Must Reads for Oct. 25, 2004

The Old Hip's Must Reads
by The Old Hippie, Important Reads, For The Knowledge

A listing of recent, and current, articles of importance, and interest beyond "just politics."  News, information, and informed opinion with a reality-based perspective. All of which were selected for the over-all impact of the information/opinion each present - and the fact that they are damn hard to find in the American corporate media, if at all, and when found there, they're usually buried, or twisted by the wants of political theater and profit, over the needs of the public interest. All selections are clearly linked to their sources. I have strived to make sure all of the selections are fair, balanced, and reality-based.  Not the biased partisan propaganda pretending to be news, which has reached such a level as to be a real danger to the continuing existence of our democracy. Enjoy. . .

(by The Propaganda Remix Project)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

The George W. Bush Hynosis File
by Russell M. Drake, Alternative Press Review, Oct. 24, 2004

"Among modern era statesmen, only Adolf Hitler comes close to George W. Bush’s skill level as operator of the public consciousness.

Consider: After three years of terror and death at the hands of a terrorist band run by two guys hiding in caves, after a bloody, failed invasion of the wrong country in search of who knows what, after a jobs market crash matched only by the Herbert Hoover Administration, and after misman-
aging huge national budget surpluses into over-the-cliff national deficits – all supported by the most outlandish lies – Bush still holds a firm grip on the minds of more than half of the people who say they’re going to vote.

The hypnosis has been so effective that it has enabled Bush to survive repeated blunders that might well have led to another man’s impeachment and removal from office, even by members
of his own party."

Full Article Link

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry
From the Freedom of Information Action Faction

The Full Movie - Download - Free - Legal - QuickTime Format

"IT'S A MOVIE MUCH LIKE ITS SUBJECT:
passionate but deliberate, avoiding sensation but
DETERMINED TO TELL THE FULL, TRUE STORY."
--Richard Corliss, Time Magazine

Full Movie Download Site Link

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Beyond the Call of Duty
by Adam Zagorin & Timothy J. Burger, Time Magazine, Oct. 24, 2004

"In February 2003, less than a month before the U.S. invaded Iraq, Bunnatine (Bunny) Green-
house walked into a Pentagon meeting and with a quiet comment started what could be the end
of her career.  On the agenda was the awarding of an up to $7 billion deal to a subsidiary of Houston-based conglomerate Halliburton to restore Iraq's oil facilities.  On hand were senior officials from the office of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and aides to retired Lt. General Jay Garner, who would soon become the first U.S. administrator in Iraq.

Then several representatives from Halliburton entered. Greenhouse, a top contracting specialist for the Army Corps of Engineers, grew increasingly concerned that they were privy to internal discussions of the contract's terms, so she whispered to the presiding general, insisting that he
ask the Halliburton employees to leave the room."

Full Article Link

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Portrait of a Country on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
by Andrew Gumbel, Independent/UK, Oct. 24, 2004

"No need to wonder if this year's US presidential election is headed for another meltdown: the meltdown has already started. The voting machines have already begun to break down, accu-
sations of systematic voter suppression and fraud are rampant, and lawyers fully armed and
ready with an intimate knowledge of the nation's byzantine election laws have flocked to court
to cry foul in half a dozen states."

Full Article Link

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

US Rejects World Calls to Join Russia in Ratifying Kyoto Pact
by Agence France Presse, Oct. 23, 2004

WASHINGTON - The United States, flying in the face of snowballing world opinion, said it would not follow Russia's lead and ratify the Kyoto protocol on global warming.

"We have no intention of signing or ratifying it. We have not changed our views," a defiant
deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said after the European Union and environ-
mentalists across the globe hailed Moscow's decision and urged Washington to follow suit.

Full Article Link

[ Note: A strong majority of Bush supporters believe, for example that the president supports
a range of international treaties and institutions that the White House has vocally and publicly opposed.  source link ]