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MY LAI VET SAYS: HERE IT COMES AGAIN IN IRAQ Tony Swindell recalls "Butcher's Brigade" in '69; says "gooks" have now become "ragheads", every adult male is an "insurgent" ... atrocities against Iraqi civilians are soon going to explode in America's face; US Government's courtroom jihads against terror stumble. Alexander Cockburn on Lodi case where Feds paid $250,000 to man who "saw" world's three top terrorists at mosque. As neocons and Israel lobby howl for US to bomb Teheran, an Iranian outlines simple path to peace. 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! |
Today's Stories May Day, 2006 Alexander Cockburn Website of the
Day April 29 / 30, 2006 Peter Linebaugh Ralph Nader Robert Bryce Rev. William
Alberts Lee Sustar John Chuckman Eric Ruder Seth Sandronsky Ron Jacobs Ben Tripp Fred Gardner Don Monkerud Tommy Stevenson Lettrist International Contratiempo St. Clair, Vest
and D'Antoni Poets' Basement
April 28, 2006 James Ridgeway Ramzy Baroud Sarah Knopp William S. Lind Werther April 27, 2006 Winslow T. Wheeler Robert Fisk Juan Santos Robert Jensen Dave Lindorff Jose Pertierra
April 26,2006 Robin Philpot Sherry Wolf Pratyush Chandra Joshua Frank Gary
Leupp Bill
Quigley
April 25, 2006 Gary
Leupp Paul
Craig Roberts Linda
S. Heard Ralph
Nader Mike
Whitney Michael
Donnelly Sharon
Smith Website
of the Day
April 24, 2006 Tim
Wise John
Stanton Dave
Lindorff Steve
Shore Amadou
Deme Mickey
Z. Ralph Nader Alexander
Cockburn Website
of the Day
April 22/23, 2006 Jeffrey
St. Clair Jeff
Halper Jeff
Klein Thomas
P. Healy David
Underhill Lee
Sustar Deb
Reich John
Chuckman Fred
Gardner Julian
Edney Seth
Sandronsky Brynne
Keith-Jennings Dave
Lindorff Catherine
Ann Cullen and Harry Browne Bill
Pahnelas Jim
French Ron
Jacobs David
Krieger Jeffrey
St. Clair Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
April 21, 2006 Jonathan
Cook Lawrence
R. Velvel Evelyn
Pringle Christopher
Brauchli Pratyush
Chandra Michael
George Smith Missy
Comley Beattie Sarah
Hines Website
of the Day
April 20, 2006 Chris
Kutalik Gary
Leupp Joshua
Frank Diane
Christian William
S. Lind Ramzy
Baroud Justin
E.H. Smith
April 19, 2006 P.
Sainath Norman
Solomon Anthony
Papa Mike
Ferner Stanley
Heller Rifundazione Christopher
Reed Alexander
Cockburn Website
of the Day April 18, 2006 Paul
Craig Roberts Eric
Wingerter Juan
Santos Greg
Weiher Sam
Bahour Behzad
Yaghmaian Website
of the Day
April 17, 2006 Kevin Zeese Uri Avnery Norman Solomon John Ross Laila al-Haddad Jeffrey Blankfort Website of the Day
April 15 / 16, 2006 Jeffrey
St. Clair Ralph
Nader Thaddeus
Hoffmeister Kevin
Prosen / Dave Zirin Thomas
P. Healy Kristoffer
Larsson Fred
Gardner Edwin
Krales Brian
Cloughley John
Holt Seth
Sandronsky Rafael
Renteria Michael
Ortiz Hill William
A. Cook Gideon
Levy Andrew
Wimmer Madis
Senner Michael
Kuehl Mark
Scaramella Nate
Mezmer Jesse
Walker Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
April 14, 2006 Col.
