – wieder aktualisiert!


Aus: LabourNet, 30. August 2005

"Faulenzer"-Debatte die x-te - Arbeitslose sind faul und die Erde ist eine Scheibe

„Arbeit, nein danke!“

Jede neue Gesetzesverschärfung wird journalistisch vorbereitet. Die nächste Welle scheint eingeläutet zu werden durch die Sendung „Arbeit, nein danke! Scheitern mit Hartz IV“, von der ARD – wie sie sich rühmt – exclusiv gesendet am 24. August 2005, 21.45 Uhr.

Die NDR-Info zur Sendung fängt schon schlimm an: „Angelika Brauer hat Nerven wie Drahtseile. Sie ist eine von 4000 "Fallmanagern" der Bundesagentur für Arbeit. (…) Tag für Tag hört sie sich die gleichen Geschichten an. Frau M. wohnt auf dem Land und hat keinen Führerschein. Mit der Bahn will sie nicht fahren und arbeiten gehen schon gar nicht. Herr F. hat zwar einen Beruf erlernt, den aber nie ausgeübt und somit keine Berufserfahrung. Warum? Das macht mir keinen Spaß, sagt er. (…) Wenn Angelika Brauer in ihren Computer blickt, dann weiß sie, warum die Arbeitsunlust vielfach groß ist. Frau M. und Herr F. und Frau Z. haben - mit Kindern und arbeitslosen Partnern - um die 1.400 Euro im Monat zum Leben, die Miete übernimmt der Staat….“

http://www3.ndr.de/ndrtv_pages_std/0,,OID1637282,00.html

Die Sendung von Rita Knobel-Ulrich selbst und v.a. die off-Stimme muss noch viel schlimmer sein, sie sorgt seit dem für heisse Debatten und viel Empörung. Siehe stellvertretend den offenen Brief von Hans-Dieter Hey

http://www.labournet.de/diskussion/arbeit/realpolitik/alos/ard-hey.pdf


Aus: LabourNet, 30. August 2005

"Islam is the official religion of the state and is a basic source of legislation. No law can be passed that contradicts the undisputed rules of Islam." - Iraqi Constitution supported by Iran-backed Shiites and the Bush Administration (but opposed by Sunni leaders)

"Fortunately, after years of effort and expectations in Iraq, an Islamic state has come to power and the constitution has been established on the basis of Islamic precepts. We must congratulate the Iraqi people and authorities for this victory." - Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, head of Iran's powerful ultra-conservative Guardian Council

"This is the future of the new Iraqi government - it will be in the hands of the clerics. I wanted Iraqi women to be free, to be able to talk freely and to able to move around. I am not going to stay here." - Dr. Raja Kuzai, an obstetrician and secular Shiite member of the Assembly who met President Bush in the White House in November 2003.


Resolution of Inquiry into Bush Lies Gains Momentum

There are now 53 co-sponsors on Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry into the Downing Street Memos, including one Republican member of the International Relations Committee, Jim Leach. If your Representative isn't on this list yet, please call their D.C. office (202-224-3121) and ask to speak to the Legislative Director. Ask why they haven't cosponsored HRes375, and then report back to us. A vote in committee will come between Sept. 6 and Sept. 16.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902


"Bring the Troops Home Now" Bus Tour Begins August 31 On August 31st, the last day of the encampment, the Bring Them Home Now Tour will launch three buses from Crawford, Texas, each carrying military and Gold Star families, veterans of the Iraq War and veterans of previous wars. These buses will travel different routes across the country, converging in Washington, DC on September 21, for the United for Peace and Justice Mobilization September 24th-26th. From George Bush's doorstep to communities along the way, we demand that:

* Elected Representatives Decide Now to Bring the Troops Home

* We Take Care of Them When They Get Here

* We Never Again Send Our Loved Ones to War Based on Lies!

http://www.bringthemhomenowtour.org/ Why Aren't Congress's Kids


Fighting in Iraq?

