Venezuela’s D-Day: Democratic Socialism or Imperial Counter-Revolution
The December 2, 2007 Constituent Referendum
By Prof James Petras
Global Research, November 28, 2007
(excerpt below. PLEASE access the entire article at http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7470
On November 26, 2007 the Venezuelan government broadcast and circulated a confidential memo from the US embassy to the CIA which is devastatingly revealing of US clandestine operations and which will influence the referendum this Sunday (December 2, 2007).
The memo sent by an embassy official, Michael Middleton Steere, was addressed to the head of the CIA, Michael Hayden. The memo was entitled ‘Advancing to the Last Phase of Operation Pincer’ and updates the activity by a CIA unit with the acronym ‘HUMINT’ (Human Intelligence) which is engaged in clandestine action to destabilize the forth-coming referendum and coordinate the civil military overthrow of the elected Chavez government. The Embassy-CIA’s polls concede that 57% of the voters approved of the constitutional amendments proposed by Chavez but also predicted a 60% abstention.
The US operatives emphasized their capacity to recruit former Chavez supporters among the social democrats (PODEMOS) and the former Minister of Defense Baduel, claiming to have reduced the ‘yes’ vote by 6% from its original margin. Nevertheless the Embassy operatives concede that they have reached their ceiling, recognizing they cannot defeat the amendments via the electoral route.
The memo then recommends that Operation Pincer (OP) [Operación Tenaza] be operationalized. OP involves a two-pronged strategy of impeding the referendum, rejecting the outcome at the same time as calling for a ‘no’ vote. The run up to the referendum includes running phony polls, attacking electoral officials and running propaganda through the private media accusing the government of fraud and calling for a ‘no’ vote. Contradictions, the report cynically emphasizes, are of no matter.
The CIA-Embassy reports internal division and recriminations among the opponents of the amendments including several defections from their ‘umbrella group’. The key and most dangerous threats to democracy raised by the Embassy memo point to their success in mobilizing the private university students (backed by top administrators) to attack key government buildings including the Presidential Palace, Supreme Court and the National Electoral Council. The Embassy is especially praiseworthy of the ex-Maoist ‘Red Flag’ group for its violent street fighting activity. Ironically, small Trotskyist sects and their trade unionists join the ex-Maoists in opposing the constitutional amendments. The Embassy, while discarding their ‘Marxist rhetoric’, perceives their opposition as fitting in with their overall strategy.
The ultimate objective of ‘Operation Pincer’ is to seize a territorial or institutional base with the ‘massive support’ of the defeated electoral minority within three or four days (before or after the elections – is not clear. JP) backed by an uprising by oppositionist military officers principally in the National Guard. The Embassy operative concede that the military plotters have run into serous problems as key intelligence operatives were detected, stores of arms were decommissioned and several plotters are under tight surveillance.
Apart from the deep involvement of the US, the primary organization of the Venezuelan business elite (FEDECAMARAS), as well as all the major private television, radio and newspaper outlets have been engaged in a vicious fear and intimidation campaign. Food producers, wholesale and retail distributors have created artificial shortages of basic food items and have provoked large scale capital flight to sow chaos in the hopes of reaping a ‘no’ vote.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OTHER IMPORTANT ARTICLES:
WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING IN VENEZUELA?
An eyewitness report from Venezuela on political developments and conflicts as a national vote approaches on Hugo Chávez's constitutional reforms.
http://www.socialistworker.org/2007-2/654/654_06_Venezuela.shtml
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is Venezuela’s Constitutional Reform Really About?
November 23rd 2007, by Chris Carlson - Venezuelanalysis.com
Only an understanding of the political project that Chavez plans to develop in the country, and the specific political, economic, and social structure that it entails, allows us to fit the constitutional reform into the larger context and understand the real role it plays in laying the groundwork for the future plans of the Chavez government.
Venezuela’s Constitutional Reform: An Article-by-Article Summary
November 23rd 2007, by Gregory Wilpert – Venezuelanalysis.com
The following is an article-by-article summary of the changes being proposed to Venezuela's 1999 constitution. Venezuelans will vote on the reform on December 2nd and will do so in two blocks. Block "A" includes President Chavez's original proposal and 13 articles introduced by the National Assembly. Block "B" includes another 26 reform articles proposed by the National Assembly. Voters may vote "Yes" or "No" on each block.
Venezuela: Still A Democracy
November 22nd 2007, by Mark Weisbrot - New Statesman
Planned Venezuelan constitutional reforms are portrayed as 'another Chavez power grab', a notion challenged by Mark Weisbrot of US thinktank CEPR
Read more!!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
DRANT #277: BREAKING! "OPERATION PLIERS" CIA COUP AGAINST CHAVEZ
CIA Operation "Pliers" Uncovered in Venezuela
November 28th 2007, by Eva Golinger
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2914
Last night CNN en Español aired the above image, with captions at the bottom "Who Killed him?" by "accident". The image of President Chavez with the caption about killing him below, which some could say subliminally incites to assassination, was a "production error" mistakenly made in the CNN en Español newsroom. The news anchor had been narrarating a story about the situation between Colombia and Venezuela and then switched to a story about an unsolved homicide but - oops - someone forgot to change the screen image and President Chavez was left with the killing statement below. Today they apologized and admitted it was a rather "unfortunate" and "regrettable" mistake. Yes, it was.
On a scarier note, an internal CIA memorandum has been obtained by Venezuelan counterintelligence from the US Embassy in Caracas that reveals a very sinister - almost fantastical, were it not true - plan to destabilize Venezuela during the coming days. The plan, titled "OPERATION PLIERS" was authored by CIA Officer Michael Middleton Steere and was addressed to CIA Director General Michael Hayden in Washington. Steere is stationed at the US Embassy in Caracas under the guise of a Regional Affairs Officer. The internal memorandum, dated November 20, 2007, references the "Advances of the Final Stage of Operation Pliers", and confirms that the operation is coordinated by the team of Human Intelligence (HUMINT) in Venezuela. The memo summarizes the different scenarios that the CIA has been working on in Venezuela for the upcoming referendum vote on December 2nd. The Electoral Scenario, as it's phrased, confirms that the voting tendencies will not change substantially before Sunday, December 2nd, and that the SI (YES) vote in favor of the constitutional reform has an advantage of about 10-13 points over the NO vote. The CIA estimates abstention around 60% and states in the memo that this voting tendency is irreversible before the elections.
Officer Steere emphasizes the importance and success of the public relations and propaganda campaign that the CIA has been funding with more than $8 million during the past month - funds that the CIA confirms are transfered through the USAID contracted company, Development Alternatives, Inc., which set up operations in June 2002 to run the USAID Office for Transition Initiatives that funds and advises opposition NGOs and political parties in Venezuela. The CIA memo specifically refers to these propaganda initiatives as "psychological operations" (PSYOPS), that include contracting polling companies to create fraudulent polls that show the NO vote with an advantage over the SI vote, which is false. The CIA also confirms in the memo that it is working with international press agencies to distort the data and information about the referendum, and that it coordinates in Venezuela with a team of journalists and media organized and directed by the President of Globovision, Alberto Federico Ravell.
CIA Officer Michael Steere recommends to General Michael Hayden two different strategies to work simultaneously: Impede the referendum and refuse to recognize the results once the SI vote wins. Though these strategies appear contradictory, Steere claims that they must be implemented together precisely to encourage activities that aim toward impeding the referendum and at the same time prepare the conditions for a rejection of the results.
How is this to be done?
In the memo, the CIA proposes the following tactics and actions:
* Take the streets and protest with violent, disruptive actions across the nation
* Generate a climate of ungovernability
* Provoke a general uprising in a substantial part of the population
* Engage in a "plan to implode" the voting centers on election day by encouraging opposition voters to "VOTE and REMAIN" in their centers to agitate others
* Start to release data during the early hours of the afternoon on Sunday that favor the NO vote (in clear violation of election regulations)
* Coordinate these activities with Ravell & Globovision and international press agencies
* Coordinate with ex-militar officers and coupsters Pena Esclusa and Guyon Cellis - this will be done by the Military Attache for Defense and Army at the US Embassy in Caracas, Office of Defense, Attack and Operations (DAO)
To encourage rejection of the results, the CIA proposes:
* Creating an acceptance in the public opinion that the NO vote will win for sure
* Using polling companies contracted by the CIA
* Criticize and discredit the National Elections Council
* Generate a sensation of fraud
* Use a team of experts from the universities that will talk about how the data from the Electoral Registry has been manipulated and will build distrust in the voting system
The CIA memo also talks about:
* Isolating Chavez in the international community
* Trying to achieve unity amongst the opposition
* Seek an aliance between those abstentionists and those who will vote "NO"
* Sustain firmly the propaganda against Chavez
* Execute military actions to support the opposition mobilizations and propagandistic occupations
* Finalize the operative preparations on the US military bases in Curacao and Colombia to provide support to actions in Venezuela
* Control a part of the country during the next 72-120 hours
* Encourage a military rebellion inside the National Guard forces and other components
Those involved in these actions as detailed in the CIA memo are:
* The CIA Office in Venezuela - Office of Regional Affairs, and Officer Michael Steere
* US Embassy in Venezuela, Ambassador Patrick Duddy
* Office of Defense, Attack and Operations (DAO) at the US Embassy in Caracas and Military Attache Richard Nazario
Venezuelan Political Parties:
* Comando Nacional de la Resistencia
* Accion Democratica
* Primero Justicia
* Bandera Roja
Media:
* Alberto Federico Ravell & Globovision
* Interamerican Press Society (IAPA) or SIP in Spanish
* International Press Agencies
Venezuelans:
* Pena Esclusa
* Guyon Cellis
* Dean of the Simon Bolivar University, Rudolph Benjamin Podolski
* Dean of the Andres Bello Catholic University, Ugalde
* Students: Yon Goicochea, Juan Mejias, Ronel Gaglio, Gabriel Gallo, Ricardo Sanchez
Operation Tenaza has the objective of encouraging an armed insurrection in Venezuela against the government of President Chavez that will justify an intervention of US forces, stationed on the military bases nearby in Curacao and Colombia. The Operation mentions two countries in code: as Blue and Green. These refer to Curacao and Colombia, where the US has operative, active and equipped bases that have been reinforced over the past year and a half in anticipation of a conflict with Venezuela.
The document confirms that psychological operations are the CIA's best and most effective weapon to date against Venezuela, and it will continue its efforts to influence international public opinion regarding President Chavez and the situation in the country.
Operation Tenaza is a very alarming plan that aims to destabilize Venezuela and overthrow (again) its legitimate and democratic (and very popularly support) president. The plan will fail, primarily because it has been discovered, but it must be denounced around the world as an unacceptable violation of Venezuela's sovereignty.
The original document in English will be available in the public sphere soon for viewing and authenticating purposes. And it also contains more information than has been revealed here.
For the full text in Spanish, see: Operación Tenaza: Informe confidencial de la CIA devela plan de saboteo al referéndum del 2 de diciembre
Source URL: http://www.chavezcode.com/2007/11/operation-pliers.html
Source URL: http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2914
Printed: November 28th 2007
License: Published under a Creative Commons license (by-nc-nd). See creativecommons.org for more information.
Read more!!
November 28th 2007, by Eva Golinger
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2914
Last night CNN en Español aired the above image, with captions at the bottom "Who Killed him?" by "accident". The image of President Chavez with the caption about killing him below, which some could say subliminally incites to assassination, was a "production error" mistakenly made in the CNN en Español newsroom. The news anchor had been narrarating a story about the situation between Colombia and Venezuela and then switched to a story about an unsolved homicide but - oops - someone forgot to change the screen image and President Chavez was left with the killing statement below. Today they apologized and admitted it was a rather "unfortunate" and "regrettable" mistake. Yes, it was.
On a scarier note, an internal CIA memorandum has been obtained by Venezuelan counterintelligence from the US Embassy in Caracas that reveals a very sinister - almost fantastical, were it not true - plan to destabilize Venezuela during the coming days. The plan, titled "OPERATION PLIERS" was authored by CIA Officer Michael Middleton Steere and was addressed to CIA Director General Michael Hayden in Washington. Steere is stationed at the US Embassy in Caracas under the guise of a Regional Affairs Officer. The internal memorandum, dated November 20, 2007, references the "Advances of the Final Stage of Operation Pliers", and confirms that the operation is coordinated by the team of Human Intelligence (HUMINT) in Venezuela. The memo summarizes the different scenarios that the CIA has been working on in Venezuela for the upcoming referendum vote on December 2nd. The Electoral Scenario, as it's phrased, confirms that the voting tendencies will not change substantially before Sunday, December 2nd, and that the SI (YES) vote in favor of the constitutional reform has an advantage of about 10-13 points over the NO vote. The CIA estimates abstention around 60% and states in the memo that this voting tendency is irreversible before the elections.
Officer Steere emphasizes the importance and success of the public relations and propaganda campaign that the CIA has been funding with more than $8 million during the past month - funds that the CIA confirms are transfered through the USAID contracted company, Development Alternatives, Inc., which set up operations in June 2002 to run the USAID Office for Transition Initiatives that funds and advises opposition NGOs and political parties in Venezuela. The CIA memo specifically refers to these propaganda initiatives as "psychological operations" (PSYOPS), that include contracting polling companies to create fraudulent polls that show the NO vote with an advantage over the SI vote, which is false. The CIA also confirms in the memo that it is working with international press agencies to distort the data and information about the referendum, and that it coordinates in Venezuela with a team of journalists and media organized and directed by the President of Globovision, Alberto Federico Ravell.
CIA Officer Michael Steere recommends to General Michael Hayden two different strategies to work simultaneously: Impede the referendum and refuse to recognize the results once the SI vote wins. Though these strategies appear contradictory, Steere claims that they must be implemented together precisely to encourage activities that aim toward impeding the referendum and at the same time prepare the conditions for a rejection of the results.
How is this to be done?
In the memo, the CIA proposes the following tactics and actions:
* Take the streets and protest with violent, disruptive actions across the nation
* Generate a climate of ungovernability
* Provoke a general uprising in a substantial part of the population
* Engage in a "plan to implode" the voting centers on election day by encouraging opposition voters to "VOTE and REMAIN" in their centers to agitate others
* Start to release data during the early hours of the afternoon on Sunday that favor the NO vote (in clear violation of election regulations)
* Coordinate these activities with Ravell & Globovision and international press agencies
* Coordinate with ex-militar officers and coupsters Pena Esclusa and Guyon Cellis - this will be done by the Military Attache for Defense and Army at the US Embassy in Caracas, Office of Defense, Attack and Operations (DAO)
To encourage rejection of the results, the CIA proposes:
* Creating an acceptance in the public opinion that the NO vote will win for sure
* Using polling companies contracted by the CIA
* Criticize and discredit the National Elections Council
* Generate a sensation of fraud
* Use a team of experts from the universities that will talk about how the data from the Electoral Registry has been manipulated and will build distrust in the voting system
The CIA memo also talks about:
* Isolating Chavez in the international community
* Trying to achieve unity amongst the opposition
* Seek an aliance between those abstentionists and those who will vote "NO"
* Sustain firmly the propaganda against Chavez
* Execute military actions to support the opposition mobilizations and propagandistic occupations
* Finalize the operative preparations on the US military bases in Curacao and Colombia to provide support to actions in Venezuela
* Control a part of the country during the next 72-120 hours
* Encourage a military rebellion inside the National Guard forces and other components
Those involved in these actions as detailed in the CIA memo are:
* The CIA Office in Venezuela - Office of Regional Affairs, and Officer Michael Steere
* US Embassy in Venezuela, Ambassador Patrick Duddy
* Office of Defense, Attack and Operations (DAO) at the US Embassy in Caracas and Military Attache Richard Nazario
Venezuelan Political Parties:
* Comando Nacional de la Resistencia
* Accion Democratica
* Primero Justicia
* Bandera Roja
Media:
* Alberto Federico Ravell & Globovision
* Interamerican Press Society (IAPA) or SIP in Spanish
* International Press Agencies
Venezuelans:
* Pena Esclusa
* Guyon Cellis
* Dean of the Simon Bolivar University, Rudolph Benjamin Podolski
* Dean of the Andres Bello Catholic University, Ugalde
* Students: Yon Goicochea, Juan Mejias, Ronel Gaglio, Gabriel Gallo, Ricardo Sanchez
Operation Tenaza has the objective of encouraging an armed insurrection in Venezuela against the government of President Chavez that will justify an intervention of US forces, stationed on the military bases nearby in Curacao and Colombia. The Operation mentions two countries in code: as Blue and Green. These refer to Curacao and Colombia, where the US has operative, active and equipped bases that have been reinforced over the past year and a half in anticipation of a conflict with Venezuela.
The document confirms that psychological operations are the CIA's best and most effective weapon to date against Venezuela, and it will continue its efforts to influence international public opinion regarding President Chavez and the situation in the country.
Operation Tenaza is a very alarming plan that aims to destabilize Venezuela and overthrow (again) its legitimate and democratic (and very popularly support) president. The plan will fail, primarily because it has been discovered, but it must be denounced around the world as an unacceptable violation of Venezuela's sovereignty.
The original document in English will be available in the public sphere soon for viewing and authenticating purposes. And it also contains more information than has been revealed here.
For the full text in Spanish, see: Operación Tenaza: Informe confidencial de la CIA devela plan de saboteo al referéndum del 2 de diciembre
Source URL: http://www.chavezcode.com/2007/11/operation-pliers.html
Source URL: http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2914
Printed: November 28th 2007
License: Published under a Creative Commons license (by-nc-nd). See creativecommons.org for more information.
Read more!!
Monday, November 26, 2007
DRANT #275 and #275A: UPDATE: THOUGHT CRIME ACT
PLEASE read the below and urgently contact your Senator. The RAND Corporation (the folks who brainstormed the repression of anti Vietnam dissidence among other lovely enterprises) with their stooge Jane Harmon plus many others whose death stench you can feel in your fingers, have put this one together. It targets anti war activists, animal rights and environmental activists- and is particularly strong regarding Anti Globaization activists and Internet organizing.
Of course, Pelosi is in it up to her botoxed eyebrows.
http://www.indypendent.org/2007/11/19/bringing-the-war-on-terrorism-home-congress-considers-who-to-%e2%80%98disrupt%e2%80%99-radical-movements-in-the-united-states/
Bringing the War on Terrorism Home: Congress Considers How to ‘Disrupt’ Radical Movements in the United States
From the November 26, 2007 issue of The Indypendent
homegrown2
By Jessica Lee
Under the guise of a bill that calls for the study of “homegrown terrorism,” Congress is apparently trying to broaden the definition of terrorism to encompass both First Amendment political activity and traditional forms of protest such as nonviolent civil disobedience, according to civil liberties advocates, scholars and historians.
The proposed law, The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 1955), was passed by the House of Representative in a 404-6 vote Oct. 23. (The Senate is currently considering a companion bill, S. 1959.) The act would establish a “National Commission on the prevention of violent radicalization and ideologically based violence” and a university-based “Center for Excellence” to “examine and report upon the facts and causes of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism and ideologically based violence in the United States” in order to develop policy for “prevention, disruption and mitigation.”
Many observers fear that the proposed law will be used against U.S.-based groups engaged in legal but unpopular political activism, ranging from political Islamists to animal-rights and environmental campaigners to radical right-wing organizations. There is concern, too, that the bill will undermine academic integrity and is the latest salvo in a decade-long government grab for power at the expense of civil liberties.
David Price, a professor of anthropology at St. Martin’s University who studies government surveillance and harassment of dissident scholars, says the bill “is a shot over the bow of environmental activists, animal-rights activists, anti-globalization activists and scholars who are working in the Middle East who have views that go against the administration.” Price says some right-wing outfits such as gun clubs are also threatened because “[they] would be looked at with suspicion under the bill.”
AND DEMOCRACY NOW
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/11/20/1458214
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
U R G E N T -
I sent DRANT #267 (see below) out on October 25, 2007. In it I detailed the near-unanimous passage of HR 1955 by the House of Representatives, achieved by suspending the rules of Congress, and allowing no debate.
Now- the Senate is about to pass the same bill into law. (SB1959). Probably in the same way.
Everybody snoozed when HR 1955 was passed, and has been snoozing or eating or shopping ever since.
We MUST do all we can to prevent the passage of this bill.
THIS IS AN URGENT ACTION ALERT:
S 1959 "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007" must be stopped at all costs.
Pick up your phone today and contact your US Senator's office to instruct them to vote "NO" on S.1959.
Click here for your Senators contact info:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Full PDF text if the bill:
http://tinyurl.com/3a3y2z
If this bill is passed, and becomes law, your words and actions could be considered terrorism. S 1959 EVISCERATES FREE SPEECH, and empowers the govt. to declare ANYTHING they deem an "extremist belief system", instantly make you a terrorist, resulting in stripping of US citizenship, torture, and/or execution, with no habeas corpus rights, no ability to challenge even in the US Supreme Court.
Contact your Senator and let them know they will be looking for another job if they vote yes on this bill, which is now introduced into the Senate as S.1959 THIS BILL **MUST NOT** BECOME LAW, PERIOD.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1955
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1959
If this becomes law, your words could be considered "promoting an extremist belief system", and all they have to say is that you are using PLANNED OR THREATENED *FORCE* (DOES NOT HAVE TO BE VIOLENCE) --FORCE by exposing CORRUPTION, CRIMINALITY against "THE CIVILIAN POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES, *****OR ANY SEGMENT THEREOF" READ THE BILL MANY TIMES AND VERY CAREFULLY--YOU ARE THE TERRORIST (WHICH MEANS THEY CAN STRIP YOUR CITIZENSHIP, AND HAVE YOU TORTURED AND EXECUTED).
Senate is back in session today, do not hesitate, call, fax, email your Senator ASAP.
Click here for your Senators contact info:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Sent from:
Restore The Republic, 3149 Dundee Rd #176, Northbrook, Illinois 60062
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DRANT #267, OCTOBER 25, 2007:
STOP what you're doing.
Read this.
Read it ALL.
Of all the draconian totalitarian abusive laws passed by our government, this may be the scariest.
The "THOUGHT CRIME PREVENTION" ACT. --- H.R. 1955: Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007
Of course, Nancy Pelosi pushed this through.
On October 23, it passed the House 404-6.
DEMOCRAT Jane Harman sponsored it, with 14 bi partisan co sponsors.
Barbara Lee voted yes. Maxine Waters voted yes. Henry Waxman and Pete Stark voted yes.
You MUST read it.(below)
And scariest of all- there has not been ONE PEEP about this anywhere-
no NY Times, no CNN.
Not even the leftie blogs, except Rogue Government and Blacklisted News.
Plus today's Counterpunch.
BUT-
the Counterpunch article blithely forecasts that this bill would get the usual, constitutional congressional due process-
referral to committee, negotiation, floor debate, scrutiny.
It got NONE of these things.
It was shoved through and passed with NO debate, no scrutiny-
It was passed under a SUSPENSION OF THE RULES-- to "cut debate short and pass the bill"
by Nancy Pelosi and her Republican co-conspirators.
Just like all the others-
The terms of this law are horrendous, unthinkable.
But the METHOD used to make it law makes manifest the true degree of the fascism under which we are now living.
And, the complete lack of any opposition, the screaming silence of the press and the People, tells us the worst of the tale.
H.R. 1955: Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007
To prevent homegrown terrorism, and for other purposes.Sponsor:
Rep. Jane Harman [D-CA]show cosponsors (14) Status: Introduced Apr 19, 2007 Scheduled for Debate Aug 1, 2007 Passed House -- Oct 23, 2007
Last Action:
Oct 23, 2007: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 404 - 6 (Roll no. 993).
Oct 23, 2007: This bill passed in the House of Representatives by roll call vote. The vote was held under a suspension of the rules to cut debate short and pass the bill, needing a two-thirds majority. The totals were 404 Ayes, 6 Nays, 22 Present/Not Voting.
The bill now goes on to be voted on in the Senate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
House Passes Thought Crime Prevention Bill
Published on Thursday, October 25, 2007.
http://www.blacklistednews.com/view.asp?ID=4596
Read more!!
Of course, Pelosi is in it up to her botoxed eyebrows.
http://www.indypendent.org/2007/11/19/bringing-the-war-on-terrorism-home-congress-considers-who-to-%e2%80%98disrupt%e2%80%99-radical-movements-in-the-united-states/
Bringing the War on Terrorism Home: Congress Considers How to ‘Disrupt’ Radical Movements in the United States
From the November 26, 2007 issue of The Indypendent
homegrown2
By Jessica Lee
Under the guise of a bill that calls for the study of “homegrown terrorism,” Congress is apparently trying to broaden the definition of terrorism to encompass both First Amendment political activity and traditional forms of protest such as nonviolent civil disobedience, according to civil liberties advocates, scholars and historians.
The proposed law, The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 1955), was passed by the House of Representative in a 404-6 vote Oct. 23. (The Senate is currently considering a companion bill, S. 1959.) The act would establish a “National Commission on the prevention of violent radicalization and ideologically based violence” and a university-based “Center for Excellence” to “examine and report upon the facts and causes of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism and ideologically based violence in the United States” in order to develop policy for “prevention, disruption and mitigation.”
Many observers fear that the proposed law will be used against U.S.-based groups engaged in legal but unpopular political activism, ranging from political Islamists to animal-rights and environmental campaigners to radical right-wing organizations. There is concern, too, that the bill will undermine academic integrity and is the latest salvo in a decade-long government grab for power at the expense of civil liberties.
David Price, a professor of anthropology at St. Martin’s University who studies government surveillance and harassment of dissident scholars, says the bill “is a shot over the bow of environmental activists, animal-rights activists, anti-globalization activists and scholars who are working in the Middle East who have views that go against the administration.” Price says some right-wing outfits such as gun clubs are also threatened because “[they] would be looked at with suspicion under the bill.”
AND DEMOCRACY NOW
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/11/20/1458214
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
U R G E N T -
I sent DRANT #267 (see below) out on October 25, 2007. In it I detailed the near-unanimous passage of HR 1955 by the House of Representatives, achieved by suspending the rules of Congress, and allowing no debate.
Now- the Senate is about to pass the same bill into law. (SB1959). Probably in the same way.
Everybody snoozed when HR 1955 was passed, and has been snoozing or eating or shopping ever since.
We MUST do all we can to prevent the passage of this bill.
THIS IS AN URGENT ACTION ALERT:
S 1959 "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007" must be stopped at all costs.
Pick up your phone today and contact your US Senator's office to instruct them to vote "NO" on S.1959.
Click here for your Senators contact info:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Full PDF text if the bill:
http://tinyurl.com/3a3y2z
If this bill is passed, and becomes law, your words and actions could be considered terrorism. S 1959 EVISCERATES FREE SPEECH, and empowers the govt. to declare ANYTHING they deem an "extremist belief system", instantly make you a terrorist, resulting in stripping of US citizenship, torture, and/or execution, with no habeas corpus rights, no ability to challenge even in the US Supreme Court.
Contact your Senator and let them know they will be looking for another job if they vote yes on this bill, which is now introduced into the Senate as S.1959 THIS BILL **MUST NOT** BECOME LAW, PERIOD.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1955
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1959
If this becomes law, your words could be considered "promoting an extremist belief system", and all they have to say is that you are using PLANNED OR THREATENED *FORCE* (DOES NOT HAVE TO BE VIOLENCE) --FORCE by exposing CORRUPTION, CRIMINALITY against "THE CIVILIAN POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES, *****OR ANY SEGMENT THEREOF" READ THE BILL MANY TIMES AND VERY CAREFULLY--YOU ARE THE TERRORIST (WHICH MEANS THEY CAN STRIP YOUR CITIZENSHIP, AND HAVE YOU TORTURED AND EXECUTED).
Senate is back in session today, do not hesitate, call, fax, email your Senator ASAP.
Click here for your Senators contact info:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Sent from:
Restore The Republic, 3149 Dundee Rd #176, Northbrook, Illinois 60062
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DRANT #267, OCTOBER 25, 2007:
STOP what you're doing.
Read this.
Read it ALL.
Of all the draconian totalitarian abusive laws passed by our government, this may be the scariest.
The "THOUGHT CRIME PREVENTION" ACT. --- H.R. 1955: Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007
Of course, Nancy Pelosi pushed this through.
On October 23, it passed the House 404-6.
DEMOCRAT Jane Harman sponsored it, with 14 bi partisan co sponsors.
Barbara Lee voted yes. Maxine Waters voted yes. Henry Waxman and Pete Stark voted yes.
You MUST read it.(below)
And scariest of all- there has not been ONE PEEP about this anywhere-
no NY Times, no CNN.
Not even the leftie blogs, except Rogue Government and Blacklisted News.
Plus today's Counterpunch.
BUT-
the Counterpunch article blithely forecasts that this bill would get the usual, constitutional congressional due process-
referral to committee, negotiation, floor debate, scrutiny.
It got NONE of these things.
It was shoved through and passed with NO debate, no scrutiny-
It was passed under a SUSPENSION OF THE RULES-- to "cut debate short and pass the bill"
by Nancy Pelosi and her Republican co-conspirators.
Just like all the others-
The terms of this law are horrendous, unthinkable.
But the METHOD used to make it law makes manifest the true degree of the fascism under which we are now living.
And, the complete lack of any opposition, the screaming silence of the press and the People, tells us the worst of the tale.
H.R. 1955: Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007
To prevent homegrown terrorism, and for other purposes.Sponsor:
Rep. Jane Harman [D-CA]show cosponsors (14) Status: Introduced Apr 19, 2007 Scheduled for Debate Aug 1, 2007 Passed House -- Oct 23, 2007
Last Action:
Oct 23, 2007: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 404 - 6 (Roll no. 993).
Oct 23, 2007: This bill passed in the House of Representatives by roll call vote. The vote was held under a suspension of the rules to cut debate short and pass the bill, needing a two-thirds majority. The totals were 404 Ayes, 6 Nays, 22 Present/Not Voting.
The bill now goes on to be voted on in the Senate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
House Passes Thought Crime Prevention Bill
Published on Thursday, October 25, 2007.
http://www.blacklistednews.com/view.asp?ID=4596
Read more!!
Monday, November 19, 2007
DRANT #274: VENEZUELA COUP 3
More about the US Government's ongoing Coup attempt against Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian Government in Venezuela.
Stephen Lendman's article is incredibly detailed, and provides a wide, comprehensive and meticulously researched historical overview, as well as insightful up to the minute analysis-- including a deconstruction of the familiar complicity of the pimp media.
Just as Iraq, Gaza, Mogadishu, Darfur, Guantanamo, are windows into what is being done to US- here in the USA- so too is Venezuela--
Lendman correlates the US actions in Venezuela to recent acts of political repression and sabotage here at home- most particularly the outrageous invasion and confiscation of Ron Paul's Liberty Dollar project.
Below are some excerpts, but I urge you to read the entire article.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coup D'Etat Rumblings in Venezuela
by Stephen Lendman; November 19, 2007
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=45&ItemID=14325
The Bush administration tried and failed three prior times to oust Hugo Chavez since its first aborted two-day coup attempt in April, 2002. Through FOIA requests, lawyer, activist and author Eva Golinger uncovered top secret CIA documents of US involvement that included an intricate financing scheme involving the quasi-governmental agency, National Endowment of Democracy (NED), and US Agency for International Development (USAID). The documents also showed the White House, State Department and National Security Agency had full knowledge of the scheme, had to have approved it, and there's little doubt of CIA involvement as it's always part of this kind of dirty business. What's worrying now is what went on then may be happening again in what looks like a prelude to a fourth made-in-Washington attempt to oust the Venezuelan leader that must be monitored closely as events develop.
Since he took office in February, 1999, and especially after George Bush's election, Chavez has been a US target, and this time he believes credible sources point to a plot to assassinate him. That information comes from Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh, president of the Hugo Chavez International-Foundation for Peace, Friendship & Solidarity (HCI-FPFS) in a November 11 press release. Sankoh supports Chavez as "a man of peace and flamboyant champion of human dignity (who persists in his efforts in spite of) growing US blackmail, sabotage and political blasphemy."
HCI-FPFS sources revealed the plot's code name - "Operation Cleanse Venezuela" that now may be unfolding ahead of the December 2 referendum on constitutional reforms. According to Sankoh, the scheme sounds familiar - CIA and other foreign secret service operatives (including anti-Castro terrorists) aiming to destabilize the Chavez government by using "at least three concrete subversive plans" to destroy the country's social democracy and kill Chavez.
