Concerned Families of Westchester Newsletter
March 13, 2019
Hello All – Last week we witnessed an extraordinary expansion of the national and congressional debate about the United States' relation to Israel. While it took the form of an often-vociferous debate about whether Rep. Ilhan Omar had made statements that could be considered "anti-Semitic," the debate surfaced - in many cases for the first time – elements critical of Israel's role, and the role of Israel's supporters, in US politics. Until last week, attention has been focused primarily on the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and the permissible/legal limits of the international boycott movement. By the end of the week, when the House of Representatives passed a Resolution that denounced not just anti-Semitism, but racism, Islamophobia, and other forms of discrimination as well, the congressional Democrats had suffered a small earthquake, and the nation had watched/participated in a discussion about if and how criticism of the state or government of Israel was not in itself anti-Semitic.
To recap: the fireworks were precipitated by a short talk on February 27th by Rep. Omar at a bookstore/forum sponsored by Code Pink. Her remarks, or what were alleged to be her remarks, were denounced by many in the mainstream media and in Congress, including Democratic Party leaders such as Eliot Engel and Nita Lowey. Over the weekend of March 3-4 the Democratic Party leadership developed a Resolution strongly condemning anti-Semitism. Though the Resolution did not mention Rep. Omar by name, it was generally understood that the Party's leadership intended to shame her and reject what she allegedly said. However, when the Party caucus was presented with the proposed Resolution, prior to a vote in the House, there was strong push-back by many members, including representatives of the Black Caucus and the Progressive Caucus. So strong was the opposition to the statement, that a new statement, this time written primarily by members from the Black Caucus and the Progressive Caucus, was drafted and affirmed by all the Democrats and most of the Republicans last Thursday.
Contrasting the two statements illustrates the sea-change that is now happening within the congressional Democratic Party, and I believe among the Party's constituents about Israel/Palestine. Check this out for yourself; both statements are short, but they represent different generations and almost different worlds. It is clear that the Party is divided. In the good/useful reading linked below, several articles provide perspectives that are not readily found in the mainstream media, but I believe get at the significance and what happened and why. And if you would like to join in the defense of Rep. Omar in the face of what will certainly be a strong campaign to unseat her 2020, you can send her a contribution here.
Venezuela: The Path to War?
As noted in previous newsletters, the Trump administration's efforts at regime-change in Venezuela have not been successful. Venezuela's military did not defect from supporting President Maduro when the Trump people proclaimed Opposition leader Juan Guaido "Interim President." Large Opposition demonstrations against Maduro did not lead to a bloodbath that might have justified US military intervention. And the February 23rd efforts to stage a theatrical delivery of "humanitarian aid" were unsuccessful and produced nothing to work with in justifying military intervention. (Indeed, the burning of two trucks with "humanitarian aid" on February 23rd is now clearly seen to have been the work on Opposition supporters themselves, as shown by a thorough piece of investigative reporting by The New York Times.) In fact, US allies among the conservative "Lima Group" countries, such as Brazil and Colombia, are rapidly distancing themselves from supporting the US in any military action. So what now?
This afternoon, Engel's House Foreign Affairs Committee heard testimony on HR 1004, a bill "To prohibit the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities with respect to Venezuela." (See the hearings here.) Last week, Rep. Ro Khanna and 15 other members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Sec. of State Pompeo "rejecting threats of U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, supporting diplomatic dialogue to resolve the political crisis there, and opposing broad economic sanctions that hurt ordinary Venezuelans." (Read the letter here.) These antiwar moves come as Venezuela is suffering from a massive electricity failure/blackout, attributed by the Venezuelan government (and many others) to sabotage directed by the United States. And just today, the State Department ordered its remaining embassy staff people in Venezuela to leave, and issued a very strong travel advisory/prohibition for Venezuela. These are among the things you would do if you intended to launch a military attack soon. If you would like to keep up to date on these developments, I recommend checking in to Democracy Now! and the twitter page of Venezuela expert Eva Golinger.
News Notes
March 8th was International Women's Day. The Nation's Katha Pollitt writes a useful balance sheet of women's gains and losses over the year. March 8th was also the anniversary of the (1917) Russian Revolution. Coincidence? I don't think so.
These old white guys still have a lot to say. Check out Ralph Nader on his "Radio Hour" as he interviews Noam Chomsky about the issues of the day.
