China mourns Sihanouk's death & continues advancing in Cambodia

BANGKOK, Thailand -- The death of Cambodia's Norodom Sihanouk on Monday (Oct. 15) in Beijing symbolized how China had sheltered him in a mansion with personal medical, diplomatic and financial assistance throughout much of his often bloody reign.

Beijing benefitted, especially during the 1970s and 1980s, from its supportive relationship with Sihanouk. But his death at age 89 will not slow China's current rapidly expanding political and economic influence in Cambodia.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, meanwhile, will no longer have to engage in a convoluted relationship with Sihanouk, and may be able to similarly increase his authoritarian power in Cambodia.

Hun Sen has ruled for 27 years, and could benefit by regaling the late Sihanouk with respect during the upcoming funeral and afterwards, while muting details of Sihanouk's treacherous past.

"China enjoyed a degree of appreciation from many Cambodians through its long association with Sihanouk," said Rich Garella in an e-mail interview hours after Sihanouk's death.

Secretary of State’s directive allowing early voting during three days before Election Day long overdue: Lawsuits and voter confusion could have been avoided

Secretary of State Jon Husted’s directive setting expanded statewide early voting hours for all three days before the election is long overdue, but the correct move for Ohio voters. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow a lower court’s order to stand, forced Secretary Husted to issue a directive establishing uniform expanded hours.

“The federal court essentially forced Husted into allowing these early voting days,” said Mike Brickner, director of communications and public policy. “Nevertheless, the end result gives all Ohio voters what they deserve — expanded access to the polls on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday prior to the election.”

“Secretary Husted should have acted much sooner to allow all Ohioans expanded early voting opportunities,” added Brickner. “Instead, he chose to extend the legal fights, leaving early voting undecided and wasting taxpayer dollars on unnecessary lawsuits.”

Husted’s directive allows early voting on the following dates and times:

Saturday, November 3, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 4, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Monday, November 5, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

“It’s Ok to leave your abuser,” says Green Party VP candidate

The Columbus Free Press hosted a multigenerational gathering of Central Ohio-based activists on Oct 13 where Cheri Honkala said the Democrats have “thrown us down the stairs so many times” that ceasing our support for them is long overdue.

Honkala, who has traveled as an activist with the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign and as a Green Party candidate, said people in communities around the country are going to make changes.

“It’s going to happen, but we want to make sure it’s the right kind of change.”

She said she was surprised when Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein phoned her to ask that she be her running mate. But Honkala said her background complements Stein’s.

“She’s from Harvard and I’m from the school of hard knocks.”

Honkala has been arrested about 200 times as a result of her work as an activist.

“If you think you’ve done too many things to keep you from running for pubic office, think again, because I’ve done it all,” said Honkala half-jokingly.

Empire and its Consequences

Ever notice the way certain basic human values quietly transform into their opposite on their way to becoming national policy?

At the human level, the immorality of murder is fundamental, and most people understand the insanity of armed hatred. Keeping these dark forces under wraps is essential to the existence of human society. So why is it, then, that at the abstract level of nationalism, those forces are honored, worshiped, saluted, extolled as glorious, and given command of an enormous budget?

Why is it that their perpetuation via increasingly sophisticated technology is equated with national security and no one talks about the completely predictable negative consequences of basing security on murder and hatred?

And why does it feel so naïve to be asking such questions?

Will H.I.G.-owned e-voting machines give Romney the White House?

Electronic voting machines owned by Mitt Romney's business buddies and set to count the votes in Cincinnati could decide the 2012 election.

The narrative is already being hyped by the corporate media. As Kelly O'Donnell reported for NBC's Today Show on Monday, October 8, Ohio's Hamilton County is "ground zero" for deciding who holds the White House come January, 2013.

O'Donnell pointed out that no candidate has won the White House without carrying Ohio since John Kennedy did it in 1960. No Republican has EVER won the White House without Ohio's electoral votes.

As we document in the e-book WILL THE GOP STEAL AMERICA'S 2012 ELECTION (www.freepress.org) George W. Bush got a second term in 2004 thanks to the manipulation of the electronic vote count by Ohio's then-Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell. Blackwell served as the co-chair of the state's committee to re-elect Bush/Cheney while simultaneously administering the election.

Birth control mandate in Affordable Care Act

As a young woman, I think that the Birth Control Mandate is a crucial part of the Affordable Care Act. It is so important that women have the opportunity to access birth control without having to pay additional out of pocket costs. Every woman deserves the right to decide if/when she wants to get pregnant; it is not fair to have to make a choice between buying books for class, and gas for your car or birth control. This is the case for many women who rely on Planned Parenthood’s health care services; this mandate will save women up to 600 dollars a year in co-pays. The Affordable Care Act is also beneficial because it eliminates any out of pocket costs for preventative care such as cancer screenings, and screenings for diabetes and high blood pressure. Planned Parenthood has been providing healthcare services to women for over 90 years and will be here for newly insured women who want quality healthcare from providers they can trust.
Acacia Cook

Nonviolent protester of drone wars sentenced to federal prison

Catholic Worker Brian Terrell of Maloy, Iowa has been sentenced to serve 6 months in a federal prison for his witness against the use of drone warfare.
Below is a message from Brian and his statement before the court.

Friends, We are just out of court. I have been ordered to surrender to a federal prison not yet designated on November 30 to serve a six months in lock up, co-defendant Ron Faust was sentenced to five years on probation. Below is the statement I made to the court. Judge Whitworth took great offense at my reference to Air Force security personnel as "goosestepping riot police." Comparing our fighting men to Nazis (the judge's word, not mine) was reprehensible, he said. He is not offended, apparently, by goosestepping US military police intimidating nonviolent protestors, nor by Air Force drones committing crimes against humanity and murdering children. Mentioning these embarrassing facts, however, is an affront to good manners.

Many thanks for love, prayers and solidarity from many quarters. Brian Punishing Free Speech and Letting Murder Off the Hook, Justice Denied in Missouri

Let your public officials know that injection wells are NOT safe

Ohio is becoming the dumping ground for toxic out-of-state fracking wastewater. Meanwhile, there are mounting concerns about the Class II injection wells that are taking this waste.

Call or email the following officials to alert them to the ProPublica study discussed below. Demand a moratorium on Class II injection wells until an independent, scientific environmental impact study is conducted.

ODNR Director, James Zehringer: James Zehringer; 614.265.6879
Chief of Ohio Division of Oil and Gas, Rick Simmers: Rick Simmers; 614.265.6608
Head of Ohio’s Injection Well Program, Tom Tomastic: Tom Tomastic; 614.265.1032

Fact checking

George Edwards---An Activist Every Day! 3/24/18---10/5/12

The working class and people lost a great leader, activist, fighter for justice and equality this past week when 94 year old GEORGE EDWARDS died. While his accomplishments were many, significant and will have positive influence on our lives for generations, what those who knew George will remember most was his all abiding humanity. While a lifelong champion of worker’s rights, civil rights and peace, George was as at home with a beer watching the game, gardening, hiking, camping or visiting friends as he was at a meeting of his beloved steelworker unionists.

Born in 1918 in South Dakota, his family moved to Tennessee and homesteaded land in what is now the Great Smoky National Park. His father worked in the Indian Service until becoming frustrated with mistreatment of native peoples.

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