Rumors Fly: Cheney to Step Down?
February 28th, 2006 - by: danny
LIVE IN ALBANY
POLITICS IN IRAQ
DEBATING ABRAMOFF IN SOUTH AFRICA
POLL OF THE DAY:
Bush Ratings At All-Time Low The CBS News Poll Finds Bush’s Approval Rating Has Fallen To An All-Time Low Of 34 Percent
http://tinyurl.com/m2jh4
Insight Magazine: HUNTER-IN CHIEF TO RETIRE
“Cheney seen retiring after midterm elections Vice President Dick Cheney is expected to retire within a year. Senior GOP sources envision the retirement of Mr. Cheney in 2007, months after the congressional elections. The sources said Mr. Cheney would be persuaded to step down as he becomes an increasing political liability to President Bush. The sources reported a growing rift between the president and vice president as well as their staffs.”
TRAINING
I am writing tonight on Amtrak train 239 heading up the Hudson Valley to the capital of the Empire State – how appropriate – Albany New York. There I will be speaking about media issues to high school students in the studios of WAMC, a NPR outlet that does lots of community service.
I have a beautiful view of a traffic clog on the West Side Highway as the armada of automobiles go north towards the George Washington Bridge I am glad I decided not to drive through the rush hour. New Jersey looks imposing, even magical, out the window.
The mighty Hudson river on my left was a gateway to the new world, a portal for exploration, trade and later colonization. It is named after the Dutchman Hendrik Hudson who represented an empire that went east to the East Indies leaving this beautiful valley for the French and English and Indians to fight over. In the aftermath of the revolutionary war, some of the big Estate owners who sided with the British were tarred and feathered and forced to flee to Canada. Class consciousness/warfare was intense in those days.
The first stop on this express is Croton on Hudson where the writer John Reed once lived as you will remember from the film Reds. My folks lived there too, My late mom, a poet, edited the Croton Review for the local arts counsel. My pal, the Croatian-American musician Nenad Bach has a home there now and is thinking of returning back to the Dalmatian cost because of all the taxes that eat into his artists income.
The train is packed. Jammed. And no coffee, no nothing. I am told that the search for affordable housing now leads some people to commute 5 hours a day from the city upstate and back again. Every day. I could never do it.
Its been an uneventful day or maybe not. My doctor called with the results of my recent tests. Some of my levels are elevated but his call surely contributed to the problem. So add a new test to the list of stuff on my plate. I won’t bore you with it all but, trapped as I am next to a sleeping passenger, I can reflect on how busy everyone is, and why families with with many members working at more than one job don’t have much time to inform themselves about what’s really on outside their worlds.
How do we get them to care about what’s happening in Iraq and to its people?
DEATH TOLL
For years now, the civilian death toll of the US war in Iraq has been downplayed, if reported at all. But now that Iraqis are killing each other, its page one in the Washington Post this morning: Their reporters have finally found the morgue.
“Grisly attacks and other sectarian violence unleashed by last week’s bombing of a Shiite Muslim shrine have killed more than 1,300 Iraqis, making the past few days the deadliest of the war outside of major U.S. offensives, according to Baghdad’s main morgue.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/27/AR2006022701128.html?referrer=email&referrer=email
The Progress Center reports:
” As violence escalates across Iraq, the Bush administration has continued to ignore ideas for a practical alternative approach to resolving the conflict.”
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/32872/
THE POLITICS OF IRAQ
We usually only hear about the military battle in Iraq .But what about the politics? By chance I happened on this “old news” compiled by the Global Beat news analysts.
Global Beat: 13-29 December 2005: Iraq Vote Sinks Another U.S. ‘Best-Case’ Scenario
“U.S. officials made no secret, in the months preceding Iraq’s latest election, that their withdrawal strategy was premised — in the first instance — on a regime change: the replacement of the current, strongly pro-Iran government dominated by the Shiite religious parties by a more secular, moderate, U.S.-friendly administration that would make compromises to draw in Iraq’s alienated Sunnis who make up the social base of the insurgency.
