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The New Print Edition of CounterPunch, Only for Our Newsletter Subscribers! How Cops Extort Confessions;
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The New Print Edition of CounterPunch, Only for Our Newsletter Subscribers!
How Cops Extort Confessions;
How the U.S. “Justice System” Really WorksNinety-two per cent of felony convictions in the U.S. are obtained by plea bargains or confessions. Without them the “justice system” would grind to a halt. In an important piece in our latest newsletter, available only to subscribers, Emily Horowitz shows how totally innocent people will “confess” under police pressure, even without physical torture. Horowitz outlines the powerful case for banning confessions altogether. Also in this new edition Marcus Rediker, co-author of the legendary The Many Headed Hydra, writes of popular heroism and resistance in the favelas of Medellin, Colombia. Alexander Cockburn reports on how America’s oldest bank, patronized by the global elites, washed billions smuggled out of Russia, and how the Russians might win their money back, shaking the world’s banking system if they do so. Serge Halimi describes the real battle for the soul of Europe. Get your copy today by subscribing online or calling 1-800-840-3683 Contributions to CounterPunch are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! CounterPunch books and gear make great presents.
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Today's Stories August 9 / 10, 2008 Robert Fantina August 8, 2008 Patrick Cockburn Manuel Garcia, Jr. M. Shahid Alam Andy Worthington Lawrence J. Korb David Model Alan Farago Diop Olugbala Firmin DeBrabander Website of the Day August 7, 2008 Dr. Trudy Bond William Blum Paul Craig Roberts Ralph Nader Robert Weitzel Jacob G. Hornberger Binoy Kampmark David Macaray Howard Lisnoff Website of the Day August 6, 2008 Marc Herold Greg Moses Sheldon Rampton Kevin Young Michael Estrada Robert Weissman Dr. Susan Block Cindy Sheehan Ronald Hoffman Website of the Day August 5, 2008 Paul Craig Roberts Jeff Halper Patrick Cockburn Nancy Welch Peter Morici Sousan Hammad Eamon Martin Shepherd Bliss Tim Matson Website of the Day August 4, 2008 Uri Avnery Saul Landau David W. Remington Rev. Jesse Jackson Dave Lindorff Peter Morici Joanne Mariner Ramzy Baroud Christian Wright Website of the Day August 2 / 3, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Patrick Cockburn Winslow T. Wheeler James Abourezk Andy Worthington Brian Cloughley Robert Fantina Benjamin Dangl Marlene Martin David Yearsley Fatemeh Keshavarz David Michael Green Obama as Dukakis Harvey Wasserman Jason Hribal Phyllis Pollack Laray Polk Ron Jacobs David Macaray David Rosen Dan Bacher Joe Allen Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend August 1, 2008 Jonathan Cook Nikolas Kozloff Rannie Amiri Peter Morici Christopher Brauchli M. K. Bhadrakumar Patrick Cockburn James J. Brittain Dan Bacher Website of the Day
July 31, 2008 Michael Hudson Carl Finamore Mike Whitney Joshua Frank Andy Worthington Ralph Nader Bill Moyers / Robert Weissman Dave Lindorff Website of the Day July 30, 2008 Brian M. Downing Chuck Spinney William S. Lind David Ker Thomson Karl Grossman Mike Whitney Martha Rosenberg James Murren Dave Lindorff Ron Jacobs Website of the Day July 29, 2008 Jeffrey St. Clair John Ross Peter Morici Alison Weir Gary Leupp David Macaray Brenda Norrell Marjorie Cohn Eric Ruder Website of the Day July 28, 2008 Dr. Bryant Welch Kathy Kelly Mike Whitney Peter Morici Christopher Brauchli Clifton Ross Stephen Lendman Website of the Day July 26 / 27, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair James G. Abourezk Joseph Nevins Uri Avnery Linn Washington, Jr. David Yearsley Binoy Kampmark Saul Landau Joshua Frank Brendan Cooney Jonathan Cook Robert Fantina Lee Sustar Michael Winship David Macaray Missy Beattie Robert Weissman Kim Nicolini Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend July 25, 2008 Harvey Wasserman Paul Craig Roberts Alan Farago Paul D'Amato Gary Leupp