Virginia Weldon writes from Boulder:

>Here’s an article by Ted Rall (”Silk Road To Ruin”) that explains a lot of what the republican left hand has been doing while the right hand spews propaganda and disseminates lies and distortion. A real eye-opener.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13792.htm

INDONESIA SOUNDS LIKE AMERICA

James Porteous writes:

” “…the pro-business state with almost no social conscience is continuously failing to implement preventive measures which could save lives in times of disaster, as well as educate citizens and improve
infrastructure…”

“I’m afraid that what the reporter said about Indonesia could also be said of the US government.”

IRAQ SCAM LETTERS

For years we have all been getting scam letters allegedly from Africa promising big money for investments and the like. These scams are well known. Now there’s a new twist—the IRAQ WAR SPAM SCAM. Check this out:

” My name is, Major. Jeffrey Burton and i represent a faction of American soldiers serving in the military of the 1st Armored Division in Iraq, we came across your e-mail address(s) in the process of research and enquiry into an immense military global data base. I believe you are familiar with the war situation in Iraq ? Besides the killings, a lot of activities do occur; antique sales, stocked foreign cash discovered and lots more.

We are lucratively involved in these activities. Consequently, we require a worthy,upright and business minded individual for safe keeping outside the Iraqi state.

You might have an insight through http://news .bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm and details will be sent upon signal of interest. Our contact email; johnseco@virgilio.it

I would report this to the Pentagon but they will likely ignore it because they have so much bigger corruption to oversee.

Greg Gingold writes:

“With all eyes on the unfolding crisis in Gaza, there’s a closely related issue that’s begging for clarification.

Like an awful lot of other people, my reaction was wide-eyed astonishment when I heard those reports that Hamas had, in effect, agreed to “recognize”Israel as part of the agreement it worked out with Abbas and Fatah. “Wow. That’s really something. That’s a huge, fundamental shift,” I thought.

But then — given that it’s Israel/Palestine we’re talking about — I couldn’t help wondering if there might be less to this seeming breakthrough than those news reports were claiming.

And sure enough, it turns out that, in reality, the supposed “recognition” of Israel exists mostly in the minds of reporters and commentators who prefer to believe the spin from Abbas. As the two reports below make clear, Hamas itself recoils at the very suggestion. For better or for worse, there hasn’t been a major substantive shift on the part of Hamas. “

DID YOU KNOW?

Whole Foods CEO Mackey Endorses Cato Book - No More Corporate Crime Prosecutions: Whole Foods CEO Mackey Endorses Cato Book - No More Corporate Crime Prosecutions

Russell Mokhiber writes about the CEO recently profiled on 60 Minutes which did not examine his political orientation. His commentary appears on CommonDreams.org.

Most people who shop at Whole Foods are liberal yuppies.

They have enough money to spend $9 on a pound of cherries.

They believe that shopping for groceries at Whole Foods instead of Safeway or Food Lion or Giant or Wal-Mart is the politically correct thing to do.

They probably believe that the President and CEO of Whole Foods is a liberal like themselves.

They of course would be wrong.

John Mackey is instead a libertarian with right-wing tendencies.

Mackey says that Milton Friedman is his hero.

He’s a devotee of Ayn Rand.

He’s opposed to national health insurance.

He’s a union buster.

And he has recently endorsed a book published by the libertarian Cato Institute whose author concludes that no corporation should ever be prosecuted for crimes - no matter the corporation, no matter the crime.

THE DECLARATION OF IMPEACHMEMT

On Tuesday July 4, The NY Times will, as it does every year, reprint the Declaration of Independence. It would be more appropriate if they would run this version sent in by David Swanson:

Veterans for Peace has drafted a Declaration of Impeachment using nothing but excerpts from the Declaration of Independence (plus a few words in parentheses). It reads as follows, and should be read at picnics and protests on the Fourth of July:

…whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

…all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations…design(s) to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

…The history of the present King (George)…is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny…To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

§ He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

§ He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

§ He has…deprive(ed) us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury…transport(ed) us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

§ He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us…

§ He is at this time transporting large Armies…to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

§ He has constrained our fellow Citizens…to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

A (President) whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

We, therefore…do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People…solemnly publish and declare, That these…Free and Independent (People)…are Absolved from all Allegiance to the (Bush Administration), and that all political connection between them and (this Administration), is and ought to be totally dissolved…And for the support of this Declaration…we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

I will salute to that.

NO REST FOR THE WEARY: MY EVENTS

I will be at ULSTER SUNY at Stone Ridge NY tonight with Congressman Hinchey, Amy Goodman, Jeff Cohen and Alan Chartock discussing our “free press.” The panel gets underway at 7 PM

Sneak peak at my new film IN DEBT WE TRUST on Sunday July 2 at 5 PM at the Rosendale NY Theater. A big Dissector thank you to Andi Novik and family and colleagues for organizing both events.

See Indebtwetrust.com for more on film.

Declare your independence this weekend. Support Independent Media. Support Media channel. Our best to all who have had to cope with these horrible floods in our region of the world.

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