“The hope was that Iraqi voters would blame the poor security and economic situation on the incumbents, and turn to more secular alternatives such as the first prime minister picked by the U.S., Iyad Allawi, or even former Pentagon favorite Ahmed Chalabi. At the very least, it was hoped that the power of the alliance led by the two main Shiite religious parties would lose its parliamentary majority, and be forced both to choose more moderate leaders from within its ranks, and to accept a part in a more secular coalition. Preliminary results released by the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, however, have poured cold water on those scenarios.”
This forces us to recognize that the great genius guiding Iraq policy got the poilitricks as wrong as the military-security situation. Sometimes when we look back, we can see the future more clearly.
http://www.bu.edu/globalbeat/index.html#iraq
SADDAM ENDS HUNGER STRIKE
“Saddam and seven others are on trial for killings in 1982. Saddam Hussein has ended an 11-day hunger strike for “health reasons”, his chief lawyer has said. Khalil al-Dulaimi said his client had lost 4-5kg (9-11lbs), but that his morale was high.”
As it happens I watched Ramsey Clark, the former US attorney General who is on Saddam’s Defense team explain what a farce the trial is. I know Mr. Hussein was never known for fairly trying the people he killed and tortured but this trial was supposed to show how different western justice is. What a joke! Also fascinating that Clark has so rarely been on the air discussing his experience–or being confronted about it.
SCOTT RITTER TESTIFIES
It is a lack of faith in the courts that leads the former UN arms inspector Scott Ritter to testify before citizen tribunals. Ritter explains his reason in his testimony:
“In 1946, the Nuremburg Tribunal rejected the German defense of pre-emption when it came to the invasion of Denmark and Norway in 1940. The Germans had cited the imminent occupation of these two nations by the armed forces of France and Great Britain, which would have threatened the German northern front, as just cause. This defense was rebuked by the tribunal, led by US Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson, who instead identified the German action as constituting a “war of aggression.” Judge Jackson went on to say that “To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.”
“Judge Jackson’s words, and my steadfast allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, motivated me to give testimony this past Saturday at the International Commission of Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity Committed by the Bush Administration, in particular in support of the first count put forward by the commission: that the Bush administration authorized a war of aggression against Iraq.
“I’m not a big fan of un-mandated tribunals, but given the absolute lack of attention on the part of Congress regarding the decision to invade Iraq (a lethargy encouraged somewhat by Congress’ own culpability in abrogating its responsibilities under the Constitution when it comes to war powers and holding the Executive Branch in check), I felt that my participation in the Commission’s work would help create a record that might someday in the future motivate the representatives of the American people who occupy the Legislative Branch of government to carry work that not only serves the interests of their respective constituencies, but also defends both the letter and intent of the Constitution they are sworn to uphold and defend. America should not be looking to any international commission or tribunal to hold President Bush and his administration to account; that is the job of the American people.
BBC REPORTS EUROPE IS SENDING AID TO PALESTIIANS
“The EU approves 120m euros in aid to the Palestinians, in a bid to save the current government from collapse.”
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Living In The Age of Great Media
February 28th, 2006 - by: danny
MEDIA MORASS
NY TIMES SUES BUSH ADMINISTRATION
“The New York Times sued the US Defense Department on Monday demanding that it hand over documents about the National Security Agency’s domestic spying programme. The Times wants a list of documents including all internal memos and e-mails about the program of monitoring phone calls without court approval. It also seeks the names of the people or groups identified by it.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060227/ts_nm/security_nsa_nytimes_dc – AP, Yahoo News
LA TIMES “L.A. Icon Otis Chandler Dies at 78″
Times publisher from 1960 to 1980 led paper into journalism’s front ranks
Also gone: Dennis Weaver Dead of Cancer at 81
TV’s “McCloud” first gained fame as deputy Chester Goode in the classic western “Gunsmoke”
CNN says US Officials Believe Jill Still Alive
“Iraqi officials believe kidnapped American journalist Jill Carroll is alive and they are working toward her release, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq said Monday. The latest in a series of apparent deadlines set by kidnappers holding Carroll passed Sunday with no word on her fate. Her abductors, a group calling itself Brigades of Vengeance, have said they will kill Carroll if the United States does not release all women it has detained in Iraq.”
