www.projectcensored.org
Friday, August 31, 2012
Why You Should Vote for Socialism - Eugene V. Debs - Recited by Cindy Sheehan
THIS IS THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THIS SPEECH!!!
Transcript
There are ninety million reasons why you should vote for Socialism in America this year and every one of them is a pulsing, breathing, human reason!
You must either vote for or against your own material interests as a wealth producer; there is no political purgatory in this nation of ours, despite the desperate efforts of so-called Progressive capitalist politicians to establish one. Socialism alone represents the material heaven of plenty for those who toil and the Socialist party alone offers the political means for attaining that heaven of economic plenty which the toil of the workers of the world provides in unceasing and measureless flow.
Capitalism represents the material hell of want and pinching poverty of degradation and prostitution for those who toil and in which you now exist, and each and every political party, other than the Socialist party, stands for the perpetuation of this economic hell of capitalism.
For the first time in all history you who toil possess the power to peacefully better your own condition. The little slip of paper which you hold in your hand on election day is more potent than all the armies of all the kings on earth. To that ballot the will of despots must bow; its alchemy the mythical power of money melts away and is as the fleeting mists before the morning sun.
Upon the political battlefield the worker meets the millionaire upon terms of absolute equality.
On any chosen day, you who toil may vote out of existence the system which robs and plunders you, for you are many and your oppressors are few.
You who toil are the arbiters of your own destiny in a sense never before realized by the workers of the earth.
In a single bloodless battle you can put an end to poverty; you alone possess the key which will unlock the fetters that bind you to a life of unrequited toil.
At your command, the millions of child slaves now toiling in the factories and mines of capitalism will troop forth to joyous freedom.
Either you must vote for capitalism, with its ever increasing poverty and prostitution for the workers - with its army, its militia, its police and its courts, with which it enforces bestial conditions upon you - or else you must vote for Socialism which proclaims industrial peace in place of war - plenty in place of poverty - love and chastity in place of vice and prostitution.
I care not by what name the political parties of capitalism are called, Republican, Democrat, Progressive, they are all one and stand irretrievably committed to the preservation and perpetuation of capitalism with all its horrors of vice and corruption, in city, state, and nation.
For you, the workers of this nation, there is but one issue in this campaign and that issue is Socialism vs. Capitalism. Beside this issue all other questions pale into insignificance. In the name of civilization, Socialism challenges capitalism to justify its right to exist.
Here we have a primal political issue as incapable of misconception or misunderstanding as was the issue between the advocates of human slavery and the abolitionists of half a century ago.
Today capitalism stands stripped in all its hideous nakedness. Its political spokesmen of whatever name or brand must justify the almost universal poverty which it visits upon the useful workers of this nation. They must justify the multi-millionaire and the pauper. /they must justify the slaughter of the workers in the mines and mills, the factories and upon the railways of capitalism.
They must justify the ever present army of the millions of unemployed. They must justify the employment of millions of wives and mothers, daughters and sisters, at a wage which drives six hundred thousand of them into the brothels of capitalism.
They must justify a child slavery which chains more than two million helpless little ones to the chariot wheels of modern capitalism.
They must justify the civic and political rottenness which permeates the institutions of capitalism like a living leprosy, debauching alike the policeman on his beat and the judge on his bench.
They must justify the prostitution of the press and pulpit, of schools and colleges, which serve the interests of capitalism and thereby poison the very fountainhead of the nation's source of information and intelligence.
Beside these terrible facts of capitalism how puerile, how utterly imbecile is the chatter about the "tariff," "the control of corporations," " the dignity of the courts," "the theft of delegates to national conventions of capitalist parties" and half a hundred other so-called "issues" with which capitalism seeks to cozen the worker out of his vote!
Can you, my fellow-worker, justify a vote of confidence in capitalism in the face of this terrible indictment? Surely the daily experience of your own life and the experience of those who are dear to you is a more terrific indictment of capitalism than mortal man can pen.
In the name of peace and plenty; in the name of honor and virtue; in the name of manhood, in the name of the womanhood and in the name of the childhood of this nation, you should cast your ballot for Socialism.
In the name of human liberty Socialism invites you to rally to its standard. Behind the ramparts of capitalism, buttressed by soldiers and costs, cower the latest beneficiaries of human slavery. They are the modern captains of industry - the owners of this and every nation of earth.
As long as you must use the things they own, the modern machinery of production and distribution, just so long will you be slaves. Just so long will your wives and daughters fill the brothels of the rich. Just so long will your children be sacrificed upon the altars of human greed. Just so long will the vast army of the unemployed, our brothers, tramp the highways and byways of this nation denied even the poor privilege of earning a mere existence.
Just so long will you and your brother workers fill the jails and the asylums - the penitentiaries and the poor houses - oblations to the greed and avarice of a plutocracy, compared with which the greed of the chattel slave master was respectable.
In the name of that democracy which, in its final interpretation, spells universal brotherhood, you should vote for Socialism. It is the universal bond that binds the workers of all tongues and of every nation and its password is "Love and Liberty."
