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in October
From Common Courage Press
Today's
Stories
August 20, 2003
Edward Said
The Imperial Bluster of Tom Delay
Recent
Stories
August 19, 2003
Jeffrey St. Clair
Blackouts Happen
Gary Leupp
"Our Patch": Australia v. the Evil Doers of the South
Pacific
Sean Donahue
Uribe's Cruel Model: Colombia Moves Toward Totalitarianism
Matt Martin
Bush's Credibility Problem on Missile Defense
Juliana Fredman
Recipe for the Destruction of a Hudna
John Ross
Fox Government's Attack on Mexican Basques
Sasan Fayazmanesh
What Kermit Roosevelt Didn't Say
Website of the Day
Tom Delay's Dual Loyalities
August 18, 2003
Uri Avnery
Hero in War and Peace
Stan Goff
The Volunteer Military and the Wicked Adventure
Cathy Breen
Baghdad on the Hudson
Michael Kimaid
Fight the Power (Companies)!
Jason Leopold
The California Rip-Off Revisited: Arnold, Milken and Ken Lay
Matt Siegfried
The Bush Administration in Context
Elaine Cassel
At Last, A Judge Who Acts Like a Judge
Alexander Cockburn
Judy Miller's War
Harvey Wasserman
The Legacy of Blackout Pete Wilson
Website of the Day
Fire Griles!
August 16 / 17, 2003
Flavia Alaya
Bastille
New Jersey
Jeffrey St. Clair
War Pimps
Saul Landau
The Legacy of Moncada: the Cuban Revolution at 50
Brian Cloughley
What Has Happened to the US Army in Iraq?
William S. Lind
Coffins for the Crews: How Not to Use Light Armored Vehicles
Col. Dan Smith
Time for Straight Talk
Wenonah Hauter
Which
Electric System Do We Want?
David Lindorff
Where's Arnold When We Need Him?
Harvey Wasserman
This Grid Should Not Exist
Don Moniak
"Unusual Events" at Nuclear Power Plants: a Timeline
for August 14, 2003
David Vest
Rolling Blackout Revue
Merlin Chowkwanyun
An Interview with Sherman Austin
Adam Engel
The Loneliest Number
Poets' Basement
Guthrie, Hamod & Albert
Book of the Weekend
Powerplay by Sharon Beder
August 14, 2003
Peter Phillips
Inside
Bohemian Grove: Where US Power Elites Party
Brian Cloughley
Charlie Wilson and Pakistan: the Strange Congressman Behind the
CIA's Most Expensive War
Linville and Ruder
Tyson
Strike Draws the Line
Jim Lobe
Bush Administration Divided Over Iran
Ramzy Baroud
Sharon Freezes the Road Map
Tom Turnipseed
Blowback in Iraq
Gary Leupp
Condi's
Speech: From Birgmingham to Baghdad, Imperialism's Freedom Ride
Website of the Day
Tony Benn's Greatest Hits
August 13, 2003
Joanne Mariner
A Wall of Separation Through the
Heart
Donald Worster
The Heavy Cost of Empire
Standard Schaefer
Experimental Casinos: DARPA and the War Economy
Elaine Cassel
Murderous Errors: Executing the Innocent
Ralph Nader
Make the Recall Count
Alexander Cockburn
Ted Honderich Hit with "Anti-Semitism" Slur
Website of the Day
Defending Yourself Against DirectTV Lawsuits: 9000 and Counting
August 12, 2003
William Blum
Myth
and Denial in the War on Terrorism
Ron Jacobs
Revisionist History: the Bush Administration, Civil Rights and
Iraq
Josh Frank
Dean's Constitutional Hang-Up
Wayne Madsen
What's a Fifth Columnist? Well, Someone Like Hitchens
Ray McGovern
Relax,
It Was All a Pack of Lies
Wendy Brinker
Hubris in the White House
Website of the Day
Black
Mustache
August
11, 2003
Douglas
Valentine
Homeland Security for Whom?
Mickey
Z.
Bush's Progress
Bill
Glahn
RIAA Watch: Meet the New Bitch, Same
as the Old
Elaine
Cassel
Indicting DNA
Dr. Mohammad
Omar Farooq
Civil Liberties and Uncivil Super-Patriotism
Uri
Avnery
Who Will Save Abu Mazen?
Website
of the Day
RIAA Subpoena Clearinghouse
August
9 / 10, 2003
Alexander
Cockburn
California's Glorious Recall!