Dear Senator/Representative, If you support the War in Iraq, why aren't you or your children or your grandchildren fighting there? The Army is short of soldiers because of the Iraq War disaster. This shortage has put our national security in danger throughout the world. Your family can help fix the problem that you created by supporting the Iraq War disaster. As your constituent, I will continue to ask this question until you call for the withdrawal of America's children from Iraq. http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/57


Pass Local Resolutions

The Backbone Campaign is helping grassroots activists organize their Town Councils and Democratic Committees to pass resolutions on:

* Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry (H. Res. 375)

* Rep. Rush Holt's Resolution of Inquiry (H.Res 363) into the Valerie Plame outing

* Letter to Senate Intelligence Committee chair Pat Roberts (R-KS) for Phase II of the Investigation Into Pre-War Intelligence Show your Representatives that you have backbones - and they should too!

http://backbonecampaign.org/storydetail.cfm?id=96


Out of Iraq Rally in D.C. on September 15

The peace movement will rally against the war in front of the White House following Democrat-led hearings on an exit strategy hosted by Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA). Learn more:

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/2369


September 24-26 - Mark Your Calendar!

September 24-26: End the War on Iraq !

Three Days of Peace & Justice Actions in Washington , D.C.

http://www.unitedforpeace.org/septmobe


PDA Events Sept. 24-26 to Include Focus on Downing Street

Workshops and trainings in DC on Sept 25th organized by Progressive Democrats of America will include a focus on Downing Street, including remarks by AfterDowningStreet.org Co-Founder John Bonifaz.

http://www.pdamerica.org/articles/events/sept2005/index.php


Demand More Polls on Impeaching Bush

On June 30, a Zogby poll found 42% of Americans said "if it is found that President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should hold him accountable through impeachment." At the time, Bush's approval rating was just 43%. Since then, Bush's approval has dropped even lower - down to 36%. It's time for other pollsters to follow up on the Zogby Poll and to ask about impeaching George Bush. We've collected all the e-mail addresses you need to contact them.

http://www.democrats.com/bush-impeachment-polls


C-SPAN to Broadcast McKinney Congressional Briefing on 9/11 On July 22, Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) organized a day-long briefing on the 9/11 Commission's Final Report one year later. The event included leading victims' family members, former government and intelligence workers, academics and authors speaking on the flaws and weaknesses of the 9/11 Commission's investigation, assumptions, omissions, conclusions and recommendations. It was filmed in entirety by C-SPAN and will be broadcast:
* Wednesday August 31 from 8:00 pm to 11:30 pm
* Friday, September 2 from 8:00 pm to 1:00 am

http://www.911truth.org


BS Protector - Don't Leave Home Without It!

Veteran Bill Moyer didn't take any risks when he watched Bush speak. You shouldn't either!

Make your own BS Protector - it's easy and fun for the whole family!

http://tinyurl.com/8bh8u



http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=impeach
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Downing+Street+Memo

Source: America's Future Foundation
Author: Sam Ryan

08/28/05

Much criticism of the Supreme Court's recent ruling on eminent domain has focused on the narrow circumstances of the case: The court has allowed the City of New London, Connecticut, to seize homes from families and hand them over to a private company. But the case also raises a far broader concern: Under what circumstances does the government have the incredible power of eminent domain, where it can seize private property for a public need? And does this power always serve a legitimate purpose? For an answer, look no further than the U.S. Postal Service ...

Link: http://www.affbrainwash.com/archives/020240.php


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
Author: Sheldon Richman

08/29/05

Lately, it sounds as if Americans need to continue dying in Iraq because otherwise the previous deaths will be meaningless. George W. Bush says, 'These brave men and women gave their lives for a cause that is just and necessary for the security of our country, and now we will honor their sacrifice by completing their mission.' If the cause were really just and necessary, completing the mission would not be a matter of honoring those killed in it. The mission would stand on its own two feet. It can't do that, however, because the feet are made of clay...

Link: http://www.fff.org/comment/com0508q.asp


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Source: Strike the Root
Author: Joe Blow

08/29/05

Bush is powerless to control what is about to happen to this nation. While he still thinks that he can manufacture his own reality, he is about to receive another object lesson in humility. Reality therapy, isn't it great!

