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in October
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Today's
Stories
Sasan Fayazmanesh
What Kermit Roosevelt Didn't Say
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!
Recent
Stories
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
19, 2003
Uribe's Cruel Model
Colombia
Moves Toward Totalitarianism
By SEAN DONAHUE
The morning that Alvaro Uribe was inaugurated
President of Colombia, Yolanda Becerra, the head of a women's
group in a city controlled by right wing paramilitaries, said
that "We expect to see the consolidation of a totalitarian
model with the blessing of the U.S."
A year later, her prediction seems to
have come true.
Fascism's first victims are always the
poorest, most vulnerable, and most invisible people. In Barrancabermeja,
where Yolanda Becerra lives, paramilitaries have been carrying
out a campaign of "social cleansing" against gays,
lesbians, and bisexuals. In the city of Pereira, the first victims
were the street vendors.
Pereira was once the vital center of
a coffee growing region. But throughout the 1980's and 1990's
economic globalization forced the price of coffee to drop. The
bottom finally dropped out of the market when international lending
agencies encouraged Vietnam to start growing coffee, and the
Vietnamese flooded the market with massive amounts of cheap coffee.
The area around Pereira went from producing selling sixteen million
bags of coffee a year to selling ten million bags a year. Many
coffee farmers lost their land.
The unemployed coffee vendors were forced
to join those displaced by violence selling anything they could
- candy, jewelry, newspapers, books - to tourists on the streets
of Pereira. But the local merchants didn't like the competition
from street vendors, and tourists hated to walk down streets
full of desperately poor people trying to sell whatever they
could find; so in November of last year the mayor took a page
from Rudy Giuliani's book and announced an "urban renewal
plan" to chase the vendors off the streets.
Throughout Colombia, there has been a
crackdown on street vendors, with police in riot gear driving
through the streets in big trucks, rounding up the vendors, jailing
them for the night, and then extorting outrageous bribes from
anyone who wants their confiscated merchandise back.
But in Pereira, things took a deadlier
turn this year.
In late spring, the bodies of murdered
street vendors began turning up in Pereira. Nobody knew and few
cared who was responsible for the murders. (This is the same
city where a few years ago a serial killer managed to kill over
a hundred homeless children before being caught because the deaths
of the homeless were taken for granted.)
In June the killers went public. On June
17, Jhon Carmona, a 36 year old man who had organized his fellow
street vendors into a union, had his merchandise seized for the
last time and was beaten by police before he was released. A
few days later, he was picked up again when police swept the
streets for vendors even though he wasn't selling anything. A
short while later, a group of men calling in street clothes came
and began dragging vendors off the police truck and beating them
with sticks. Jhon Carmona was beaten to death. The police did
nothing to intervene.
The group issued a public statement,
calling themselves the "United Ecological Foundation,"
and announcing that they were going to "clean up" the
streets of Pereira.
Reacting to the news, economist and social
critic Hector Mondragon, himself a survivor or torture, beatings,
and multiple assassination attempts, said:
"That is Fascism. It is what Hitler's
and Mussolini's people did. It's not just the repression of the
state, but the repression of the people who beat and kill people.
And this has the support of the state and even part of society."
The beatings in Pereira grew out of an
increasing tolerance for state violence on the part of the upper
and middle classes and a dramatic escalation in repression.
In the months leading up to the beatings,
the military began using paid informants to root out suspected
"guerilla sympathizers," taking these hooded informants
from door to door in the slums of Medellin to point out people
who were immediately dragged away. Disappearances increased by
100% in the department of Cauca. New anti-terrorism laws were
passed that were written so broadly that they were used to prosecute
nonviolent activists with no ties to the leftist guerillas of
the FARC and the ELN. Leaders of the oil workers union were suspended
from work and forced to attend "attitude adjustment"
classes. Paramilitaries parachuted from military planes into
a town in Arauca where they publicly murdered a pregnant teenager
and butchered the fetus the ripped from her stomach - and in
the wake of the attack U.S. Green Berets continued to provide
training and support to the same brigade that flew the paramilitaries
in. The military occupied hospitals, telecommunications facilities,
and oil refineries to quell unrest in the face of immanent privatization
of these state-run facilities and massive layoffs.
In a sense, this is nothing new. For
years, the Colombian military has collaborated with illegal right
wing death squads to terrorize activists and massacre people
who have the misfortune of living on land coveted by oil companies,
timber companies, dam builders, cattle ranchers, or cocaine traffickers.
But this has happened primarily in the countryside and in the
poor areas at the edge of the cities. Mondragon says that Uribe
is now "Applying to the cities what had been applied to
the countryside." The wealthy and the middle class are no
longer shielded from seeing what is done in their name, but they
continue to support policies of repression designed to maintain
their wealth, power, and privilege.
Uribe justifies these policies by invoking
the war on terrorism, saying that he will do whatever is necessary
to stop the FARC and the ELN from kidnapping people for ransom,
sabotaging the infrastructure, and carrying out car bombings
in the heart of Colombia's cities. Meanwhile, he is in the process
of "peace negotiations" with the most brutal terrorists
in Colombia, the right wing paramilitaries, which many see as
a thinly veiled attempt to legalize the death squads and bring
their leaders into the political leadership of the country. His
justifications bear a chilling resemblance to Fascist assertions
that they had to suspend civil liberties in order to fight the
Communist threat. But Uribe's anti-terrorism legislation has
a more modern model in the Patriot Act - he has adopted the basic
principles of Bush and Ashcroft's approaches to terrorism, and
taken them ten times further because he can get away with it.
Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans
alike justify the U.S. backing for Uribe by saying that he is
a democratically elected leader carrying out a campaign against
brutal terrorists. Certainly the FARC and the ELN are responsible
for their share of brutality. And Uribe enjoys approval ratings
in the high seventies. Of course those polls are taken by telephone
or via the internet, luxuries in a country where over sixty percent
of the population lives on less than two dollars a day. So what
we know is that Uribe has the backing of the wealthy and the
middle class.
Mondragon, who has seen 5,000 friends
murdered by the military and the death squads over the past thirty
years, responds to the voices of Washington, saying:
"Is it not Fascism because there
was an election? Weren't Hitler and Mussolini elected? What was
Hitler's popularity during the Holocaust? This is what Fascism
is like. Fascism is popular. The middle class loves it. The enemies
of the state are being eliminated. The streets of Pereira are
being cleaned. And the middle class applauds. The city has never
looked so good. The tourists can say what they said when they
went to Germany in 1937: 'Why do people speak so poorly of the
government? Germany has never been so beautiful.' Or Colombia.'"
Mondragon's words have a chilling resonance
in the U.S. Uribe takes his cue from the Bush administration.
He can push further, but are the polices that different?
Giuliani succeeded in criminalizing homelessness
in New York. Ashcroft, with the support of the Congress, has
succeeded in stripping immigrants of the right to habeas corpus.
The middle class is increasingly willing to give up its civil
liberties in the war on terrorism, and the intelligentsia eager
to give elaborate legal and philosophical arguments justifying
the end of freedom. The war on drugs has led to the gutting of
the Fourth Amendment protection against illegal searches and
seizures and the criminalization of young Black men.
Colombia has descended into Fascism.
Can its sponsor be far behind?
Sean Donahue
is Director of the Corporations
and Militarism Project of the Massachusetts Anti-Corporate Clearinghouse.
He can be reached at: info@stopcorporatecontrol.org.
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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