LIKE BLINDERS ON A HORSE

More than 200 peace activists protested yesterday in Minneapolis while Obama spoke to the American Legion annual convention

Two hundred people isn't so bad for a protest these days. It's good to see that folks turned out in Minnesota when Obama came to their community yesterday to make the annual presidential pilgrimage to the American Legion convention.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote about the protest:

Some protesters said their numbers would have been larger if a Republican were in the White House conducting current military operations. "His decisions have been horrible," Terry Schwartz, a retired college teacher, said of Obama. "If this were Bush, if this were Reagan, there would be a much larger crowd."

Yes indeed, if this had been a Bush speech hundreds more would have been present. They would have been the "good Democrats" who usually feel it is their duty to protest wars and high military spending when a Republican is in office. But when a Democrat holds the highest office many of these folks become submissive and turn away from the fight.

This "confusion" on the part of many loyal Democrats, who still consider themselves peace activists, continues at epidemic proportions.

In my own community just yesterday I saw an email from one peacenik who trashed Cornell West who has recently become more vocal in his criticism of Obama's presidency. This person wrote, "West, while he should be an academic activist working in concert with others, spends too much time lambasting the president. For instance, West claims that the controversial decision to go into Libya was antithetical to Kings Dream. Its very true that any additional spending on war hurts us domestically and none of us like war, but the decision to do that was in the context of a massive uprising across the Arab world, which was rooted in the very issues King desired for all humanity....I am most grateful to people in the Arab world for shaking up the global powers that be."

I was really dumbfounded by this person's defense of Obama's war on Libya and wrote back asking if the US-NATO war alliance wasn't in fact the very "powers that be" that he was referring to? I've had no response.

It seems to me that people who try to publicly defend Obama have to twist themselves and the truth like a pretzel. How can anyone of good sense claim that the US-NATO attack was anything but more imperial power politics in action? How can anyone claim that the documented NATO bombing of civilian homes, schools, hospitals and the like in Libya was truly an attempt to liberate the people? It's nonsense.

When you bury your head in the sand, or wear blinders like a horse, because you don't want to face the reality that your president works for the "corporate man" you are playing mind games with yourself. That is fine if you wish to do this to your own head. One has that right. What is not acceptable though is when one twists the truth and foists those delusions into the public square. You should expect you will be challenged for saying such things!

Attacks on people like Cornell West, who is actually working with others and laying all the cards on the table about Obama's complicity with the "powers that be," are nothing more than a sad attempt to cover Obama's bare behind. This is the state of our country today. Very sad indeed.

FUKUSHIMA DISASTER UPDATE

Respected Physicist Dr. Michio Kaku tells CNN reporter that Japanese Government and Nuclear Corporation lied to us and their own public concerning the level of danger and radiation leaking at time of melt down.

Kaku was a founding member of the Global Network.

RECYCLED SOLAR

Millions of the poorest people in the Philippines live without electricity.

Many are informal settlers who illegally connect themselves to power sources, often leading to fires breaking out in their homes.

Now, a new and cheap solar-light idea is providing an answer for a growing number of Filipinos.

Al Jazeera's Marga Ortigas reports from Manila, the Philippines.

SALT OF THE EARTH

"Salt of the Earth" was produced, written and directed in 1954 by victims of the Hollywood blacklist - all had been blacklisted by the Hollywood establishment due to their alleged involvement in communist politics. Unable to make films in Hollywood, they looked for worthy social issues to put on screen independently. This film never would have been made in Hollywood at the time, so it is ironic that it was the anti-communist backlash that brought about the conditions for it to be made. In many ways it was a film ahead of its time. Mainstream culture did not pick up on its civil rights and feminist themes for at least a decade.

"Salt of the Earth" tells the tale of a real life strike by Mexican-American miners. The story is set in a remote New Mexico town where the workers live in a company town, in company-owned shacks without basic plumbing. Put at risk by cost cutting bosses, the miners strike for safe working conditions. As the strike progresses, the issues at stake grow, driven by the workers' wives. At first the wives are patronized by the traditional patriarchal culture. However, they assert themselves as equals and an integral part of the struggle, calling for improved sanitation and dignified treatment. Ultimately, when the bosses win a court order against the workers preventing them from demonstrating, gender roles reverse with the wives taking over the picket line and preventing scab workers from being brought in while the husbands stay at home and take care of house and children.

In neorealist style, the producers and director used actual miners and their families as actors in the film.

This film was selected for the National Film Registry in 1992 by the Library of Congress. It became public domain after its copyright was not renewed in 1982.

For more about "Salt of the Earth," visit its IMDB page @ http://imdb.com/title/tt0047443/

THE RESOURCE WAR ON AFRICA

Middle East analyst Dan Glazebrook says NATO used the rebels to make Libya a failed state. He suggests the war on Libya is really about wider US-NATO plans in Africa and in particular competition with China for influence on the continent.

See an interesting article about French role in Libya war here

RAISING SAND AT THE WHITE HOUSE

Will the magician in the White House listen to the cries of environmental activists, NASA scientists, and ordinary concerned citizens?

Can Obama afford to blow off another progressive constituency?

ENDLESS WAR- MADE IN USA

Made in the USA
by Morgana Warner-Evans

We've fought a thousand battles. We've won a hundred wars.
And we've stripped our fill of freedom from those distant golden shores.
And we've propped up many a dictator, made many a despot fall.
Was it worth a fight for oil? Was it worth a fight at all?
D G G D/ D G G A/ D G G A/ D G GA D

Now the war clouds rage all around us, and the rain falls fast as tears.
A few of us ride into battle, and the rest just cry out in fear.
Can a country make valiant citizens, who will say no more killing today,
Or is it just tear gas and bullets that are made in the USA?

Now think of the wars that we've weathered, they said would make us free.
When soldiers left their loved ones to go fight across the sea.
And they swore that the cause was all noble, but all that this country can show
Are crumbling schools, roads, and bridges, and a glory that none of us know.

What once was a struggling nation is now a great force at the top.
We didn't just wait for our power; we sweated and worked our way up.
But we have earned nothing but hatred. Our anger has taken its toll.
Half of the world's lost their bodies. The other half's missing their souls.

Now the war clouds rage all around us, and the rain falls fast as tears.
A few of us ride into battle, and the rest just cry out in fear.
Can a country make valiant citizens, who will say no more killing today,
Or is it just tear gas and bullets that are made in the USA?

