At the conclusion of the 1960s, it seemed as if the world was about to erupt in a fury of revolution, war, and anger. The ongoing American occupation of Vietnam was intensifying, and millions of Vietnamese women and children were routinely slaughtered like wild dogs for no evident reason. Even though there had been much landmark legislation for blacks who had been drafted by 1969, many African Americans continued to endure the stifling burden of institutionalized American racism. The last two years of the 60’s also saw the shattered expectations and efforts of millions of activists who had attempted to work peacefully for societal and political change.
One of the most prominent non-violent protest organizations was the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) who had emerged in the early 60’s. At the annual SDS convention held in the summer of 1969, a young and fundamentally radical group was able to claim control of the crumbling SDS. Attractive and erudite young students, Bernadine Dohrn and Mike Clonsky, branded themselves as spokesmen for this organization. They called themselves the Weathermen. At the convention, delegates were handed a position paper entitled, “You Don’t Need a Weatherman to Know Which Way the Wind Blows.” It outlined the position of the fledgling Weathermen organization that already seemed almost fanatically committed to these radical ideals.
The early members of the Weathermen proclaimed themselves as the real leaders of the SDS and totally claimed control of the organization. The Weathermen derived their name from one of the first electrically driven Bob Dylan songs, Subterranean Homesick Blues . The name is found in the memorable stanza, ”You don t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” 1 This lyric is vital to understanding the ideology of the Weather Underground because it suggests that young people didn’t need their congressmen, newsman, or parents to inform them about what was happening in their world. They could determine the current state and future of their world independently, and without the aid of futile and corrupted institutions. The Weathermen also hoped they could appeal to the students who were inspired to protest by Dylan s music. (more…)
John Lennon once said, “A working class hero is something to beâ€. That song must have been played repeatedly on the I-pods of both Sarah Palin, and Joe Biden before the debate last night. It seemed like every other sentence uttered by the candidates was a childhood memory recalled from their days on Main Street, Scranton, or the Wild frontier for all we know. Now call me an elitist, anarchist, or maybe just a New Yorker, but when two Vice Presidential candidates use their “small town values†as one of the main qualifications for the White house, I think one thing. Bullshit.
These are politicians not employees at your local Home Depot. They are at top of the social spectrum. I guarantee you that the last time either of these candidates had to confront the struggles that most Americans face on a daily basis, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was still in theatres. Yes, both candidates rose through the ranks of their respected generations from their small town roots but that is yesterdays news. The way that they both used it as a political tactic was nauseating, and as obvious as McCain’s choice of Palin as a running mate in the first place. Since when did being a small town Americ an become a desirable credential for the second highest political office in the most influential country in the Western World.
Â
Dear fans, friends, fellow Facebookers, and fellow Americans,
Yes you read it right. Although completely ignored by the mainstream press this week, over 300 of our fellow citizens were arrested for peacefully demonstrating outside the Republican National Convention last week. With our band releasing a new album this week, I am busy and excited about life; as I am sure each of you are about your own lives. But I still feel it is important to take this time now to share with you the letter that I have written to St. Paul, Minnesota Mayor Chris Coleman asking him to remember where we live…. Last time I checked we called it The United States of America. And from what I can remember from those grueling lessons as a young boy in elementary school U S of A meant a little something called “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It also meant “liberty and justice for all.” Read more about the arrests of over 300 Americans at the RNC here.
The reason I am taking the time to write this evening, on the eve before the day of a very special album release for our band TRANSCENDENCE, is because I believe this matter is important. As much as I love music and art and truth and love and romance and beauty, I believe that freedom, justice, and liberty have to be the foundation which these other pleasures of our lives rest on. Our fellow citizens who are currently locked up in jail cells in St. Paul are not able to experience the basic pleasures of their lives right now… and for no other reason than they were exercising their American right to peaceably assemble.
Now Age Minute - by Craig Gordon
A Lighter Shade of Green
Many Progressive voters who helped Obama to become the prospective Democratic nominee for president are now questioning their support of the candidate. According to a story from the NY Times:
In the breathless weeks before the Oregon presidential primary in May, Martha Shade did what thousands of other people here did: she registered as a Democrat so she could vote for Senator Barack Obama.
