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Eamonn Fingleton gives a stunning account of how the elite press – the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, the New York Times and Washington Post - pilloried US autworkers while systematically concealing the hidden subsidies which have allowed Japan and Korea to destroy Detroit. All this with the connivance of the US government. Also in our latest newsletter: Michelle Obama comes to Merced. Bill Hatch, the Balzac of the Central Valley, gives an uproarious account of Michelle’s state visit to UC’s new campus. Get your new edition today by subscribing online or calling 1-800-840-3683 Contributions to CounterPunch are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! CounterPunch books and gear make great presents.
How the U.S. Press Helped Destroy the Auto IndustryOrder CounterPunch By Email For Only $35 a Year !
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Today's Stories June 12-14, 2009 Mike Whitney June 11, 2009 Kathy Kelly / James Bovard Tristan de Bourbon Dave Lindorff Kevin Zeese Ralph Nader Harvey Wasserman Nicole Colson Mark Weisbrot Dan Bacher Website of the Day June 10, 2009 Ismael Hossein-Zadeh Jennifer Van Bergen / Douglas Valentine Kathy Kelly Paul Craig Roberts Rev. William E. Alberts Peter Lee Carol Miller Emily Ratner Robert Weissman Dave Lindorff Website of the Day June 9, 2009 Winslow T. Wheeler Mike Whitney Stan Cox Sibel Edmonds Jonathan Cook David Macaray Robert Jensen Nadia Hijab Mark Weisbrot Website of the Day June 8, 2009 John Ross Paul Craig Roberts Franklin C. Spinney Franklin Lamb Uri Avnery Jonathan Cook Eric Toussaint Jim Goodman Norman Solomon Reza Fiyouzat Website of the Day June 5 -7, 200 Alexander Cockburn George Galloway Paul Craig Roberts Jennifer Loewenstein Franklin Lamb Mike Whitney Andy Worthington Missy Comley Beattie Farzana Versey Stanley Heller John V. Whitbeck Robert Weissman Lee Sustar Dave Lindorff William Blum Ernest Callenbach / Greg Moses Ron Jacobs David Yearsley Tim Stelloh Belén Fernández David Ker Thomson Karyn Strickler Christopher Brauchli Charles R. Larson Kim Nicolini Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend June 4, 2009 Arno J. Mayer Mike Whitney Gareth Porter Ayesha Ijaz Khan Mouin Rabbani Jordan Flaherty Adam Turl Nikolas Kozloff Yifat Susskind Website of the Day June 3, 2009 Paul Craig Roberts Kathy Kelly Alan Farago Franklin Lamb Bill Hatch Nadia Hijab Dean Baker Binoy Kampmark Manuel Garcia, Jr. Remi Kanazi Behzad Yaghmaian Website of the Day June 2, 2009 Uri Avnery Robert Weissman Conn Hallinan Gideon Spiro Roger Burbach Dylan Quigley Dave Lindorff Ray McGovern Belén Fernández Martha Rosenberg Willie L. Pelote, Sr. Website of the Day June 1, 2009 Pam Martens Yitzhak Laor Mark Weisbrot Ramzy Baroud Saul Landau Eugenia Tsao Afshin Rattansi Debra Sweet Abdul Malik Mujahid Bill Quigley John Wright Website of the Day May 29-31, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Patrick Cockburn Vijay Prashad Gary Leupp Ray McGovern Rannie Amiri Bill Hatch Chellis Glendinning, Stephanie Mills and Kirkpatrick Sale Phyllis Pollack David Yearsley Jean-Christophe Servant Dave Lindorff James McEnteer Missy Beattie James C. Faris David Macaray Harvey Wasserman Adam Federman David Ker Thomson Mark Seth Lender Stephen Martin Joseph Nevins Sophia Mihic Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend May 28, 2009 Joan Roelofs Paul Craig Roberts Ralph Nader Mouin Rabbani Joe Bageant James McEnteer Dedrick Muhammad Richard Morse David Macaray Harvey Wasserman Website of the Day May 27, 2009 Joanne Mariner Paul Craig Roberts Walden Bello Dave Lindorff Brian M. Downing Carlos Villarreal Nadia Hijab Adam Federman Laray Polk Isabella Kenfield David Michael Green Website of the Day May 26, 2009 Manuel Garcia, Jr. Mike Whitney Sharon Smith Marjorie Cohn Dean Baker Deepankar Basu Fred Gardner Jordan Flaherty Josh Ruebner Brian Cloughley Website of the Day May 25, 2009 Diane Christian John Ross Kenneth Hartman Uri Avnery Fred Gardner Cindy Sheehan Sen. Russell Feingold Sibel Edmonds Franklin Lamb Dave Lindorff Daniel Wolff Website of the Day May 22-24, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Michael Teitelman Mike Whitney Ray McGovern Sonia Cardenas / Clive Hamilton Conn Hallinan Fred Gardner Carlo Cristofori Dean Baker Rannie Amiri Andy Worthington David Macaray Nadia Hijab Franklin Lamb Ted Newcomen David Ker Thomson David Rosen Mark Weisbrot Robert Fantina Heather Gray Farzana Versey Chris Genovali Ron Jacobs Jay Diamond