Hampton University is considering expelling seven of its students for political activism just days after the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks' arrest.

http://www.tompaine.com/uncommonsense/index.php#6901

by Stacy Mitchell, TomPaine.com

It's time to turn the battle against Wal-Mart into a fight against the system that created it.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20051205/what_to_do_about_walmart.php

by Willam Fisher, TomPaine.com

The Iraq news payola scandal reinforces how the United States is exporting hypocrisy -- not democracy.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20051205/will_pay_for_good_news.php

Frontiers of Freedom
by Tony Hill

12/04/05

Unfortunately the media continues to spread an unremitting stream of political pontifications in an alarming and persistent rate, feeling it necessary to inundate us daily with a constant barrage of politics and government as if serving their gods. Watch the slavish and sycophantic attitude today's reporters demonstrate when questioning Presidents and politicians, acting like petulant children daring to question the almighty. Check the papers, magazines, radio and TV -- the majority of editorials, stories and articles cover and approve of the politicians' efforts to spend more and more of our money on government giveaways. These unearned gifts enlist the votes of willing and conditioned citizens that feel entitled to the government's largesse...

http://tinyurl.com/dyv35


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Mother Jones
by Mark Engler

12/05/05

With the White House on the defensive about its justifications for the invasion of Iraq, and with European governments in an uproar over whether American abuse of prisoners has taken place in bases on the continent, scrutiny of alleged U.S. war crimes looks sure to intensify. And if debate about this inflammatory topic begins to rage, a new book, edited by Jeremy Brecher, Jill Cutler, and Brendan Smith, promises to add fuel to the fire. In the Name of Democracy:

American War Crimes in Iraq and Beyond
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805079696/rationalrev08-20

collects damning official documents, leaked e-mails, testimonies, commentaries, and investigative articles. Together, these items make a strong case that Bush administration actions overseas violate international norms and treaties, and that those responsible are subject to legal repercussions.

http://www.motherjones.com/interview/2005/12/war_crimes_usa.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Free Market News Network
by Peter Schiff

12/05/05

During the Christmas Shopping season all eyes are on the American consumer. If he spends lavishly, all is well; if he does not, disaster looms. In fact, Wall Street economists are so obsessed with consumption that they have hopelessly confused the tail with the dog. Consumption, over the long term, is only possible to the extent that there is production. It is not through financial courage and resiliency that Americans consume. The desire to do so is infinite and omnipresent. It exists equally from the wealthiest of kings to the poorest of beggars. Hunger itself will not put food on the table. Only production can transform abstract demand into genuine purchasing power...

http://www.fmnn.com/Analysis/96/3076/2005-12-05.asp?wid=96&nid=3076


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Salon
by Mark Follman

12/05/05

Five days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Vice President Dick Cheney instructed the nation that the U.S. government would begin working 'the dark side' to defeat its enemies in a new global war. 'A lot of what needs to be done here will have to be done quietly, without any discussion,' Cheney declared on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' He added, 'It's going to be vital for us to use any means at our disposal.' More than four years later, the Bush administration has delivered on Cheney's vow to wage war in the shadows, free from oversight and accountability. Policies for seizing and interrogating suspects -- conceived and commanded at the highest levels of the White House -- have permitted numerous acts of torture and even murder at the hands of American soldiers and interrogators... [subscription or ad view required]

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/12/05/torture_backlash/


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

The Price of Liberty
by Robert Greenslade

12/05/05

As a recovering victim of the American public school system, it took many years of independent study before I finally discovered the true intent of the Bill of Rights. With the 214th anniversary of the adoption of the Amendments only weeks away, the Bill of Rights remains, next to the Constitution itself, the most misunderstood document in the history of the nation. The recent vacancies on the United States Supreme Court have made the Bill of Rights front-page news and a major topic of discussion. Unfortunately, editorials and talk shows continue to misrepresent the original intent of the Amendments. Since a vast majority of the American people suffer from the 'victims of the public school system syndrome' that plagues the nation, the author felt this was the perfect time to offer some information that might help them overcome their affliction concerning the Bill of Rights...

http://www.thepriceofliberty.org/05/12/05/greenslade.htm


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp