[155087] in Zephyr_Bugs
William Rivers Pitt | Clarence Thomas Must Go
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (t r u t h o u t)
Thu Jun 23 16:50:53 2011
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Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:50:48 -0400 (EDT)
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t r u t h o u t | Because of the commitment you've shown over the past few =
days, we are on track to make our budget and finish our fundraising drive a=
day early - if all our readers who can afford to donate pitch in at this t=
ime. We must raise $8,500 more in order to make our goal and meet our month=
ly budget for maintaining our services. We believe that, with your help, we=
can get there tonight - and end our drive! Can you join in and help us mee=
t our goal by midnight tonight? Please make a tax-deductible donation to Tr=
uthout by clicking the button below:
https://members.truth-out.org/donate
You can also donate by check, made payable to:
Truthout, P.O. Box 276414, Sacramento, CA 95827
(Please help us go green by including your email address on your check.)
Or call in your donation:
213.489.1971
06.23
William Rivers Pitt | Clarence Thomas Must Go
http://www.truth-out.org/clarence-thomas-must-go/1308761622
William Rivers Pitt, Truthout: "For the sake of full disclosure, I will tel=
l you that I do not like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. In my opini=
on, he has no business sitting on the high court after the reprehensible tr=
eatment he forced Anita Hill to endure, and has been a disgrace to the benc=
h lo these last twenty years. Anthony Weiner, one of Clarence Thomas' most =
ardent critics, was just run out of Washington DC on a rail for behavior fa=
r less offensive; Mr. Thomas is lucky there was no such thing as Twitter wh=
en he was sexually harassing Hill, or he'd be chasing ambulances outside of=
muni court like the hack he is. He sits up there like a lump, never speaki=
ng or offering questions to petitioners, and has not had an original though=
t since his shameful Senate approval. But his vapid intellectual presence o=
n the bench is only a small part of the story. Mr. Thomas has, by all appea=
rances, turned his position on the court into a license to print money for =
himself, his family, and a few choice friends."
EPA Halted Extra Testing From Radiation in Japan Weeks Ago
http://www.truth-out.org/epa-halted-extra-testing-radiation-japan-weeks-ago=
/1308835471
Mike Ludwig, Truthout: "Radiation is expected to continue spewing for month=
s from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that suffered a meltdo=
wn following an earthquake and tsunami in March, but despite grim reports f=
rom Japan, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has quietly stopped=
running extra tests for radioactive material in America's milk, rain and d=
rinking water. The EPA initially ramped up nationwide testing in the weeks =
following the disaster in Japan, and radioactive materials like cesium and =
iodine-131 were detected on US soil. Citing declining levels of radiation, =
the EPA has abandoned the extra tests, even as reports from Japan indicate =
that the Fukushima plant continues to emit radiation and the disaster is on=
e of the worst in world history."
On the News With Thom Hartmann: Obama Announces Drawdown, Bad News for the =
Economy, and More ...
http://www.truth-out.org/thom-hartmann-news/1308839573
Truthout is pleased to begin offering daily newscasts from leading progress=
ive author and talk show host Thom Hartmann. In these segments, Hartmann wi=
ll highlight the day's top stories and offer a unique look at the issues be=
hind them. Today, he'll address the phased withdrawal of troops from Afghan=
istan, Bernanke's sobering assessment of the US economy, Barney Frank and R=
on Paul's team effort to fight marijuana laws, and more.
Obama Leaves Door Open to Long-Term US Afghan Combat
http://www.truth-out.org/obama-leaves-door-open-long-term-us-afghan-combat/=
1308851083
Gareth Porter, Inter Press Service: "President Barack Obama's speech announ=
cing that the 33,000 'surge' troops in Afghanistan will be withdrawn by 'su=
mmer' 2012 indicates that he has given priority to the interests of the mil=
itary and the Pentagon over concerns by key officials in his administration=
over the impact of the war's costs on domestic socioeconomic needs. And in=
a section of the speech that must be interpreted in the context of his pas=
t policy decisions on Iraq, Obama appeared to support the desire of Defense=
Secretary Robert Gates and General David Petraeus to keep a substantial nu=
mber of combat troops in Afghanistan beyond the publicly announced 'transit=
ion' in 2014."
Makers of Generic Drugs Don't Have to Warn of New Dangers, Supreme Court Ru=
les
http://www.truth-out.org/makers-generic-drugs-dont-have-warn-new-dangers-su=
preme-court-rules/1308860577
Daniel G. Savage, Los Angeles Times: "The Supreme Court gave the pharmaceut=
ical industry a pair of victories Thursday, shielding the makers of generic=
drugs from most lawsuits by injured patients and declaring that drug maker=
s had a free-speech right to buy private prescription records to boost thei=
r sales pitches to doctors. In both decisions, the court's conservative blo=
c formed the majority, and most of its liberals dissented. About 75% of the=
prescriptions written in this country are for lower-cost generic versions =
of brand-name drugs. Federal law requires the original makers of these bran=
d-name drugs to include an approved and up-to-date warning label that tells=
doctors and patients of possible side effects or complications. But in a 5=
-4 decision, the high court said this duty to warn patients of newly reveal=
ed dangers does not extend to the makers of generic drugs."
Florida Pushes Rule Allowing Medicaid Providers to Opt Out of Family Planni=
ng Services on Moral or Religious Grounds
http://www.truth-out.org/florida-pushes-rule-allowing-medicaid-providers-op=
t-out-family-planning-services-moral-or-religiou-0
Tanya Somanader, ThinkProgress: "The 2010 Republican wave is bearing a mult=
i-pronged attack on women's reproductive rights. Pushing nearly 1,000 anti-=
choice bills through legislatures, Republican lawmakers across the country =
are finding significant success in demonizing Planned Parenthood. Indiana G=
ov. Mitch Daniels (R) recently beat out four GOP governors and House Republ=
icans to make Indiana the first state to defund the health and family plann=
ing organization to the detriment of thousands. However, because providing =
family planning services is a mandated requirement for health providers, In=
diana is running afoul of federal law and stands to lose $4 billion in Medi=
caid funding. Seemingly undeterred by such consequences, Florida Gov. Rick =
Scott (R) and the GOP-led legislature are now attacking family planning thr=
ough Medicaid. Earlier this month, Scott signed into law 'a landmark Medica=
id overhaul' that jeopardizes quality health care for thousands of Floridia=
ns."
White House Announces Plan to Tap Oil Reserve
http://www.truth-out.org/white-house-announces-plan-tap-oil-reserve/1308843=
958
Neela Banerjee, The Los Angeles Times: "The Obama administration announced =
Thursday that it planned to release 30 million barrels of oil from the Stra=
tegic Petroleum Reserve, as part of a coordinated international effort to d=
rive down high crude prices and revive the flagging economic recovery in th=
e world's most industrialized countries. The oil will be released over the =
next 30 days, according to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, constituting half t=
he 60 million barrels that the nations in the International Energy Agency p=
lan to bring to market."
Four Reasons for Hope in the Next Election Cycle - and One Reason Progressi=
ves Must Do More to Win
http://www.truth-out.org/four-reasons-hope-next-election-cycle-and-one-reas=
on-progressives-must-do-more-win/1308837696
Amy Dean, Truthout: "Just a few months ago, conservatives had the momentum,=
emerging victorious from the midterm elections and claiming a sweeping man=
date for their policies. In states across the country, newly elected Republ=
ican governors launched a radical drive to roll back workers' rights and gu=
t social programs. While many states are still trying to stave off deep and=
harmful cuts to our social safety net, Republicans can no longer pretend t=
hat they are acting on the basis of popular will. Having seen the true agen=
da being promoted by officials such as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, voters =
have discerned several key truths: that conservatives' proposals in no way =
offer real solutions to the problems we face, that they merely try to scape=
goat immigrants and public employees for public woes and that the measures =
right-wingers wish to enact represent an assault on our rights - whether it=
is our civil liberties or our right to form collective organizations in ou=
r workplaces."
Wal-Mart Gets a Free Pass for Bias From Supreme Court
http://www.truth-out.org/walmart-gets-free-pass-bias-supreme-court/13088481=
22
Rinku Sen, ColorLines: "The Supreme Court issued its decision in the Dukes =
v. Wal-Mart sex discrimination case yesterday, a frustrating ruling that do=
esn't challenge the existence of bias, but that exempts the company from ac=
countability. The case highlights the difficulty of addressing discriminati=
on at a time when intentional bias is both illegal and socially unacceptabl=
e, and yet obvious gender and racial gaps remain. If much, perhaps even mos=
t, discrimination is unintentional on a personal level, what responsibility=
do employers (or our government, or each of us as individuals) have for ad=
dressing its institutional consequences? The court decided 5-4 that up to 1=
.5 million female employees cannot file suit together as a class. The court=
's conservative majority raised questions not just about whether the women =
were discriminated against through the same mechanisms, but also about the =
validity of the plaintiffs' central argument - that the combination of a hi=
ghly centralized corporate culture and excessive discretion among managers =
systematically disadvantaged women."
WikiLeaks: Saudi Crackdown on Shiites Has Echoes in Bahrain
http://www.truth-out.org/wikileaks-saudi-crackdown-shiites-has-echoes-bahra=
in/1308835467
Daniel Lippman, McClatchy Newspapers: "This year's harsh crackdown on Shiit=
e Muslims in Bahrain follows the playbook that Sunni Muslim-ruled Saudi Ara=
bia used against Shiites in its own Eastern Province as recently as two yea=
rs ago, secret State Department cables show. Some of the officials named in=
the cables as responsible for the 2009 Eastern Province crackdown now are =
advising Bahrain's leaders. Among the topics the cables discuss are the arb=
itrary arrests of Shiite clerics and residents, the closing of Shiite mosqu=
es and the blocking of Shiites from an important religious site in the Musl=
im holy city of Medina. The cables provide rare documentation of what human=
rights officials have long thought is a persistent campaign waged against =
Shiites in Saudi Arabia by their own government."
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates: A Tough Act to Follow
http://www.truth-out.org/secretary-defense-robert-m-gates-tough-act-follow/=
1308841853
Melvin A. Goodman, Truthout: "CIA director Leon Panetta soon will become se=
cretary of defense, taking over Washington's largest and most powerful bure=
aucracy with a budget that amounts to nearly 60 percent of discretionary fe=
deral spending. He will be stepping into the shoes of the most influential =
member of the Obama administration, Robert M. Gates, who has been canonized=
for his performance over the past five years. For the past two months, how=
ever, Secretary of Defense Gates has been on a farewell tour of US think ta=
nks, universities and military academies, advocating policies that will mak=
e Panetta's job extremely difficult."
Facing Political Barriers, Fed Candidate Opts Out
http://www.truth-out.org/facing-political-barriers-fed-candidate-opts-out/1=
308838006
Paul Krugman, Krugman & Co.: "Nobel laureate Peter Diamond had a depressing=
op-ed in The New York Times on June 5, withdrawing himself from contention=
as a member of the Federal Reserve board in the face of Republican opposit=
ion. 'Skilled analytical thinking should not be drowned out by mistaken, id=
eologically driven views that more is always better or less is always bette=
r,' wrote Mr. Diamond, who is a professor of economics at the Massachusetts=
Institute of Technology. 'I had hoped to bring some of my own expertise an=
d experience to the Fed. Now I hope someone else can.' What you need to kno=
w about Mr. Diamond is not just that he's a very great economist, but that =
he's an economist's economist - someone who is a deeply respected theorist,=
not at all someone who made his way as an ideologue. His work is basically=
apolitical. Except that these days everything is political."
Scientists Warn That Ocean's Marine Life on "Brink of Extinction"
http://www.truth-out.org/scientists-warn-oceans-marine-life-brink-extinctio=
n/1308765143
Anna Tomforde, McClatchy Newspapers: "The world's oceans are degenerating f=
ar faster than predicted and marine life is facing extinction due to a rang=
e of human impacts - from over-fishing to climate change - a report compile=
d by international scientists warned Tuesday. The cumulative impact of 'sev=
ere individual stresses,' ranging from climate warming and sea-water acidif=
ication to widespread chemical pollution and overfishing, would threaten th=
e marine environment with a catastrophe 'unprecedented in human history.'"=
=20
TRUTHOUT'S BUZZFLASH DAILY HEADLINES
Has the South won the Civil War nearly 150 years after its conclusion?
BuzzFlash doesn't ask that question in a technical sense. Robert E. Lee sur=
rendered to the Union forces at the Appomattox Court House in 1865.
But culturally and politically, in 2011, the Union of the United States mor=
e and more is reflecting the values of the Confederacy, minus the instituti=
on of slavery, of course.
Increasingly, states' rights are superseding the federal government, and ma=
ny of the states are tilting toward the oligarchs (corporations and the ric=
h). But, of course, even the federal government is siding with supporting t=
he plutocracy and enacting policies that result in low-wage labor. Just rep=
lace the lack of accountability of corporations and Wall Street with the fr=
ee hand of plantation owners.
Not that the South believed much in a centralized government that provided =
a safety net. The poor were poor; the sick were sick; and the wealthy were =
wealthy; that was the natural order of things.
The South wasn't just built on slavery, as BuzzFlash has pointed out before=
. Most whites were poor and worked as sharecroppers, indentured servants or=
plantation hands. Much of their belief in white supremacy came from the fe=
eling that, although the majority of whites were economically poor, they we=
re "superior" to black slaves. But the economy, overall, was built on cheap=
labor as compared to economic ingenuity and innovation.
Baptist Christianity was central to the South, a deeply religious section o=
f the country. The authoritarian paternalistic hierarchy of the Confederacy=
was considered sanctioned by divine decree. Plantation owners and their ex=
tended "work forces" would be right at home with "creationism," because thi=
ngs didn't evolve in the South. The ultimate value was on preserving "the S=
outhern way of life," not evolving. Progress was, thus, a threat.
If you see some common themes to the modern Republican Party and the conven=
tional wisdom found in the corporate press, it began most recently with the=
development of the Nixon "Southern strategy" - and the merging of Southern=
"values" with a corporatist agenda, perfected in the Reagan presidency.
How would one expect the Southern agenda to value labor, when in the South =
labor was cheap or, in the form of slavery, literally free (except for the =
initial "cost" to buy a slave)?
So, in 2011, we find ourselves at a point when the Confederacy has risen fr=
om the ashes to dominate public policy and economic inertia.
Mark Karlin
Editor, BuzzFlash at Truthout
You Can't Grow Jobs When People Can't Afford to Buy Anything
Read the Article at BuzzFlash
http://blog.buzzflash.com/node/12795
Is Cantor Setting Boehner Up to Take the Fall?
Read the Article at Talking Points Memo
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/with-ball-in-speakers-court-boeh=
ner-doubles-down-on-anti-tax-rhetoric.php?ref=3Dfpa
Majority of Obama Opponents Want New Candidate in the Race
Read the Article at The Hill
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/168033-59-percent-of-obama=
-opponents-want-new-candidate-in-the-race
Are Democrats in Congress Fearful of a White House Sellout on the Deficit?
Read the Article at Politico
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/57592.html
Peter King's Anti-Muslim Demagoguery
Read the Article at BuzzFlash
http://blog.buzzflash.com/node/12796
Editorial: Wisconsin's Most Anti-Woman Budget
Read the Article at The Cap Times
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/editorial/article_622c9347-6d2b-57d=
5-b2c6-8d79be3e04a2.html
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past few days, we are on track to make our budget and finish our fundraisi=
ng drive a day early - if all our readers who can afford to donate pitch in=
at this time. <strong>We must raise $8,500 more in order to make our goal =
and meet our monthly budget for maintaining our services.</strong> We belie=
ve that, with your help, we can get there tonight - and end our drive! <str=
ong>Can you join in and help us meet our goal by midnight tonight?</strong>=
Please make a tax-deductible donation to Truthout by clicking the button b=
elow:</p>
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<p style=3D"font-size: 110%"><b>Or call in your donation:</b><br />
213.489.1971</p>
</em> Thursday 23 June 2011 <br />
<br />
<font><strong>William Rivers Pitt | Clarence Thomas Must Go</strong></font>=
<br />
William Rivers Pitt, Truthout: "For the sake of full disclosure, I will tel=
l you that I do not like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. In my opini=
on, he has no business sitting on the high court after the reprehensible tr=
eatment he forced Anita Hill to endure, and has been a disgrace to the benc=
h lo these last twenty years. Anthony Weiner, one of Clarence Thomas' most =
ardent critics, was just run out of Washington DC on a rail for behavior fa=
r less offensive; Mr. Thomas is lucky there was no such thing as Twitter wh=
en he was sexually harassing Hill, or he'd be chasing ambulances outside of=
muni court like the hack he is. He sits up there like a lump, never speaki=
ng or offering questions to petitioners, and has not had an original though=
t since his shameful Senate approval. But his vapid intellectual presence o=
n the bench is only a small part of the story. Mr. Thomas has, by all appea=
rances, turned his position on the court into a license to print money for =
himself, his family, and a few choice friends."<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DWV%2BR=
euFNvCCEyaDAREJ5creQYcYIsbHe"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</fon=
t></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>EPA Halted Extra Testing From Radiation in Japan Weeks Ago</s=
trong></font><br />
Mike Ludwig, Truthout: "Radiation is expected to continue spewing for month=
s from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that suffered a meltdo=
wn following an earthquake and tsunami in March, but despite grim reports f=
rom Japan, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has quietly stopped=
running extra tests for radioactive material in America's milk, rain and d=
rinking water. The EPA initially ramped up nationwide testing in the weeks =
following the disaster in Japan, and radioactive materials like cesium and =
iodine-131 were detected on US soil. Citing declining levels of radiation, =
the EPA has abandoned the extra tests, even as reports from Japan indicate =
that the Fukushima plant continues to emit radiation and the disaster is on=
e of the worst in world history."<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DkGOUAl=
A9ehW4fK53WMs4LgsubAR%2FUCQh"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</fon=
t></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>On the News With Thom Hartmann: Obama Announces Drawdown, Bad=
News for the Economy, and More ...</strong></font><br />
Truthout is pleased to begin offering daily newscasts from leading progress=
ive author and talk show host Thom Hartmann. In these segments, Hartmann wi=
ll highlight the day's top stories and offer a unique look at the issues be=
hind them. Today, he'll address the phased withdrawal of troops from Afghan=
istan, Bernanke's sobering assessment of the US economy, Barney Frank and R=
on Paul's team effort to fight marijuana laws, and more.<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DcL%2FG=
eMojSKSGTYFeMMotKwsubAR%2FUCQh"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Watch the Video</fo=
nt></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>Obama Leaves Door Open to Long-Term US Afghan Combat</strong>=
</font><br />
Gareth Porter, Inter Press Service: "President Barack Obama's speech announ=
cing that the 33,000 'surge' troops in Afghanistan will be withdrawn by 'su=
mmer' 2012 indicates that he has given priority to the interests of the mil=
itary and the Pentagon over concerns by key officials in his administration=
over the impact of the war's costs on domestic socioeconomic needs. And in=
a section of the speech that must be interpreted in the context of his pas=
t policy decisions on Iraq, Obama appeared to support the desire of Defense=
Secretary Robert Gates and General David Petraeus to keep a substantial nu=
mber of combat troops in Afghanistan beyond the publicly announced 'transit=
