Advertisement

Sustainable Communities 2004: a local conference with global impact

The City of Burlington, Vermont will be the host of an innovative international conference on sustainable communities, to be held from July 14-18, 2004.   The Sustainable Communities 2004 conference will bring together academics, professionals, citizens, businesses, and educators from all over the world to discuss and address real-life problems so that participants can go home with new tools, practices, and skills to use in their own communities.  Registration is now open - and the early registration deadline has been extended to May 1, 2004.

 The conference will feature site visits, case studies, simulations, and dialogue sessions to focus on issues ranging from the role of the arts in community development, the restoration economy, citizen empowerment and public participation, to more technical sessions on financing mechanisms for innovative development strategies, environmentally certified construction practices, performance contracts for energy efficiency, local currency, new opportunities in the business sector, and green purchasing.  

An open letter to Bath Iron Works

Dear Mr. Shipway, Bath Iron Works:

We are gathering at Bath Iron Works on this day, April 23, in order to sound the alarm about the dangerous and destabilizing role of the Aegis destroyer in U.S. foreign and military policy.  

Last year the Bush administration walked away from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic (ABM) Treaty with Russia that outlawed testing and deployment of so-called "Theatre Missile Defense" systems, a part of the new Star Wars program.  The Aegis destroyer is now testing, and will soon deploy, these new interceptor systems just off the coast of China.  The U.S. intends to deploy Aegis interceptors in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan (just 90 miles off the coast of mainland China), and in Australia.  This will be a provocative move that will essentially negate China's 20 nuclear missiles thus forcing them to build more.  Today the U.S. has 7,500 nuclear weapons of our own.  

How the “NewsHour” Changed History

When the anchor of public television’s main news program goes out of his way to tell viewers that he’s setting the record straight about a recent historic event, the people watching are apt to assume that they’re getting accurate information. But with war intensifying in Iraq, a bizarre episode raises some very troubling concerns about the “NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.”

     Here’s what happened:

     During a panel discussion April 7 on the NewsHour, while battles raged in close to a dozen Iraqi cities, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel referred to the American authorities’ closure of a newspaper that had served as a megaphone for the anti-occupation Shiite leader Moktada al-Sadr. “The immediate problem we have to remember is we started this ... with the aggressive policies towards Sadr that came from us, shutting down his press,” Col. Sam Gardiner said.

     The program’s anchor spoke next.

     Jim Lehrer: “The reason we shut down his press is because it was calling for violence and anti-American --”

     Col. Gardiner: “Sure.”

     Lehrer: “I just want to get that on the record.”

Critique of Bush's unilateral disengagement

Washington, DC, April 15 - The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) today expressed dismay at President George W. Bush's apparent endorsement of the plan for "unilateral disengagement" presented by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, aspects of which contradict the President's own "roadmap" for peace.

ADC President Mary Rose Oakar said that, "negotiations to determine the future of the Palestinian people cannot be conducted between the United States and Israel alone. The Palestinians must be full and equal parties to any deliberation that affects their fundamental rights, such as final borders of a Palestinian state and the right of return for refugees." Former Congresswoman Oakar added, "President Bush, citing what he described as 'realities on the ground,' appears to have abandoned decades of American policy and United Nations Security Council resolutions. The most important reality is that this conflict can only be resolved through negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians that result in a complete and final end to the occupation."

ADC pointed out that President Bush's statements in his joint press conference

Got Juice? California May Be Saddled With Severe Power Shortages This Summer

Get ready for another jolt this summer. California energy officials are expected to issue a startling report next week warning that the state is going to be terribly short of electricity, which could result in a repeat of the energy crisis that wreaked havoc on consumers and businesses in the Golden State three years ago.

Last month the National Weather Service predicted that above normal heat and dryness will blanket much of California this summer meaning that demand for power to keep air-conditioners humming will likely outstrip the state's supply. The state is relying heavily on consumers to implement conservation measures in order to avoid issuing power emergencies and rolling blackouts.

A draft summer outlook report prepared by the California Independent System Operator, the state agency that manages supply and demand, expects demand for juice during a hot spell to peak at 44,422 megawatts, a 3.6% increase from last summer, mostly due to 195,000 new homes that were built in the state the past year and two-dozen old power plants that were permanently idled. As a result, California has 873 megawatts less than it did last summer.