Eugene V. Debs
August 31, 1912
The World is not Mad. We Are. by Diane Gee
I was taught God is Love. Then religion spent a lot of time throwing caveats on that concept and twisted it all up until I gave up on Religion and its God. I kept the only thing of value, though. LOVE. What if the only entity is no entity at all, but an action, a feeling, a connection with others embodied in the word "Love?" If that be the case, humans have pretty much killed God. We all love our kid, love our favorite music, love pizza with extra cheese, love puppies, a good buzz, a multiple orgasm and a gorgeous sunset? Whats not to love there? Our circle, we love. Beyond that is where it gets all messy.
You see, love and hate are not only related, they do the hoochie coochie non stop together so much they make the ying/yang circle look like a pinwheel in a hurricane. There is a vulnerability in loving that begs reciprocity. "I'd do anything for you, I cannot believe you don't hold me in the same regard, enough to do that for me." Rejection is a bitch, and lets face it, our human egos are frail enough that it doesn't take a hell of a lot to turn that upside down.
The thing we hate most is being afraid. Lets face it, it really is a frightening world out there. We hate that our lives suck. We hate worrying about getting or keeping a job. We hate that our kids have no discernible future. We hate getting old. We hate dying and death of our beloveds. We hate the fact that while our things are made ever more cheaply, we pay more and more for them. Justifiable hate? If you look at it closely enough, you will see that most of these hates are driven by the fact there is no love in the world of us. Who, other than us, worries about us? Our kids, our mortgages, our refrigerators filled with the crap genetically modified frankenfoods filled chemicals we can't even name? No one loves us. No one cares.
Where is the Greater Love? Why, oh why, are we so alone?
You see, love and hate are not only related, they do the hoochie coochie non stop together so much they make the ying/yang circle look like a pinwheel in a hurricane. There is a vulnerability in loving that begs reciprocity. "I'd do anything for you, I cannot believe you don't hold me in the same regard, enough to do that for me." Rejection is a bitch, and lets face it, our human egos are frail enough that it doesn't take a hell of a lot to turn that upside down.
The thing we hate most is being afraid. Lets face it, it really is a frightening world out there. We hate that our lives suck. We hate worrying about getting or keeping a job. We hate that our kids have no discernible future. We hate getting old. We hate dying and death of our beloveds. We hate the fact that while our things are made ever more cheaply, we pay more and more for them. Justifiable hate? If you look at it closely enough, you will see that most of these hates are driven by the fact there is no love in the world of us. Who, other than us, worries about us? Our kids, our mortgages, our refrigerators filled with the crap genetically modified frankenfoods filled chemicals we can't even name? No one loves us. No one cares.
Where is the Greater Love? Why, oh why, are we so alone?
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Pussy and Cop Rioting
This Sunday, August 26th, Cindy chats with author, Mike Whitney, about his article with a different point of view about the Pussy Riot punk band in Russia and all of the hulla-balloo.
Cindy has TWO guests this week and will also welcome veteran, Scott Olsen, who was critically injured by the Oakland PD last year in an Occupy Oakland protest. Scott gives an update about his recovery, potential lawsuit against OPD and current activism.
THE SHOW CAN BE HEARD AT
COMMUNITY PROGRESSIVE RADIO AT 2PM August 26th
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Our Solidarity with Bolivarian Venezuela (International Solidarity Message)
Our solidarity with Bolivarian Venezuela
Elections will take place in Venezuela next October 7. That day will decide the fate of a revolution which has taken most of the people in that country out of the marginalization and state of neglect in which they lived, and at the same time has made decisive contributions to Latin American and Caribbean integration and to the process of transformation in this area.
Throughout these years, and particularly, during the present electoral campaign, the United States has put into practice in Venezuela the most diverse forms of interference, whether in an open way or through allegedly autonomous entities. At the same time the media, at the service of the internal reaction and imperialist interests, has worked non-stop to damage the image of the Bolivarian revolution and, in particular, the image of its leader, President Hugo Chavez Frias. He has been accused of being antidemocratic, without taking into account that during his administration he has submitted to referendums thirteen times. They have even resorted to some despicable acts associated to his health. Now, they are trying to minimize the legitimacy of the National Electoral Council, to create an atmosphere of distrust around the elections and its results and to set the basis for possible future actions of destabilization.
Aware of the importance of this historic moment for Venezuela, Latin America, the Caribbean and the world, we declare our solidarity with the Bolivarian revolution and its president, we demand respect for the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people and we call intellectuals, artists and social activists to support this initiative.
Cuban Chapter of intellectuals, artists and social activists from the net "In Defense of Humanity".
