World-News

(engl.)

Bei den Mitgliedern des Beirates für Medikamente der amerikanischen Pharmakontrollbehörde FDA liegen häufig Interessenkonflikte vor, die das Wahlverhalten dieser Personen beeinflussen, so eine Untersuchung aus dem "Journal of the American Medical Association" (2006; 295:1921). In 73% der untersuchten Treffen lag bei mindestens einem Mitglied des Beirats oder einem Berater einer oder mehrere Interessenkonflikte vor. Hätte man diese Teilnehmer wegen ihrer Konflikte von der weiteren Beratung ausgeschlossen, so wären die Ergebnisse über die Zulassung eines Medikaments weitaus weniger positiv ausgefallen, in einem Fall hätte der Ausschluss der befangenen Mitglieder sogar die Zulassung des Medikaments verhindert. Zusammenfassung aus dem Englischen: Axel Berendes

Abstract:
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/extract/332/7548/991-a
BMJ2006;332:991 (29 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7548.991-a

siehe auch: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/295/16/1921?eaf JAMA, Vol. 295 No. 16, April 26, 2006


Aus: impf-report Newsletter Nr. 19/2006

Selbstmorde wegen Vogelgrippe

Bielefeld (rpo). Die Vogelgrippe droht, viele Geflügelzüchter in Deutschland in den Ruin zu treiben. Die Lage scheint teilweise noch dramatischer zu sein als angenommen. Zwei Geflügelzüchter sollen sich angeblich wegen einer Existenzkrise bereits in ihren Ställen erhängt haben. (...)

hier weiterlesen: http://www.rp-online.de/public/article/nachrichten/journal/katastrophe/deutschland/nrw/329369


Aus: impf-report Newsletter Nr. 19/2006

Nachfolgend einige Auszüge aus einer Publikation aus dem Jahr 1994, die sicherlich auch heute noch erschreckende Aktualität besitzt. Die Autoren sind Ärzte, die sich für eine individuelle Impfent- scheidung und gegen pauschale Massendurchimpfaktionen einsetzen.

Quelle: H. Albonico, P. Klein, Ch. Grob, D. Pewsner "Schweizerische Impfkampagne gegen Masern, Mumps und Röteln - Ärztliche Bedenken zur Ausrottungs-Strategie (Teil 2) Schweiz. Zschr. GanzheitsMedizin 2/94

Die hauptsächlichen Bedenken gegenüber der MMR-Massenimpfkampagne betreffen nicht in erster Linie die kurzfristigen Impfkomplikationen, sondern vor allem die längerfristigen Auswirkungen sowohl auf den einzelnen Menschen als auch auf das ökologische Gleichgewicht zwischen natürlichen Viren und dem Menschen.

(...) Aus historischen Erfahrungen wissen wir, dass ein Zurückdrängen oder gar das Aussterben des Masernvirus in einer geschlossenen Bevölkerung die Gefahr von explosiv auftretenden Epidemien in dieser Population heraufbeschwört. Solche Epidemien hatten in der erwachsenen Bevölkerung stets eine hohe Sterblichkeit - nämlich bis zu
25%.

(...) Weil die normale Ansteckung und "Durchseuchung" im Kindesalter zunehmend verhindert wird, kommt es dabei zu einer Verschiebung der Erkrankung ins Adoleszenten- und Erwachsenenalter einerseits und - wegen ungenügendem mütterlichem Immunschutz - ins Säuglingsalter andererseits. Außerhalb des Kindesalters verlaufen aber die Kinderkrankheiten wesentlich gefährlicher.

(...) Tatsächlich fiel die Masernhäufigkeit 1983 auf ein Minimum von 1497 gemeldeten Fällen, was einer Krankheitsabnahme um 99 % entsprach. Seitdem nehmen die Masern aber wieder zu.

(...) Einerseits gibt es laufend Masern-Ausbrüche an Schulen, welche überraschenderweise selbst dann auftreten, wenn 99 % der Schüler geimpft sind.

(...) Andererseits treten zunehmend Epidemien unter den ungeimpften Säuglingen auf.

(...) Nach offiziellen Meldungen verlaufen diese Masernausbrüche und - epidemien wesentlich gefährlicher als die herkömmlichen Masernerkrankungen. so war die Sterblichkeit an Masern in den USA 1989 mit 2,4 Todesfällen pro 1000 gemeldeten Erkrankungen 10mal höher als die für die Schweiz bisher genannte Masernsterblichkeit.

(...) Die MMR-Impfkampagne verbietet damit eine abweichende ärztliche Meinung in einer Gesundheitsfrage, die fachlich sehr kontrovers ist. Das bedeutet jedoch die Einführung einer staatlichen Doktrin im Gesundheitswesen, ohne dass eine volksgesundheitliche Notsituation besteht. (...)

Ganzen Artikel lesen: http://www.impfo.ch/pdf-dokumente/szgmmmrkampagne2.pdf

Teil 1 des Artikels: http://www.impfo.ch/pdf-dokumente/szgmmmrkampagne1.pdf


Aus: impf-report Newsletter Nr. 19/2006

Joachim Mutter, Johannes Naumann, Rainer Schneider, Harald Walach
und Boyd Haley

Zusammenfassung

Die Ursachen für Autismus und neuronale Entwicklungsstörungen sind
unbekannt. Anscheinend sind genetische und umweltbedingte Risiko-
faktoren beteiligt. Aufgrund des beobachteten Anstiegs von Autis-
musfällen in den letzten Jahrzehnten parallel zu steigender Queck-
silberbelastung wurde vermutet, Autismus könne teilweise durch
Quecksilber hervorgerufen werden. Wir überprüften die Beweislage
für diesen Zusammenhang. Verschiedene epidemiologische Studien fan-
den eine Korrelation zwischen einer Quecksilberbelastung durch Thi-
merosal, einem Konservierungsmittel für Impfstoffe, und einem Risi-
ko für Autismus, andere bestätigten diesen Zusammenhang nicht.
Kürzlich wurde bekannt, dass autistische Kinder während der Schwan-
gerschaft einer höheren Quecksilberbelastung aus dem Zahnamalgam
und aus Impfungen der Mutter mit Thimerosal enthaltenden Immunoglo-
bulinen ausgesetzt waren. Hinzu kam die Hypothese, dass autistische
Kinder eine verringerte Entgiftungskapazität aufgrund genetischer
Polymorphismen aufweisen könnten. In vitro hemmen Konzentrationen
von Quecksilber und Thimerosal, wie sie einige Tage nach einer Imp-
fung auftreten, die Methioninsynthetase (MS) um 50 %. Ein normales
Funktionieren von MS ist entscheidend für biochemische Schritte,
die für die Hirnentwicklung, die Aufmerksamkeitsleistung und für
die Produktion von Glutathion notwendig sind, einem wichtigen anti-
oxidativen und entgiftenden Agens. Bei Mäusen, die anfällig für Au-
toimmunerkrankungen sind, führen wiederholte Gaben von Thimerosal
zu Verfallserscheinungen des Neuroverhaltens, in vitro zu gestei-
gertem oxidativen Stress und zu sinkendem intrazellularen Gehalt an
Glutathion. Autistische Kinder weisen signifikant verringerte Kon-
zentrationen an reduziertem Glutathion auf. Vielversprechende Be-
handlungen schließen daher die Quecksilberentgiftung und ergänzende
Gaben der mangelnden Metaboliten ein.

Quelle:
http://www.umwelt-medizin-gesellschaft.de
umwelt-medizin-gesellschaft 19 (1): 53-60



Autismus nach Windockenimpfung

"Kinder aus Familien, in denen es bereits zu problematischen Reaktionen auf das Windpockenvirus gekommen ist, können besonders stark
durch Autismus gefährdet sein, wenn sie diesen Lebendimpfstoff zu
kurz nach einer anderen Impfung erhalten haben."

Das ist das Resultat einer dreimonatigen Untersuchung mehrerer Fäl-
le in einer Stadt im Nordwesten der USA, über die Washington Times
und United Press International (UPI) zur Zeit in einer umfangreichen Artikelserie berichten.

Mehrere Familien in Olympia, der Hauptstadt des Bundesstaates Washington, mussten miterleben, wie ihre Kinder in den Monaten nach
der Impfung in einen vollkommen autistischen Zustand verfielen -
die Sprache und soziale Fähigkeiten verloren und monotone Verhaltensmuster ausbildeten. Zwei der Kinder hatten an einer kleinen
klinischen Studie teilgenommen, bei dem ein Windpockenimpfstoff der
Firma Merck & Co. in Kombination mit dem Lebendimpfstoff gegen
Mumps, Masern und Röteln - MMR - verabreicht worden war.

Die Artikelreihe mit dem Titel "The Age of Autism: Pox" von Dan
Olmsted, dem Seniorherausgeber der UPI Editor über die aufschlussreichen Beobachtungen einer Gruppe von Eltern aus Olympia, Washington, besteht bis zum 17. Mai 2006 bereits aus 6 Teilen und kann auf der Webseite der "Age of Autism " ( http://www.theageofautism.com/ )
eingesehen werden.

(Achtung: Um einige Teile des Artikels lesen zu können, ist es notwendig, sich bei der "Washington Post" online zu registrieren. Diese Registrierung ist kostenlos und unverbindlich.

Zusammenfassung aus dem Englischen: Axel Berendes

Hier weiterlesen:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/upi/20060215-055834-5445r.htm
Washinton Times, 19. Apr. 2006


Aus: impf-report Newsletter Nr. 19/2006

Studie vertreibt Impfängste

Zusammenfassung aus dem Englischen Axel Berendes

Befürchtungen, dass Impfungen bei Kindern zu Gehirnschäden und Krampfanfällen führen können, sind durch eine Untersuchung von Forschern aus Melbourne gegenstandslos geworden.

Die Forscher hatten eine Gruppe von Kindern untersucht, die innerhalb von drei Tagen nach einer Impfung Krampfanfälle entwickelt hatten und in der Folge auch unter geistiger Behinderung litten. Wie sie herausfanden, lag bei 80 % der Kinder eine genetische Mutation vor, was dafür sprechen würde, dass die geistige Behinderung auf jeden Fall aufgetreten wäre, unabhängig davon ob man die Kinder geimpft hätte, oder nicht.

Diese Ergebnisse könnten die Jahrzehnte lange Kontroverse über die offensichtlichen Zusammenhänge zwischen Impfungen und Gehirnschäden beenden, die dazu geführt hat, dass einige Eltern, Erziehungsberechtigte und Angehörige medizinischer Berufe Impfmaßnahmen bei Kindern abgelehnt hatten.

Diese genetische Mutation, die eine schwere Form der kindlichen Epilepsie mit Namen "Dravet Syndrom" hervorruft, macht sich bei bis dato gesund scheinenden Kindern vor dem ersten Geburtstag bemerkbar.

Als erstes Symptom kommt es zu einem langen Krampfanfall, der in der Regel durch Fieber ausgelöst wird; im Laufe der folgenden 3 - 4 Jahre entwickelt das Kind unterschiedliche Arten von Anfällen wie Blickkrämpfe, schwache Zuckungen und sogenannt "Drop Attacks". Die geistige Entwicklung, die bis zum ersten Anfall normal verlaufen ist, kommt zu Stillstand und führt zur Behinderung des Kindes. Wie Fieber können auch Impfungen den ersten Anfall auslösen, sind aber nicht Ursache des Zustandes. Wie die Studie gezeigt hat, ist dafür die genetische Veränderung verantwortlich.

Wie die Leiter der Studie, die Professoren Sam Berkowitz und Ingred Scheffer sagen, wäre nun klar, dass alle Kinder, bei denen dieses Problem unmittelbar nach einer Impfung auftrete, früher oder später auch ohne Impfung erkranken würden.

"Diesen Menschen ist es vorbestimmt, am Dravet - Syndrom zu erkranken. Die Impfung war entweder zufällig oder kann auch den ersten Anfall ausgelöst haben, aber wie wir glauben, wäre das ohnehin passiert, nur nicht in diesen 48 Stunden," erklärt Professor Berkovic. Die Untersuchung wurde vom Epilepsy Research Centre der Universität Melbourne durchgeführt und am 19 April 2006 in "The Lancet Neurology" veröffentlicht.

Etwa 8 % der Zweijährigen in Australien sind nicht vollkommen immunisiert, unter ihnen etwa 6,7 % Kinder der Provinz Victoria. In einem Prozent der Fälle wurde die Impfung aus Gewissensgründen unter- lasen.

Nach Meinung Professor Berkovics erhöht eine inkomplette "Durchimpfung" aller Kinder das Risiko schwerer und verhütbarer Erkrankungen wie Keuchhusten oder Masern.

hier weiterlesen: http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/study-quashes-vaccine-anxiety/2006/04/20/1145344222970.html

The Age, Australia, April 21, 2006


Kommentar von Barbara Loe Fisher ( http://www.nvic.org )
(Übersetzung aus dem Englischen: Axel Berendes)

Diese "Studie" und der begleitende Medienbericht, sie könne "Impfängste vertreiben" wäre lächerlich, wenn es sich nicht um einen so jämmerlichen Versuch handelte, Impfstoffe von dem Vorwurf freizu- sprechen, sie könnte zu Schädigungen des Gehirns führen und die Schuld den Impfopfern und ihren schlechten Genen unterzuschieben. "Schuld hat das Opfer", ist schon immer die beliebteste Taktik der Interessengruppen gewesen, die im Wunschdenken befangen sind, die Injektion von im Labor veränderten Viren und Bakterien, giftigen Schwermetallen und Chemikalien würde keinen Schaden anrichten können - und das erst recht nicht bei Kindern!

Genetische Veränderungen des Menschen, die zum Teil auch durch Umweltgifte hervorgerufen wurden, können Einzelne durchaus für Impfschäden empfänglicher machen. Aber diese retrospektive Untersuchung, die sich mit 14 Patienten beschäftigt, bei denen es nach einer Impfung zu Krampfanfällen gekommen war, geht nur von der Annahme aus, das die Betroffenen ohnehin eine Gehirnschädigung erlitten hätten, ohne diese Annahme auch zu beweisen. Der einzige Beweis für die Richtigkeit dieser Hypothese wäre ein Vergleich der gesundheitlichen Ergebnisse vieler Personen mit und ohne dieser genetischen Variante, die geimpft wurden oder ungeimpft geblieben sind. Zudem wäre es angemessen, den Zustand der Chromosomen vor und nach der Impfung zu bewerten, um erkennen zu können, ob die Impfstoffe für Chromosomenbrüche und genetische Mutationen verantwortlich sind. Diese Studie schert sich auch nicht um die Tatsache, dass der Pockenimpfstoff bei einer von 5.000 Personen zu einer akuten disseminierten Enzephalomyelitis (ADEM, eine entzündliche entmarkende Erkrankung des Zentralnervensystems) führt und das Tollwutserum sogar in einem von 400 Fällen eine Enzephalitis auslöst. Diese Studie schweigt auch darüber, dass Forscher schon mehr als 60 Jahre lang den Pertussis-Impfstoff verwendet haben, um bei Labortieren unab- hängig von deren genetischen Variationen vorsätzlich eine experimentelle Autoimmun - Enzephalitis zu provozieren.

Der gebildete Konsument medizinischer Leistungen, der zum Zeugen der verdrehten Schlussfolgerungen einer minderwertigen Wissenschaft wird, die sich als rechtmäßige Erforschung der Zusammenhänge von Gehirndysfunktion und Impfung tarnen, ist nicht beeindruckt.


