Israel has escalated its attacks on Beirut and the rest of Lebanon.

Israel is retaliating for Hezbolla's attacks which retaliated for Israel's killing of dozens of Palestinians.

A town in Israel is in shock after a missile attack killed a civilian woman. Casualties like these can be shocking because they are rare.

17 July 2006 (Prison labor) Prison labor in Louisiana: sheriffs exploit the prisoners, and it keeps wages down for everyone else.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-26 because the old link was broken.] How curious that the furore over immigrant workers, and what they might do to wages, doesn't extend to prisoner workers. Perhaps this is the sign that this furore is part of a campaign that uses people's economic anxieties for other ends.

17 July 2006 (Bush forces death squad) Fallujans report how a Bush forces death squad came in helicopters to kill a man and arrest his 13-year-old son. The son was mutilated by their dogs.

17 July 2006 (Bush accepts the Geneva Conventions) Bush accepts the Geneva Conventions for prisoners in Guantanamo and elsewhere.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-26 because the old link was broken.] However, when the Bush regime claims that its actions so far are adequate to follow these conventions, it shows that it isn't really going to obey them -- only pretend to do so.

17 July 2006 (Militarism and the Corporate Welfare State) In 1991, Iraq's people had a high standard of living, education, health care--everything one might want except democracy and freedom. Today they have none of these things, because the Bush invasion handed over their country's wealth to US corporations. Militarism and the Corporate Welfare State

15 July 2006 (Unsafe levels of mercury) Even half a can of tuna per week can give you unsafe levels of mercury if the tuna is from Ecuador. For other kinds of tuna, maybe one can a week is safe, if your body is big enough.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-26 because the old link was broken.]

15 July 2006 (Plot to flood lower Manhattan) The FBI says it foiled a "plot to flood lower Manhattan".

[Reference updated on 2018-04-26 because the old link was broken.] Bombing the tunnels could have killed thousands, but if you really want to flood lower Manhattan, you need more subtle means--such as burning lots of oil for decades. Who's going to foil Bush's plot to flood Manhattan?

15 July 2006 (Violence of mobs) Entire counties in the US have remained all-white, sometimes for over a century, as the result of the violence of mobs of white racists.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-26 because the old link was broken.]

13 July 2006 (Organization to oppose Islamic extremism) ppBritish Muslims have formed an organization to oppose Islamic extremism.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-26 because the old link was broken.] It is good to oppose such extremism, but this organization should not overlook the other threats to human rights in the UK, such as Bliar.

13 July 2006 (Sectarian attacks) Escalating sectarian attacks in Iraq killed dozens of people.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-26 because the old link was broken.] Some Americans who can't bring themselves to advocate pulling the Bush forces out of Iraq like to tell themselves that the Bush forces are preventing all hell from breaking loose. But that is true only in a short-term sense; in the long term, what they do is create the pressure that makes things steadily worse.

12 July 2006 (Italian government agents) Italian government agents face arrest for the CIA kidnaping of an Egyptian who was sent to Egypt for torture. It is amazing that conservatives dare to speak in favor of these agents and what they did. If Osama bin Laden is happy because our societies respect human rights, that is no reason to discard them.

11 July 2006 (Children in Basra die from easily curable diseases) Health care in Basra has deteriorated to the point that children die from easily curable diseases. Medicine is not available, and doctors and nurses are afraid to go to work. Basra is one of the stabler parts of Iraq. Things must be worse in other cities.

11 July 2006 (Berlusconi faces new fraud charges) Berlusconi faces new fraud charges He has been saved before by the statute of limitations, which is why he adopted a law reducing the allowable time for prosecution.

09 July 2006 (Churches convinced UK doctors to oppose assisted suicide) Churches convinced UK doctors to oppose assisted suicide. It is not just the terminally ill who ought to have the right to help dying. Some people are totally crippled by chronic diseases, and have no reasonable prospect of anything to live for. Forcing them to go on living is tantamount to torture. They ask for help in suicide from relatives, doctors, lovers, whoever they are close to. Have a heart!

09 July 2006 (Bliar demands that British Muslims hand over the "extremists in their midst") Bliar demands that British Muslims hand over the "extremists in their midst", while doing nothing to address the causes of their suspicions--let alone apologize for mistreatment of innocent people.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-26 because the old link was broken.] If I were in Britain, Muslim or not, and I had information that suggested someone else might possibly be a terrorist, I would have to think twice or more before telling the police. What if he were innocent, and the police shot him without giving him a chance to explain? What if he were convicted of the "crime" of possessing some object that the court considered suspicious? If I had any doubts about what I had seen, my duty would be to say nothing about it. The UK government must recognize its responsibilities to respect everyone's rights in order to win their support and cooperation. Until it does, British Muslims should respond by demanding that the police hand over the extremists in their midst.

08 July 2006 (French agents visited Guantanamo prison to question prisoners there) French agents visited Guantanamo prison to question prisoners there. In effect, they participated in the unjust imprisonment of various people. The mere fact that "associating with wrong-doers" is considered a crime indicates a lack of respect for human rights on the part of the French government.

08 July 2006 (Bill to require chemical plants to improve security against terrorist attacks being blocked by Senator Inhofe) A bill to require chemical plants to improve security against terrorist attacks is being blocked by conservative Senator Inhofe. The Bush regime makes perverse choices of "security" measures because its priority isn't reducing danger, but making its claim to "protect" us appear justified. Measures that intrude on citizens' lives are desirable; measures that inconvenience some businesses but won't be seen by the public are not.

07 July 2006 (Tracking anti-war political groups) Schwarzenegger has set California's "anti-terrorist" office to tracking anti-war political groups. The information they use often comes from the Department of Homeland Security (Committee for Public Safety).

[Reference updated on 2018-04-26 because the old link was broken.]

07 July 2006 (Sonic booms) Terrorizing Gaza's children with sonic booms.

06 July 2006 (The Iraqi army claims to have captured the man who bombed a famous mosque) The Iraqi army claims to have captured the man who bombed a famous mosque a few months ago.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-26 because the old link was broken.] He may really be guilty, or he may have been tortured into confessing. If he's guilty, I'm glad he has been caught. When bombings of mosques (and other targets that have nothing to do with the occupying forces) began in Iraq, many wondered who was really behind them. It was clear that creating hostilities between Iraqi groups could only help Bush. Disunity weakens the Iraqi resistance, while intercommunal violence provides a retroactive excuse for continuing the occupation. Were the Bush forces carrying out these bombings as provocations? There's some evidence for that. There is also a fair amount of evidence that there really are Sunnis that hate Shi'ites, and Shi'ites that hate Sunnis, enough to massacre them. This includes foreigners associated with Al Qa'ida, such as Zarqawi. So we have to ask: is Al Qa'ida once again working to keep Bush and his nasty activities going? They help Al Qa'ida recruiting as nothing else could. There have been plenty of reasons to suspect some sort of hidden cooperation, including the long-standing relationship between Bush and the bin Ladens, including the way Bush let some bin Ladens leave the US just after 9/11 when nobody else was allowed to fly in the US, and including all the evidence that some in the Bush regime were complicit in the 9/11 attacks. And then there are the "bin Laden tapes", which seem to be designed to help Bush. Even some CIA agents thought that's what they were meant to do.

