UPSTATE SPEECH AND SCREENING

Rob Cohen writes:

I was at both events in which you participated in the Hudson Valley this weekend. Thanks for all that you are contributing to the dialog that seeks to wake up Americans to the dangers that face us. I am writing to you in reaction to your new movie. (IN DEBT WE TRUST)

I thought that much of it was very powerful and very informative. I especially loved that your movie was touching on the most unreported black hole in journalism - economic distortion. You see, while political reporting is biased and controlled by special interest groups with money and power, this is nothing compared to the misinformation that is passed off as uncontested truth on the financial pages. There are few people who really understand economics, so the gov’t and the press are free to publish almost anything and watch it accepted without question. Much of what is distorted and why, happens to center around debt - a topic that is obviously dear to your heart.

“As you well know, the real pushes behind all that we loathe are power and money. Whenever you want to understand anything in society they say, “just follow the money.” Well I have been studying economics and trying to understand the connection between economics and social injustice for a long time and would be happy to share what I have learned with you…”

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Craig Gingold writes to John Quinones at ABC News:

” In yesterday’s World News Tonight report on the Mexican elections, you included a brief comment from Ana Maria Salazar, who was identified simply as a “foreign affairs analyst.” I was shocked to hear Ms. Salazar call Mr. Lopez Obrador “an extreme leftist”.

That is utter nonsense. No serious student of Mexican politics would describe Mr. Lopez Obrador as “an extreme leftist”. That would put him in the same category as say, Fidel Castro. Mr. Lopez Obrador is, in fact, the mainstream left-wing candidate.

Only a conservative ideologue like Ana Maria Salazar — who is a former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics — would describe him as “an extreme leftist”. I’m sure that Denise Dresser, who you also spoke to, would consider Ms. Salazar’s comment laughable.

Inflammatory commentary of that sort has no place in a straight news report. (Surely, you can do better than Fox News.) I would like to think this was a mistake, perhaps an editing oversight that wasn’t noticed in the push to finish the report by air-time. Whatever the explanation, I hope that in future reports you will avoid the use of “analysts” like Ms. Salazar who are more interested in advancing their personal ideological agenda than in providing informed comment for your viewing audience.”

Virgina Waldron writes again:

”Here’s another bare-faced lie spewed by the oh so wrong “right.” Obviously, the “deciderer” was functioning before 9-11.

“Spy Agency Sought U.S. Call Records Before 9-11, Lawyers Say.” The Bush administration has claimed that this request was made AFTER 9-11. “Obviously, this lawsuit challenges that statement.”

And more:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=abIV0cO64zJE

http://freeinternetpress.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7325&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

Bob Johnson Writes about John McCain:

”I am not surprised that McCain is selling us out re: net neutrality. The man has done nothing but sell out since Rove beat him up in SC. In fact, it appears that while the North Viets couldn’t break him, it did not take much for Rove/Cheney to break him. Why does anyone take him serious any more.

In fact my only surprise, is that you seemed surprise that he sold us out - again.

“Will there ever be peace between Palestinians (and allies) and Israel (and it’s one ally)? I see the nonsense and pain over there and I think back on a piece of graffiti seen in Viet Nam years ago — Drop some nukes on them and let god sort it out. I must be getting old and tired, because that is starting to make more sense.

“Happy 4th of July to you. How wonderful to celebrate the Declaration of Independence - whose very words would put a writer today in jail.

Robert Wicks writes:

”Many people feel that America is headed in the wrong direction and the people need to have more control in policy making. I suggest simply pick a person for President, Senator, and Congressman and your state and vote for them. If people will gather in each state and then nationally and select people and then vote for them it is done! It doesn’t take anything complicated to do this. It simply takes doing it!”

Srdjan writes from Greece:

”The reason why I am writing to you out of the blue is your brilliant interview published in the August issue of The Hustler. I was on vacation in Greece (island of Corfu), when one headline at a newspaper stand caught my attention: “Don’t Trust the Media”… I stopped, since this is the topic that I am interested in all my life… And than the small print above the headline said: Danny Schechter… Not to mention that naked women always catch my attention too. So I splashed out $15 (this is how much the Hustler costs in Greece) and had to explain to the cashier (and my wife) that I am not buying it for the naked flesh, but for my buddy’s interview.

PENTAGON: Intell Agencies Study Blogs

Sarah Meyer writes:

”Q. to your readers: How many times a day does the CIA plug into your blog?

My blog, http://indexresearch.blogspot.com, gets an average of 4 daily hits by CIA.

A blogger colleague says they used to subscribe to his website.

Are our blogs one of their sources of ‘intelligence?’ How comforting. Will this stop the next US ‘War of Terror?’ Unlikely. “

http://www.defenselink.mil/transformation/articles/2006-06/ta062906b.html

RESOURCE: BLACK PANTHER FILMS AVAILABLE

Roz Payne, a filmmaker and archivist in Vermont, announces:

”This is a large Box set of 4 disks each with 340 minutes. The editing has been done. I am looking for total donations $4,000 to help pay for the color and sound correction and the making of the menu. The work will be done shortly. There are 12 hours of moving images and audio plus an extensive amount of photos and pdf’s . Following is a list of the chapters in the DVD. Everyone who donates $50.00 or more will receive a copy of the DVD. All donations made out to Green Valley Media are tax deductable..”

Write: roznews@aol.com

STANDING UP FOR PEACE IN SPAIN

When women’s groups and artists associations in Spain supported a call for peace with terrorist groups, right wing organizations and media turned on them. This is an appeal for support from White Roses for Peace:

”On March 24th, 2006, the terrorist group ETA announced a “Permanent Cease Fire”.

On April 24th the Women of the Actors’ Union of Madrid, gathered recently as Secretary for Women’s Affairs of the Union, decided to give a White Rose to each Spanish Parliament representative requesting to support the peace process in SPAIN. Some politicians from the conservative Partido Popular in the opposition rejected the roses claiming that had thorns with blood from the victims of terrorism.

The right-wing press responded with cruel attacks, saying that the flowers were really for the terrorists. The confusion began to spread along with comments to the effect that we were in favour of terrorism and “funded by the Socialist Government”….

Since then, the Actors’ Union has received some 250 e-mail threats per day accusing it of being pro-terrorist. Anonymous phone calls threaten Union employees and executives, specially attacking me and the “women of the white roses”. The extreme right-wing has launched a fervent campaign with numerous counter demonstrarions with roses with red paint pretended to be blod stained, backed by the PP which cannot forgive the Union’s involvement in the No a la Guerra campaign against the Irak War which led to the downfall of the PP’s government of President Aznar.”

Write: faee@wanadoo.es

WASHINGTON SAYS: INPUT WELCOME

Deedee Halleck passes along a request from the US Government:

”The US government is asking for comments on how the internet should be run, and anyone is allowed to comment - but you’ll need to be quick.

“The NTIA - an arm of the US government’s department of commerce - is holding a public meeting at the end of July over what should happen to the current Internet overseeing organisation ICANN when its contract is renewed in September. In the meantime, it has opened a public comment board where you are able to email comments for the US government and the rest of the world to see. The board is open now but comments need to be sent by this Friday, 7 July. The email postal address is DNSTransition@ntia.doc.gov.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/07/02/ntia_icann_consultation/

ADOPT A MISSILE (Humor)
http://talkleft.com/new_archives/015231.html

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