Nuestra
solidaridad con la Venezuela bolivariana
El próximo 7 de octubre tendrán lugar las elecciones presidenciales en Venezuela. Ese día se decidirá la suerte de una revolución que ha logrado que las mayorías de ese país salgan de la marginación y el desamparo y ha hecho contribuciones decisivas a la integración latinoamericana y caribeña y al proceso de transformaciones en esta región.A lo largo de todos estos años, y en particular durante la actual campaña electoral, los Estados Unidos han puesto en práctica en Venezuela las más diversas formas de injerencia, de manera abierta o valiéndose de entidades supuestamente autónomas. Al propio tiempo, la gran maquinaria mediática al servicio de la reacción interna y de los intereses imperiales, ha trabajado sin tregua para dañar la imagen de la revolución bolivariana y en particular de su líder, el Presidente Hugo Chávez Frías. Lo han acusado de antidemocrático, sin reconocer que se ha sometido a la consulta popular y electoral en trece ocasiones, y han recurrido incluso a infamias asociadas a su estado de salud. Ahora pretenden restar legitimidad al Consejo Nacional Electoral, crear un clima de desconfianza en torno al desarrollo de las elecciones y a sus resultados y sentar las bases de posibles acciones futuras de desestabilización.Conscientes de la trascendencia de este momento histórico para Venezuela, América Latina, el Caribe y el mundo, manifestamos nuestra solidaridad con la revolución bolivariana y su presidente, exigimos respeto a la soberanía del pueblo venezolano y convocamos a intelectuales, artistas y luchadores sociales a respaldar esta iniciativa.
Capítulo Cubano de intelectuales, artistas y luchadores sociales de la Red “En defensa de la humanidad”
PARTIAL LIST OF SIGNERS:
Cindy Sheehan, Padre Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel,
Oscar Niemeyer, Stella Calloni, Atilio Borón, Saúl Landau, Danny Glover, Carlos
Eduardo Niemeyer, Marilia Guimaraes, Eduardo Ebendinger, Salim Lamrani,
Graciela Rosemblum, James Petras, Ramón Chao, Carlos Aznárez, Luis Brito
García, Isaías Rodríguez, Yolanda Rojas Urbina, Norman Brisky, Vicente Zito
Lema, Luciano Vasapollo, Rita Martufi, Paola
Tiberi, Roberto Battiglia, Sergio Cararo, Rosamaría Coppolino, Marco Benevento,
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Cindy Sheehan 2012 Will Never Forget! Troops Home Now!
For immediate release August 22, 2012
Sacramento, CA
Contact:
Cindy Sheehan
cindysheehanssoapbox@gmail.com
According to a piece in NBCNEWS.com titled: "'No one really cares': US deaths in Afghanistan hit 2,000 in forgotten war," the death toll of US troops in Afghanistan has now surpassed 2000 under the watch of President Barack Obama and 80,000 troops still languish in the quagmire.
The presidential ticket for the Peace and Freedom Party, Roseanne Barr and Cindy Sheehan, wishes to express deep condolences to the families of the needlessly killed troops and the people of the Af/Pak region that have been devastated by almost 12 years of war.
"It's not true that 'no one cares,' we passionately care about ending US military involvement overseas to bring the world to peace," said VP candidate, Cindy Sheehan, from her home in Vacaville, California. Sheehan continued, "I am the only candidate in this race that personally knows the tragedy of war...the never-ending mourning for a son that won't return and while Roseanne and I agree the economy is a pressing issue, ending the money-pit of US empire will also bring a boon to our national economic stagnation."
The presidential ticket of Barr/Sheehan has been greatly encouraged that campaign events have been packed by people who also see immediate peace as an imperative issue in the 2012 presidential race even though the two capitalist war parties are trying to avoid the issue of the endless wars at all cost.
The Platform of the Peace and Freedom Party includes a very aggressive plank for world peace:
Peace and International Justice
The drive for greater profits by multi-national corporations which direct U.S. foreign policy is a major cause of war. We stand for peace between nations and the right of all peoples to self-determination. We support an ongoing socialist transformation everywhere. We therefore call for:
- The U.S. to renounce nuclear first strike, and take the initiative toward global disarmament by eliminating all of its nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
- No U.S. intervention anywhere. End all support and aid to repressive regimes and all military and police training aid everywhere. End efforts to destabilize foreign governments. End U.S.-directed economic warfare against other countries. Abolish the CIA, NSA, AID and other agencies for interference inother countries' internal affairs. Withdraw all U.S. troops and weapons from all other countries.
- Stop all U.S. arms exports and trade.
- Dissolve all military pacts.
- Convert from military to peaceful production; reallocate the resulting "peace dividend" for social benefit.
- Abolish the Selective Service System.
- No weapons in space.
Lifting The Veil With Cindy Sheehan
Lifting the Veil is proud to present anti-war activist, voice of the people and VP hopeful Cindy Sheehan! Visit cindysheehanssoapbox.blogspot.com to tune into Cindy's radio show and to stay informed on her race for the White House as part of the Peace and Freedom Party with Roseanne Barr!