So I wonder if there's a new future; a new world order to come.
When there's trouble in other nations, we no longer reach for the guns.
But we think of the wars of each decade, and the people who died fighting them.
And we rise up and speak truth to power: we swear we'll fight never again.

POWER OR POWERLESS

We lost our electricity at our house last night during dinner with several local ministers who had come to talk about holding a public service of atonement in Bath during the period of Sept 10 - Oct 10 when we will be organizing a statewide Bring Our War $$ Home Care-a-Van across Maine.

It's now 1:30 pm the next day and I write this blog post from a local coffee shop that has a generator running so I am able to have some power to run my laptop. A great deal of Maine seems to have lost their power from Hurricane Irene that was mostly rain and strong wind by the time it got this far north. The worst seems to have hit western Maine.

Thinking about power and powerlessness makes my mind connect to Jeju Island in South Korea. The police clamp down on the villagers by the right-wing government continues as they have now served 39 people with injunctions threatening $2,000 fines each time they go onto any "property" claimed by the Navy. (This property was previously the farm land of the villagers that has been taken by the government to build the Navy base for U.S. warships.) The government has also banned the chanting of slogans if you can believe it.

In the photo above you see many government police sitting in the middle of the villagers Catholic mass that is held each day. Clearly they are trying to intimidate and frustrate the people. Instead the villagers and supporters just sat down amongst the young police and the service went on.

Father Moon, just out of jail, addressed the mass and said the following:

"Right now there are two flags in Gangjeong. One is the flag of the National police agency chief Cho Hyon-oh, symbol of the violence of police power, another is the flag of Bishop Kang U-il of Jeju Diocese, symbol of peace and solidarity. Cho Hyon-oh's flag is the flag of unreasonable use of force to suppress the villagers. The flag of the Bishop is the flag of the powerless, taken away by violence,... being ignored and ridiculed. . They can take our lives but they cannot take our alive hearts longing for peace. Now the dictator's end is seen. The flag of power, the flag of Cho Hyon-oh will be broken. . . not so long....Look at Herod who cut the throat of John the Baptist . . . John the Baptist was dead, but alive until now in people's hearts. Do not need to be scared of the dictator. We will go the way of peace that we have to make."

This whole Jeju Island fight is indeed a classic story about the little guy up against the big bad bully state. The villagers are staying non-violent, creative, humble, and determined. Support for them is growing worldwide. Information is flowing from the village to supporters around the world even after many key persons have been put on ice by the corporate bully President Myung-Bak Lee. (Often called the "Bulldozer" or MB2 which stands for "2 Megabyte brain")

I heard today that the Mayors for Peace application has been submitted to the international organization on behalf of Gangjeong village Mayor Kang who is now hunger striking from his jail cell. Mayors for Peace intends to promote the villagers struggle in upcoming international correspondence with their member mayors around the world. Their staff remarked how impressed they have been as they followed the non-violent efforts of the villagers to maintain the integrity of their community and way of life.

The Bulldozer will likely order his forces to become even more repressive and brutal during the coming weeks because all he knows to do is to get meaner with every passing minute. But each of these harsh steps will only serve to increase the global solidarity levels.

In fact President Lee is now powerless and the Gangjeong villagers hold the power. MB2's government only knows to use the tool of anger - the hammer. The villagers have many tools in their non-violence tool kit.

THE PRAYER

Michael Fishbach narrates his encounter with a humpback whale entangled in a fishing net. Gershon Cohen and he have founded The Great Whale Conservancy to protect whales. http://www.greatwhaleconservancy.org is their website, or go to gwc's facebook page, and join them in helping to save these magnificent beings.

DEFENDING THE PUBLIC SIDEWALK

Forty of us from Veterans for Peace, CodePink, and PeaceWorks lined up in front of the former Navy base in Brunswick early yesterday morning as tens of thousands of people drove from around the region to pay $20 a head to watch a military (Blue Angels) airshow that serves to recruit young people to join the war machine.

Kids filled the backseats of the cars, SUV's, and pick-up trucks that crawled through the long line of traffic. Many of the young folks, like their parents, have already learned to do the "dead stare" as they tried hard not to make eye contact with us strange creatures holding signs outside an event they were all so eager to attend. What kind of people would protest our military planes and our "hero" pilots? A few reminded us that we need this massive military might to kill the "Muslims". (Back in the 80's they'd say the "Commies". People have been well trained to always find an enemy to justify this madness.)

Some passing by in their gas-guzzling trucks told us that we were lucky to be able to protest - thanks to those who kill for our freedom. But little do they know about the challenges we daily face to maintain our presence on places like public sidewalks.

When I arrived at 8:30 am a handful of our people were already lined up on the grass holding banners. I took my sign out onto a cement island and the cops were on me like flies on shit. One of them got in my face and threatened me with arrest if I didn't move pronto. I'd stood on this spot many times before at previous Blue Angels airshows. But mostly I objected to the way he spoke to me - basically like I was a piece of nothing. I told him that and then I moved onto the sidewalk. The cops followed me and told me I had to stand on the grass, the sidewalk was off-limits. I told them that I'd stood on this public sidewalk at previous events, in fact twice MB and I had spent the entire night vigiling on this very sidewalk, and had no intention of moving.

The police threatened me we arrest and I told them while I had not come looking for trouble, I didn't think their arrest would hold up in court. I urged them though to do what they had to do. They called over two more cops, one with the Aids-prevention surgical gloves on, and I knew they were making their play to frighten me into submission. I stood my ground. Then, likely trying to save face, they suggested if I kept moving along the sidewalk I could stay. Not completely satisfied with that compromise I agreed wanting to end the nightmare.

I was later told that one of our guys said to the hard-nosed cop who first went at me, "Good compromise" and he replied to them, "We'll see if he's still moving in an hour."

At the end of the hour I was still moving, at the end of two I was moving, after three hours I was slowly moving up and down the sidewalk and during the last hour when we held a rally I stood mostly still on the sidewalk, with my sign behind my back so cars could see it as I listened to the speakers.

The screaming war planes don't protect my right to protest. Each time I defend my right to stand on a public sidewalk I find that the militarists are no where to be found - in fact if they could have their way most of them would cheer the police hauling me off to jail.