Link: http://www.strike-the-root.com/52/blow/blow10.html



The perfect storm
CounterPunch
by Chris Floyd

09/01/05

There was the already infamous juxtaposition of captions for wire service photos, where depictions of essentially the same scene desperate people wading through flood waters, clutching plastic bags full of groceries were given markedly different spins. In one picture, a white couple are described as struggling along after finding bread and soda at a grocery store. But beneath an almost identical photo of a young black man with a bag of groceries, we are told that a 'looter' wades through the streets after robbing a grocery store. In the photo I saw, this evil miscreant also had a gasp! pack of diapers under his arm." [editor's note: And black or white, if the people had been wearing company patches on their shirts, they'd have been called what they actually are -- salvage crews - TLK]

http://www.counterpunch.org/floyd09012005.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Source: Strike the Root
Author: Lee Shelton

08/29/05

Over the last four years, the message sent by neoconservatives to the rest of the nation has been clear: Get behind the Bush administration's 'war on terror' or be prepared to face the consequences. But when the grieving mother of a fallen U.S. soldier tops the neoconservative most wanted list of treasonous, terrorist-sympathizing, America-haters, you know something's up. ... And yet the single defining issue that continues to separate the patriotic from the unpatriotic is the so-called 'war on terror.' I just have one question: If winning the 'war on terror' means losing our freedom, then what exactly are we fighting for?

Link: http://www.strike-the-root.com/52/shelton/shelton2.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Source: CounterPunch
Author: Paul Craig Roberts

08/29/05

With every poll showing smaller and smaller minorities approving of Bush and his war in Iraq, with top US generals sending signals that they want to reduce US troops in Iraq, and with the world at large viewing Bush as a fanatic who cannot acknowledge his blunders and mistakes, Bush announced in his weekly radio address that 'our efforts in Iraq and the broader Middle East will require more time, more sacrifice and continued resolve.' Does Bush think he is a dictator? The polls show that it is the American people's resolve that Bush bring his Iraq venture to an end, an orderly end if possible, but to an end. Every explanation Bush has given for his invasion of Iraq has proved to be false. Yet, Bush still speaks of 'our noble cause,' while taking great care to avoid Cindy Sheehan and her question, 'What is the noble cause?' Perhaps Bush supplied the answer in his reference in his weekly radio address to 'our efforts in . . . the broader Middle East'...

Link: http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts08292005.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Source: CounterPunch
Author: Charles Sullivan

08/29/05

My entire family is being played for fools by the power brokers in Washington; and they don't even have a clue about how they are being manipulated. I am embarrassed for them. The truth is out there; but no one is bringing it to our door step. You have to look hard. You have to want to know the facts. You have to care about social justice; and that requires effort; it requires living with a troubled conscience and trying to set things right. It requires that you inform yourself and make an effort to change things. The trouble is that most Americans don't want to know the truth because it would make them uncomfortable. So they turn their heads the other way and allow themselves to be distracted from their civic and patriotic duties. It is easier to display the flag and plaster their cars with 'Support our troops' stickers. This mode of being requires no real effort; nor accountability...

Link: http://www.counterpunch.org/sullivan08292005.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Source: LewRockwell.Com
Author: Karen Kwiatkowski

08/30/05

Jude Wanniski asks 'when will the pundits apologize?' When will they admit their mistakes and grave errors to the families of the dead on all sides and to the people of America? Homer Simpson answers for them, 'I don't apologize. I am sorry Lisa, that's the way I am.' And so it is with the neoconservatives who clamored for war and cakewalks and slam-dunks. You will hear the inconsistency in their voices. You will see their pain in the Sunday morning talk shows. But you will never hear those responsible for designing a flawed policy in the Middle East, destroying the U.S. Army and its Guard and Reserve system, and Iraq as a nation ever say they're sorry...

Link: http://www.lewrockwell.com/kwiatkowski/kwiatkowski121.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Source: Independent Institute
Author: Ivan Eland

08/29/05

The longer the United States stays in Iraq, the more trained Islamic jihadists will be let loose on the world. In the Islamic faith, Muslims are required to repel any 'infidel' invader from Muslim lands. Islamist fighters from all over the world came to help fuel the fierce resistance to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Russian incursions into Chechnya. The Bush administration should have anticipated the same in Iraq, a nation that harbored no anti-American terrorists before the U.S. invasion. The U.S. invasion and occupation there have since been a recruiting poster for Islamic radicals worldwide. Also, by giving the jihadists valuable combat experience fighting U.S. forces in Iraq, the administration has unwittingly created a training ground for future anti-U.S. terrorist attacks -- much like the U.S.-sponsored anti-Soviet war in Afghanistan provided training for al Qaeda's terrorist strikes....