05 July 2006 (A Republican plan to gradually end farm subsidies turned into an even bigger subsidy) A Republican plan to gradually end farm subsidies turned into an even bigger subsidy. Republicans are always torn between their ideology of the free market, which would not allow subsidies to business, and the fact that they work for business, which wants subsidies (and cites the "free market" only when it suits them).

03 July 2006 (New system for medical research) The big drug companies claim they need patents even in poor countries so they can get money for research; but they don't do much research on the diseases that kill millions. The World Health Organization is now working towards a new system for medical research.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-26 because the old link was broken.]

03 July 2006 (Nastiest copyright law in Europe) The nastiest copyright law in Europe has been adopted by France. The government used dirty maneuvers to force through the law that Vivendi-Universal demanded. Never buy media that you don't have the means to copy! And never buy anything from Vivendi-Universal. The money they get from you, they will use to attack your freedom.

03 July 2006 (No protesting withouta tie!) In a recent protest in London, on behalf of Gary McKinnon and reform of the unjust extradition policy, the police ordered protestors to "wear business dress". No protesting without a tie! Here are quotes from the instructions that were posted by Janis McKinnon.

03 July 2006 (Spanish Government sides with media companies) The Spanish government took the side of the media companies against its citizens, making peer-to-peer downloading illegal. When a government makes laws to serve the megacorporations by punishing the public, it betrays its own people, and becomes no better than a satrap of those companies. These companies' regime may pretend to be democratic, but it is designed to prevent the people from having any real control over their laws. It is a dictatorship in disguise.

01 July 2006 (Male homosexuality seems to be partly caused by events during gestation) Male homosexuality seems to be partly caused by events during gestation, perhaps an immune reaction triggered by the gestation of previous male siblings.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-26 because the old link was broken.] This does not mean that male homosexuality is genetic in the sense that gay males have a special gene; but it could be that there is a selective advantage to genes that tend to lead to a certain number of gay males in a large family.

28 June 2006 (Urgent Note: Protest in London on June 29 against the unequal treaty for extradition from the UK to the US) Until June 29: Protest in London on June 29 against the unequal treaty for extradition from the UK to the US, and against the extradition of Gary McKinnon. The protest will start at 5pm at the Institute of Directors (Pall Mall) then march to St James' Park and the Home Office.

27 June 2006 (Ethiopia buys drought insurance) Ethiopia has bought drought insurance -- a sum of about 6 million euros (maybe 7 million dollars).

[Reference updated on 2018-08-14 because the old link was broken.] The idea may not be ridiculous, but that is surely far too little money to do much good for Ethiopians in the event of a severe drought.

26 June 2006 (Bush says Guantanamo prison must be closed) Bush says Guantanamo prison must be closed (though by whom, since he isn't doing so), but that some of the prisoners must be held to protect them from torture in their home countries.

[Reference updated on 2018-08-14 because the old link was broken.] These countries, including Saudi Arabia, are places where Bush has previously sent other people to be tortured, and he declines to promise he won't do that again. Notwithstanding that, it is good to protect people from torture; but is keeping them in prison really the right way to do that? And what about the torture carried out by the Guantanamo prison itself?

26 June 2006 (The Iraqi government wants peace talks with the resistance) The Iraqi government wants peace talks with the resistance as part of a plan to tell the Bush forces to leave.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] If this works, it will be great--but I wonder how many laws Bush will have been able to impose on Iraq, perhaps to take control of the oil, perhaps to take control of other aspects of life.

25 June 2006 (Olmert justifies killing additional Palestinian civilians) Olmert justified killing additional Palestinian civilians by saying Israeli lives are more important than Palestinian lives. Considering that Qassam missiles are almost totally ineffective, Israeli policy resembles that of a grown man who shoots children that try to stab him with crayons.

25 June 2006 (Forest Gate Raid intelligence) The "solid intelligence" that led to the raid in which Mohammed Abdul Kahar was shot came from a man who had little intelligence. His credibility was doubted by the police.

[Reference updated on 2018-08-14 because the old link was broken.] That man had been sentenced to prison for the crime of being a suspect. (Specifically, he had someone's address, and the police thought he might be planning to attack that person.) Defining suspicion as a crime is fundamental injustice. 1500 protested the raid, including George Galloway. I have a song to suggest for these protests: (To the tune of "Rule Brittania") Save our freedom from Bliar and his knaves!

Britons never never will be slaves.

25 June 2006 (Tobacco companies fund fertility research to distract from health issues) The tobacco companies are funding fertility research as a way to confuse the issue that smoking is bad for fertility (as well as likely to kill its users).

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] Large companies and governments frequently run distraction campaigns so that they can get away with abuses. When it's done in regard to the environment, it is called "greenwashing".

23 June 2006 (The Iraqi restistance set off 23 bombs in Baghdad) The Iraqi restistance set off 23 bombs in Baghdad, demonstrating that the supposed "security" campaign in Baghdad has not affected them. Meanwhile, the ACLU revealed additional cases of torture by the Bush forces, including one prisoner who was tortured to death. Americans must recognize that the war was not a mistake--it was a crime.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.]

21 June 2006 (Los Angeles police chief says not to complain about flying camera drones; you are already watched) The Los Angeles police chief says, about flying camera drones, "Don't complain about more surveillance, because you're already watched everywhere". One must ask him, in response, whether it was legitimate to make such a profound change without ever a public debate. He is following a common tactic for preventing public debate on an important change that can be imposed gradually on the public. The tactic is to keep saying "It's too early to have a debate" until the point is reached where they switch to "It's too late". We have to ask him, "In which year do you think the debate should have been held, and what did you do then to raise it?" Of course, it is not too late. It never will be. The citizens of LA should demand a law requiring the police, when using this drone to observe private property, to get the owner's permission or else a court order, just as they would for police to enter and search.

21 June 2006 (Three Bush forces soldiers have been charged with murdering Iraqi civilians ) Three Bush forces soldiers have been charged with murdering Iraqi civilians who were "shot while trying to escape".

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] Placing charges against them is the right thing to do, when there is solid evidence for such killings, but it is too little, too late. The Bush forces have already had plenty of time to absorb the attitude that Iraqis are there to be shot ad lib, and plenty of time to teach Iraqis to hate them.

21 June 2006 (War in Afghanistan heating up) The renewed war in Afghanistan is heating up, with hundreds of air strikes by the US against the Taliban. Sometimes these kill civilians. Which raises such questions as: do the US forces really try not to bomb civilians, or just say they try? And if they do try, will Afghanis blame the US, or the Taliban, for the civilian casualties that will occur despite the best efforts? The article quotes commanders as saying that time is against the Taliban, but experience shows such statements are just P.R., and would be made regardless of the truth. What is clear is that something makes many Afghanis want to fight for the Taliban. Is it anger at foreign soldiers' presence? Religious fanaticism? Money from opium? Whatever it is, it must be the crucial point.