ion' in 2014."<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DDK2KQQ=
X%2FdHi1QanUTJZfXgsubAR%2FUCQh"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</f=
ont></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>Makers of Generic Drugs Don't Have to Warn of New Dangers, Su=
preme Court Rules</strong></font><br />
Daniel G. Savage, Los Angeles Times: "The Supreme Court gave the pharmaceut=
ical industry a pair of victories Thursday, shielding the makers of generic=
drugs from most lawsuits by injured patients and declaring that drug maker=
s had a free-speech right to buy private prescription records to boost thei=
r sales pitches to doctors. In both decisions, the court's conservative blo=
c formed the majority, and most of its liberals dissented. About 75% of the=
prescriptions written in this country are for lower-cost generic versions =
of brand-name drugs. Federal law requires the original makers of these bran=
d-name drugs to include an approved and up-to-date warning label that tells=
doctors and patients of possible side effects or complications. But in a 5=
-4 decision, the high court said this duty to warn patients of newly reveal=
ed dangers does not extend to the makers of generic drugs."<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DViRYUH=
9pysdiYXh2Dh4dRgsubAR%2FUCQh"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</fon=
t></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>Florida Pushes Rule Allowing Medicaid Providers to Opt Out of=
Family Planning Services on Moral or Religious Grounds</strong></font><br =
/>
Tanya Somanader, ThinkProgress: "The 2010 Republican wave is bearing a mult=
i-pronged attack on women's reproductive rights. Pushing nearly 1,000 anti-=
choice bills through legislatures, Republican lawmakers across the country =
are finding significant success in demonizing Planned Parenthood. Indiana G=
ov. Mitch Daniels (R) recently beat out four GOP governors and House Republ=
icans to make Indiana the first state to defund the health and family plann=
ing organization to the detriment of thousands. However, because providing =
family planning services is a mandated requirement for health providers, In=
diana is running afoul of federal law and stands to lose $4 billion in Medi=
caid funding. Seemingly undeterred by such consequences, Florida Gov. Rick =
Scott (R) and the GOP-led legislature are now attacking family planning thr=
ough Medicaid. Earlier this month, Scott signed into law 'a landmark Medica=
id overhaul' that jeopardizes quality health care for thousands of Floridia=
ns."<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DGqMpdk=
ekk88aTwG24XftOgsubAR%2FUCQh"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</fon=
t></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>White House Announces Plan to Tap Oil Reserve</strong></font>=
<br />
Neela Banerjee, The Los Angeles Times: "The Obama administration announced =
Thursday that it planned to release 30 million barrels of oil from the Stra=
tegic Petroleum Reserve, as part of a coordinated international effort to d=
rive down high crude prices and revive the flagging economic recovery in th=
e world's most industrialized countries. The oil will be released over the =
next 30 days, according to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, constituting half t=
he 60 million barrels that the nations in the International Energy Agency p=
lan to bring to market."<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DRAjAAH=
39WNIsxGFlhY%2BZEreQYcYIsbHe"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</fon=
t></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>Four Reasons for Hope in the Next Election Cycle - and One Re=
ason Progressives Must Do More to Win</strong></font><br />
Amy Dean, Truthout: "Just a few months ago, conservatives had the momentum,=
emerging victorious from the midterm elections and claiming a sweeping man=
date for their policies. In states across the country, newly elected Republ=
ican governors launched a radical drive to roll back workers' rights and gu=
t social programs. While many states are still trying to stave off deep and=
harmful cuts to our social safety net, Republicans can no longer pretend t=
hat they are acting on the basis of popular will. Having seen the true agen=
da being promoted by officials such as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, voters =
have discerned several key truths: that conservatives' proposals in no way =
offer real solutions to the problems we face, that they merely try to scape=
goat immigrants and public employees for public woes and that the measures =
right-wingers wish to enact represent an assault on our rights - whether it=
is our civil liberties or our right to form collective organizations in ou=
r workplaces." <br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DkMdh9s=
YKRj%2F8gfEv1xQmEwsubAR%2FUCQh"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</f=
ont></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>Wal-Mart Gets a Free Pass for Bias From Supreme Court</strong=
></font><br />
Rinku Sen, ColorLines: "The Supreme Court issued its decision in the Dukes =
v. Wal-Mart sex discrimination case yesterday, a frustrating ruling that do=
