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Today's Stories September 6, 2010 Linn Washington Gareth Porter Clancy Sigal Lawrence Davidson Sarah Lazare David Macaray Windy Cooler David Michael Green Faith Simon / Ben Terrall Website of the Day September 3 - 5, 2010 Alexander Cockburn Michael Hudson Christopher Brauchli Winslow T. Wheeler Mike Whitney Walden Bello George Bisharat Mark Weisbrot Conn Hallinan Joshua Frank Ramzy Baroud Ralph Nader Sherwood Ross Farzana Versey Lynched in Pakistan: a Sensational Media's Sensational Victims Rev. William E. Alberts Ron Jacobs Jonathan W. Martin Rannie Amiri Monarchy v. Democracy John Cox Julie Hilden Thomas Mountain Jim Goodman Victor Grossman John Grant John Stanton Jack Bradigan Spula Restoring the Gulf the Right Way Charles R. Larson Kim Nicolini David Yearsley Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend September 2, 2010 Dean Baker Joanne Mariner Mohamed Waked Christopher Ketcham Dave Lindorff Margaret Kimberly Saleh Al-Naami Ashley Smith Website of the Day September 1, 2010 Paul Craig Roberts Bill Quigley / William Blum Jonathan Cook Norman Solomon Firmin DeBrabander Michael Donnelly Mark Weisbrot Roberto Rodriguez Adam Federman Website of the Day
August 31, 2010 Patrick Cockburn James Abourezk Mike Whitney Gareth Porter Jeffrey Blankfort Stewart J. Lawrence Paul Larudee Robert Jensen Ayesha Ijaz Khan Mark Kastel /
August 30, 2010 Laura Carlsen Ismael Hossein-Zadeh Dean Baker Ishmael Reed Russell Mokhiber Ralph Nader Neve Gordon Ramzy Baroud Damien Millet, Sophie Perchellet and Eric Toussaint Ben Pleasants Website of the Day
Alexander Cockburn Paul Craig Roberts Tariq Ali Rannie Amiri Mike Whitney Missy Comley Beattie Edward Lewis Shamir and Bennett Tom Mountain P. Sainath Benjamin Dangl David Macaray Christopher Brauchli Jon Mitchell Julia Nissen Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Website of the Day
August 26, 2010 Dean Baker Gregory Harms Yves Engler George Wuerthner Saul Landau Laura Carlsen Billy Wharton Ron Jacobs Dante Castro Arrasco John Grant Website of the Day August 25, 2010 Dedrick Muhammad Stewart Lawrence Mike Whitney Judith Bello Michael Marqusee John Ross Ben Hillier Jeff Taylor August 23 / 24, 2010 Anne McClintock Mike Whitney Gareth Porter Wajahat Ali Martha Rosenberg Dean Baker Jonathan Cook John V. Whitbeck Direct Negotiations: Consequences for Failure? Stanley Heller Anthony DiMaggio Ralph Nader Patrick Bond Peter Gelderloos John V. Walsh Countdown to Zero or War on Iran? Website of the Day August 20 - 22, 2010 Alexander Cockburn Linn Washington, Jr. Mike Whitney Gary Leupp Dean Baker Rannie Amiri Jeffrey St. Clair Marshall Auerback Ron Jacobs Ramzy Baroud Christopher Brauchli Elizabeth Streb Joshua Frank Jonathan Cook Tom Sauer David Macaray Rev. William E. Alberts Missy Beattie Lawrence Davidson Mark Weisbrot Margaret Kimberley David Rosen Wajahat Ali Julie Hilden Phil Rockstroh Marjorie Cohn Charles R. Larson Paul Krassner David Yearsley Poets' Basement August 19, 2010 Danny Glover / Ellen Brown Neve Gordon Martha Rosenberg Dave Lindorff Michael Nagler Dr. Susan Block Anthony Papa Website of the Day
August 18, 2010 Vicente Navarro Paul Craig Roberts Alan Nasser Anthony DiMaggio Mike Whitney Shamus Cooke Farzana Versey Franklin Lamb Sheldon Richman Tom Thompson Song of the Day August 17, 2010 Michael Yates Joe Bageant Greg Moses George Bisharat / Dean Baker Lawrence S. Wittner Marshall Auerback Jonathan Cook Patrick Bond Adam Turl Website of the Day August 16, 2010 Jeff Halper Esam Al-Amin Franklin C. Spinney Paul Craig Roberts Ralph Nader Joe Mowrey Mark Weisbrot Jayne Lyn Stahl Lawrence Reichard David Michael Green Website of the Day August 13 - 15, 2010 Alexander Cockburn Kevin Alexander Gray John Ross Gareth Porter Ray McGovern Ramzy Baroud Anthony DiMaggio Saul