Kommentar: Ergänzend zum Kommentar von Barbara Loe Fisher ist darauf hinzuweisen, dass die Interpretation der Studienergebnisse auf dem schulmedizinischen Dogma der Monokausalität basiert. Der unerschütterliche Glaube, für Erkrankungen sei in der Regel immer eine einzige Ursache verantwortlich, hat fatale Auswirkungen auf die medizinische Praxis. Darüber hinaus wird auch den Kritikern von Impfstoffen unterstellt, ihrerseits zu glauben und zu behaupten, Impfstoffe seien die monokausale Ursache von neurologischen Erkrankungen und Vorschädigungen würden keine Rolle spielen. Auf diese Weise landet die wissenschaftliche Forschung und Diskussion, soweit sie überhaupt ehrlich gemeint ist, geradewegs in einer Sackgasse. Auch wenn Impfungen wohl nur in seltenen Fällen allein für neurologische Schäden verantwortlich gemacht werden können, heißt das noch lange nicht, dass sie nicht einer der wesentlichen Faktoren sind, die im Zusammenspiel mit anderen Vorschädigungen (die sich in genetischen Veränderungen ausdrücken können) diese Schäden anrichten können. Als solche müssen sie konsequent erforscht und als Risikofaktoren ausgeschaltet werden!


Aus: impf-report Newsletter Nr. 19/2006

Die Petition gegen Stallpflicht hat derzeit ca. 900 Unterstützer:
http://www.impfkritik.de/vogelgrippe/petition/index.php

Die Petition gegen Zwangsimpfung hat derzeit 9.600 Unterstützer:
http://itc.napier.ac.uk/e-Petition/bundestag/view_petition.asp?PetitionID=106

Die Petition gegen vorsorgliches Keulen hat derzeit 3.700 Unter-
stützer:
http://www.gegenpropaganda.org/html/petition_show.php?nr=3


Aus: impf-report Newsletter Nr. 22/2006

Vogelgrippe-Dokumentation auf DVD

Zu der bereits vorgestellten Filmdokumentation von zwei freien Journalisten über die Hintergründe der Vogelgrippe-Panikmache der letzten Monate können Sie jetzt eine kurze Vorschau unter folgender Adresse abrufen: http://www.impfkritik.de/vogelgrippe/h5n1-antwortet-nicht

DVD-Bestellungen per Email an: bestellung@neue-impulse-treff.de


Aus: impf-report Newsletter Nr. 19/2006

Rebuttal to All Arguments to Dismiss Vote Fraud in 2004 Election

Date: Monday, May 22, 2006

Release: "2004 Presidential Election – Compendium of Attempts to Dismiss Vote Fraud"

By: National Election Data Archive
http://ElectionArchive.org
Contact: Kathy Dopp, kathy@uscountvotes.org,
435-608-1382

The National Election Data Archvie publicly released a paper "2004 Presidential Election – Compendium of Attempts to Dismiss Vote Fraud" which solidly rebuts, in 6 short pages, the academic arguments which claim to have shown that there is no vote fraud/miscounts in U.S. elections.

The short compendium of academic attempts to dismiss vote fraud includes claims made by the Democratic National Committee and pollster Warren Mitofsky among others:

http://electionarchive.org/ucvAnalysis/US/IncorrectElectionDataAnalysis-06.pdf

Every argument that Mitofsky, Election Science Institute, the Democratic National Committee, and others have made which purports that there is no evidence of vote miscount in U.S. elections is refuted in a page or less in this short compendium by the National Election Data Archive's volunteer statisticians and mathematicians.

http://electionarchive.org/ucvAnalysis/US/IncorrectElectionDataAnalysis-06.pdf


150 copies of this compendium were prepared for and handed out at the May 17 - 21st AAPOR conference in Montreal, in particular during a session on "Was the 2004 Election Stolen?".

Warren Mitofsky is very well respected within AAPOR due to his past work and leadership. Consequently Mitofsky's postion, that exit poll discrepancies were caused by partisan response bias rather than vote miscounts is given great weight within AAPOR. However, the National Election Data Archive, describes recent Mitofsky analyses which were presented by Mitofsky and Fritz Scheuren at recent ASA.org and AAPOR.org conferences, as "sophistry" rather than mathematically valid analyses.

The National Election Data Archive points out that the National Election Pool (NEP) and Mitofsky have not yet released any exit poll data or analysis publicly that supports this response bias hypothesis. Yet all the data regarding pollster conditions which Mitofsky claims they analyzed would not pose any risk to voter confidentiality to release.

http://electionarchive.org/ucvAnalysis/US/IncorrectElectionDataAnalysis-06.pdf

The National Election Data Archive invites everyone to read its concise paper which solidly rebuts all the arguments made to date which claim to demonstrate a lack of evidence of vote fraud in U.S. elections.

http://electionarchive.org/ucvAnalysis/US/IncorrectElectionDataAnalysis-06.pdf

Kathy Dopp, President of the National Election Data Archive says that "I find it harder every day to see why anyone imagines that the U.S. vote counts are accurate when only a few states conduct any random independent audits of vote counts to check accuracy and when every county in America without exception releases its vote count data in a manner that covers up the evidence of tampering! (See http://electionarchive.org/ucvAnalysis/US/election_officials/Audits_Monitoring.pdf and recent articles in the New York Times and Newsweek regarding evidence that touchscreen voting machines are wide-open to electronic tampering.)

The creation of a National Election Data Archive is vital if we are to restore "one person, one vote" in America.

In the only two states where detailed vote count data were obtained following the November 2004 election (Washington and New Mexico), steps have since been taken to eliminate the use of unauditable electronic voting systems and to require voter verifiable paper ballots as a result of the obvious evidence of vote tampering that the detailed vote count data provided. (See History of the Academic Debate: http://electionarchive.org/ucvAnalysis/US/Presidential-Election-2004.pdf)

The National Election Data Archive, an underfunded nonprofit organization, is looking for help to obtain funding to pay for programming staff to complete its national election data archive in time for the November 2006 elections. NEDA also needs volunteers from every state to help obtain the detailed vote count data via open records requests, and we need volunteer(s) immediately to write the open records request letters specific to every state's open records laws.

NEDA is a 501(c)(3) that depends on donations: http://electionarchive.org/fairelection/donate.html

Volunteers may sign up to obtain the data for their own county or state: http://electionarchive.org/fairelection/statesubscribe.html

Volunteers are also needed to complete open records requests letters for each state (yours): http://electionarchive.net/public/ucv_select_info.php

The national election data archive is a tool which there is no question can be built and used to ensure that correctly elected candidates are sworn into office. To make it happen in time for November, 2006, we need funding now. Just $4,000/month would enable us to complete a public Internet archival tool!

Best Regards and Thanks again to donors to the National Election Data Archive who made it possible for us to attend the Montreal AAPOR conference and to Steve Freeman and Ron Baiman for volunteering for America to present papers at the Montreal AAPOR conference and for doing such a great job.


Kathy Dopp
http://electionarchive.org
National Election Data Archive Dedicated to Accurately Counting Elections



Rebuttal to All Arguments that Dismissed Vote Fraud

This short paper refutes all of the arguments that have incorrectly been used to dismiss the evidence of vote fraud/miscounts in the November 2004 election:

http://electionarchive.org/ucvAnalysis/US/IncorrectElectionDataAnalysis-06.pdf

Every argument that Mitofsky, Election Science Institute, Liddle, Lindeman, and even the Democratic National Committee have made is refuted in a page or less in this short handout.

http://electionarchive.org/ucvAnalysis/US/IncorrectElectionDataAnalysis-06.pdf


AAPOR conference in Montreal

Ron Baiman and Steve Freeman did a terrific job at the AAPOR conference. Both were incredibly convincing speakers and answered a lot of questions, which all seemed to be directed at them rather than at Liddle and Lindeman.