Other foreign journalists were just released:
“Two French journalists were freed in Iraq Tuesday, ending a 4-month hostage ordeal at the hands of Islamic militants that had shocked France and embarrassed President Jacques Chirac’s government.
“I have the profound joy of announcing that Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot have been freed by the Islamic Army (in Iraq),” Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin told France’s Senate to loud applause followed by a standing ovation.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-12/22/content_402363.htm
OTHER MEDIA NEWS
Is ‘Da Vinci Code’ Plagiarism?
http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?e475259368&e=6421
ABCNEWS.com
Kevin Marsh: Britain deserves better journalism
http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?e475257378&e=6421 reg
Guardian Unlimited
Citizen Journalism Gets Financial Infusion
“One of the world’s most successful citizen journalism sites, Korea’s OhmyNews, has gotten an $11-million investment from Softbank. The site — which has built a team of almost 40,000 citizen reporters — will use the investment to launch a Japanese news site, the first “stepping stone” of the soon-to-be-formed OhmyNews International.:
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/003358.php
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Your Letters and South African Debate
February 28th, 2006 - by: danny
LIKES MEDIA PROTEST DAY MARCH 15
Paul O’Hanlon writes from Glasgow:
“I like the idea of the media protest day against the war on Wednesday March 15th, which of course will be followed by the worldwide demonstrations that weekend. http://www.troopsoutnow.org/m18orgcents.shtml for full list
“BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH” indeed. March is going to be a lively month with all the protest activity, the opening of the Iranian oil bourse and maybe even an attack on Iran.
Looking forward to reading your excellent analyses of the world situation — assuming there is still a world left if the crazies nuke Tehran! I can imagine Bush being informed “It’s Armageddon, sir” To which the great man of action and leader of the free world will reply “Armageddon outahere!”
KOFI ANNAN DISSED AGAIN
Ian Williams writes:
“The irrationality of some people about the United Nations leads one to impertinent questions. Did a UN peacekeeper wearing nothing but a blue UN helmet jump out of the woodpile today and frighten them when they were children?
“The New York Sun led with what has to be one of strangest and stretchiest attacks on Kofi Annan yet. The UN Secretary General had won a half million dollar environmental prize from Dubai and therefore kept silent about the whole ports affair.”
http://deadlinepundit.blogspot.com/2006/02/sun-spots-katrina-dubai-dubya.html for full diatribe.
THE KATRINA KONNECTION
Katrina:
“I am a member of Veterans For Peace (http://www.veteransforpeace.org) and the founder of New Orleans Voices For Peace (http://www.neworleansvfp.org). We have been documenting Katrina and Rita disaster relief efforts since we left Crawford Texas for New Orleans on Sept 1st.“We appreciate what Mediachannel.org has done to bring light to the sad story that is commercial news today! We will do our best to bring you the truth about war and its true costs by interviewing Iraq war veterans, surviving family members and hurricane victims as they march together to bring attention to the fact that every bomb that drops in Iraq blows up on the Gulf Coast! “
Joe Dunphy writes:
“This comes under the heading of stories not covered. After Hurricane Katrina, buildings of course have to be rebuilt. But I do not see any coverage of the building codes being changed–surely they should be upgrades to withstand greater force. During the early coverage of Katrina, I remember seeing a church that was built to withstand 200 mph winds–and it came through pretty much OK, with only some roof damage.
“By not toughening the building codes, in essence the bowling pins are being reset for another round of the same.