Dan Smith Saul
Landau Stan
Cox Kevin
Zeese Brian
McKinlay Howard
Meyers Ishmael
Reed Website
of the Day
April 13, 2006 CounterPunch
News Service Norman
Solomon Stanley
Heller Jeff
Birkenstein Evelyn
J. Pringle Michael
Donnelly Kamran
Matin Website
of the Day
April 12, 2006 Vijay
Prashad Alan
Maass Dave
Lindorff Ron
Jacobs Ramzy
Baroud Randall
Dodd Missy
Comley Beattie P. Sainath Website
of the Day
April 11, 2006 Al
Krebs Lawrence
R. Velvel Sonia
Nettinin Willliam
S. Lind Robert
Ovetz Pratyush
Chandra Grant
F. Smith Laray
Polk Francis
Boyle José
Pertierra Website
of the Day
April 10, 2006 Ralph
Nader Heather
Gray Uri
Avnery Joshua
Frank Seth
Sandronsky Michael
Leonardi Evelyn
Pringle Tom
Kerr Lucinda
Marshall Website
of the Day April 7 -9, 2006 Alexander
Cockburn Jeffrey
St. Clair Patrick
Cockburn David
Vest Dave
Lindorff Gary
Leupp Elaine
Cassel Saul
Landau James
Ridgeway Ron
Jacobs John
Walsh Ramzy
Baroud Christopher
Brauchli Todd
Chretien Jonathan
Scott John
Bomar Michele
Brand Ronan
Sheehan Mickey
Z. Don
Monkerud Michael
Dickinson Website
of the Weekend
April 6, 2006 John
Ross Dave
Lindorff Don
Monkerud Robert
McDonald Boris
Kagarlitsky Remi
Kanazi Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Robert
Fisk
April 5, 2006 Dick
J. Reavis Mark
Brenner Brian
Cloughley Jozef
Hand-Boniakowski Matt
Vidal Juan
Santos Alan
Maass JoAnn
Wypijewski Website
of the Day
April 4, 2006 Jackson
Thoreau Gary
Corseri Dave
Lindorff Paul
Craig Roberts Norman
Solomon Michael
Carmichael Winslow
T. Wheeler Ingmar
Lee Michael
Neumann Website
of the Day
April 3, 2006 Saul
Landau Richard
Thieme Timothy
B. Tyson Omar
Barghouti Iwasaki
Atsuko Julian
Edney Roger
Morris
April 1 / 2, 2006 Alexander
Cockburn Ralph
Nader Dave
Zirin David
Underhill Earl
Ofari Hutchinson Dave
Lindorff P.
Sainath Fred
Gardner Clancy
Chassay Heather
Gray Greg
Moses John
Chuckman Ron
Jacobs Jeffrey
St. Clair Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
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May
Day Edition "Minamata is a Disease that was Willfully Inflicted"Mercury's Message, 50 Years On By CHRISTOPHER REED The worst case of chronic industrial pollution in modern times began half a century ago in the small town of Minamata, Japan. The fact that the disease it caused continues today -- Japanese marked its 50th anniversary May 1 -- means that it was not an accident, but deliberate. We confront the idea, still hard for some to accept, that a society which encourages unchecked corporate manufacturing in the quest for untrammeled profits, will likely convert these into a grave public crime. It is probably happening again, right now in China. It is certainly happening in the United States, as the glance at the travails, and profits of the tobacco and pharmaceutical companies attests. Many therefore hoped Minamata would serve as a warning. That is not quite the prevailing atmosphere in Japan as today's anniversary passes by. Certainly there have been protest marches and solemn parades with speeches. Horribly harmed or bereaved people have told their stories. Prime minister Junichiro Koizumi apologised -- decades late (again) -- but did not attend any ceremony But the real lesson was not on display, certainly not as learned by a Japanese journalist, Nobuo Miyazawa, who has followed Minamata for years. His verdict, hardly the quotation of the day, was: "Minamata is a disease that was willfully inflicted." He decided this because everyone associated with it, except victims, "either made excuses or avoided what they needed to do." The Chisso corporation, founded in 1906, was the culprit that poisoned thousands with organic mercury discharged for decades into Minamata Bay. It knew of the potential dangers, having hired the finest industrial scientists of the time from Tokyo University. The local authority in Minamata, on the coast of Kyushu, the southern island, knew it had a calamity, yet obfuscated and delayed. The government and various ministries avoided and evaded the implications, sometimes intervening to make things worse, such as terminating research funds. Journalists were slow to investigate and then were not tough enough. A photographer did take a famously