It involves infiltrating subversive elements into the country, inciting opposition within the military, ordering region-based US forces to shoot down any aircraft used by Chavez, employing trained snipers with shoot to kill orders, and having the dominant US and Venezuelan media act as supportive attack dogs. Chavez is targeted because he represents the greatest of all threats to US hegemony in the region - a good example that's spreading. Venezuela also has Latin America's largest proved oil reserves at a time supplies are tight and prices are at all-time highs.
Sankoh calls Washington-directed threats "real" and to "be treated seriously" to avoid extending Bush's Middle East adventurism to Latin America. He calls for support from the region and world community to denounce the scheme and help stop another Bush administration regime change attempt.
More information on a possible coup plot also came from a November 13 Party for Socialism and Liberation article headlined "New US plots against the Venezuelan Revolution." It states Tribuna Popular (the Communist Party of Venezuela) and Prensa Latina (the Latin American News Agency) reported: "Between Oct. 7 and Oct 9, high-ranking US officials met in Prague, Czech Republic, with parts of the Venezuelan opposition (where they were) urged to convene social uprisings, sabotage the economy and infrastructure, destroy the food transportation chain and plan a military coup." It said Paul Wolfowitz and Madeleine Albright attended along with Humberto Celli, "a well-known coup-plotter from the Venezuelan party Accion Democratica."
The article further reported Tibisay Lucena, The National Electoral Council chairman, said the Venezuelan corporate media was "stoking a mood of violence amongst right-wing students" through a campaign of agitprop, and Hermann Escarra from the "pro-coup" Comando Nacional de la Resistencia openly incited "rebellion" last August and then called for constitutional changes to be stopped "through all means possible."
The Venezuelan news agency, Diaria VEA, also weighed in saying "anonymous students planned on committing acts of destabilization" as the December 2 vote approaches. Venezuelan Radio Trans Mundial provided proof with a recorded video of a youth dumping gasoline into an armored vehicle, ramming metal barricades into police on top of other vehicles, and knocking them from their roofs and hoods onto the ground...
Venezuela's Foreign Minister, Nicolas Maduro, weighed in on this on November 8. He accused Washington of meddling by staging violent Caracas street protests against proposed constitutional reforms to extend the country's participatory social democracy. Referring to a November 7 shootout at Caracas' Central University, he said: "We don't have any doubt that the government of the United States has their hands in the scheme that led to the ambush yesterday" that Chavez calls a "fascist offensive." Several students were wounded on the streets from a clash between pro and anti-Chavez elements.
"We know the whole scheme," Maduro added, and he should as it happened before in 2002, again during the disruptive 2002-03 oil management lockout, and most often as well when elections are held to disrupt the democratic process. These are standard CIA operating tactics used many times before for 50 years in the Agency's efforts to topple independent leaders and kill them. Chavez understands what's happening, and he's well briefed and alerted by his ally, Fidel Castro, who survived over 600 US attempts to kill him since 1959. He's now 81 and very much alive but going through a difficult recovery from major surgery 15 months ago.
Chavez has widespread popular support throughout the region and from allies like Ecuador's Raphael Correa and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega who expressed his "solidarity with the revolutionary people of Venezuela and our friend Hugo Chavez, who is being subjected to aggression from a counterrevolution fed by the traitors from inside the country and by the empire (referring to the US)." He compared the situation to his own country where similar efforts are being "financed by the United States Embassy" in Managua to support elements opposed to his Sandinista government even though it's very accommodative to Washington.
Even Brazil's Lula chimed in by calling Chavez's proposed reforms consistent with Venezuela's democratic norms, and he added: "Please, invent anything to criticize Chavez, except for lack of democracy."
In their anti-government zeal, CNN and other dominant media ignore the many pro-Chavez events writer Fred Fuentes calls a "red hurricane" sweeping the country. An impressive one was held on November 4 when the President addressed hundreds of thousands of supporters who participated in an 8.5 kilometer Caracas march while similar pro-reform rallies took place at the same time around the country. They're the start of a "yes" campaign for a large December 2 turnout that's vital as polls show strong pro-reform support by a near two to one margin.
The pattern now unfolding on Caracas streets is similar to what happened ahead of the April, 2002 aborted coup attempt, and Petras calls it "the most serious threat (to the President) since" that time. The corporate media then claimed pro-government supporters instigated street violence and fired on "unarmed" opposition protesters. In fact, that was later proved a lie as anti-Chavez "snipers" did the firing as part of the plot that became the coup. A similar scheme may now be unfolding in Caracas and on other campuses around the country as well.
...when protests of any kind happen in the US, police usually attack them with tear gas, beatings and mass arrests to crush their democratic spirit and prevent it from being expressed as our Constitution's First and most important amendment guarantees. In Venezuela, the spirit of democracy lives. It never existed in the US, and we want to export our way to everyone and by force if necessary.
Here's a November 15 breaking news example of our way in action. At 8:00AM, 12 FBI and Secret Service agents raided the Liberty Dollar Company's office in Evansville, IN and for the next six hours removed two tons of legal Ron Paul Dollars along with all the gold, silver and platinum at the location. They also took all location files and computers and froze Liberty Dollar's bank accounts in an outrageous police state action against a legitimate business. This move also seems intended to impugn the integrity of a presidential candidate gaining popularity because he defies the bellicose mainstream and wants more people empowerment.
Chavez champions another way and answered his critics at a November 14 Miraflores Presidential Palace press conference where he denounced them for lying about his reform package. He explained his aim is to strengthen Venezuela's independence and transfer power to the people, not increase his own. "For many years in Venezuela," he said, "they weakened the powers of the state as part of the neoliberal imperial plan....to weaken the economies of countries to insure domination. While we remained weak, imperialism was strengthened," and he elaborated.
He then continued to stress his most important reform "is the transfer of power to the people" through an explosion of grassroots communal, worker, student and campesino councils, formations of them into regional and national federations, and the formation of "communes (to) constitute the basic nucleus of the socialist state." Earlier Chavez stated that democratizing the economy "is the only way to defeat poverty, to defeat misery and achieve the largest sum of happiness for the people." He's not just saying this. He believes and acts on it, and that's why elitists target him for removal even though he wants equity for everyone, even his critics, and business continues to thrive under his government. But not like in the "good old" days when it was all one-way.
Events Are Ugly and Coming to A Head
Through the dominant media, Washington and Venezuelan anti-Chavez elements are using constitutional reform as a pretext for what they may have in mind - "to arouse the military to intervene" and oust Chavez, as Petras notes in his article titled "Venezuela: Between Ballots and Bullets." He explains the opposition "rich and privileged (coalition) fear constitutional reforms because they will have to grant a greater share of their (considerable) profits to the working class, lose their monopoly over market transactions to publicly owned firms, and see political power evolve toward local community councils and the executive branch."
Petras is worried and says "class polarization....has reached its most extreme expression" as December 2 approaches: "the remains of the multi-class coalition embracing a minority of the middle class and the great majority of (workers) is disintegrating (and) political defections have increased (including 14) deputies in the National Assembly." Add to them former Chavez Defense Minister, Raul Baduel, who Petras believes may be "an aspirant to head up a US-backed right-wing seizure of power."
The situation is ugly and dangerous, and lots of US money and influence fuels it. Petras puts it this way: "Venezuelan democracy, the Presidency of Hugo Chave zand the great majority of the popular classes face a mortal threat." An alliance between Washington, local oligarchs and elitist supporters of the "right" are committed to ousting Chavez and may feel now is their best chance. Venezuela's social democracy is on the line in the crucial December 2 vote, and the entire region depends on it solidifying and surviving.
Read more!!
Stephen Lendman's article is incredibly detailed, and provides a wide, comprehensive and meticulously researched historical overview, as well as insightful up to the minute analysis-- including a deconstruction of the familiar complicity of the pimp media.
Just as Iraq, Gaza, Mogadishu, Darfur, Guantanamo, are windows into what is being done to US- here in the USA- so too is Venezuela--
Lendman correlates the US actions in Venezuela to recent acts of political repression and sabotage here at home- most particularly the outrageous invasion and confiscation of Ron Paul's Liberty Dollar project.
