The American Oligarchy, Civil Rights and the Murder of Martin Luther King, by Andrew Gavin Marshall

by Andrew Gavin Marshall
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
November 29, 2010

Image via Wikipedia

Civil Rights and Social Control

As the American civil rights movement emerged in the 1950s, the established American oligarchy, in all its various forms and avenues of influence, set in motion simultaneous attempts to control the evolution of the movement, in order to both divide the movement and its leaders against each other, and also to control its direction. The Civil Rights Movement arose as an independent and people-driven movement in a struggle for black rights in America. In this, the movement presented a great threat to the establishment oligarchy, as historically the subjugation of black people within western society was not merely a result of western policies, but lies at the very foundations and bedrock of western ‘civilization’, politically, socially, and economically. Thus, challenging the segregation of race inevitably challenges the entire political, economic and social system.

My Friend Barack by Ralph Nader

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by Ralph Nader
The Nader Page
Nov. 22, 2010

After nearly two years out, I can imagine George W. Bush writing his successor the following letter:

Dear President Obama:

As you know I’ve been peddling my book Decision Points and while doing interviews, people ask me what I think of the job you’re doing. My answer is the same: He deserves to make decisions without criticism from me. It’s a tough enough job as it is.

But their inquiries did prompt me to write you to privately express my continual admiration for the job you are doing. Amazing! I say “privately” because making my sentiments public would not do either of us any good, if you know what I mean.

“Commit to Vote” – why I’m not “liking” it… by Abe Haim

by Abe Haim
Dandelion Salad
Guest Writer
http://exiledfromnowhere.wordpress.com
Nov. 2, 2010

So, a Facebook friend posted on my “wall” to ask me if I’ll join him in “committing to vote?”

Well, the simple answer is no.  I’ve been outside the States now for several months – so a bit tricky for me personally to vote this time.  (Yes, I know I could have contacted a consulate and tried to get an absentee ballot sent or whatever, but I didn’t think it would be worth the hassle to do all that…)

The Empire and the Right to Life of Human Beings by Fidel Castro Ruz

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by Fidel Castro Ruz
Global Research, October 28, 2010

In his latest reflections Fidel Castro refers to fragments of the text “The War Crimes of Stanley McChrystal, U.S. General” which, among other things, “reveals examples of how the Obama Administration continues walking in Bush`s footsteps”.

That’s terrific! So I exclaimed when I read down to the last line about the revelations of the famous journalist Seymour Hersh, printed in Democracy Now! and collected as one of the 25 most censored news items in the United States.

The material is entitled “The War Crimes of Stanley McChrystal, U.S. General” and it was included in Project Censored, put together by a university in California, including the essential paragraphs from those revelations.

The dust not settled on the last 9/11 victim family claim for a trial! By Jerry Mazza

By Jerry Mazza
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
crossposted at Online Journal
www.jerrymazza.com
Oct. 6, 2010

It’s been nine years since September 11, 2001, and almost all the family claims for loved ones lost in the tragedy have been resolved. Thousands of families have received more than $7 billion for their losses. Among families who originally desired trials and were persuaded to take the money, that sum amounted to some $500 million. Still, one family, has not, will not, doesn’t want a financial settlement any which way. They still want a trial. They want to get answers to their burning questions about how their son lost his life, for closure’s sake.

Interview With Rep. Dennis Kucinich by Maya Schenwar

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by Maya Schenwar, Executive Director, t r u t h o u t
t r u t h o u t
20 September 2010

Image via Wikipedia

Almost nine years into longest war in US history, at a time when the US spends more on its military budget than the rest of the world combined and endless war seems a frighteningly realistic possibility, I spoke with Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), a long-time advocate for peace. Kucinich reminds us that there is another way: that through unity, persistence and a deeply necessary change in mindset, we can move toward a world in which mutual respect and global connections shape foreign policy, and the self-fulfilling prophecy of war loses its tragic momentum. He challenges us to imagine a world in which “peace is inevitable.”

Wisdom of the Terrorist’s Son, by Chris Hedges

by Chris Hedges
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
Truthdig
September 20, 2010

Those who embrace violence, whether in the form of acts of terrorism or acts of war, are necrophiliacs. They worship death. They sacrifice life, including at times their own, for the heady intoxication that comes with becoming an angel of destruction. And in the wake of their fury and violence they not only leave grief, pain and suffering, but they perpetuate new cycles of revenge and murder like bad karma. These killers are presented to us in many forms. They come packaged as patriots and heroes, wearing rows of medals like David Petraeus or Stanley McChrystal, or they stumble onto the stage as bearded villains wearing suicide belts. But they are all killers. They all drink the same, dark elixir of death. They all partake of the same drug. They all take life in the name of high national or religious ideals. And they are all the scourge of the human race.

Noam Chomsky: President Obama is involved in war crimes right now

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by Alyssa McDonald
New Statesman
13 September 2010

Do you consider yourself to be primarily a scientist or a political activist?
If the world would go away, I would be happy to keep to the science, which is much more interesting and challenging. But the world has an unfortunate habit of not going away and the problems are quite urgent.

John F. Kennedy just won’t die By Roland Michel Tremblay

By Roland Michel Tremblay
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
The Marginal
4 September, 2010

Mugshot taken of Lee Harvey Oswald, taken following his arrest. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I couldn’t care less for JFK, apart from the fact that he is now but an international airport. I only care to see how many died talking about his death, over 40 now at the last count, and I wonder, deep down, if I will be shot for writing this article. The powers that be certainly do not kid around when it comes to JFK, they kill you outright even today. Let’s test it then, I don’t care dying an accidental death.