Landau Mark Engler Steve Conn David Rosen John Grant Nathaniel Wolfson Margaret Kimberley Yves Engler Jeffrey Ballinger David Macaray Jonathan Woodrow Martin Robert Alvarez Missy Beattie Christopher Brauchli Scott Grzenczyk Betsy Ross Shamus Cooke Sam Wellington Pete Redington Don Monkerud Laura Flanders Daniel Robelo Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Stephen Martin August 12, 2010 Anthony DiMaggio Paul Craig Roberts Mike Whitney Christian Christensen Stewart J. Lawrence Tariq Ali Lawrence Davidson Binoy Kampmark Website of the Day August 11, 2010 Maximillian C. Forte Barbara Rose Johnston Jonathan Cook Winslow T. Wheeler Dean Baker David Macaray Sheldon Richman Sam Smith Rob Stone, MD Laura Flanders Website of the Day August 10, 2010 Gareth Porter Uri Avnery Mike Whitney Linh Dinh Mark Weisbrot Linn Washington Clare Bayard Billy Wharton John V. Walsh Michael Barker August 9, 2010 Mark Schuller Stan Cox Greg Moses Jonathan Cook Arno J. Mayer Ron Jacobs David Michael Green Jayne Lyn Stahl James Rothenberg John Grant Website of the Day August 6 - 8, 2010 Alexander Cockburn Patrick Cockburn Bill Quigley, William Blum Samuel Leff Jeffrey St. Clair Ralph Nader Bill Hatch David Yearsley Saul Landau / Sherwood Ross John Ross Conn Hallinan P. Sainath Wayne Clark Jonathan Cook Margaret Kimberley Linh Dinh Ramzy Baroud Ellen Brown David Rosen Lawrence Davidson Norman Solomon Gatien Elie, Tom Genrich / Michele Parry Dave Lindorff Missy Beattie Rannie Amiri Charles R. Larson Niranjan Ramakrishnan Laura Flanders Andrew Ford Lyons Stuart Jeanne Bramhall Cpt. Paul Watson Christopher Brauchli Phil Rockstroh Barry Crimmins Benjamin Dangl Finley Peter Dunne Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend August 5, 2010 Mike Whitney William Blum Daniel Kovalik Russell Mokhiber Patrick Bond David Macaray Ashley Smith Susan Galleymore Website of the Day August 4, 2010 Carl Ginsburg Ron Jacobs Mike Whitney William P. O’Connor Nick Dearden Gareth Porter Jeffery R. Webber Doug Giebel Deepak Adhikari Adam Turl Wildlife Photoshoot of the Day
August 3, 2010 Bill Quigley Dean Baker Mike Roselle Don Duncan Anthony DiMaggio Martha Rosenberg Clarence Lusane Franklin Lamb Conn Hallinan John Grant Website of the Day August 2, 2010 Darwin Bond-Graham Maximillian C. Forte Ralph Nader Jonathan Cook Ron Wilkins David Macaray Linh Dinh Steven Higgs David Michael Green Gail Dines Website of the Day July 30 - August 1, 2010 Alexander Cockburn Paul Craig Roberts Gareth Porter Patrick Cockburn Linn Washington Jeffrey St. Clair Anthony DiMaggio Chase Madar Bill Kauffman Stewart J. Lawrence John Ross Joanne Mariner John Weisheit Saul Landau Allan J. Lichtman Margaret Kimberley Russell Mokhiber Rannie Amiri Fred Gardner Jeff Ballinger Ramzy Baroud Steve Roest Christopher Brauchli Sheldon Richman Missy Beattie Don Monkerud Mitu Sengupta Mark Weisbrot Eric Walberg Willie L. Pelote Charles R. Larson Kim Nicolini David Yearsley Poets' Basement July 29, 2010 Mike Whitney Jordan Flaherty Rogue State: a Movement Rises in Arizona Dave Lindorff Ron Jacobs Mark Weisbrot Conn Haliinan Sheldon Richman Brian M. Downing Website of the Day July 28, 2010 Paul Craig Roberts Gregory Elich Bruce McEwen Jonathan Cook David Macaray Jeanine Molloff Barry Crimmins Sickened Ire: a Visit to St. Moneychanger's Hospital Linn Washington John Grant Anthony Papa Website of the Day
July 27, 2010 Gareth Porter Mike Whitney Chris Floyd Karl Grossman Dean Baker Marjorie Cohn Patrick Cockburn Steve Breyman Heather Gray Randall Amster Manuel Garcia, Jr Website of the Day