Below are some excerpts, but I urge you to read the entire article.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coup D'Etat Rumblings in Venezuela
by Stephen Lendman; November 19, 2007
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=45&ItemID=14325
The Bush administration tried and failed three prior times to oust Hugo Chavez since its first aborted two-day coup attempt in April, 2002. Through FOIA requests, lawyer, activist and author Eva Golinger uncovered top secret CIA documents of US involvement that included an intricate financing scheme involving the quasi-governmental agency, National Endowment of Democracy (NED), and US Agency for International Development (USAID). The documents also showed the White House, State Department and National Security Agency had full knowledge of the scheme, had to have approved it, and there's little doubt of CIA involvement as it's always part of this kind of dirty business. What's worrying now is what went on then may be happening again in what looks like a prelude to a fourth made-in-Washington attempt to oust the Venezuelan leader that must be monitored closely as events develop.
Since he took office in February, 1999, and especially after George Bush's election, Chavez has been a US target, and this time he believes credible sources point to a plot to assassinate him. That information comes from Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh, president of the Hugo Chavez International-Foundation for Peace, Friendship & Solidarity (HCI-FPFS) in a November 11 press release. Sankoh supports Chavez as "a man of peace and flamboyant champion of human dignity (who persists in his efforts in spite of) growing US blackmail, sabotage and political blasphemy."
HCI-FPFS sources revealed the plot's code name - "Operation Cleanse Venezuela" that now may be unfolding ahead of the December 2 referendum on constitutional reforms. According to Sankoh, the scheme sounds familiar - CIA and other foreign secret service operatives (including anti-Castro terrorists) aiming to destabilize the Chavez government by using "at least three concrete subversive plans" to destroy the country's social democracy and kill Chavez.
It involves infiltrating subversive elements into the country, inciting opposition within the military, ordering region-based US forces to shoot down any aircraft used by Chavez, employing trained snipers with shoot to kill orders, and having the dominant US and Venezuelan media act as supportive attack dogs. Chavez is targeted because he represents the greatest of all threats to US hegemony in the region - a good example that's spreading. Venezuela also has Latin America's largest proved oil reserves at a time supplies are tight and prices are at all-time highs.
Sankoh calls Washington-directed threats "real" and to "be treated seriously" to avoid extending Bush's Middle East adventurism to Latin America. He calls for support from the region and world community to denounce the scheme and help stop another Bush administration regime change attempt.
More information on a possible coup plot also came from a November 13 Party for Socialism and Liberation article headlined "New US plots against the Venezuelan Revolution." It states Tribuna Popular (the Communist Party of Venezuela) and Prensa Latina (the Latin American News Agency) reported: "Between Oct. 7 and Oct 9, high-ranking US officials met in Prague, Czech Republic, with parts of the Venezuelan opposition (where they were) urged to convene social uprisings, sabotage the economy and infrastructure, destroy the food transportation chain and plan a military coup." It said Paul Wolfowitz and Madeleine Albright attended along with Humberto Celli, "a well-known coup-plotter from the Venezuelan party Accion Democratica."
The article further reported Tibisay Lucena, The National Electoral Council chairman, said the Venezuelan corporate media was "stoking a mood of violence amongst right-wing students" through a campaign of agitprop, and Hermann Escarra from the "pro-coup" Comando Nacional de la Resistencia openly incited "rebellion" last August and then called for constitutional changes to be stopped "through all means possible."
The Venezuelan news agency, Diaria VEA, also weighed in saying "anonymous students planned on committing acts of destabilization" as the December 2 vote approaches. Venezuelan Radio Trans Mundial provided proof with a recorded video of a youth dumping gasoline into an armored vehicle, ramming metal barricades into police on top of other vehicles, and knocking them from their roofs and hoods onto the ground...
Venezuela's Foreign Minister, Nicolas Maduro, weighed in on this on November 8. He accused Washington of meddling by staging violent Caracas street protests against proposed constitutional reforms to extend the country's participatory social democracy. Referring to a November 7 shootout at Caracas' Central University, he said: "We don't have any doubt that the government of the United States has their hands in the scheme that led to the ambush yesterday" that Chavez calls a "fascist offensive." Several students were wounded on the streets from a clash between pro and anti-Chavez elements.
"We know the whole scheme," Maduro added, and he should as it happened before in 2002, again during the disruptive 2002-03 oil management lockout, and most often as well when elections are held to disrupt the democratic process. These are standard CIA operating tactics used many times before for 50 years in the Agency's efforts to topple independent leaders and kill them. Chavez understands what's happening, and he's well briefed and alerted by his ally, Fidel Castro, who survived over 600 US attempts to kill him since 1959. He's now 81 and very much alive but going through a difficult recovery from major surgery 15 months ago.
Chavez has widespread popular support throughout the region and from allies like Ecuador's Raphael Correa and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega who expressed his "solidarity with the revolutionary people of Venezuela and our friend Hugo Chavez, who is being subjected to aggression from a counterrevolution fed by the traitors from inside the country and by the empire (referring to the US)." He compared the situation to his own country where similar efforts are being "financed by the United States Embassy" in Managua to support elements opposed to his Sandinista government even though it's very accommodative to Washington.
Even Brazil's Lula chimed in by calling Chavez's proposed reforms consistent with Venezuela's democratic norms, and he added: "Please, invent anything to criticize Chavez, except for lack of democracy."
In their anti-government zeal, CNN and other dominant media ignore the many pro-Chavez events writer Fred Fuentes calls a "red hurricane" sweeping the country. An impressive one was held on November 4 when the President addressed hundreds of thousands of supporters who participated in an 8.5 kilometer Caracas march while similar pro-reform rallies took place at the same time around the country. They're the start of a "yes" campaign for a large December 2 turnout that's vital as polls show strong pro-reform support by a near two to one margin.
The pattern now unfolding on Caracas streets is similar to what happened ahead of the April, 2002 aborted coup attempt, and Petras calls it "the most serious threat (to the President) since" that time. The corporate media then claimed pro-government supporters instigated street violence and fired on "unarmed" opposition protesters. In fact, that was later proved a lie as anti-Chavez "snipers" did the firing as part of the plot that became the coup. A similar scheme may now be unfolding in Caracas and on other campuses around the country as well.
...when protests of any kind happen in the US, police usually attack them with tear gas, beatings and mass arrests to crush their democratic spirit and prevent it from being expressed as our Constitution's First and most important amendment guarantees. In Venezuela, the spirit of democracy lives. It never existed in the US, and we want to export our way to everyone and by force if necessary.
Here's a November 15 breaking news example of our way in action. At 8:00AM, 12 FBI and Secret Service agents raided the Liberty Dollar Company's office in Evansville, IN and for the next six hours removed two tons of legal Ron Paul Dollars along with all the gold, silver and platinum at the location. They also took all location files and computers and froze Liberty Dollar's bank accounts in an outrageous police state action against a legitimate business. This move also seems intended to impugn the integrity of a presidential candidate gaining popularity because he defies the bellicose mainstream and wants more people empowerment.
Chavez champions another way and answered his critics at a November 14 Miraflores Presidential Palace press conference where he denounced them for lying about his reform package. He explained his aim is to strengthen Venezuela's independence and transfer power to the people, not increase his own. "For many years in Venezuela," he said, "they weakened the powers of the state as part of the neoliberal imperial plan....to weaken the economies of countries to insure domination. While we remained weak, imperialism was strengthened," and he elaborated.
He then continued to stress his most important reform "is the transfer of power to the people" through an explosion of grassroots communal, worker, student and campesino councils, formations of them into regional and national federations, and the formation of "communes (to) constitute the basic nucleus of the socialist state." Earlier Chavez stated that democratizing the economy "is the only way to defeat poverty, to defeat misery and achieve the largest sum of happiness for the people." He's not just saying this. He believes and acts on it, and that's why elitists target him for removal even though he wants equity for everyone, even his critics, and business continues to thrive under his government. But not like in the "good old" days when it was all one-way.