Post-9/11 and the Patriot Act

Dear Editor:

In the two and a half years since the September 11, 2001, the threat of terrorism has been in the foreground of the national consciousness. During this time concern for security has been a major focus, and, although justified, has inspired equally disturbing attacks on basic freedoms. The greatest example of this is the USA PATRIOT Act.

While well-intentioned, the Patriot Act carries with it a number of grave concerns. The first is the lack of restraint put on the powers of the government. In a six-month period from late 2002 to mid-2003, the Justice Department received 34 credible complaints of civil liberties abuses under the new law, some of which involved physical abuse of Arabs who were detained. Last year the FBI used the provisions of the Patriot Act to arrest a strip-club owner for bribery, a crime that has nothing to do with terrorism. If we are going to trust our government with such extraordinary powers as those granted under this Act, shouldn't they be using them for their intended purpose? While they use such provisions to chase after corrupt businessmen, how many real terror suspects are going undetected?

Ending The “War On Terror” Myth

The so-called “War On Terror” is a dangerous myth that is undermining American national security. This myth is a deliberate creation of the Bush Administration and their political allies. It has been very useful in promoting the Corporate Agenda of the Bush Republicans. Their fellow travelers in the Corporate Media have helped promote this intellectually dishonest way of looking at the threat posed to America by the Bin Laden terrorist organization.

First of all, “terror” is an emotion and should not be confused with an actual organization of terrorists. This “terror” theme is useful if you want to promote unrelated goals but ineffective in actually responding to the real threat posed by the Bin Laden organization. The term first used by Bush operatives was the “War on Terrorism.” This was equally dishonest because terrorism is a tactic used by terrorist. It is as absurd to have a war against a “tactic” as it is to have a war against an “emotion”.

Bush's primetime press conference

AUSTIN, Texas -- My, what a full plate we have here as a result of President Bush's primetime press conference. Most importantly, the president believes in freedom. Also, we are trying to change the world (did we sign up for that? did the rest of the world? I thought we were trying to catch terrorists). And glorious news: We may yet find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Someone unearthed 50 pounds of mustard gas on a turkey farm. Oh, and another thing, some of the president's critics say "brown-skinned people" can't create democracies.

            Who are those dreadful critics? They're in the famous category of "some." Just like the Republican National Committee ad that says, "Some are attacking the president for attacking the terrorists." Oh, those awful "some."

Gary Nolan, Libertarian Presidential Candidate to Visit UT

Presumptive Libertarian Presidential nominee Gary Nolan will visit the University of Toledo on Sunday, April 18th at 1pm in the Student Union Building Room 3018.

"Our UT Libertarian group has roughly 60 members," reports UT student Andy Kvochick, "We are very concerned about the war in Iraq and the war on drugs here at home."

"The Libertarian Party is famous for its non-interventionist foreign policy as well as a 'live and let live' attitude at home," mentions Executive Director Robert Butler,"We are extremely well-received by our nation's young people who don't want to waste their vote on the Bush-Kerry ticket."

Gary Nolan is a radio talk show host and native Ohioan who has been campaigning all across the country this year and making appearances on national TV programs such as Fox's O'Reilly Factor, Hannity and Colmes, and CNN's Lou Dobbs.

"The Libertarian Party has the answers America's youth are looking for," notes Mr. Butler, "People are tired of politics as usual.  Republicans and Democrats seem to agree on just about all the issues these days.  We need a new dialogue with the American people."

Delegation of lawyers to report on meeting with Aristide

Lawyers Investigate Violations of International Law Surrounding de facto Haitian Government Following February Coup

On Tuesday, April 13, 2004, a delegation of lawyers representing the National Lawyers Guild, American Association of Jurists, International Association of Democratic Lawyers, National Conference of Black Lawyers, and Bureau des Avocats Internationaux met with President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti and his wife, Mme. Mildred Aristide in Jamaica, where they were granted temporary asylum.  Jamaica and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member countries have resisted intense U.S. pressure by calling for an investigation by the United Nations into the circumstances that led to President Aristide's departure from Haiti.  The delegation is also investigating apparent violations of international law and the Haitian constitution surrounding the installation of the de facto Haitian government following the coup of 28-29 February.    

Representatives of the delegation will hold a press conference on Friday, April 16 at 11am at the National Lawyers Guild, National Office, 143 Madison Avenue, 4th Floor (212-679-5100).   

Pages

Subscribe to ColumbusFreePress.com RSS