Link: http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1558


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Source: Institute for Liberal Values
Author: Jim Peron

08/29/05

There is a new antiwar movement bubbling in the United States. George Bush used the 9/11 terrorist attacks as a bait and switch tactic. He used the rightous anger of Americans over the Twin Towers attack and misdirected against Iraq. Contrary to what the White House now claims they repeatedly lead the American public to believe that Iraq would be a cake walk-over in weeks, perhaps days. But the war drags on and on and the deaths pile up. And from this a new antiwar movement is being born. But this movement is far different from the the last major antiwar effort in the United States during the disastrous Vietnam War. Then the movement was one driven by young males. It was inspired by a justifiable desire to save one's life from a needless and senseless death. But this new movement is not led by the young and males. It is lead by their mothers and their wives...

Link: http://www.ilv.org.nz/index.php?action=view_journal&journal_id=171


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp



Cindy Sheehan
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Sheehan

http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=1889


Informant: Andy Robinson

'Wahlkampfmunition'

Attac Deutschland Pressemitteilung Frankfurt, 30. August 2005

* Attac deckt Rechenfehler in aktueller Spiegel-Ausgabe auf: Spitzenverdiener würden durch Kirchhof nicht belastet, sondern massiv entlastet

* Attac fordert einfaches, aber gerechtes Steuersystem

"Die von Paul Kirchhof angestrebte Radikal-Steuerreform belastet die Besserverdiener weit mehr als angenommen", schreibt der Spiegel in seiner aktuellen Ausgabe. Als Beleg dient eine Modellrechnung: Ein verheirateter Manager mit einem Jahresbrutto von 300.000 Euro und weiteren Einnahmen von 50.000 Euro zahlt nach Berechnung des Spiegel nach Kirchhofs Modell 68.224 Euro Steuern; nach dem derzeitigen Recht werden, so der Spiegel, inklusive Soldaritätszuschlag nur 61.648 Euro fällig.

Doch wie die Attac-AG Steuern beim Nachrechnen feststellte, ist diese Zahl falsch. Bei dem vom Spiegel angesetzten zu versteuernden Einkommen von 229.846 Euro fallen nach der geltenden Splittingtabelle plus Solidaritätszuschlag derzeit
85.145 Euro Steuern an. Daraus folgt: Der Manager aus dem Spiegel-Beispiel wird durch Kirchhof keineswegs zusätzlich belastet, sondern vielmehr um knapp 17.000 Euro jährlich entlastet. "Die Auswirkungen von Kirchhofs Einheitssteuersatz sind klar: Riesige Geschenke für die Spitzenverdiener", sagte Sven Giegold von der Attac-AG Steuern. "Die Spiegel-Aussage, das Kirchhof-Modell sei 'sozialer als die meisten glauben', beruht auf einer peinlichen Milchmädchenrechnung."

Wie das Steuersystem vereinfacht werden könnte, ohne dabei wie im Kirchhof-Modell die Staatsfinanzen zu ruinieren und Gutverdiener zu beschenken, haben Attac, ver.di und die IG Metall mit ihrem gemeinsamen Modell für eine "solidarische Einfachsteuer" gezeigt: Diese sieht vor, Steuerschlupflöcher für Konzerne und Spitzenverdiener konsequent zu schließen, den progressiven Steuertarif in modifizierter Form beizubehalten
(Grundfreibetrag 8000 Euro, Eingangssatz 15 Prozent) und den Spitzensteuersatz (ab 60.000 Euro) wieder auf das Niveau von
45 Prozent anzuheben. Giegold: "Es geht auch einfach und gerecht - statt, wie bei Kirchhof, einfach ungerecht."