Yesterday's headlines were all about fraud and cheating by rich people to get their kids into a prestigious college. But the rot starts at the tippy-top. Check out "A Florida Massage Parlor Owner Has Been Selling Chiinese Execs Access to Trump at Mar-A-Lago."
The Nation's Stephen F. Cohen, one of our leading experts on Russia, has been sounding the alarm for the last several years on the dangers associated with the re-heating of the "Cold War." In this interview/discussion, he is joined by the magazine's editor Katrina vanden Heuval in describing how "the risk of outright conflict between the US and Russia is increasing all the time."
And finally, not one, but two "pictures of the week." Check out what the locals do in Harbin (China) during their long winters. And Sue Coe has been doing great stuff for decades; check out her drawing, "Who are the animals?"
Things to Do/Coming Attractions
Ongoing – Weather permitting, the CFOW stalwarts gather every Saturday from 12 to 1 PM at the VFW in Hastings (Warburton and Spring St.) to protest war and other evils. Please join us!
Tuesday, March 19th – The (Rivertowns) League of Women Voters will hold a forum and discussion on the topic of "New York Election Law Reform: Unfinished Business." It's at the Jazz Forum Club, 1 Dixon Lane in Tarrytown, from 8-30 to 10 AM. Speaking will be John Nonna. For information email info@lwv-rivertowns.org.
Sunday, March 24th – The 2019 Westchester Social Justice Forum will be held in the Music Building at SUNY Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road in Purchase. The event opens at 12 noon, and the first plenary starts at 1:30. Among the speakers will be Democracy Now!'s co-host, Juan Gonzalez. Following the plenary, there will be workshops on social-justice topics. To learn more go here.
Sunday, March 31st – "Muslims in America: The History of … And the Resistance to … Islamophobia" is the topic of a forum to be held at the Ethical Culture Society of Westchester, 7 Saxon Woods Road in White Plains. Sponsored by the Westchester Coalition Against Islamophobia. Free.
CFOW Nuts & Bolts
Please consider getting involved with Concerned Families of Westchester. We meet for a protest/rally each Saturday in Hastings, from 12 to 1 p.m., at the VFW Plaza (Warburton and Spring St.) Our leaflet and posters for our rallies are usually about war or climate change, but issues such as racial justice or Trump's immigration policies are often targeted, depending on current events. We (usually) meet on the first Sunday of each month, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Dobbs Ferry Historical Society. Our weekly newsletter is archived at https://cfow.blogspot.com/; and news of interest and coming events is posted on our CFOW Facebook page. And if you would like to support our work by making a contribution, please send your check to CFOW, PO Box 364, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706. Thanks!
This Newsletter
Articles linked in the CFOW newsletter are intended to illuminate some of the main action-issues about which we are concerned. Coming mostly from the "dissenting media," they provide an alternative to the perspectives of the mainstream media. As always, we have some excellent "Featured Essays." I also encourage you to check out the set of articles on "Rep. Ilhan Omar and Anti-Semitism"; a cogent assessment of Pres. Trump's proposed military budget and a useful overview of the path we are on towards war with Iran (both in "War & Peace"); Ralph Nader's review of Dahr Jamail's new book on The End of Ice; an explanation of why and for what purpose Chelsea Manning is back in jail; and the interesting story of the radicalism of detective fiction writer Dashiell Hammett. Read on!
Rewards!
The Newsletter's rewards this week come from folk singer John McCutcheon, who performed at the
Walkabout Clearwater Chorus Coffee House in White Plains a week ago. He has a zillion songs on-line and on his website. Here is a sampling of this wonderful singer. I think you will enjoy "The Great Storm is Over" and his classic about the Xmas truce during the First World War, "Christmas in the Trenches." And in case anyone you know who might be having a birthday soon, check out John McCutcheon's much better version of "Happy Birthday." Enjoy!
Best wishes,
Frank Brodhead
For CFOW
FEATURED ESSAYS
(Video) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the New Left
With Briahna Gray, The Intercept [March 9, 2019]
---- The Intercept's Senior Politics Editor Briahna Gray spoke with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at SXSW about identity, race, and class, and how these debates are likely to play out in the years ahead. [FB – This is a long but stimulating and illuminating interview. You might want to jump to the very end, where there is a nice segment when Bill Nye, "the science guy," asks a stimulating question.