It so happens, and I cannot describe this as anything else but a coincidence, or destiny, I don’t know, my best friend was the lover of Lee Harvey Oswald, the so-called killer of JFK. It didn’t matter to me, I didn’t know, what did that have to do with JFK? The man died way before I was even born, nearly 50 years ago, and this is all American stuff, I’m not American, I’m Canadian. Let the Americans sort themselves out, I thought. Not so easy when your best friend was right in the middle of it, and is about to publish the greatest bestseller ever on JFK’s death. Dear me, I thought, I will have to read the book and write an article about it. After all, this kind of journalism is rare these days when freedom of speech is all but nonexistent.

Michel Chossudovsky: Death squads invade Iraq

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RTAmerica | August 24, 2010

In Latin America El Salvadorian death squads were known for targeting clergy members, doctors, and others, similar to what is being said about Iraq. Michel Chossudovsky, the director of the Center for Research on Globalization in Canada argued that the death squad approach created in El Salvador in the early 1980’s to fight the liberation movement has been adopted by the US and employed in Iraq.

Jeremy Scahill on The Iraq War, Blackwater and WikiLeaks

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[Note: Jeremy Scahill starts at 9 minutes into the video.]

C-SPAN
Campus Progress
Aug. 13, 2010

Jeremy Scahill talked about the war in Iraq, Blackwater, and WikiLeaks.

Transcript and video: Iraq War, Blackwater, and WikiLeaks – C-SPAN Video Library

Kucinich Bill will Stop the Extrajudicial Killing of Americans

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by Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Washington, Aug 5, 2010

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today announced that he has introduced H.R. 6010, which prohibits targeted killings of U.S. citizens. The announcement comes on the heels of a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights challenging the government’s legal authority to prohibit pro-bono lawyers from representing U.S. citizens on lists for targeted assassination without due process.

“The U.S. Constitution cannot be amended for convenience. The constitutional rights of all U.S. citizens must be protected. The U.S. government cannot act as judge, jury, and executioner. It was unacceptable when detainees at Guantanamo were held without due process, especially since many were later exonerated. It is unimaginable that the U.S. would then replace detainment with outright killing,” said Kucinich.

US and Colombia plan to attack Venezuela + Venezuela will suspend all oil shipments to the US in the event of an attack by Eva Golinger

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by Eva Golinger
Global Research, July 26, 2010
Postcards from the Revolution, July 24, 2010

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez denounced this Saturday US plans to attack his country and overthrow his government. During a ceremony celebrating the 227th birthday of Independence hero Simon Bolivar, Chavez read from a secret memo he had been sent from an unnamed source inside the United States.

“Old friend, I haven’t seen you in years. As I said to you in my three prior letters, the idea remains the generation of a conflict on your western border”, read Chavez from the secret missive.

“The latest events confirm all, or almost all, of what those here discussed as well as other information that I have obtained from above”, the letter continued.

Ralph Nader interviews Judge Napolitano: Bush and Cheney Should Have Been Indicted for Torturing, for Spying and Arresting Without Warrants

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I highly recommend watching the full program.  ~ DS

C-SPAN
June 2, 2010

[…]

Nader: What about the more serious violations of habeas corpus. You know after 9-11 Bush rounded up thousands of them, Americans, many of them Muslim Americans or Arabic Americans and they were thrown in jail without charges, they didn’t have lawyers, some of them were pretty mistreated in New York City. You know they were all released eventually.

Napolitano: Correct.

Nader: Is that what you mean also about throwing people in jail without charges violating habeas corpus?

Napolitano: Well that is so obviously a violation of the natural law, the natural right to be brought before a neutral arbiter within moments of the government taking your freedom away from you. And the Constitution itself, as the Supreme Court in the Boumediene case pretty much said, wherever the government goes, the Constitution goes with it and wherever the Constitution goes are the rights of the Constitution as a guarantee and habeas corpus cannot be suspended by the president ever. It can only be suspended by the Congress in times of rebellion which in read Milligan says meaning rebellion of such magnitude that judges can’t get into their court houses. That has not happened in American history.

So what President Bush did with the suspension of habeas corpus, with the whole concept of Guantanamo Bay, with the whole idea that he could avoid and evade federal laws, treaties, federal judges and the Constitution was blatantly unconstitutional and is some cases criminal.

[…]

UPDATE: If you would like to watch the entire hour long interview from Book TV, C-SPAN has it available in their video library here.

***

Updated: added full program

evelkidnievel on Nov 14, 2012

Andrew Napolitano – Interviewed by Ralph Nader

Discussing the book “Lies the Government Told You” and more…

***

BUSH & CHENEY are CRIMINALS & SHOULD BE INDICTED

YOUPOLITICS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa5XQRmscW8

see

Ralph Nader: What if…?

Lawrence Wilkerson: Bush and Cheney must have known most Gitmo prisoners were innocent

Kucinich Legislation Ends the Extrajudicial Killing of U.S. Citizens

Gitmo

Kucinich Legislation Ends the Extrajudicial Killing of U.S. Citizens

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http://www.buzzflash.net/story.php?id=1096928

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by Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Washington, May 19, 2010

Bill Protects Constitutional Right to a Fair Trial

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) announced today that he will introduce legislation that would end the practice of targeting U.S. citizens for extrajudicial killing. Earlier this year, The Washington Post and The New York Times revealed that the Obama Administration was continuing the Bush-era policy of including U.S. citizens on lists of people to be assassinated without a trial. Kucinich has spoken out forcefully against revoking the basic constitutional rights of American citizens for simply being suspected of involvement with terrorism, and he is currently recruiting cosponsors for his bill.

“Congress has the responsibility to protect the rights of all U.S. citizens,” wrote Kucinich