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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 30 / 31, 2008 Andy Worthington August 29, 2008 Mike Whitney Brian Cloughley David Ker Thomson Joanne Mariner Neve Gordon Chris Genovali Ron Jacobs Michael Donnelly August 28, 2008 Judy Gumbo Albert Paul Cantor Saul Landau / Andy Worthington Ben Terrall Leonard Peltier Niranjan Ramakrishnan Donna J. Volatile Website of the Day
August 27, 2008 Anthony DiMaggio Jordan Flaherty Ralph Nader Melissa Checker Bob Sommer Cynthia McKinney Ali Khan M. Junaid Levesque-Alam Dave Lindorff David Macaray Website of the Day
August 26, 2008 Patrick Cockburn Michael D. Yates Paul Craig Roberts Andy Worthington Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Huwaida Arraf Joseph Grosso Sheldon Richman Binoy Kampmark Website of the Day August 25, 2008 Patrick Cockburn Bill Quigley Jonathan Cook James McEnteer Uri Avnery Will Potter Robert Jensen Stephen Lendman Wajahat Ali Carl Finamore Website of the Day August 23 / 4, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Patty O'Grady Nicole Colson Steve Conn Deepak Trapathi Robert Fantina Jonathan M. Feldman Joshua Frank Osama Qashoo Howard Lisnoff David Michael Green Dave Lindorff Christopher Brauchli Alan Farago Michael Winship Richard Rhames David Rosen Patrick B. Barr Jamie Newlin Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend August 22, 2008 Boris Kagarlitsky Laura Carlsen Bob Barr Marwan Bishara Peter Morici Manuel Garcia, Jr. Charles Mostoller Sumbul Ali-Karamali Keith Rosenthal John F. Miglio Website of the Day August 21, 2008 Allan J. Lichtman Dave Lindorff Loserville: How Obama Blew It Ralph Nader Joanne Mariner Wajahat Ali Ron Jacobs Rostam Purzal Anthony Papa Website of the Day August 20, 2008 Michael Neumann Ray McGovern Eric Walberg Fidaa Abed Daniel Haack Mike Whitney Website of the Day August 19, 2008 Paul Craig Roberts Deepak Tripathi Marwan Bishara Saul Landau William S. Lind Martha Rosenberg James Brittain Pratyush Chandra David Macaray Website of the Day August 18, 2008 Tariq Ali Gary Leupp Uri Avnery John Ross Farooq Sulehria Luis Rodriguez Manuel Garcia, Jr. Noah Baker Merrill Charles Thomson Website of the Day August 16 / 17, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Deepak Tripathi Conn Hallinan Mike Whitney Robert Fantina Ray McGovern Nicole Colson Fatima Bhutto Jean-Luis Rocca David Michael Green Ramzi Kysia Dave Lindorff Lisa Martinovic Richard Rhames Don Santina Rannie Amiri Ramzy Baroud John Stanton Howard Lisnoff Ron Jacobs Seth Sandronsky Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend
August 15, 2008 Steve Niva David Remington Michael Winship Paul Craig Roberts Farzana Versey Harvey Wasserman Felice Pace Julian Critchley Website of the Day August 14, 2008 Saul Landau / Conn Hallinan Mike Whitney Reza Fiyouzat Ralph Nader Christopher Brauchli The Cheerleader in China Jack Bradigan Spula Patrick Irelan John Walsh Dan Bacher Website of the Day
August 13, 2008 Paul Craig Roberts David Remington Brian Cloughley Glen Ford Brendan Cooney Dave Lindorff Tom Lewis Stan Cox Alan Farago Martha Rosenberg Website of the Day August 12, 2008 Uri Avnery Anthony DiMaggio Bill Christison Eric Walberg Kate Connolly Diane Farsetta Peter Morici Thom Rutledge Lee Patton Niranjan Ramakrishnan Website of the Day August 11, 2008 Ishmael Reed Paul Craig Roberts Gary Leupp Douglas Kammen William Willers Greg Moses Jeff Leys Cynthia McKinney Alan Farago Website of the Day August 9 / 10, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Bruce Jackson Kevin Young Chris Floyd Joshua Frank Robert Fantina Brendan Cooney Mark Almond Lois Gibbs Rev. William Alberts Kathy Kelly John Ross David Michael Green Bill Moyers / Ron Jacobs Richard Rhames David Yearsley Lee Sustar Brenda Norrell Ben Terrall Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend 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 Ace 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
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Weekend Edition Sarah Palin on the ProwlA Cougar for the PUMAs?By WAJAHAT ALI Sarah Palin, a good looking, former beauty queen, hockey mom who reads “Guns N’ Ammo,” was announced as John McCain’s Vice Presidential running mate yesterday. “Tina Fey with an AK-47” exploded on the international political scene shocking everyone – except those of us who predicted it last week – as the second ever-female VP candidate since Geraldine Ferraro. The second year Alaskan governor, former mayor of Wasilla, Alaska [home to a whopping population of 8,500] and PTA mom brings a staunch social conservative record to the table: vociferously anti-abortion, anti same sex marriage, pro gun rights, pro free market, and solid supporter of teaching creationism in elementary schools. Her “MILF-Cougar” hotness doesn’t hurt with the polls and Internet chat rooms either. Although her values cement her popularity with the Republicans, her gender strategically caters to a very vocal, disenchanted “female first” Hillary fan base. Using a tragic Shakespearean metaphor, indeed the ghost of Banquo [Hillary Clinton] yet again returns to the banquet to haunt Macbeth [Obama] over a disputed, usurped kingdom [Democratic Presidential candidacy.] Although recently the Clintons passionately – and perhaps even sincerely – supported Barack Obama’s nomination as the Democratic candidate, a zealous, myopic and pyrrhic pro-Hillary group known as PUMA has emerged ravenous and bloodthirsty from the political jungle. The acronym now officially stands for “People United Means Action” but was originally “Party Unity, My Ass.” It’s comprised mostly, but not entirely, of a band of irrationally