“This brings us to problem one: FEMA’s basic standard operating procedure calls for doing everything possible in the re-construction phase to mitigate damage the next time around. I have seen no stories that mitigation is being designed into construction. In fact, I hear the opposite, that federal funding is not enough for Category 5 construction.
“Problem Two: This then creates an artificial demand for lumber in the next disaster. As conservationists know, forests around the world are already stressed, and scientists are concerned that the by-product loss of flora and fauna when trees are clear-cut results in less drugs available for new pharmaceuticals. If FEMA required tougher building standards, up to Category 5, then the next time around, the buildings would stand, and we wouldn’t have to rip up enough forests to re-house all these people. Estimates I’ve seen are that in the past two hurricane seasons–from Florida to Texas–some Three Million people’s houses have been affected by hurricane damage.
“Problem Three: Who benefits? In Florida, I believe that St. Joe Paper is one of the biggest landowners in the state. I also believe it was or still is connected to extensive Rockefeller family interests. It can be easily checked out in an annual report. Most major media companies know the paper trade cold, because they own magazine empires as well.
” But if the commercial TV stations were to cover this story about Katrina, building codes, and lumber, it would also highlight the large degree of concentration in the media.
“So, for example, if Viacom/CBS/UPN Cable/King World Productions (Oprah Winfrey Show) were to cover the story properly, it might create problems for Viacom subsidiaries Simon and Schuster, Pocket Books, MTV Books, Nickelodeon Books, some of whose books could be converted into movies for Viacom subsidiary United Cinemas International, to be touted on some 180 radio stations of Viacom/Infinity Broadcasting. Similar parallels are likely in the other big four media companies.
“Thus, Katrina might be an example of the conglomerates not getting too close to the footprints of their own corporations on the lives of those affected by the hurricanes. It appears to be another example of the companies putting their own interests ahead of the public’s. By not covering the building codes angle, we are witnessing a real form of a domino theory being put into place again.
“There is no reason why we have to make the same mistakes twice. If the public lets this happen, then the trees being cut down now may destroy the cure for a disease that could have saved you later on in life. By the law of large numbers, there will be some people that will die as a result of this gross neglect. Seven months after the initial incident, the media is still not holding FEMA accountable for violating its own written standard operating procedures (SOP). This folly will not end until media companies start losing their broadcast licences for failing to broadcast in the public interest.”
BUSH TOUR OF INDIA
Arundhati Roy writes in The Nation:
“On his triumphalist tour of India and Pakistan, where he hopes to wave imperiously at people he considers potential subjects, President Bush has an itinerary that’s getting curiouser and curiouser.
‘For Bush’s March 2 pit stop in New Delhi, the Indian government tried very hard to have him address our parliament. A not inconsequential number of MPs threatened to heckle him, so PlanOne was hastily shelved. Plan Two was to have Bush address the masses from the ramparts of the= magnificent Red Fort, where the Indian prime minister traditionally delivers his Independence Day address. But the Red Fort, surrounded as it is by the predominantly Muslim population of Old Delhi, was considered a security nightmare. So now we’re into Plan Three: President George Bush speaks from Purana Qila, the Old Fort.
“Ironic, isn’t it, that the only safe public space for a man who has recently been so enthusiastic about India’s modernity should be a crumbling medieval fort?”
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060313/roy
TIPPING POINT?
Wendi Meremark predicts:
“According to the planets, western civilization, or the American consumption and re-mix of it, has peaked. The forward force is oil supply, and the dysfunctional politics all around us is the global-sized scrum for position in it, and the downfall of civilization’s paper-thin house is news that there ain’t any left.
“Oversimplified, yet still true, it goes like this: We invaded the Middle East to seize the oil fields. And they’re empty. All the oil’s been pumped out and burned up. There is not as much underground as the sheiks and CEOs exaggerated to us. We got yer’ pyrrhic victory, rightcher.
