At the risk of being accused of being anti-military I again raise the issue of mental health care for America's military personnel and veterans.
The last time I raised this issue I was attacked because the source I cited was the New York Times, which my critics claim is biased against the military. Therefore, by extension, they reasoned, I should be attacked.
O.K.
So today, I cite, not the New York Times, but an AP story which documents internal Army records. Records that show that Army suicides were up 20 percent in 2007. Another indicator that our members of the service need proper mental health care.
We are engaged in military combat. No one comes back from such an experience unchanged. I'm, of course, not suggesting that everyone who is ordered into a theater of war has mental health issues. But a significant number do. And veterans and veteran groups complain that the mental health services offered by the government do not meet the demand.
Another problem is a culture which makes soldiers and veterans reticent to seek this kind of help.
The Army says that it is actively addressing the problem. It conducted a study of that soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. And concluded that they needed to be screened twice to make it less likely that people needing mental health care are being missed.
"We found that the second screen is working," said study author Army Dr. (Col.) Charles S. Milliken, principal investigator, Division of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
The second medical survey "was created because a preliminary study, also done by Army medicine, suggested that we were missing soldiers by only screening as they were coming home, Milliken said.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Another 9/11 Recovery Worker Dies
A 43-year-old NYPD detective who toiled long hours at Ground Zero searching for remains of those who died on 9/11 has, himself, died of cancer.
William Holfester's family believes his death may have been related to the recovery work he did at the World Trade Center site.
To date, the city has been reticent to include those who have died of health problems possibly linked to 9/11 to that tragic event. A greater effort must be made to verify the cause of these illnesses and rightly proclaim deaths attributed to 9/11 rescue and recovery efforts as victims of the terrorist attacks.
William Holfester's family believes his death may have been related to the recovery work he did at the World Trade Center site.
To date, the city has been reticent to include those who have died of health problems possibly linked to 9/11 to that tragic event. A greater effort must be made to verify the cause of these illnesses and rightly proclaim deaths attributed to 9/11 rescue and recovery efforts as victims of the terrorist attacks.
Monday, January 28, 2008
First Responders Attend State Of Union
Pres. Bush meets with TV correspondents before State of Union address
A number of 9/11 responders who were made sick by the toxic air at Ground Zero traveled to Washington to watch the President’s State of the Union Address from the House Gallery. They went to press the administration for additional funding to meet the health needs of those who responded to the World Trade Center site after the 2001 attacks.
They are especially concerned that the Department of Health and Human Services decided last month to cancel plans to monitor the health and treatment of Ground Zero responders who now live outside the metro New York area. They argue that a comprehensive long-term program to help everyone exposed to 9/11 toxins is needed.
“Too many first responders like me are now sick and dying because of their work at Ground Zero,” said FDNY Deputy Chief Jim Riches, who lost his firefighter son Jimmy on 9/11, and participated in the search and recovery effort.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ve yet to see the full impact that 9/11-related illnesses have had on all of the first responders and residents. I speak from personal experience - we desperately need fully-funded medical care for all those exposed to the toxic air at Ground Zero.”
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Photo credit: Eric Draper/White House
News Talk Online Going On The Road To The White House - Bringing The Florida Primary Live To Paltalk
McCain
News Talk Online will be live from the campaign trail, covering the results of the all important Florida winner-take-all GOP primary from Miami on Tuesday.
We'll be live from John McCain's headquarters during our regularly scheduled show, from 5-6 PM New York time. Then live again at 7 PM ET when the polls close.
During the first segment of the show, we'll be joined by Joel Berg, technology reporter for Politics Magazine. We'll also be joined by WFTL newsman Ken Pauli, who is covering the elections for his Fort Lauderdale-based radio station.
The polls put McCain with a slight edge over Mitt Romney. McCain received two key endorsements over the weekend which could help him. But because Florida is a closed primary, independents who might vote otherwise vote for him will be locked out of the election, which could tip the balance in favor of Romney.
The candidate with the most to lose in Florida is Rudy Giuliani, who put all his eggs into the Sunshine State Republican primary. If he doesn't do well, it could spell the beginning of the end to his campaign.
The Democratic primary in Florida is a straw vote. No delegates will be counted by the national Democratic party because the Florida vote is being held before next week's Super Tuesday primary.
To join in the conversation at 5 PM New York time and again at 7 PM New York time Tuesday go to www.paltalk.com/newstalk. There is no charge.
Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.
News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio http://www.crntalk.com/ to cable networks serving an additional 12 million households.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Israeli Journalist Who Says Terrorists Are Closely Watching The U.S. Election On Paltalk
Klein
World Net Daily reporter Aaron Klein, who regularly interviews Palestinian terrorists and who wrote a book, Schmoozing With Terrorists will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk Monday January 28.
Klein reports that terrorists are as closely watching the election process in the United States as are Americans. And that some have told him which candidates they prefer, believing that those candidates will be harsher with Israel and sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.
Klein reports that terrorists are as closely watching the election process in the United States as are Americans. And that some have told him which candidates they prefer, believing that those candidates will be harsher with Israel and sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.
To talk to Klein at 5 PM New York time Monday January 28 go to www.paltalk.com/newstalk. There is no charge.
Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.
News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio http://www.crntalk.com/ to cable systems serving an additional 12 million households.
Anti-Gay Group To Picket Actor's Funeral
Memorial outside Ledger's apartment
Perhaps they think their picketing will convince Heath Ledger to never play a gay role again. If so, they are too late.
A fundamentalist anti-gay group says it plans to picket Ledger's funeral because he played a gay cowboy in the movie Brokeback Mountain.
While I basically unconditionally support the right to peaceful assembly and free speech, this kind of demonstration gos way beyond bad form.
It's akin to picketing the funerals of members of the military service who died in combat.
The members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas should be ashamed of themselves. Let those who mourn Ledger's death do so in peace and dignity. This is not the time, nor the place, for such a silly demonstration.
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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/80565261@N00/2216560813/
Patriot Act Upheld
Hassan Abu-Jihaad
I've been one of those critical of the Patriot Act. I fear, on principle, giving up civil liberties in the name of stopping those who would take them away.
But now the Patriot Act has been upheld by a federal judge. In a case that exemplifies the reasoning behind the act.
Hassan Abu-Jihaad (he was born Paul R Hall but later converted to Islam). a 31-year-old former U.S. Navy sailor is charged with providing material support to terrorist organizations in London by allegedly leaking to them classified information about the location and vulnerabilities of a U.S. Navy group. He is scheduled to go on trial in one month.
His attorneys argued that the portions of the Patriot Act which authorized the interception of his phone and e-mail conversations should be struck. The judge has now rejected the motion. Abu-Jihaad's attorneys could, however, appeal.
Abu-Jihaad (interesting surname for someone charged with such a crime isn't it?) should consider himself lucky. If he's found to be guilty, he can thank his lucky stars he wasn't tried for treason. Frankly, anyone American, member of the military or not, who turns this kind of strategic information over to our enemies deserves to swing from the branch of a high oak tree. And I'm not a proponent of capital punishment!
I'll be following this case closely. In the meantime, I'll leave it to the civil libertarians and the constitutionalists to argue whether the judge, or Abu-Jihaad's attorneys, were right about the Patriot Act.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Journalist Sentenced To Death For His Reporting
In free and open societies, the governments and religious institutions complain, sometimes, about what they see as biased reporting. But generally, words are fought with words.
In repressive societies, like Pakistan, you can get shut down, or jailed, for example, if you report against the government.
In Afghanistan, you can be sentenced to death.
That's right, sentenced to death.
An Afghan journalist has been sentenced to death for reporting critically about Islam and women's rights.
He's also been targeted because his brother, also a reporter, covered abuses by warlords.
We in the free world should not stand by and allow this execution to be carried out. The United States, which has significant influence on Afghanistan, should be first in line to condemn this action.
Questioning a man's right to have multiple wives, while women cannot have more than one husband, was Sayed Parwez Kaambakhsh's crime. A crime that, in Afghanistan, is punishable by death.
In repressive societies, like Pakistan, you can get shut down, or jailed, for example, if you report against the government.
In Afghanistan, you can be sentenced to death.
That's right, sentenced to death.
An Afghan journalist has been sentenced to death for reporting critically about Islam and women's rights.
He's also been targeted because his brother, also a reporter, covered abuses by warlords.
We in the free world should not stand by and allow this execution to be carried out. The United States, which has significant influence on Afghanistan, should be first in line to condemn this action.
Questioning a man's right to have multiple wives, while women cannot have more than one husband, was Sayed Parwez Kaambakhsh's crime. A crime that, in Afghanistan, is punishable by death.
Three Little Pigs Offensive
Offensive?
A British organization has decided to not give an award to a children's book based on the fairy tale the Three Little Pigs on the grounds that Muslims may find the book and the award offensive. The main characters of the book, the Three Little Cowboy Builders, are pigs.