(Audio) American Misdirection: Militarism and Capitalism Reign as Spotlight Stays on Russia Conspiracy
Intercept Podcast, with Jeremy Scahill [March 6, 2019]
---- As Washington waits for the Mueller report, the goal posts are shifting fast. This week on Intercepted: Many Democrats are starting to grapple with the possibility that the special counsel's Russia investigation may not back up their over-arching allegation that Trump conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 elections. Journalist and Russiagate critic Aaron Maté presents his dissenting analysis, what he believes is behind the investigation, and how the scandal has distracted from other urgent issues. [Listen to the Program].
The Making of the Fox News White House
By Jane Mayer, The New Yorker [March 11, 2019]
---- [Sean] Hannity was treated in Texas like a member of the Administration because he virtually is one. The same can be said of Fox's chairman, Rupert Murdoch. Fox has long been a bane of liberals, but in the past two years many people who watch the network closely, including some Fox alumni, say that it has evolved into something that hasn't existed before in the United States. Nicole Hemmer, an assistant professor of Presidential studies at the University of Virginia's Miller Center and the author of "Messengers of the Right," a history of the conservative media's impact on American politics, says of Fox, "It's the closest we've come to having state TV." …Fox—which, as the most watched cable news network, generates about $2.7 billion a year for its parent company, 21st Century Fox—acts as a force multiplier for Trump, solidifying his hold over the Republican Party and intensifying his support. [Read More]
The Conflict of Our Time: U.S. Imperialism vs the Rule of Law
The world faces many overlapping crises: regional political crises from Kashmir to Venezuela; brutal wars that rage on in Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia; and the existential dangers of nuclear weapons, climate change, and mass extinction. But beneath the surface of all these crises, human society faces an underlying, unresolved conflict about who or what governs our world and who must make the critical decisions about how to tackle all these problems — or whether we will tackle them at all. The underlying crisis of legitimacy and authority that makes so many of our problems almost impossible to solve is the conflict between U.S. imperialism and the rule of law. [Read More]
REP. ILHAN OMAR AND ANTI-SEMITISM
(Video} It's Time to Tell the Truth
[An Interview with Haaretz [Israel] correspondent Gideon Levy]
From Democracy Now! [March 11, 2019]
---- The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution Thursday condemning anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim discrimination, white supremacy and other forms of hate, following a week of debate among congressional Democrats. The controversy began after some lawmakers accused Democratic Congressmember Ilhan Omar of invoking anti-Semitic tropes while questioning U.S. foreign policy on Israel. The House leadership initially drafted a resolution condemning anti-Semitism in what was seen as a direct rebuke of Omar. But many progressive Democrats said Omar, one of the first two Muslim Congresswoman in U.S. history, was unfairly being singled out. The split within the Democratic Party forced the leadership to withdraw its initial resolution and then present a much broader one. Congressmember Ilhan Omar voted for and praised the new resolution in a joint statement with fellow Muslim lawmakers Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and André Carson of Indiana. We speak with Gideon Levy, Haaretz columnist and member of the newspaper's editorial board. His latest piece is headlined "Keep It Up, Ilhan Omar." [See the Program]
The House Democrats' "Rebuke" of Rep. Ilhan Omar is a Fraud For Many Reasons, Including its Wild Distortion of Her Comments
By Glenn Greenwald, The Intercept [March 5, 2019]
---- Members of Congress in both parties who have devoted their career to dutifully supporting the AIPAC agenda began once again ganging up to denounce Omar, accuse her of anti-Semitism, and demand apologies and denunciations. Right-wing charlatans such as Ben Shapiro – who have built lucrative careers pretending to be advocates of free discourse and who reflexively mock complaints of racism and bigotry as overly-sensitive snowflake fragility – fueled the fire because, this time, it was their own group that they perceived was being criticized. The culmination of all of this was the meek, subservient and highly predictable announcement by Democratic House leaders that they once again intend to formally "rebuke" Omar, this time in the form of a House resolution. "Speaker Nancy Pelosi and top Democrats will take floor action Wednesday in response to controversial remarks by Rep. Ilhan Omar about Israel, the second such rebuke of the freshman Democrat from party leaders in recent weeks," Politico reported. [Read More]
What does the World look like from Somalia? Explaining why Ilhan Omar Scares the Horses in DC
---- When the victims of this European Fascism and its less explicit successors speak from Congress, they do not forget. They do not forget the refugees and the displaced, whether Somali or Palestinian. They do not forget the powerless and subjected and forgotten, whether Somali or Palestinian or Puerto Rican. They do not forget the civilian victims of the "war on terror," or the US coddling of the Saudis, who have sometimes inspired hard line movements to attack tolerant Muslim traditionalism. The people of the South, the people of the bottom of the world, the refugees and the children crawling hungry through the rubble, the fishermen whose catch was stolen by multinational corporations, the cattle herdsmen who watched global heating desiccate their cows– do not remember modernity as the old white men who still dominate Capitol Hill do. Hence the palpitations among America's burghers when the subaltern speaks. Get used to it. [Read More]
WAR & PEACE
(Video) Trump's New Budget Slashes Medicare and Bolsters Military in an "Attack on the Poor & Middle Class"
From Democracy Now! [March 12, 2019]
---- President Trump is seeking $8.6 billion to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, and an almost 5 percent increase in military spending. Meanwhile, Trump is calling for drastic cuts to domestic spending, including cutting $845 billion from Medicare spending over the next decade. Trump also wants to slash funding for the Environmental Protection Agency by 31 percent and the Interior Department's budget by 14 percent. We speak with David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, and founder and editor of DCReport.org. [See the Program]. For more details, read "White House Proposes Huge Increase in War Funding," b[Link].