Niranjan Ramakrishnan Mike Whitney Paul Krassner Mike Roselle Website of the Day July 24, 2008 Greg Moses Andy Worthington James Bovard Joe Bageant George Wuerthner DC Larson William Willers David Macaray Website of the Day July 23, 2008 Winslow T. Wheeler Paul Craig Roberts Ralph Nader Mike Whitney Susie Day Website of the Day July 22, 2008 Nikolas Kozloff Patrick Cockburn Soldz, Olson, Reisner Arrigo and Welch Moshe Adler Martha Rosenberg Dan Bacher Harvey Wasserman Anthony Papa Binoy Kampmark Website of the Day July 21, 2008 Ishmael Reed Mike Whitney Andy Worthington Scott Pellegrino John Ross Robert Weitzel Mike Stark Website of the Day July 19 / 20, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Dave Lindorff Saul Landau Ron Jacobs Uri Avnery Neve Gordon Roane Carey Robert Fantina Christopher Brauchli Fred Gardner David Macaray Richard L. Hutto Bill Moyers / Ronnie Cummins David Yearsley Alison McKenna Wajahat Ali Poets' Basement Website of the Day July 18, 2008 Corey D. B. Walker Mike Whitney Robert Bryce Mike Roselle Bouthaina Shaaban Eve Spangler Website of the Day
July 17, 2008 Paul Craig Roberts James G. Abourezk Ralph Nader Allan J. Lichtman Andy Worthington"Screwed Up" and"Abused": Omar Khadr's Interrogations at Gitmo Ronnie Cummins
July 16, 2008 Jeffrey St. Clair Paul Craig Roberts Conn Hallinan Dave Lindorff William S. Lind Christopher Brauchli Website of the Day
July 15, 2008 Michael Hudson Brian Cloughley Patrick Cockburn John Ross Howard Lisnoff Website of the Day July 14, 2008 Uri Avnery Paul Craig Roberts Trish Schuh Patrick Cockburn Mike Whitney Alan Farago Seth Sandronsky Phyllis Pollack Website of the Day July 12 / 13, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair James Abourezk Nicole Colson Stan Cox Ismael Hossein-Zadeh Wajahat Ali / John Stauber Alan Farago Missy Beattie Robert Fantina Rannie Amiri Gregory Kafoury Fran Shor Martha Rosenberg David Macaray Andrew Wimmer Ron Jacobs Farzana Versey Kim Nicolini Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend July 11, 2008 Kevin Alexander Gray Sasan Fayazmanesh Peter Morici Mike Whitney Manuel Garcia, Jr. Robert Weissman Ramzy Baroud Kelly Overton Adrian Burgos Website of the Day July 10, 2008 Brian McKenna Paul Craig Roberts Saul Landau Ron Jacobs Joshua Frank Peter Morici Alan Maass Robert Weissman William Blum Alan Farago Website of the Day July 9, 2008 Ismael Hossein-Zadeh Luis Rodriguez Sheldon Richman Fatemeh Keshavarz Chad Hanson Sen. Russ Feingold Niranjan Ramakrishnan Dave Lindorff Stanley Heller Philip Rizk Website of the Day July 8, 2008 Nikolas Kozloff Laura Carlsen Mike Whitney Andy Worthington Patrick Irelan Chellis Glendinning David Macaray Dave Lindorff John Chuckman Phillip Doe Website of the Day July 7, 2008 Patrick Bond Kathy Kelly Andy Worthington Clifton Ross Elizabeth Schulte Ralph Nader Dave Lindorff Binoy Kampmark Stephen Fleischman Website of the Day July 5 / 6, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair / Patrick Cockburn Mike Whitney Robert Fantina Binoy Kampmark Rannie Amiri Eric Ruder Brian Cloughley William Blum Frank Barat Christopher Brauchli David Yearsley Ron Jacobs Karim Makdisi Wendy Thompson / N. D. Jayaprakash Ramzy Baroud Kelly Overton Richard Neville Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend
July 4, 2008 Kathy Kelly Dave Lindorff Paul Krassner Jackie Corr Laray Polk Dan Bacher Walter Brasch Charles Modiano Website of the Day July 3, 2008 Sharon Smith Andy Worthington Laura Carlsen Peter Morici Ramzi Kysia Martha Rosenberg Anne Landman Dave Zirin Kristin Bricker Website of the Day
July 2, 2008 Patrick Irelan Vijay Prashad Brian Cloughley Ralph Nader Robert Fantina Dave Lindorff Parvez Ahmed Robert Bryce Website of the Day July 1, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Mike Whitney Douglas Macgregor Steven Higgs Andy Worthington Binoy Kampmark Dave Lindorff Roger Burbach Richard W. Behan Gary Leupp Website of the Day |
