roundtable with cedric, betty, c.i. and myself participating

New Video Backs Claims of US Massacre in Ishaqi

news you should use from democracy now. c.i. and i had planned a joint post and then we invited betty and cedric to participate (and they graciously agreed) so it went a little later than we thought. we finished up about one a.m. my time (eastern) and we're all posting it this morning at our sites.










Cedric: But that wasn't it.











Cedric: Okay. Sorry to go off topic.






C.I.: Safa Younis.


Rebecca: Because this is the occupation.





Rebecca: So what did you tell her?




Rebecca: That sounds like the name.






Rebecca: Did she become a Pacifica listener?










Rebecca: What?


Cedric: "Black don't crack."


Cedric: Do you watch a lot of public television?
















C.I.: Florence Anthony.


Betty: Wait! Flo, went to Howard University?

Cedric: Yeah.


C.I.: Black Elegance Magazine.





C.I.: Where she used to work.






Cedric: Yes. Yes, I'd agree with that.





Cedric: Well, she wrote a piece about the way people are talking, the political discourse. And to prove that it was on all sides, she included many examples, one of which was Harry Belafonte.You didn't agree with the column?







Betty: Again!






Back to Iraq









Rebecca: Okay, so Cedric got cut off, sorry.














Rebecca: What does everyone think about the investigation into Ishaqi?


Cedric: I don't know what to think about that.


Cedric: Why do you say that?







Betty: Nothing to add. Thanks for inviting me.





more marine news and talking about my grandmother

The Iraqi man reportedly was dragged from his home west of Baghdad and shot. Both the Los Angeles Times and NBC News said troops may have planted an AK-47 and shovel near the body to make it appear the man was an insurgent burying a roadside bomb.

that's from seth hettena's 'Marines to face charges in Iraqi's death' and you should read it in full. what else is due out any day now?

and how much will america put up with before their disgust means that even the fence straddlers find their voice?

i didn't listen to anything tonight. my grandmother called this morning and asked if i could visit. which i did. i kept asking her if she was sick because that's usually the only time she calls and asks you to visit. she says she's not but i'll be calling my mother first thing tomorrow. (just as no 1 should ever wake me in the morning with a phone call, no 1 should ever wake my mother at night - we are, like patty & cathy - as different as night and day - which means basically the same with opposite interests.)

she looked fine, my grandmother, and seemed fine. but i'm a worrier when it comes to my family. on the way home, a long trip, i was reviewing all the important dates and trying to think if this was a period of special importance (deaths, births, marriage) and couldn't think of anything. which doesn't mean that i haven't forgotten something, just that i can't remember it.

all day, before i visited, i was wondering what could be wrong so i may have created a drama where there is none. but with people who are important to you, it doesn't hurt to worry.

i'd rather be afraid that my grandmother might be sick or get sick than think, 'ah, who cares?'

except for her hip, which bothers her in cold weather, she is in good health.

i'm going to talk about her for a bit because she's some 1 that's really important to me and if that's not your thing, move on to another site, i won't be offended.

she has the longest hair. she wears it up and has all my life. in pictures, i know that she used to wear it down. it also used to be this beautiful, thick blonde hair (thickness is 1 way to tell a natural blonde, by the way, the individual hair is thicker if they're naturally blonde). now it's a beautiful silver and just as thick. except at night, when she brushes it and then pins it back up, i don't think i've ever seen it down other than in a photo.

that was really something when i was a kid. to see all that hair come down. i would always beg her to let me touch it or let me brush it and she would always indulge me. she also has very long fingernails that she paints a light pink and always has. my mother keeps her nails short so i obviously got my desire to keep my own fingernails long from her.

we have the same laugh and people say i was born with the laugh but i'm sure i picked it up from her early on.

at the worst period, the worst time, she can always see the bright spot. when i had to have an abortion, i only wanted 2 people waiting, fly boy and my grandmother. (and both were there for me.)

growing up my siblings were involved everything. and my parents were pretty tired of all the events so my grandmother would be the 1 who would take me and sit in the audience and cheer for me.

i think she's spent her whole life cheering me. when i was sad and when things were going great.
i have friends who grew up basically on their own. so i know how lucky i am to have always had some 1 who was in my corner.

anytime i doubted that i could do something, she would always be there to tell me that i could and that i should.

the only thing she ever asked me was to read. (and you better believe i did.) every 1 in the family thinks she's wonderful and they all have their own relationships with her that are special but i've always felt a special bond with her.

when i lost my virginity and needed to check details with some 1 to make sure, she was the 1 i went to. she answered every question, no matter how embarrassed she got. (most embarrassed when i said that he seemed to think he'd just changed the world and i was basically just sore.)

she's just the most wonderful person in the world and any good quality i have, i got it from her. even if i never grasped her patience (which she has in abundance) or her ability to always see something good in even the worst situation. (which is genuine, she doesn't fake it.)

i'm probably obsessing over nothing but that's what's on my mind tonight. and that's all i'm really up to writing tonight.