Weitere Informationen zur Solidarischen Einfachsteuer:
* http://www.attac.de/presse/presse_ausgabe.php?id=318


Malte Kreutzfeldt Pressesprecher Attac Deutschland
Post: Münchener Str. 48, 60329 Frankfurt/M Tel.: 069/900 281-42, Mail: presse@attac.de, Fax: 069/900 281-99


-- Angelika Shams * Mitglied im Attac-Bundeskoordinierungskreis Egertstraße 12 * 75365 Calw-Stammheim * email: shams@attac.de Fon: 07051 / 935 675 * 0179 / 513 41 59 * Fax: 07051 / 935 677

--------

Wie Euch mittlerweile sicherlich bekannt, hat der Spiegel irreführende, falsche Angaben des "Heidelberger Instituts für Steuerrecht" (Kirchhof) ohne eigene Überprüfung übernommen. Mit diesen Angaben wurde der Anschein erweckt, als ob mit dem von Kirchhof vorgelegten Modell (FlatTax) die hohen Einkommen deutlich stärker als bisher belastet würden.

Nachdem Attac dies aufgedeckt hatte, nahm der Spiegel den betreffenden Artikel aus dem Netz (die betreffenden Seiten sind in der ePaper-Ausgabe 'aus rechtlichen Gründen' nicht mehr abrufbar). Statt dessen gab es in der online-Ausgabe eine Korrektur der ursprünglichen Ausgaben.

Die Fehler bleiben aber letztlich bestehen:

- ursprüngliche Zahlengrundlage:
a) Spiegel: Mehrbelastung Einkommen 300.000,- um 6.576,-
b) Attac: Entlastung Einkommen 300.000,- um 16.901,-

- korrigierte Zahlengrundlage:
a) Spiegel: Mehrbelastung Einkommen 300.000,- um 6.596,-
b) Attac: Mehrbelastung Einkommen 300.000,- um lediglich 927,-

Mit herzlichen Grüßen, Angelika


* Spiegel-Stellungnahme zu Attac-Vorwürfen:
* Mehr Fragen als Antworten

Als Reaktion auf die Attac-Vorwürfe, im aktuellen Heft mit falschen Zahlen für die Kirchhof-Reform zu werben
( http://www.attac.de/presse/presse_ausgabe.php?id=482 ), hat der Spiegel eine Korrektur seiner Angaben ins Internet gestellt
( http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/0,1518,372262,00.html bzw. unten in der Mail).

Dabei wird zwar eingeräumt, dass die im aktuellen Heft abgedruckte Tabelle falsch ist. Allerdings, so der Spiegel, sei das Endergebnis korrekt; bei der Berechnung fehlten lediglich einige Posten, die unter dem bisherigen Steuerrecht abzuziehen seien. Die korrigierten Angaben werfen mehr Fragen auf, als dass sie Erklärungen liefern.

Erstens bei den Zahlen und Rechnungen; folgende Punkte hat der Spiegel bei der Berechnung nach dem derzeitigen Steuerrecht korrigiert:

- Neu aufgenommen wurde "Erhaltungsaufwand" für die zwei Villen in Höhe von 24.903 Euro: Die krumme Zahl (nach mündlichen Spiegel-Angaben ein "Durchschnittswert") kann schon den Eindruck erwecken, dass hier die Annahmen so angepasst worden sind, dass am Ende das gewünschte Ergebnis rauskommt. Solange die Berechnungsgrundlagen nicht offengelegt werden, ist diese Zahl ebensowenig überzeugend wie der angegebene Wert von 100.000 Euro für Abschreibung und Zinsen. Die Wahl von "zwei denkmalgeschützten Villen" für das Beispiel legt zudem den Verdacht nahe, dass hier Einzelfälle als Massenphänomen dargestellt werden sollen, denn das Angebot an denkmalgeschützten Häusern dürfte eng begrenzt sein.

- Von den 10.000 Euro Aktiendividenden müssen nur 5000 versteuert werden: Diese Korrektur ist einleuchtend.