The fact that Ron and Steve did such a great job speaking and answering questions was important because the organizers of the seminar on whether the 2004 election was stolen, stacked the deck against our side by having three speakers on the other side who they let speak after Ron and Steve spoke first. I was angry when I tried to make several comments to respond to the nonsense on the other side and was interrupted and prevented from finishing during the question and answer period.

It was also unfair that the entire conference fee was waived for Liddle who has contributed more sophistry (plausible sounding but fallacious argumentation) to the analysis of exit polling than any other person and who has recevied payment for her sophistry by Mitofsky, but Ron Baiman and I who have worked as unpaid volunteers and who have contributed valid work in this field were not helped, so that Ron was only able to attend the session that he spoke at.

In speaking to AAPOR members I found that there was a great deal of bias towards believing everything that Mitofsky told them. Mitofsky is very well respected within AAPOR due to his past work and leadership.

I was surprised to learn that even after listening to Ron and Steve, David, one of the people in charge at the conference, was convinced that Mitofsky had already released all the exit poll data that did not risk voter anonymity!! Luckily I had an opportunity to have a nice long talk with him and he "said" that he would ask Mitofsky to ask NEP to release more data - specifically the data regarding pollster conditions which Liddle claims they analyzed and which proves their case, but which they have thus far kept secret.

The passion, informativeness, and speaking ability of both Ron and Steve was impressive. We may publicly post Ron Baiman's PPT presentation when I have time to fix it up.

I stayed at the conference for four days and spoke with many people one on one. I handed out 150 of my handouts which rebut all of the arguments which purport that there is no evidence of vote fraud in the 2004 election, which is publicly posted here: http://electionarchive.org/ucvAnalysis/US/IncorrectElectionDataAnalysis-06.pdf

I don't know if we were successful or not in making the AAPOR leadership aware of the truth of the matter, but I know we convinced a few people. It was frustrating at times, but the majority of people were very nice, very polite, and listened, and a few people thanked me and wished us well, and seemed quite surprised and edified by what I was telling them one on one.

I met Mark Blumenthal, the Mystery Pollster and he arrogantly informed me that he had a different opinion than mine and he was uninterested in anything I had to say and he refused to politely listen to even one sentence from me. Mark Blumenthal seems to be entirely closed-minded to anything that alter his own opinion, but perhaps he is only deficient and afraid of mathematics so is apt to fall prey to any sophistry. He is an opposite to me in the sense that it is like a religion to me to always be open to change my position to match newly developing facts..

Please see if you can get people to read this concise paper which solidly rebuts all the arguments made to date which claim to show lack of evidence of vote fraud.

http://electionarchive.org/ucvAnalysis/US/IncorrectElectionDataAnalysis-06.pdf

I find it harder every day to see why anyone imagines that the U.S. has accurate vote counts when we conduct virtually no random independent audits of vote counts to check their accuracy on election day and when every county in America releases its vote count data in a way that covers up the evidence of tampering! (See http://electionarchive.org/ucvAnalysis/US/election_officials/Audits_Monitoring.pdf)

The creation of the National Election Data Archive is vital if we are to restore "one person, one vote" in America.

In the only two states where detailed vote count data were obtained following the November 2004 election (Washington and New Mexico), steps have been taken to eliminate the use of unauditable electronic voting and require voter verifiable paper ballots as a result of the obvious evidence of vote tampering that the detailed vote count data provide.

Please help us obtain funding or donate to help us pay the programming fees to complete the national election data archive in time for the November 2006 elections. We urgently need funds now in order to finish implementing the system. We also need volunteers from every state to help obtain the detailed vote count data via open records requests, and we need a volunteer now to write the open records request letter specific to every state's open records laws.

Donate: http://electionarchive.org/fairelection/donate.html

Sign up to obtain the data for your county or state: http://electionarchive.org/fairelection/statesubscribe.html

Help us complete open records requests letters for each state (yours): http://electionarchive.net/public/ucv_select_info.php

While I wish all the luck in the world to those who are attempting to get public exit polls (which we would incorporate into our election data archive) and election reform legislation passed in time for November, it remains true that the national election data archive is a tool which there is no question that we have the opportunity to build and use to ensure that correctly elected candidates are sworn into office. To make it happen in time for November, 2006, we need funding now. Just $4,000/month would do it!

Best Regards and Thanks again to all our donors who made it possible for us to attend the Montreal AAPOR conference and to Steve Freeman and Ron Baiman for volunteering for America and for doing such a great job.


Kathy Dopp
http://electionarchive.org
National Election Data Archive Dedicated to Accurately Counting Elections

Tag der Artenvielfalt: Lebensmittel-Konzerne der Regenwaldzerstörung beschuldigt (22.05.06)

Zum UN Tag der Biologischen Vielfalt am 21. Mai setzt Greenpeace seinen Protest gegen den US-Agrarkonzern Cargill in drei Ländern fort. Cargill unterstütze mit seinem Soja-Geschäft die Zerstörung des größten und artenreichsten Regenwaldes der Erde. Der Konzern fördere die Ausweitung des Soja-Anbaus im Regenwald durch Kredite, landwirtschaftliche Maschinen und Logistik. Cargill beziehe die Sojabohnen von Farmern, die den Urwald zerstörten sowie in illegale Landnahme und Sklaverei verwickelt seien. Die nach Europa exportierte Soja diene hier als Futter für Masttiere wie Schweine, Rinder oder Kühe.

Die ganze Nachricht im Internet: http://www.ngo-online.de/ganze_nachricht.php?Nr=13671

"Druck von der Straße": Bush-Gegner wollen in Stralsund demonstrieren (22.05.06)

Vertreter von Friedensorganisationen und Globalisierungsgegner wollen am 14. Juli in Stralsund gegen den Deutschland-Besuch von US-Präsident George W. Bush protestieren. Diesen Beschluss fassten am Wochenende etwa 60 Vertreter eines Aktionsbündnisses in Berlin, wie der Sprecher des Bundesausschuss Friedensratschlag, Peter Strutynski, am Sonntag mitteilte. Zugleich sollen am 13. und 15. Juli bundesweit Demonstrationen gegen den G8-Gipfel in St. Petersburg stattfinden. Die Kritik richte sich vor allem gegen die Kriegsdrohungen der USA gegen Iran und die Unterstützung durch die Europäische Union (EU).

Die ganze Nachricht im Internet: http://www.ngo-online.de/ganze_nachricht.php?Nr=13668

Europe and US Condemned to Pretending to Agree

"It's because they're confronting problems without solution - in Iraq, in Iran, in Palestine, with respect to terrorism, energy security, relations with Russia or China - that the Western partners are condemned to agree, or rather to pretending to agree," writes Pierre Rousselin. "European diplomacy resists, more or less successfully, the penchants of an American administration always tempted to impose violent solutions."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052206H.shtml

Fitzgerald has said that at trial he plans to show that Libby knew Plame's employment at the CIA was classified and that he lied to the grand jury when he said he had learned from NBC News's Tim Russert that Plame, the wife of former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, worked for the agency.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052206E.shtml

On Monday, Murtha is to be awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in Boston for his bold pronouncement that US troops should be pulled out of Iraq - a statement many say helped change the public debate over the war, because of Murtha's past as a Democratic hawk and retired Marine Reserves colonel who enjoyed easy access to presidents.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052206C.shtml

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the voting booth, here comes more disturbing news about the trustworthiness of electronic touchscreen ballot machines. Earlier this month, a report by Finnish security expert Harri Hursti analyzed Diebold voting machines for an organization called Black Box Voting. Hursti found unheralded vulnerabilities in the machines that are currently entrusted to faithfully record the votes of millions of Americans.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052206B.shtml

FEMA's Flying Tuna Cans

Chad Heeter: "Over 90,000 Katrina families scattered across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama now sleep in FEMA trailers and are likely to face, in the months to come, a new danger on the unreconstructed coastline of the southeast - that, in a storm much kinder than Katrina, their 'homes' will be turned into flying tuna cans."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052206P.shtml