Now, however, after critics have accused Mr. Obama of shifting positions on issues like the war in Iraq, the Bush administration’s program of wiretapping without warrants, gun control and the death penalty - all in what some view as a shameless play to a general election audience - Ms. Shade said she planned to switch back to the Green Party.
The other night, after a day out in the sun, my daughter noted that the top of my head was red with sunburn. I reassured her, telling her not to worry, that by morning, my head would return to my natural skin color, beige. That’s right. Even though I’m known as a “white man”, I’m not shiny white, but boring beige. Barack Obama, on the other hand, is referred to as a “black man”. But on closer inspection, he’s not black, at all, but brown. But that’s not the only color confusion surrounding Obama. While many of his critics complain that he’s too green (inexperienced) to run for president, I don’t think he’s green (Party) enough.
My friend, Roberta (not his real name), posited an interesting question the other day. A one-time Obama supporter, Roberta wondered if Barack would have voted against the Iraq War authorization had he actually been a US Senator, being that he apparently caved in to pressure from the White House, the Right, and maybe even lobbyists (no, not Barack!) , on the FISA vote. Or maybe he was just being calculating. In any case, with his vote, Obama flip-flopped from his position against telecom immunity during the primaries. Roberta suggested that when Obama made his 2002 speech against the impending war, as a state (not US) senator, he spoke his truth. But with his vote on FISA, and his new view on the Death Penalty, Roberta’s not so sure what Obama’s truths are, and if he’s able to stand up for those truths when it really matters. Or, if he is, as Reverend Wright suggested, “a politician”. What drew me to Barack was his assertion that he was running against the “old politics”, like those practiced by the Clintons. But now, when it matters, he’s triangulating like a good centrist. (more…)
In Pakistan this week, we saw the power of the people in action. Ordinary Pakistani citizens rose up to fight President Musharraf’s injustice and corruption, and, as a result, Musharraf resigned rather than face impeachment for his crimes against the constitution and judiciary. Our friend from Pakistan writes: “While the US media’s lens focused on the Taliban’s resurgence and US casualties in the region, a political and secular revolution was taking place in the streets of Pakistan. The fact that the people of Pakistan rose up against a US-backed military dictator and brought him down with such success is testimony to the will of Pakistan’s civilian leadership which wants to save the country from corrupt leaders–both military and religious.”
Let us take inspiration from the people of Pakistan. We, too, want to rise up to save our country from corrupt and unjust leaders.
That’s why we’ve been trailing Nancy Pelosi to urge her to put impeachment on the table click here to read Linda Milazzo’s stirring account of a recent disruption)
That’s why we encourage you to find out what you can do in your own community during the conventions. Click here to learn how to bring the message of peace to Obama viewing parties, and discover other creative, effective actions you can take in your neighborhood.
That’s why we need you to mark your calendars for September 20th, when the peace community will come together in a massive effort to knock on one million doors for peace. We can do it if you join us.
Also, click here to find out how to reach out to your neighbors with our peace platform and remind them that they have the power at the polls to bring peace into the election!
We saw how the power of the people made a difference in Pakistan. Now let’s pool our power to bring about real change in our own country!
With hope in all our ruckus-raising hearts,
Alicia, Anne, Dana, Deidra, Desiree, Farida, Gael, Gayle, Jean, Jodie, Liz, Lori, Medea, Nancy, Rae and Tighe
On a day such as this as we settle in with our friends and families or attend the town picnic, I ask that you pause and share a message with those you encounter today. Remind those near you that in nations around the globe it is illegal to own guns, it is illegal to speak freely, it is illegal to assemble peaceably. Remind them that we pause our lives to celebrate freedom because our founders chose to no longer live under the oppressive boot heel of tyranny.
My brothers and sisters in freedom I will share with you what happened to my wife as she traveled yesterday. While entering the train station on her way home she was greeted by throngs of yellow shirt clad police officers searching everyone who chose to travel by train. No warrants. They pressured her to submit to a search by asking, “Don’t you want to be safe?”