Saul
Landau
Bush and King Henry
Gary
Leupp
On Terrorism, Methodism, "Wahhabism"
and the Censored 9/11 Report
Paul de
Rooij
The Parade of the Body Bags
Michael
Egan
History and the Tragedy of American Diplomacy
Rob Eshelman
A Home of Our Own
Daoud
Kuttab
Life as an ID Card
Philip
Agee
Terror and Civil Society: Instruments of US Policy in Cuba
Jeffrey
St. Clair
Marc Racicot: Bush's Main Man
Walt Brasch
Schwarzenegger, "Hollyweird"
and the Rigtheous Right
Christopher
Brauchli
Bush, Bribery and Berlusconi
Josh Frank
Mean, Mean Howard Dean
Elaine
Cassel
Will the Death Penalty Ever Die?
Sean Carter
Total Recall
Poets'
Basement
Hamod, Engel, Albert
August
8, 2003
John
Chuckman
What the US Says Goes
Roberto
Barreto
Defend the Vieques 12!
Bruce Gagnon
Iraq War Emboldens Bush Space Plans
Elaine
Cassel
The Reign of John Ashcroft
Dave
Lindorff
Snoops Night Out
Website
of the Day
Zero Boy
August
7, 2003
M.
Shahid Alam
It the US a "Terrorist Magnet?"
Toni
Solo
Neo-liberal Nicaragua: a New Banana
Republic
Adam Lebowitz
Hiroshima Commemorated: the View from Japan
Hanan
Ashrawi
When the Bully Whines
Niranjan
Ramakrishnan
Conscience Takes a Holiday
Jason
Leopold
Wolfowitz Lets Slip: Iraq Not Behind 9/11; No Ties to Al-Qaeda
Mike Kimaid
What's the Score?
Elaine
Cassel
The Smell of VICTORY: Ashcroft's Latest Stinkbomb
Dardagan,
Slobodo and Williams
CounterPunch Exclusive:
20,000 Wounded Iraqi Civilians
August 6, 2003
Steve
Higgs
Going to Jail for the Cause: It's Not
Easy Confronting King Coal
David
Krieger
Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Robert
Fisk
The Ghosts of Uday and Qusay
Christopher
Brauchli
Bush's War on the National Forests
Elaine
Cassel
No Fly Lists
Stan
Goff
Military Equipment and Pneumonia
Hugh Sansom
An Open Letter to Nicholas Kristof on the Nuking of Japan
August
5, 2003
Uri
Avnery
The Prisoner of Ramallah: Arafat at
74
Forrest
Hylton
Terrorism and Political Trials: the
View from Bolivia
Ray
McGovern
"We Cook Estimates to Go"
David
Morse
Poindexter's Gambit
Edward
Said
Orientallism: 25 Years Later
George
W. Bush
My Darn Good Resumé
Hammond
Guthrie
It's Incremental, Watson!
Website
of the Day
National Prayer Day
August 4, 2003
Bruce
K. Gagnon
Another Peace Activist Detained by
Airport Cops: My Story
David
Lindorff
Fear-Mongering About Social Security
Mark
Zepezauer
George F. Will: Descent into Self-Parody
James
Plummer
Tracking You Through the Mail
Mickey
Z.
Marriage Insecurity from Sharon to Bush
Bruce
Jackson
News that Isn't News: How the NYT's
Pimps for the White House
August
2 / 3, 2003
Tamara
R. Piety
Nike's Full Court Press Breaks Down
Francis
Boyle
My Alma Mater, the University of Chicago, is a Moral Cesspool
David
Vest
Sons of Paleface: Pictures from Death's Other Side
Neve Gordon
Nightlife in Jerusalem
Uri
Avnery
Their Master's Voice:
Bush, Blair and Intelligence Snafus
Robert
Fisk
Paternalistic Democracy for Iraq
Jerry
Kroth
Israel, Yellowcake and the Media
Noah Leavitt
What's Driving the Liberian Bloodbath: Is the US Obligated to
Intervene?
Saul
Landau
The Film Industry: Business and Ideology
Ron Jacobs
One Big Prison Yard: the Meaning of George Jackson
Thomas
Croft
In the Deep, Deep Rough: Reflections on Augusta
Amadi Ajamu
Def Sham: Russell Simmons New Black Leader?
Poets'
Basement
Vega, Witherup, Albert and Fleming
August
1, 2003
Joanne
Mariner
Stopping Prison Rape
Alex Coolman
Who Moved My Soap: Trivializing
Prison Rape
Steve
J.B.