SUNDAY SONG

ODDS & ENDS

Mayor Kang being wrestled to the ground when he was arrested days ago

• Latest news from Jeju Island is that Father Moon was released from jail late last night (it does not look good to keep a popular Catholic priest in jail - 40% of South Koreans are Catholic). Mayor Kang and two others are still in jail. A few days ago I reported that this weekend Catholics from the mainland will fly to Jeju Island on a special "peace plane" paid for by the head of all Catholic bishops in the country. I got the date wrong - they will be coming to Jeju on Sept 3. The international group Mayors for Peace is now working to build support worldwide for Mayor Kang with their 5,000 members. The South Korean government has stepped into a hornet's nest by arresting Mayor Kang. Once Mayors for Peace gets going on this effort things could really begin to blow wide open.


• My trip to Washington DC tomorrow on the train for my trial will be delayed. Amtrak has cancelled the train schedule due to Hurricane Irene. In addition, the government asked for a delay in the trial since they were still not prepared to prosecute us for the simple act of standing in front of the White House in opposition to endless wars.


• My second interview on Helen Caldicott's radio show began running yesterday. You can listen to it by clicking here


• I got my first look at our Space Alert newsletter last night from our layout person. I've got the weekend to review it for errors before it will go to the printer on Monday. It's always such an overwhelming task to get started when I face the mounds of things to read....but once I get started I am like a huge rock rolling down hill....and it's always exciting to see the near-final product.

LOVE YOU FATHER MOON

Catholic priest Father Moon after being pulled down from the top of a van carrying Gangjeong village Mayor Kang inside

On August 25 the South Korean police arrested five members of the Gangjeong village protest movement. They were then taken to the nearby police station. The crowd of protesters moved to the station and continued with their protest.

Father Moon climbed on top of the police van that had Gangjeong village Mayor Kang inside to prevent him being moved to the nearby police station. Father Moon was wrestled to the ground by plain clothes cops. Then at the police station he again climbed on top of the van and was again taken down.

In the video you see this action play out and at the end you see Father Moon himself being moved to the prison in Jeju city. The villagers chant: "public authority is arrogant. . . they ignore villagers. . . love you, father"

TWISTED UP BY A SUPER COUP D'ETAT

The Boston Globe had a blaring headline on August 15: 'Doomsday' defense cuts directly affect panel members - Large military contractors are in their states.

Put your ear to the railroad tracks and you can hear the train coming. Now that the new 12-member Congressional "Super Committee" has essentially been given the power of God (and the Devil) the military industrial complex, and their appendage called the corporate media, are swinging into action. Their message? We can't cut Pentagon spending because it will hurt an already tight job market.....and we need these troops to keep knocking countries off the "Non-Integrating Gap" list (those countries that refuse to play ball with corporate globalization).

The article begins, "The six Republicans and six Democrats represent states where the biggest military contractors - Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Corp., Raytheon Co., and Boeing Co. - build missiles, aircraft, jet fighters, and tanks while employing tens of thousands of workers."

It's really quite a convenient "coincidence" that the appointed members of the Super Committee just happen to have the "biggest military contractors" in their states. Gee, I wonder when it comes down to more cuts in social spending OR cuts in Pentagon funding, which way will they go?

The Globe goes on to say, "Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, one of the Democratic members of the deficit-reduction committee, represents a state that was fifth in the nation with $8.37 billion in defense contracts this year, behind Virginia, California, Texas, and Connecticut, according to data on the federal government's website www.USAspending.gov ..... In Tewksbury and Andover, deep defense cuts could have serious ramifications for thousands of Raytheon employees working on the Patriot, the air and missile defense system."

In fact the former head of Raytheon, William J. Lynn III, was brought into the Obama administration to serve as Deputy Secretary of Defense. On June 8 he was quoted in the right-wing Washington Times newspaper saying, "The wars of the future will be longer, deadlier and waged against a more diverse variety of enemies than ever before."

The message is clear - prepare for endless war and don't cut the military budget. Not surprising, right on cue, the Globe also quotes former "liberal" Democrat, and now Obama's Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta calling the possibility of Pentagon cuts the "doomsday mechanism."

On August 14 I wrote on this blog about the aerospace corporation contributions to key members of the Super Committee. I think it is worth repeating that important information. There can be no doubt that the appointment of these severely compromised politicians, and the steady drumbeat about "Doomsday" Pentagon cuts in the corporate media, are part of a larger plan to destroy social progress in America and to continue the massive military buildup and endless war. It's crucial that people also clearly recognize the "bi-partisan" nature of this magic show.

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington (the senator from Boeing) and Republican Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas will co-chair the committee.

The military industrial complex already has a head start on lobbying these "folks". Since 2007, the twelve chosen for the committee have taken roughly $1 million in war industry contributions to their PACs and campaign committees. Here’s how much they’ve been given, according to http://www.opensecrets.org :

Patty Murray (D-Wash.): $276,200
Max Baucus (D-Mont.): $139,100
Dave Camp (R-Mich.): $130,800
John Kerry (D-Mass.): $73,500
Rob Portman (R-Ohio): $68,700
Fred Upton (R-Mich.): $36,500
Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.): $32,000
Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas): $29,000
Pat Toomey (R-Pa.): $17,100

Welcome to the much acclaimed "democratic process" of decision making in the US of A.

OBAMA - STAY OUT OF TAR SANDS!

David Daniel, a Texas Landowner to be affected by the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline, hits the road with other landowners for two weeks from Texas to Washington, D.C. on the 'Stop the Pipeline' Tour. They are telling average Americans, as well as President Obama, to say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline and the dirty Tar Sands oil it transports.

WIFE OF SOLDIER TELLS STORY

Ashley Joppa-Hagemann tells the story of her husband Jared who took his life rather than return to war zone in Afghanistan.

Bring the troops home now!

WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO US?

• The South Korean police arrested renowned Catholic Father Moon Jung-Hyun as well yesterday after he climbed on top of the police car that was taking the mayor to jail. Mayor Kang of Gangjeong village is still in jail. At a press conference this afternoon villagers and supporters said, "The arrest of Mayor Kang will bring greater resistance, arrest of Fr. Moon will bring higher wave of peace. . ." This weekend an airplane full of Catholics (paid for by the Jeju Island Bishop) will come from the mainland to stand with the villagers.


• As I write this the Navy Blue Angels air team is screaming overhead as they prepare for this weekend's airshow in Brunswick. It's like pre-show publicity and makes one feel like they are in the middle of a war zone. The big difference though is that in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan this noise never ends and when the planes fly over head they drop bombs. Every day this week there has been a letter to the editor in the local newspaper opposing the airshow so there is alot of ferment in the community about it.


