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Wednesday, January 4
Skirmishes in the Information Wars
by
Caroline Vernon
on Wed 04 Jan 2006 04:00 PM CST
Skirmishes in the Information Wars
By Mike Whitney
Online Journal Contributing Writer
onlinejournal.com
There
are only two weapons in the imperial tool chest: force and deception.
The brutal colonial occupation of Iraq has provided us with a lavish
example of the former, but the twin-axel of deception is more abstruse
and difficult to pin down. Sure, there's the flagrant propaganda that
floods right-wing radio and political talk shows, but that tells us
little about the state-sponsored disinformation-programs that permeate
every area of American life.
We now
know that the Bush administration authorized massive illegal spying
operations and is actively engaged in planting pro-American stories in
the foreign press. These suggest that the administration's overall
theory of information management is much more extensive then originally
imagined. In fact, news and information manipulation is at the
forefront of Bush's war on terror, a comprehensive strategy to control
of every bit of information a citizen hears, sees or reads from cradle
to grave. It is information warfare on a scale that would make George
Orwell cringe.
It is
only in this context that we can see that the threats made by George
Bush to bomb Al Jazeera are completely consistent with the
administration's overall approach. Controlling information is seen as a
military necessity and those who fashion an alternate narrative are
Washington's sworn enemies. In this respect, we can understand how Al
Jazeera would have to be destroyed to pave the way for greater
democracy.
When we
observe the isolated incidents of the Bush information strategy it
seems disjointed and incoherent. How does the killing of journalists in
Iraq connect to the "Swift-boating" of Dan Rather or Richard Clarke in
the American press?
How does
Condi Rice's new Edward R. Murrow Journalism Program for aspiring
American propagandists relate to blowing up of Al Jazeera facilities in
Kabul and Baghdad?
How does
the dissemination of false stories in the foreign press connect to the
massive surveillance operations being carried out home and abroad?
Until we
are able to combine the many disparate parts of the Bush information
strategy, we are at risk of seeing these illegal activities as mere
aberrations and not as vital cogs in the machinery of the police state.
There is
nothing arbitrary about the massive cloud of secrecy that has settled
on the Bush administration. The government has built an impervious wall
around itself that conceals the venality of the principle characters
and avoids the transparency required for a healthy democracy.
Conversely,
the administration has defended its use of the various investigative
agencies; including the CIA, the Defense Dept., the NSA, and the FBI,
to probe every area of American life. In fact, the USAPATRIOT Act's new
provisions (National Security Letters and "lone wolf" clause)
completely dispose of the 4th Amendment's right to privacy (or
"probable cause"), allowing the government to spy on anyone it sees
fit. The recent revelations that government organizations have been
spying on antiwar activists, Quakers and environmentalists, strongly
suggests that Bush is now vacuuming up every bit of available
information on political enemies real or imagined.
Is anyone really surprised?
To read the rest of this article, click here:
Choice: The New Progressive Frame
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 04 Jan 2006 11:00 AM CST
 Choice: The New Progressive Frame
by Rachel Neumann, AlterNet.org
Rachel
Neumann believes that choice will be one of the most buzzed about
issues in 2006. Here's how, in her opinion, progressives can
frame the message.
The Right To Mother - At the Right Time
No one's
exactly sure about John Roberts, but with Samuel "Scalito" Alito poised
to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court, there's no doubt
reproductive rights will either be hammered away at or outright beaten.
The terms "pro-life" and "pro-choice," never that accurate to begin
with, have become increasingly irrelevant. Most people, given a choice
between life and the abstract concept of choice, would chose life.
Besides, women have pointed out that "choice" was not always the key
factor in determining whether they have abortions; often economic,
social, personal or other factors they didn't have control over forced
their decisions. Yet despite a new urgency to protect reproductive rights, progressives still flounder when it comes to how to talk about it.
NARAL,
one of the oldest and largest reproductive rights lobbying groups, has
changed its name to NARAL Pro-Choice America. Not exactly catchy. And
its big campaign, to prevent Alito from becoming a Supreme Court
justice, is called "Stop Anti-Choice Alito."
The
National Organization of Women, the other big feminist and reproductive
rights group, calls its campaign: "Save Women's Reproductive Freedom."
Not much more accurate and a bit wordy to rally the troops.
The most
successful attempt at coalition building and framing of reproductive
rights happened in April 2004, when over a million women joined the
March for Women's Lives in Washington. In 2005, SoapBox launched "I Had
An Abortion" speak-outs and T-shirts, very popular with young women.
The trick for 2006 is taking this personalizing of the reproductive
rights experience and translating it into effective political and legal
strategy. Perhaps 2006 will be the year the idea of "life vs. choice"
finally dies and a real debate takes its place.
How about trying The Right To Mother - At the Right Time?
Take a look at Neumann's other top issues for 2006 and their progressive frame here.
Dr. Susan Wood to Speak in Des Moines on Thursday, Jan. 5, on Women's Health, Emergency Contraception and the FDA
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 04 Jan 2006 04:00 AM CST
Dr. Susan Wood to Speak in Des Moines on Thursday, Jan. 5, on Women's Health, Emergency Contraception and the FDA
Dr.
Susan Wood will be speaking at Drake University (Bulldog Theatre) on
Thursday, January 5th. This event is free and open to the public,
RSVP today! Event details are outlined below.
WOMEN'S HEALTH, EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION AND THE FDA
Why Science is Important in Health Care Policy Decisions
Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa invites you to attend a discussion with Dr.
Susan Wood, former Assistant Commissioner for Women’s Health and
Director of the Office of Women’s Health at the Food and Drug
Administration.
Dr. Wood resigned
on August 31, 2005, from the FDA in protest over continued delays in
approving over-the-counter status for Plan B emergency contraception.
Though
the FDA’s own scientists and advisory panels have approved Plan B for
over-the-counter status, this status has been continually delayed since
2003. These delays "continue to limit women's access to a product
that would reduce unintended pregnancies and reduce abortions," writes
Wood in her resignation, and are "contrary to [her] core commitment to
improving and advancing women's health.â€
Please join us on Thursday, January 5, 2006 as Dr. Wood discusses the value of sound science when making health care policy decisions.
Who: Dr. Susan Wood
Former FDA Director of Women's Health
Date: Thursday, January 5, 2006
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Place: Bulldog Theatre
Drake University - 29th & University
Des Moines, Iowa
RSVP
Contact Family Planning Council of Iowa at FPCI@FPCOUNCIL.COM or 515-288-9028
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Event sponsors:
Family Planning Council of Iowa, Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa,
Drake University College of Pharmacy, Iowa Commission on the Status of
Women and Iowa Pharmacists Association
The Right To Mother - At the Right Time
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