Defects in Levee Construction Point to Corps' Technical Incompetence

Report says barriers in New Orleans may fail again and mistakes by federal engineers raise questions about their competence nationwide.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052206G.shtml

The Bush administration is moving to establish a new antimissile site in Europe that would be designed to stop attacks by Iran against the United States and its European allies. The proposed antimissile site is the latest chapter in the long-running saga of the United States missile defense program, which began with President Reagan's expansive vision of a space-based antimissile shield.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052206N.shtml

Prodded by the United States with threats of fines and lost business, four of the biggest European banks have started curbing their activities in Iran, even in the absence of a Security Council resolution imposing economic sanctions on Iran for its suspected nuclear weapons program.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052206M.shtml

Seymour Hersh writes that after setting up a call-tracking program, "the NSA began, in some cases, to eavesdrop on callers (often using computers to listen for key words) or to investigate them using traditional police methods." Hersh was told that "tens of thousands of Americans had had their calls monitored in one way or the other."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052206K.shtml



Democrats Seek Security Plans

Two key Democrats on the House committee that oversees the Department of Homeland Security criticized the agency last week for not releasing to Congress reports on 118 security plans for mass transit, rail, aviation, ports and borders. Many of the reports were due in 2003.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052206L.shtml

"In his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, General Michael Hayden promised to promote autonomy and objectivity in the CIA if confirmed as its new director," writes Marjorie Cohn. "The evidence, however, suggests precisely the opposite."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052206J.shtml



http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Hayden

Drilling in the Arctic Refuge is NOT the answer to America's energy problems!

As hard as it is to believe, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is in the crosshairs again. Some House members may force a vote on drilling in the Arctic Refuge as early as this Wednesday. Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) has announced the latest drilling vehicle, H.R. 5429, euphemistically labeled "The American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act."

A House vote on this bill could happen as soon as this Wednesday, May 24, so it is critical that your Representative hear from you as soon as possible. Even if you've taken action on this recently and repeatedly, we urgently need your phone calls to Congress. Talking points and more background is below.

Click here to look up the name and phone number of your Representative.
http://action.wilderness.org/ct/x72JOVY1JPpe/

Please make your call today! If you've never called Congress before, it's easy. You'll either leave a message with a staff member, or on a voice mail machine.

Once you've made your call, please click here to let us know about it!
http://action.wilderness.org/campaign/ArcticHouseCalls

When you call, make the following points:

1. The Representative should oppose any legislation that would allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

2. We can't drill our way to lower gas prices. Drilling in the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge won't provide relief at the pump. Drilling would destroy an irreplaceable wildlife sanctuary, but wouldn't lower prices by more than about a penny a gallon in 2025. That's no solution at all.

3. Congress should focus on clean, renewable energy sources and making our cars go farther on a gallon of gas. Efficiency and renewable energy are the best ways to reduce consumers' costs now and in the future. They are the fastest, cheapest, cleanest way to reduce families' energy costs, increase energy security, end our dangerous oil addiction, and reduce global climate change.

We need to get as many phone calls and emails to Congress as possible in the next few days. Once you've made your phone call, will you help us spread the word about this campaign? Click here to urge ten friends, family members and co-workers to join you in the fight to protect the Arctic Refuge. http://action.wilderness.org/campaign/ArcticEnergy/forward/

Background

Congressional leaders have been trying to pass drilling legislation for years, but have been turned back every time, thanks to your e-mails, letters and calls. Now, Rep. Pombo and other pro-drilling members of Congress are, once again, manipulating the discontent over high gasoline prices and using that as a rationale for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. According to the latest intelligence from Capitol Hill, the bill is likely to come to the floor on its own, but it could be coupled with other energy legislation.

Of course, drilling in the Arctic Refuge would do next to nothing to bring down gas prices. The Energy Department's own statistics show that drilling the Arctic wouldn't lower prices by more than about a penny a gallon, 20 years from now (when production would hit its peak).

Instead of focusing on real energy solutions, such as requiring automakers to produce more efficient cars, or diversifying our energy sources to include more clean, renewable fuels, Congress is continuing to push a dead-end "drill it all" approach.

A message from Eleanor

Martha’s Vineyard is the quintessential New England vacation destination, complete with quaint villages, charming harbors, and gorgeous beaches. People seeking respite have flocked to the island for generations to be greeted by friendly Vineyarders, whose economy depends on the seasonal influx of tourists.

But the idyllic island image cloaks a sinister ritual sanctioned by local officials. Each summer, entrants in the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament hook sharks; bleed, suffocate, or repeatedly gaff them; and string them up on docks in gruesome, sometimes mocking displays—all for prizes and gory glory. Last year in 2005, some 240 boats killed approximately 2,500 sharks in the span of 3 days.

Mass shark killing contests are not only cruel, but they also target members of already imperiled populations of slow breeding and ecologically important shark species. Like whales, most species of sharks reproduce late in life—some are as old as 20 years—and give birth to few young. It can take decades for populations to recover from being killed in large numbers by fishermen.

Most shark populations are already in jeopardy. A study reported in the journal Science in 2003 estimated that all recorded shark species, with the exception of Makos, have declined by more than 50% in the previous 8 to 15 years. The situation remains dire, despite recent international efforts to protect shark species.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has assessed the conservation status of 62 species of sharks. Of these, 21 were classified as "endangered"—meaning they face a very high risk of extinction in the near future—or "vulnerable"—meaning they face a high risk of extinction in the not so distant future. The other 31 species were ranked "near threatened," indicating that their status is approaching "vulnerable."

Of the 15 shark species found in New England, home of the Monster Shark Tournament, the IUCN has classified the Smooth Dogfish as critically endangered and the White Shark as endangered. Three other species are considered vulnerable and eight are near-threatened. The population data on the remaining two species is insufficient to evaluate their conservation status.

ESPN Aggrandizes the Tournament

In 2004 and 2005, ESPN broadcast the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament as if it were a legitimate sport. Many in the nation were appalled and called on ESPN to stop aggrandizing the cruelty. The network refused.

ESPN and The Boston Big Game Fish Club has its 20th Annual tournament scheduled for July 20–22, 2006 and ESPN plans to broadcast it.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/463138991

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/HE09Ad01.html


Informant: Betsy Whitfill

http://www.ufppc.org/content/view/4520/


Informant: jensenmk

From ufpj-news

by Lee Drutman, TomPaine.com

Recurring fraud is a problem with the very concept of contracting out essential government services.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/05/22/beyond_halliburton.php

Energy Futures

by K.C. Golden, TomPaine.com
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/05/22/energy_futures.php

WIRED runs ATT whistleblower's documents despite court order

In a message dated 5/22/06 7:00:52 AM, kylehence writes:

<< "A file detailing aspects of AT&T's alleged participation in the National Security Agency's warrantless domestic wiretap operation is sitting in a San Francisco courthouse. But the public cannot see it because, at AT&T's insistence, it remains under seal in court records.

The judge in the case has so far denied

http://wired.com/news/technology/0,70916-0.html requests from the Electronic Frontier Foundation http://www.eff.org , or EFF, and several news organizations to unseal the documents and make them public.

AT&T claims information in the file is proprietary and that it would suffer severe harm if it were released.

Based on what we've seen, Wired News disagrees. In addition, we believe the public's right to know the full facts in this case outweighs AT&T's claims to secrecy."

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70947-0.html


*Evidence:*

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70621-0.html
http://blog.wired.com/klein_evidence/
http://blog.wired.com/klein_evidence2/
http://blog.wired.com/klein_evidence3/
http://blog.wired.com/27BStroke6/att_klein_wired.pdf >>


Informant: Hopedance

--------

Wired Publishes NSA Spying Documents

May, 22, 2006

A file detailing aspects of AT&T's alleged participation in the National Security Agency's warrantless domestic wiretap operation is sitting in a San Francisco courthouse. But the public cannot see it because, at AT&T's insistence, it remains under seal in court records. The judge in the case has so far denied requests from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, or EFF, and several news organizations to unseal the documents and make them public. Continued, includes the documents:

http://mparent7777.livejournal.com/8763928.html


Informant: ranger116

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002847.htm


Informant: NHNE

The government has the legal authority to prosecute journalists for publishing classified information, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said yesterday. "There are some statutes on the book which, if you read the language carefully, would seem to indicate that that is a possibility," Mr. Gonzales said on the ABC News program "This Week."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052206Z.shtml

Monday 22nd May, 2006

Press release

It’s surprising how your roots can keep pulling you home. Especially so when family or the local community have a phone mast problem.