Peace & Freedom Party of Fl Needs Urgent Help
Peace
& Freedom Party of
Florida
3161
St. Johns Bluff Rd. South, Suite #2, Jacksonville, FL 32246
The
Peace and Freedom Party of Florida needs 30+ electors before the end
of this month, AUGUST 2012 in order to
gain ballot access in the
state of Florida. In order to be an elector one must change
their party affiliation to “The
Peace And Freedom Party Of Florida”
We have attached the voter registration form in PDF format WE
are required to
send a copy of each of our electors Voter
Registration forms with our filing before the end of the month. Be
sure to
check the box marked
MINOR
POLITICAL PARTY UNDER PARTY AFFILIATION AND WRITE “Peace And
Freedom
Party Of Florida” on the line below it.
Please photograph or scan of the document before you send it in
to
the appropriate place listed on the second page of the pdf ,and email
the copy back to us asap. Time is short!!
Thank You for your
support!
Here
are some links about the party and our presidential candidates
Rosanne Barr and Cindy Sheehan .
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Comments From The "Statement For 9/11 Justice"
The following are some of the comments left by people that signed the "Statement For 9/11 Justice." If you haven't signed it, why not?
"9/11 Needs a new investigation bigtime! Im from Ireland and my family and friends know 9/11 was something other than what we were told. It just dosnt make sense. Bring these criminals in government to justice! People of America, and the world deserve the truth!"
"It is the RIGHT thing to do to investigate the events of September 11 2001 properly and with full disclosure! We need the truth."
"I want this lie ended. I want the people who have lied to us held accountable for their lies. And i want the people who have covered up their lies, and who have refused to have them held accountable to be held accountable themselves. We (the U.S.) have murdered and slaughtered hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of innocent people based on the lies of 9/11. THERE IS *NO* JUSTIFICATION FOR THIS POST 9/11 WORLD."
"The truth will light the darkest chasm and resurrect our democracy."
"A failure of imagination???"
"A real investigation with subpoena power will truly serve the families who have suffered since 9/11, prevent future attacks, endless war and a dark future. Thank you for supporting this today."
"It is hard to know whether the US gov's rejection of accountability, transparency and even the pretense of justice for its leaders and corporate paymasters will ever spark a remedial revolt, but this is certainly a decent place to start."
"It's way past the time our questions be answered."
"No justice, no peace."
"Please have a real investigation of 9/11. Our country has been hijacked."
"A lie is like an open wound. Truth is the sunlight that heals that wound. A REAL investigation into the events of 9/11 is definitely needed."
"The people of the world deserve a quality, independent, exhaustive investigation into the events relating to 9-11. What would be the harm in that?"
"Time for accountability and justice."
"We have a RIGHT to the truth. Not only have we been denied the truth--we've been told STUPID LIES. The biggest lie is the idea that we must surrender our liberties in order to gain safety. Surrendering your rights DOES NOT grant safety--in fact--it does the exact opposite."
"We really do need to take a look back and find the truth. For all of the misery that has come in the aftermath of 9/11, we need to root out the truth and hold those complicit with the events of that day accountable. This will only come from the bottom on up, as those at the top do not want to look back and see the truth; just as they don't want to be held accountable for their record."
"The citizenry deserves to know truth."
"Please, let's get a real investigation of the real questions. This web of deception gets more tangled every day with pre-emptive wars and lies."
"This country will heal only by telling the truth."
"Been saying this since the minute the second plane hit. I knew then that something was very very wrong and nothing that I have learned since has dissuaded me from the belief that the official story fed to us by the Bush administration is all lies. The insane policies of our government will not end until there is accountability for this crime and the many others perpetrated by the Bush crime family and now by the Obama administration."
"9/11 was a crime and needs to be investigated as such. There is no statute of limitations on murder."
"Of all of the horrors, of all of the frauds, of all of the monumental lies told by the Bush/Cheney administration, this is the greatest."
"Those of us who lost loved ones have a right to the answers to our questions. I DON'T know what happened that morning. I do know what makes no sense. The official story (much of it) makes no sense."
"I agree with former 9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey that resolving the remaining mysteries around the events of Sept. 2001 may require a Permanent 9/11 Commission. In particular, the mishandling of intelligence by the Central Intelligence Agency, and the possibility - leaked to the New York Times but suppressed in the joint Senate/Congress inquiry - that men who assisted the terrorists operated "in a complex web of financial relationships with officials of the Saudi government", demand further investigation. After nearly eleven years, the time has come for rational men and women to acknowledge, one does not have to be a "conspiracy theorist" to ask tough questions of our governments."
"An independent inquiry is needed with subpoena powers."
"We have not got anything close to a proper investigation on the events of that day. I totally subscribe to your struggle."
"It's high time the real criminals were brought to justice. Fortunes were made by people who knew this was going to happen and millions of innocent civilians have been maimed and killed in the name of the trumped up 'War on Terror'."
"A new investigation is definitely in order. What else is in order are heavy penalties not only levied against those who perpetrated specific crimes on the day but also those who planned, covered them up or abetted by silence. This will never be possible without significant and sweeping rehabilitation of our political structure which cannot begin soon enough as our society is suffering from end stage greed and might not recover at all; never mind climate change and radiation poisoning..."
"I'm for an independent investigation on an international level that looks at every fact and detail. And let's have it soon."
"We cannot go forward without a full exploration and accountability for 9/11. Truth must out."