• I've written in the past about my forlorn baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles. Last night we learned that one of the great players (Mike Flanagan) from the past, now one of the game time announcers, had died and early reports were that he had committed suicide. For a few years he had served as the team general manager and apparently had become despondent over 13 losing seasons in a row. It's very sad that he has died but even sadder that he allowed the long losing streak to break him. Flanny was a good man, deeply loved by the fans, and will be missed.

MULTIPLE DEPLOYMENTS KILLING THE TROOPS

Army Ranger killed himself to avoid another tour, wife says
August 24, 2011

SEATTLE -- Army Ranger Jared Hagemann had served at least six combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, with another deployment to Afghanistan looming.

But the 25-year-old staff sergeant dreaded the prospect of another tour. He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and found the pressures of another deployment so overwhelming, his wife said, that he repeatedly threatened to take his own life.

On June 28, he was found dead, a gunshot wound to his head, in a training area at Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Seattle, where he was based.

"He wanted out," Ashley Joppa-Hagemann said. "They should have let him out."

Hagemann's wife is convinced it was suicide. She insists that the next deployment would have been his ninth; the Army said today it would have been his seventh, and that he had just re-enlisted for another six years in January. The cause of the discrepancy was not immediately clear.

The Army hasn't yet determined the manner of death, said Maj. Brian DeSantis, a spokesman with the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Benning, Ga. The Army has launched two investigations to determine how he died and the factors leading up to his death. Investigators are reviewing Hagemann's medical history and looking into what diagnosis or treatment was made and whether policies were followed.

Joppa-Hagemann said the military knew about her husband's mental health problems but did little to help him.

"So many people knew there were issues. He sought help and nobody was paying attention," said the 25-year-old widow, who lives in Yelm with the couple's two young sons.

The Army has not held a battalion memorial for Hagemann, but Hagemann's unit participated in his funeral and gave him full military honors, DeSantis said.

His widow thought more should have been done: "It's ridiculous," she said. "He's served his time. Every soldier deserves a memorial."

Hagemann enlisted in the Army out of high school in 2004 because of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. He stood up for what he believed in, his wife said, and the Rangers to him meant being the first one in, "taking care of the bad guys."

He was charming, outgoing and commanded everyone's attention when he walked into a room, she said. But after each combat tour, he would return cold, quiet, paranoid, and at times increasingly aggressive and violent. He drank more each time, had mood swings and recurring nightmares, she said.

In 2009, he was admitted for four days to Madigan Army Medical Center for mental health care services and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, she said. He went to counseling for alcoholism but was later told he needed to do it on his own time.

"Soldiers aren't being allowed to take care of their mental health programs," said Seth Menzel, an Army veteran who has been advocating for Joppa-Hagemann.

In 2010, Hagemann received a glowing evaluation with top marks; raters noted his unparalleled loyalty to the Army and Rangers, and his outstanding potential. Later that year, he would return to Afghanistan for another combat tour. The tours lasted, on average, about four months, according to the Army.

His wife said he was growing increasingly frustrated and repeatedly asked to leave the Rangers unit. The Army's DeSantis said the battalion leadership was not aware of any such request from him.

"In the last month, he put a gun to his head three times. He told me every day was a struggle to wake up and want to live," Joppa-Hagemann said. "He said the things he had seen and done, no God would have forgiven him."

More on soldier suicides
-- The Associated Press

TRY THIS ONE ON FOR SIZE

PUSHING THE DRONES

Al-Jazeera lately has become increasingly "conservative" as they support many of the Middle East monarchs and has been showing signs of swinging around to support U.S.-NATO operations in Libya and beyond.

Here is a story that shows Democrats defending the use of drones in Afghanistan and Pakistan and misleads by claiming that there is virtually no opposition to their use.

POLICE INVADE GANGJEONG AGAIN - MORE ARRESTS

Mayor Kang just before being arrested

Woman chained herself to heavy construction equipment

The police, many in plain clothes, invaded the village today and aggressively grabbed five protest leaders and took them to jail. Included among those arrested was Gangjeong village Mayor Kang. Mayor Kang has been on three years' probation for the charges of 'violation on the law on rally', 'obstruction on the government affairs' and ' business obstruction'. The government would love to salt him away in jail for some time.

Former U.S. Army Col. Ann Wright has just arrived in Gangjeong to show support for the villagers. In an email this morning she wrote:

I’m in Gangjeong Village on Jeju Island, South Korea and the sirens are blaring for citizens to come to the main gate of the Naval Base where construction is about to begin in an area that will destroy pristine lava fields and endanger marine life.

The siren sounds like a tsunami siren in Hawaii signaling an emergency. And that is what it is - 4 activists were arrested two hours ago, including the Mayor of Gangjeong, the cook at the camp and a member of SPARK and now 60 people have blocked front of the main gate of the base and many others at another gate.

Ten activists have locked chains around their necks and around each other and are sitting directly in front of a line of police at the gate. More arrests to follow no doubt.

You can follow the situation on Jeju Island from the new web site called Save Jeju Island

Can also find several videos from the police raid here

MILITARY MADNESS

• Latest news from Jeju Island is sketchy. The right-wing government still wants to crush the Gangjeong villagers protest camp along the rocky coast. The Jeju provincial council has submitted a request to the national government for a referendum on the construction of a naval base on the island. In a sign of real desperation South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said a majority of the residents of the village of Gangjeong support base construction, and only around 20-30 Gangjeong residents and some 70-80 non-residents are opposed. He added the government is working to win the understanding of those who oppose the building of the base by explaining its necessity. In fact the villagers voted by a margin of 95% to oppose the Navy base.

• What's next in Libya? Richard Haas, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, is calling on Obama to put "boots on the ground" in Libya to "ensure stability". This is one of those statements by a member of the oligarchy that is intended to break the ice and to create the impression that the "wise counselors" are having to put some heat on Obama to get him to do "the right thing". In fact this whole episode has long ago been scripted.



• I've wrapped up my part of our Space Alert newsletter and turned it over to our layout designer Nancy Randolph. Most likely will be to the printer by the end of the week.



• Maine Veterans for Peace will hold a protest this Saturday in nearby Brunswick (at the recently closed naval air station) where the Navy Blue Angels (Hells Angels) will be the highlight of a weekend airshow. The protest will run from 10:00 am til 1:00 pm. Many local activists are leaving town for the weekend as they can't stand the noise. The "Angels" air team of screaming jets will arrive on Thursday, zoom around the region on Friday (with media representatives taking joy rides and promoting the show), then they perform on Saturday and Sunday and zoom out on Monday. So its several days of war zone noise and major league air pollution. The local sponsors of the airshow have to provide 49,000 gallons of jet fuel to secure the Navy air team. It's fundamentally a military recruiting bonanza.