- Bei "Vorsorgeaufwendungen, Sonderaufgaben" ist der Betrag von 4.776 auf 27.900 Euro erhöht worden. Dieser Wert (der sich nach mündlichen Spiegel-Angaben aus 20.000 Euro pro Person, die zu 60 % ansetzbar sind, plus einer Pauschale von 3.900 Euro zusammensetzt), ist falsch. Abgezogen werden müssen die steuerfreien Arbeitgeberanteile in Höhe von 6.084 Euro. Überhaupt nicht einleuchtend ist zudem die Tatsache, dass die zusätzlichen Vorsorgeaufwendungen im Kirchhof-Modell nicht abgesetzt werden. Im Gegenteil sieht sein Modell (gemäß dem Konzept der nachgelagerten Rentenbesteuerung) vor, dass diese Beiträge langfristig in voller Höhe abgesetzt werden können. Umgesetzt werden soll das über einen noch nicht näher spezifizierten Stufenplan. Realistisch ist es daher, diese Beiträge (ohne die Pauschale von 3900 Euro) auch bei Kirchhof in gleicher Höhe wie im geltenden Recht abzusetzen.

Selbst wenn man die (unrealistisch bis unseriös erscheinenden) Annahmen aus dem Spiegel zugrunde legt, zahlt der fiktive Manager bei Kirchhof also nicht, wie vom Spiegel berechnet, 6.695 Euro mehr, sondern gerade mal 927 Euro. (Details zur Rechnung und den Grundlagen im angehängten Dokument der AG Steuern.)

Ein zweiter Aspekt, der mindestens so schwerwiegend ist wie die Fehler in der Berechnung, sind die Arbeitsmethoden des Spiegel: Wie die Redaktion in ihrer Richtigstellung einräumt, stammen die Daten in weiten Teilen von Paul Kirchhofs Institut selbst. ("Die Berechnungen wurden von Kirchhofs 'Institut für Finanz- und Steuerrecht' vorgelegt.") Auf Nachfragen, etwa wieso die Vorsorgeaufwendungen in der Kirchhof-Berechnung nicht abgesetzt wurde, verwies die Spiegel-Redaktion direkt an Kirchhof. (Mail-Zitat des Autors: "ich kann Ihnen dafür keine exakte Quelle nennen und würde Sie bitten, direkt am Heidelberger Institut für Steuerrecht von Professor Kirchhof nachzufragen".)

Fazit: In der Hochphase des Wahlkampfs stützt der Spiegel seine Recherchen zum zentralen Wahlkampfthemas im Wesentlichen auf den derzeit wichtigsten CDU-Wahlkämpfer. Das Ergebnis ist sichtbar, ein Kommentar erübrigt sich.

Frankfurt, 1.9.05 Attac Deutschland


Malte Kreutzfeldt Pressesprecher Attac Deutschland
Post: Münchener Str. 48, 60329 Frankfurt/M Tel.: 069/900 281-42, Mail: presse@attac.de, Fax: 069/900 281-99


IN EIGENER SACHE

SPIEGEL korrigiert Kirchhof-Zahlen

In der aktuellen Ausgabe berichtet der SPIEGEL über das Steuermodell des Finanzexperten Paul Kirchhof. Bei der dort abgedruckten Berechnung gibt es einen offenkundigen Fehler.

Hamburg - Bei der Modellrechnung handelt es sich um den Vergleich der Besteuerung eines fiktiven Managers mit 300.000 Euro Jahresgehalt nach dem jetzigen Steuerrecht und dem von Kirchhof geplanten. Dabei wurden mehrere nach heutigem Steuerrecht mögliche Abschreibungsvarianten zugrunde gelegt. Demgegenüber gestellt wurde die Berechnung nach dem Kirchhofschen Modell, das kaum Abschreibungsmöglichkeiten vorsieht.

Die Berechnungen wurden von Kirchhofs "Institut für Finanz- und Steuerrecht" vorgelegt. Bei den von den Steuerexperten angestellten Berechnungen wurden in der Spalte "bisherige Rechtslage" drei steuerabzugsfähige Aufwendungsarten mitberechnet, aber dem SPIEGEL nicht beziehungsweise falsch übermittelt und deshalb in der Grafik nicht korrekt dargestellt. Es handelte sich dabei um Vorsorgeaufwendungen in Höhe von 27.900 Euro, Erhaltungsaufwand für zwei fiktive Immobilien in Höhe von 24.903 Euro und die Steuerfreiheit von 50 % der Aktiendividende in Höhe von 5.000 Euro.