angry and jaded middle aged women accusing Obama and the Democratic Party of misogyny in unfairly taking “their woman” down. In an utterly shameless stroke of political expediency transparently masquerading as a platform of change, McCain and the Republicans chose Palin to unconvincingly prove they are no longer an elite cabal of upper class, geriatric, White men. At her public unveiling, Palin invoked the ghost of two “Banquos” [Geraldine Ferraro and Senator Hillary Clinton] by name. She praised the latter for putting 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, and continued to say, "but the women of America aren’t finished yet, and we can shatter than glass ceiling once and for all." McCain and the Republicans, whose corrosively negative “smear machine” would have sickeningly insinuated Clinton was a feminist-y, man-hating lesbian had she won the ticket instead of Obama, have now begun courting the spurned PUMAs for their vote. At last week’s “Happy Hour for Hillary” in Denver sponsored by the Republican National Committee and approved by the McCain campaign, disaffected PUMAs united with McCain supporters to oppose that icon of dark, patriarchal misogyny: Obama. One of the nuttier PUMAs, Cristi Adkins, verbally sparred on television with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews. She passionately advocated her futile case that Obama is a “registered Muslim” and studied at a “madrassa.” Yet again, the blatantly incorrect and inexcusably prejudiced connotation of “Muslim” as some sort of a vile Scarlet Letter was used to sully and question Obama’s loyalties and patriotism. As a practicing Muslim American born in the faith allow me to assure the American public the closest I ever come to “registering” as a Muslim is when I visit the airport. I get treated like a Hollywood celebrity – they show me so much love. The not so friendly pat downs, pseudo interrogations, eyeball molestations and multiple verifications of my name, hometown, job and background probably fit the bill as a valid “registration” with the United States Government courtesy of the TSA. Other than that, no other registration – I swear to Allah! Also, one must recall the ugly Pastor Jeremiah Right controversy, which should have confirmed to everyone - except the congenitally deranged, irretrievably stupid, or stubbornly prejudiced –that Obama is not nor has ever been a quasi, pseudo, stealth, ninja Muslim but instead a “believing” Christian. However, the smear by association is a hallmark play in the Republican playbook and one that is now adopted by the “female first, second and last” PUMA Democrats. The nomination of Palin, a woman whom McCain previously met all of once in his entire life, is so amusing and laughable due its obvious catering to the superficial, knee jerk reactions of the American voting public. And that’s precisely why it’s semi brilliant as well. Many, such as PUMAs, jaded conservatives, some poor Whites and middle class workers, who later supported Clinton over Obama apparently due to her considerable “experience” [the same that would qualify her to pick up that “3 am call’] would now rather side with McCain and Palin, whose greatest skill as of now seems to be picking power suits. Recall, Obama was depicted as being weak on “national security.” But Palin, who is a card carrying member of the NRA, apparently qualifies because she is an avid “moose hunter.” If Al Qaeda sneaks through the forests, Palin can single handedly take them out with one of her many rifles. McCain can air bomb them. Oddly, I am not assuaged. Of course, this is all absurd and hypocritical. We now have those same voters who were critical of Obama’s inexperience pledging allegiance to an even more thoroughly inexperienced vice presidential candidate who merely “looks” good and has right wing, conservative beliefs. And, disturbingly, she is a Vice President who very well could step in the President’s shoes considering her running mate is a 72-year-old man with four previous battles with cancer. This superficial aesthetic of “image branding” and personal biases is what trumps substance and integrity in nearly every election. For some, Palin, the spunky, feminine, driven but non-threatening, White woman is less frightening then the biracial, dark, Arabic sounding Obama, who will apparently remodel America as the next “Black Planet.” Palin, with her sophisticated but not elitist designer glasses, her sexy but not bougie highlights, her “go-getter” but not “lesbiany-anti patriarchal” femininity, reminds the PUMA generation of what they’d like to be and “see” in the White House. It seems they took their misguided cue from the other “Banquo ghost,” Geraldine Ferraro, who voluntarily resigned from Hillary Clinton’s committee over the fallout from these controversial and very telling remarks:
Sadly, some of McCain and Clinton’s followers think they suffer from an unbearable Whiteness of being, one that Obama’s Blackness allowed him to transcend. To those who suffer from this delusion, Sarah Palin-John McCain is the perfect substitute for the Obama-Biden ticket. And, as for the PUMAs and their like minded brothers and sisters, they have resoundingly answered Clinton’s question that she posed at the Democratic National Convention: "Were you in this campaign just for me?" Wajahat Ali is a Muslim American of Pakistani descent. He is a playwright, essayist, humorist, and Attorney at Law, whose work, “The Domestic Crusaders” is the first major play about Muslim Americans living in a post 9-11 America. His blog is at http://goatmilk.wordpress.com/. He can be reached at wajahatmali@gmail.com
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