• I head back to Washington DC this Sunday on the train as my trial (along with about 15 others, including many veterans) for civil disobedience at the White House over the Afghanistan war resumes on Monday. The mid-July trial got postponed due to several legal technicalities. The trial is likely to run two days.

SHOCKING SILENCE

CARVING UP LIBYAN OIL

REMEMBERING THE DAY OF DECEPTION

Remembering the day that was used to justify endless war - let's hear from the real experts.

We must demand a real investigation of 9-11. Let the cards fall where they may.

FALSE FREEDOM CAMPAIGNS

I made the 4 1/2 hour drive to Hartford, CT yesterday to speak to a peace group that was behind the Hartford City Council passing the Bring Our War $$ Home resolution a few months ago. Then I made the long drive home. By the end of the day my legs felt like they were radial tires - just humming with road vibrations.

It was mostly sunny today so I spent alot of time crawling around our tomato plants looking for green Tomato Horn Worms that love to eat the plants. I found four of them after a couple hours of inspection. I also cut some basil, brought in our garlic to dry, and made some refrigerator pickles from our booming cucumber crop. It felt real good to do these things.

I am watching with sadness the current U.S.-NATO campaign to destroy Libya. All for control of their oil and to get a military and corporate foothold on the African continent. A few years back I heard Rumsfeld's "strategy guy" (Thomas Barnett) on C-SPAN say "We'll be fighting in Africa in 20 years for their oil" but it looks like things are speeding up.

Not many peace activists are talking about Libya since the U.S. has long done a good job of vilifying Gaddafi and there is little chance for any other information to compete with mainstream propaganda. U.S.-NATO are causing a bloodbath, bombing and killing many civilians who they say they have come to free. There have been a few reports that the so-called rebels in Libya are heavily comprised of Al-Qaeda operatives. U.S.-NATO have armed these forces and give them air support. We've seen this picture before in Afghanistan.

Then after the "war" is over and Gaddafi is run out of Libya, and puppets are put into power, then U.S.-NATO will miraculously discover that Libya is infested with Al-Qaeda "terrorists" and we've got to clean-up the mess. That should be good for at least 10-20 years worth of occupation, military base building, etc.....it's called modus operandi.

It's sickening, sad, immoral, illegal and it's the New World Dis-Order. Bottom line is that any country (Libya, Syria, Iran, Cuba, Russia, China, North Korea, Venezuela.........) that doesn't submit to the control of corporate globalization and corporate capital gets put on the list to be isolated, vilified, and taken down.

I'm tired of it and I am broken hearted to see the people have to suffer at the hands of U.S.-NATO false freedom campaigns.

SUNDAY SONG

TAKE IT FROM THE "POOR"

The Daily Show - World of Class Warfare - Warren Buffett vs. Wealthy Conservatives
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Warren Buffett's op-ed is a thoughtful treatise on the advantages the super-wealthy currently enjoy at the hands of the tax code, or to put it another way, "class warfare."

The Daily Show - World of Class Warfare - The Poor's Free Ride Is Over
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FAKE RIGHT-WING INTERNET IDENTITIES

Lee Fang, Think Progress joins Thom Hartmann. Thom noticed for years that people have been going into his message boards - particularly around the time of elections - and posting right-wing propaganda - and one guy ADMITTED that he's being paid by Conservative organizations to do this. But it appears that the Chamber of Commerce may be up to something much more nefarious using fake internet identities. Earlier this year - ThinkProgress obtained hacked emails from the defense contractor HB Gary Federal - that suggest that - with the help of other security firms - HBGF was working with the Chamber of Commerce to sabotage Progressive organizations like ThinkProgress and the union SEIU.

THINGS NOT OVER IN EGYPT

Egypt's ruling military council has been in power for six months and there are several signs the honeymoon between the men in uniform and protesters may be coming to an end.

Activists have been complaining about the referral of thousands of civilians to military courts, and there is growing anger about the ban on protesting in Tahrir Square.

Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh reports from Cairo.

SPACE WEEK AND MORE

• I have begun compiling the list of local actions during our annual Keep Space for Peace Week which will be held October 1-8. This year our theme will be how drone warfare is directed by military satellite technology. The list always starts out slowly, I keep updating it as people let us know about events they are organizing, and by the time October comes around we expect to have a strong list of global events. We are purchasing a full-page advert in The Nation magazine (last edition in August) that will feature our poster. You can see the poster here



• Still plugging away on the latest Global Network newsletter, Space Alert, and hope to have it ready to go for layout by next Monday. It's always a challenge to get all the writers to meet deadlines - about half are in so far. The growing cost of space launches and dramatic cost overruns on virtually all space technology programs is just mind boggling. This will be a major theme of the newsletter.



• I did a second hour-long interview with Dr. Helen Caldicott last night on her radio program. She told me she got such good response to last week's show she wanted to do another and this time we mostly just focused on space issues. What an honor to be on her show once, but two weeks in a row is just incredible. I'll post the link when the interview gets put on Helen's website.



• I travel Wethersfield, Connecticut on Saturday to speak to United for Peace group. In advance of that this morning I did a short Internet interview with Stan Heller which he immediately posted on his web site. You can find it here (look for it in the upper right hand corner of the home page).

WOMEN ORGANIZE FOOTBALL & DEAL WITH CLIMATE CHANGE IN PERU

In the isolated Andean communities of Peru, poor indigenous peasants used to live in a state of economic and social apartheid. Entire families lived on less than a dollar a day.

A few years ago, Juana, an indigenous peasant, organised a football team for women in the Andes, opening a path to her community's participation in politics for the first time.

MY LATEST TV SHOW

My guest is Lisa Savage who coordinates Code Pink in Maine. She lives in the rural community of Solon, Maine and co-coordinates the Maine Campaign to Bring Our War $$ Home.

SUNG-HEE CHOI RELEASED FROM JAIL - 2 YEARS PROBATION

Sung-Hee in green shirt with papers after 3 months in jail, her mother on right (click on photo for better view)

Final Testimony
Charge: Obstruction of Business
The Accused: Choi Sung-hee

Your Honor,

I, Choi Sung-hee, am a visual artist. I have been drawn to the beauty of Jeju Island, the pearl of Korea, and to the beautiful ecological preservation of Gangjeong village, which has been called the diamond of Jeju Island. I have also been drawn to the friendly spirit of the Gangjeong villagers who live peacefully with nature. Their will to protect and love the natural environment has moved me deeply, and I have been very inspired by their independent historical consciousness to realize peace for the greater people of Jeju Island through their preservation and protection of their village. I believe that their admirable spirit deserves the support and respect of all the Korean people as well as the people of the world. It is for this reason that I demonstrated my support for their non-violent and peaceful resistance against building the naval base.

