FROM NADIA HIJAB: PROTESTS AGAINST ISRAELI OCCUPATION

June 10 will see the largest ever rally against the occupation on Capitol Hill. The rally, march and cultural evening on June 10 are co-sponsored by the US
Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and United for Peace and Justice, and the lobby day on June 11 is also co-sponsored by the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

- The US Campaign and UFPJ have mounted an eye-catching ad campaign in the
DC Metro (see the ad here
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1334) which has sparked counter-campaigns and a lot of press interest, which you can read about here
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1315

June 10 begins with a teach-in at the ADC Convention on Sunday morning, then on to the rally on the West Lawn of Capitol Hill, the march, and an amazing cultural evening Sunday night, and the lobby day on Monday. For the June 10 Cultural Night performers go to http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1372

- The list of speakers and MCs is a truly diverse picture of America ­ check them out here http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1391

RADIO PERSONALITY JAY DIAMOND WRITES TO SALON.COM:

COMPLETELY OVERLOOKED: THE MOST GLARING & MALIGNANT LIE OF THE NIGHT !

It is incomprehensible to me how a precis of the Republican forum last night would not have included one of the most obvious and toxic lies that I have ever seen/heard in over 30 years of watching this stuff.

And it happened less than one minute into the proceedings!

I’m talking about Mitt Romney’s despicable assertion in “answer” to the very first query of the event having to do with whether, in retrospect, it had been a wise decision to invade Iraq.
In all of Michael Scherer’s dictation about “null sets” and “non-sequiters”, he somehow missed the incandescent lie of the century…a Lie so Evil and/or Dumb that it should result in Mitt Romney being forced to resign from the campaign amid the same ridicule and disgrace that his father, George Romney was forced out in 1968 after claiming he’d been “Brainwashed” by General William Westmoreland during a visit to Vietnam.

Here is the incendiary lie told by Mitt (rhymes with —t)Romney within 60 seconds of the start of the forum in “answer” to the very first question, that NOBODY, including Mr. Scherer seems to have noticed !Romney said that the question as to whether Bush had been wise to invade Iraq was a “null-set” and non-sequiter” inasmuch as Bush was forced to invade because SADDAM HUSSEIN REFUSED TO ALLOW THE IAEA WEAPONS INSPECTORS INTO IRAQ !!!

Even though this event is the history of 4 years ago, not 4000 years ago, Romney either by design or owing to his unforgiveable ignorance stated a blatant untruth!

OF COURSE SADDAM HAD ALLOWED THE INSPECTORS IN !!!

He allowed them in, and allowed them full, unfettered, access within Iraq, back in September of 2002!

And there they stayed for SEVEN MONTHS…7 MONTHS!… making inspections anywhere they wanted to go, until George W. Bush told them to leave Iraq because the attack was iminent!!!
At that time Hans Blix literally beseeched Bush to give him a mere 4 weeks more and he would certify Iraq as being devoid of WMD. Which is of course just what Bush was afraid of, because such an assurance by the IAEI inspectors would have negated the phony casus belli proferred by Bush.

So Bush ordered the inspectors out with just 4 weeks to go and the rest is history….that is, IT WOULD BE HISTORY IF ONE PERSON HAD REMEMBERED IT….including, apparently, Mr. Scherer.

In addition, the relentless rejoinder by the GOP “debate” participants to questions about health insurance and health care are grave warnings about the evils of “socialized medicine”, and the evils of government sponsored health insurance.

I doubt that I’m that much smarter than anyone in the pantheon of journalism, so why is it that once again, NOBODY….I mean NOBODY….rises, however meekly to suggest that we already HAVE government health insurance….and that it works fine !

About 75 million Americans get their health insurance/health care from MEDICARE AND?OR THE VETERANS’ ADMINISTRATION !

Is it possible that I’m the only one in America who knows this !!?

If a candidate dared to bray at me about “socialized medicine” when confronted with a question about health care and health insurance, I would ask him if he felt that Medicare was “socialized medicine” and if he therefore was assuring his fellow citizens that, if elected, he would save them all from the execrable and dangerous damage to their freedom that Medicare represents, by eliminating Medicare !

If that candidate then came back with a reason why in his view Medicare was not, in fact, socialized medicine, then I would tell him that I agreed with him that Medicare for all was the best solution!

SIMPLE…CASE CLOSED.

So why does NOBODY….not one of the thousands of journalists or commentators in America, make any of the above points !!??

Is everybody un-conscious except for me?

What in blazes is going on here !?

WHERE IS EVERYBODY ?

THE ONION: GENERAL WASHINGTON COMES BACK TO BLAST WAR

WASHINGTON, DC—Breaking a 211-year media silence, retired Army Gen. George Washington appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday to speak out against many aspects of the way the Iraq war has been waged.

Washington, whose appearance marked the first time the military leader and statesman had spoken publicly since his 1796 farewell address in Philadelphia, is the latest in a string of retired generals stepping forward to criticize the Iraq war.

“This entire military venture has been foolhardy and of ill design,” said Washington, dressed in his customary breeches and frilly cravat. “The manifold mistakes committed by this president in Iraq carry grave consequences, and he who holds the position of commander in chief has the responsibility to right those wrongs.”

Washington noted that while Saddam Hussein was an indefensible tyrant, that alone did not justify a “conflict that seems without design or end.”

COMEDIAN KATHY GRIFFIN ON IRAQ

HIT MAN SPEAKS, HITS A HOMER

Went last night to see John Perkins, author of the best-selling Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, and the new “The Secret History of The American Empire” speak at the Barnes and Noble store on New York’s upper left side. He was so articulate and inspiring that a member of the audience suggested he run for office. He was taken aback but the idea certainly had merit. I will be writing more about his book soon and you will be able to see the talk I saw soon on CSPAN.

Comments welcome: Dissector@mediachannel.org

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