Religious Muslims do not eat pork.
Where did that tradition start? Not with Islam, with Judaism.
Like religious Muslims, religious Jews do not eat pork. But I have never heard of such nonsense based on the fear that the reading of the Three Little Pigs might offend Jewish sensitivities.
Some Muslims find dogs to be dirty. I once helped a Muslim family in Dearborn, Michigan rid their home of a dog that had wandered in through the open front door. They were afraid to go into the house to remove the dog. So I gladly helped them by retrieving the canine for them.
But that doesn't mean I think we should banish books about Rin Tin Tin or Lassie from schools, for example, because it may hurt someone's feelings.
Oftentimes, great literature, offends. We don't want, as a global society, to be slipping down a slope where we burn or banish great books because we find portions offensive.
The Bett Awards judges should re-think their positions on this. Their job is to reward good literature. Not judge its content based on what they determine to be politically or religiously correct or incorrect.
Methodists May Divest From Israel
Let me get this straight.
There is only one country in the Middle East that isn't run by a dictatorship. Where there is freedom of the press. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. Due process.
All the other nations in the Middle East lack these basic freedoms. All but Israel.
Yet the Methodists are considering divesting themselves from any company doing business with Israel.
Not Saudi Arabia, where all but one of the 9/11 hijackers hailed from. Not Egypt, where the government controlled press regularly includes anti-Semitic commentary and "reporting." Not the UAE, where Jews may not invest.
And not countries outside the region where there are harsh human rights violations. Israel. The Methodists want to divest from Israel.
What's worse, they'll feel morally superior doing so.
As a reminder, the Methodists are Christians. Christianity stems from life in Israel. The Israelis protect important Christian sites.
Perhaps they should be more concerned about nations that preclude or discourage religious freedom. Where Christianity is held with disdain or worse.
Like, for example, the Palestinian territories.
There is only one country in the Middle East that isn't run by a dictatorship. Where there is freedom of the press. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. Due process.
All the other nations in the Middle East lack these basic freedoms. All but Israel.
Yet the Methodists are considering divesting themselves from any company doing business with Israel.
Not Saudi Arabia, where all but one of the 9/11 hijackers hailed from. Not Egypt, where the government controlled press regularly includes anti-Semitic commentary and "reporting." Not the UAE, where Jews may not invest.
And not countries outside the region where there are harsh human rights violations. Israel. The Methodists want to divest from Israel.
What's worse, they'll feel morally superior doing so.
As a reminder, the Methodists are Christians. Christianity stems from life in Israel. The Israelis protect important Christian sites.
Perhaps they should be more concerned about nations that preclude or discourage religious freedom. Where Christianity is held with disdain or worse.
Like, for example, the Palestinian territories.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Tougher Security Standards At Logan Airport
Now 10 fingers are scanned
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security begun collecting additional fingerprints from international visitors arriving at Boston Logan International Airport.
The change is part of the department’s upgrade from two-to-10-fingerprint collection to enhance security by more accurately and verifying visitors’ identities.
Robert Mocny, who directs the upgraded fingerprinting program, says the intent is to prevent "dangerous people from entering the United States."
The enhanced fingerprint screening process was previously initiated at Washington Dulles International and Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airports. Additional fingerprinting is scheduled to be added soon at Chicago O'Hare, San Francisco International, George Bush Houston Intercontinental, Miami International, Detroit Metropolitan New York’s JFK Airports.
The change is part of the department’s upgrade from two-to-10-fingerprint collection to enhance security by more accurately and verifying visitors’ identities.
Robert Mocny, who directs the upgraded fingerprinting program, says the intent is to prevent "dangerous people from entering the United States."
The enhanced fingerprint screening process was previously initiated at Washington Dulles International and Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airports. Additional fingerprinting is scheduled to be added soon at Chicago O'Hare, San Francisco International, George Bush Houston Intercontinental, Miami International, Detroit Metropolitan New York’s JFK Airports.
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Simon T. Bailey, Author Of Book That Explains How To Reveal One's Genius To The World On Paltalk
Bailey
Simon T. Bailey, an internationally known speaker, author and consultant and a leading authority in helping individuals and organizations release their brilliance will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk Friday February 1.
Bailey is the founder of the Imagination Institute, an organization dedicated to building the world's most valuable resource - its people.
Bailey has impacted the lives of over 100,000 people from around the world through his keynote addresses, workshops/programs and Internet presence. His mission is to help people find their passion, take action, and make their lives, their organizations, and ultimately their societies, better and more productive. Simon consistently receives high marks for his candid and practical approach to communicating key principles with a human touch. It is his unique ability to transform people's lives in a short period of time that has made Simon a highly sought after speaker and facilitator.
Simon's clients range from Fortune 500 companies and national associations to government agencies and educational institutions both in the U.S. and abroad. Notables include organizations such as McDonald's, Washington Mutual, Wyndham Hotels, and Walt Disney resorts.
He has been interviewed extensively on television and radio and articles about him have appeared in numerous publications.
He will talk about his latest book, Release Your Brilliance, which outlines four steps to transforming one's life and revealing one's genius to the world.
To talk to Simon at 5 PM New York time on Friday, February 1 go to www.paltalk.com/newstalk and click on the Join The Room button. There is no charge.
Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.
News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio http://www.crntalk.com/ to cable systems serving an additional 12 million households.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Dr. Marjorie Slankard To Talk About The Dangers Of Drowsy Driving On Paltalk
Dr. Slankard
There has been a lot of attention and a massive public education campaign about the dangers of driving after drinking in the United States and elsewhere in the world. And, lately, there's been discussion about how safe it is to talk on a cellular phone while driving. But another equally unsafe driving habit is rarely highlighted: the dangers of driving drowsy.
Yet the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes each year are a direct result of drowsy driving. Often, the problem is induced by over-the-counter medicines. Despite the widespread availability of powerful, non-drowsy allergy medications, new products that may cause drowsiness are hitting the shelves this month.
Dr. Marjorie L. Slankard, allergist and clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk on Thursday, January 24. She is working to help raise awareness of the problem and educate drivers that there are effective, non-drowsy allergy medicines, such as Claritin, that are safe to take when driving..
Slankard is Slankard, MD, is co-director of the allergy Clinic at Columbia-New York Presbyterian Medical Center; director of allergy at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey; and president of the New York Allergy and Asthma Society. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors and has been listed in New York Magazine's "The Best Doctors in New York" each of the last eight years, and is in Castle Connolly Medical Ltd Guide, "America's Top Doctors," The Nation's Leading Medical Specialists.
To talk to Dr. Slankard at 5 PM New York time on Thusday January 24 go to www.paltalk.com/newstalk and click on the Join The Room button. There is no charge.
Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.
News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio http://www.crntalk.com/ to cable systems serving an additional 12 million households.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Ray Robison, Whos Book Details Documents Tying Saddam Hussein To Terrorists, On Paltalk
Robison
Ray Robison, a former member of the Iraq Survey Group, examined documents seized following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Documents which, he says, show a tied in between Saddam Hussein and terrorist groups.
The result is a new book, Both In One Trench: Saddam's Secret Terror Documents, which Robison co-authored. The book investigates documents captured in Iraq and Afghanistan that give an inside look into the support Saddam Hussein provided and his ties to the global Islamic jihad movement including al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Robison will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk Friday January 25.
Robison is a former army officer, former member of the CIA's Iraq Survey Group, and is currently a military analyst in Huntsville, Alabama. His work has been featured on Fox News, the American Thinker, and on the Rush Limbaugh program and he's been covered by The New York Times, The Guardian UK, Le Monde, National Review, and many other media outlets.
To talk to Robison at 5 PM New York time on Friday January 25 go to www.paltalk.com/newstalk and click on the Join The Room button. There is no charge.
Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.
News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio http://www.crntalk.com/ to cable networks serving an additional 12 million households.
Time For The U.S. To Re-evaluate Its Relationship With Saudi Arabia
Says "no" through his oil minister
Allegations swirl that Saudi Arabia may have funded the 9/11 attacks on the United States. All but one of the 9/11 hijackers was from the KSA. And twice, the United States has helped protect Saudi Arabia from Iraqi forces during Saddam Hussein's regime.
The Saudis invest heavily in the United States as well.
But Saudi Arabia responds to this favored relationship by refusing to ease oil prices to the United States when asked by President Bush.
The president made the request last week during his trip to the Middle East. He made the plea directly to King Abdullah.
The answer, an unqualified "no," came in a news conference held by Ali Naimi, Saudi Arabia's oil minister.
Let's see. The United States, supposedly because of its own self interests -- the protection of Saudi Arabia's oil reserves -- sends troops into the country. And when the president asks the Saudis to release some of those reserves they say no?
Of course, one of the "side benefits" of our sending troops into Saudi Arabia was to stir up those who would want to bring us down for defiling what they see as holy land. Quite the price to pay for this lack of a return on the investment, isn't it?
Reason enough for the United States to re-evaluate its relationship with Saudi Arabia.
Not All Ailing 9/11 First Responders Are Getting Federal Help
Maloney
First responders who answered the call to duty on September 11, 2001 in New York City and who do not live there are precluded from getting federally funded medical care because the money is earmarked for treatment in the city exclusively.
A congressional hearing to discuss a the administration's scrapping of a plan to expand coverage to those who qualify but live elsewhere is scheduled for Tuesday. But, surprisingly to the congresswoman holding the hearing, no one from the Bush administration will be in attendance.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) is appalled that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services isn't sending anyone to participate in the hearing which will be held in New York City.
The administration is wrong to not send anyone to the meeting to explain its decision. All of those who responded and who are now sick as a result deserve the nation's thanks and support.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Judges To Rule Whether Saudi Arabia Can Be Named Defendant In 9/11 Attacks
An appellate court has heard arguments suggesting that a lawsuit claiming the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia funded the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks be reinstated.
A lower court previously ruled that the Saudi government could not be named as a defendant.
The attorney filing the appeal represents insurance companies in the United States and Europe that have shelled out billions of dollars in claims. He is seeking to spread the damages and reduce the insurance company's exposure.
It is alleged that charities sponsored by the KSA laundered money that was used to fund the operation. The ruling tossing the claim was based on a federal law that immunizes sovereign foreign governments from such litigation. The rule can be excepted if the U.S. State Department declares that government a sponsor of terrorism.
Of course, the attorney appealing the lower court ruling is motivated by money. He's trying to reduce his client's exposure. But there is potentially a greater good if he is successful. Because it could reveal any involvement of the Saudi government, which continues to do business with the United States unabated -- even after it allegedly funded the greatest act of mass murder in history.
A lower court previously ruled that the Saudi government could not be named as a defendant.
The attorney filing the appeal represents insurance companies in the United States and Europe that have shelled out billions of dollars in claims. He is seeking to spread the damages and reduce the insurance company's exposure.
It is alleged that charities sponsored by the KSA laundered money that was used to fund the operation. The ruling tossing the claim was based on a federal law that immunizes sovereign foreign governments from such litigation. The rule can be excepted if the U.S. State Department declares that government a sponsor of terrorism.
Of course, the attorney appealing the lower court ruling is motivated by money. He's trying to reduce his client's exposure. But there is potentially a greater good if he is successful. Because it could reveal any involvement of the Saudi government, which continues to do business with the United States unabated -- even after it allegedly funded the greatest act of mass murder in history.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Genie Jennings, National Spokeswoman For Second Amendment Sisters To Appear On Paltalk
Not in DC
Second Amendment Sisters national spokeswoman Genie Jennings will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk on Wednesday January 23rd to discuss the case before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the District of Columbia's handgun control ordinance. SAS has filed a brief in the case.
Since 1975, all handguns in Washington D.C. not registered beforehand have been deemed illegal. Legal firearms must be kept unloaded and disassembled or disabled by some means. The law actually goes so far as to prohibit movement of a firearm from one room to another inside a person's house.
The Second Amendment Sisters say that the case is about the right of an individual to keep a working firearm in his or her house. It does not address prohibitions toward carrying a gun in a public place.
The organization believes everyone has the right to have the means to protect themselves and their families from intruders in their homes.
To talk with Genie Jennings at 5 PM on Wednesday January 23 go to www.paltalk.com/newstalk and click on the Join The Room button. There is no charge.
Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.
News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio http://www.crntalk.com/ to cable networks serving an additional 12 million households.
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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertnelson/439618262/
Tightened Up U.S. Border Crossing Procedures Days Away
Blue Water Bridge border crossing
New border crossing procedures take effect for those entering the United States through land and sea ports at the end of this month.
The change primarily affects United States and Canadian citizens, who have previously been permitted entry by oral declaration alone, and marks the transition toward standard and consistent documents for all travelers entering the country. It is also the start of a more robust and concerted public education campaign, intended to inform travelers of document requirements which will be implemented next year.
“For the safety of the American people, the United States cannot have an honor system at the border,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “Requiring secure and reliable documentation at our borders will drastically reduce security vulnerabilities posed by permitting entry based on oral declarations alone."
As of January 31st, U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 19 and older should no longer expect that an oral declaration alone will be sufficient to prove identity and citizenship for entry into the country. Instead, travelers will be asked to present documentation from a specified list of acceptable documents when entering the U.S. at land and sea ports of entry. Examples include birth certificates and driver’s licenses. Travelers who do not present one of these documents may be delayed while U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers attempt to verify their identity and citizenship. Children ages 18 and under will only need to present a birth certificate.
During October to December 2007, border officers reported 1,517 cases of people falsely claiming to be U.S. citizens. Even stronger border crossing rules take effect June, 2009.
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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yuan2003/957580726/
American Who Immigrated To Israel To Talk About Palestinian Rocket Attacks On Paltalk
Dodging missiles in Israel
An increase of Palestinian rocket launches has been met by stepped up attacks by Israeli Defense Forces on military targets and a closing of the border with the Gaza. The situation threatens to foundering peace process and puts additional strain on the Olmert administration which faces the real possibility of collapsing under the weight of domestic criticism of its inability to protect the Israel homeland.
David Landeau, a 19-year-old American who recently moved to Israel and lives on Kibbutz Sa'ad near the Gaza border will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk on Tuesday January 22nd. Landeau will tell us what it's like to be living in a zone targeted by daily Palestinian rocket attacks.
The border closing was criticised by the UN agency overseeing humanitarian relief in the Gaza. About 120 trucks carrying food and humanitarian supplies cross the border into the Gaza daily.
To talk to Landeau at 5 PM New York time on Tuesday January 22 go to www.paltalk.com/newstalk and click on the Join The Room button. There is no charge.
Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.
News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio http://www.crntalk.com/ to cable networks serving an additional 12 million households.
David Landeau, a 19-year-old American who recently moved to Israel and lives on Kibbutz Sa'ad near the Gaza border will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk on Tuesday January 22nd. Landeau will tell us what it's like to be living in a zone targeted by daily Palestinian rocket attacks.
The border closing was criticised by the UN agency overseeing humanitarian relief in the Gaza. About 120 trucks carrying food and humanitarian supplies cross the border into the Gaza daily.
To talk to Landeau at 5 PM New York time on Tuesday January 22 go to www.paltalk.com/newstalk and click on the Join The Room button. There is no charge.
Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.
News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio http://www.crntalk.com/ to cable networks serving an additional 12 million households.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, American Conservative Magazine Contributor, On Paltalk
Vlahos
Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, who has spent the last six years as a political reporter in Washington, D.C. will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk Monday January 21st to talk about the South Carolina primary results.
Vlahos reports for FOXNews.com and is a contributor to the Washington-based Homeland Security magazine and The American Conservative magazine.
Her current reporting focuses on the 2008 elections and domestic partisan politics as well as the current war policy – including returning veterans – and how homeland and national security policies affect international relations and civil liberties at home.
To talk to Vlahos at 5 PM Monday January 21 go to www.paltalk.com/newstalk and click on the Join The Room button. There is no charge.
Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.
News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio http://www.crntalk.com/ to cable networks serving an additional 12 million households.
Suing Nations That Sponsor Terrorism
When I was a young investigative reporter in Detroit, one of the first lessons learned was to follow the money. The money, I was wisely advised by those with more experience, would lead to the hand behind certain illegal or immoral acts I was attempting to uncover. The lesson served me well then. And it can serve us all well today in the war against those who use terrorism against us.
The House has passed legislation which permits lawsuits against states suspected of supporting terrorism. This should cause several nations, including Saudi Arabia, to be concerned. Because Saudi Arabia has long been accused of being an exporter of terrorism. And because of the number of 9/11 hijackers who were Saudis.
Frankly, a successful suit against the KSA would put the United States in an interesting position. There are strong economic ties between the USA and the kingdom. The United States has often used economic boycotts as a tool against its enemies, perceived or otherwise. Iran and Cuba come to immediate mind. What would the administration, this one or any future one, do, if confronted with evidence that the Saudis, for example, funded a terrorist attack like 9/11?
Let's hope this new tool is followed by those whose families have been victimized by terrorism. It's time to follow the money!
The House has passed legislation which permits lawsuits against states suspected of supporting terrorism. This should cause several nations, including Saudi Arabia, to be concerned. Because Saudi Arabia has long been accused of being an exporter of terrorism. And because of the number of 9/11 hijackers who were Saudis.
Frankly, a successful suit against the KSA would put the United States in an interesting position. There are strong economic ties between the USA and the kingdom. The United States has often used economic boycotts as a tool against its enemies, perceived or otherwise. Iran and Cuba come to immediate mind. What would the administration, this one or any future one, do, if confronted with evidence that the Saudis, for example, funded a terrorist attack like 9/11?