As I type these words I well up with tears for the loss of the freedoms we once shared. My heart is broken for this land. Now more than ever dear brothers and sisters it is time to rise and resist this tyranny.
It is time to turn back the clock and remember why we fight. For some it is the message Ron Paul spoke of during his campaign. For most it is the message Aaron Russo left us with. The man who changed the lives of millions of Americans and sparked a firestorm of freedom lives on in our daily struggle to “keep our republic”.
What have you done to keep the torch of liberty burning? Have you shared
America: Freedom to Fascism with someone? Have you shared Republic Magazine? Have you forwarded emails? Have you donated to an organization?
Have you stood on a street corner in sub-zero temperatures just to hold a sign?
If you have no answer, then take that one moment today and remember why we fight. That moment may be when you hear the Star Spangled Banner or watch the sea of American flags pass you on the street. But I ask you this, hold on to that moment and carry it with you for alone in the struggle for freedom you are not.
We the People of Restore The Republic are right there next to you.
May this Independence Day be a glorious one.
Yours forever in Freedom and Truth,
Gary S. Franchi Jr.
National Director
Successor to Aaron Russo
http://RestoreTheRepublic.com/Gary
Please support the Freedom Media Project:
http://FreedomMediaProject.com
This was just mailed in from ButterflySky… interesting…
Not a new one, but puts things in perspective - especially while waiting for the numbers on the gas pump to reach $165 the next time you fillup.
How many zeros in a billion?
This is too true to be funny.
The next time you hear a politician use the word ‘billion’ in a casual manner, think about whether you want the ‘politicians’ spending YOUR tax money.
A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of it’s releases.
A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.
E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.
While this thought is still fresh in our brain… let’s take a look at New Orleans …..
It’s amazing what you can learn with some simple division.
Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D) is presently asking Congress for 250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans.
Interesting number… what does it mean?
A. Well… if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528.
B. Or… if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329,787.
C. Or… if you are a family of four… your family gets $2,066,012.
Washington, D.C. HELLO!
Are all your calculators broken??
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License T ax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, Stat e and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago…
and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt…
We had the largest middle class in the world…
and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
What happened?
Can you spell ‘politicians!’
I hope this goes around the USA at least 100 times
What the heck happened?????
As part of its updated second quarter mission statement today, Fox News declared that it is still intent on injecting racism, prejudice, and fear into America’s political dialogue say several Fox representatives. Luckily there is something the American people can still do about it… if you’re a racist of course, just watch more FOX! YUM! But if not, read on. And as always keep on fighting the good fight whoever and wherever you are.
We usually don’t pick sides when it comes to politics believing rightly so that politics is politics and either side you’re on if you’re dumb enough to choose one of those ridiculously lousy choices then you get what you deserve. Sort of a Clinton versus Bush set up if you can imagine something so horrifying without puking up this morning’s breakfast… either way you’re screwed.
But we are going to break with our time honored tradition here just once and throw some support to the Dems through promoting this work by MoveOn.org simply because we feel that they are making some valid points. So read on children and let’s get these sly Foxs our of Dodge and our of our lives once and for all.
Dear MoveOn member,
Right now, FOX is trying to paint Barack Obama as foreign, un-American, suspicious, and scary. They’re trying to send Americans the message that our country’s first viable black candidate for President is not “one of us.”
We’ve seen this before from FOX. They won’t stop until it becomes too painful to continue—until the public calls them out and advertisers start getting worried.
Now is the time to draw a line in the sand by putting FOX on notice that their behavior won’t be tolerated. Nearly 100,000 Americans have already expressed their outrage. Can you express yours by adding your name to this message?
“FOX must stop injecting racism, prejudice, and fear into our political dialogue. We intend to hold FOX, its advertisers, and its personalities accountable for FOX’s attempts to smear the Obamas.”
FOX’s longtime pattern of smearing Obama and the black community is well documented.1 But the outrageous moments have increased in the last month.
