Freedom of the Press?

Reporters Without Borders, an international organization dedicated to defending the freedom of the press, has issued its second World Press Freedom rankings. It is notable that the United States, which is waging war in the name of freedom, and it's ally Isreal do not measure up well, especially in their behavior abroad (in Iraq and the Occupied Territories, respectively). The report notes that:

The ranking distinguishes behaviour at home and abroad in the cases of the United States and Israel. They are ranked in 31st and 44th positions respectively as regards respect for freedom of expression on their own territory, but they fall to the 135th and 146th positions as regards behaviour beyond their borders.

The Israeli army's repeated abuses against journalists in the occupied territories and the US army's responsibility in the death of several reporters during the war in Iraq constitute unacceptable behaviour by two nations that never stop stressing their commitment to freedom of expression.

There are many other countries that rank below the U.S. and Israel (Cuba and North Korea are at the bottom of the list), however, the U.S. is supposedly trying to increase democracy and freedom in the Middle East. It is apparent that it is not doing so by setting an example.

The Bush administration has always tried to control the flow of information so as to present the "war on terrorism" in a favorable light. They have increasingly been tightening their control on information while complaining that the press is not "fair" by focusing only on the negative in Iraq. NPR has reported that the US is no longer providing reports of incidents of soldiers getting wounded unless a fatality was involved. The WSWS is also reporting that the Bush administration is banning coverage of coffins returning from Iraq. In another effort, fake letters from US troops claiming that "The majority of the city [of Kirkuk] has welcomed our presence with open arms." The letters were apparently written by military officials and some were sent out to newspapers signed without the soldiers knowledge.

Related articles:

• Second world press freedom rankings (Reporters Without Borders, October 2003)
• White House bans news coverage of coffins returning from Iraq (World Socialist Web Site, October 23, 2003)
• U.S. troops blindly used as PR for war in Iraq (JS Online, October 15, 2003)

Announcement: International A.N.S.W.E.R. March on Washington and San Francisco

Bring the troops home now
End the occupation of Iraq
Money for jobs, education & healthcare - Not war


International A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & Racism) is organizing marches on Washington, D.C. and San Francisco for Saturday, October 25, 2003 to protest U.S. Wars around the world. Read more about the march, including the call to action and logistical information, on their website.

Update: International A.N.S.W.E.R. has announced that they have obtained permits for the march on Washington and they have updated information regarding bus drop offs. They have also called for tax-deductible donations.

Announcement: Third North American Student Conference on the Palestine Solidarity Movement

The Third North American Student Conference on the Palestine Solidarity Movement will be held Friday, October 10 - Sunday, October 12, 2003, at Rutgers University.

Visit their website for information.

Bush targeting Venezuela?

With claims of terrorist group activity in a 'politically unstable' oil rich country it appears that the Bush regime may have its sights on 'regime change' in Venezuala. According to a U.S. News & World Report story, "One thing that's clear is that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is fast becoming America's newest nemesis" (10/6/2003). The following comment on the U.S. News article was posted on an Internet discussion board:

If you want to know what a true piece of garbage of the kind that seeks to help "justify" any future US intervention in Venezuela looks like, read the [U.S. News] "article" carefully; and take note of how the US propaganda machinery works. (Those of you who regularly watch and analyse CNN en Español know exactly, how "information" about Venezuela is always deliberately twisted in a more or less sophisticated way in order to build up the internationally required image of an "undemocratic government" and a potential "US enemy" or even "terrorist threat"!) The same infowar is being waged against Brazil and other Latin American countries.

The Venezuelan government has publicly and emphatically demanded an immediate response from the US officials that are quoted as the "article's" source, demanding proof for the outrageous and pulled-by-the-hair accusations made in the "article" ("Against Venezuela: A True Piece of Newspeak Garbage" posted by Jutta Schmitt, 10/3/2003).

Related articles:

• Venezuelan labor leader describes revolutionary process (Workers World, October 9, 2003)
• Is the US plotting to murder Venezuela’s president? (World Socialist Web Site, October 8, 2003)
• Terror Close to Home (U.S.News & World Report, October 6, 2003)
• Venezuela in US News: Lies and Distortions (ZNet, October 4, 2003)
• Washington's Dangerous Policy in Venezuela (ZNet, September 26, 2003)
• The Other Side of the Story (International Herald Tribune, August 29, 2003)

U.S. Weapons Inspector: "We have not yet found stocks of weapons"

It has become even more blatently obvious that the Bush administration mislead the public about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction in order to build support for the invasion of Iraq.

Related articles:

• WMD report: more proof Iraq war was based on lies (World Socialist Web Site, October 4, 2003)
• Elusive WMD and an embarrassing leak (The Economist, October 3, 2003)
• 'There are no shining weapons' (The Guardian, October 3, 2003)
• No Illicit Arms Found in Iraq, U.S. Inspector Tells Congress (New York Times, October 3, 2003)

Krugman on Bush: 'an administration of, by and for crony capitalists'

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman has been one of the most insiteful, out-spoken critics of the Bush administration in the 'mainstream' American media. While his political positions are not in-line with the editorial positions of Left Notes, his commentary is refreshingly honest such as in his most recent column in which he describes the Bush administration as "an administration of, by and for crony capitalists" (9/30/2003). In his New York Times Magazine article, "The Tax-Cut Con" (9/14/2003), he details how the tax cut movement has deceived the American public into supporting giant tax cuts for the wealthy.

Related websites:

• New York Times columns
• The unofficial Paul Krugman archive
• The New Paul Krugman website (Princeton University)

Book:

The Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century
By Paul Krugman
W.W. Norton & Company, 320 pp., $25.95
Buy this book from Powell's Books or Amazon.com