Dr. Susan Block Ben Sonnenberg David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend May 21, 2009 Jeffrey St. Clair / Paul Craig Roberts Chris Floyd Gerald Paoli Zach Mason Uri Avnery Andy Worthington Niranjan Ramakrishnan Norman Solomon Dave Lindorff Website of the Day May 20, 2009 Michael Hudson Gary Leupp Michael D. Yates Jonathan Cook Peter Lee Binoy Kampmark Peter Zinn William Loren Katz Gary Lapon Trudy Bond Website of the Day May 19, 2009 Kristoffer Rehder Mike Whitney Ray McGovern Vijay Prashad Mirjam Hadar Meerschwam Mustafa Barghouthi Andy Worthington Binoy Kampmark John Walsh David Macaray Website of the Day May 18, 2009 Dave Lindorff Abdul Malik Mujahid Jonathan Cook Ben Rosenfeld Patrick Cockburn Ralph Nader Stephen Soldz Eugenia Tsao Walter Brasch Roberto Rodriguez Charlotte Laws Website of the Day May 15-17, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair David Rosen Mike Whitney Bruce Page Jeremy Scahill Fred Gardner Tom Barry Mats Svensson Ramzy Baroud Mark Engler Mark Weisbrot Farzana Versey Ron Jacobs Hannah Wolfe Cal Winslow David Macaray Christopher Brauchli Mark Seth Lender Robert Fantina David Ker Thomson Stephen Martin Charles R. Larson Chase Madar Kim Nicolini David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend May 14, 2009 Michael Hudson Andy Worthington Paul Craig Roberts Jonathan Cook Ray McGovern Lance Selfa David Green Dave Lindorff Frida Berrigan Sue Udry Website of the Day May 13, 2009 Brian M. Downing Gareth Porter Robert Sandels Ricardo Alarcón Eric Walberg Dave Lindorff Deepak Tripathi William S. Lind Kevin Zeese Franklin Lamb Website of the Day May 12, 2009 Gary Leupp Richard Neville Wajahat Ali Dean Baker Franklin Lamb Norman Solomon Paul Craig Roberts Lisa M. Hamilton Bob Fitrakis / David Macaray Website of the Day May 11, 2009 Andrea Peacock Michael Hudson Patrick Cockburn Ralph Nader John Kelly Saul Landau Dave Lindorff David Michael Green Anthony Papa Paul Krassner Website of the Day
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Weekend Edition Why eBay Should Stop Selling Guided Hunts for Wolves, Bears and CougarsBlood Sport AuctionBy CHRIS GENOVALI There is an amazing array of things one can purchase on EBay, from used lawn furniture to vintage dolls to bongs allegedly used by Olympic athletes. Among the myriad items being sold on EBay are guided hunts of North America's grizzly bears, black bears, wolves and cougars. It's hard to believe, but these recreational killing opportunities are now bought and sold on the world's largest internet auction site; EBay has become an online marketplace peddling the trophy hunting of the continent's top-level predator species. When EBay announced a global ban last year on sales of ivory products after a report revealed the online auction site was helping to fuel illegal trade in wildlife products, conservation and animal welfare groups were encouraged by EBay's action. However, a subsequent review of the EBay website found hunting sales of not only the aforementioned North American large carnivores, but of African lions and leopards as well. In February, Raincoast Conservation and our campaign partner Big Wildlife approached EBay to request they end of sales of carnivore sport hunting on their website, citing that such sales glorify and promote profound animal suffering for fun and profit, as these hunts are not for food or subsistence, but purely for trophy. Due to EBay's hesitation, we arranged for one of Raincoast's wildlife scientists, Dr. Chris Darimont. to meet with them at their Silicon Valley, California headquarters to present additional evidence of the ecological, evolutionary, economic and ethical arguments against the trophy hunting of carnivores. Further talks ensued. Still nothing. In response, we received a letter from EBay Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Tod Cohen informing us that the company had no interest in halting trophy hunt sales. It is disappointing that EBay has decided to hide behind the rationale that trophy hunting of large carnivores is legal; just because something is legal doesn't mean it is ethical or sustainable. Tod Cohen of EBay wrote in the letter, "While these decisions are never easy for us to make, the conclusion to this broad decision-making process is that we will not be expanding the scope of hunting experiences prohibited at this time. EBay is an open marketplace based on the principle that anyone can buy or sell just about anything, as long as those sales comply with applicable laws and our