Let's hope this new tool is followed by those whose families have been victimized by terrorism. It's time to follow the money!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Homeland Security On Guard
There's been much discussion about the failings of Homeland Security. But the successes often go unreported. Mainly because, they, by nature, must be kept quiet. But something happened to a friend of mine yesterday that bears reporting. Something that may make us all feel a little bit better about what's being done to protect us.
My friend went into the hospital as an outpatient for some nuclear testing. He was injected for the test, then was scanned and left the hospital. But he remained radioactive for about 24 hours.
Shortly after leaving the hospital, he was approached by a plainclothes police officer at a store. Because the officer's radiation detector had sent him an alarm.
After a short conversation and explanation the two went their separate ways. My friend feeling much better about Homeland Security than he did before the encounter.
Now let's hope his test results are as encouraging!
My friend went into the hospital as an outpatient for some nuclear testing. He was injected for the test, then was scanned and left the hospital. But he remained radioactive for about 24 hours.
Shortly after leaving the hospital, he was approached by a plainclothes police officer at a store. Because the officer's radiation detector had sent him an alarm.
After a short conversation and explanation the two went their separate ways. My friend feeling much better about Homeland Security than he did before the encounter.
Now let's hope his test results are as encouraging!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
How War Affects Our Veterans
On patrol in Baghdad
I have a friend who is clearly emotionally affected by his experience in the Iraq war zone.
He acknowledges to me that he suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and has a service dog by his side to comfort him. But he has not sought treatment, because he fears the stigma an official diagnosis might offer.
He is clearly not alone. The New York Times reports that more than 100 U.S. veterans returning from combat duty in Afghanistan and Iraq have committed or are charged with committing murder.
This is not to say that my friend is a potential homicidal maniac. But it does suggest that we've failed, once again, to take care of the needs of our returning veterans.
We ship them off to war zones with pride. Then we ignore their needs when they return.
I've previously discussed here and on my show, News Talk Online on Paltalk.com the lack of sufficient care and resources and the aging facilities in the veteran hospitals in the United States. This problem has fallen out of vogue as a topic in Congress and in the news media. It's not even mentioned in the presidential debates. But that doesn't mean it has gone away.
The public, sadly, has a short attention span when it comes to the treatment of our returning members of the armed forces. They should be treated warmly and with respect, and we should do all we can, as a society, to help ease them back into civilian life.
This is not an issue on whether one is for or against the undeclared wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It's an issue of human decency.
Psychological and career counseling should be provided for every person returning from theaters of combat. Proper health care should be available to them as well.
We sent them there. We put them in harm's way. Their well being, therefore, becomes our responsibility. A responsibility we cannot afford to shirk.
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Photo credit: DOD photo by Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz, U.S. Air Force
Saturday, January 12, 2008
UN Tells Iran To Come Clean On Nuclear Program
ElBaradei
Iran's nuclear aspirations remain in question.
Just months after a U.S. intelligence assessment report was made public which concluded that Tehran was not developing nuclear weapons community, the United Nations is indicating that it's not so sure.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei is telling Iran to quickly answer his questions about the status of the program. ElBaradei is scheduled to report on his findings in March.
Interestingly, this request was reported by Iran's own government news agency, which quoted ElBaradei during a visit to Tehran.
It's an odd world we live in.
A U.S. report lets Iran off the nuclear hook.
The UN, which often doubts the veracity of U.S. claims about WMDs, is not so sure about that.
And Iran's own news agency breaks this story to the world.
It should serve to remind us that, like the Democratic presidential primary, the nuclear situation in Iran, and the positions of the various players, cannot be predicted.
Terrorist Warning In Germany
Germany's on alert
Many terrorism analysts have been suggesting that the next terrorist attacks may be in Europe. Now there is specific information that Germany could be hit soon.
Information has been developed by intelligence sources in Lebanon that an attack against Germany may be imminent.
The good news is that the intelligence communities of the various countries are sharing important information such as this.
Europe has been particularly slow to recognize the terrorist threat. Even with the attacks in the UK and Spain.
Hopefully it will not take a major attack in Germany, or elsewhere on the continent, to wake Europe up to the devious behavior of Islamic extremists.
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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adjourned/1635518063/
Progress At World Trade Center Site
Almost ready
Excavation of a portion of the World Trade Center site is getting close to completion so that construction on the first building there can soon begin.
This news is long awaited by weary residents and those who work and visit near Ground Zero. Although construction will continue for years, at least there will finally be signs of improvement.
Excavation of two portions of the site was supposed to be completed by January 1st. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the property, is being fined in the millions of dollars for missing that deadline.
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Photos credit: Gary Baumgarten
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Accuracy In Media Editor Cliff Kincaid To Discuss How The Media Got It Wrong In New Hampshire On Paltalk
Kincaid
Accuracy in Media editor Cliff Kincaid, who says the poor performance of the pollsters and the press in the New Hampshire primary comes as no surprise to him will be my guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk Monday January 14.
Kincaid says the conservative media were out of touch with Republican voters in Iowa as well, missing the Mike Huckabee phenomenon. Adding, "they have also been mystified, even horrified, by the conservative limited-government appeal that lies at the heart of the Ron Paul revolution."
The liberal media likewise, says Kincaid, missed the story of what was happening on the Democratic Party side.
The media, he suggests, is out-of-step with the voters.
To discuss this with Kincaid at 5 PM New York time Monday January 14 go to www.paltalk.com/newstalk and click on the Join The Room button. There is no charge.
Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.
News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio http://www.crntalk.com/ to cable systems serving an additional 12 million households.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Expert On Pakistan Will Talk About Elections There On Paltalk
Ahmad
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 19-year-old son of assassinated former Pakistani prime minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto says that nation may fall apart if the upcoming elections are not "free and fair."
Bhutto Zardari, who is in England to study at Oxford, told reporters in London that he fears for the future of his nation.
Meanwhile, speculation continues to swirl about who was really behind the assassination. Early indications pointed toward al Qaeda, since she pledged to crackdown on terrorists in the north of the country if re-elected.
But there are others who have suggested that the current prime minister and political foe, Pervez Musharraf, may have been behind the plot.
Musharraf, for his part, seems to be blaming Bhutto herself, for standing up in her car making herself a target.
Meanwhile, the rest of the world watches, concerned about a possible tipping of power in the nation, fearful that Pakistan's nuclear weapons capabilities might fall into the wrong hands.
Joining us on Thursday January 10th to discuss this will be Junaid Ahmad, president of the National Muslim Law Students Association and a member of the Pakistan-based Peoples Rights Movement.
To talk to Ahmad at 5:30 PM New York time on Thursday January 10 go to www.paltalk.com/newstalk and click on the Join The Room button. There is no charge.
Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.
News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio http://www.crntalk.com/ to cable systems serving an additional 12 million households.
Steven Hill To Analyze Race For White House On Paltalk
Hill
Steven Hill, director of the political reform program at the New America Foundation will discuss the surprising outcome of the New Hampshire primary and how that affects the overall presidential nomination process on News Talk Online on Paltalk on Friday January 11.
Hill believes that, while New Hampshire and Iowa offer a first picture of candidate strength, the real picture will probably not be clarified until the February "Super Tuesday" primaries.
He suggests that the system be revamped to be more equitable to all the states. Hill proposes three primary gates a month apart giving all states a chance to have an impact without necessarily controlling the process or negating the impact of later primaries.
Hill is author of the recently published Ten Steps to Repair American Democracy.
Previous books include Fixing Elections: The Failure of America's Winner Take All Politics and Whose Vote Counts.
Hill’s articles and commentaries have appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Salon, The Nation, Ms., San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Roll Call, American Prospect, New York Daily News, Miami Herald, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle and many others. He has also appeared on C-SPAN, Fox News, National Public Radio, and numerous radio and TV programs across the nation and in Europe.
To talk to Steven Hill at 5 PM New York time on Friday, January 11 go to www.paltalk.com/newstalk and click on the Join The Room button. There is no charge.
Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.
News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio http://www.crntalk.com/ to cable systems serving an additional 12 million households.
Ground Zero Eye Sore To Start Coming Down Again
Coming down again soon
The old Deutsche Bank building, which still towers over Ground Zero as a rusting hulking eye sore will soon start coming down again.
Demolition was halted after two firefighters died there in August while battling a multi alarm blaze.
The removal of this edifice from the New York skyline is key to the redevelopment of lower Manhattan. But, those in charge of this project had better put health and safety at the top of their agenda.
The neighborhood must be protected from the release of airborne cancerous particles.
And those taking down the building, as well as first responders who might be called there in another emergency, must be protected as well. Stringent inspections must be put into place to ensure that the demolition is done in a safe manner. And the standpipe system, which distributes water to what's left of the building in the event of another fire, must be in working order.
Means of ingress and egress must be assured as well as the building comes down floor by floor.