"I stand with those who demand a new investigation, with independent authorities, & subpoena power."
"It's about time this day of infamy be properly investigated."
"This is not going to go away."
"It's about time. - no actually it's way overdue."
"I believe the governments version of 9/11 is a pack of lies!"
"As a daily News Blogger and Online Activist, truer words were never spoken - that "there is no justification for the Post-9/11 World." The rule of Law, that encompasses proper criminal investigations, MUST be followed !! No one is above the Law! And if nothing is done more terror will definitely follow, via false flags and the draconian police state."
"We really do need to take a look back and find the truth. For all of the misery that has come in the aftermath of 9/11, we need to root out the truth and hold those complicit with the events of that day accountable. This will only come from the bottom on up, as those at the top do not want to look back and see the truth; just as they don't want to be held accountable for their record."
"Let's stop the madness. 9/11 is a lie, and everything after 9/11 is based on a lie. There are too many facts now that warrants a new independent worldwide investigation. One that has the power to get to the truth."
"The victims families have A RIGHT to know the TRUTH, without continuing the LIE that it needs to remain "classified". Open ALL the documents to the public, and let the TREASON trials begin!!"
"This has to be the most important petition I have ever signed."
"I will not condone the 9/11 cover-up!"
"I have waited for ten years to hear this truth to be told. Thank you."
"For justice and freedom. For our children."
Please sign the "Statement For 9/11 Justice."
"9/11 Needs a new investigation bigtime! Im from Ireland and my family and friends know 9/11 was something other than what we were told. It just dosnt make sense. Bring these criminals in government to justice! People of America, and the world deserve the truth!"
"It is the RIGHT thing to do to investigate the events of September 11 2001 properly and with full disclosure! We need the truth."
"I want this lie ended. I want the people who have lied to us held accountable for their lies. And i want the people who have covered up their lies, and who have refused to have them held accountable to be held accountable themselves. We (the U.S.) have murdered and slaughtered hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of innocent people based on the lies of 9/11. THERE IS *NO* JUSTIFICATION FOR THIS POST 9/11 WORLD."
"The truth will light the darkest chasm and resurrect our democracy."
"A failure of imagination???"
"A real investigation with subpoena power will truly serve the families who have suffered since 9/11, prevent future attacks, endless war and a dark future. Thank you for supporting this today."
"It is hard to know whether the US gov's rejection of accountability, transparency and even the pretense of justice for its leaders and corporate paymasters will ever spark a remedial revolt, but this is certainly a decent place to start."
"It's way past the time our questions be answered."
"No justice, no peace."
"Please have a real investigation of 9/11. Our country has been hijacked."
"A lie is like an open wound. Truth is the sunlight that heals that wound. A REAL investigation into the events of 9/11 is definitely needed."
"The people of the world deserve a quality, independent, exhaustive investigation into the events relating to 9-11. What would be the harm in that?"
"Time for accountability and justice."
"We have a RIGHT to the truth. Not only have we been denied the truth--we've been told STUPID LIES. The biggest lie is the idea that we must surrender our liberties in order to gain safety. Surrendering your rights DOES NOT grant safety--in fact--it does the exact opposite."
"We really do need to take a look back and find the truth. For all of the misery that has come in the aftermath of 9/11, we need to root out the truth and hold those complicit with the events of that day accountable. This will only come from the bottom on up, as those at the top do not want to look back and see the truth; just as they don't want to be held accountable for their record."
"The citizenry deserves to know truth."
"Please, let's get a real investigation of the real questions. This web of deception gets more tangled every day with pre-emptive wars and lies."
"This country will heal only by telling the truth."
"Been saying this since the minute the second plane hit. I knew then that something was very very wrong and nothing that I have learned since has dissuaded me from the belief that the official story fed to us by the Bush administration is all lies. The insane policies of our government will not end until there is accountability for this crime and the many others perpetrated by the Bush crime family and now by the Obama administration."
"9/11 was a crime and needs to be investigated as such. There is no statute of limitations on murder."
"Of all of the horrors, of all of the frauds, of all of the monumental lies told by the Bush/Cheney administration, this is the greatest."
"Those of us who lost loved ones have a right to the answers to our questions. I DON'T know what happened that morning. I do know what makes no sense. The official story (much of it) makes no sense."
"I agree with former 9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey that resolving the remaining mysteries around the events of Sept. 2001 may require a Permanent 9/11 Commission. In particular, the mishandling of intelligence by the Central Intelligence Agency, and the possibility - leaked to the New York Times but suppressed in the joint Senate/Congress inquiry - that men who assisted the terrorists operated "in a complex web of financial relationships with officials of the Saudi government", demand further investigation. After nearly eleven years, the time has come for rational men and women to acknowledge, one does not have to be a "conspiracy theorist" to ask tough questions of our governments."
"An independent inquiry is needed with subpoena powers."
"We have not got anything close to a proper investigation on the events of that day. I totally subscribe to your struggle."
