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WHO RULES: THE ISRAEL LOBBY OR UNCLE SAM? The answer at last! Uri Avnery, former Knesset member, assesses the Lobby's power. "If the Israeli government wanted a law tomorrow annulling the 10 Commandments, 95 U.S. Senators (at least) would sign the bill forthwith." But, yes, in the end the dog wags the tail. Fifty years ago Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" blew the cobwebs out of millions of young minds and drove a stake through the heart of Eisenhower's America. Lenni Brenner remembers Ginsberg in the East Village. Dr Mengele died in exile, in disguise. Dr Ishii died rich and recognized, in his own Tokyo home. Christopher Reed on Japanese WW2 medical tortures and how the U.S. covered them up. 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 3, 2006 Robert Bryce May 2, 2006 Evelyn Pringle Tariq Ali Saul Landau Paul Craig Roberts Gary Leupp Ron Jacobs Sen. Russell
Feingold Anthony Papa Website of the
Day
May Day, 2006 Norman Finkelstein Christopher Reed Michael Donnelly Dave Zirin Mike Whitney Gilad Atzmon Missy Comley Beattie 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 Website of the
Weekend
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 3, 2006 Democrats and Immigrants: the Politics of EvasionOn the Streets of Chicago By LEE SUSTAR IT WAS the movement's dynamics in microcosm. Chicago's boisterous May Day march for immigrant rights had begun, and Democratic politicians were literally running to try to get to the front. "They thought they were going to lead the march," chuckled José Artemio Arreola, a school custodian, executive board member of Service Employee International Union (SEIU) Local 73, founder of the city's Casa Michoacan and central figure in Chicago's huge March 10 protest of 300,000--the first of the immigrant rights "mega marches" that have since swept across the U.S. Rather than elected officials leading the May Day march, Arreola explained, a group of disabled people were at the front. Arreola and other organizers had sent them off half an hour ahead of schedule in an attempt to manage the flow of the crowd at the pre-march rally at a Near West Side park. Meanwhile, the politicians had lined up an hour earlier outside a Teamsters union truck trailer that served as a sound stage. Among them was Rep. Rahm Emanuel, a former Clinton White House official, who now runs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, where he chooses candidates, directs the flow of campaign contributions and dictates "messaging." Emanuel's invitation to speak at the rally had caused controversy at a meeting of Chicago march organizers two days earlier because of his reported role in pressuring Democrats in swing districts to vote for HR 4437, the proposed legislation that would criminalize the 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. According to the Washington newsletter The Hill, Emanuel, who personally voted against the measure, ordered the "yes" votes to take an election issue away from the Republicans--and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) denounced him for doing so. But at the meeting ICIRR President Juan Salgado, who MCed the May Day rally, advocated for having Emanuel speak. A long debate ensued, reflecting in part a simmering controversy over whether the immigrant rights movement should push for amnesty for all, or support Democratic-backed "compromise" proposals that would include a guest-worker program. In the end, the organizers voted to have Emanuel speak on the condition that he sign a letter agreeing with the march's demand for full legalization--although this effort apparently went by the boards in the hectic hours before the march. SO THERE was the immaculately dressed Emanuel in muddy Union Park at 10 a.m., introduced to Arreola ("the lead organizer") before he took to the microphone. Asked about his role in pressuring some House Democrats to vote for HR 4437, Emanuel turned icy. "You're repeating a rumor--you have no basis for saying that," he said, as his two assistants summoned a Chicago police officer to prepare to escort a waiting car to get Emanuel to O'Hare Airport for a flight to Washington. Once at the microphone, Emanuel kept it brief--and vague. Asked after his speech if he would support a guest-worker program contained in various legislative compromise proposals, he said, "I'm for comprehensive reform" and a "path toward citizenship." Other prominent Democrats who spoke at the opening rally gave identical non-answers to the same question. "My concern is to make sure that [a guest-worker program] doesn't end up being an international temp agency" said Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, while greeting activists he knows from his days as a Chicago community organizer. But is he against any such program? "I'm not opposed in principle, but we're working on the details about how this thing should be structured," he said. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, the most prominent Latino politician in Chicago, captured the crowd's imagination by discrediting right-wing myths about immigrants. But he made no mention in his speech of proposals for guest-worker programs, even though he had already supported such a measure proposed by Sens. John McCain and Ted Kennedy. Instead, Gutierrez packaged his position with a crowd-pleasing phrase, calling for a "process of legalization" for immigrants. Later, he dismissed the question of whether guest worker programs mean second-class citizenship. "It just means that they can come, and they can earn their pathway here to the United States of America," Gutierrez said, leaving aside the question of what rights, if any, guest workers would have. Also speaking at the pre-march rally was Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who represents parts of Chicago and its northern suburbs. Rather than a temporary or guest worker program, "the best path is to legalization and citizenship," she said in an interview. But that doesn't mean amnesty, she said. "I think what we are talking about with legalization [is that] you have to demonstrate that you are willing to play by the rules," she said. "But the notion of a sweeping amnesty does not necessarily mean that people earn the right to become citizens, and that's what we want." If the Democrats could skate through the rally without saying much of substance, it's because they can't be pinned down on any "compromise" on guest workers as long as the Senate remains deadlocked on the issue. Arreola isn't worried, however, since he believes that the immensity of the movement will force them to change. "Rahm Emanuel changed a lot," he said. WHILE EMANUEL was jetting back to Washington, Schakowsky, Gutierrez and other politicians took a spot in the march about a mile behind the front line. The politicians eventually attracted television cameras as the march entered downtown Chicago's Loop. But the main attraction was the sight of 600,000 people on the move, a mass of humanity that was mostly Latino, but multiracial and ethnically diverse--and overwhelming working-class. The march filed down restaurant row on Randolph Street, where virtually all of the fruit markets and butcher shops were shut down for the day. In fact, hundreds of businesses across Chicago shut down for May Day, many posting signs issued by march organizers, even though there was not an official call for a boycott. Arreola said that calling for a boycott could have created problems for the unions in the May Day coalition, so instead, they simply scheduled an all-day event and encouraged people to come. Calling a boycott, he argued, was beside the point. "If I tell you I am going to kick you, and I kick you, or I just kick you, the result is the same," he had joked a few weeks earlier. Boosting the turnout was a major effort by several big unions who had negotiated time off for workers to attend the rally, including Arreola's SEIU Local 73 and SEIU Local 1, as well as UNITE HERE, the United Food and Commercial Workers, and some Teamsters locals. More politicians spoke at the final rally, as did several members of the clergy. But the prominence of organized labor in the movement and the working-class character of the march has shattered politics as usual across the U.S. The Democrats will doubtless try to contain the movement by making a deal with Republicans today, and promising improvements if they can take Congress away from the Republicans in the November elections. But this is a movement that's
begun to sense its power. Millions are fighting for justice and
equality--and they won't be satisfied with politicians' vague
promises much longer.
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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. |