2 apologies, 2 thank yous

2 apologies, 2 thank yous.

1st, i didn't realize the button i added wasn't displaying. my apologies for that.

my thank you to brenda who e-mailed to tell me that the web address showed up in place of the button for danny schechter's wmd.

2nd apology and 2nd thank you. apology to the community because i've had c.i. on the phone for over an hour talking me through how to get the button to display. (c.i. wasn't sure either and had to go into the common ills template and then - slowly - read the code to me repeatedly. and listen while i slowly read it back until i got it right.) i don't think you're getting an evening post at the common ills so if that makes you unhappy, blame me. thanks to c.i. for staying on the phone and helping me until i got the button for danny schechter's wmd to show up.

i think the pink background of this template really draws attention to some colors in the button (i hadn't noticed the reds in the photo). regardless, i've mentioned the film in 2 entries, go watch it. i know you've seen it before more than likely but trust me, you need to watch it again. it's more pertinent right now than it was when i 1st watched and i'll bet you'll discover the same thing.

todd chretien, music and wmd

kpfa's flashpoints tonight took a look at a race for a senate seat. difi? no, she wasn't on. (i'm sure she's too scared to go anywhere that she might be asked some real questions - better to stick to the sunday chat & chews where they all agree to avoid any real issues.) todd chretien was the guest. unlike difi, todd knows what's going on in the war and doesn't avoid talking about it or resort to happy talk to make the disgusting seem stomachable.

this wasn't addressed on the show, but i want to point it out. for anyone in california worried that the seat could go republican, it could do that with difi in the race. a number of people are disgusted with her over immigration, the war, and a host of other issues. third parties are third parties only because enough people won't support them. you can change that by showing up for todd. if you're sick of the war and sick of all the lies, if you want to see a congress that fights back instead of rolling over, you can make a difference with your vote. you have a real candidate running, someone who is addressing the issues and is meeting with voters.

end of lecture.

if you need more information go to kpfa's archives or the flashpoints website and you can listen to the interview yourself (it's in the 2nd 1/2 of the show).

june 1st is tomorrow which means you should check the body count from iraq, official count, about three days later. if the pattern holds, that's when all the official military deaths are reported by the united states, as c.i.'s pointed out, long after the press has run with a figure as the count. (and no, the new york times and others do not revisit the numbers after the administration tacks on two or so more.)

danny schechter's news dissector (a site i always visit if i'm online) offered a link to a washington post piece that i missed in the print edition. the national review did a 50 great rock songs for conservatives piece (laughable but we'll move on) and a columnist at the post responded with five songs.

what stands out? as he points out, he's stuck in the past. (life ended in the mid-seventies for him.) i'll also fault him for giving the impression that marvin gaye wrote 'what's going on?' - i'm not talking about the issues of authorship that have arisen since gaye's death (though those could be tackled) but about the fact that even the official credit doesn't list only marvin gaye.

other than that? sam cooke was a wonderful singer but no 1, not even tina turner with robert cray on guitar, has ever done a better job on 'a change is going to come' for me than otis. otis is the king of that song. (and most songs - aretha owns 'respect' and that's an exception.)

focusing on the time period the columnist does, i would put the temptations 'ball of confusion' on the list. i'd also work in nina simone's cover of 'pirate jenny' (and have no dispute over his choice of simone's 'missippi goddamn') as well as her own 'young, gifted and black.' i'd probably toss in aretha's version of elton john & bernie taupin's 'border song (holy moses)' as well. and diana ross and the supremes 'young folks' as well as diana's medley of 'brown baby/save the children' and 'young mothers.' so that's 7 to his 5. i applaud him for choosing songs by african-americans (the national review had one token in their 50). and i bet we could make a top 50 from songs recorded by african-americans in the time frame the columnist has created quite easily. let me add an 8th because i'm not afraid to be 'unfashionable.' i like the 5th dimension and have no need to pretend otherwise. i'd include their hit of laura nyro's 'save the country.'

