FEATURED ARTICLES
- A Vision of Power, by Paul Krugman, NY Times
- Controversial Choice for...Archivist of the United States-Secrecy Strategy? by John W. Dean, FindLaw's Writ
- Blog-Tracking May Gain Ground Among U.S. Intelligence Officials, Investors Business Daily
- What Do We Do Now? by Howard Zinn, June, 2004 issue of The Progressive
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them."
- - Patrick Henry
KNOW YOUR HISTORY - APRIL 28th
1868 -- Fort Laramie Treaty signed, promising The Black Hills to The Great Sioux Nation, "For as long as the grass grows and the rivers run." Later the US stole back the hills, years later offering millions in retribution if the Sioux would agree to the theft.
1953 -- Iran: After engineering the overthrow of the democratically elected government, the CIA installs the Shah of Iran, beginning a 25-year dictatorship & reign of terrorism in that part of the "Free World".
1965 -- Dominican Republic: President Johnson sends 20,000 US Marines to invade & prop up the military junta/dictatorship and prevent the ascension of democratically elected president Juan Bosch. The troops are not withdrawn until next year. Another "Free World" thing.
RHINO HERE:
James Madison once said, "A popular government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps both." On Thursday, dick cheney & the dubya will appear before the 9-11 commission, but not before the American people. As they answer questions, no doubt as elusively as possible, let's all remember that they've done everything they can to thwart the American people's right to know the truth about so many things. The results of their actions can certainly be called both farce & tragedy. Today's BOTTOM LINE by historian treasure, Howard Zinn, goes a long way to clear away the fog of lies & secrecy that is the Iraq war. But first...
Also this week, shrub & co. attorneys are arguing before the US Supreme Court regarding cheney's attempts to keep the records of his energy meetings secret. In the first article below, Paul Krugman suggests the argument isn't so much about keeping specific facts secret, but more about the V.P. defending, "a doctrine that makes the United States a sort of elected dictatorship: a system in which the president, once in office, can do whatever he likes, and isn't obliged to consult or inform either Congress or the public."
A Vision of Power
by Paul Krugman, NY Times, April 27, 2004
There's a deep mystery surrounding Dick Cheney's energy task force, but it's not about what happened back in 2001. Clearly, energy industry executives dictated the content of a report that served their interests. The real mystery is why the Bush administration has engaged in a three-year fight - which reaches the Supreme Court today - to hide the details of a story whose broad outline we already know. One possibility is that there is some kind of incriminating evidence in the task force's records. Another is that the administration fears that full disclosure will highlight its chummy relationship with the energy industry. But there's a third possibility: that the administration is really taking a stand on principle. And that's what scares me...
MORE: http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0427-02.htm.
The shrub gang's attempts to keep their records secret goes much deeper than those energy task force meetings. The appointment of a little known government position known as Archivist of the United States is a case in point. Thanks to John Dean for calling attention to this story. And no thanks to the tri-letter networks.
And for lots of info & links on government secrecy, check out: http://www.fas.org/sgp/
A Controversial Choice for the Position of Archivist of the United States:
Part of the Bush Administration's Secrecy Strategy?
by John W. Dean, FindLaw's Writ, April 23, 2004
On April 8, the U. S. Senate received the President's nomination for a new Archivist of the United States -- historian Allen Weinstein. For most Americans, this is an obscure post. But the Weinstein nomination has rightly been gathering increasing attention... ...Why is President Bush so eager to switch archivists? Bruce Craig of the National Coalition for History explains that the Administration is likely motivated both by "the sensitive nature of certain presidential and executive department records expected to be opened in the near future," and also by "genuine concern in the White House that the president may not be re-elected." Craig also notes that "in January 2005, the first batch of records (the mandatory 12 years of closure having passed) relating to the president's father's administration will be subject to the Presidential Records Act (PRA) and could be opened." Finally, Craig (like many others) also reports that there is White House concern about the release of the 9/11 Commission records...
MORE AT: http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0423-03.htm
So where are the citizens of an occupied democracy to learn the truth? And where might the "intelligence community" look to find out things thay can't find elsewhere? The blogosphere of course.
Blog-Tracking May Gain Ground Among U.S. Intelligence Officials
By Doug Tsuruoka, Investors Business Daily, Apr 27, 2004
People in black trench coats might soon be chasing blogs. Blogs, short for Web logs, are personal online journals. Individuals post them on Web sites to report or comment on news especially, but also on their personal lives or most any subject. Some blogs are whimsical and deal with "soft" subjects. Others, though, are cutting edge in delivering information and opinion. As a result, some analysts say U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials might be starting to track blogs for important bits of information... ...The CIA and FBI haven't publicly commented about use of blogs in their work, but many D.C. observers believe both agencies monitor certain blogs. At least one nation, China, is actively tracking blogs. It's also reportedly trying to block blogs. Several press reports earlier this year said the government shut two blogging services and banned access to all Web logs by Chinese citizens. Many journalists write blogs and use other blogs to help find sources or verify facts and rumors. Blogs hail from just about any spot on the globe. They can provide first-hand insights into local events and thinking, even in parts of the world where there's little official information. One example is the "Baghdad Blogger."...
MORE AT: Blog-Tracking
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