Every time I placed myself beneath the wheels of construction trucks in an effort to protest the illegal, cunning, and manipulative measures to carry out the construction of naval base, I reminded myself of two important mottos, which were articulated by the older generation of colleagues. The first is “Unless you come forward, who will speak for that coral, fish, and shells that cannot speak?” The second is “This land we are living on is on lease from the next generation of people.”

The construction area that I endeavored to protect is home to endangered species like the red-footed crab and the narrow-mouthed toad, which are recognized by the Ministry of the Environment. On March 15, 2011, the Jeju Provincial Assembly rescinded the motion to nullify the “absolute preservation area” designation, thereby reestablishing the legal grounds for the protection of the Jungdeok coastline. Several legal actions by local residents are also underway, including an appeal to rescind permission to use this area for national defense and as a military facility, an appeal to affirm the “absolute preservation area” designation, and an appeal to ensure the public right to fair surface water use. In addition, the project for preservation of cultural assets is still in progress yet what has been assessed through this project has not been properly conveyed to the local residents. In light of the ongoing status of these legal actions and the cultural assets assessment, I cannot but arrive at the conclusion that the move to forcefully continue with construction without checking into or conforming to proper procedures is illegal. In the case of the Saemangum area, construction was brought to a standstill because of a legal dispute. Why then is construction at Jeju Island being enforced without accountability or conformity to legal safeguards? Construction companies contend that the suspension of work harms business, but companies, which employ a lot of subcontractors, foster the conditions that themselves generate problems.

Construction companies, the Navy, prosecutors, and the police charged me with twenty counts of obstructing business, but what I did was to obstruct their illegal actions. In fact, what I did was meant to halt the manipulation of the law, which exploits people in order to advance the narrow interests of power. Siding with the haves in society, all branches of authority, i.e., legislative, executive, and judicial, exercise absolute power and wield illegal violence in their attempt to shrink any space for disobedience and dissent. Insofar as my actions were undertaken as a last resort to legally assert self-defense, I am not guilty.

I object to the charges related to the events of May 19. On that day, the Seogwipo Police and the Jeju prosecutor arrested me on the spot as a criminal who had been obstructing business, yet the situation was as follows: construction workers and police were carrying out the demolition of neighboring facilities through “execution by proxy” without ensuring that proper legal steps were taken. At that point, seven villagers and civil rights activists had already been arrested so I, along with other women, raised a banner in silence: “Touch not even one stone, touch not one flower.” I do not remember if the police read me my Miranda rights; all that I remember is that they said, “Ms. Choi Sung-hee, we hereby arrest you as a criminal.” After this, five or six policewomen, dressed in civilian clothes, forced me into a police car, and, the police and Jeju prosecutor rendered me into custody on the charge of obstructing business. They say I obstructed business on May 19, but how does expressing protest by silently holding a banner constitute an illegal act tantamount to damaging the property of construction companies? Moreover, they inserted a clause indicating that I placed myself under the wheel of construction truck in order to justify their “arrest” of May 19 and “detention” of May 21, only to remove this clause along with the word “criminal-in-the-act” from arraignment after I protested. They “arrested” me first with a “false indictment” in order to “detain” me in custody. I cannot help but suspect that the whole rigmarole was designed for my “detention.” The Gangjeong village association and peace advocacy group that I am affiliated with accordingly released a public statement on May 23 to criticize the police and the prosecutor, which indicated that “the prosecutor, in conducting an investigation to determine the validity of the arrest warrant for Choi Sung-hee falsified additional information for the purpose of indictment” and that “the prosecutor indicted Choi Sung-hee on false charges that she obstructed business.”

I feel it is important to ceaselessly expose abuses of power and to highlight the need to curb such abuses on the part of the Seogwipo police department and the Jeju prosecutor’s office whose officials are paid by the islanders’ tax money. I speak out against the abuse of power because I fear that there will be more victims like myself if I remain quiet. Recently, the police and the prosecutor’s office have been badgering the residents of Gangjeong with a barrage of citations and demands for compensation for the damages the residents supposedly caused to the tune of about $280,000. This is nothing more than an oppressive tactic aimed at creating tension among the residents who in turn will blame peace activists for provoking the officials to behave badly, thereby driving a wedge between the activists and the residents.

I detect in the oppressive attitude in the officials the same sort of attitude responsible for the horrific 4.3 massacre. The history of Jeju Island is one of endless struggle against outside forces and this time, it faces the might of the central government and the Korean Navy. The Jeju prosecutors and Seogwipo police, instead of acting on behalf of the islanders, are committing treachery in collusion with the central government. A survey indicates that 44% of the residents of Gangjeong Village suffer from severe depression, and 34.7% of them have attempted suicide. On June 17, a villager was reported to have attempted suicide by consuming herbicide. On June 20, Navy personnel resorted to violent means to disband a group of peaceful demonstrators. Former Assemblywoman Hyun Ae-ja made a statement, “It’s a crime for the military to treat civilians with violence, even in wartime.” However, the central government, against the wishes of the villagers, quietly watched the Navy ruin the shoreline of the rare coral reef, which had been designated as a natural treasure.

Korea’s Constitution guarantees all of its citizens’ human respect and the right to pursue happiness. Sadly, this is the not the case in Gangjeong today. Your Honor, I believe that you can hear the voice of conscience founded in the Constitution.

Many people voiced their concern that Jeju Island and its future generations will become vulnerable to attack because its naval base is associated with the missile defense system of the United States. It is my duty and right to enact a peaceful non-violent demonstration against a base which is certain to invite war. I am told that about one thousand people have telephoned the Korean Embassy in Washington D.C. to voice their opposition to the naval base construction in Gangjeong. The danger of building a naval base in JeJu has become a concern for not only Koreans but also the international community. I understand that a Korean Embassy worker told callers that they should contact the U.S. government because it is pushing the naval base project rather than the Korean government.