Weekend Edition McCain is Counting On ItBlind PatriotismBy Rev. WILLIAM E. ALBERTS Patriotism is often about believing not thinking. It appeals especially to people who would rather be told what to believe than to think for themselves. For far too many Americans, believing is seeing, i.e., they only see what they believe. Reflection, curiosity, introspection, questioning their political and religious authorities, and considering contrary evidence never make it past the walled-up certainty of belief guarding their emotional security. They are easily manipulated by political leaders who hide lawless international and discriminatory domestic policies behind ethnocentric beliefs: like, “America is the greatest nation in the world,” and has a divine mission to spread its God-given “freedom and democracy to the darkest corners of the world.” Rubber stamp these beliefs with “God bless America” and the ethnocentric and imperialistic masquerade is complete. Such is the blind patriotism driving much of the 2008 presidential campaign. A self-deceiving and potentially self-destructive patriotism that threatens the very security of America. Enter Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain. Various polls reveal that a majority of voters believe he is the most qualified to be commander-in-chief. A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll found that McCain had “a striking . . .advantage as commander-in-chief . . . albeit perhaps not surprising given his military background.” According to the poll, “Seventy-two percent of Americans—even most Democrats—say he’d be a good commander-in-chief of the military. By contrast, fewer than half, 48 percent, say Obama would be a good commander-in-chief.” 1 A Gallup poll found that many Americans believe Senator McCain is especially qualified to be commander-in-chief. The poll reported, “John McCain’s life experience has earned him a solid national reputation as someone who can serve as the nation’s commander-in-chief, with 80% saying he can handle the responsibilities of this important role. Barack Obama,” the report continued, “lags well behind on the same measure, but does pass the 50% public confidence threshold.” 2 A USA TODAY/Gallup poll disclosed that Senator McCain’s military experience greatly impresses many Americans. The poll’s findings: “McCain is rated more highly than Obama in just one of 10 categories—as a ‘strong and decisive leader.’” He “remains competitive, both because of trust in his ability to keep the country safe and questions about Obama. The sole issue on which McCain clearly is favored is terrorism…. He’s also seen as better able to make decisions on security issues.” 3 McCain’s extensive Senate experience with defense issues and his military service, especially his 5 ½ years as a Vietnam prisoner of war, are believed to make him “stronger and tougher . . . more decisive . . . more capable on hard-edged problems like Iraq, terrorism and guns . . . [with] “Whites . . . prefer[ing] him by 2-to-1 for keeping the country safe.” 4 Not surprisingly, a majority of White evangelical Christians, who supported the Bush Administration’s criminal pre-emptive invasion and occupation of Iraq, strongly favor Senator McCain as “commander-in-chief.” In June, an AP-Yahoo News poll found that people who attend church at least once a week support Republican McCain over Obama, 49 percent to 37 percent.” The poll also revealed that “those who attend church less often tend to favor Obama.” And, “White evangelical Christians who attend church weekly favor McCain by huge margins.” 5 As the hymn goes, “Onward, Christian soldiers! Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before.” Blind faith prostituting the cross by turning it from a symbol of Jewish liberation from Roman occupation into a symbol of Christian conquest and conversion. Blind faith and blind patriotism: two sides of the same ethnocentric/imperialistic coin. “Stronger and tougher?” On November 11, 1992, Dolores Alfond, Chair of the National Alliance of Families for the Return of America’s Missing Servicemen and Women and sister of an Air Force Academy graduate missing in Vietnam since 1967, testified at a public hearing of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, the hearing recorded by and a tape obtained from C-SPAN. Committee member Senator McCain laid in wait for her, and would bring her to tears. Mrs. Alfond began on a challenging note:
The only Committee member present for Mrs. Alfond’s testimony was Senator Bob Smith (R-NH), Vice Chair of the 12-member Select Committee, which was comprised of six Republican and six Democrat senators—with the Chair, Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), leaving the hearing before Mrs. Alfond’s testimony. The presence of only Smith was noted and lamented by Alfond, who assumed that the absence of the eleven other senators may suggest a lack of commitment. Mrs. Alfond repeatedly used the word “abandoned” to define the US government’s policy toward those missing in the above wars and in the Vietnam war:
Mrs. Alfond repeatedly expressed her concern that the Committee would soon end its work. She said, “For the Select Committee . . . to pretend it can write the final chapter on the POW/MIA issue [without viewing all the relevant documents it has requested] would be a sham. She ended, as she began, with a challenge:
Shortly after Mrs. Alfond completed her testimony, Senator John McCain entered the hearing room, sat next to Vice Chair Senator Smith, and soon began a “stronger and tougher” rebuttal:
Mrs. Alfond again tried to respond to Senator McCain’s derisive attack, which led him to more bullying: “Now, I’d like to finish, Mrs. Alfond. I’d like you to direct the witness to let me finish, Mr. Chairman. . . . A “stronger and tougher” self-contradictory and projecting Senator McCain continued:
But a “stronger and tougher” and really projecting Senator McCain was not finished. After having interrupted Mrs. Alfond, he said:
But a “stronger and tougher” and still projecting Senator McCain, now holding Mrs. Alfond’s written report, was not finished:
A, at times, tearful Mrs. Alfond interrupted: “I’ve been speaking to them, sir.” “No,” interrupted Senator McCain, continuing:
Then came the climax:
Senator McCain abruptly rose from his seat, spun his chair under the head table and angrily walked out of the hearing-to the verbal disapproval of audience members. 6 The Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs ended it work on January 2, 1993, and issued a final report on January 13, 1993. Why did Senator McCain allow himself to “obviously appear upset” with Dolores Alfond’s testimony? On April 25, 2000, an extensive article called, “The War Secrets Senator John McCain Hides: Former POW Fights Public Access to POW/MIA Files,” by Sydney Schanberg, editor of ABPnews.com’s investigative unit, focused on widespread bewilderment about McCain. Schanberg is a Pulitzer Prize winner for his 1975 reporting on the upheaval in Cambodia and author of a best-selling book on which the Academy Award-winning movie, “The Killing Fields,” was based. His article is believed to provide an important context for understanding the “stronger and tougher” McCain who showed up at the 1992 hearing. Schanberg wrote: Since McCain himself, a downed Navy pilot, was a prisoner in Hanoi for 5 ½ years, his staunch resistance to laying open the POW/MIA records has baffled colleagues and others who have followed his career. Critics say his anti-disclosure campaign, in close cooperation with the Pentagon and the intelligence community, has been successful. Literally thousands of documents that would otherwise have been declassified long ago have been legislated into secrecy. Regarding the “prisoners left behind,” Mr. Schanberg supports critical parts of Mrs. Alfond’s testimony, and goes on to report the speculation of others regarding Senator McCain:
Schanberg reported that in 2000 APBnews.com had been unsuccessful in obtaining from Senator McCain “his own POW records.” Mr. Schanberg stated, “McCain stood out because he always showed up for the committee hearings where witnesses were going to talk about specific pieces of evidence. He would belittle and berate these witnesses, questioning their patriotism and otherwise scoffing at their credibility. All of this is in the record in the National Archives.” Schanberg also described McCain’s abusive treatment of Dolores Alfond. A condensed version of Schanberg’s article still appears on the National Alliance of Families website, “BITS ‘N’ PIECES May 6th 2000” Sixteen years later, Mrs. Alfond was quoted on Senator McCain’s 2008 presidential candidacy: “ ‘ I wouldn’t think that he should be president. He’s very hot-tempered,’ . . . recall[ing] the rough treatment she received from McCain in 1992 during her appearance at a hearing of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs.”7 Senator McCain is “more decisive”? In 1999, when Senator McCain rose in the polls to potential presidential candidacy status, the Arizona Republic, his home state newspaper, published a front-page story and an editorial warning of his “volcanic temper.” The Washington Post quoted the editorial:
The Washington Post story quoted Senator McCain as saying, “ ‘Do I insult anybody or fly off the handle or anything like that? No, I don’t’ insisted McCain.” 9 A short fuse of a presidential candidate needing a short memory. “Capable on hard-edged problems like Iraq, terrorism and guns”? At an April 18, 2007 town hall meeting in a VFW center in South Carolina, an audience member prefaced a question with, “It is well documented that we have for quite a long time known where the real problem is in the Middle East. Yeh, and in fact,” he continued, “the president adequately described it as the ‘Axis of Evil.’ . . . How many times do we have to prove that these people are blowing up people now never mind if they get a nuclear weapon.” His question: “When do we send them an airmail message to Tehran?” (Audience clapping and verbal approval) McCain responded, “You know that, that old Beach Boys song, “Bomb Iran’”—which elicited laughter. McCain then sang, to the tune of “Barbara Ann,” “Bomb bomb bomb bomb . . .,” ending with laughter which elicited greater laughter from his audience. 10 Senator McCain’s callousness is seen in the fact that bombs dropped on Iran would kill and wound countless women and children and older and younger persons, and lead to terrible suffering and counter attacks on the U.S. and its allies and more horrible suffering. Tragically, McCain’s “toughness” and “decisiveness” and obvious need of having power over people prevent him from seeing other persons as human beings with feelings and hopes and rights. How revealing! What makes him laugh would make countless other human beings cry—and die! His emotional instability and presidency could very well turn Iran into another Iraq. Senator McCain’s more recent joke about Iran is his response to a question regarding a survey showing the increased imports of cigarettes to Iran: “Maybe that’s a way of killing them.” Evidently, with the help of his wife poking him, “he quickly caught himself, saying ‘I meant that as a joke.’” 11 “Maybe that is a way of killing them.” His preoccupation with killing Iranian people is frightening and forewarning of the destruction he could cause with his finger on the powerful “commander-in-chief” trigger. “Capable on hard-edged problems like Iraq”? Senator McCain has been a “stronger” and “tougher” and “more decisive” supporter of the Bush Administration’s falsely based, unnecessary, immoral war against and occupation of Iraq. In fact, he has no issue with the United Sates staying a “100 years in Iraq.” 12 His need to delude himself and Americans about this unconscionable international crime against humanity led him to visit Iraq in 2007, during which he claimed there were neighborhoods in which he, and anyone, could safely walk. On April 5, 2007, NBC Nightly News showed him, at the time, walking through a marketplace wearing a bulletproof vest and surrounded by “100 American soldiers, with three Blackhawk helicopters, and two Apache gunships overhead.” Such insanity. Instead of starting fires and destroying homes in Iraq, America’s National Guard and other military should be putting out the fires destroying homes and land in California and elsewhere. What a commentary on “keeping the country safe”: Governor Schwarzenegger having to call in firefighters from Mexico, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.” 