Nuclear Powers Need To Disarm Before It's Too Late
March 12, 2019]
---- The recent military clash between India and Pakistan underscores the need for the major nuclear powers – the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, and France – finally to move toward fulfilling their obligations under the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The Treaty's purpose was not simply to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, but to serve as a temporary measure until Article VI could take effect: the "cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a Treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control." The 191 countries that signed the NPT – the most widely subscribed nuclear treaty on the planet – did so with the understanding that the major powers would de-nuclearize. But in the 50 years since the Treaty was negotiated, the nuclear powers have yet to seriously address eliminating weapons of mass destruction. [Read More]
War with Iran?
The Trump Administration Wants a War with Iran
By Bob Dreyfuss, Tom Dispatch [March 11, 2019]
---- Here's the foreign policy question of questions in 2019: Are President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, all severely weakened at home and with few allies abroad, reckless enough to set off a war with Iran? Could military actions designed to be limited—say, a heightening of the Israeli bombing of Iranian forces inside Syria, or possible US cross-border attacks from Iraq, or a clash between American and Iranian naval ships in the Persian Gulf—trigger a wider war? Worryingly, the answers are: Yes and yes. … Despite growing Trump administration tensions with Venezuela and even with North Korea, Iran is the likeliest spot for Washington's next shooting war. Years of politically charged anti-Iranian vituperation might blow up in the faces of President Trump and his two most hawkish aides, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, setting off a conflict with potentially catastrophic implications. … There are three potential flashpoints where limited skirmishes, were they to break out, could quickly escalate into a major shooting war. [Read More]
How US Sanctions are Hurting Iran: A Firsthand Report
By
---- On a recent delegation to Iran, we experienced first-hand the legendary Iranian hospitality. Iranians are particularly thrilled to meet Americans, but as we discovered, our government's policies are hurting the very people who want to be our friends. As our 28-person delegation traveled through the country wearing messages on our jackets proclaiming "Peace with Iran" in English and Farsi, we were surrounded by people—from schoolchildren to storekeepers—who wanted to practice their English and talk to us. Their eyes lit up when they heard we were from America. We were constantly posing for photos and exchanging Instagram accounts. We were offered endless cups of sweet tea and showered with more gifts than we could fit in our suitcases. A frequent refrain we heard was, "Americans good, Trump bad." [Read More]
War with North Korea?
Tragedy in Hanoi
By Joe Cirincione, LobeLog [March 6, 2019]
---- The summit between Kim Jung Un and Donald Trump was not just a failure to secure a nuclear deal that was close to achievement. The diplomatic effort in Hanoi was the latest, tragic missed opportunity to restore peace to the Korean Peninsula. …Behind the scenes—and then suddenly, ominously at the table in Hanoi—was the stealth hand of John Bolton, who has proven a master at killing arms control agreements but completely incapable of negotiating any security accords to replace them. He was, intentionally or not, aided by politicians in Washington who, divided by party and ideology, nonetheless joined first in mockery of the negotiations and then in quick, smug embrace of the collapse of the talks. …Pyongyang wanted to trade some of its nuclear capabilities for most of the sanctions. Washington wanted most of the nuclear capabilities for relaxation of some of the sanctions. In between, was a compromise waiting to be made. But neither could make it. Trump did not "walk away from a bad deal." He was simply too incompetent to forge a good deal. The negotiation process itself is now further discredited. Leading Democrats may not fully grasp the hole they are digging for themselves when they applaud Trump for "walking away" and denounce Kim as never being seriously interested in denuclearization. [Read More] The Ploughshares Fund's report can be read [here]. For more on how we should interpret the collapse of the US-North Korean negotiations, read "The Trump Administration North Korea Policy Isn't Engagement. It's Demanding Kim's Total Surrender," b[Link].