21 June 2006 (Global warming is melting the permafrost in Siberia) Global warming is melting the permafrost in Siberia, and this could lead to the release of lots of stored CO2, greatly increasing global warming.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] Based on the numbers in the article, we can estimate that melting 10 feet of permafrost would release about 60 billion tons of CO2, enough to increase the CO2 in the atmosphere an additional 8 percent. Positive feedback phenomena of this kind create "tipping points" where the climate could change rapidly and disastrously.

21 June 2006 (Several European fashion designers decided to highlight public safety) Several European fashion designers decided to highlight public safety and support the REACH directive, by making a fashion show of clothes made without toxic substances.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] Only a tiny rich fraction of the public wears clothes made by famous designers; the sweatshops that make most clothing are unlikely to copy their idealism. The main way an initiative like this can be helpful is if it encourages the adoption of general regulations.

20 June 2006 (Leaked message show how bad Iraq is getting) As Bush says that things are getting better in Iraq, a leaked message from Bush's ambassador shows how bad they are getting.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] I am sad for the violence that Iraqis suffer, and for the religious fanaticism that oppresses the men, and even worse the women. But I have no sympathy for the Iraqi traitors that work in the US embassy.

20 June 2006 ("Iraqi" army force) A large "Iraqi" army force, working for Bush of course, is supposedly trying to make Baghdad "safe". These soldiers are nearly all Kurds or Shi'ites, so Sunnis are not likely to be safe around them. Prime Minister al-Maliki says, "No mercy toward those who show no mercy to our people." However, mysteriously this does not include Bush.

20 June 2006 (Urgent Note: Oil Industry Campaign Contributions) US citizens: phone your congressional representative and say, "Please support the pledge to refuse oil industry campaign contributions." (This is a MoveOn campaign.)

20 June 2006 (NATO troops attacking Taliban) NATO troops in Afghanistan are attacking the Taliban, but such attacks on a guerrilla force rarely achieve much. Meanwhile, the Taliban are starting a broader terror campaign.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] I supported the war in Afghanistan when it was fought. This is not because of 9/11 but rather so as to liberate Afghanistan from the Taliban, cruel murderous religious fanatics. However, subsequent events have shown that the outcome of the war was not good. Afghanistan does not enjoy stability or human rights. And since the Taliban are gaining strength, they must have support. Support for murderous religious fanatics can't come entirely from religious fanaticism--there must be other causes, other problems for which they seem to be the solution. It is possible that a better outcome could have been achieved if the US had given Afghanistan the promised support instead of invading Iraq.

18 June 2006 (The World's oceans are reaching the point of no return) World's oceans reaching point of no return, says the UN Environment Program.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] The plan to protect Venice from rising seas may be derailed because of the costs. Another article said that most of the inhabitants have moved to the mainland, where they no longer face flooding--for the moment. So they don't care about saving Venice. But even the "mainland" may not be safe for long. Flooding in the coming century will be much than one meter, if the Greenland ice melts. Is anyone designing a dam across the straits of Gibraltar? There are hundreds, if not thousands, of old cities at the edge of the Mediterranean.

18 June 2006 (Rare bumblebees could be wiped out) Rare bumblebees in England have made a home in abandoned factories, railways, etc., along the Thames. (The story refers to these as "pockets of East Anglia".) If these pockets are redeveloped as planned in the Thames Gateway, the two species could be wiped out. Of course, if the sea level rises in this century, they would be flooded out anyway--along with that whole region (including London). But that is another good reason not to build houses there. Isn't anyone putting two and two together to get "under water in 80 years"?

18 June 2006 (The Islamists in Mogadishu have ended the warlords' violenece) Like the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Islamists in Mogadishu have ended the warlords' violence, which wins them public support despite the fact that most Somalis do not really want Islamic law. Businessmen who support the Islamists for stability's sake asked the US to stop supporting the warlords and support them instead. The US refused, so they turned to the Islamists.

[Reference updated on 2018-08-14 because the old link was broken.]

18 June 2006 (British troops suffer mental illness) 10% of the British troops in the Bush forces suffer mental illness as a result.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] Fighting enemy soldiers is bad enough, but fighting to occupy a country creates a conflict in the mind of anyone who believes in justice.

18 June 2006 (Hamas has ended its 16-month unilateral truce) Hamas ended its 16-month unilateral truce against Israel because Israel has killed so many Palestinian civilians. However, Hamas offers a bilateral truce--Palestinian attacks will stop if Israel also stops its attacks.

[Reference updated on 2018-08-14 because the old link was broken.] I've read elsewhere that Hamas offered to recognize Israel if Israel accepts the UN-recognized 1967 borders. If that is true, this article is wrong when it says that Hamas completely refuses to recognize Israel. What it refuses to recognize is Israel's annexation plan. But Israel is using more than guns to kill Palestinians. It is using starvation. Nearly the children in Gaza suffer from malnutrition because of the Israeli siege. (And it is happening in Iraq too.)

18 June 2006 (Accusasion based on confession obtained by torture) Men accused of planning a bombing were convicted in France, based partly on a confession obtained by torture in Syria. I don't know whether these men are guilty, but admitting evidence obtained by torture is a recipe for convicting the innocent, and it is much more dangerous than a bomb.

18 June 2006 (The Army's retaliation) Lt. Eric Watada has taken great personal risk to denounce the war in Iraq. The Army is capable of many kinds of retaliation. Lawyers analyze the charges he is being investigated for, and how the Army silences dissent. According to a book I read, the soldiers in the "presidio mutiny" were convicted of disregarding an order they could not possibly even have heard.

17 June 2006 (The police who shot Mohammed Abdul Kahar apologized to the family) The police who shot Mohammed Abdul Kahar apologized for the hurt to the family.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] That is one step closer to the right thing to do, but it misses the main point. The police must promise not to shoot, kick, or even curse at helpless nonresisting suspects when arresting them.

17 June 2006 (Almost a million Iraqis are refugees) Almost a million Iraqis are refugees in Syria and Jordan, but those countries are refusing new refugees. I suspect that this means Iraqis can't find anywhere they can go.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.]

17 June 2006 (Humalla was not elected) Chavez's support for Peruvian presidential candidate Humalla backfired, and Peru elected corrupt ex-president Garcia, even though many Peruvians hate him. I can understand Peruvian resentment of too pushy an attempt to interfere in their decision. However, I suspect that the institutions of the corporate empire (such as the US government) interfered in a more powerful but subtler fashion, and that the corporate media cooperated in helping Peruvians focus their resentment on Chavez rather than the other side.

17 June 2006 (Fu Xiancai attacked by thugs) Fu Xiancai is an activist who has campaigned for years to win compensation for the million Chinese who were displaced by the Three Gorges Dam. He was recently attacked by thugs, who broke his neck. He is now paralyzed, probably for the rest of his life.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] One must guess the thugs were sent by officials. But such a determined man may find a way to campaign for justice even while paralyzed.