First, a paid FOX commentator accidentally confused “Obama” with “Osama” and then joked on the air about killing Obama.2 Next, a FOX anchor said a playful fist bump by Barack and Michelle Obama could be a “terrorist fist jab.”3 And then, FOX called Michelle Obama “Obama’s baby mama”—slang for an unmarried mother of a man’s child, and a clear attempt to associate the Obamas with negative stereotypes about black people.4
If you know others who’d find FOX’s recent actions despicable, please ask them to sign the petition too. The more people who sign, the bigger our impact will be.
Our friends at ColorOfChange.org—an online advocacy group focused on the issues of importance to the black community—are leading this charge. They have already collected nearly 100,000 names to deliver as a group to FOX’s headquarters (in front of other media cameras, so FOX feels more heat). Here’s how they describe the situation:
After each of the incidents mentioned [above], FOX issued some form of weak apology. But what does it mean when you slap someone in the face, apologize the next day, then slap them again? It means the apology is meaningless.Now is the time to call out FOX for these attacks and their fake apologies. The first stop is FOX. Next will be their advertisers and the FCC. If we don’t push back now, we will see more of the same from now until November. Please join us to demand that FOX answer for its behavior:
Add your name to this important cause by clicking here—then tell your friends:
TuneInTurnOnHelpOut.org Founder Ed Hale write open letter to Fox News
Dear FOX NEWS,
God knows the world loves you all dearly just because since your inception you have continued to baffle so many - by more than adequately representing the concept of “impartial and slanted journalism” that it makes the jobs of millions of college professors easy by being able to use “FOX NEWS” as a real-world example. But sometimes, even though we know that what you do is similar to Jon Stewart - it’s a comedy sketch and you guys are just stand-ups “doing your job” and your job is to make people laugh by looking all straight faced by saying the most ridiculously ludicrous things… still… sometimes we all just go a bit too far.
Certainly, you have done your job admirably: You make us all laugh till we’re red in the face with those straight faces you manage to hold while attempting to read those teleprompters as if they were “real news…” And you know what? We LOVE you for that! It IS funny. And of course we also love you for what a good example you present to our Nation’s children of what a good news network is NOT supposed to be like. We are forever indebted to you for that. Fox News will forever be synonymous in the world with “really bad slanted journalism with no respect for integrity or dignity or the ethics of good journalistic practices” and that makes teaching American children what good journalism is really easy for millions of parents all over the world. For that, we thank you.
But just a humble request during the next few months in this presidential election…. tens of millions of us are asking you - just this once, we promise - to simply do your job for real - even if for just a few months: report the news. The real news. Whoever wins the US presidential race deserves to win. (For instance Gore in 2000). And no one needs a news network to help them win. If they do, then they don’t deserve to be president anyway. Can you see that? Even a little? Hope so.
So as big fans, we ask that you just take even a second or two and think for a moment about that time way back when you first decided to become journalists… Did you really take this job knowingly thinking that you would be a slave to giant corporations you’ll never get to meet face to face and and big tyrannical government and not be reporting real news? I ask that you ponder this question even if for a few seconds…
People actually depend on you to report news. (who they are I do not know. I have never met one… But I hear they exist) But they are certainly NOT thinking that you exist simply to attempt to persuade them, indoctrinate them, or brainwash them by deceptively pretending to be, and be doing, something you are not. Though those of us in the know “get this” and we get a kick out of it and all, I must say that I am a bit concerned for those folks who just don’t get what you’re all about that. They don’t get the joke yet.
If this hits home for any of you, good for you. Pack up your stuff and walk respectably out of that terrordome with your head held high and go back to pure journalism and news reporting. We need you. The American People need you. Best of luck in your decision.
Sincerely,
The Ambassador
See below to sign petition from Moveon.org who by the way also suffer from a similar malady…. they’re stuck in the “left-wing box” just as much as those poor Ritalin junkies at Fox News are stuck in the “right-wing box” - both groups totally lost and helpless in the Matrix… but at least Moveon.org drives on the right side of the road and isn’t flying out of control like some college aged GW Bush slamming into and killing pedestrians and asking “daddy” to help him with a free get out of jail card. For that we have to respect the folks at Moveon.org.
Petition below:
Subject: See this? FOX smears Obama
Hi,
FOX’s smears against Obama are out of control–have you heard about them? I just signed a petition telling FOX that their use of racism and prejudice is not okay. Would be great if you signed too.