Those who live and work in the area, as well as the 10s of thousands of tourists who flock there every day all want to see this building removed. But they all want it removed in a safe and prudent manner.
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Photo credit: Gary Baumgarten
The New Hampshire Surprise
She's back
We hear it all the time, usually from candidates who are lagging in the polls. The only poll that counts is the actual vote.
But even Hillary Clinton thought she was going to lose in New Hampshire. Even before the vote came in, her campaign announced a shakeup at the top.
You think she was emotional the day before when her voice cracked in response to a question? Just imagine her range of emotions on Tuesday!
Now the same pundits who were predicting her demise are breathlessly suggesting that, perhaps, just perhaps, the final decisions about the candidates could be made -- now here's a unique thought! -- at the conventions!
Think about it. Conventions that actually meant something again. One could only hope.
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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alist/2179991570/
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Killing Us With Our Worries
A new study suggests that fears over terrorism are causing Americans to suffer heart trouble.
The University of California-Irvine study says that people who continue to obsess over 9/11 and who fear additional terrorist attacks suffer a greater exposure to heart attack as compared to the general public.
I suspect that my friend, Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor and practitioner at the NYU Medical Center would agree.
Siegel, who wrote a book on fear and who hosts a weekly show on Paltalk, believes we worry unnecessarily about potentialities that have a low probability of occurring.
He's written extensively about the fear of bird flu (we've been told in Chicken Little style that it's at our doorsteps). I'm sure he has an entire additional book in him about the fear of terrorism.
I'm reading a book about global warming now. The author, who holds a PhD from MIT, says catastrophic consequences, the result of human accelerated global warming, are inevitable. Super hurricanes. Entire cities under water. New York City in the path of global warming-caused flooding. He knows that New Orleans will be under water, again, within 20 years. And he compares this to our concerns about another "inevitability" -- a bird flu pandemic. The comparison, given that the promised pandemic has failed to materialize, gives one pause on his global warming claims.
President Bush has said, it's not if but when there's another terrorist attack in the United States. Fair enough. But it's not if but when there will be another automobile accident on the route you take to work (there was a big smash up with injuries on the roadway I commute to the ferry today). Does that mean you worry every time you get in your car?
Concerns about terrorism, like concerns about car accidents, require that we take prudent steps. We wear our seat belts, for example, every time we get in our cars. And, we should report suspicious packages and activities that may or may not be indicative of terrorist activities. Probability tells us what report will prove to be not harmful. But the cops are more than happy to check them out. Better to be safe than sorry.
But we should not worry ourselves to the point that we suffer heart attacks.
One of the goals of the terrorists is to instill fear. The study suggests that the tactic of fear is far more effective than the tactic of blowing things up or flying planes into buildings (though those activities of course, help create the fear).
If the car bombs don't get us, the heart attacks will. In fact, after reading about the study, I suspect more people have been felled by fear of terrorism than terrorist attacks themselves.
Yes, in this post-9/11 world we face a new reality. And yes, we should remain vigilant. But let's not let the terrorists use the tactic of fear to kill or debilitate us.
I'm not a medical professional. But I would like to suggest that if you harbor such feelings of doom and gloom, you seek therapy.
It doesn't mean you are psychotic or that you necessarily need medications. I simply suggest that someone trained in helping people deal with their fears can help improve one's quality of life. And perhaps, help that person avoid suffering a fear-induced heart attack.
The University of California-Irvine study says that people who continue to obsess over 9/11 and who fear additional terrorist attacks suffer a greater exposure to heart attack as compared to the general public.
I suspect that my friend, Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor and practitioner at the NYU Medical Center would agree.
Siegel, who wrote a book on fear and who hosts a weekly show on Paltalk, believes we worry unnecessarily about potentialities that have a low probability of occurring.
He's written extensively about the fear of bird flu (we've been told in Chicken Little style that it's at our doorsteps). I'm sure he has an entire additional book in him about the fear of terrorism.
I'm reading a book about global warming now. The author, who holds a PhD from MIT, says catastrophic consequences, the result of human accelerated global warming, are inevitable. Super hurricanes. Entire cities under water. New York City in the path of global warming-caused flooding. He knows that New Orleans will be under water, again, within 20 years. And he compares this to our concerns about another "inevitability" -- a bird flu pandemic. The comparison, given that the promised pandemic has failed to materialize, gives one pause on his global warming claims.
President Bush has said, it's not if but when there's another terrorist attack in the United States. Fair enough. But it's not if but when there will be another automobile accident on the route you take to work (there was a big smash up with injuries on the roadway I commute to the ferry today). Does that mean you worry every time you get in your car?
Concerns about terrorism, like concerns about car accidents, require that we take prudent steps. We wear our seat belts, for example, every time we get in our cars. And, we should report suspicious packages and activities that may or may not be indicative of terrorist activities. Probability tells us what report will prove to be not harmful. But the cops are more than happy to check them out. Better to be safe than sorry.
But we should not worry ourselves to the point that we suffer heart attacks.
One of the goals of the terrorists is to instill fear. The study suggests that the tactic of fear is far more effective than the tactic of blowing things up or flying planes into buildings (though those activities of course, help create the fear).
If the car bombs don't get us, the heart attacks will. In fact, after reading about the study, I suspect more people have been felled by fear of terrorism than terrorist attacks themselves.
Yes, in this post-9/11 world we face a new reality. And yes, we should remain vigilant. But let's not let the terrorists use the tactic of fear to kill or debilitate us.
I'm not a medical professional. But I would like to suggest that if you harbor such feelings of doom and gloom, you seek therapy.
It doesn't mean you are psychotic or that you necessarily need medications. I simply suggest that someone trained in helping people deal with their fears can help improve one's quality of life. And perhaps, help that person avoid suffering a fear-induced heart attack.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Iranian Navy Plays With Fire
News reports indicated that Iranian naval vessels made threatening moves towards three U.S. Naval ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the reports the Americans nearly opened fire on the Iranians as they maneuvered toward them in a threatening manner and then threatened, over the marine radio, to attack.
This is, as U.S. officials suggest, a serious matter. And is reminiscent of the Iranians holding hostage British naval vessels and crews last year.
According to the reports the Americans nearly opened fire on the Iranians as they maneuvered toward them in a threatening manner and then threatened, over the marine radio, to attack.
This is, as U.S. officials suggest, a serious matter. And is reminiscent of the Iranians holding hostage British naval vessels and crews last year.
Fasting For Malaria
The author before the fast
By Lance Laifer
I am fasting because...
Last week I sent out messages to all my friends and groups and emailed all my contacts to get involved in the six degrees of malaria NO MORE cause: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/51298
I am embarrassed to say that even though millions are dying from malaria, I must not have put enough feeling into it (I thought a short email would work! What a mistake!). We aimed to get 500 people to donate at least $10 by midnight last night, which would have put us in first place in the Case Foundation challenge to win $50,000. Instead we got 15 members to contribute. While that is a nice start, it is not 500 contributors. Obviously we didn't meet the goal by a wide margin.
The bad news is we missed the goal. The good news is we raised $395 from 15 generous contributors, we are now in 62nd place, and there is more time left to try and get momentum going in this most innovative contest sponsored by the amazing Case Foundation.
About the contest:
* $50,000 for the cause with the most unique donors
* $25,000 for the 2nd and 3rd place causes
* $10,000 for the next 10 causes
There is also a Daily Award: Fifty (50) $1,000 awards will be given every 24 hours to the cause with the most unique donors.
To position us to win the contest and get a sense of urgency going amongst my friends and family and fellow malaria fighters, I figured I would fast until we get 500 unique $10 or more contributors! My fast just began at noon eastern time today and I will not eat until we get 500 unique contributors. The reason I am fasting is to demonstrate the urgency I feel for this initiative.
To contribute you must set up a Facebook account:
then follow the link
Since being formed a little more than a year ago at the White House Summit on Malaria, Malaria NO MORE has done amazing things to make eradicating malaria a realistic near term goal. Please take my word for it that this may be the best way on planet earth to spend $10, especially if it results in Malaria NO MORE winning the $50K prize.
Thank you for your time. I hope that my token fast will be enough to help encourage you to donate $10 to our cause.
Thanks for indulging me yet again. I know I am a little bit of a pain in the neck about malaria but the mosquitoes are working overtime and are successfully killing millions. A strong and vibrant Malaria NO MORE presence on Facebook dramatically enhances our chances at eradicating malaria.
To help us win the contest, please make sure to donate to the MNM cause at this link http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/51298
A Final Blog From Iraq
Andrew Olmsted, a major in the United States Army, was one of a new breed of military bloggers. Commenting during his tour of duties in Iraq. A blog that was published by the Rocky Mountain News.
Prior to his latest deployment Olmsted wrote a final commentary, to be posted upon his death. Now, sadly, that posting has appeared on Olmsted's blog. The major was killed on January 3rd. Felled by small-arms fire. He was 38-years-old.