policies." In his letter, Mr. Cohen clarified that EBay has refused to post the sale of items the company and the general public find "offensive." Most people find pursuing cougars with dogs, treeing the frightened animals and then blasting them out of trees offensive. Most people believe gunning down a wolf for sport and a trophy is offensive. Most people think killing a grizzly so that the bear ends up as a rug in someone's living room is offensive. If EBay prohibits the sale of offensive material, then why does the company promote the gratuitous killing of large carnivores? Trophy hunting of top predators ignores the importance these species play in natural systems. For instance, top predators help regulate the food web, sustain ecological integrity and preserve species diversity. Their disappearance triggers changes in abundance of other species and the intricate connections among the remaining residents can unravel. British Columbia's grizzly bears—especially coastal grizzlies—face a suite of threats to their survival from habitat loss, declining salmon, mortality from recreational killing, poaching and lethal predator control. There is also now the spectre of climate change. Destruction of the grizzly's habitat and overexploitation of the salmon on which their very lives depend may be complicated, multifaceted issues to address. But one threat is not: trophy hunting. A record 430 grizzlies were killed in BC in 2007, and the provincial government continues to permit grizzly bears, and other large carnivores, to be shot and killed for sport in our parks and protected areas. In Alberta, it took a plunge in the grizzly bear population to the point where less than 500 are estimated to still exist before a halt to the grizzly hunt was implemented. Even with the species teetering on the brink in Alberta, elements within both the provincial government and sport hunting lobby are pushing for a resumption of the hunt. In an interview with the Lethbridge Herald last fall Calgary-based wildlife scientist Dr. Brian Horejsi was not caught unawares by the latest population figures from Alberta's grizzly bear recovery team. "These numbers don't surprise me at all," Horejsi said. "I have been watching bear habitat, bears and the absolutely fraudulent antics of this government for pretty close to 40 years. And so I am not at all surprised. I have been saying that there may be as low as 400 bears and perhaps as many as 500 since 1990. It was evident to any trained observer who was independent of either special interests or government that there was something seriously awry way back then." One wonders how low the Alberta government will stoop to rationalize its continued refusal to adequately protect the province's imperiled grizzly bears. Could there be any more stunning example of bureaucratic obtuseness than Sustainable Resource Development Minister Ted Morton's suggestion that anecdotal evidence from sport hunting interests regarding grizzly bear numbers is on par with a $2 million scientific study sponsored by his own government? From the Herald interview with Horejsi: "We have to remove the intensive human use of grizzly bear habitat that has simply drowned bear populations with mortality and reduced so dramatically their habitat that they're not safe anywhere. There are very few security areas for bears or for any wildlife in Alberta. So even if you're not hunting them legally, there are so many people out there who are armed, who are hunting deer and elk and coyotes, and chasing down wolves or squirrels, that they keep on encountering grizzly bears...And they keep killing them." The fact is that you can kill bears quickly via trophy hunting or kill them slowly through destruction of their habitat. The Alberta government has done virtually nothing to address the habitat issue and with Morton's anti-science posturing it is clearly attempting to set the stage to rescind the hunting moratorium as well. While hunters, governments, and conservationists continue to argue about the population status of grizzlies and other top-level predators in western Canada, the inescapable truth is that killing these magnificent animals for sport, trophy and profit has no place in today's society. The question remains for EBay users is whether they find it "offensive" that EBay is facilitating the recreational killing of large carnivores by allowing guided hunts to be auctioned on their site. Chris Genovali is executive director of Raincoast Conservation. |
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