17 June 2006 (1,800 sheep died) 1,800 sheep died from grazing in genetically modified cotton fields in a small area of India. Whether this is happening elsewhere is not known; the problem could be far larger. The shepherds graze the sheep on cotton crops after the cotton is harvested, so they are not damaging the crop. If this becomes unsafe, they won't do it; then their sheep won't die, but they will have lost a source of food that could be very important.

16 June 2006 (Center for Food Safety) The Center for Food Safety sued the FDA calling for labeling of genetically modified foods.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] Food businesses oppose this labeling, just as they have opposed nearly all sorts of nutritional labeling--because they do not want consumers to have the informational basis to exercise a thoughtful choice.

16 June 2006 (Zarqawi) How did Zarqawi die? Some Iraqis say he was just wounded, and that the Bush forces killed him after taking possession of him.

16 June 2006 (Thugs) Mohammad Abdul Kahar describes how thugs broke into his home, shot him, then kicked him, then grabbed him and tossed him in the street. All without identifying themselves as police.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.]

16 June 2006 (Now being investigated) Several massacres by Americans in the Bush forces are now being investigated. Camilo Mejia, a Bush forces veteran, says that such massacres are widespread. "This is the norm. These are not the exceptions." Experience suggests that, even if soldiers are prosecuted for these massacres, chances are they won't be convicted even if the evidence is strong. Of course, most massacres leave no suitable evidence. So the soldiers nearly always get away with it. Veteran Garrett Reppenhagen says, "In these circumstances you would be surprised at how any normal human being can see their morals degenerate." The individuals must be held morally responsible for their actions, but the main culpability falls on the people who put soldiers in the situation where this was sure to happen: the occupation of a conquered people who regard them as enemies.

22 June 2006 (Police Shooting) Many British Muslims protested the police shooting, calling for the police chief's resignation, and denouncing the prime minister for his eagerness to support the police. Some non-Muslims supported the protest, but I am disappointed there were not more. The danger from police that recklessly endanger the public is not limited to Muslims.

14 June 2006 (Another massacre) Solid evidence has appeared of another massacre by the Bush forces.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] For any given instance of killing civilians, it is very unlikely for clear evidence to appear. Therefore, we must regard the cases for which we find proof as a small sample of a frequent practice.

13 June 2006 (Amnesty International rebuked Israel) Amnesty International rebuked Israel for its practices that systematically kill Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] Israel kills large numbers of Palestinians as "retaliation" for the killing of few Israelis. Palestinians say their attacks are "retaliation" too, and Sharon used to do things that would instigate such "retaliation" whenever there wasn't enough Palestinian violence to suit his political intentions. Not everyone in Israel is content with this situation. When Amir Peretz became head of the Labor Party, he gave a speech that suggested things would change. By accepting the Defense Ministry, he put himself in a situation where he cannot change anything but details, and where he will inevitably be under pressure to show he is not "soft". I think it was a bad mistake. Just a few weeks ago, the Israeli forces killed a Palestinian leader by shooting a missile at him in a crowded street. Predictably, there were other casualties--five in one family. A little girl was paralyzed for life. And it gets worse...

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] Is this any less evil than bombing a bus?

13 June 2006 (Escape through suicide) After dozens of attempts, some Guantanamo inmates succeeded in escape through suicide.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] The Bush regime describes this as "PR", because their killings and torture are meant as public statements. It is possible that these men did intend their deaths as a statement. However, committing suicide as a public statement demonstrates great sincerity, precisely because of the high cost the speaker must pay. The Bush regime's officials pay for lies with money and the lives of other people. For them, talk is cheap. Another analysis.

13 June 2006 (No hard Evidence) The FBI has no hard evidence connecting Osama bin Laden to the 9/11 attacks--no basis to press charges against him, for instance. Interesting that Bush had enough evidence to start a war.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.]

13 June 2006 (Armed Madhouse) Comments on Greg Palast's new book, Armed Madhouse.

13 June 2006 (Al-Zarqawi) The Bushmen will try to make a great victory out of Al-Zarqawi's death, just as they tried to make him out as the leader of the Iraqi resistance. But he wasn't, and they will now have to invent another "fanatical leader" to blame for the Iraqi resistance. One statement in the article calls for clarification: attacking recruits for Bush's police forces is not the same thing as "killing Shi'a", even if those recruits happen to be Shi'ite. Iraqis who want to join the Bush forces are collaborators, not bystanders.

13 June 2006 (Biofuels) Switching from oil to biofuels can damage the environment if these biofuels are not produced sustainably.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.]

13 June 2006 (Prize-winning film about the IRA) A prize-winning film about the IRA and the British occupation of Ireland in 1920 has an unpleasant lesson for Britain today. A series of critics have denounced the film without having seen it.

13 June 2006 (Former law lord denounced anti-terror laws) A former law lord denounced the UK's post-9/11 anti-terror laws, saying they attack civil liberties and do not contribute to safety. The danger from terrorism in the UK today is small compared to the danger of terrorism in the 1970s and 80s. Such a small danger cannot justify painful measures.

13 June 2006 (Lieutenant Watada) Lieutenant Watada has refused to go to Iraq, saying that the occupation is illegal. He faces the threat of prison.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] I consider him a hero.

13 June 2006 (Fallen Heroes Act) The US has adopted a law prohibiting protests in the vicinity of national cemetaries -- a direct attack on freedom of speech. The name of this law is the "Fallen Heroes Act", but "Fallen Freedom Act" would be more fitting.

13 June 2006 (UK police apologized) UK police apologized for the upheaval caused by the raid where they shot an unarmed man in his home. It appears they have not yet apologized for shooting him, however.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] Their apology is a false one because it doesn't admit doing anything wrong. It is really just an attempt to silence the complaints. Britons should reject government calls to "pull together" for increased police power. They should insist that the government join them in pulling together for the human rights of all Britons.

11 June 2006 (House of Representatives rejects network neutrality) The House of Representatives rejected network neutrality.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] This decision was the result of a lobbying battle between two groups of companies. No matter which side had won, for decisions to be made in this way is a failure of democracy.

11 June 2006 (Palestinian family killed on beach) A Palestinian family was killed on the beach by artillery fire. We should not forget that the supposed justification for Israel's checkpoints and wall, which divide Palestinians from their fields, workplaces, schools, hospitals, and relatives, and for the financial blockade of Palestine, is to prevent massacres like this. However, in point of fact, nearly all the massacres in the region are massacres of Palestinians.

11 June 2006 (Egyptian bloggers still in prison) Four Egyptian bloggers remain in prison for supporting freedom of speech. They have been tortured.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] Do you think the Bush regime is pressuring Egypt to stop this? Or does it encourage the practice of torture, so as to have a place to send prisoners?

11 June 2006 (NASA cancels global warming monitoring satellites) NASA has canceled or delayed various satellites that would provide information about global warming. That will help Bush and his corporate masters deny global warming.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] Since global warming is likely to kill far more than 6 million people, I think that global warming denial is akin to holocaust denial.

11 June 2006 (Borders of tropics have advanced) The borders of the tropics have advanced 140 miles away from the equator in the past 25 years -- an effect of global warming.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] (Does anyone know precisely how "the tropics" are defined?)