that's a great song, their version or laura's, and if you've never heard it, make a point to seek it out. 'in my mind i can't study war no more' is one line from it.

on the outskirts of paris, demonstrations continue. for the last 2 nights. have you heard much about that because i haven't.

over 100 were involved last night. which reminds me of something i saw on democracy now today. let me see if c.i. highlighted it. yep, here it is:

600,000 Students Walk Out of Classes in Chile

there is activism in the air. bully boy probably wonders why things aren't as passive as when his poppy was pres?

i always read c.i.'s iraq snapshot. elaine and mike always highlight it and that's there thing (which i applaud); however, i usually try to go for something different since we're all a part of the same community. that said, i want to highlight it tonight. there's too much in it and i want to be sure every 1 reads it.


there's some discussion over whether the iraq snapshot should continue or not? for c.i. to pull it together monday through friday takes a good chunk of time. i think it provides a great service and i get e-mails about it sometimes. but i do know that some people want highlights. today, c.i. delayed the post for 2 reasons: 1) to include anthony arnove in it and 2) to include highlights. on the latter, you're welcome to disagree but i think the highlights can go. whatever paper you read, read it tomorrow and look at the snapshot above. see how much makes it into the paper. i bet most of it doesn't. (for some, none of it will.) the snapshot provides a very real look at the events (that are covered by the press). it requires reading far more than is included. and due to time constraints, something's going to have to give. i argue it should be the highlights.

things are already noted in the early morning posts. there's too much denial about reality and too much operation happy talk for the snapshot to be lost.

c.i. started it because either another wave of operation happy talk had started or 1 was due to begin (i forget which). since it started, t's been able to refute any 1 who comes into her salon and starts talking about how great the illegal war is going. she doesn't have to say 'last week,' she can say, 'today' or 'yesterday' and she'll pull it up on the computer in her salon and read it off to the really deluded.

what's stood out to me is how many deaths there are. if there are details or just a name, c.i. will note it. it becomes more than 'x number of iraqis died yesterday' in the paper. members are supposed to vote on this by tomorrow afternoon and friday's gina and krista round-robin will have the results. i called krista and asked her if she had a problem with me writing about it. she didn't and neither did gina. she said that i could add that both she and gina feel the same way i do. i do endorsements here and my endorsement is that the iraqi snapshot continue and if that means no highlights some days (or all days) so be it. it's too important and i know of no other place i can get that compilation of reports.

my grandmother recently showed me a scrapbook. when her brother signed up to fight in wwii, her mother started the scrapbook. this was all from one paper, a chicago 1, probably the tribune, and the thing that stuck out the most to me was how much news there was on each day. contrast that with what we get today which may be 1 article on iraq, 2 or 3 on a lucky day. the coverage of iraq, just the quantity, forget the quality, is shallow and does not reflect the fact that we are engaged in a war. the snapshot serves as a reminder and if you haven't voted already, please think about that.

does c.i. want to continue the snapshot? you know c.i.'s not going to comment 1 way or another until after the vote. (even to me.) (or especially to loose tongued me!) but i think it's clear that everything cannot be done and a choice needs to be made. i go with the snapshot and those who want highlights might want to put the pressure on the papers they read to beef up their own coverage of iraq (with something other than the official word coming out of dc) at which point there would probably be no need for the snapshot.

but there is a huge need for it currently and it provides a wonderful and valuable service.

sherry saw the note on the poll in the last gina & krista round-robin and wondered in an e-mail why c.i. puts that out there? c.i. looks at it as the community's resource and no member (including c.i.) being more important than any other. i don't run my site that way, obviously. but i don't have the following that the common ills (c.i.) does.