First, a paid FOX commentator accidentally confused “Obama” with “Osama” and then joked on the air about killing Obama. Next, a FOX anchor said a playful fist pound by Barack and Michelle Obama could be a “terrorist fist jab.” (Seriously!) And then, FOX called Michelle Obama “Obama’s baby mama”–slang used to describe the unmarried mother of a man’s child.
Nearly 100,000 folks have signed a petition that will be delivered to FOX. Can you sign too? The more names, the bigger the impact. Here’s the link.
This just in from those expanding minds over at Rock the Vote — Great idea Heather.
Thanks for sending it!
Do you ever read any of the fine print in credit card pamphlets?
I don’t.
And that’s the point. Credit card companies are allowed to change your interest rate at any time, for any reason. They do this to increase profits at your expense, and your only recourse is to find a new company — with the exact same policies. We can take action now to stop the credit card companies’ abusive practices.
Here’s the deal: the Federal Reserve has asked for public feedback on a new set of regulations that would stop the most abusive credit card lending practices. The credit card industry is pissed, and fighting back. Our friends at Qvisory have set up a way for you to email the Fed. We can’t let the credit card companies win — send a message to the Fed today.
As young Americans go deeper in debt, the credit card industry rakes in billions in penalty fees, cash advances, and interest charges. Credit card companies take advantage of every opportunity to make a profit off consumers, especially young people, and keep us in debt.
Thirty-nine percent of students with loans graduate with “unmanageable debt,”meaning loan payments that are more than 8 percent of monthly income.
Forty-five percent of young adults use credit cards to pay for basic living expenses.
The average young adult with credit card debt spends almost a quarter of every dollar they earn on debt payments.
Young voters have shown their power this year, turning out in record numbers to choose our candidates for president. We also have the power to stop credit card companies from getting away with truly egregious activities. Please join us in making reform happen by signing our petition to the Federal Reserve.
Just when it appeared that no matter what we did, we were never going to make any headway and the bad guys were always going to win…. This just in from the Times….
Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Thursday, June 12, 2008 — 10:32 AM ET
—–
Justices Rule Terror Suspects Can Appeal in Civilian Courts
The Supreme Court ruled that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantánamo Bay have the right to challenge their detention in U.S. civilian courts.
Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/?emc=na
Uh, yeah, well that makes sense since that’s the FUCKING LAW to begin with! (Boy those TImes reporters sure have potty-mouths!)
We know we’ve been asking you to make a lot of phone calls to Congress lately. Tomorrow, as part of a “Time to Talk with Iran” event, UFPJ will be asking members of Congress to come out of their offices to make a phone call to Iran to talk directly with ordinary Iranian citizens.
But we need you to call too — while we’re on Capitol Hill talking to members of Congress in person, we ask that you flood their offices with phone calls demanding diplomacy.
National Call-In Day for Diplomacy With Iran Tuesday, June 10
Call your congressional representative: 1-800-788-9372
Talking points:
The U.S. must talk to Iran! Ask your rep to
co-sponsor H.R. 5056 to appoint an envoy to Iran for the purpose of easing tensions and normalizing relations with Iran.
The U.S. and Iran share common interests in a stable Iraq, Afghanistan, and Middle East.
The U.S. pursued negotiations with North Korea and Libya. It’s time to talk with Iran.
It is essential that we push back against the Bush administration’s push for bombing Iran. Your phone calls are an important part of the pushback. Please call today!
The same people who called for attacking Iraq now are raising the drumbeat for military action against Iran. The Bush administration is labeling Iran as one of the greatest threats to U.S. security, despite the November 2007 U.S. National Intelligence Estimate which concluded that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program.
Bombing Iran would bring disastrous consequences:
The entire Middle East likely would descend into further violence putting the well-being of innumerable civilians at risk.
U.S. standing in the world would plummet, and oil prices would soar.
A U.S. attack would only strengthen hardliners in Iran.
Current U.S. policies are not working. Threats of military attacks and regime change, while refusing to talk with Iran until they stop enriching uranium, are only heightening tensions.