13 Instead of forcing over four million Iraqi civilians to flee their homes and become refugees in response to the Bush administration’s “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” the US military should have been at home sandbagging river banks in the Midwest, rescuing citizens, and providing recovery and redevelopment aid to those made refugees by flood waters. Instead of fighting so-called “terrorists” abroad, US military should be fighting fires and floods and hurricanes and other disasters that terrorize Americans here. Instead of using America’s wealth to destroy another country’s life-sustaining infrastructure, our government should be investing these resources in our nation’s own schools, health care, highways and bridges, public work projects, and energy research and development. Instead of blind patriotism that justifies the killing of over 1.2 million Iraqi civilians and the sacrificing and maiming of tens of thousands of American lives, a different reality is needed about the war against Iraq: it is not about achieving “success” or “winning” or withdrawing with “honor” or even about the war being a “mistake” or “ill-conceived” or “not worth fighting.” It is about wrongdoing and repentance and restitution and impeachment proceedings and reconciliation. Senator McCain’s military experience no more qualifies him to be “commander-in-chief” than a chronic heart patient’s experience qualifies him to be a cardiac surgeon. It is not about believing is seeing but about seeing and doing “self-evident” truths. It is not just about “the land of the free and the home of the brave,” but about a country founded and built on the bones of Native Americans and the backs of enslaved Africans. It is not about allegiance to a nation but about a nation’s allegiance to “liberty and justice for all” everywhere. It is not about “God bless America” but about America blessing all of its citizens “from sea to shining sea.” It is not about “America is the greatest nation in the world,” but about the world in which everyone is great. It is about everyone’s right to see for himself and herself. Rev. William E. Alberts, Ph.D. is a hospital chaplain, and a diplomate in the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy. Both a Unitarian Universalist and a United Methodist minister, he has written research reports, essays and articles on racism, war, politics and religion. He can be reached at william.alberts@bmc.org END NOTES 1. “McCain Tops Obama in Commander-in-Chief Test; Stays Competitive on Iraq,” Analysis by Gary Langer, ABC News, July 14, 2008. 2. “McCain vs. Obama as Commander-in-Chief,” by Lydia Saad, Gallup, June 25, 2008. 3. “Poll: Obama has edge over McCain,” by Susan Page, USA Today, June 22, 2008. 4. “McCain, Obama images take shape,” Associated Press, msnbc.com, July 7, 2008. 5. “Obama courts conservatives with new faith program,” by Jennifer Loven, Associated Press Writer, Yahoo1.News, July 1, 2008. 6. “Soviet Involvement with Vietnam POW/MIA’s,” hearing of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, C-SPAN, Nov. 11, 1992. 7. “Part 1: Could short fuse blow up McCain’s candidacy?,” Media General News Service, Feb. 15, 2008. 8. “McCain’s Temper May Become an Issue,” by Scott Thomsen, Associated Press Writer, Oct. 31, 1999. 9. Ibid. 10. “Bomb bomb bomb, bomb Iran,” YouTube, Added Apr. 19, 2007. 11. “McCain’s Latest Iran Joke,” by Michael D. Shear, washingtonpost.com, July 8, 2008. 12. “McCain Flip Flops Again: 100 Years in Iraq ‘Would Be Fine With Me,’ Even a Million Years,” by Matt, Think Progress, Jan. 4, 2008; “McCain defends ‘100 years in Iraq’ statement,” CNN Politics.com, Feb. 15, 2008. 13. “Governor Schwarzenegger Calls Up Additional 2,000 National Guard Troops to Help in State’s Firefighting Effort,” Press Release, Office of the Governor, July 11, 2008.
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