highlights can be provided in the morning and you can also go to common dreams or buzzflash for some. but the iraq snapshot isn't everywhere. everyone's not doing it. it's 1 of those things that either just came to c.i. or that some 1 noted when c.i. was speaking to a group (i have no idea which and if it was c.i.'s idea, you know there won't be any credit given by c.i.). but it's 1 more example of the service that the common ills provides to the community. i also think it's perfectly in keeping with what c.i.'s done from the start which is to put the war front and center - even when, as was the case when the common ills started - others felt it was something to move on from (including moveon.org). for those who have forgotten, moveon which champions many films didn't have any interest in danny schechter's wmd documentary which is both funny and educational. if you had to see just 1 film about the way the press handled iraq, it would be his film because it has a wide scope and covers so much. i think it was an inspired choice (by schechter) to open it with him weary from the tv coverage and wondering what was a dream and what wasn't. he has captured something very real and it's a huge service not only to understanding this war but, i fear, to understanding later wars and how they are sold and how they are covered. if you haven't seen weapons of mass deception, you need to. maybe you have a friend who's not into reading (some people aren't). if you want to reach them, try showing wmd and see if that doesn't open their eyes. i think it might actually be more effective today than it was when it came out.

that's because the rah-rah coverage has dropped some. so audiences should be able to see what seemed normal then and grasp that it was abnormal and part of a sell-the-war effort.

i put up a botton for the film earlier today on this site. i doubt it will help much because i think every 1 who comes here already knows about the film. but maybe seeing it will remind people with copies to pull them out and watch the film again, with friends who haven't seen it. wmd isn't a 1-time-film. you don't just watch it once. it has layers and, due to events that are ongoing, it has continued importance. so pop it in the dvd player and give it another look.

yes, i watched it today. jess and ava had been over at c.i.'s monday and were helping with cleaning out a number of items. 1 of the things they came across was the wmd script. jess borrowed that - it wasn't a give away nor was it a prospect for the donations boxes or the trash heap - and ended up reading it through on the plane ride back home. the film's been noted many times at the third estate sunday review and we've all seen it. but jess watched it again last night and called me this morning asking me to watch it again to see if it was just him? it's not. wmd is an incredible film that demands repeat viewings.


flashpoints tonight had dahr jamail & craig murray speaking - check it out

kpfa's flashpoints tonight dealt with war crimes and haditha. to talk on haditha, they had the ultimate un-embed, a reporter who's always spoken the truth - some 1 who wasn't part of the 'we were all wrong' crowd. dahr jamail spoke of how this could play out, like abu ghraib, as an isolated incident when it is fact part of the occupation. people need to stop kidding themselves.

dahr spoke about falluja, the 2nd seige. an iraqi ngo estimates that between 4,000 and 6,000 people were slaughtered. the 2nd seige is the one in november of 2004, the 1st was in april of 2004.

those who commit the crimes, those who cover it up, those who fail to report it in a timely manner, going all the way up the chain of command, are guilty of war crimes - dahr explained.

they played a speech from berkeley (a tribunal) and i wish had the man's name but i don't. want to know it? listen to the show. he said he liked bob herbert's work (herbert's a columnist for the new york times) but was very bothered by the idea that we just accept that we've got 2 and 1/2 more years of the bully boy.

paraphrase: we can't afford to wait 2 and 1/2 years for bully boy to use nukes on iran.

then we heard from craig murray who had a lot to say. including that the so-called war on terror was nothing but an attempt to exploit resources and markets. murray kept stating that he didn't have a prepared speech. he didn't need 1. he was funny when it was called for and serious when it was required. he spoke of torture, the bully boy and who are we becoming?

dahr jamail was also on democracy now today
and i think c.i. already grabbed the most important thing there:

AMY GOODMAN: Dahr Jamail is an independent journalist based for more than eight months in Iraq. Your response to this latest news?
DAHR JAMAIL: Well, two responses really. First is that this type of situation, like Haditha, is happening on almost a daily basis on one level or another in Iraq, whether it's civilian cars being shot up at U.S. checkpoints and families being killed or, on the other hand, to the level of, for example, the second siege of Fallujah, where between 4,000 and 6,000 people were killed, which I think qualifies as a massacre, as well. But even that number hasn't gotten the attention that this Haditha story has.

elaine's written a powerful 'mini-essay' - please read it. and read c.i.'s 'other items' because it had me cracking up this morning. and read ava & c.i.'s tv commentary because it's wonderful.

that's it for me. i'm tired. fly boy and i got back this evening. i came in just minutes before i turned on kpfa. i'm going to unpack, take a shower and then go to sleep.




Starting with the Iraq snapshot.










In other news, Amnesty is launching Irrepressible.info to highlight "governments using the net to suppress dissent."





This morning on KPFK (time given is PST):


This evening on WBAI (time given is EST):


