Prisons, Profits, and Prophets: The nation's largest private prison corporation joins forces with conservative faith-based ministries

by Bill Berkowitz

In an era where the Bush administration touts faith-based organizations as engines of individual and social transformation, and is actively recruiting and funding religious organizations to deliver a bevy of social services, it isn't surprising that a high-powered politically-savvy corporation wants in on the action. The Corrections Corporation of America, the nation's largest owner and operator of private prisons, is trucking out a new product line with a little help from its fundamentalist friends: Prison Conversions to Christ....

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Sept04/Berkowitz0904.htm

by Nicholas Skala

In an attempt to discourage the cross-border flow of reasonably priced pharmaceuticals, the FDA recently announced fears that terrorists might target foreign drugs bound for the U.S. But for millions of needy Americans, the Bush administration’s friendly ties with health industry CEOs constitute a far greater danger. Now that Western intervention has brought Afghanistan boundless prosperity and the Iraqi model of freedom and democracy is inspiring backward Arab nations to abandon their despotic ways, the Bush Administration has seen fit to open up the next front in the War on Terrorism in the world's newest rogue nation: Canada. Our northern neighbor continues to provide safe haven that most loathsome of threats: affordable prescription medications for sick Americans.
Good news for patients, but a danger to drug companies with an interest in keeping American drugs the most expensive on the planet and the deep pockets to buy politicians. After sustaining sufficient embarrassment over their charge that Canadian drugs were too “unsafe” for Americans to reimport, the FDA -- who has recently intervened in three lawsuits on behalf of potentially unsafe medical products -- announced a new reason for keeping inexpensive medicine on the far side of the border: terrorists might tamper with them....

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Sept04/Skala0904.htm

A Look at Corporate America's Latest Megascandal

by Sam Pizzigati

We here in the United States currently have more people behind bars than any other developed nation in the world. In fact, as a percentage of population, we have five times more people in jail than the British, ten times more than the Swedes, and fifteen times more than the Japanese...

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Sept04/Pizzigati0904.htm

Blair unleashed the dogs on BBC, says former head
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3425532

From Aftermath News
Top Stories - September 1st, 2004

http://www.thememoryhole.org/feds/justice_redaction.htm


Informant: Anna Webb

by Kim Petersen

The corporate Olympics hardly seem worth the time and effort to watch these days; and I’m not sure that it ever was. With apologies to the “clean” athletes, following millionaire doped-up athletes flying corporate banners in pursuit of victory at any cost is rather a contradictory pastime for progressives. A lack of sportsmanship and the emphasis on competition among countries stirs up fervent patriotism and arguably serves as a springboard for the jingoistic fervor that sees citizens of one country cheering the violent attack of another country. For George Orwell, sport was “war minus the shooting.” Indeed, the original Olympic events and athletes likeliest had their genesis in war and as agents of war....

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Aug04/Petersen0829.htm

Filipino Think Tank: UK-US Cartel Dictates Oil Prices

(Rexcel Sorza, IOL Correspondent)

MANILA (August 27, 2004) – A Filipino research think tank said the recent historic upsurge of oil prices worldwide was imposed by a cartel of American and British firms and only partly by the oil exporting countries and the lack of supply, which are basically blamed for it. Arnold Padilla, senior researcher of Ibon Foundation, said Thursday, August 26, that the supply and demand factor, which was pointed to by Filipino oil company officials as the cause of the increase in oil prices, "is only true if the world oil industry is on a real free market competition."

http://mailhost.groundspring.org/cgi-bin/t.pl?id=86494:740526

Dear Don Maisch,

Apart from the microwave radiation health risks from mobile phones, children face a whole criminal and moral risk too.

Westminster Council in London is fed up with mobile phone companies doing nothing to stop organised criminals using mobile phone numbers to front prostitution rackets. This trade in London now includes children - a spokesperson for Westminster Council said that this week the Council had to take two 14 year olds into care. Westminster Council is providing their own cards with the names and numbers of mobile phone company executives so residents, businesses and charities can make their views on prostitute cards known. The Press Release is titled "Is the Future Bright for Prostitute Cards?" and is on Latest News

http://www.westminster.gov.uk .

Best wishes, Yasmin Skelt


Westminster News
http://www.westminster.gov.uk/news/PR-2155.cfm

Media Release
Date: Wednesday 25 August 2004
Ref: PR 2155

IS THE FUTURE BRIGHT FOR PROSTITUTE CARDS?

The future could be bright for prostitute cards if the telecommunication companies continue to refuse to call bar prostitutes phone numbers. Prostitutes call cards are not harmless titillation or merely an eyesore. There are clear links between the cards and illegal activity.

Two operations carried out with the Metropolitan Police and Westminster City Council have led to 79 people being arrested for offences including carding and two juveniles being taken into safety. All of the mobile phone companies are refusing to call bar the numbers used on prostitute cards, hiding behind a whole series of fig leaf excuses.

In 2001 BT introduced their Targeted Recording and Processing (TRAP) call barring system. Initially BT numbers featured on 98 per cent of the cards, it is now only 5 per cent. To date, BT have had no complaints or challenges against the action they have taken.

Westminster City Council will be distributing the name and numbers of the mobile company chief executives so residents, businesses and charities can make their views on prostitute cards known. Kit Malthouse, Deputy Leader of Westminster City Council, said: "Mobile phone company chief executives must take personal responsibility for the fact prostitute cards contain numbers that their companies provide.

"Corporate responsibility means action, not just token gestures. Prostitute cards have a clear link to crime yet the companies keep coming up with reasons not to bar the calls. "We are appealing to the companies to help us to fight illegal activity voluntarily before we seek legislation from Parliament to force them to act."

For further information contact:
Public enquiries: 020 7641 6000
Press enquiries: 020 7641 2259
Email: press@westminster.gov.uk
Website: http://www.westminster.gov.uk

http://www.corporatewatch.org/news/games_of_shame.htm


Informant: Friends