Duty to Warn

Last December, 2000 Americans gathered at New York's Hotel Astor to celebrate the 80th birthday of Norman Thomas. I could not be present because I had to go to Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. But before I enplaned for Norway, I taped the following message to be sent to America's foremost Socialist:

"I can think of no man who has done more than you to inspire the vision of a society free of injustice and exploitation. While some would adjust to the status quo, you urged struggle. While some would corrupt struggle with violence or undemocratic perversions, you have stood firmly for the integrity of ends and means. Your example has ennobled and dignified the fight for freedom, and all that we hear of the Great Society seems only an echo of your prophetic eloquence. Your pursuit of racial and economic democracy at home, and of sanity and peace in the world, has been awesome in scope. It is with deep admiration and indebtedness that I carry the inspiration of your life to Oslo."

"If I had a machine gun, I'd kill every one of them white sons of bitches." Makarka didn't say, "white." He used the unkind Alutiiq phrase, isuwiq-something, bleached seal.

As a bleached seal myself, I couldn't blame him, not if you saw what I saw, the documents that British Petroleum buried deep as they could.

In my investigation of the blow-out on BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig, I knew key evidence could only be found in the files in the hands of the Chugach Natives of Alaska. The story involved the usual mix of big oil, suicide, murder, rock and roll, and fish. Whatever, I had to get from Asia to Alaska. To understand the full story, how America went, in two centuries, from British colony to British Petroleum colony we have to go way back to ...

Raven, that lying little bastard, came to Chenega Island, where the people slept and slept because there was only darkness. From His kayak, Raven gave them a box filled with Daylight, and in return, He demanded and they gave Him a wife, Qaleratalik, "Weasel in a Summer Dress." He fed Qaleratalik only moss from His beak, which she could not eat.

I'm thankful that a growing number of us reject the idea of a mysterious being to which we should be thankful, and for the concomitant growing assumption of responsibility for our own fate.

I'm thankful that there are so many people doing so many things for which I am thankful.

I'm thankful for the best family I can imagine. Scratch that. I'm thankful for a better family than I could merely imagine.

I'm thankful too for better employers than I could merely imagine.

I'm thankful that so many other people have families and friends and allies and bosses and colleagues that facilitate work that benefits us all.

I'm thankful to those who are alone and find the strength to push on productively.

I'm thankful that when friends and allies disagree they can reconcile.

I'm thankful that when activists burn out they can revive.

The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) and the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Committee filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests today with the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the National Park Service (NPS) requesting that the agencies release information that they possess related to the involvement of federal agencies in the planning of a coordinated law enforcement crackdown that has taken places in multiple cities against the Occupy Movement in recent days and weeks.

The FOIA to the various federal law enforcement agencies states: “This request specifically encompasses disclosure of any documents or information pertaining to federal coordination of, or advice or consultation regarding, the police response to the Occupy movement, protests or encampments.”

Number 5. When John Yoo came here, he got a good rowdy rule-of-law unwelcome, which no doubt made the Miller Center hesitate to promise Cheney a room free of decent human beings.

Number 4. Our brothers and sisters in San Francisco confronted Cheney with his crimes last week.

Number 3. It's a heck of a lot of crimes.

Number 2. Cheney just might have found himself face-to-face with a set of handcuffs.

And the Number 1 reason Cheney won't be seen at the University of Virginia this week: The first part of a Chicken Hawk is the chicken.

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David Swanson is the author of "When the World Outlawed War," "War Is A Lie" and "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union." He blogs at David Swanson and War is a Crime and works for the online activist organization Roots Action

Article

A lawsuit brought by Rep. Dennis Kucinich and 9 other members of Congress against the Obama Administration - which alleged that the US involvement in the war on Libya was in violation of the US Constitution and the War Powers Resolution - was dismissed by a Federal court judge for the District of Columbia late last month.

In its 23-page Decision, dated October 20th, granting the Administration's motion for summary dismissal, US District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton, appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush in 2001, held that "...the plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate that they have standing — either in their capacity as Members of the House of Representatives or because of their status as taxpayers — to maintain this action."

Given that the Court found that the Plaintiffs lacked standing to bring the case, it didn't address the merits of the case - i.e., it never addressed the question of whether or not the President had the authority to conduct the war or, indeed, even the question of whether or not the intensive bombing of Libya represented the conduct of "hostilities."

Tomorrow, Thursday November 17, marks two months since the start of Occupy Wall Street at Liberty Square. Occupy Wall Street, labor and community groups, and members of the 99% will celebrate the two-month anniversary of the movement with a massive day of action. Thousands upon thousands will take action together in at least 30 cities across the country.

In New York City we are planning for a big day. In the wake of Bloomberg’s predawn raid of Occupy Wall Street on Tuesday morning, thousands of people throughout the five boroughs and the greater region will join together to take peaceful action tomorrow.

We will gather to resist austerity, rebuild the economy, and reclaim our democracy. Our political system should serve all of us — not just the very rich and powerful. Right now Wall Street owns Washington. We are the 99% and we are here to reclaim our democracy.

Schedule for New York Nov. 17 Actions:

7:00am
Shut Down Wall Street
Contacts: Sandra Nurse, 646 283 4443
Austin Guest, 917-691-0368

An important progressive movement, MOVE TO AMEND is gaining momentum. It is a grass roots initiative to promote an amendment of the U. S. Constitution to negate the immoral ruling by the U. S. Supreme Court of January 21, 2010,
“Citizens United v The Election Commission of the U. S. Instead of making a ruling on a simple case, the Court by a 5 to 4 decision made a wide reaching law."

It declared that corporations and unions are people with First Amendment rights of free speech. That includes the right to contribute funds to help or deter candidates for public office and to influence the passage of referenda and state constitutional amendments. Money can be donated through PACs without transparency. The Citizen United ruling is destroying our democratic system of government. Corporations have unlimited funds and unions have much less money and political influence. This ruling is allowing corporations to weaken union even more.

Our campaign for Congress has climbed into second place. The presumed frontrunner keeps socking away corporate cash -- he recently had a PAC fundraiser just a few blocks from the Capitol -- while I refuse to take a single dollar of corporate PAC money.

Our strength is at the grassroots. At the same time, we need more resources to get our message out: No to Wall Street power. Democracy not "corporatocracy." Healthcare not warfare. A sustainable future.

Can you pitch in?

I'd sure appreciate whatever you can do. To contribute, or for background info, please click here.

Thanks a lot --
Norman

P.S. -- Can I win? The latest polling results say YES. But I need your help!

Solomon for Congress

Before leaving the G-20 meetings in Cannes, France, President Obama joined with French President Sarkozy to pay tribute to the two countries’ alliance and celebrate the successful intervention in Libya that ended the rule of Moammar Gadhafi.

“Every man and woman in uniform who participated in this effort can know that you have accomplished every objective,” Obama said. “Today, the Libyan people have liberated their country and begun to forge their own future.”

Obama, who launched the Libyan mission amid widespread Republican criticism, had good reasons to greet Gadhafi’s overthrow with relief. And all hope that democracy can take root. But once the U.S. intervenes in an internal foreign dispute, we bear greater responsibility for the outcome. Before the “war of choice” on Iraq, former Secretary of State Colin Powell warned President Bush about the “Pottery Barn rule: If you break it, you own it.”

That’s why the U.S. and its allies must respond to the credible reports of terrible violence being wreaked on dark-skinned Libyans by the victors.