"It's high time the real criminals were brought to justice. Fortunes were made by people who knew this was going to happen and millions of innocent civilians have been maimed and killed in the name of the trumped up 'War on Terror'."
"A new investigation is definitely in order. What else is in order are heavy penalties not only levied against those who perpetrated specific crimes on the day but also those who planned, covered them up or abetted by silence. This will never be possible without significant and sweeping rehabilitation of our political structure which cannot begin soon enough as our society is suffering from end stage greed and might not recover at all; never mind climate change and radiation poisoning..."
"I'm for an independent investigation on an international level that looks at every fact and detail. And let's have it soon."
"We cannot go forward without a full exploration and accountability for 9/11. Truth must out."
"I stand with those who demand a new investigation, with independent authorities, & subpoena power."
"It's about time this day of infamy be properly investigated."
"This is not going to go away."
"It's about time. - no actually it's way overdue."
"I believe the governments version of 9/11 is a pack of lies!"
"As a daily News Blogger and Online Activist, truer words were never spoken - that "there is no justification for the Post-9/11 World." The rule of Law, that encompasses proper criminal investigations, MUST be followed !! No one is above the Law! And if nothing is done more terror will definitely follow, via false flags and the draconian police state."
"We really do need to take a look back and find the truth. For all of the misery that has come in the aftermath of 9/11, we need to root out the truth and hold those complicit with the events of that day accountable. This will only come from the bottom on up, as those at the top do not want to look back and see the truth; just as they don't want to be held accountable for their record."
"Let's stop the madness. 9/11 is a lie, and everything after 9/11 is based on a lie. There are too many facts now that warrants a new independent worldwide investigation. One that has the power to get to the truth."
"The victims families have A RIGHT to know the TRUTH, without continuing the LIE that it needs to remain "classified". Open ALL the documents to the public, and let the TREASON trials begin!!"
"This has to be the most important petition I have ever signed."
"I will not condone the 9/11 cover-up!"
"I have waited for ten years to hear this truth to be told. Thank you."
"For justice and freedom. For our children."
Please sign the "Statement For 9/11 Justice."
Saturday, August 18, 2012
They're Trying to IraQ IraN (Soapbox for Aug 19, 2012)
Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox
August 19, 2012
Guest: Raymond McGovern
 | |||||||
| DOWNING STREET MINUTE'S HEARING JUNE 16, 2005 CINDY AND RAY IN CENTER. JOE WILSON ON LEFT; JON BONIFAZ ON RIGHT |
This week, Cindy chats with ex-CIA analyst and current peace/justice activst, Ray McGovern about
US/Israel plans to attack Iran.
The show can be heard at:
2pm (PACIFIC TIME)
Sunday, August 19th
or
Downloaded anytime from:
RECENT ARTICLES BY/ABOUT RAY:
 | |
| CLICK PEACE SUN TO DONATE |
Friday, August 17, 2012
Cindy Sheehan Speaks on Behalf of the Cuban 5 in Tijuana August 17
Contact: Cindy Sheehan Campaign Press Office, 916/996-9170
Peace and Freedom Vice-President Candidate
Cindy Sheehan Appeals to President Obama
Friday to 'Free the Cuban 5'
TIJUANA, MEXICO – Cindy Sheehan, Vice President running mate of Roseanne Barr on the 2012 Peace and Freedom Party Presidential ticket, will appeal to President Obama Friday to immediately "Free the Cuban5" – Cuban citizens held for 14 years in the U.S. for not registering as "agents."
Sheehan, who became a celebrated anti-war activist after her son Casey was killed in Iraq, speaks Friday night at the U.S./Cuba/Mexico/Latin America Labor Conference in Tijuana, Mexico.
In a letter to President Obama Sheehan said:
"As you probably know, my son, Casey Austin Sheehan, was killed in Iraq on April 04, 2004. He was lied to by his government and military leadership that told him he was occupying another's land to 'fight terrorism.'
"So many injustices have been committed in this so-called Global War on Terror, but these Five Cuban heroes have been in US jails and prisons for fourteen years and their only real crime was not registering as foreign agents-a mild crime that usually carries a mild sentence of expulsion or short prison terms."
She has urged the President to free the "Cuban5" because "you (Obama) have said, and shown the world, that the USA can 'act pre-emptively' to protect our 'safety,' and I would like to believe that you would extend the Cuban people and government the same right to protect its citizens from acts of terrorism," noting that the "Cuban5" came to the U.S. to "monitor the activities of real terrorists-Cuban expatriates living here who planned violent counter-revolutionary acts in Cuba and have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Cubans over the years."
Sheehan added: "Your regime has vigorously violated the sovereignty of several countries in the purported quest to 'keep America safe.' The Cuban government and the Five Heroes did far less. They have been punished enough for a relatively small crime."
Cindy Sheehan's complete letter to Obama about the "Cuban5" can be found at:
http://cindysheehanssoapbox.
Cindy Sheehan for VP 2012 Statement on Chevron Fires and Call to Action!