Tell your congressional leaders that you want dialogue not war! 1-800-788-9372
Hey Kids, The ambassador here. Now i must admit. I used to use Working Assets as my telephone service provider back when we had things like “telephones.” But since i made the switch to “cell phone only world,” i haven’t seen a Working Assets bill, and that’s been years. But i too LOVE Working Assets as Heather down below does as she goes gaga for them. Truth is, if what she says is for real, let’s ALL make the switch. tres tres cool. Read below. Yours, E
And now a word from Heather Smith of Rock the Vote:
As you may have noticed, I sometimes forward on e-mails from CREDO Mobile. That’s because CREDO Mobile is Rock the Vote’s online voter registration partner and organizes around incredibly important progressive issues. Already this year, 600,000 young people have used Rock the Vote and CREDO Mobile’s online registration tool. Rather than just explaining what CREDO does, CREDO suggested that we pass on this (real!) blog post:
Posted by benwyskida April 25, 2008 on the PinkoMag Blog
In 1999 I joined Working Assets long distance. I did it almost entirely because they sent you two free coupons for Ben & Jerry’s with each bill, and who wouldn’t like that? In 2002 I switched to their cell phone service. In the early Wild West days of socially-responsible living, Working Assets was a gamble. It was expensive; service would fade in and out, and once an operator told me nicely that my phone might have problems working in downtown Philly because there were lots of “obstacles,” also known as buildings.
BUT I loved the fact that they gave piles of money to progressive nonprofits; that they sent action alerts in my cell phone bill and I could order lefty books; and the fact that my cash WASN’T going to a major media cell phone company. And I waited, patiently, for the point where the service was good enough and it was a safe enough bet that I could say to all my friends: There is no reason NOT to have them as your mobile provider, especially if you want a nice easy way (and who doesn’t) to do a little something for the left.
Last week, I notified them that I had moved. And my phone company—my freakin’ phone company—emailed me a link to a voter registration form, so that I didn’t forget to change my registration info. Two days later they emailed again to ask if I’d changed the registration yet. Two days after that I got a letter, triple checking that I was registered. I thought, okay, that’s awesome. It’s time. Everyone should take the plunge.
I realize that this is pretty shameless and pretty pushy a plug. Anticipating that, I’m ready to answer questions I’m sure you’ll have that are preventing you from giving your $60 a month to a good company and instead paying $60 a month for the salary of the can you hear me now guy.
1. Is it a real phone company?
Yes. It’s like Sprint. Or T-Mobile. Or Verizon. You pick a plan, they send you a phone, you call people.
2. Are the phones made of hemp and cashew nut cheese?
I wish! But they’re not. They have real actual phones with cameras and text messages.
3. Can I keep my number, and what about the contract?
Gotcha on this! Yes, you can keep your number. And … wait for it … Working Assets will pay off your contract. There is literally no risk or reason. (Oh: the one debbie downer is that if you have an iPhone, Apple struck a deal and you can’t use a different service provider. It sucks, and maybe it will change.)
4. Is the service good? Is it more expensive?
The service, I’m glad to say, is now just as good as any other phone. Totally comparable. As for more expensive, it may be slightly more depending on the plan. But even if it is, those couple more dollars are going to prison reform organizations, media justice groups, nifty indie media outlets, and women’s rights. You help all those people and don’t have to do anything, you just talk talk blah blah like usual and pay your bill and then awesome groups get money.
5. How do I join CREDO Mobile, ditch my corporate cell phone and do good things? Click here. Go!
Tonight RTR brings you a story soon to be on the front pages of every newspaper and news network across the country.
Our guest, accompanied by his attorney will share with you his personal story of torture, loss, and betrayal by our own Government and cover up by the Canadian authorities to preserve their agenda for a North American Union.
Not only will you hear his story but we will be putting out a call to action to put pressure on those who are tasked with protecting Americans abroad to fully address those Canadians whom violated international treaties with the help of members of the US Government.
THIS CALL IS NOT TO BE MISSED.