Prison Bitch
Stan Goff
Injury and Decorum: The Missing Wounded in Iraq
Wayne
Madsen
Europe Unplugs from the Matrix
Robert
Fisk
Wolfowitz the Censor
Elaine
Cassel
Ashcroft Loses Big in Puerto Rico
Website
of the Day
Stop Prisoner Rape
July
31, 2003
Ray
McGovern
The Prostitution of Intelligence
Brian
Cloughley
Wolfowitz's Operative Statement
Sheldon
Hull
The RIAA's Jihad:
The Devil's Music (Industry)
Elaine
Cassel
The Next Time You Crack a Lawyer Joke, Think of These Attorneys
Sheldon
Rampton
and John Stauber
True Lies: Propaganda and Bush's
Wars
Hammond
Guthrie
Speculation Blues
Website
of the Day
Army of One?
Congratulations
to CounterPuncher Gilad Atzmon! BBC Names EXILE Top Jazz CD
July
30, 2003
David
Lindorff
Poindexter the Terror Bookie
Marjorie
Cohn
Why Iraq and Afghanistan? It's About
the Oil
Elaine
Cassel
How Ashcroft Coerces Guilty Pleas
in Terror Cases
Zvi
Bar'el
The Hidden Costs of the Iraq War
Lisa Walsh
Thomas
Killing Mustafa Hussein: Death of a Child, Birth of a Legend?
Sean
Carter
Pat Robertson's Prayer Jihad: God, Sodomy and the Supremes
ND Jayaprakash
India and Ariel Sharon
Steve
Perry
Bush's Top 40 Lies
Standard
Schaefer
Correction about Bloomberg and Outscourcing
Website
of the Day
Bring Them Home Now!
Hot Stories
Dardagan,
Slobodo and Williams
CounterPunch Exclusive:
20,000 Wounded Iraqi Civilians
Steve
J.B.
Prison Bitch
Sheldon
Rampton and John Stauber
True Lies: the Use of Propaganda
in the Iraq War
Wendell
Berry
Small Destructions Add Up
CounterPunch
Wire
WMD: Who Said What When
Cindy
Corrie
A Mother's Day Talk: the Daughter
I Can't Hear From
Elaine
Cassel
Civil Liberties
Watch
Michel
Guerrin
Embedded Photographer Says: "I
Saw Marines Kill Civilians"
Uzma
Aslam Khan
The Unbearably Grim Aftermath of War:
What America Says Does Not Go
Paul de Rooij
Arrogant
Propaganda
Gore Vidal
The
Erosion of the American Dream
Francis Boyle
Impeach
Bush: A Draft Resolution
Click Here
for More Stories.
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August
20, 2003
NPR and the NAFTA
Highway
An
Open Letter to Steve Inskeep
By STEVEN HIGGS
Dear Mr. Inskeep:
As a journalist who frequently awakens
to the sound of your voice, I was thrilled when The
Bloomington Alternative heard last week that you were doing
a piece on Southwest Indiana's struggle against Interstate 69.
I appreciate your attention to this subject. It is a political
and environmental outrage worthy of NPR's and the nation's attention.
But I must confess that I was somewhat
disappointed by the segment. It wasn't that Sandra Tokarski didn't
make the case against the highway as eloquently as possible in
the time allotted. She did, per usual. Neither was it that you
allowed Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner Brian
Nicol's brazen duplicity to pass unchallenged. Indiana citizens
have come to expect that from mainstream, he-said she-said media
coverage of I-69.
It was your premise--that I-69 is "hometown
news"--that frustrated me. On that count, you weren't even
close.
As Sandra told you, on fundamentally
important levels, I-69 is a hometown issue. It would destroy
thousands of acres of prime Southwest Indiana farmland. It will
mar the view out of hers and hundreds of other rural Hoosiers'
back windows. And it will devastate the character of numerous
Indiana hometown downtowns along its path, including mine.
And And And The list of negative impacts
this highway will have on Southwest Indiana hometowns has been
well-chronicled by myself and countless other citizens and journalists
over the past 13 years. But as important as all of them are,
the journalistic truth is they are yesterday's news. They are
no longer the salient issues in the I-69 debate, certainly not
as far as a national audience is concerned.
Neither are they the issues that will
ultimately doom new-terrain I-69 in Indiana.
***
New-terrtain I-69 will never be built,
Mr. Inskeep, in part because it represents a colossal failure
of the democratic process--a point that Sandra touched upon in
your piece and I am documenting in a series on the history of
Indiana's billion-dollar highway boondoggle called I-69: Road
to democratic ruin.
What Sandra didn't get a chance to tell
you, but I'm sure would have if given time, is that after the
Evan Bayh and Frank O'Bannon administrations spent 13 years and
$28 million in taxpayer funds promoting their new-terrain I-69,
more than 90 percent of the 21,000-plus citizens who submitted
public comments opposed it. Ninety-four percent, to be exact.