10 June 2006 (Islamic fanaticism) Robert Fisk writes about the histories of some Palestinian refugees who went to Iraq to fight, including suicide bombers. Islamic fanaticism is dangerous; if today it fights to free a country from murderous foreign occupation, tomorrow it could be turned against women's rights, or unbelievers, or even other Muslims. However, any situation where there is a just cause that Islamic fanatics can support tends to encourage fanaticism.

10 June 2006 (US military bases) Large protests attend Ukraine's welcome to US military bases, which many Ukrainians don't like. The protest movement gets support from Russia, which is taking a leaf from the US book.

10 June 2006 (Terror suspect) UK police shot a defenseless, unarmed "terror suspect" in his home. He did not know they were police; he went downstairs after hearing noises made by intruders in his house, and was shot. Fortunately he lived, and will be able to denounce the police.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] If the police had evidence he was preparing violence, they had grounds to get a warrant and search the house, and perhaps to arrest him as well. But there's no excuse for shooting unarmed people who are not resisting. Nonetheless, Blair endorsed the police raid 101%. The shooting gives him a chance to show how callous he is.

10 June 2006 (US-supported warlords) The Somali Islamists have captured Mogadishu from the US-supported warlords.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] Violating a UN arms embargo would not bother Bush, nor working with the government of Ethiopia, which has put the opposition leaders on trial for treason. That's what Bush calls "freedom and democracy".

10 June 2006 (Real democracy) Shirin Ebadi calls for real democracy in Iran as the solution to various problems, including the nuclear crisis. Meanwhile, she criticizes the US for its double standard in how it treats Iran and Pakistan.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.]

10 June 2006 (NYC police) Two NYC police detectives have been convicted of assassinations for the Mafia.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] To kill for organized crime is egregious for police in the US, but lesser forms of cooperation between them are widespread. And police typically stick together like mafiosi when one of them is caught in a crime. Don't be led astray by the presumption that police testifying against someone in court are less likely to lie than than the defendant.

08 June 2006 (Who is following the Iraq money?) The Case of the Missing $21 Billion--Who's Following the Iraq Money? (Nobody: the Bush regime decided to block the investigation, and then cover up the fact that it was blocked.)

08 June 2006 (Alaska recriminalized marijuana) Alaska recriminalized marijuana, disregarding its Supreme Court's ruling. The ACLU has sued to overturn the law.

[Reference updated on 2018-08-14 because the old link was broken.]

06 June 2006 (Cheney hypocrisy over Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan) When Cheney showed favor to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan immediately after criticizing Russia for its lack of human rights and democracy, the hypocrisy of the juxtaposition was so blatant that even the corporate took note. What is behind this?

06 June 2006 (Pope's visit to Auschwitz) The pope visited Auschwitz, and gave a speech designed to say that the majority of Germans at the time were not to blame for the mass murder of Jews and others. I refer people to the book "Hitler's Willing Executioners".

06 June 2006 (BitTorrent raid broke the law) The police raid that seized the web servers of a BitTorrent site, an anti-copyright political organization, and many other organizations and companies at the same hosting site, broke Swedish law in numerous ways, aside from having no legal basis in the first place.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.]

05 June 2006 (Swedish police seize Bit-Torrent tracker site) The Swedish police seized the world's largest Bit-Torrent tracker site, apparently at the behest of the Bush regime.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] I understand the spirit of defiance that motivated the site's operators to call it "pirate", but I think that is a bad mistake. The term "pirate" presumes that sharing is the moral equivalent of attacking a ship. Well, they're not equivalent, and we shouldn't let that assumption pass unquestioned. Names aside, I like the spirit of the Pirate Party, and I would support it except for one grave and ironic error: in the area of software, their policy of limiting copyright to 5 years would backfire, hurting free software without helping the users. Copyleft is based on copyright, so its effectiveness as a defense for the user's freedom would be undermined if copyright for software is reduced in a simple way. Meanwhile, most proprietary software developers use EULAs, not just copyright, so this change would not hamper them at all. Reducing the length of copyright to 5 years is a good idea, but in order for this to have right results in the software field, it needs to be accompanied by a requirement to put the source code in escrow for public domain release 5 years later. It won't do you much good if a binary from 5 years ago is in the public domain, but you still can't change it. And if its developer put in a time bomb, it might not run at all.

05 June 2006 (Dutch paedophiles form political party) Dutch pedophiles have formed a political party to campaign for legalization.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] I am skeptical of the claim that voluntarily pedophilia harms children. The arguments that it causes harm seem to be based on cases which aren't voluntary, which are then stretched by parents who are horrified by the idea that their little baby is maturing.

03 June 2006 (Egyptian government denounces US for criticizing arrests) As the Egyptian government arrests protestors and opposition bloggers, it denounces the US for criticizing this crackdown. But wait a minute--didn't Egypt get the idea of calling opposition "terrorists" from the US?

03 June 2006 (Congress reducing environmental review in national parks) Congress has passed a law that nearly eliminates environmental review for building pipelines and electric power lines through national parks. This follows the basic policy of giving priority to business over all else.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.]

03 June 2006 (Pentagon Investigation denies orders given) A Pentagon investigation into the killing of refugees during the Korean War denied the orders that the soldiers had received.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] The claim that North Korean commandos had infiltrated groups of refugees, and that it was necessary to shoot to keep them from crossing the UN lines, was stated publicly decades ago, so I don't see why the Pentagon would want to deny it now. Does anyone know if it really happened, and what evidence there was for it at the time? If it did happen (or if the UN forces had good reason to believe so), why not cite it now as the reason, rather than lying?

02 June 2006 (Iraq veterans fear being shunned) Iraq veterans fear they will be shunned by Americans just as many Vietnam veterans were shunned. There is a lot more of an ethical reason to criticize Iraq veterans than Vietnam veterans--most of the latter were conscripts, but the former all volunteered to join the armed forces. I think that any Iraq veteran who wants to be treated as a hero should do something heroic, such as joining Iraq Veterans Against the War. If they claim they didn't know what they were getting into before they did it, they ought to know by now. If they stand by these wrongs, they have no excuse.

01 June 2006 (Investors criticizing ExxonMobil management) Some large investors in ExxonMobil, including pension funds, have criticized the company's management for failing to recognize the danger of global warming.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] I think that a real solution to the problem of the wrongdoing of companies such as ExxonMobil is to eliminate the management's excuse -- the principle of "fiduciary responsibility" which exempts management from all responsibility other than to make the company rich.

01 June 2006 (Radioactive waste may contaminate champagne vineyards) Leaking radioactive waste (from a storage dump that supposedly would not leak at all) threatens to contaminate the vineyards from which champagne is made.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.]

01 June 2006 (Amnesty International report on Israeli killings) Amnesty International says, Israeli soldiers, police and settlers who committed unlawful killings, ill-treatment and other attacks against Palestinians and their property commonly did so with impunity. Investigations are rare, as were prosecutions of the perpetrators, which in most cases did not lead to convictions. By contrast, Israel used all means at its disposal, including assassinations, collective punishment and other measures that violate international law, against Palestinians who carried out attacks against Israelis or who were suspected of direct or indirect involvement in such attacks. Here's the full report.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] This is why I do not accept "self defense" as a justification for Israeli policy. By any even-handed standard, Israel's crimes are greater, so the Palestinians are the ones who can plead "self defense". The Israeli state (like any other) has a duty to protect its citizens from attacks by foreigners, and likewise a duty to protect foreigners from attacks by its citizens. Using the former duty as an excuse to disregard the latter duty is culpable.