You can read Major Olmsted's final blog yourself here: http://andrewolmsted.com/
Prior to his latest deployment Olmsted wrote a final commentary, to be posted upon his death. Now, sadly, that posting has appeared on Olmsted's blog. The major was killed on January 3rd. Felled by small-arms fire. He was 38-years-old.
You can read Major Olmsted's final blog yourself here: http://andrewolmsted.com/
American Jihadist Calls On Muslims To Kill Bush
Wanted
American jihadist Adam Gadahn has issued a video manifesto calling on Muslims to kill President Bush during his trip this week to the Middle East.
Gadahn also tore up is U.S. passport on the video.
Gadahn is on the FBI's most wanted list. He is the first American in more than half a century to be charged with treason.
I'm a big believer in free speech. But that freedom ends when one calls for the death of another. Let's hope the FBI catches and muzzles Gadahn.
By the way, if you happen to know Gadahn's whereabouts the FBI will pay you $1 million for the information.
President Bush Prepares For Trip To Israel
Packing his bags
President Bush is packing his bags, getting ready for his trip, Wednesday, to Israel.
His presence in the Middle East marks a departure from his hand's off attitude toward the peace process in the first term and three-quarters of his presidency.
It marks the first time a U.S. president has visited Israel since President Clinton in 1998. The first U.S. president to visit was Nixon, in 1974.
Both sides have stepped up their attacks, both physical and verbal, in anticipation of his visit. A Palestinian rocket attack has reached further into Israel than ever before. The Palestinians are accusing the Israelis of increasing their attacks in anticipation of Bush's arrival.
This, of course, speaks to the futility of the process. If everyone really wanted peace, one would think they would express that through their actions so close the a visit by a president of the United States. We should be seeing a lull in violence now, not an escalation.
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Photo credit: Eric Draper/White House
Saudi Role In 9/11 Attacks Could Be Revealed
The role the Saudis played in the 9/11 terrorist attacks may be revealed if some family members of those who died and some insurance companies get their way.
They've asked a federal court in Manhattan for the right to include members of the Saudi royal family as defendants in a lawsuit claiming that they assisted al Qaeda in the attacks.
If the court says yes, we may finally learn something about how Saudi Arabia was involved. And what we learn could affect U.S. policy with the kingdom in the future.
They've asked a federal court in Manhattan for the right to include members of the Saudi royal family as defendants in a lawsuit claiming that they assisted al Qaeda in the attacks.
If the court says yes, we may finally learn something about how Saudi Arabia was involved. And what we learn could affect U.S. policy with the kingdom in the future.
Hillary's New Hampshire Campaign In Trouble
Slipping in New Hampshire
On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, a new CNN/WMUR poll finds Barack Obama pulling away from fellow U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton. A disturbing trend to the Clinton campaign, especially in the wake of Obama coming in first in the Iowa caucuses.
Fire marshals have been turning people away at the doors of Obama rallies across New Hampshire because the venues have reached legal capacity. Not so at the Clinton gatherings.
Obama has been speaking in broad strokes about his vision for America. Clinton has been speaking in specifics about the votes she has taken, the causes she has championed. But Obama is achieving rock star like status, clearly overshadowing Clinton in New Hampshire.
Clinton has been shifting her message a bit, sharpening her attack on Obama's inexperience. But his freshness, at this point in the campaign, seems to be overshadowing that argument.
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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcn/2166992396/
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Founder And President Of Alternative Radio To Discuss The Political Crisis In Pakistan On Paltalk
Barsamian
On Wednesday, Pakistan's election commission moved to delay parliamentary elections by six weeks until Feb. 18.
The delay is hardly a surprise, considering the protests and demonstrations that have rocked the country since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto last week. However, opposition party members claim the postponement is designed to give President Musharraf’s party time to regroup and avoid a huge sympathy turnout for Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party.
Uncertainty over the perpetrators behind the attack on Bhutto, the government’s contradictory statements and now the election delay underscore the deteriorating situation within Pakistan and its potential to increase regional instability. Although the Bush administration claims Musharraf is a valued ally in the war on terror, many wonder if his government is more of a hindrance than a help. What are the next likely developments in Pakistan? Is there a path to defusing the violence and finding a peaceful resolution? Is our own security at stake?
David Barsamian, founder and director of Alternative Radio; spent most of December in Pakistan. He will join me on Thursday January 10th to talk about the Bhutto assassination and the political and social crisis gripping that nation today.
Alternative Radio is a weekly one-hour public affairs program offered free to all public radio stations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and on short-wave for Peace International. AR provides information, analyses and views often ignored by traditional media outlets.
Established in 1986, AR is dedicated to the founding principles of public broadcasting, which urge that programming serve as "a forum for controversy and debate," be diverse and "provide a voice for groups that may otherwise be unheard." The project is entirely independent, sustained solely by individuals who buy transcripts and tapes of programs.
Its headquarters, with five paid staff, are located in Boulder, Colorado. AR reaches over 125 radio stations and millions of listeners. AR is part of the non-profit Institute for Social and Cultural Change.
To talk to David Barsamian at 5 PM New York time Thursday January 10 go to www.paltalk.com/newstalk and click on the Join The Room button. There is no charge.
Paltalk is the largest multimedia interactive program on the Internet with more than 4 million unique users.
News Talk Online is also syndicated by CRN Digital Talk Radio http://www.crntalk.com/ to cable networks serving an additional 12 million households.
Remembering A Fallen 9/11 Hero
Remembered
It's been two years since the death of NYPD Detective James Zadroga, who succumbed to an illness believed to be the result of his exposure to the toxins at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks.
Three New York members of Congress are commemorating the day by pledging to redouble their efforts to provide care for all 9/11 heroes.
Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Vito Fossella (R-NY) are pushing for passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which would provide medical monitoring to everyone exposed to Ground Zero toxins and treatment for anyone who is sick as a result.
Zadroga, an NYPD homicide detective and 9/11 responder, died on January 5, 2006. In April 2006, the Ocean County Medical Examiner determined that Detective Zadroga’s death was caused by his work at Ground Zero, the first time that any government agency had directly linked a death to the toxic aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
Ron Paul Takes Aim At Illegal Immigration - Or Does He?
GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul has launched a strong anti-illegal immigration ad campaign in New Hampshire as he campaigns for the primary election there.
In it, the Texas congressman says, he's for immigration -- legal immigration.
He opposes birthright citizenship - giving the children of illegal immigrants born in the USA automatic citizenship. Such a practice all but insures the parents will not be deported if caught.
In the ad, Paul is calling for physically securing the borders. But he contradicts himself in an interview with John Stossel in which he explained his vote in opposition of the fence along the Mexico border because he found it "offensive."
Paul has been championed as the non-traditional candidate, who speaks his mind and doesn't play semantic games. But in this case, he shows a clear inconsistancy on the matter of border security.
It's time for Paul to return to the tactic that has served him best -- straight talk.
In it, the Texas congressman says, he's for immigration -- legal immigration.
He opposes birthright citizenship - giving the children of illegal immigrants born in the USA automatic citizenship. Such a practice all but insures the parents will not be deported if caught.
In the ad, Paul is calling for physically securing the borders. But he contradicts himself in an interview with John Stossel in which he explained his vote in opposition of the fence along the Mexico border because he found it "offensive."
Paul has been championed as the non-traditional candidate, who speaks his mind and doesn't play semantic games. But in this case, he shows a clear inconsistancy on the matter of border security.
It's time for Paul to return to the tactic that has served him best -- straight talk.
Asleep At The Switch At Our Nuclear Power Plants
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is reviewing its oversight procedures after a guard at a Pennsylvania nuclear power plant blew the whistle on co-workers asleep while they were supposed to be protecting the facility.
An NRC investigation into the allegation concluded the report had no validity. The commission mainly relied on the plant owner's denials about the complaint in reaching its conclusions.
The whistle blower then videotaped other guards sleeping on the job to document his complaint. An airing of the tape by a New York City television station shook finally shook things up. The plant owner fired the security company. And the NRC says it's now taking a second look at the way it investigates such reports.
It should go without saying that any such allegation from someone in a position to know should not be so easily dismissed.
So here's another little bit of information for the NRC. I know of another nuclear plant, also in Pennsylvania, whose guard shack is left unattended and the gate open.
Perhaps there's another layer of security closer to the core that, under federal regulations, suffices. But, if it's not necessary, why have the outer perimeter security in the first place?
I won't reveal which plant it is because I don't want to draw the attention of this potential vulnerability to terrorists. But I'm more than happy to give the information to the NRC. If the commission will actually listen to what I have to say.
An NRC investigation into the allegation concluded the report had no validity. The commission mainly relied on the plant owner's denials about the complaint in reaching its conclusions.