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Labor Day Edition Mocking the Meaning of Labor DayThe Misery of Mass UnemploymentBy LINN WASHINGTON, Jr. The Obama administration and Congressional Democrats deservedly receive criticism for failing to take decisive action on the nation’s deepening crisis of prolonged joblessness – inaction constituting gross negligence. The defiant intransigent of congressional Republicans painfully aggravates this unemployment crisis. But give credit where credit is due: Obama and his Capitol Hill critics have been doing a great job in boosting newly created jobs in at least a few areas like sales of anti-Obama paraphernalia plus sales of weapons and ammunition. An added benefit of these jobs erupting from the GOP’s incessant criticism of Obama is most are in small business, the sector of the economy that politicians love to laud-&-applaud as best situated for creating new employment slots. Please excuse Obama and his GOP detractors for the fact that these newly spawned jobs fall far short of the huge numbers required for job growth sufficient to bring America’s economy back from the depths of the Great Recession. Now these new jobs are separate from jobs created through Obama’s stimulus program that is increasing construction industry positions mainly for public works projects like rebuilding bridges, roads and other deteriorating infrastructure. Additionally, Obama’s stimulus – trashed by the GOP – has pumped money into state governments that has preserved public sector jobs for police, teachers and others while also softening the pain among some unemployed through providing funding for unemployment benefits. Obama’s inauguration ignited a bustling cottage industry churning out anti-Obama paraphernalia inclusive of tee shirts, bumper stickers, books, mugs, movies and other items…much of which come bearing hate tinged messages. Consider that tee shirt emblazed with “Pray for Obama Psalm 109:8” -- citing a biblical verse widely considered “A Cry for Vengeance” that contains passages declaring “Let his days be few” and “Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.” Making this anti-Obama tee shirt available in conservative circles creates and sustains jobs…employment for the people selling tee shirts to the anti-Obama entrepreneurs (hopefully shirts made in America), employment for the people employed printing that perverse ‘prayer’ onto those tee shirts, employment from the marketing of those shirts and employment for the distributing of those tees to eager buyers. Anti-Obama-ism also fuels expanding employment in the manufacture and sale of guns. Last year Americans purchased 14-million guns according to gun industry figures. These purchases – stabilizing employment in gun related endeavors – continues the steady rise in gun sale rates triggered by Obama’s November 2008 election that the NRA opposed with shrill warnings about Obama supposedly planning to enact stiff gun control measures. Those 14-million guns sold last year in America represent more guns than the total combined number of soldiers in the world’s three largest armies (China, the US and India) that have five-million-plus soldiers... less than half the number of guns purchased in America last year. There’s at least one positive blooming from the macabre benchmark of gun purchases: more federal tax revenue. A report from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco released this summer stated tax receipts from the sale of firearms and ammunition increased 45 percent during the last fiscal year. Since the sale of guns and/or manufacturing anti-Obama memorabilia will not put enough people back to work federal officials (elected-&-appointed) must do what will drive most conservatives and many centrists off the deep end: institute a massive public service jobs program similar to paycheck providing programs enacted during both the Great Depression of the 1930s and anti-poverty initiatives of the late 1960s. Public service jobs are the quickest way to put paychecks into the empty pockets of the unemployed. So, how