“Slow down” is what I constantly hear. “You can’t fight everyone’s problems!” “Let people take the information and fight their own fight.” Etc etc but its not that easy. The ties are still there almost like some invisible umbilical cord, which I just can’t detach myself from. When it comes to fighting the fight against the mobile phone industry, no matter how tired I am, I find myself travelling back north to join the scousers in their never ending battle against the mobile giants.

So here I found myself last week. Back home in Liverpool. Netherton to be precise. O2 had spray painted the pavement to advertise to the community that that is where they were hoping to site their new base station. That is about as much public consultation that had happened and of course the planning office had sent out their letters to advise a dozen or so residents that this application had been put up.

One of the local councillors said if a teenager had been caught doing the same they would be prosecuted for an act of graffiti. The local community has encouraged the councillors to report this as an act of vandalism, anti-social behaviour and intimidation to the police

A lengthy petition was pulled together by a couple of residents and a public meeting was arranged. The meeting took place on Wednesday 3 rd May 2006 in St Benet’s Club; it was packed with over 300 people attending. It was great team/ community work that involved lots of foot soldiers. Local scientist Brian Edgerton and my sister Marie Salzano fronted the meeting another resident Billy Thomas was chairman of what was an emotional and highly charged event. The speakers along with the local councillors James Mahon, Mark Dowd and Peter Dowd answered all the residents’ questions.

Those who arrived with some doubt and a few unanswered questions left with a clearer view of exactly what the dangers are and also understood precisely how difficult it is to challenge and fight the planning applications for mobile phone masts.

Councillor James Mahon followed up this meeting by contacting O2 and arranging a smaller meeting at Netherton Activity Centre with fellow councillors, myself, Brian Edgerton and a small group of residents. This took place on Monday 15th May 2006.

After introductions, it was made clear by the O2 representation that they had come to the meeting knowing that there was a very strong community group opposing this mast, the councillors had recommended the planning officers to refuse the application. Much discussion ensued as we all wanted to discuss health concerns but O2 didn’t! Scientist Brian Edgerton demonstrated that he had mapped out this area and found no gaps in the coverage for 2G, it was then put to O2 that coverage would perhaps be needed in maybe 3 or 4 years time! “So – GO AWAY” stated one resident “If it’s needed in 3 years time then come back and talk to us then but don’t blast us with radiation unnecessarily!”

This meeting came to a close when O2 agreed to join the Radiation Research Trust in a meeting at Westminster as I encouraged the 02 representative to look for a safe bio-friendly technology as according to Dr George Carlo, the US Military already have this technology and it has been available for the past decade. I said I would be willing to set up a meeting in Westminster with fellow trustees from the Radiation Research Trust and representatives from the Government Science and Technology Committee. Councillor Mark Dowd said “Someone has to take the first step into the safe direction”. I hope they consider this invitation to seriously look for a future safer technology.

The final leg of this stint was on Wednesday 17th May 06. Without being too cheesy the tune “Oh what a night!” certainly came to mind. A rainy cold evening when the European cup final was on TV ‘Arsenal Vs Barcelona, interestingly Arsenal are sponsored by 02’. The councillors supplied two Double Decker buses to transport the community to and from the planning committee meeting which was approx 12 miles away. The buses were crammed and full of determined spirit. Off to hear the 5 minute presentation that I was about to present to the planning committee at Southport Town Hall.

Did you hear the cheers? I felt sure that they would be lifting the roof when the planning committee officer announced that O2 had withdrawn the application. The entire place just erupted into loud victorious cheers and clapping. Great stuff! The Netherton community has won this round, but haven’t calmed down yet as guess what? Mysterious paint markings have returned to the area, O2 have spray painted in two other areas in central Netherton. They haven’t submitted their planning applications yet but when they do I hope they realise that they will need their boxing gloves laced up nice and tight because this group is going from strength to strength.

Thank you for the full support from Councillors Mark Dowd, Peter Dowd and Councillor Jimmy Mahon and the un-named hero’s in the community who pulled together on this very serious issue. I suppose we owe 02 a thank you for bringing the local community together and making them stronger.

We look forward to forward to seeing 02 restore the pavement to its former glory by removing the graffiti they have left.

It just goes to show when you pull together as a team, anything can be achieved as the famous Liverpool song by Gerry and the pacemakers goes “you’ll never walk alone!”

Look out for the Bootle Times on Thursday 25th May, 2006 as they are running a full victory story.


Eileen O’Connor
Trustee – EM Radiation Research Trust (RRT)
http://www.radiationresearch.org


Words from Gerry and the Pacemakers song

“You’ll Never Walk Alone”

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark.

At the end of the storm
There's a golden sky
And the sweet silver
Song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain

Though your dreams
Be tossed and blown.

Walk on
walk on
With hope in your hearts
I And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone.

Walk on
walk on……………………..

Don't give up

Common Dreams
by John Dear

05/21/06

One of the casualties of this culture of violence, injustice and war is the loss of our imagination. People across the country can not even imagine a world without war, poverty or nuclear weapons. But that is our job. We are like our ancestors, the Abolitionists, who came along and announced an astonishing, breathtaking new vision, a world without slavery, the equality of everyone on earth. We are their heirs, New Abolitionists, announcing a new world without war, poverty or nuclear weapons, a new world of nonviolence...

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0521-20.htm



A new liberty now

LewRockwell.Com
by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

05/20/06

There are many varieties of libertarianism alive in the world today, but Rothbardianism remains the center of its intellectual gravity, its primary muse and conscience, its strategic and moral core, and the focal point of debate even when its name is not acknowledged. The reason is that Murray Rothbard was the creator of modern libertarianism, a political-ideological system that proposes a once-and-for-all escape from the trappings of left and right and their central plans for how state power should be used. Libertarianism is the radical alternative that says state power is unworkable and immoral...

http://tinyurl.com/j5nvo



The eternal value of privacy

Wired
by Bruce Schneier

05/18/06

Privacy protects us from abuses by those in power, even if we're doing nothing wrong at the time of surveillance. ... Too many wrongly characterize the debate as 'security versus privacy.' The real choice is liberty versus control. Tyranny, whether it arises under threat of foreign physical attack or under constant domestic authoritative scrutiny, is still tyranny. Liberty requires security without intrusion, security plus privacy. Widespread police surveillance is the very definition of a police state. And that's why we should champion privacy even when we have nothing to hide...

http://www.wired.com/news/columns/0,70886-0.html?tw=wn_index_15


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Daily Camera
by Linda Jacobson

05/21/06

On April 11, Joanne Cowan entered federal prison. This effect was a direct result of the fact that Joanne was protesting our government's complicity in torture. This is not the torture we've been reading about at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, in Afghanistan or in the secret Eastern European prisons, or through extraordinary renditions. All of these practices have a history. The reason that the techniques used in these places are so consistent is that they were all researched and taught at what was once known as The School of the Americas, now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation -- WHINSEC. The techniques were taught to the notorious from our neighbors to the south and practiced in Pinochet's Chile, in Argentina's 'dirty war,' in Guatemala and elsewhere, anywhere in this hemisphere where a nation's reputation is synonymous with torture." [registration required, or use login info@rationalreview.com/rationalreview ]

http://tinyurl.com/gnmjm


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Christian Science Monitor
by Daniel Schorr

05/19/06

The term 'base' is not in William Safire's political dictionary, but he tells me it will be included in the next edition. 'Base' refers to that solid core of political supporters who will stick with you through electoral thick and thin as long as you are perceived as advancing their principles. Most often, the term is applied to religious conservatives. Something seems to have gone off the rails between President Bush and his base, judging by a recent Gallup poll that shows his support among conservatives down from a long-standing 80 percent to a current 50 percent...