The events of sixty years, starting with the invention of the Department of Defense and the Pentagon, has been steering the entire US economy in this direction — oil guzzling — and telling us the whole time we would never arrive, telling us earth’s oil would last hundreds of years and we would never come to the end. Well, we can see the end from the high point of today….
AM I A CIA AGENT WITHOUT KNOWING IT?
E-mail is amazing. With the stroke of a keyboard, I found that someone in South Africa read my recent article about the role the notorious lobbyist Jack Ambramoff played earlier in his career supporting apartheid. Abramoff’s lawyer had already insisted I was reading his tea leaves wrong. Now some lefter than moi (or thou) read it on a South African website and concluded that I must be agent because I left out crucial details as part of a deliberate intent to deceive.
Professor Patrick Bond sent it to me from a debate website at the University of Durban which carries the original report. Now, a certain Dominic Tweedie decided it was worthy of refutation, writing,
“This article is inaccurate in a way that lets the main still-active culprit off the hook. Abramoff did not found IFF. Williamson, Crystal (and quite possibly Tony Leon) did. They followed a South African prototype that was also used by Williamson in Europe. They hired Abramoff as their “point man” in Washington. Therefore Abramoff got his start as a hired agent of a foreign power – basically as a spy for apartheid South Africa. This is the real story.
“The film episode trailed by Williamson is a tatty red herring more than a red scorpion. Most of the people hired did not in fact get paid. Maybe Williamson chowed the money himself, I wouldn’t be surprised, but this was ten years after the crucial period when Williamson and Crystal spotted, bought and groomed Abramoff, starting the whole shitty chain of events.
“Shechter’s account does not mention Crystal and Leon at all, which is strange, considering that they are live political players to this day, whereas Williamson and Abramoff have already been exposed. Altogether, Shechter’s article looks like a classic piece of “limited hang-out”.”
For the uninitiated, “limited hang out” is when intelligence agents leak some information to hide the real story. I found it an irony since my own career as an investigative reporter for Ramparts began with exposes about the CIA in Africa. Now, Mr.Tweedie has divined that I was probably part of the very plot I was unmasking.
I, of course, responded.
“It is one thing to be inaccurate (or, more accurately, incomplete) when you are writing from half a world away, and relying on published sources. It is another to be accused, with no evidence, of “limited hang out,” intelligeneeze for deliberately telling part of the story to obscure the rest or it or deceive people.
“With Abramoff denying all — as usual — we are left with the not always credible reminiscences of (SA apy) Craig Williamson. I noted that Jack’s first trip was in ’83, his meeting with Savimbi in ’85, well before the movie Red Scorpion was made. (Interesting to learn that people were not paid on the movie which seems Jack’s way of doing business. (That would not shock Hollywood) Sleaze for him SEEMS to have been a way of life and a sop.
“But this media/cultural/ideological war went on for a while and to judge by Tweedie’s tone, it continues.
“Schechter (misspelled by Mr. Tweedie) was not writing about Tony Leon or South Africa today. He was/is writing for Americans who know or remember little about these events.
“Was there more to the story? There always is.
“Tweedie’s snarky and self-righteous attack feels itself like a classic bit of denouncing someone he doesn’t know for something he wasn’t writing about.
Touche, Mr. Tweedie. Patrick said he agreed with me. It was time to eat breakfast. And then, last night, Tweedie bounced back, across the time zones, further detailing his position and then saying:
“Sorry to Danny Schechter if he felt “denounced”. What I would really want is that he keeps digging. I think this story is bigger than he thinks, and will play in Peoria, to boot. Best wishes, Dominic.”
Best Wishes. As they say, good night and good luck.
Your comments always welcome. Write: Dissector@mediachannel.org
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About Danny Schechter
Danny Schechter is an Emmy award winning journalist, television producer and independent filmmaker who also writes, blogs and speaks about media issues.
His latest film is PLUNDER The Crime Of Our Time.
Mr. Schechter is NOT the Godfather of Soul.
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