esn't challenge the existence of bias, but that exempts the company from ac=
countability. The case highlights the difficulty of addressing discriminati=
on at a time when intentional bias is both illegal and socially unacceptabl=
e, and yet obvious gender and racial gaps remain. If much, perhaps even mos=
t, discrimination is unintentional on a personal level, what responsibility=
do employers (or our government, or each of us as individuals) have for ad=
dressing its institutional consequences? The court decided 5-4 that up to 1=
.5 million female employees cannot file suit together as a class. The court=
's conservative majority raised questions not just about whether the women =
were discriminated against through the same mechanisms, but also about the =
validity of the plaintiffs' central argument - that the combination of a hi=
ghly centralized corporate culture and excessive discretion among managers =
systematically disadvantaged women."<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3D%2Fnz6=
SjFFqw1516jnslnWO7eQYcYIsbHe"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</fon=
t></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>WikiLeaks: Saudi Crackdown on Shiites Has Echoes in Bahrain</=
strong></font><br />
Daniel Lippman, McClatchy Newspapers: "This year's harsh crackdown on Shiit=
e Muslims in Bahrain follows the playbook that Sunni Muslim-ruled Saudi Ara=
bia used against Shiites in its own Eastern Province as recently as two yea=
rs ago, secret State Department cables show. Some of the officials named in=
the cables as responsible for the 2009 Eastern Province crackdown now are =
advising Bahrain's leaders. Among the topics the cables discuss are the arb=
itrary arrests of Shiite clerics and residents, the closing of Shiite mosqu=
es and the blocking of Shiites from an important religious site in the Musl=
im holy city of Medina. The cables provide rare documentation of what human=
rights officials have long thought is a persistent campaign waged against =
Shiites in Saudi Arabia by their own government."<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DKqgPyP=
TWl%2BCxmiClulOlqwsubAR%2FUCQh"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</f=
ont></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates: A Tough Act to Follow</=
strong></font><br />
Melvin A. Goodman, Truthout: "CIA director Leon Panetta soon will become se=
cretary of defense, taking over Washington's largest and most powerful bure=
aucracy with a budget that amounts to nearly 60 percent of discretionary fe=
deral spending. He will be stepping into the shoes of the most influential =
member of the Obama administration, Robert M. Gates, who has been canonized=
for his performance over the past five years. For the past two months, how=
ever, Secretary of Defense Gates has been on a farewell tour of US think ta=
nks, universities and military academies, advocating policies that will mak=
e Panetta's job extremely difficult." <br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3Dqpx67q=
76iNqeoIr8EAm5hQsubAR%2FUCQh"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</fon=
t></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>Facing Political Barriers, Fed Candidate Opts Out</strong></f=
ont><br />
Paul Krugman, Krugman & Co.: "Nobel laureate Peter Diamond had a depres=
sing op-ed in The New York Times on June 5, withdrawing himself from conten=
tion as a member of the Federal Reserve board in the face of Republican opp=
osition. 'Skilled analytical thinking should not be drowned out by mistaken=
, ideologically driven views that more is always better or less is always b=
etter,' wrote Mr. Diamond, who is a professor of economics at the Massachus=
etts Institute of Technology. 'I had hoped to bring some of my own expertis=
e and experience to the Fed. Now I hope someone else can.' What you need to=
know about Mr. Diamond is not just that he's a very great economist, but t=
hat he's an economist's economist - someone who is a deeply respected theor=
ist, not at all someone who made his way as an ideologue. His work is basic=
ally apolitical. Except that these days everything is political."<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DA4xSXE=
ShqgA%2BX6Ri7gbtugsubAR%2FUCQh"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</f=
ont></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>Scientists Warn That Ocean's Marine Life on "Brink of Extinct=
ion"</strong></font><br />
Anna Tomforde, McClatchy Newspapers: "The world's oceans are degenerating f=
ar faster than predicted and marine life is facing extinction due to a rang=
e of human impacts - from over-fishing to climate change - a report compile=
d by international scientists warned Tuesday. The cumulative impact of 'sev=
ere individual stresses,' ranging from climate warming and sea-water acidif=
ication to widespread chemical pollution and overfishing, would threaten th=
e marine environment with a catastrophe 'unprecedented in human history.'" =
<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3Du6kGTf=
J5wR1yJ06sZ2Rs4gsubAR%2FUCQh"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</fon=
t></a> </p>