Events Are Ugly and Coming to A Head
Through the dominant media, Washington and Venezuelan anti-Chavez elements are using constitutional reform as a pretext for what they may have in mind - "to arouse the military to intervene" and oust Chavez, as Petras notes in his article titled "Venezuela: Between Ballots and Bullets." He explains the opposition "rich and privileged (coalition) fear constitutional reforms because they will have to grant a greater share of their (considerable) profits to the working class, lose their monopoly over market transactions to publicly owned firms, and see political power evolve toward local community councils and the executive branch."
Petras is worried and says "class polarization....has reached its most extreme expression" as December 2 approaches: "the remains of the multi-class coalition embracing a minority of the middle class and the great majority of (workers) is disintegrating (and) political defections have increased (including 14) deputies in the National Assembly." Add to them former Chavez Defense Minister, Raul Baduel, who Petras believes may be "an aspirant to head up a US-backed right-wing seizure of power."
The situation is ugly and dangerous, and lots of US money and influence fuels it. Petras puts it this way: "Venezuelan democracy, the Presidency of Hugo Chave zand the great majority of the popular classes face a mortal threat." An alliance between Washington, local oligarchs and elitist supporters of the "right" are committed to ousting Chavez and may feel now is their best chance. Venezuela's social democracy is on the line in the crucial December 2 vote, and the entire region depends on it solidifying and surviving.
Read more!!
Friday, November 16, 2007
DRANT #273: AS THE WORLD BURNS
Please- send this to everyone who drinks water, or knows someone who does.
I have printed a very short excerpt below, but please --- read this in its entirety. The information and the message must be read, and disseminated everywhere.
The destruction of our living environment is the single greatest threat facing us- which may explain why it is largely ignored by the major media and major political parties- not to mention most of us, as we live out the few years left to us and our grandchildren.
Read this as if your life depends on it.
Thanks,
DR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How Dry We Are
A Question No One Wants to Raise About Drought
By Tom Engelhardt
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174863/as_the_world_burns
Georgia's on my mind. Atlanta, Georgia. It's a city in trouble in a state in trouble in a region in trouble. Water trouble. Trouble big enough that the state government's moving fast. Just this week, backed up by a choir singing "Amazing Grace," accompanied by three protestant ministers, and 20 demonstrators from the Atlanta Freethought Society, Georgia's Baptist Governor Sonny Perdue led a crowd of hundreds in prayers for rain. "We've come together here," he said, "simply for one reason and one reason only: To very reverently and respectfully pray up a storm." It seems, however, that the Almighty -- He "who can and will make a difference" -- was otherwise occupied and the regional drought continued to threaten Atlanta, a metropolis of 5 million people (and growing fast), with the possibility that it might run out of water in as little as 80 days or as much as a year, if the rain! s don't come.
Here's a little summary of the situation today:
Water rationing has hit the capital. Car washing and lawn watering are prohibited within city limits. Harvests in the region have dropped by 15-30%. By the end of summer, local reservoirs and dams were holding 5% of their capacity.
Oops, that's not Atlanta, or even the southeastern U.S. That's Ankara, Turkey, hit by a fierce drought and high temperatures that also have had southern and southwestern Europe in their grip.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE THING
Read more!!
I have printed a very short excerpt below, but please --- read this in its entirety. The information and the message must be read, and disseminated everywhere.
The destruction of our living environment is the single greatest threat facing us- which may explain why it is largely ignored by the major media and major political parties- not to mention most of us, as we live out the few years left to us and our grandchildren.
Read this as if your life depends on it.
Thanks,
DR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How Dry We Are
A Question No One Wants to Raise About Drought
By Tom Engelhardt
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174863/as_the_world_burns
Georgia's on my mind. Atlanta, Georgia. It's a city in trouble in a state in trouble in a region in trouble. Water trouble. Trouble big enough that the state government's moving fast. Just this week, backed up by a choir singing "Amazing Grace," accompanied by three protestant ministers, and 20 demonstrators from the Atlanta Freethought Society, Georgia's Baptist Governor Sonny Perdue led a crowd of hundreds in prayers for rain. "We've come together here," he said, "simply for one reason and one reason only: To very reverently and respectfully pray up a storm." It seems, however, that the Almighty -- He "who can and will make a difference" -- was otherwise occupied and the regional drought continued to threaten Atlanta, a metropolis of 5 million people (and growing fast), with the possibility that it might run out of water in as little as 80 days or as much as a year, if the rain! s don't come.
Here's a little summary of the situation today:
Water rationing has hit the capital. Car washing and lawn watering are prohibited within city limits. Harvests in the region have dropped by 15-30%. By the end of summer, local reservoirs and dams were holding 5% of their capacity.
Oops, that's not Atlanta, or even the southeastern U.S. That's Ankara, Turkey, hit by a fierce drought and high temperatures that also have had southern and southwestern Europe in their grip.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE THING
Read more!!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
DRANT #272: VENEZUELA COUP UPDATE
http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=76796
Published: Sunday, November 11, 2007
Bylined to: Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh
CIA agents and foreign secret services in at least three concrete subversive plots to destabilize the Chavez government and obstructing the Referendum
In a press release, issued today, Sunday, November 11, the Hugo Chavez International-Foundation for Peace, Friendship & Solidarity (HCI-FPFS) says it has learnt from credible sources of a plot to assassinate the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez.
According to HCI-FPFS sources, the plot (code-named "Operation Cleanse Venezuela") is designed to be put into action before Venezuela's referendum on Constitutional amendments scheduled for December 2.
The HCI-FPFS says that CIA agents are working with other foreign secret service organizations on at least three concrete subversive plans to destabilize the government of President Chavez with the objective of obstructing the Referendum.
Venezuela's National Assembly (AN) already passed all the constitutional reform bills put before it a week ago, recognizing historic links between Africa and Venezuela.
The planned subversion aims not only to destabilize the government of President Chavez and the sovereignty of Venezuela, but to counter the democratic will of the Venezuelan people.
The United States 'intelligence community' is focused on:
* Recruiting and mobilizing anti-Cuban terrorist forces based in South Miami, Florida and Fort Bragg in North Carolina in the USA and other armed foreign mercenaries to invade Venezuela from neighboring countries with the help of local collaborators and enemies of the Venezuelan people.
* Using traitors in the Bolivarian Alternative Revolution, and others under the guise of religion, to create division among the Venezuelan Armed Forces and attempt to ignite a violent mutiny by the military against the Government and the people.
* Issuing orders to US occupation forces in the region to shoot down any aircraft used by President Chavez. The Bush administration in Washington D.C. is claimed to have hired the services of US-trained snipers to carry out an assassination bid with the collusion of rebel ex-military and police.
"While the HCI-FPFS advocates peace, human rights, freedom and dignity, and is against all acts of terrorism, it finds it appropriate to condemn US policy on Venezuela as dangerous threat to peace and security."
"It is the opinion of the organization that, pursuing a policy of murder and destruction against President Chavez and the people of Venezuela, the United States of America is committing unpardonable sins against humanity."
The HCI-FPFS press release continues: It should be recalled that, one of George Bush's foreign policies since the inception of his administration in 2001, is violent aggression against countries and leaders who resist US imperialism. The phrase "regime change" is used by the Bush administration to threaten peace and security, and to impose vicious governments around the world, against the will of the people ... "and at the top of the current US list for murder and destruction is President Chavez of Venezuela."
"President Hugo Chavez' "Socialism of the 21st century" threatens the United States' grip on Venezuelan oil and other resources ... with this ill-thought-out, reactionary and subversive foreign policy, the Bush administration is plotting even more evil attacks against the Venezuelan people."
"The center piece of the US anti-Venezuelan disinformation program, plots and conspiracies has been to ensure the return of the former disgraced oligarchy and treacherous leaders in Caracas, to rape the wealth of Venezuelan nation, and to ruin lives of peoples, using domestic collaborators and traitors hiding behind the media, churches and so-called opposition to wreck the Venezuelan state."
"The wounds and scars inflicted on the people by the US-masterminded failed coup of April 11, 2002 is still fresh in the minds of the Venezuelan public ... not to mention the reckless, homosexually-cantered, racist-minded, shameless, faithless and satanic statement made in 2005, by the Reverend (?) Pat Robertson, calling for the assassination of President Hugo Chavez."
"The Hugo Chavez International-Foundation for Peace, Friendship & Solidarity challenges Robertson to tell the world which commandments of God advocate the death penalty. If, anything we advise this good-for-nothing Christian to prepare as the gates of hell wait to welcome him."