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0519/p09s02-cods.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

The Weekly Standard
by Fred Barnes, for the editors

Rarely has the American public been so involved in a national issue as they are today in immigration reform. Everybody has an opinion. Everybody agrees there's a crisis when, as is the case today, hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants are streaming across our southern border and millions more are already living in this country. The public expects action from the people who run Washington -- that's Bush and Republicans. But action is not what they will get if the enforcement-only House refuses to compromise. What they will get in that case is an impasse. And that means the crisis endures. The American people are not on the side of the House Republicans who favor toughened enforcement and nothing more... (for publication 05/29/06)

http://tinyurl.com/npxtp


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Cato Institute
by Peter van Doren and Jerry Taylor

05/22/06

It's increasingly clear that Republican politicians have zero interest in knowing anything about which they speak and no commitment to any principle beyond that of getting elected. The high-voltage debate about gasoline prices makes that point in spades...

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6399


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

AlterNet
by Joshua Holland

05/22/06

Supporters of the Iraq war airily dismiss chants of 'no blood for oil' as a manifestation of the antiwar crowd's naivete. They point out that Iraq's government still controls its oil and argue that we could have simply bought it on the open market. Both of those claims are true on their face, but bringing Iraq's vast oil wealth under the control of foreign multinationals -- with U.S. firms the best positioned to develop it -- was always central to U.S. plans for Iraq. That Iraq's oil will continue to be 'owned' by the 'Iraqi people' is what differentiates classical 19th-century colonialism practiced by British officers in pith helmets from the neocolonialism the United States perfected in the second half of the 20th century. The newer brand can be summed up like this: We'll respect your sovereignty and abide by your domestic laws -- as long as we can help you write those laws to guarantee our firms' profits...

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/36463/


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

CNN

05/21/06

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Sunday he believes journalists can be prosecuted for publishing classified information, citing an obligation to national security. The nation's top law enforcer also said the government will not hesitate to track telephone calls made by reporters as part of a criminal leak investigation, but officials would not do so routinely and randomly. 'There are some statutes on the book which, if you read the language carefully, would seem to indicate that that is a possibility,' Gonzales said, referring to prosecutions...

http://tinyurl.com/qmvg7


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

MSNBC

05/21/06

After five guilty pleas in the influence-peddling investigation of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the first criminal trial is set to begin Monday. David Safavian, the former chief of staff of the General Services Administration, then the top White House procurement officer, and a longtime friend and associate of Abramoff, is charged with five counts of making false statements and obstructing investigations into a golfing trip to Scotland he took with Abramoff and U.S. Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, in August 2002. If convicted, Safavian faces up to 25 years in jail and more than $1 million in fines...

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12875191/


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Studie dokumentiert wachsenden PR-Einfluss im Journalismus

„Die Grenzen zwischen dem unabhängigen Journalismus und der interessengeleiteten Auftragskommunikation, der Public Relations (PR), verschwimmen mehr und mehr in der täglichen redaktionellen Praxis, in der Ausbildung des journalistischen Nachwuchses und in der Definition des Berufsbildes der Journalisten. Zu diesem Ergebnis kommt eine Studie der Journalistenvereinigung Netzwerk Recherche. „Die PR-Industrie kolonialisiert den Journalismus zunehmend. Sie agiert immer geschickter und drängt mit ihren Botschaften in den redaktionellen Teil, um von der Glaubwürdigkeit der journalistischen Produkte zu profitieren“, sagte der Vorsitzende des Netzwerks Recherche, Dr. Thomas Leif, bei der Vorlage der Dokumentation am Donnerstag in Hamburg…“ Pressemitteilung des netzwerk recherche e.V. vom 19.05.2006 http://www.netzwerkrecherche.de/presse/index.php?pageid=177


Getrennte Welten? Journalismus und PR in Deutschland

(Kurzfassung) der Studie von Thomas Schnedler vom netzwerk recherche e.V. (pdf) http://www.netzwerkrecherche.de/docs/Kurzfassung_NR_PR-Studie.pdf


Aus: LabourNet, 22. Mai 2006

Abwärts immer

Prekär, schlecht bezahlt, kaum abgesichert, nie krank: die working poor in der deutschen Erwachsenenbildung. Fragmente aus ihrem täglichen Leben und Arbeiten, gesammelt von Birgit Schmidt, veröffentlicht in der Jungle World vom 17.05.2006. http://jungle-world.com/seiten/2006/20/7782.php

Aus dem Text: „(…) Die Frage, wie viele es heutzutage sind, die auf Honorarbasis an Volkshochschulen, Privatschulen und Bildungsträgern unterrichten und zwar ausschließlich, ist wegen des Mangels an statistischem Material nur unzureichend zu beantworten. Schätzungsweise 80000 bis 100000 Menschen arbeiten hauptberuflich in der Weiterbildung, heißt es in einem aktuellen Papier des Deutschen Instituts für Erwachsenenbildung (Susanne Kraft: Umbrüche in der Weiterbildung – dramatische Konsequenzen für das Weiterbildungspersonal). Dazu kommen
600000 bis 700000 nebenberuflich Beschäftigte. Nebenberuflich aber heißt: Sie unterrichten wenige Stunden pro Woche. Ob die Betreffenden damit ihren gesamten Lebensunterhalt bestreiten müssen oder nicht, ist unklar…“


Aus: LabourNet, 22. Mai 2006

DGB-Bundeskongress 2006

Keine Kehrtwende

Ein Kurswechsel ist beim am Montag beginnenden Kongreß des Deutschen Gewerkschaftsbundes nicht zu erwarten. Nur Personalfragen versprechen einige Spannung. Artikel von Herbert Wulff in junge Welt vom 20.5.06 http://www.jungewelt.de/2006/05-20/025.php

Aus dem Text: „…Zum Beispiel Hartz IV: Zum Entsetzen gewerkschaftlicher Erwerbslosengruppen wird die bereits beim Zustandekommen der Schröderschen »Arbeitsmarktreform« betriebene »konstruktive Begleitung« fortgesetzt. Statt den Sinn dieser Gesetze – die massenhafte Verarmung von Erwerbslosen und den dadurch entstehenden Druck auf Tarife und Arbeitsbedingungen – offen zu benennen und die Rücknahme der »Reform« zu fordern, will der DGB-Vorstand lediglich »Webfehler« beheben und wenigstens einige Folgen für die Betroffenen abmildern…“

Siehe dazu:

Hartz IV ist nicht nur ein »Webfehler«

Gewerkschaftliche Erwerbslosengruppen fordern klare Ablehnung der »Arbeitsmarktreform« und Verankerung ihrer Arbeit in der DGB-Satzung. Ein Gespräch mit Carsten Zinn von Daniel Behruzi in junge Welt vom 20.5.06 http://www.jungewelt.de/2006/05-20/026.php

Anträge zur Organisationspolitik (pdf) http://www.bundeskongress2006.dgb.de/antraege/organisationspolitik.pdf

Anträge zur Arbeitsmarktpolitik (pdf) http://www.bundeskongress2006.dgb.de/antraege/arbeitsmarktpolitik.pdf


Aus: LabourNet, 22. Mai 2006

http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_3850395


Informant: Teresa Binstock

A Report by Scott Galindez

On Thursday, May 18th, over 40,000 petition signatures were delivered to the White House against war with Iran. Following the delivery of the petitions a march to Donald Rumsfeld's house was led by Ray McGovern and Cindy Sheehan. Four people were arrested trying to deliver a message to the Secretary of Defense.

http://www.truthout.org/multimedia.htm

Prosecutors in the case against US Rep. Tom DeLay have asked the state's highest criminal court to reinstate an indictment accusing the former House majority leader of conspiring to violate election laws.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052106F.shtml



http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=DeLay

Former President Bill Clinton said on Saturday global warming is a greater threat to the future than terrorism and that the United States and other countries must "get off our butts" and do something about it.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052106A.shtml

Iran: Diskussion zu umstrittenen Thema eröffnet

Nach dem Start der neuen Campact-Kampagne erreichten uns sehr viele Zuschriften: Viele Campact-Aktive scheinen hin und her gerissen zu sein, wie auf den Konflikt um das iranische Atomprogramm zu reagieren ist. Wir haben eine erste Antwort auf die am häufigsten an uns gerichtete Fragen formuliert, die Sie wiederum kommentieren können. Zudem würden wir gerne erfahren, was Sie von dieser Kampagne halten.