<p><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DXPk=
q0tmn3D2fAba22bcxSgsubAR%2FUCQh" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D"#cc0000">=
<em>Click here for more Truthout articles</em></font></a></p>
<p></p>
<div align=3D"center">
<table width=3D"100%" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" border=3D"0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign=3D"bottom" align=3D"left">
<div align=3D"left"><strong><em>TRUTHOUT'S BUZZFLASH DAILY HEAD=
LINES</em></strong></div>
</td>
<td></td>
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<p><em>
<p>Has the South won the Civil War nearly 150 years after its conclusion?</=
p>
<p>BuzzFlash doesn't ask that question in a technical sense. Robert E. Lee =
surrendered to the Union forces at the Appomattox Court House in 1865.</p>
<p>But culturally and politically, in 2011, the Union of the United States =
more and more is reflecting the values of the Confederacy, minus the instit=
ution of slavery, of course.</p>
<p>Increasingly, states' rights are superseding the federal government, and=
many of the states are tilting toward the oligarchs (corporations and the =
rich). But, of course, even the federal government is siding with supportin=
g the plutocracy and enacting policies that result in low-wage labor. Just =
replace the lack of accountability of corporations and Wall Street with the=
free hand of plantation owners.</p>
<p>Not that the South believed much in a centralized government that provid=
ed a safety net. The poor were poor; the sick were sick; and the wealthy we=
re wealthy; that was the natural order of things.</p>
<p>The South wasn't just built on slavery, as BuzzFlash has pointed out bef=
ore. Most whites were poor and worked as sharecroppers, indentured servants=
or plantation hands. Much of their belief in white supremacy came from the=
feeling that, although the majority of whites were economically poor, they=
were "superior" to black slaves. But the economy, overall, was built on ch=
eap labor as compared to economic ingenuity and innovation.</p>
<p>Baptist Christianity was central to the South, a deeply religious sectio=
n of the country. The authoritarian paternalistic hierarchy of the Confeder=
acy was considered sanctioned by divine decree. Plantation owners and their=
extended "work forces" would be right at home with "creationism," because =
things didn't evolve in the South. The ultimate value was on preserving "th=
e Southern way of life," not evolving. Progress was, thus, a threat.</p>
<p>If you see some common themes to the modern Republican Party and the con=
ventional wisdom found in the corporate press, it began most recently with =
the development of the Nixon "Southern strategy" - and the merging of South=
ern "values" with a corporatist agenda, perfected in the Reagan presidency.=
</p>
<p>How would one expect the Southern agenda to value labor, when in the Sou=
th labor was cheap or, in the form of slavery, literally free (except for t=
he initial "cost" to buy a slave)?</p>
<p>So, in 2011, we find ourselves at a point when the Confederacy has risen=
from the ashes to dominate public policy and economic inertia.</p>
<p>Mark Karlin<br />
Editor, BuzzFlash at Truthout</p>
</em></p>
<p><strong>You Can't Grow Jobs When People Can't Afford to Buy Anything<br =
/>
</strong><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=
=3DOug4ViZLFbyazZYb5XZHCLeQYcYIsbHe" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D"#cc00=
00">Read the Article at BuzzFlash</font></a></p>
<p><strong>Is Cantor Setting Boehner Up to Take the Fall?<br />
</strong><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=
=3DjWF%2BfBdUSiX0fWfjZGvBKbeQYcYIsbHe" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D"#cc=
0000">Read the Article at Talking Points Memo</font></a></p>
<p><strong>Majority of Obama Opponents Want New Candidate in the Race<br />
</strong><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=
=3DvpQPLzs2qbBU1z3YvKkN%2BQsubAR%2FUCQh" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D"#=
cc0000">Read the Article at The Hill</font></a></p>
<p><strong>Are Democrats in Congress Fearful of a White House Sellout on th=
e Deficit?<br />
</strong><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=
=3D9G3WIiVvpFKzDMJkSQ3FqAsubAR%2FUCQh" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D"#cc=
0000">Read the Article at Politico</font></a></p>
<p><strong>Peter King's Anti-Muslim Demagoguery<br />
</strong><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=
=3DyTSX4jwpCRREZquS8DF69wsubAR%2FUCQh" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D"#cc=
0000">Read the Article at BuzzFlash</font></a></p>
<p><strong>Editorial: Wisconsin's Most Anti-Woman Budget<br />
</strong><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=
=3DwvU7OZ8mL%2BcClF%2BTgHgsUQsubAR%2FUCQh" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D=
"#cc0000">Read the Article at The Cap Times</font></a></p>
<p><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DKJg=
4mXLRncifZHTzf9A2CgsubAR%2FUCQh"><b><font color=3D"#cc0000"><em>Click here =
for more BuzzFlash headlines</em></font></b></a></p>
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