Your Honor, why is the naval base problem developing into the second 4.3? One of the main reasons is because both the 4.3 massacre and the naval base conflict stemmed from the contravention of rights by outside forces (such as the U.S.) and their threat to the islanders’ right to peaceful existence. That is the reason why Jeju residents (who more than anyone had resisted outside powers) and the citizens of the Korean peninsula must recognize the fact that the major international powers have designs on the Jeju Island as a geostrategic location. They must realize that their home could become a battleground for the major powers and put a stop to the naval base.

Recent tensions between the U.S. and China justify our concern for the peace of Jeju. At a U.S.-Japan conference on June 21, the importance of forming alliances to isolate China was emphasized, suggesting the participation of the U.S., Australia, Japan, India and Korea. In this conference, the sale of Standard Missile 3 (developed by Raytheon of the U.S. and Mitsubishi of Japan) to Korea surfaced as a strong possibility. On July 9, the U.S., Japan, and Australia held a joint military exercise near Brunei in Indonesia. On that same day, the U.S. nuclear submarine USS Texas entered Korea’s waters and docked. Korea and the U.S. plan to hold training sessions for airborne fueling procedures every six months in preparation for possible actions against China, according to the experts. U.S. fuel-supply airplanes are said to operate out of its airbase in Okinawa. On August 4, the former chief of staff for the Korean Air Force was reported to have revealed military secrets to Lockheed Martin, the U.S. maker of fighter airplanes as well as destroyers that might dock in the Jeju naval base.

Was there American pressure to build the naval base on Jeju Island? I hear the clicking of the champagne glasses in the halls of weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon amidst the moaning sounds by the Gangjeong villagers. What region and country can revitalize the trade in U.S. weapons, their number-one export following their economic difficulties due to their wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? It is Jeju Island in the Republic of Korea.

The island of peace is facing a crisis.

Your Honor, there is another important item I would like to bring up. It is the matter of environmental protection. Jeju Governor Woo Geun-min has failed to represent the people who elected him to look after their interests. He has neglected his duties in protecting Jeju’s unique environment and failed to abide by the rules and regulations set forth by UNESCO with respect to the management of the geological park.

According to the Jeju Daily on July 12, the third clause of UNESCO rules calls for continuous efforts by the governor in order for Jeju to retain its UNESCO designation as a natural treasure; the fourth clause calls for the islanders’ cooperation in the upkeep of the natural treasure. Assemblyman Yoo Won-il points out that the naval base site is only 1.5 km. from the UNESCO biological protection area; construction of the naval base will certainly cause UNESCO to retract its designation.

Instead of providing protection for the area, Governor Woo Geun-min is colluding with the Navy to ruin it. He is also trying to bring commercial tourism into the area. He recently stated that the Department of Defense promised him help promote tourism. Samsung, one of the firms involved in the naval base construction, has already begun advertising for tourism. When we examine all of these factors, we can conclude only one thing: the government, the military, and the corporations are colluding to destroy the environment, against the wishes of the islanders.

Your Honor, I ask that no more peace activists and Gangjeong residents stand here victimized as I am. I have faith in your conscience. Is it just for me to stand here because of my non-violent demonstration to preserve the island of peace? Or, shouldn’t the governor who sold Jeju out to the central government, military, and capital stand here? How about Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and Minister of Defense who turned over the island to the outside powers against the will of the people? People pay for their salary and yet they are oppressing weak people like me.

According to Howard Zinn, a well-known American peace activist, “Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is the number of people all over the world who have obeyed the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war, and millions have been killed because of this obedience.... Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world, in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves, and all the while the grand thieves are running the country. That’s our problem.”

It is my hope that building the island of peace is actually realizable, not merely in language. Many people speak of building a peace park and a UN peace school instead of the naval base. Don’t you feel warm thinking about a world in which our young people and their children—free of pressure from draft and school tuitions—realize their dreams and work together to build a peaceful world? That hope keeps alive my passion for justice and gives me courage.

Thank you.
Choi Sung-hee
Jeju Courthouse

FOX NEWS HACKS DON'T LIKE MCKINNEY

They refer to Saddam's attorney - they are talking about former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark who served during the Johnson administration.

Rich men like Bill O'Reilly can't imagine us poor folks passing the hat to reimburse each other for travel expenses. It's standard operating procedure.

O'Reilly declares that her trip was paid for by Libya and Iran, without any facts, and people listening to his show will believe it because they heard it on TV.

Thanks to James Williamson for this video link. He's the tall guy with the hat in the background.

A MEDIA PALL ON RON PAUL

The Daily Show - Indecision 2012 - Corn Polled Edition - Ron Paul & the Top Tier
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Perfect example of how the corporate media goes out of their way to drown voices that stand in opposition to endless war spending - even when they belong to the Republican Party!

But legions of Republicans are listening to Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and he is helping us to convince the public that these wars must end. In addition, even Fox News fanatics are seeing how their favorite network is putting the screws to Rep. Paul. That should be a learning moment for many of them.

MEET THE TEXAS BOSS - SAME AS THE OLD BOSS

This is Governor Rick Perry (R-Texas) who has decided to run for president because God told him to do so.

Maybe God might want to advise him not to hold his arm up in that position. People might become a bit wary. He should make sure he shaves every day as well. I'd suggest no mini-mustaches, you know the kind just under the nose.

Perry says he wants to bring the Texas "economic miracle" to the rest of the nation. The truth is that the jobs he claims to have created are mostly minimum wage service jobs.

I heard that the Bush family is supporting Perry's run for president. That endorsement should tell us all what this man is about.

NO ECONOMIC RECOVERY WITHOUT JOBS

The following are 19 facts about the deindustrialization of America

#1 The United States has lost approximately 42,400 factories since 2001.

#2 Dell Inc., one of America’s largest manufacturers of computers, has announced plans to dramatically expand its operations in China with an investment of over $100 billion over the next decade.

#3 Dell has announced that it will be closing its last large U.S. manufacturing facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in November. Approximately 900 jobs will be lost.

#4 In 2008, 1.2 billion cellphones were sold worldwide. So how many of them were manufactured inside the United States? Zero.

#5 According to a new study conducted by the Economic Policy Institute, if the U.S. trade deficit with China continues to increase at its current rate, the U.S. economy will lose over half a million jobs this year alone.

#6 As of the end of July, the U.S. trade deficit with China had risen 18 percent compared to the same time period a year ago.

#7 The United States has lost a total of about 5.5 million manufacturing jobs since October 2000.

#8 According to Tax Notes, between 1999 and 2008 employment at the foreign affiliates of U.S. parent companies increased an astounding 30 percent to 10.1 million. During that exact same time period, U.S. employment at American multinational corporations declined 8 percent to 21.1 million.