On 2012 Labor Day-Enough Is Enough-Nationalize Chevron Under Worker-Community
Control and Prosecute The Criminals Running This Out Of Control Empire.
opinion/commentary/la-oe-0814-
Rally & Press Conference in Front of Richmond Chevron Refinery
Contact: Steve Zeltzer: (415)867-0628
Contact: Steve Zeltzer: (415)867-0628
Monday September 3, 2012 10:00 AM
841 Chevron Way, Richmond California 94801
Speakers from union and community.
Cindy Sheehan, Peace and Freedom Party Candidate For Vice President of the United States
Charles Smith, Richmond Resident and AFSCME 444 Delegate To Alameda Labor Council and United Public Workers For Action UPWA
Mark Mason, San Pablo Bay Ecological Preservation Association
Mary Flanagan, Richmond Teacher, Member of United Teachers Of Richmond UTR
Charles Rachlis, Industrial Hygienist/UPWA
The explosion and fire at the Chevron Richmond refinery is a man made disaster for the workers and community
in Richmond and the East Bay. It was caused by the criminal negligence of the Chevron corporation
which did not want to replace a worn gas pipe to save more money for the corporation. They continually
violate the environmental regulation and rules as well as OSHA rules and yet there are no serious actions taken
against them by these agencies and both the California government and US government.
This is for a company that made $26.9 billion last year.
The continuing contamination with 30% of the children of Richmond having Asthma and many other diseases
is unacceptable and an outrage to me and that is why I and Roseann Barr are calling for the immediate
seizure
and nationalization of the Chevron refinery and other oil companies and
for them to be run by workers and for the community and
people of California. This is not only a problem at Chevron but the many other refineries in California and the US.
We the people of the United States cannot be terrorized by these outfits like Chevron who pollute the world
and then terrorize people in the United States by their refusal to do proper maintenance on the refineries
here in the bay area and throughout the United States.
We support that the profits from a nationalized refinery be immediately put to use to prevent further
accidents, for the establishment of free healthcare for the people of Richmond and and for the funding
of education for the children of Richmond.
We are also calling for the criminal prosecution of Chevron managers, executives and owners for putting
the residents and workers in deadly danger and causing illness through their drive for profit.
We support a major program of the development of alternative energy sources including solar which should
be required on all new construction in the California and the US and a massive government funded program
for all housing in the state and the country along with mass transportation to limit the use of oil for automobiles.
We also condemn the silence of Governor Brown and the Obama administration about these continuing
man made disasters and the refusal to call for the criminal prosecution of these corporations.
In California Governor Brown has put the OSHA health and safety inspectors on furloughs even though they
are not paid for by the state budget and the 182 inspectors are not enough to properly protect the 18 million workers
of California.
On Labor Day September 3, I will be joining labor and community and environmental activists at the Chevron Refinery to
in Richmond to call for the refinery to be nationalized and for it to be run by the workers for the benefit of the workers and
community.
We cannot afford another Chevron disaster. Enough is Enough.
For more information contact
Chevron's refinery, Richmond's peril
The facility that caught fire violates pollution rules and is a daily threat to workers and neighbors.
juhasz-chevron-refinery-
People
view the fire at the Chevron Richmond Refinery. The fire burned out of
control for more than five hours, sending a giant black cloud of toxic
chemicals, including sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, thousands of
feet into the air and out across the bay. (Lance Iversen / San Francisco Chronicle / Associated Press / August 6, 2012)
|
August 14, 2012
Stay
inside, close your windows and doors, and turn off air conditioning and
heating units. Pets and all children in sporting activities should be
brought inside, and have duct tape ready should you need to further seal
windows and doors.
These
are among the "shelter in place" warnings made to Bay Area residents
last week in response to a massive fire at theChevron Corp.refinery in
Richmond. The fire burned out of control for more than five hours,
sending a giant black cloud of toxic chemicals, including sulfur dioxide
and nitrogen oxide, thousands of feet into the air and out across the
bay. While automated calls went to more than 18,000 people, some 160,000
residents live in the areas directly affected by the warning. More than
5,700 people have sought medical treatment.
Chevron is
the world's eighth-largest corporation and hands-down the largest in
California. The Richmond refinery is also the state's single largest
contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, having released 4.5 million
metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2010 alone.
Built
in 1902, the refinery shows its age. Rather than use its $27 billion in
2011 profits to run the cleanest, safest and most transparent refinery
possible, Chevron operates a refinery that is in constant violation of
federal and state law and a daily threat to the health and safety of its
workers and neighbors.
More
than 25,000 people, including those in two public housing projects,
live within just three miles of the refinery. Nearly 85% of the
residents live below the federal poverty line; the same percentage is
listed as "minorities" according to the U.S. Census. Within one mile of
or abutting the refinery are businesses, houses, an elementary school
and playgrounds.
