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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 16, 2009 Patrick Cockburn June 15, 2009 Michael Hudson Reza Fiyouzat Patrick Cockburn James Ridgeway Marjorie Cohn Rannie Amiri Dave Lindorff Ron Jacobs Leonard Schwartz Martha Rosenberg Website of the Day June 12-14, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Gareth Porter Mike Whitney Mark Ames Esam Al-Amin Franklin Lamb Patrick Cockburn Andy Worthington Heather Gray Felice Pace Ron Jacobs George Wuerthner Jeffrey Buchanan / David Ker Thomson Renaud Lambert Kevin Zeese David Macaray Evelyn Pringle Chris Genovali David Michael Green Brian J. Foley Charles R. Larson Kim Nicolini David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend
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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Bloomsday Edition The Long Trip HomeHow I Nearly Won the WarBy MARC LEVY
-- Bob Dylan Christmas 1970: a hot meal in a muddy fox hole, a Red Cross gift of WD 40. Excellent for cleaning my M16. Thank you, Jesus. After nine months as an infantry medic, three on fire bases burning human waste, an R&R with a Japanese whore who crushed my virginity to rice paper pulp, it was time to head home. At Bien Hoi, wearing fresh khakis, spit shined shoes, polished brass, I met men not seen in a year, some with a far-away look in their eyes, combat ribbons on their chests. We made small talk, waited, finally boarded a large commercial jet. The long flight so different from the first, when scores of men drank and flirted with slim-hipped stewardesses, sunk into oblivion, woke to Vietnam. This time, we landed at Oakland Air Force Base, silently walked past recruits headed the other way. I bought a cheap plane ticket to Jersey. A high-heeled flight attendant winked at me but I was too shocked out to flirt. The cab home took twenty-five minutes and cost six dollars. I never liked my folks. But we said our hello’s and my dog jumped for joy which made me happy. “This is our son,” the folks would say to friends and strangers, “He’s been to Vietnam. He was a medic.” But they never asked about the startle reflex, the sudden rage, the vivid nightmares, the jungle rot swirling inside my head. “Sorry,” I said to the first sergeant. “I don’t pull guard duty.” “You what?” he asked, stupefied. “You got thirty minutes,” he scowled, “You’d best be ready.” And he stormed out the barrack. I packed an AWOL bag, put on jeans, sneakers, a sweatshirt, my army field jacket. Lay back in bed. “What the...Where the hell do you think you're going?” the first sergeant asked as I got up. “AWOL, Sarge. I don’t pull guard.” He looked at me strange. “You can’t do that. Are you out of your mind?” “Watch me,” I said. “Going to Boston. Back in a few days.” I walked out, caught a bus, two hours later had a ten dollar hotel room, went to a porn theater, jerked off, the next day ate good, slept good, walked the town, returned to base that night. “Greetings,” I said to the company clerk. “You’re up for an Article 15,” he snarled. “Sounds good to me,” I said. Non judicial punishment meant nothing to this GI. For the next six months I refused guard duty, KP, haircuts, did not salute officers. Deliberately failed a driving test. “Stop sign! Stop sign! Step on the brakes!” a lieutenant shouted. I stepped on the gas. “Green means go! GO, you moron!” I stepped on the brakes. Over time I racked up five Article 15s and one Summary Court Martial. The company commander assigned me to burly Sgt. K, who had three Silver Stars and hounded me on clean up details. “Are you gonna work or do you want a knuckle sandwich?” he asked. I ignored the good sergeant, left the sweltering warehouse, sat down in a field, and sang “The Answer Is Blowing In The Wind.” Sgt. K called the battalion commander, the company commander, the first sergeant. “What the fuck is he doing?” they asked. “I don’t eat knuckle sandwiches,” I said. “Now hold on a minute, son. What’s the problem?” asked the battalion commander, a friendly alcoholic. “Sir, I just want out of the Army.” “I can’t help you there, boy. Just do your duty. Otherwise I'll have to...” Thank god for the Common Sense Book Store, an off base GI coffee house. With