Lesen Sie unsere Antworten auf Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.campact.de/iran/faq Klicken Sie sich in die Debatte ein: http://www.campact.de/iran/disk

Haben Sie sich schon an unserer E-Mail-Aktion an Außenminister Steinmeier und die deutschen Botschaftern der ständigen UN-Sicherheitsrats-Mitglieder beteiligt? Fordern Sie eine diplomatische Lösung des Konflikts!

Machen Sie mit: http://www.kein-irankrieg.de


Mit herzlichen Grüßen,

Christoph Bautz


Aus: Campact-Newsletter 10/06

--------

Kein Iran-Krieg !

Unterstützen Sie die dringende Aktion der Internationalen Ärzte für die Verhütung des Atomkrieges (IPPNW), von Attac, Netzwerk Friedenskooperative, der Deutschen Friedensgesellschaft (DFG-VK) und dem Online-Netzwerk Campact.

http://www.kein-irankrieg.de/


Fordern Sie Vernunft!

Der Streit um das iranische Atomprogramm spitzt sich weiter zu. Derzeit ringen Deutschland und die 5 ständigen Mitglieder des Sicherheitsrates um eine Resolution des UN-Sicherheitsrats. Ein französisch-britischer Entwurf schlägt eine Verurteilung Irans nach Kapitel VII der UN-Charta als „Gefährdung des Weltfriedens“ vor. Wie beim Irak-Krieg könnte dies als Legitimation für einen militärischen Alleingang dienen.

Eine Atombombe in den Händen des Iran ist nicht akzeptabel. Aber ein militärisches Eingreifen kann sie nicht verhindern.

Lesen Sie warum: http://www.kein-irankrieg.de/info/5Min

Fordern Sie von Außenminister Steinmeier und den Botschaftern der ständigen UN-Sicherheitsrats- Mitglieder eine diplomatische Lösung des Konflikts!

Machen Sie mit: http://www.kein-irankrieg.de

The Motion Picture Assn. of America has censored a poster advertising a film about the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13127.htm

A UNITED Nations committee report released yesterday has condemned US treatment of suspected terrorists. It has also called for the closing of the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and secret terrorist detention centres.

http://www.sundaytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,9353,19202485-28779,00.html


From Information Clearing House

The recent floating of partitioning Iraq by some American defence experts has provided powerful ammunition to authoritarian Arab regimes resistant to political reform. They warn that the American model of democracy will tear apart national identity and create divisive sectarian and ethnic identities, turning the region into mini-states along the post-Yugoslavia model.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13122.htm

Political scientist Zbigniew Brzezinski believes the US should reconsider its Mideast policies.

http://www.dw-world.de/popups/popup_printcontent/0,,2025167,00.html


From Information Clearing House

Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, law enforcement efforts to secure corporate information about clients and suppliers have reached such levels that some companies have had to create special units that do nothing but deal with these demands, a process often called "subpoena management."

http://tinyurl.com/l3xdy


From Information Clearing House

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/21/ross-surveillance/


From Information Clearing House

"We have an entire generation who imagines their member of Congress in an orange jumpsuit," said Paul Light, a New York University professor of public service, referring to the common prison uniform. "It‘s like members of Congress don‘t have any shame."

http://www.leadingthecharge.com/stories/news-00188510.html


From Information Clearing House

CONDITIONS in the financial markets are eerily similar to those that precipitated the “Black Monday” stock market crash of October 1987, according to leading City analysts.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-2189601,00.html


From Information Clearing House

Ministers will enjoy multi-million packages - and retire at 60 - while telling others to work for longer.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,1779786,00.html


From Information Clearing House

Tony Blair should face criminal charges over the "cash for honours" scandal if Scotland Yard's investigation finds that Labour broke the law, voters believe.

http://tinyurl.com/eh3oc


From Information Clearing House

SOLDIERS who object to taking part in a military occupation of a foreign country will face life in prison under measures due to be rubber-stamped in the House of Commons on Monday.

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=742682006


From Information Clearing House

The camp commander's claims of a co-ordinated revolt are challenged by new details of the violence.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13130.htm

Across central Iraq, there is an exodus of people fleeing for their lives as sectarian assassins and death squads hunt them down. At ground level, Iraq is disintegrating as ethnic cleansing takes hold on a massive scale.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13139.htm

By Stephen Soldz

The country that proportionally consumes more of the world’s resources than any other is concerned that others want to steal from us, to take away the resources we stole fair and square. And every once in a while our defenses weaken and we glimpse the environmental destruction that awaits us if we do not change the path we are on.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13136.htm

By Charles Sullivan

Every aspect of American politics is enacted within the shell of Plutocratic corporate rule. Therefore, the Plutocratic tree will continue to bear the fruit of Plutocracy, regardless of which party is in power. During the past fifty years of the American experiment the difference between Democrat and Republican has become increasingly subtle. In essence there is only one party—that of wealth and privilege.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13135.htm

http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=8011&pst=516345

A message from Eleanor

My dear friends - my thanks to Jessie for doing this. I have written to these creatures already and to the Herald and to the Ministers who should take responsibility for this happening on Scottish soil. I ask you to do so. Use Jessie's words and adapt them a bit or write your own, whatever is easier for you. But please tell them what you think! I still cannot believe they did it! But they did! Please do something or this next pack could suffer the same fate!

Thanks Mike for finding this and posting.


Original Message:

Ethical Treatment to Animals and Environmental Protection > Discussions > Topic: Wolf Action Alerts!

Hi all, Eleanor was contacted today by Mike W and told of this horrible murder. Please go to the group (BTW I would really like you to join us) and take as many actions as you can. I have printed the emails I have already sent to: THE PARK RESPONSIBLE THE NEWSPAPERS THE MINISTERS OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN SCOTLAND

I don't mind you using them (why else would I post them) but, if you do, pls try to personalise and change some things. Thanks to all for taking action. This is OUTRAGEOUS!!

Love and hugs,

Jessie

http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/ETAEP

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1072000/1072940.stm


Informant: ranger116

A message from Lynx

Original Message:

THIS IS FROM MUSTANG BEAM'S PAGE, I SIGNED AT #951, and TOLD HER I WOULD FORWARD IT, thanks, so sad,

PENNY LYNN*doggyhug2*


Very Important Petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/321727584
Stop the Killing of Deaf Dalmatians, I started this one and will give green stars and testimonials to those that signs and lets me know.

Thank you so very much.

MUSTANG BEAM

http://www.lewrockwell.com/shaffer/shaffer138.html

For A New Liberty
http://www.mises.org/store/For-A-New-Liberty-P301C0.aspx?AFID=1


Informant: Lew Rockwell

http://forum.truthout.org/blog/story/2006/5/21/115826/135



Update On Rove Indictment?

By Marc Ash

"What We Believe" - Rove may be turning state's evidence. We suspect that the scope of Fitzgerald's investigation may have broadened - clearly to Cheney.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13142.htm



http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Rove+Indictment

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060521/NEWS06/605210466/1012


Informant: Teresa Binstock