Since
at least April 2009, the refinery has been in noncompliance of the
Clean Water Act and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
in every quarter but one. Until July 2010, the refinery had been in
"high-priority violation" of Clean Air Act compliance standards, the
most serious level of violation noted by the EPA,
since at least 2006. Under constant pressure from community
organizations, Chevron has been assessed hundreds of thousands of
dollars in penalties for repeated Clean Air Act violations — nearly 100
citations in just the last five years, including 23 in 2011 alone.A 2008
study by UC Berkeley and Brown University researchers concluded that
the air inside some Richmond homes was more toxic than that outside
because of harmful pollutants from the refinery being trapped indoors.
The
Contra Costa County Health Services Department lists the residents of
Richmond as one of the "most at-risk groups" in the county: They are
hospitalized for chronic diseases at significantly higher rates than the
county average, including for female reproductive cancers,
which are more than double the county rate. Chevron is one of four
refineries in Contra Costa County where nearby incidence of breast,
ovarian and prostate cancers are the second highest in California, and
where nearby residents suffer higher rates of asthma, childhood asthma and asthma-related deaths.
The
Aug. 6 fire is the third major disaster at the refinery in 12 years,
each caused by an old leaking pipe. In January 2007, an explosion rocked
the refinery, leading to a five-alarm fire. A leaking corroded pipe
"that should have been detached two decades ago," according to
investigators, was to blame. In 1999, an 18,000-pound plume of sulfur
dioxide smoke was released after an explosion caused by a leak in a pipe
that was more than 30 years old.
But
neither Richmond nor Chevron is alone. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board,
an independent federal agency that investigates major incidents at oil
refineries, concluded last month that nationwide safety at U.S.
refineries has not improved, despite scores of fatalities, over the last
decade, and won't until companies develop better safety systems.
In a 2007 report about BP's
2005 Texas City oil refinery disaster, which killed 15 workers, the
board warned of a pervasive "complacency toward serious safety risks"
across the leading oil companies' refinery operations. It called on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to "require these corporations to evaluate the safety impact of mergers, reorganizations, downsizing and budget cuts."
This year so far, serious oil refinery fires have broken out at a ConocoPhillips refinery
in Los Angeles, twice at one BP refinery in Indiana, and in Louisiana,
Oklahoma, Tennessee, Washington and at other locations. Using
industry-reported data, the United Steelworkers estimates that at least
one fire occurs every week at a U.S. oil refinery. Operating in
noncompliance with federal and state regulations, moreover, appears to
be all-but-standard operating procedure across the industry.
Oil
industry operations are not clean, safe or healthful. But they can
certainly be far cleaner, safer, more healthful and more transparent
than current industry practice.
Big
Oil is the wealthiest industry the world has known. The companies can
and must be forced through stricter federal and state regulation,
aggressive enforcement and direct community and worker oversight to be
held to the highest possible standard, including current law.
Richmond
has always been a company town. But in 2006 its residents rebelled,
rejecting Chevron's handpicked political candidates and electing as
mayor the Green Party's Gayle McLaughlin. State and federal officials
who serve as the industry's handmaidens should anticipate an even
broader rebellion as the outcome of this latest tragic, yet painfully
predictable, oil company disaster.
Antonia
Juhasz is the author of several books on the oil industry, including
"The Tyranny of Oil." She is also the editor and lead author of three
Alternative Annual Reports on Chevron and the former director of the
Chevron Program at San Francisco-based Global Exchange.
Copyright © 2012, Los Angeles Times
Labor/Community Rally initiated by United Public Workers For Action UPWA
Enough Is Enough-Labor Community Control Of Richmond's Chevron Refinery
Labor Day Rally 9/3/2012 For Public Worker/Community Control Of Richmond Chevron Refinery
Whereas, there have have been continuous fires at the Chevron refinery for many years
including this past August 6, 2012 at unit 4 and in 1999 when another unit burned and,
Whereas, the management and owners of the Chevron refinery have refused to provide
proper health and safety protection for the workers and community and
Whereas, this company made $26.9 billion last year yet refuses to provide compensation for
the contamination of the the community and an epidemic of asthma and cancer directly
caused by the emissions of the plant.
Whereas, the company refuses to provide information about the contaminants and the dangers
that have been spewing into the community and,
Whereas, by their putting profit before health and safety of the workers and the community they
have lost the right their right to operate a refinery in California and,
Whereas, working people should be in control of the energy industry for real energy efficiency and
mass transportation and alternative energies and,
Whereas, their labor and
to fight demands by refinery
the community for stronger
environmental and health and safety laws and,
Whereas the profits from the
Chevron refinery have not been used for education and
people of Richmond,
California and the people of California,
Therefore be it resolved we
support a rally on Labor Day September 3, 2012 at 10:00 AM at the Chevron
Richmond refinery located at 841 Chevron Way, Richmond California 94801
The demands of the rally are:
For the public control of of
the Chevron Refinery in Richmond and for it to be run
for the working people and
community.
For full compensation and lifetime full healthcare benefits for all residents of Richmond and for the refinery workers,
For criminal prosecution of
Chevron managers and owners for putting the workers and
deadly danger and violating
health and safety rules and environmental rules and,
Call for concurrence by all other affiliated bodies of this organization including the labor councils, state
organizations and national union.
Initiated By United Public Workers For Action
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