New-terrain I-69 will never be built,
in part because it will waste hundreds of millions of taxpayer
dollars when there is no money to waste.
After developing an Environmental Impact
Statement that evaluated the economic and environmental impacts
of different options for a Southwest Indiana highway, Frank O'Bannon
chose the most expensive and the most environmentally destructive.
According to state estimates, new-terrain I-69 will cost taxpayers
$810 million more than the 41-70 alternative mentioned in your
piece. New-terrain I-69 will never be built, in part because
it will further deplete already depleted road and street budgets
in other Indiana communities.
While Commissioner Nicol engaged in classic
bureaucratic doublespeak when responding to your questions, what
he would have told you, if given the time, is that the federal
government will pay 80 percent of the cost of this highway. What
he wouldn't have told you, no matter how much time you gave him,
is that he has deliberately misled Indiana taxpayers and the
media into believing that the federal government is going to
give the state a billion dollars in new money to build this highway.
The truth is, there is unlikely to be
any new federal money for I-69. It will be built using the state's
regular allotment of federal highway funds--80 percent of which
is funded by federal highway taxes. But those funds also finance
new construction, upgrades, and repairs to roads and bridges
at the state and local levels.
In other words, the billions it will
cost to build I-69 will come directly out of the road and street
budgets of Indiana hometowns like Carmel, which I understand
is yours. If I-69 is built, your hometown friends, family, and
community will pay a dear price for it, Mr. Inskeep. So will
mine, and every other Hoosier's.
All of that is why, if there's any breath
left at all in our nation's ailing democracy, new-terrain I-69
will never be built.
***
Perhaps most important among the things
that Sandra didn't have time to tell you is that the struggle
for I-69 is not just about Hoosiers' back yards--however narrowly
or broadly defined. In the final analysis, I-69 is a struggle
over the global economy.
Another reason new-terrain I-69 will
never be built is that it will facilitate the loss of American
jobs to Mexico, an economic injustice that even Hoosier workers
will eventually wake up to.
As the introduction to your piece noted,
highway promoters envision I-69 running from Mexico to Canada.
What you didn't say is that I-69 is the NAFTA highway, planned
as the largest truck corridor on the North American continent.
Its primary purpose will be to facilitate trade between Canada,
the United States, Mexico, and points south.
Now, any NPR listener who pays the slightest
attention knows what a devastating ruse "free trade"
has turned out to be for American workers and their communities.
A recent economic report in my hometown, for example, showed
that this community of roughly 100,000 has lost 2,300 jobs in
recent years. Most of those were good-paying manufacturing jobs
shipped to maquiladoras along the U.S. Mexican border by global
economy powers such as General Electric and Thompson.
Contrary to what Mr. Nicol told you,
the I-69 NAFTA highway ultimately will cost Indiana good-paying
jobs, not attract them. The jobs it will create will be those
of the Interstate-sprawl variety mentioned by Sandra--low-paying
fast-food, truck stop, and motel jobs.
Plans for the Indiana stretch of the
NAFTA highway are the most advanced anywhere along the corridor.
For that reason, the Southwest Indiana citizen struggle against
I-69 is evolving past the not-in-by-backyard (NIMBY) model suggested
in your piece into a battleground over global trade.
I-69 is not about NIMBY, Mr. Inskeep,
it's about NAFTA. I urge you to stay tuned and check in with
us often.
Steven Higgs
is editor of The
Bloomington Alternative. He can be reached at: editor@BloomingtonAlternative.com
Weekend
Edition Features for August 16 / 17, 2003
Flavia Alaya
Bastille
New Jersey
Jeffrey St. Clair
War Pimps
Saul Landau
The Legacy of Moncada: the Cuban Revolution at 50
Brian Cloughley
What Has Happened to the US Army in Iraq?
William S. Lind
Coffins for the Crews: How Not to Use Light Armored Vehicles
Col. Dan Smith
Time for Straight Talk
Wenonah Hauter
Which
Electric System Do We Want?
David Lindorff
Where's Arnold When We Need Him?
Harvey Wasserman
This Grid Should Not Exist
Don Moniak
"Unusual Events" at Nuclear Power Plants: a Timeline
for August 14, 2003
David Vest
Rolling Blackout Revue
Merlin Chowkwanyun
An Interview with Sherman Austin
Adam Engel
The Loneliest Number
Poets' Basement
Guthrie, Hamod & Albert
Book of the Weekend
Powerplay by Sharon Beder
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