Deshalb wird in der Grafik das nach bisheriger Rechtslage zu versteuernde Einkommen zu hoch angegeben und die verbleibende Steuerschuld zu niedrig. Werden, wie in dem Planspiel vorgesehen, die theoretisch abzugsfähigen Posten berücksichtigt, geht die Rechnung auf. Außerdem verfälscht ein Zahlendreher die Steuersumme nach dem Kirchhof-Modell. Statt 68.224 Euro muss es heißen 68.244 Euro. Der SPIEGEL-Redaktion ist der Übermittlungsfehler des Kirchhof-Instituts bei der Endkontrolle leider nicht aufgefallen.


Angelika Shams * Mitglied im Attac-Bundeskoordinierungskreis Egertstraße 12 * 75365 Calw-Stammheim * email: shams@attac.de Fon: 07051 / 935 675 * 0179 / 513 41 59 * Fax: 07051 / 935 677

Vom 30.08.2005

Die Stadt Bingen hat sich mit ihrem Konzept, Mobilfunkantennen einen Mindestabstand von 200 Metern zur Wohnbebauung zu verordnen, juristisch nicht behauptet.

Bravo für den Bauausschuss

Wer in Deutschland die staatlich verankerten Gesetze und die eng gefassten Bestimmungen im Gesundheitswesen missachtet oder übertritt, bekommt hohe Strafen. Das ist gut so und dient dem Schutz der Bevölkerung. Darüber können jedoch die Mobilfunkbetreiber nur lachen. Sie haben sich ihre eigenen Gesetze auch gleich selbst geschaffen. Und das schon seit 1992. Kommentarlos und ohne Einschränkung hat das damalige Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz die Vorgaben der Mobilfunkindustrie übernommen und dem Parlament weiter empfohlen. Mit neunmal höheren Grenzwerten, als sie beispielsweise in der Schweiz üblich sind.

Seither bewacht der Dackel die Wurst, und die Mobilfunkbetreiber sind ein Staat im Staate. Unangreifbar! Die junge, faszinierende Technik des mobilen Telefonierens wurde ohne Rücksicht auf Verluste mit Sendeanlagen inmitten von Wohngebieten durchgepaukt. Mobilfunkstandortgegner wurden gnadenlos niedergemacht. Auch mit Hilfe der Verwaltungsgerichte.

Wissenschaftler, die zu negativen Forschungsergebnissen kamen und die Schwächung des Immunsystems durch Mobilfunkstrahlen belegten, wurden aufs Abstellgleis katapultiert. So auch ein namhafter Arzt und Wissenschaftler der Krebsklinik Heidelberg.

Vor diesem Hintergrund ist es der Stadt Bingen hoch anzurechnen, dass sie ihre Bevölkerung mit einer Schutzzone von 200 Metern vor Mobilfunkstrahlen schützen wollte. Ein Bravo auf den Bauausschuss. Die Vermessenheit vieler deutscher Verwaltungsrichter, gesundheitliche Bedenken gegenüber Mobilfunksendeanlagen in bewohnten Gebieten zu ignorieren, erweist sich schon in den nächsten Jahren als ein kapitaler Fehler mit Folgen. Schon jetzt lassen die auch in Rheinland-Pfalz eingeführten Krebsregister vermuten, dass die Krebsraten im Schatten einer Mobilfunksendeanlage ungleich höher sind. Wenn das bestätigt wird, erdreistet sich kein Mobilfunkbetreiber mehr, Sendeanlagen in Wohngebieten aufzustellen.

Der Verfasser dieses Leserbriefes, seit 1991 Mobilfunkstandortgegner, weiß, von was er spricht. Hat er doch hautnah erlebt, wie im Schatten einer Sendeanlage der ersten krankmachenden Generation 16 Menschen in kürzester Zeit durch eine totale Schwächung des Immunsystems ihrem daraus resultierenden Krebsleiden erlegen sind.

Theo Bayer, Grolsheim

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