"It should be recalled that in 1999, the Bolivarian Revolution (under President Chavez) introduced grassroots democratic reforms in the Constitution of Venezuela, giving (for the first time) power to the most pauperized, neglected and deprived rural masses to take part in all gatherings, discussions and decisions on the future direction of Venezuela ... contrary to the policies pursued by the oligarchic former leaders against the Venezuelan people."
"The United States, through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the CIA and other US-based instruments have worked actively in coup-plotting activities against progressive governments around the world opposed to foreign hegemony and de-humanization of their peoples. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent yearly to destabilize governments and nations, to buy people and impose governments that are subservient to US imperialism."
"With Bush's endless calls for regime change in countries opposed to war and exploitation of the people, US officials are meddling in every issue that will define the future of Venezuela, not just control of oil and gas or a change in government ... any leaked information about US plots against Venezuela is REAL and should be treated seriously to avoid a repetition of the unending holocaust war in Iraqi, that is initiated and being fought by US forces of aggression on the Arab soil."
"The HCI-FPFS wishes to call upon the United Nations to institute an independent investigation into the alleged assassination plot by the United States of America. The United Nations and the international community must not be allowed to be consumed by the antics, manipulations, deceits, lies and media propaganda of the Bush administration, but to act out of a deep consciousness as a beacon of peace, harmony and hope for humanity. Failure to investigate the alleged plot to assassinate Venezuela's President is tantamount to fanning the embers of international terrorism; committing war crimes and crimes against humanity."
"The HCI-FPFS demands that the international community exert pressure on the Bush administration to spare the lives of the peace- and freedom-loving people of Venezuela, the horror of missiles, smart bombs, depleted uranium, terrorism and aggression, akin to the Iraqi situation and calls on member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) to meet and discuss the US plot against Venezuela with the sole aim of condemning the Bush administration's anti-Venezuela campaign, and to support President Chavez as the only way to save mankind, and Venezuela in particular, from the evils associated with Bush's destabilization efforts."
Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh
President, The Hugo Chavez International Foundation for Peace, Friendship & Solidarity (HCI-FPFS)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VENEZUELA: BETWEEN BALLOTS AND BULLETS
By James Petras*
Nov 12, 2007, 13:25
http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_25494.shtml
Venezuela’s democratically elected Present Chavez faces the most serious threat since the April 11, 2002 military coup.
Violent street demonstrations by privileged middle and upper middle class university students have led to major street battles in and around the center of Caracas. More seriously, the former Minister of Defense, General Raul Isaias Baduel, who resigned in July, has made explicit calls for a military coup in a November 5th press conference which he convoked exclusively for the right and far-right mass media and political parties, while striking a posture as an ‘individual’ dissident.
The entire international and local private mass media has played up Baduel’s speeches, press conferences along with fabricated accounts of the oppositionist student rampages, presenting them as peaceful protests for democratic rights against the government referendum scheduled for December 2, 2007.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Assassination of Hugo Chavez
by Greg Palast
http://www.gregpalast.com/
Reporting from Lago Agrio, Ecuador
Wednesday November 14
Before The Lord spoke unto Pat Robertson and told him to endorse Rudy Giuliani, family man, for President, the Reverend got a message that higher powers wanted him to arrange a hit on another President:
"Hugo Chavez thinks we're trying to assassinate him. I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it."
Robertson has a tough time separating Church and Hate. But when the vicious vicar declared it was time to take out the President of Venezuela, he was simply channeling the wishes of the Supreme Authority, Dick Cheney.
I'm asking you to see the story they don't want you to see in the USA: from the original investigations filmed for BBC Television, "The Assassination of Hugo"- a special DVD documentary by myself and Rick Rowley. NOT for general release - ONLY available as a gift to donors to the not-for-profit Palast Investigative Fund.
Why must they kill Chavez?
With the help of guerrila cameraman Rick Rowley ("Fourth World War"), I flew to Caracas to get the answer - from Chavez himself. I also talked to the guy who took Chavez hostage in 2002. (I had to wear a wire for that one.)
The answer is right underneath Chavez' feet. Oil. How much? According to the inside documents that fell into my hands from the Department of Energy - LOTS of oil, five times the reserves of Saudi Arabia.
The DVD includes Chavez himself, in our extended exclusive interviews. We go over the Bush plans - for his oil, and for his "elimination." Sing along with the crooning champion of the poor - or, as George Bush titles him, "a demagogue awash with oil money."
Watch the film - from Caracas malls to the oil tankers by helicopter - the story I guarantee you won't get on the Petroleum Broadcasting System.
PLUS two incredibly important reports: "Ecuador: Oiled and Despoiled" - my journey into the mud for Amy Goodman's Democracy Now, PLUS "Florida Con Salsa" - the theft of the Presidential Election in Mexico 2006.
Read more!!
Monday, November 12, 2007
DRANT #271: BREAKING UP THE COUP IN VENEZUELA
For those of us with fond memories of the unsuccessful US coup against Cesar Chavez in 2002- here we go again-- another US scam/PR/propaganda action and NED/CIA coup attempt in Venezuela.
In recent weeks, we have seen the Gringo Pimp Media filled with pix of embattled "students" protesting Chavez in Caracas, and pronouncements from a gaggle of backstabbing Negropontephiliacs splashed all over bourgeois Murdochland --
How many millions this will cost the NED and CIA this time is anyone's guess, but this appears to be a serious attempt to Regime Change Chavez.
Remember that the PNAC fascists publicly targeted Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran and -- Venezuela.
Les Blough from Axis of Logic is the only American Journalist reporting the real situation -- he lives in Caracas- and is well connected there.
His urgent breaking news postings are below.
PLEASE check it out.
( a small note: I will betya all a cesta gigante full of Ameros, that the USA does not attack Iran. Nor will Israel. Next stop is Caracas.)
BREAKING! FASCIST CONSPIRACY, FUELED BY U.S. TAX DOLLARS TO LAUNCH THE 2ND COUP D’ETAT in THE BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA
Arturo Rosales in Valencia and Ramon Santiago in Maracay. Axis of Logic Exclusive!
The Wealthy Elite, their University Students, Private Media, and Colombian Paramilitaries Team-up with Washington to Destabilize Venezuela
Les Blough, Editor: Axis of Logic; Rodrigo Trompiz and Jorge Martin: Hands Off Venezuela
Student Opposition "Non-violent protests" and "Police Brutality" in Venezuela
Video from VTV via Apporea. Axis of Logic commentary
CARACAS TODAY, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4 : GRAN MARCHA EN APOYO DE LA REFORMA CONSTITUCIONAL! (updated)
Les Blough, Editor
Read more!!
In recent weeks, we have seen the Gringo Pimp Media filled with pix of embattled "students" protesting Chavez in Caracas, and pronouncements from a gaggle of backstabbing Negropontephiliacs splashed all over bourgeois Murdochland --
How many millions this will cost the NED and CIA this time is anyone's guess, but this appears to be a serious attempt to Regime Change Chavez.
Remember that the PNAC fascists publicly targeted Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran and -- Venezuela.
Les Blough from Axis of Logic is the only American Journalist reporting the real situation -- he lives in Caracas- and is well connected there.
His urgent breaking news postings are below.
PLEASE check it out.
( a small note: I will betya all a cesta gigante full of Ameros, that the USA does not attack Iran. Nor will Israel. Next stop is Caracas.)
BREAKING! FASCIST CONSPIRACY, FUELED BY U.S. TAX DOLLARS TO LAUNCH THE 2ND COUP D’ETAT in THE BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA
Arturo Rosales in Valencia and Ramon Santiago in Maracay. Axis of Logic Exclusive!
The Wealthy Elite, their University Students, Private Media, and Colombian Paramilitaries Team-up with Washington to Destabilize Venezuela
Les Blough, Editor: Axis of Logic; Rodrigo Trompiz and Jorge Martin: Hands Off Venezuela
Student Opposition "Non-violent protests" and "Police Brutality" in Venezuela
Video from VTV via Apporea. Axis of Logic commentary
CARACAS TODAY, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4 : GRAN MARCHA EN APOYO DE LA REFORMA CONSTITUCIONAL! (updated)
Les Blough, Editor
Read more!!
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