What
You're Missing in our subscriber-only CounterPunch newsletter
THE INSIDE HISTORY OF THE
ISRAEL LOBBY
Former top
CIA analysts Kathleen and Bill Christison give CounterPunchers
the real scoop on the Israel lobby and precisely how powerful
it is. Read
how US presidents from Wilson, through FDR to Truman were manipulated
by the Zionist lobby; how Israel bent LBJ, Reagan and Clinton
to its purpose; how Bush's White House has been the West Wing
of the Israeli government; how Washington's revolving doors send
full-time Israel lobbyists from think-tanks to the National Security
Council and the Pentagon's Office of Special Plans. For all who want a
true measure of the Lobby's power, the Christisons' 8-page dossier,
exclusive to CounterPunch newsletter subscribers, is a MUST read. CounterPunch
Online is read by millions of viewers each month! But remember,
we are funded solely by the subscribers to the print edition
of CounterPunch. Please support this
website by buying a subscription to our newsletter, which contains
fresh material you won't find anywhere else, or by making a donation
for the online edition. Remember contributions are tax-deductible.Click
here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please:Subscribe
Now!
In an age when "progressives"
seem segmented at times, each faction focusing on specific issue
areas; and at a time when the power of media seems central, the
promise of the Pacifica network could be of enormous importance.
Pacifica was founded by radical
pacifists who refused to fight even in World War II; nor were
they content to wash their hands of the situation and be quietly
hidden away in camps. Rather they wanted to disseminate their
ideas; so after World War II, they established Pacifica radio,
in the words of its mission, to "gather and disseminate
information on the causes of conflict between" and to "contribute
to a lasting understanding between nations and individuals of
all nations, races, creeds and colors." Hopefully the Pacifica
board, which meets this weekend in New York City, will live up
to this legacy.
In the late 90s and early in
this decade, problems long-festering Pacifica spilled out and
resulted in a series of lockouts, lawsuits and conflicts that
gripped the network, which owns five stations. By the time the
cataclysmic events of 9-11 happened, the network was in a state
of internal war; crucially, its flagship program, "Democracy
Now!", was eerily being censored from Pacifica's stations
in New York City and Washington, D.C.
This occurred largely because
"Democracy Now!", unlike much of the other programming
on those stations, sought to report on moves by the Pacifica
national board, which seemed intent on mainstreaming the network,
and possibly selling off parts of it. There was some indication
that these actions could even have been motivated by goals of
personal profit for board members (the stations are now worth
hundreds of millions of dollars).
Some listeners, board members
and programmers struggled to resist these attempts. By 2003,
the lawsuits were settled, Pacifica's bylaws were rewritten and
new Local Station Boards with more power were elected by listener/members
to oversee the stations and in turn elect a national board. This
new structure seems to have assured that there will not be a
"hijacking" of Pacifica, but it has not shown that
it is leading to a vibrant network -- which is what is desperately
needed.
While there have been some
positive developments since that time, their pace has been rather
slow and there have also been some negative changes.
Imagine a Pacifica that has
reporters going to the major news conferences: At the White House;
at City Hall; at the State Department; at the Pentagon; at the
place they call the Department of Justice; at the big think tanks.
All asking tough, timely questions.
The WPFW (Pacifica's D.C. station)
local board, when I was chairing it five years ago, called for
this.
Had Pacifica reporters gotten
into the White House regularly, or even the State Department
or Pentagon, could they not have increased scrutiny on false
claims for the Iraq war before the invasion? Had Pacifica had
someone effectively covering Homeland Security issues, could
that not have highlighted the vulnerability of the levees in
New Orleans before Katrina hit? When progressive forces don't
set up the structures necessary to avert disaster, should we
really be surprised when it strikes and the flood waters -- and
death -- come?
There was one WPFW programmer
who was occasionally asking tough questions at the White House
briefings, Russell Mokhiber who edits the Corporate Crime Reporter
newsletter. But the program he hosted, "Challenging Corporate
Power," brought on to WPFW in 2002, was cancelled. WPFW
General Manager Ron Pinchback had -- after I voiced concern when
the program was regularly preempted in late 2004 -- assured me
the program would not be cancelled. In short order, it was.
Imagine a Pacifica that does
not merely pretends to be brave, that and that avoids the cheap
shots of demonizing Bush supporters as "brownshirts"
but actually builds a news and information infrastructure that
will help change the world for the better -- by providing information
that changes hearts and minds.
Imagine a Pacifica with programmers
who have the knowledge and wit to regularly bring on officeholders,
mainstream pundits and others and expose their fallacies on the
air.
Imagine a Pacifica that, rather
than bringing on people who agree with each other, or at least
pretend to, actually have open discussions. Advocates of different
movements, say liberalism and socialism, can and should be in
dialogue; should be critically examined, including by each other.
The worst elements of all should be exposed; the best aspect
of each should proliferate. As it is, too often advocates of
each of various "schools" undermine each other behind
the scenes. Similarly, too often, cultural and political programming
have been pitted against each other when they should be complementary.
Imagine a Pacifica and WPFW
that helps organize people around Washington, D.C. so that the
collective conscience of the people around the nation's capilal
is felt on a daily basis by federal government officeholders.
Imagine WPFW being used to announce timely protests at crucial
events and places in DC. Imagine a Pacifica that has training
programs to bring in new talent. The DC Radio Coop, just such
an initiative, has been purged from WPFW by the management of
the station.
Imagine a Pacifica that organizes
"town hall" meetings between the people of various
cities in the U.S. and the people of cities around the world
where our government is exerting its violence and threats of
violence. Imagine a Pacifica that builds on this and uses the
power of the Internet effectively, that builds local and global
connections.
What needs to be scrutinized
is the collusion of incumbent programmers, many of whom were
put in place by the previous utterly corrupt management, with
the current management that seems resistant to change -- and
stays in place largely because of support from incumbent programmers.
Some local board members seem to be joining such cliques; others
seem reluctant to assert their power to reform the network.
People need to demand excellence
from their independent media; not simply to repeat platitudes,
but to provide a serious news, information and cultural infrastructure
that exposes the mainstream media as the dinosaurs they are.
Sam Husseini is a former chair of the WPFW local
advisory board. Many of his writings are at www.husseini.org.
Now
Available
from CounterPunch Books!
The Case
Against Israel
By Michael Neumann
CounterPunch
Speakers Bureau Sick of sit-on-the-Fence speakers, tongue-tied and timid?
CounterPunch Editors Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St Clair
are available to speak forcefully on ALL the burning issues,
as are other CounterPunchers seasoned in stump oratory. Call
CounterPunch Speakers Bureau, 1-800-840-3683. Or email beckyg@counterpunch.org.