heartbreaking portrait of a mother bathing her afflicted child in a picture evocative of the Pieta -- and was beaten by Chisso thugs. But he was a visiting American, the late Eugene Smith. Even doctors found it difficult to be honest; one was driven to kill himself. Perhaps worst of all: those not afflicted blamed the ill and their protests as threatening the economy in a town where Chisso was the only large employer. Others believed Minamata disease was contagious, and subjected victims to ostracism. (Where was public education?) May 1, 1956, was the day a town official received a formal report on a strange malady afflicting four local people. Within a short time it was discovered that 17 in the area had died. But many townsfolk already suspected something terrible. Minamata was where the cats committed suicide. Driven wild by the mercury poisoning, they were hurling themselves into the bay. Before that, local folk had been seen gibbering in the street, apparently going mad. They all had one thing in common. They ate a lot of fish -- and for months local fishermen had complained about damage to their catch from dumped sludge. Chisso, originally a fertilizer company (it means "nitrogen"), became Japan's first manufacturer of PVC in 1941. In its process for this plastic an organic mercury compound was employed in huge quantities. Dumped into the water, the compound entered fish and then people. It attacks the central nervous system, causing numbness, blindness, tremors, ataxia (erratic movement), extreme stabbing pains, unconscious spells, severe convulsions, coma, and death. Soon it was found to harm children in the womb who were born dead or with shocking deformities. A medical research team at nearby Kumamoto University was alerted but two years later had found no definitive cause. It was hindered because although mercury was suspect, Chisso kept its use secret, while blocking and attacking the research. In 1959 the team published an interim report blaming mercury, but by then local fishermen were going bankrupt as more people became ill. That November, when Chisso resisted compensation payments to fishermen, they rioted and destroyed company equipment. The Tokyo media awoke to the dire events in faraway Kyushu. As the years passed, Chisso continued to obstruct and resist, only abandoning the mercury process in 1968. The authorities still declined to deal with the truth about Minamata disease. It was even suggested that it had run its course, but its ravages continued. People fell ill or their conditions worsened into death. To chart fully the tortuous journey of Minamata and its sufferers would occupy a book; indeed, several have been written. Not until 1968 did the Ministry of Health officially recognize the disease and its cause. Yet still, despite court cases, protest demonstrations, and political actions such as people living in tents at Chisso's Tokyo headquarters, obtaining proper redress remained impossible. Not until 1977 were government-accepted standards established to define 2,995 sufferers and these remain controversial today. At least 1,784 have died so far (although all statistics are disputed). In 1988 the Supreme Court in Tokyo overturned the appeal against a 1979 guilty verdict on Chisso executives for corporate malfeasance. The company claims to have paid out $1.3 billion over the years, but new lawsuits still go on. Only in 2004 did the Supreme
Court uphold a case brought by 45 plaintiffs. Even that remains
disputed, with claimants accusing the government, the only organization
finally deemed capable of grappling with Minamata's devastation,
of failing to honor its obligations. Japanese people are still paying
for the corporation's crimes. Chisso meanwhile boasts of its
"proud history" and present role as "leader of
Japan's chemical industry." Its motto: "The Strength
to Open a Window Into the Future." And close the door on
the past.
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from CounterPunch Books! The Case Against Israel By Michael Neumann Grand Theft Pentagon: Tales of Greed and Profiteering in the War on Terror by Jeffrey St. Clair 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. |