does a revenue-starved/deficit-drained government pay for a massive public service jobs program while expanding an unnecessary war in Afghanistan, continuing an occupation of Iraq, coddling corporations with revenue draining regulatory breaks and bankrolling big banks whose collusion with Wall Street rip-off shysters sparked the economic meltdown? Taking steps that are sure to inflame the super-rich and tea-baggers duped by the wealthy into thinking they share mutual interests with the economic elite who view them with disdain. A good first-step toward funding public service jobs would be removing the “Off Limits” sign from military spending, now a trillion dollar chunk of the federal budget…a chunk long documented as a money-pit of wasteful practices. See Dave Lindorff’s analysis of military spending as a share of the US budge in Counterpunch magazine. One cost in the Afghan war is the $2-billion-dollar-plus expenditure paid to private contractors for them to truck war supplies for US fighting forces (ammo, food, fuel, medicine, etc.) from a port in Pakistan to US military bases in remote areas of desolate Afghanistan. This private contractor supply scheme now servicing 70 percent of US military forces inside Afghanistan, coupled with the Afghan war misadventure itself, produces mind-boggling wasteful costs like spending $400 to get a single gallon of gasoline into one Marine battle tank. Further, this outsourcing of life sustaining supplies for American soldiers in Afghanistan creates serious problems for the war effort (directly and indirectly) according to a June 2010 report from the congressional Subcommittee on National Security. This supply scheme, “fuels warlordism, extortion, and corruption and it may be a significant source of funding for the insurgents,” that report stated. Slashing waste embedded in this supply scheme formally known as the Host Nation Trucking (HNT) contract could provide tens of millions to fund public service jobs for Americans in America plus it would ‘Support Our Troops’ by stopping cash and materials flowing straight into the hands of the Taliban – the enemy targeted by U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Another source of funding for public service jobs is plugging corporate tax breaks and revising American jobs crushing Free Trade arrangements hailing from the Clinton presidency. Conservatives bashing Obama on America’s record unemployment rate conveniently ignore the reality that policies initiated under President Reagan crippled US jobs by facilitating ‘outsourcing’ to foreign countries. Before befuddled tea-baggers and their wealthy corporate and FOX-News puppeteers raise the bogyman of bad interference by Big Government consider the following: the unemployment rate in communist China and in capitalist Germany is lower than in the US due to respective policies/procedures those two governments devised specifically to sustain employment for workers in those countries. President Obama, in his weekly address delivered right before Labor Day promised to fight to pass a law “that will provide tax breaks for folks who create jobs in America.” This proposal sounds good but represents a small stride where giant steps are needed. Americans need paychecks not phony platitudes from well-heeled politicians and wealthy corporate leaders lecturing the unemployed about virtues of stoically accepting their descent into poverty. Linn Washington Jr. is a columnist for the Philadelphia Tribune and a founding member of ThisCantBeHappening!, the new independent, collectively-owned, journalist-run online newspaper.
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Now Available from CounterPunch Books!
By Andrea Peacock
Yellowstone Drift:
Waiting for
Lightning
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Click Here to Buy! 