TONIGHT (Thursday) 9pm EST / 8pm CST / 6pm PST
There are 2 ways to join this **Special Conference**:
By Phone (200 max listeners): Dial (218)486-3695Â Guest Pin: 733552#
By Internet (2000 max listeners): Visit http://www.restoretherepublic.com and click on the play button (top front page)
If you have trouble accessing the RTR front page or have a dial-up connection please connect using http://RestoreTheRepublic.com/call.html
At Approximately 10:00 pm EST we will open up for Q/A using the question submission form that will appear on the RTR front page at that time. The question form is currently up at: http://RestoreTheRepublic.com/call.html
PLEASE MUTE YOURSELF WHEN ENTERING THE CALL.
Mute/Unmute Yourself: *6 *7
***
WARNING: The torture details of this story are graphic and may not be suitable for younger audiences.
***
Tomorrow the FED Banker interview video will be released.
***
If you missed last nights call about “Surviving the Next Great Depression” and getting paid for activism, it can be downloaded with this link: http://www.restoretherepublic.com/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,123/Itemid,59/
Sent from your friends at:
RestoreTheRepublic.com, 3149 Dundee Rd #176, Northbrook, Illinois 60062, USA
I don’t get to vote for President this primary season. I live in Michigan. The party leaders (both here and in D.C.) couldn’t get their act together, and thus our votes will not be counted.
So, if you live in Pennsylvania, can you do me a favor? Will you please cast my vote — and yours — on Tuesday for Senator Barack Obama?
I haven’t spoken publicly ’til now as to who I would vote for, primarily for two reasons: 1) Who cares?; and 2) I (and most people I know) don’t give a rat’s ass whose name is on the ballot in November, as long as there’s a picture of JFK and FDR riding a donkey at the top of the ballot, and the word “Democratic” next to the candidate’s name.
Seriously, I know so many people who don’t care if the name under the Big “D” is Dancer, Prancer, Clinton or Blitzen. It can be Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Barry Obama or the Dalai Lama.
Well, that sounded good last year, but over the past two months, the actions and words of Hillary Clinton have gone from being merely disappointing to downright disgusting. I guess the debate last week was the final straw. I’ve watched Senator Clinton and her husband play this game of appealing to the worst side of white people, but last Wednesday, when she hurled the name “Farrakhan” out of nowhere, well that’s when the silly season came to an early end for me. She said the “F” word to scare white people, pure and simple. Of course, Obama has no connection to Farrakhan. But, according to Senator Clinton, Obama’s pastor does — AND the “church bulletin” once included a Los Angeles Times op-ed from some guy with Hamas! No, not the church bulletin!
This sleazy attempt to smear Obama was brilliantly explained the following night by Stephen Colbert. He pointed out that if Obama is supported by Ted Kennedy, who is Catholic, and the Catholic Church is led by a Pope who was in the Hitler Youth, that can mean only one thing: OBAMA LOVES HITLER! (more…)
ANSWER Coalition holds press conference to demand extradition of Posada and freedom for the Cuban Five :: FOIA request filed to uncover links between U.S. government and anti-Cuba terrorists
The Bush administration is ratcheting up the campaign against the people of Cuba. The ANSWER Coalition and the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five are mounting a vigorous campaign to defend the peace and security for the people of Cuba and the United States.
On Monday, the Cuban government revealed that the Bush administration’s ambassador to the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Michael Parmly, handled cash transfers from convicted terrorist Santiago Alvarez to Martha Beatriz Roque and other individuals on the island who have been championed by Bush in their effort to overthrow the Cuban government and the Cuban Revolution.
The ANSWER Coalition has been actively campaigning for the extradition or prosecution of anti-Cuba terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, who is known to have longstanding connections to the CIA. More than 50,000 people have responded to the appeal from the ANSWER Coalition to write letters to Bush demanding that Luis Posada Carriles be extradited to Venezuela or prosecuted here in the United States. He is wanted for planting a bomb on a Cuban civilian airliner, which took the lives of 73 people, and the bombing attacks against Cuban tourist hotels in the late 1990s.
The ANSWER Coalition also filed yesterday a Freedom of Information Action request to uncover all interactions and transactions between the United States government and anti-Cuba terrorist organizations. Click this link to download the FOIA request.