GLOBAL WARMING/CLIMATE CHAOS
Who will Displace the Omniciders?
[FB – This is a review/post-interview report on Dahr Jamail's new book, The End of Ice, noted in previous issues of the newsletter. The book is in the WLS; check it out!]
---- Citizens challenging the towering threat of climate crisis should never underestimate the consequences of our dependence on fossil fuel corporations. Real engagement with the worsening climate disruption means spending more of our leisure hours on civic action. The fate of future generations and our planet depends on the intensity of these actions. This was my impression after interviewing Dahr Jamail, author of the gripping new book, The End of Ice, on my Radio Hour. Jamail, wrote books and prize-winning articles, as the leading freelance journalist covering the Bush/Cheney Iraq war and its devastating aftermath. For his latest book, Jamail went to the visible global warming hot spots to get firsthand accounts from victims of climate disruption. His gripping reporting is bolstered by facts from life-long specialists working in the regions he visited. [Read More]
As the World Burns: Hurtling Towards an Unlivable Planet
---- If the global warming cataclysm – already significantly underway in vast swaths of the planet – isn't averted and soon, then nothing else we care about is going to matter all that much. We'll just be arguing about how to fairly slice up a badly overheated pie – how to turn an overcooked world upside down (or right-side up) and how to properly manage a living Hell. You'd hardly know this from the reigning U.S. media and politics culture, where the climate crisis and other critical environmental issues are pushed to the margins of public discussion. It is chilling (no ironic pun intended) to behold. With every passing fossil-fueled day, the specter of "man-made" ecological calamity looms ever closer and larger. But so what? [Read More]
CIVIL LIBERTIES/"THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR"
(Video) Glenn Greenwald: Chelsea Manning's Refusal to Testify Against WikiLeaks Will Help Save Press Freedom
From Democracy Now! [March 11, 2019]
---- Chelsea Manning has been sent back to jail after refusing to answer questions before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange. Manning, a U.S. Army whistleblower, had been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors in Virginia's Eastern District to appear for questioning about her 2010 leak to WikiLeaks of hundreds of thousands of State Department and Pentagon documents about the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We speak with Glenn Greenwald, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the founding editors of The Intercept. [See the Program] For more on Chelsea Manning and WikiLeaks, read "Judging U.S. War Crimes," by Kathy Kelly, Voices for Creative Nonviolence [March 10, 2019] [Link]; and "Chelsea Manning Is Jailed for Refusing to Testify in WikiLeaks Case," by Charlie Savage, The New York Times [March 10,, 20109] [Link].
Disputed N.S.A. Phone Program Is Shut Down, Aide Says
By Charlie Savage, New York Times [March 4, 2019]
---- The National Security Agency has quietly shut down a system that analyzes logs of Americans' domestic calls and texts, according to a senior Republican congressional aide, halting a program that has touched off disputes about privacy and the rule of law since the Sept. 11 attacks. … In a raw assertion of executive power, President George W. Bush's administration started the program as part of its intense pursuit for Qaeda conspirators in the weeks after the 2001 terrorist attacks, and a court later secretly blessed it. The intelligence contractor Edward J. Snowden disclosed the program's existence in 2013, jolting the public and contributing to growing awareness of how both governments and private companies harvest and exploit personal data. … Congress ended and replaced the program disclosed by Mr. Snowden with the U.S.A. Freedom Act of 2015, which will expire in December. Security and privacy advocates have been gearing up for a legislative battle over whether to extend or revise the program — and with what changes, if any. [Read More]
THE STATE OF THE UNION
(Video) Journalists, Lawyers & Activists Targeted in Sweeping U.S. Intelligence Gathering Effort on Border
From Democracy Now! [March 11, 2019]
---- Newly revealed documents show the U.S. government created a secret database of activists and journalists who were documenting the Trump administration's efforts to thwart a caravan of migrants hoping to win asylum in the U.S. An investigation from San Diego's NBC 7 revealed the list was shared among Homeland Security Investigations, ICE, Customs and Border Protection and the FBI. It included the names of 10 journalists—seven of whom are U.S. citizens—along with nearly four dozen others listed as "organizers" or "instigators." House Democrats are now calling for the full disclosure of the government's secret list. We speak with one of the activists targeted by the government, Nicole Ramos, director of Al Otro Lado's Border Rights Project. The project works with asylum seekers in Tijuana, Mexico. We also speak with Ryan Devereaux, staff reporter at The Intercept. In early February, he wrote an article titled "Journalists, Lawyers, and Activists Working on the Border Face Coordinated Harassment from U.S. and Mexican Authorities." [Read More] Ryan Deveraux's most recent report, "The U.S. Targeted Journalists on the Border. Two Senators Want to Know Why," [March 11, 2019] can be read here.