The whistle blower then videotaped other guards sleeping on the job to document his complaint. An airing of the tape by a New York City television station shook finally shook things up. The plant owner fired the security company. And the NRC says it's now taking a second look at the way it investigates such reports.
It should go without saying that any such allegation from someone in a position to know should not be so easily dismissed.
So here's another little bit of information for the NRC. I know of another nuclear plant, also in Pennsylvania, whose guard shack is left unattended and the gate open.
Perhaps there's another layer of security closer to the core that, under federal regulations, suffices. But, if it's not necessary, why have the outer perimeter security in the first place?
I won't reveal which plant it is because I don't want to draw the attention of this potential vulnerability to terrorists. But I'm more than happy to give the information to the NRC. If the commission will actually listen to what I have to say.
Why Public Schooling Is A Monstrosity
The author blogging
Avoid the illusion that public schools are there to educate. Using them as babysitters helps a lot of busy parents. You can't force someone to learn or do the work at a school, but these things aren't strictly compulsory. Only attendance is. Of course, if you as a child refuse to do the work, then you will be scorned by absolutely everyone around you, and you will begin to look at yourself as a failure or an outsider. So if the narrow selection of course material available at the school is all boring to you, that puts you in a very difficult position, psychologically speaking. A lot of children end up hating the concept of learning for its own sake altogether; they turn the purpose of the grading system into a threshold for social acceptance. This is horrendous. Probably the best thing that could be done now, then, is to take most of the education out of the education system.
A lot of Americans would protest this because they believe their children ought to be highly educated and wealthy and successful later in life, but the truth is that in our society the vast majority are neither well educated nor materially successful despite the best efforts of public education. Proponents of the public education live largely in a fantasy in which everyone is expected and encouraged to succeed according to the academic criteria of the school. Conforming to this is not the only path in life worth taking, but we do a good job of making children believe that it is. This affects the self esteem of the middle and lower classes, actually decreasing social mobility; and what's worse, it heightens the imperative for members of the middle and lower classes to strive out of their situation, setting them up for a perpetual state of failure and misery. I think it is more important to make the middle and lower classes, which must exist, more comfortable and acceptable to live in. Academia should therefore be an afterthought, and "public schools" ought to be thought of as "public day care" instead.
Certainly there is a natural curiosity in every human being that should not be stifled. Making elementary school into more of a day care would not mean throwing out the books and firing the teachers. Simply, the worth of a child would no longer depend on academic performance. Children would not be pressured to learn -- in order to provide structure, perhaps they could be pressured to do something else -- but adequate resources would be there to indulge their natural curiosity. The idea of learning as artifice or performance would thus be not instilled, and the act of thinking would take on a playful connotation rather than the common idea of it being work or a waste of time. This would give us more intelligent, mature citizens at an earlier average age, who instead of habitually escaping reality for the "relaxation" of television or video games would be more wont to participate in society on their free time. Children would be psychologically prepared for vocational or serious academic training at an earlier age, and rather than experience performance anxiety over having to endure a kind of suffering for the sake of social acceptance, students would be more likely to feel a genuine sense of purpose.
This is perhaps an overly rosy picture that is incompatible with the current state of affairs, but I wish that as a society we could aspire to something like this. I fear that for the most part Americans are just too self-absorbed to act with the larger social context of their lives in mind. We just don't think from a communal perspective anymore. Americans and Westerners see themselves as fundamentally isolated from each other, completely discrete, autonomous agents acting upon a common economic landscape. The Western citizen therefore tends to think of education in terms of the project of finding a way to push their child above and beyond the individual economic situation of the parent, not only establishing autonomy but earning accolades, eventually becoming some kind of distinguished individual. The object is to use society rather than participate in it on an interpersonal level. This is a lonely and narcissistic way of thinking, but more pertinently, the idea of not pressuring the child to achieve over his peers makes no sense in this context. Life is thought to be a rat race, and the child is prepared as if this were the case, meaning that it is assumed that from an early age he needs to be constantly checked in certain aptitudes against his peers to ensure that he will be able to compete. That, I think, is why our education system works in the current way.
I was an exceptional student during my mandatory education. I was a fast learner, well ahead of my class; very little of the work actually challenged me. As a result, I just stopped caring after a certain point. Then I was spiteful and depressed from being forced to attend a charade of learning until I was finally able to drop out. The problem was precisely that I was evaluated in terms of the aptitudes of the other students. In the American education system, it doesn't matter how unchallenged you are. If you are getting good grades in honors classes, you are a success, because you are doing better than "average" as defined by the grading standard. But an exceptional student is just that, an exception, and needs to find a way to cope with this.
I'm more concerned with the threatening, disciplinarian aspect of public academics. Kids hate homework because it's a form of discipline (many teachers explicitly use schoolwork to punish unruly students!). This kills the free spirit, because it makes learning out to be a thing that is to be imposed and defined by authority, rather than an innate virtue. It fosters the belief that this authority is the source of learning, and that the student is dependent upon it as a judge of his moral, social, and intellectual worth. It turns the student into a slave; by the time he graduates, he is probably a willing slave. Worse, if he rebels, he does not just contradict authority, but also everything it stands for: knowledge, goodness, and social acceptance. He becomes a punk, willingly stupid, spiteful and bad, arbitrarily contrary, and an outsider. If he does not rebel, then he will be lonesome and anxious anyway, in constant need of outside validation -- "Am I good enough?" "Am I being passed by?" -- an attitude inherently jealous and hostile to others, as their success represents a potential threat to one's personal worth. And of course this leads to contempt for the wealthy and the powerful, whose success is practically never surpassed.
Public education instills Nietzsche's "slave morality," where one despises his own lot as well as everyone else's. To the student, all solutions to his misery are constituted by some kind of rejection of the world. When he graduates and enters the workforce, he works as little as possible, isolates himself from his neighbors (who are unfriendly anyway), and absorbs himself in his own ego. He indulges in narcissism. I consume products that cater to me, designed based on what I have demanded; focus groups, not artists, determine the message of television, movies, and music. Political candidates cannot hope to sway public opinion, instead they try to conform to it. In rejecting the world, the student tries to live inside himself, where he, not the successful, wealthy and powerful person, has control over everything he encounters. Outside this fantasy is a constant sense of depression and hopelessness, futility in the pursuit of living up to the standards which he has accepted since early childhood as valid indicators of his worth in life. His only refuge from this torment is in the shallows of the psyche, in the realm of wishful thinking, away from the outside world but not quite so self-consumed as to be confronted by the inner traumas and confusions that are the true source of his misery in the world. But the escape is short-lived. Reality impinges itself upon him; it is painfully obvious that wishes alone can never satisfy, but they only point to the fact that reality is and will continue to be the opposite state of affairs from that desired. So he is gradually forced ever deeper, in toward the miserable daily haunt of deeply rooted Freudian terrors that he is not equipped to negotiate. . . .
It is useless to blame anyone for the situation imposed by public schooling. It must be taken for granted that there are certain difficulties in life, and for the busy parent, one of these will be the struggle with a depressed and paranoid society over the child's moral compass. It begins and ends on the individual level, how the student himself evaluates the way he is treated by faculty, staff, and peers. Will he depend upon them and them alone? Will the parent be absent, too busy to teach the child emotional independence from the school's system of reward and punishment? If the only moral authority in the child's life is not one that treats him as though he must be coerced into behaving a certain way, perhaps he stands a chance of not making himself in that pessimistic image peculiar to our modern age. Then he may take responsibility for his own education; then he may not consider himself and his intellect a mere functionary of the institution; then he may have the opportunity to truly excel.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Columnist In Yemen Argues In Favor Of Violence Against Women
I've been raised to believe (and still do) that hitting a woman is an inexcusable act.
One should not hit a woman. Abuse an animal. Physically or emotionally attack a child. A senior citizen. Or a disabled person.
More broadly, there is rarely an excuse for attacking a man either. But to hurt a person who is incapable of defending herself magnifies the infraction.
So, imagine my surprise when I read the headline to a column published by the Yemen Times: "There Must Be Violence Against Women."
In the article, writer Maged Thabet Al-Kholidy suggests that there are, "instances when violence against women is a must."
A must? Are you kidding me?
Al-Kolidy says that, under the Quran, the first step a husband must do when his wife displeases him is leave the marital bed. If that doesn't work, he must, the writer suggests, discuss the problem with someone respected in the family who can "advise" the wife. But if that doesn't work, according to Al-Kolidy, "the husband yields to beating the wife slightly."
As far as daughters are concerned, there are times, Al-Kolidy writes, when fathers must take similiar action.
"Fathers," Al-Kolidy writes, "are responsible for their daughter's behavior." And brothers, their sister's.
Perhaps this attitude explains the killings of two Muslim teenage daughters, allegedly by their father, in Texas. It's speculated the father was displeased with the choices the girls made for dates.
I wonder if Al-Kolidy believes this reflects the slight beating of women proposed in the Quran.