“Yes,” he answered to no one in particular when the question appeared in the room; staring off into the open space that connects us all, “it is a challenge. But it is also extremely entertaining. Perhaps because it is just so damn interesting.”
He was referring to the question, more of a statement it was really, regarding how difficult and challenging it must be to handle the constant influx of comments and mail both good and bad, both slobberlingly gracious and downright nasty, that one receives or reads online about oneself when one places himself out THERE in the public domain. Especially in such a personal and potentially vulnerable manner in which our hero has made a habit of over the last fifteen years. The internet has made it all the more overwhelming now of course because to give an interview in the Times is one thing. To post your latest rant on the internet as fair bait for everyone and anyone takes a brave soul, or perhaps just an insane one. But truly, and this just might be the greatest benefit of it, it eventually reaches a point where there is no conceivable way to actually read all of it, let alone personally answer it.
But every now and then I do. Truth is, for better or worse, thoughtfully complimentary or insanely rude and hateful, I enjoy scanning through Youtube comments especially. Real human dialogue is almost always instantly and immediately created. And again it is not a practice for the faint of heart. Not only am I just as addicted to the revolution we call YouTube as the next guy, I see it as a very exciting harbinger of what’s to come. In essence, that which we now call YouTube is the future, our future.
When I can find the time, which is becoming less and less available and more and more valuable these days, I will sit down and shoot off as many replies as I can when a community has cropped up around a particular video. It always amazes me how regardless of what the actual video is about people will still find a way to turn the dialogue that begins to mushroom around a particular video into these little bickering arguments amongst themselves. How quickly one or more will jump to ad hominem attacks of perfect strangers right there online for all the world to read - rather than simply staying on point or on message. When the video in question is one of my own I will on occasion attempt to jump in and add my own two cents in order to quench a few fires and get people back on track… (more…)
United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) is an organization which gets a lot of support from us around here. For many reasons. One of its principles, Bill Dobbs, had a good hand in turning me on to what activism was really all about. I had some opportunity to watch him in action during an organized Free Trade protest event that lasted days and days a few years back and the man was just tireless. Absolutely persistent, relentless, and committed to the goal of helping to get the word out to the mass media and to the world at large about the potential dangers and pitfalls of Free Trade. I learned much from watching him work. It taught me a lot about what it means to be “an activist.”
Since that time, I have been a UFPJ member and supporter when i could be, and at the very least always try to get the word out on what they are up to. Because what they are up to is always about “us” — their main concern is helping us even during times when we may not be aware of a potential problem yet. Such as right this very minute congress is about to vote on another bill to give the “white house” more money to continue to illegally occupy another country. Now this is some tricky stuff of course. Because Iraq really is no longer another country since we took it over. It now essentially belongs to us if we’re all going to just be honest here. And yes there is also the fact that if we leave, though what the US White House Administration did was illegal and immoral and grossly barbaric, we take the risk of this new Nation falling into the hands of some who may not have our best interest at heart. This argument may be where I and UFPJ differ. I am against the invasion of Iraq. Read the statement above again. But I also understand that we just blew a hole in that part of the world the size of, well, a small country, and we don’t want to leave a gaping wound for just anyone to come and fix up. This poses a huge security risk for us and other EU nations. Unfortunately it was us who started this war, and now we are going to have to be the ones who resolve things over there until the job is done.
But at the same time, I recognize that UFPJ has been very supportive of this group of Iraq Veterans Against the War — these are the actual soldiers who have been serving over there on our behalf. If you go to YouTube, you can spend a good number of hours watching them speak right into the camera about what it is like over there. I highly recomened it. Both veterans still there, and veterans now home. Both veterans for the invasion and veterans against it. It is a good idea to get THEIR side of the story since after all they are the ones over their risking their lives, getting killed, and getting hurt, injured, deformed, and maimed for life. (more…)
Many Progressive voters who helped Obama to become the prospective Democratic nominee for president are now questioning their support of the candidate. According to a story from the NY Times:
That’s why we’ve been trailing Nancy Pelosi to urge her to put impeachment on the table