#9 In 1959, manufacturing represented 28 percent of U.S. economic output. In 2008, it represented 11.5 percent.

#10 Ford Motor Company recently announced the closure of a factory that produces the Ford Ranger in St. Paul, Minnesota. Approximately 750 good paying middle class jobs are going to be lost because making Ford Rangers in Minnesota does not fit in with Ford's new "global" manufacturing strategy.

#11 As of the end of 2009, less than 12 million Americans worked in manufacturing. The last time less than 12 million Americans were employed in manufacturing was in 1941.

#12 In the United States today, consumption accounts for 70 percent of GDP. Of this 70 percent, over half is spent on services.

#13 The United States has lost a whopping 32 percent of its manufacturing jobs since the year 2000.

#14 In 2001, the United States ranked fourth in the world in per capita broadband Internet use. Today it ranks 15th.

#15 Manufacturing employment in the U.S. computer industry is actually lower in 2010 than it was in 1975.

#16 Printed circuit boards are used in tens of thousands of different products. Asia now produces 84 percent of them worldwide.

#17 The United States spends approximately $3.90 on Chinese goods for every $1 that the Chinese spend on goods from the United States.

#18 One prominent economist is projecting that the Chinese economy will be three times larger than the U.S. economy by the year 2040.

#19 The U.S. Census Bureau says that 43.6 million Americans are now living in poverty and according to them that is the highest number of poor Americans in the 51 years that records have been kept.

THE FIGHT OVER PUBLIC EDUCATION

This film and investigation connects the dots and reveals why the Koch brothers are trying to end public education and how their wealth winds up in the hands of Jim Crow. Watch the video, then call David Koch and tell him to stop funding school resegregation now. His number is 212-319-1100.

WALKING THE DISPUTED GANGJEONG ROAD

Peace activist Rain Jung walks down the farm road leading to the peace camp. This is where the battle to prevent the naval base construction is taking place. This road was once lined with vibrant greenhouses and farms. Now it is often a place where riot police clash with nonviolent peace activists and environmentalists. Jung offers commentary on the unlawful arrest of activist Sung-Hee Choi, the environmental damage caused by Samsung and other issues. For more information visit http://www.savejejuisland.org/

Interview and film editing by Matt Hoey

"For any person of common sense, building a naval base on Jeju sounds absurd. The island, designated by the central government as `Peace Island' in 2005, is home not only to its 530,000 residents but also to nine UNESCO-designated Global Geo Parks, three World Natural Heritage sites and a Biosphere Reserve."

From the Korea Times on 8.12.2011

MIXED BAG

• In this photo you'll notice the guys loading bombs have on gloves and masks. I've seen alot of bomb loading photos over the years but never one like this. The bomb is being loaded onto a drone. I can't help but wonder what toxic substance is inside the bomb that the GI's need protection from. Is it Depleted Uranium? If any of you have any ideas please let us know.


• I spent about seven hours over the weekend doing painting of the outside of our big house. We had some boards replaced on the front of the house and they needed painting so I went all around and took off peeling paint and repainted those many spots as well. Maine is so wet that in places that don't get enough sun the paint never dries and just peels off the house.


• I was interviewed by Dr. Helen Caldicott last week for her radio show which airs in Australia, Canada, and throughout the U.S. We covered many subjects including "missile defense, the next NASA plutonium launch, Jeju Island, Obama's weakness, Bring Our War $$ Home campaign, and more. You can listen to the one-hour interview here


• I begin work in earnest this coming week on the next Global Network newsletter. We will be featuring the drone issue along with our usual review of the latest news from the Pentagon's plan to move the arms race into space.


• The new Congressional "Super Committee" will have enormous power to determine what gets cut and what doesn't in the year(s) ahead. Twelve lawmakers have been appointed to select more than $1 trillion in spending cuts. There has been some talk about cuts in Pentagon spending being recommended. Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington (the senator from Boeing) and Republican Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas will co-chair the committee.

The military industrial complex already has a head start on lobbying these "folks" . Since 2007, the twelve chosen for the committee have taken roughly $1 million in war industry contributions to their PACs and campaign committees. Here’s how much they’ve been given, according to http://www.opensecrets.org/ :

Patty Murray (D-Wash.): $276,200
Max Baucus (D-Mont.): $139,100
Dave Camp (R-Mich.): $130,800
John Kerry (D-Mass.): $73,500
Rob Portman (R-Ohio): $68,700
Fred Upton (R-Mich.): $36,500
Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.): $32,000
Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas): $29,000
Pat Toomey (R-Pa.): $17,100

Notice how well the Democrats do at raking the $$$ into their campaign war chests.

RIGHT-WING SOUTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT PREPARES FOR ONSLAUGHT

The right-wing government in South Korea can feel the international pressure building against the Navy base on Jeju Island. There is a growing awareness - just in recent days I've received peace movement newsletters from Canada and Australia that featured major articles about the Gangjeong villagers.

The U.S. produced Korean Quarterly just ran a two-page spread about the base resistance. Last week were the two New York Times Op-Eds and yesterday a news story ran in the International Herald Tribune. The CNN news story (see below) and now this piece from Al-Jazeera indicate that word and support is rapidly moving around the world.

Today we've received word that the government is mobilizing a big force in the village and many think it will be a harsh thrust by the government against the people in order to destroy their peaceful resistance camp along the coastline. Here is the latest from one of the activists in the village:

We just got back from the Emergency meeting and the nightly vigil. I can confirm that what Fox David said is true. 600-700 more police have arrived here along with the water cannons and other riot equipment (perhaps tear gas?). They are about a twenty minute drive from here. Before there have been struggles with the police but this is the first time for them to bring heavy riot dispersal equipment. Village Leader Kang lead the meeting and was very, very serious. The atmosphere here is heavy. We don't know how many total police are now in Jeju, but perhaps up to 1,600. We've heard rumors that "they" want to "end" everything this week. Although we do not expect the police to come tomorrow (the 15th), we are preparing anyway, and we expect them to come very soon. We are preparing heavily, for what could be the biggest struggle yet. There is a feeling that this might be it. Everyone is very tired, but they are also ready. The people here are so brave. They know they have truth on their side. I don't want to give too many details about our thoughts and plans both because I don't know all them and also for safety reasons. But anyway, now is the time to act. do whatever you can. spread the word, and be prepared. Now we wait for the sirens and pray.

By Paco Michelson