Making American Journalism Great and Different
By Laura Flanders, Common Dreams [March 9, 2019]
---- A great divide is shaping up in the newspaper business between those who want to make American Journalism "great again" and those who believe it has never been great but could be. It'll come as no surprise to anyone where I fall. Local papers have taken a hit. There's no debate about that. The same miserable mob that mauled Main Street banks has plundered and pillaged newspapers across the country. Pursuing only profits, private hedge funds bought and stripped even long-lived legacy papers, leaving them for dead. One in five local papers has shut up shop in the last 10 years, according to a recent report from the Knight Foundation. … After all, the so-called "legacy" papers have a specific legacy that isn't everyone's. For all the changes that have hit the news, some things have remained the same: a handful of mostly pale, male editors and publishers downtown have defined who and what is newsworthy and who gets to tell the news. All too often, the result has been stale and disparaging to a whole hunk of the population, which is why the Black press and the Spanish-speaking media and so many ethnic presses have emerged and thrived in the US over the generations. [Read More]
ISRAEL/PALESTINE
The UN fails to name and shame firms aiding Israel's illegal settlements
By Jonathan Cook, Mondoweiss [March 11, 2019]
---- The United Nations postponed last week for the third time the publication of a blacklist of Israeli and international firms that profit directly from Israel's illegal settlements in the occupied territories. The international body had come under enormous pressure to keep the database under wraps after lobbying behind the scenes from Israel, the United States and many of the 200-plus companies that were about to be named. UN officials have suggested they may go public with the list in a few months. But with no progress since the UN's Human Rights Council requested the database back in early 2016, Palestinian leaders are increasingly fearful that it has been permanently shelved. [Read More]
How the Israeli Army Takes Palestinian Land and Hands It to Settlers
By
---- 45 settlements have been built on Palestinian land requisitioned for military purposes. A new study explains how. … Some 40 percent of the area officially seized for military and security needs have been allocated over the years to settlements (a quarter of the total area is indeed used for military purposes and another quarter is occupied by the separation barrier). The governments of the Alignment, the Labor Party's predecessor, started this tradition. They allocated 6,280 dunams to settlements – 28 percent of the approximately 22,000 dunams that have been seized for military use in those years. As expected, the rise of Likud to power has seen a huge spike in allocation to settlements of land that was originally seized for military use. From Likud's victory in May 1977 to the end of 1979, more than 31,000 dunams were seized. Out of this total, 23,000 were allocated to settlements – that is, 73 percent. If we thought this method was quashed by the High Court of Justice ruling in the case of the settlement of Elon Moreh – which was handed down in October 1979 and placed restrictions on the authority of an Israeli military commander in the West Bank to seize land for settlement construction – it turns out we were wrong. [Read More]
OUR HISTORY
The Muckraking Novelist Dashiell Hammett: A Red Literary Harvest
---- He was called a "Commie" and a "Red," but no one has ever called Samuel Dashiell Hammett a muckraker, at least not until now. Still, that's what he was, through and through. All five of his novels, which were published between 1929 and 1934, are exposés that reveal the corruption, the criminality and the hypocrisy of life in the U.S., though they're also entertaining detective stories packed with suspense and intrigue and laced with intricate plots that connect thugs in low places with political bosses and corporate henchmen in high places. In Hammett's world the cops mostly get in the way of the private detective, though some of them are as corrupt as the wealthy men who deceive the masses with the help of daily newspapers. Only the self-employed, underpaid investigator is above corruption, though he's never an angel. [Read More]