31 May 2006 (Bush regime producing propaganda as news) The Bush regime has joined corporate America in producing propaganda videos for US TV stations to broadcast as "news".

31 May 2006 (President Toledo of Peru accuses Chavez) President Toledo of Peru accused Chavez of "interfering" in Peru's presidential election. (Chavez endorsed the candidate that Toledo does not like.) A few years ago, Microsoft paid Toledo's government not to adopt a law preferring free software. On a bigger scale, Toledo's government has negotiated a new "free trade" treaty with the US, sacrificing Peru's sovereignty and democracy. Chavez is clearly right in saying that Toledo is subordinate to US interests. Probably Garcia will be, too. I hope Peruvians, and the OAS, will recognize that it is the US, not Venezuela, whose interference in Peruvian affairs is dangerous.

31 May 2006 (EU High Court invalidates anti Data Protection agreement) The European Union's high court voided the EU's agreement to violate its data protection laws at the demand of the US. I hope that some politicians in Europe use this opportunity for nationalistic opposition to US bullying.

30 May 2006 (Genetically engineered papaya) Genetically engineered papaya contaminated an organic papaya farm in Hawai'i, ruining its crop.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] The fact that the engineered genes spread where humans didn't want them shows that this technology (at least when used in plants) is not fully under human control. It must therefore be treated with distrust.

30 May 2006 (Teflom) Some chemicals used in making Teflon and Scotchgard are subtly toxic to rat fetuses: when they grow up, they are infertile. They are getting into wildlife in North America at levels that could be dangerous. And into some human children, too.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.]

30 May 2006 (Private water supply companies) Private water supply companies are causing trouble in the US, not just in South America and Africa.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] We can draw interesting conclusions from the facts in the article that the article does not choose to draw. When these companies present snow jobs about their greater capabilities, don't believe it. The usual way they try to cut costs is by cutting corners with reliability and public safety. They do things that a public agency could have done, but wouldn't have risked. The risk falls on the public. A $4000 fine, or even a $60,000 fine, is nothing for these large companies. If they can save $100,000 by cutting corners on public safety, and face the possibility of a $60,000 fine (but only if caught, and they don't expect to be caught), they will do it--unless the manager has a strong personal sense of integrity and public responsibility. This is a recipe for malfeasance. Water companies pretend that they can solve problems that cities can't tackle, because they have money to invest. However, cities can raise that money directly, with municipal bonds. All the water companies add is a layer of privatizers who demand handsome profits.

30 May 2006 (Negotiations with the Palestinian Authority) Bush convinced Olmert to have negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. Since Olmert doesn't really want to reach a peace deal, he's unlikely to negotiate in earnest. This can at cause a delay before he annexes part of the West Bank in defiance of international law. Still, this delay could create an opportunity for something else to happen.

30 May 2006 (The Democratic Party) The Democratic Party used to defend working people's rights and interests, though not to an extreme. George McGovern's recent column illustrates how that has changed. McGovern presents arguments that workers must accept poverty--arguments which this article clearly refutes. But I do not necessarily agree with the solution it recommends, of socialism. There are many ways that the world could be globalized, if only we are ever in a position to choose. Various solutions to the problem of increasing economic disparity are possible, if we could try them. But as long as business retains power over governments, making democracy a sham, we can't try any of them.

30 May 2006 (Investigation of Bush Marines for Haditha shootings) The investigation of Bush forces marines for shooting helpless Iraqis in Haditha is taking the lid off a widespread practice.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] While individual soldiers are responsible for their personal acts of murder, the Bush regime is responsible for the overall pattern of murder. I am skeptical of the Iraqi's claim that the Bush forces have ordered troops to kill lots of Iraqis no matter who they are. (How would they benefit?) However, if they measure success by body counts, as in Vietnam, that would be enough to convince some troops to shoot any available Iraqis so as to inflate the body counts. It produces the same result, but those who set it up can deny responsibility even in their own minds. Nonetheless the responsibility would still be theirs. I do not know whether such orders are in effect. It is possible that the soldiers shoot civilians due solely to panic and anger, which are only to be expected in a hated occupying force under attack from a resistance movement. If so, the Bush regime is still responsible. (Note how the first article speaks of Bush's "effort to rally support at home", as if such efforts were legitimate and possible. Perhaps the editors are still providing a lingering form of support to them.)

30 May 2006 (George Galloway being unjustly criticised) George Galloway is being condemned by bigoted politicians for saying that, supposing that Blair were to be killed by a hypothetical suicide bomber as revenge for Iraq, it would be morally equivalent to Blair's killing of Iraqis. Galloway does not, however, think Blair should be killed--he wants Blair to receive a fair trial for war crimes. When other British political figures condemn Galloway for this, they show their lack of moral objectivity. It is a double standard to condemn a deadly bomb carried by a person (Iraqi style) more than a deadly bomb dropped by an airplane (Bush or Blair style). It is a double standard to condemn an enemy for (hypothetically) bombing your leaders when your side has in fact tried to bomb their leaders. It is a double standard to condemn terrorism only when it is not carried out by the organized army of a state. Those who start a war are not entitled to get huffy because the victim fights back. Nonetheless, they often do, because bullies desire excuses to put their victims in the wrong. "He's scum because he hit me after I started beating him up" is typical reasoning for bullies, both individual and national. The other politicians quoted are encouraging the UK to adopt the attitudes of a bully. I salute Galloway for refusing to go along. I am disappointed, however, with Galloway's apparent endorsement of the nondemocratic government of Cuba.

29 May 2006 (Student faces expulsion for web posting) A student in the US faces expulsion from school for posting on a web site that he was angry that the school was trying to censor him.

29 May 2006 (Affirmative Action in India) The Indian government is looking for ways to palliate the objections of upper-caste students while preserving their plan to increase affirmative action. Even a mass movement does not deserve support when it seeks to preserve the privilege of a minority. I would offer these strikers a pledge to sign, promising to refuse to participate in the common forms of abuse against the lower castes; those who sign are worthy of being heard.

29 May 2006 (Southern Iraq) Iran-backed militia groups are in control of much of southern Iraq.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.]

29 May 2006 (Hillary Clinton) Hillary Clinton states her admiration and friend-ship for prominent right-wingers--which should not be surprising, since her focus for years has been trying to become almost as Republican as Republicans.

29 May 2006 (Two-state solution) Palestinian Authority President Abbas proposes a referendum of Palestinians on a two-state solution (which includes recognizing Israel).

[Reference updated on 2018-08-14 because the old link was broken.] Perhaps the Palestinian Authority should offer to follow old peace agreements if Israel agrees to follow old UN resolutions.