One should not hit a woman. Abuse an animal. Physically or emotionally attack a child. A senior citizen. Or a disabled person.
More broadly, there is rarely an excuse for attacking a man either. But to hurt a person who is incapable of defending herself magnifies the infraction.
So, imagine my surprise when I read the headline to a column published by the Yemen Times: "There Must Be Violence Against Women."
In the article, writer Maged Thabet Al-Kholidy suggests that there are, "instances when violence against women is a must."
A must? Are you kidding me?
Al-Kolidy says that, under the Quran, the first step a husband must do when his wife displeases him is leave the marital bed. If that doesn't work, he must, the writer suggests, discuss the problem with someone respected in the family who can "advise" the wife. But if that doesn't work, according to Al-Kolidy, "the husband yields to beating the wife slightly."
As far as daughters are concerned, there are times, Al-Kolidy writes, when fathers must take similiar action.
"Fathers," Al-Kolidy writes, "are responsible for their daughter's behavior." And brothers, their sister's.
Perhaps this attitude explains the killings of two Muslim teenage daughters, allegedly by their father, in Texas. It's speculated the father was displeased with the choices the girls made for dates.
I wonder if Al-Kolidy believes this reflects the slight beating of women proposed in the Quran.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Giuliani Calls For Troop Surge In Afghanistan
Giuliani
As mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani redeployed police and brought down the city's then-skyrocketing crime rate. Now he'd like to apply the same technique against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The Republican presidential hopeful is calling for a troop surge in Afghanistan.
Giuliani is unrealistically calling for the immediate doubling of troops in Afghanistan. It can't happen with the snap of one's fingers.
But in principle, he's got it right. Afghanistan is where al Qaeda lives. Afghanistan is where our troops should be.
Had we put half the effort into Afghanistan that's been into the questionable invasion of Iraq, perhaps we would have gotten bin Laden by now.
Al Qaeda Using Female Suicide Bombers In Iraq
A tactic being employed by al Qaeda in Iraq could cause Iraqi and Coalition forces to shoot first and ask questions later and lead to the deaths of more innocent civilians.
On two occasions in three days a female suicide bomber has attacked tribesmen loyal to the effort to eradicate al Qaeda from Mesopotamia.
Once again al Qaeda has shown an utter disregard for the welfare of civilians.
We often hear that it's people drawn by despair who commit suicide bombings. These cases prove that that's not the case.
Rather, suicide bombers are indoctrinated by others who, of course, are too important to the cause as strategists to put their lives on the line. The are promised that they will be rewarded in the afterlife. They circumvent the Muslim law prohibiting suicide by brainwashing the suicide bombers into believing they are being used as weapons and are, not cowards who take their own lives while killing others, but martyrs.
That al Qaeda is turning its attention to Sunni tribesmen is an indication that the terrorists in Iraq are concerned about a changing tide of public opinion against their tactics in favor of a return to some semblance of normalized life.
On two occasions in three days a female suicide bomber has attacked tribesmen loyal to the effort to eradicate al Qaeda from Mesopotamia.
Once again al Qaeda has shown an utter disregard for the welfare of civilians.
We often hear that it's people drawn by despair who commit suicide bombings. These cases prove that that's not the case.
Rather, suicide bombers are indoctrinated by others who, of course, are too important to the cause as strategists to put their lives on the line. The are promised that they will be rewarded in the afterlife. They circumvent the Muslim law prohibiting suicide by brainwashing the suicide bombers into believing they are being used as weapons and are, not cowards who take their own lives while killing others, but martyrs.
That al Qaeda is turning its attention to Sunni tribesmen is an indication that the terrorists in Iraq are concerned about a changing tide of public opinion against their tactics in favor of a return to some semblance of normalized life.
Internet Game Based On 9/11 Attacks
A horrific Internet video game, based on the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, is disgusting survivors, relatives of those who died, and people who live or work in New York City.
The game gives the player the chance to shoot down the hijacked planes before they crashed into the Twin Towers.
Of course, if that had been possible in real life, it may have saved the lives of those in the towers. But it still would have resulted in the lives of the innocent passengers and crews on board the planes.
While the creator of the game has the right to make it and post it, the rest of us have the right and the responsibility to speak out against it. And to refuse to play it.
The entire premise of the game is disgusting and insensitive.
The game gives the player the chance to shoot down the hijacked planes before they crashed into the Twin Towers.
Of course, if that had been possible in real life, it may have saved the lives of those in the towers. But it still would have resulted in the lives of the innocent passengers and crews on board the planes.
While the creator of the game has the right to make it and post it, the rest of us have the right and the responsibility to speak out against it. And to refuse to play it.
The entire premise of the game is disgusting and insensitive.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Foot Dragging In Redeveloping World Trade Center Site Costs Millions
Excavation continues
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has been fined millions of dollars for failing to prepare the World Trade Center site on schedule to be handed over to developer Larry Silverman so that he can build two of the five planned skyscrapers to replace the buildings that were felled by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
People who live and work in the area have been expressing frustration at the delay in excavation and reconstruction. Silverman has already erected a new 7 World Trade Center Building to replace the one that was destroyed in the attacks. But that building is just off the original site so he didn't have to wait for the Port Authority to first prepare the property.
It's interesting that a private developer can get things done and government entities seemingly obstruct reconstruction at and around the World Trade Center site. Perhaps it's because guys like Silverman are fiscally motivated while the Port Authority isn't. Maybe the millions of dollars in fines the Port Authority must now pay will stimulate the redevelopment we're all anxious to see.
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Ringing In The New Year With Death
While most of us celebrated and toasted, each in our own way, the birth of 2008, for others, this New Year was their last.
In Kenya, violence has broken out on the streets in the wake of a disputed election. Scores of people sought refuge from the danger in a church. A church. A place of worship and peace.
The church was torched by a mob. Many inside, including women and children, burned to death. Others were hacked into pieces with machetes.
Meanwhile, in Baghdad, where the surge is said to be working and is reducing violence, a funeral service was held to lay to rest a retired Iraqi army officer who had been killed in a car bombing believed to have been committed by al Qaeda. Terrorists attacked the funeral with a suicide bombing. Some 30 mourners were killed.
It is traditional to make New Year's resolutions this time of year. Often these resolutions are designed to improve our personal circumstances. People resolve to lose weight, or exercise more or stop smoking. But there is no reason why shouldn't make some resolutions to improve the common human condition as well.
We should resolve to help stop the warfare taking place in Iraq and elsewhere in the world.
We should resolve to help stop the human rights violations and killings in Darfur. And to end the political repression in Burma.
We should resolve to work for democracy in Pakistan. For an end to the gang rapes of 10s of thousands of women each year in the Democratic Republic of Congo. For a reduction of malaria, malnutrition and AIDS in Africa.
I make these suggestions at the risk of not mentioning other horrific situations around the world. Don't let that stop you from adding them to this list. Or from quietly resolving to work to correct them. Or for using Paltalk and/or other forums on the Internet to raise awareness.
Let's resolve to work to enter 2009 with Earth a little bit of a better place to live than it is in the infancy of 2008.
Make a resolution. And then do something about it. Write a letter. Call a talk show. Make a donation. Join a humanitarian organization.
The lives and the quality of life for millions of our fellow humans are at stake.
In Kenya, violence has broken out on the streets in the wake of a disputed election. Scores of people sought refuge from the danger in a church. A church. A place of worship and peace.
The church was torched by a mob. Many inside, including women and children, burned to death. Others were hacked into pieces with machetes.
Meanwhile, in Baghdad, where the surge is said to be working and is reducing violence, a funeral service was held to lay to rest a retired Iraqi army officer who had been killed in a car bombing believed to have been committed by al Qaeda. Terrorists attacked the funeral with a suicide bombing. Some 30 mourners were killed.
It is traditional to make New Year's resolutions this time of year. Often these resolutions are designed to improve our personal circumstances. People resolve to lose weight, or exercise more or stop smoking. But there is no reason why shouldn't make some resolutions to improve the common human condition as well.
We should resolve to help stop the warfare taking place in Iraq and elsewhere in the world.
We should resolve to help stop the human rights violations and killings in Darfur. And to end the political repression in Burma.
We should resolve to work for democracy in Pakistan. For an end to the gang rapes of 10s of thousands of women each year in the Democratic Republic of Congo. For a reduction of malaria, malnutrition and AIDS in Africa.
I make these suggestions at the risk of not mentioning other horrific situations around the world. Don't let that stop you from adding them to this list. Or from quietly resolving to work to correct them. Or for using Paltalk and/or other forums on the Internet to raise awareness.
Let's resolve to work to enter 2009 with Earth a little bit of a better place to live than it is in the infancy of 2008.
Make a resolution. And then do something about it. Write a letter. Call a talk show. Make a donation. Join a humanitarian organization.
The lives and the quality of life for millions of our fellow humans are at stake.
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