Vermont's great green election day victory

Vermont has elected a governor pledged to make the state truly green by shutting its decrepit, leaking nuclear plant.  And the town closest to that reactor has voted to take it by eminent domain if necessary, a step unprecedented in world history.

In reaction, the nuke’s owner (Entergy) has turned tail and put the plant up for sale.  (So far, no bidders).

In direct opposition, this post-election week has been marked by radioactive crowing from a dark age industry demanding massive government loan guarantees from “free market” Congressional Republicans.  Armed with oceans of unaccountable corporate/billionaire cash, Karl Rove’s new nuclear GOP wants to dump Adam Smith and pump public billions into a failed industry that cannot compete.

They industry continually points to France’s industry as a model.  But it’s mute to the fact that France’s leaky, error-prone nukes are owned, operated and regulated (sortof) by the French government.  A national socialist prototype, the EDF/Areva edifice---like its counterpart in Japan---would melt and die in an open market.

Conned by Democracy: The Middle East's Stagnant "Change"

Democracy in the Middle East continues to be a hugely popular topic of discussion. Its virtues are tirelessly praised by rulers and oppositions alike, by intellectuals and ordinary people, by political prisoners and their prison guards. Yet, in actuality, it also remains an illusion, if not a front to ensure the demise of any real possibility of public participation in decision-making.

Bahrain was the latest Arab country to hold free and fair elections. It managed a reasonable voter turnout of 67 percent. The opposition also did very well, winning 45 percent of the seats. In terms of fairness and transparency, the Bahraini elections could serve as an excellent example of how 'things are changing' in the Middle East. More, they might provide Western leaders, such as US President Barack Obama an opportunity to commend the contribution of American guidance to 'progress' in the region.

In actual fact, nothing is changing – except for the insistence by some that it is. Arab governments have made two important discoveries in the last decade.

Persecution of gays and pot smokers

Now that California’s Prop. 15 has been defeated, the bottom line remains, in the words of author/activist Harvey Wasserman: “The simple truth about America's marijuana prohibition: Any law that allows the easy incarceration of any citizen any time those in power want to do it is the ultimate enemy of democracy. With 800,000 annual arrests over an herb used by tens of millions of Americans, it is the cornerstone of a police state.”

A few weeks before the midterm election, I blogged an open letter to Barack Obama, and a journalist friend faxed a copy directly to the president. Excerpt: “It seems that the theme emanating from the White House is ‘Eat, Pray, Be Disappointed.’ And yet, whenever I do feel disappointed, I always realize that the alternative was John McCain, with Sarah Palin just one Halloween ‘Boo!’ away from the presidency, and then I always feel a sense of relief. But you promised to end the raids on medical marijuana dispensaries. They haven’t stopped…

Tell Congress to shut down the SOA

SOA graduates continue to get cited for serious abuses throughout the Americas and the Pentagon is fighting hard to keep the school open. Despite the requirement in National Defense Authorization Act for 2010 to release the names and enrollment information of recent students and instructors at the facility, the Pentagon used a loophole and continues to classify the information based on "national security reasons" in an effort to prevent the connections between their training and human rights abuses to become public.
Click here to send a message to your Member of Congress to Tell Her/Him to Close the School of the Americas

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Ohio Chamber lies & hides election buys

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce will not reveal the list of individuals and corporations that have funded its election campaign in the Buckeye State, despite having promised to do so in a public hearing.

In Columbus on Monday, November 1, Cliff Arnebeck, lead attorney for the King-Lincoln-Bronzeville election theft lawsuit, argued in a racketeering complaint in front of the Ohio Elections Commission that the Partnership for Ohio's Future, an affiliate of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, should disclose its secret donors. We are co-counsel and plaintiff in the King-Lincoln suit.

Arnebeck argued that former George W. Bush strategist Karl Rove and the Chamber of Commerce are illegally coordinating donations in Ohio. While the recent Citizens United U.S. Supreme Court decision allows for unlimited contributions from independent campaign organizations, it does not allow coordination between candidates and independent committees.

America's growth industries

Issue 12 – A mockery of a sham: Orwell rolls in his grave

The Daily Monopoly, Columbus Dispatch, that masquerades as a newspaper, ran the following subhead in its editorial in support of Issue 12: “City charter change would provide public with more information.”

If you vote “yes” on Issue 12 this November 2, you will be voting to allow Council to hold closed meetings when discussing certain issues. This would include personnel matters, property purchase, litigation, collective bargaining, and security matters.

So, after nearly a hundred years of open City Council meetings mandated by the Columbus City Charter, we’re now being told that we will get “more information” and “accountability” by closing Council’s chamber doors to the public.

Let’s look at the reasons Council is proposing to close their meetings. First, following Tuesday’s election, the Council will be replacing Charleta Tavares who will doubtlessly be elected to the state Senate. Council claims it needs go behind closed doors for the purpose of vetting potential candidates who seek the open seat.

Legal Marijuana or Bust!!!

The simple truth about America's marijuana prohibition: any law that allows the easy incarceration of any citizen any time those in power want to do it is the ultimate enemy of democracy. With 800,000 annual arrests over an herb used by tens of millions of Americans, it is the cornerstone of a police state.

The newly energized movement to end prohibition in California—home to more than 10% of the nation—is one of the few healthy developments in this otherwise horrific election.

To help pass Proposition 19, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxr0Pu6SoNk and sign up to make phone calls in these last crucial hours.

Part of the battle has already been won. By all accounts the California campaign has thrust the issue to a new level. The terms of repeal are not perfect. But the acceptance of marijuana use has taken a giant leap forward. When joints are openly lit and smoked on national television, it's clear that sooner rather than later, this travesty will fall.

Soon

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