29 May 2006 (Captured Hamas official) Israel captured a Hamas official who commanded attacks that killed 78 civilians. I can't blame them for capturing him -- and it is good that this time they didn't shoot a missile at him and kill a dozen bystanders. But there are Israeli officials whose orders have killed far more than 78 Palestinians. Shouldn't they too be arrested?

27 May 2006 (Colombian paramilitaries) The Colombian paramilitaries that work for President Uribe have stepped up their attacks on union leaders. Some have been killed, and others disappeared.

27 May 2006 (Prisons for refugees) In Blair's prisons for refugees, people fleeing torture can't even get to see a doctor for treatment for their wounds.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.]

27 May 2006 (Force them to commit suicide) Afraid now to kill their daughters and sisters, Turkish men now force them to commit suicide, by locking them in a room with a gun or a rope.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] The fact that these killers now must hide gives these woman an option, though it requires great courage. If the woman says, "I will just sit here and die of thirst -- and then the autopsy will convict you!", the threat might compel her relatives to spare her life. If that doesn't work, then I hope she contrives to shoot one of them instead of herself. Better the would-be murderer should die, than the intended victim.

27 May 2006 (Wild orangutans) Wild orangutans could be wiped out in 12 years as the forests of Borneo are burned and turned into palm oil plantations.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] The easiest way to address this problem would be for importer countries to ban the sale of palm oil made in plantations that were recently burned out of the forest. But the WTO surely prohibits that, just as it prohibits the old US law that tuna sold in the US had to be caught in ways that protected dolphins.

27 May 2006 (Mystery bills) A new campaign calls on the House of Representatives to reject "mystery bills" which are submitted and then voted on without time for proper study even by the house.

[Reference updated on 2018-08-14 because the old link was broken.] I think 72 hours is too little time anyway. It will be hard for anyone to properly study and think about a bill hundreds of pages long in that time. Bills should not be voted on in less than a month except to respond to an emergency, and the bills that respond to emergencies should be simple.

26 May 2006 (Border Patrol) The US Border Patrol shot and killed a driver who was transporting some illegal Mexican immigrants...back to Mexico.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] Even if you believe that stopping illegal immigration is worth killing people, this makes no sense. Yet the Bush regime is not abashed. It is proud and glad to have found an opportunity for killing, even a senseless and absurd opportunity. I have been silent on the immigration debate, partly because I have no objection in principle to the prevention of unauthorized immigration, and many of the proposed methods seem legitimate. I have no objection to a fence at the border, for instance, or to more patrolling, as long as it isn't murderous. However, the latest proposal sounds extremely cruel. The part of these immigration bills that I hate most is the requirement for new forms of identification and surveillance of US citizens. I gather this is supported by nearly everyone in Congress. Orwellian surveillance is not controversial in the US, where "Land of the Free" has been replaced with "Let me see your papers." When the US adopted a requirement for US citizens to prove their citizenship in order to get a job, I vowed I would never do so. I will never again be an employee in the US.

26 May 2006 (Urgent Note) US citizens: call your congressman to oppose the free trade treaty with Oman. In addition to the usual reasons for opposing all modern free trade treaties (they subjugate democracy to business power), this one is likely to encourage specific kinds of human rights abuses practiced by Oman.

26 May 2006 (Break the grip of the big drug companies) Activists are campaigning in the World Health Organization to break the grip of the big drug companies.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] These companies use patents (imposed by the WTO) to make drugs too expensive for poor countries. They do this in the name of getting money for research, but the they don't bother to do research on the diseases that kill millions of people. Breakthrough drugs come from government-funded research which the drug companies are not interested in.

24 May 2006 (Creating more terror) Amnesty International says that Bush's "War on Terror" is creating more terror, and stands by its statement that Guantanamo is the Gulag of our time.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.]

24 May 2006 (In Ramadi) In Ramadi, Iraq, Bush forces patrols move around occasionally and return to base, missing some soldiers. The resistance controls the city. It is amusing to see how the story desperately tries to deny the underlying reality which is the reason for the situation: the populace hates the occupying Bush forces and supports the resistance. However, it shows through nonetheless.

24 May 2006 (Peaceful protest in A-Ram) Uri Avnery writes about the peaceful protest in A-Ram, where Israelis and Hamas leaders marched side by side, and were repeatedly attacked by police.

24 May 2006 (US public is divided) The US public is divided almost equally between those who trust Bush's story about 9/11 and those who want a new investigation which will cover possible government complicity. Now if only some Democrats in Congress would get on board.

24 May 2006 (Smuggle cash into Gaza) Hamas is trying to smuggle cash into Gaza "for poor people", and the PLO is trying to stop them, effectively acting as agents of Israeli occupation.

[Reference updated on 2018-08-14 because the old link was broken.] Some might wonder whether this money is really meant for arms. I think that is a spurious concern, because having money in Gaza won't help get arms into Gaza. If the money were meant for arms, it would have been spent elsewhere. Here's more information on how the US has blocked the transfer of money to the Palestinian Authority by intimidating many banks.

24 May 2006 (Impossible conflicting challenges) The Prime Minister of Bush's Iraqi government faces impossible conflicting challenges, and says he will use "maximum force" on terrorists--but the terrorists are not who he says. When he speaks of "terrorists", he omits the worst ones: the Bush forces. Meanwhile, killing collaborators, such as police or police recruits, is not terrorism. It is a normal part of any war against an occupying army.

24 May 2006 (Tuna fishermen) Traditional tuna fishermen in the Mediterranean find their catch is down by 80% from last year, which indicates that overfishing has reached a crisis.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] In the long-term problem of overfishing, the families and businesses that currently get their income from fishing are just a side issue. But they exert a lot of pressure on governments, which cater to their short-term demands at the expense of the future. To preserve the fishery, so that tuna can continue to exist and we can continue eating tuna, governments must find the courage to tell the overfishermen to go jump in the sea.

22 May 2006 (Interview with John Dean) An interview with John Dean, who says "I fear for the [democratic] system. And I fear for our liberties."

22 May 2006 (Neo-nazis in Russia) Neo-nazi skinheads in Russia kill anyone that looks foreign, and also kill human rights advocates that have prosecuted murderous skinheads. This is the tip of an iceberg of racism.

[Reference updated on 2018-08-14 because the old link was broken.]

22 May 2006 (Tracking tigers to protect from poaching fails) A last-ditch effort to track tigers in India so as to protect them from poaching has failed. More than half of the 3600 tigers thought to live in India may have been killed already. Extinction of tigers would not wipe out civilization or even wildlife in general, but the mentality of the people that buy tiger products can easily do either or both.

22 May 2006 (Anti-pornography rally in Jakarta) The proposed Indonesian law that would prohibit kissing in public, and nude statues of goddesses, has been held up, but it is not dead.

21 May 2006 (Intelligence Committees shielding NSA) The House and Senate Intelligence Committees, which are supposed to make sure that the NSA obeys the law and the constitution, are willingly helping to shield it instead, winking even when they are lied to.

21 May 2006 (MEPs say CIA admitted rendition for torture) MEPs who visited the US report that the CIA admitted to sending between 30 and 50 prisoners to foreign countries for torture. A secret US prison is operating in North Africa.