other soldiers I wrote bad poetry in a workshop lead by an anti-war English professor. We spoke to newspaper reporters. Organized Radio Free Devens, broadcast weekly by WAAF in Worcester, Mass. Shook hands with Dan Ellsberg on TV. Restricted to base, I filed for Conscientious Objector status. Denied, I wrote to my congressman but nothing happened. Time to go up the Army chain of command. After two hard months I reached the top. “Sir, Private Levy reporting to see the General,” I said to a clean cut captain seated behind a metal desk. By now my hair was shoulder length; my garrison cap slipped off my head. The captain phoned the commander of Fort Devens, who sat in the room next door. A moment later he slammed down the phone. “The General can’t see you today.” The captain’s face brightened. He pounded the desk with his fist. “I don’t think you get it, bud. The General will not see you. Now get the fuck out.” He really said that. “Get the fuck out.” Three weeks later an officer approached as I headed for chow. “Sign here, we’ll give you a Bad Conduct Discharge. You’ll be out in a week,” he smiled. “No thanks,” I said. "I'm better off being court-martialed." He was stunned. I was hungry. The food was great. A week later a full colonel threw me out of JAG. “You can’t do that, sir. The battalion commander put me up for a Special court martial. I’m here to see my lawyer.” “You’re a fucking disgrace,” he said, and grabbed my shoulders and hustled me out. He really said that, “A fucking disgrace.” I went to the IG’s office down the block. “What can I do for you, soldier?” the Inspector General asked. In my dress uniform and an Army baseball cap I’d decorated with an officer's rank and gold trim, the IG looked me over, lit a cigar, took a long drag, exhaled a noxious plume. “I’ll look into it,” he said. "Thank you, Sir," I replied. Back at company HQ the commanding officer screamed, “The IG just chewed my ass out! Did you complain about the colonel?” “Sir, I’m Private Levy. I have a right to legal counsel.” “Get the fuck out of here,” he said. “You heard me. Get the fuck out!” Friends at the Common Sense Book Store contacted a civilian lawyer. I celebrated by going AWOL. “Where are you, Doc?” “AWOL, Stan.” “Why?” he asked. “It’s my birthday. I’m twenty-one.” “Look,” said Stan. “They want to give you three months hard labor and a Dishonorable Discharge. I pulled some strings. Plead guilty, you’ll do five days in jail and get a General Discharge.” I looked at my dog. My dog looked at me. “I don’t know, Stan. What do you think?” “If I were you, Doc, I’d take it,” he said. “OK. See you soon.” We met in an empty JAG office. Two stacks of paper lay on a wood desk. One pile had copies of my case. The other, a General court martial for statutory rape. The accused was Sergeant K. After two hours in court, five officers found me guilty on all charges and pronounced sentence as Stan predicted. Before two MPs grabbed my arms and lead me away, the court secretary, a good looking brunette, slipped me a hit of Speed. In the stockade barbershop, an MP asked, “Gotta hold you down or you gonna co-operate?” “I'll co-operate,” I said. He knocked my baseball cap off my head. A barber cut my hair. When the MP left a photographer took my picture with a Polaroid. When he and the barber stepped out, I pocketed the photos and gave the Speed to another prisoner. “Here,” I said. “I don't want this. It’ll drive me crazy.” After five days I was let out of jail. It took two weeks to process my paperwork. Stan forgot to tell me I’d be busted to buck private and lose a month's pay. Nearly broke, I packed my duffel bag, said good bye to Devens, started hitching to Boston. A car pulled over. “Need a lift?” asked the court secretary. The next morning, after one last fondle and a fond farewell, I began the long trip home. Marc Levy served with Delta Company 1/7 First Cavalry as an infantry medic in Vietnam and Cambodia in 1970. His decorations include the Combat Medic Badge, Silver Star, two Bronze Stars for Valor, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal. He was courtmartialed twice and received a General Discharge. He can be reached at silverspartan@gmail.com |
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