21 May 2006 (Zimbabwe prohibiting protest) Zimbabwe has prohibited protests about the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of people from Bulawayo, through the demolition of their houses.

21 May 2006 (Caste prejudice in India) Upper-caste medical doctors in India went on strike to oppose Indian government plans to set up affirmative action in universities for lower-caste students.

[Reference updated on 2018-08-14 because the old link was broken.] Prejudice against lower castes in India is not a thing of the past. It continues actively, and with extreme cruelty. As an extreme example, after the tsunami, upper-caste Indians drove away Dalits from distribution of humanitarian aid. These doctors are fighting to maintain an unjust privilege that is normally imposed by violence.

21 May 2006 (Wasteful Healthcare System) Government of the people, by the flunkies, for the corporations: how it works in the area of health care to maintain a wasteful system that most Americans want to replace.

21 May 2006 (Main USAF General under investigation) The main general of the US Air Force is under investigation for corruption: steering a contract towards a company belonging to his friend. When will they investigate how Halliburton got its contracts?

21 May 2006 (Tom Friedman's Flexible Deadlines) Tom Friedman's Flexible Deadlines: Iraq's "decisive" six months have stretched on since 2003.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] This is a good example of a common Bush regime confusion tactic. No matter how badly things go, or for how long, they say "Just give us a months more and you'll see we are winning." And later they will say it again. Another standard fallacy, used often by Tony Bliar, is to seek to "draw a line under" past failure without correcting the policies that caused it. It amounts to telling the public, "Move along, don't look at what we're doing, don't hold us responsible for it."

21 May 2006 (Guantanamo prisoners fought with guards to allow prisoner to hang himself) Guantanamo prisoners fought with guards, trying to keep them away from another prisoner...to make time for him to hang himself. My heart goes out to them all. I don't know anything about them; I don't know whether they are among the many Guantanamo prisoners who have actually fought against the US, or the many Guantanamo prisoners who have never done so. But I do know that, whatever they may have done, it can't be worse than what the Bush regime does in Guantanamo and Iraq. Here's more commentary.

20 May 2006 (Russia's human rights record criticized) Russia's human rights record is criticized as it takes over leadership of the UN's new human rights council.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] What Russia has done is bad--but when the US does the same things, it has a bigger global effect.

20 May 2006 (Tropical diseases in Canada) Tropical diseases are arriving in Canada (as well as the US) due to global warming. Many devastating diseases are spreading in their ranges.

20 May 2006 (Urgent Note: Tell Senators to vote against Hayden) US citizens: tell your senators they should vote against General Hayden for head of the CIA. With a track record of illegal spying on Americans, he should be investigated for his fitness to stand trial, not for a government job.

20 May 2006 (UN Committee on Torture calls for US to abolish secret prisons) The UN Committee on Torture called on the US to abolish secret prisons, register all its prisoners, stop "rendition" of prisoners to foreign torturers, and more. It is up to us to make it difficult for the Bush regime to shrug off international condemnation of its vicious acts.

20 May 2006 (Abstinence-Only contributing to spread of AIDS) African leaders are contributing to the spread of AIDS by preaching "abstinence-only". Abstinence as a strategy to avoid spread of AIDS is not just unrealistic, it is also cruel. The idea that sex is a sin is a standard cruelty that spreads from Christianity.

20 May 2006 (Murtha says Marines Killed Innocent Civilians in Cold Blood) Congressman Murtha says that Bush forces marines "killed innocent civilians in cold blood." This happens often the time in Iraq. And even more often, the Bush forces troops kill civilians because they are afraid those civilians might be the enemy. The Bush forces troops are nearly always afraid that nearly anyone might be the enemy, and with good reason: most Iraqis want the occupying forces out. This makes it understandable that the Bush forces kill so many civilians. That does not make it excusable. Rather, it means that these killings are part of the consequences of having the Bush forces in Iraq, part of the reasons they should not remain there.

20 May 2006 (Diebold says election security doesn't matter) A Diebold spokesman says we shouldn't worry about whether voting machines can be used to fiddle elections: "For there to be a problem here, you're basically assuming a premise where you have some evil and nefarious election officials who would sneak in and introduce a piece of software. I don't believe these evil elections people exist." This is not a mere assumption -- we know they exist. Remember Katherine Harris?

20 May 2006 (American Graduate Debt) A collection of US government decisions have saddled young American college graduates with a life of debt from which they cannot escape.

[Reference updated on 2018-04-25 because the old link was broken.] I expected the massive increase in concentration of wealth, together with the outsourcing of good jobs, to eventually result in widespread poverty. This seems to be how it happens.

19 May 2006 (US Army Hyping Soldiers' Stories through Wargame) The US Army denies that its gratis (but not free) war game, "America's Army", is meant to influence public opinion about war or convince young men to enlist. Now it is hyping the stories of a few soldiers through the game, trying to make young Americans admire them. This suggests to me a response: to present the lives of real people tortured or killed by the Bush regime in the same style.

19 May 2006 (Judge assasinated in Turkey) An Islamist in Turkey assassinated a judge that had upheld rules against wearing Islamist headgear in government institutions. Tens of thousands protested on behalf of the secular Turkish state. In general, I am opposed to laws telling anyone what clothing to wear, but this sort of rule is an exception. Islamists in many countries bully women to wear Islamist headgear by attacking women who do not. These bans protect the rights of secular women, at the expense of the rights of women who are religious. Is there a way of protecting everyone's rights?

19 May 2006 (John Howard lied over corporate bribes to Saddam) Australian Prime Minister John Howard and his ministers, who have systematically attacked human rights in Australia, are now shown to have lied when they said they were ignorant about corporate bribes to Saddam Hussein.

19 May 2006 (Egyptian Protests) Large protests continue in support of the Egyptian judges now facing criminal charges for criticizing government electoral fraud and calling for an independent judiciary. Accusations of "insulting the president/government/judiciary" are used like "glorifying terrorism" as excuse for suppression of dissent. The existence of laws criminalizing such "offenses" is an offense against democracy. The two judges eventually got little or no punishment, but outside the police were systematically attacking protestors who were expressing support for those judges. The Muslim Brotherhood, while tame compared with some Islamist groups, does not itself respect human rights in general. However, the support for these judges is not limited to the Muslim Brotherhood.

19 May 2006 (Imprisoned Palestinian leaders make agreement) Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have learned about democracy from Israeli TV in prison. Now the imprisoned leaders of the major Palestinian parties -- including Hamas -- have made an agreement about how to pursue peace with Israel. The question is whether they have an Israeli partner to negotiate with.

19 May 2006 (Bush regime publishes Guantanamo list) The Bush regime has published a list of all prisoners ever held in Guantanamo -- or so it says -- but still refuses to say which of them are still held prisoner.

19 May 2006 (Ayatollah Sistani removes fatwa from website) Ayatollah Sistani agreed to remove from his web site the fatwa calling on people to kill gay men. He hasn't canceled it, just deleted the file about it. Meanwhile, the companion fatwa calling for killing of gay women he would not even remove from the web site.