This week, Eric sits down with activist and organizer Eugene Puryear to discuss a number of important issues. First, Eric and Eugene discuss the ongoing hunger strike at the Guantanamo concentration camp and the continued use of torture by the US authorities. Eugene also informs listeners about the demonstration he has helped organize in Washington for May 18th demanding the closure of Guantanamo and the end of systematic torture. Eric and Eugene also discuss the US-sponsored destabilization of Venezuela and the nature of the imperialist ruling class in the United States. In addition, they examine the current situation in Syria and the role of the United States in perpetuating this conflict for geopolitical reasons.
Eugene Puryear is an activist and organizer with the ANSWER Coalition. He was the Vice Presidential candidate from the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) in 2008. Eugene has helped organize demonstrations against the Israeli blockade of Gaza, the use of torture by the United States, and countless other important political and social causes. He is based in Washington DC.
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Immediately after my recent interview at RT I began to receive hate-filled and ignorance-ridden e-mails and comments regarding one of my comments. Here is that comment: “I rather call him Mr. Obama since he is not my president.” Oh, according to these ignoramuses, saying that made me disrespectful, out of touch with reality, Un-American, and much worse.
Usually I don’t waste time and energy engaging in unending and unproductive communication. The blogosphere is filled with hollow discussions like that – really not even ‘discussions.’ More like getting wasted in a zombie-wonderland. In a way, it is a great benefit to the establishment- have people eat each other, spend their time and energy on trivial semantics, and lose sight of real ‘issues and discussions.’
However, I believe a certain aspect of this latest attack is worthy of a brief commentary post. I also believe it is good for me to get a few things straight on how I view and feel about certain things. Sure, as always, being straight about ‘things’ will royally anger some (bye-bye a few subscribers, twitter followers, and Facebook followers). And as surely, my strong stand on my views will garner support and strong nods from some (hello new subscribers, twitter followers and Facebook friends). Either way, by now, after so many years, you must know that I am neither after those kinds of approval or scandal-raising adversaries. I just say it as is- as I view and believe. Read more
Author and attorney Chase Madar joins us to discuss and evaluate the latest developments in the pretrial of Bradley Manning, including his sadistic and unlawful treatment by the government, the politics and legal maneuvers of the court system, and the ugly role played by the US mainstream media. We talk about the silence of the liberals and congressional inaction in Manning’s case, President Obama’s hypocrisy and his legacy as the worst president in US history when it comes to secrecy, whistleblowing and truth-telling, and much more.
Chase Madar is the author of a new book The Passion of Bradley Manning. He is a lawyer in New York and a frequent contributor to the London Review of Books, the American Conservative Magazine, and Le Monde Diplomatique.
Here is our guest Chase Madar unplugged!
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“It is not only foreign political regimes that are corrupted by Washington’s evil, but also Americans themselves”
On May 31, 2010, the Israeli right-wing government sent armed military troops to illegally board in international waters Gaza aid ships of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla organized by the Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief. The Israelis murdered 8 Turkish citizens and one US citizen in cold blood. Many others were wounded by the forces of “the only democracy in the Middle East.”
Despite the murder of its citizen, Washington immediately took the side of the crazed Israeli government. The Turks had a different response. The prime minister of Turkey, Erdogan, said that the next aid ships would be protected by the Turkish navy. But Washington got hold of its puppet and paid him to shut up. Once upon a time, the Turks were a fierce people. Today they are Washington’s puppets.
We have witnessed this during the past week. The Turkish government is permitting the Islamists from outside Syria, organized by the CIA and Israel, to attack Syria from Turkish territory. On several occasions a mortar shell has, according to news reports if you believe them, fallen just inside the Turkey border. The Turkish military has used the excuse to launch artillery barrages into Syria. Read more
Why ‘some’ Still Question, Seek Answer(s) & Accountability
For ‘some’ reason I have been receiving more than a few ‘eye-rolling’ responses when I mention our theme for the month leading up to September 11- the tenth year. You and I know where the conscious but mostly subconscious eye-rolling and in some cases eye-aversion reactions come from. A very few bold ones are courageous enough to actually put this reaction into words. They ask ‘why can’t some people just let it go?’ They comment, ‘enough already with this 9/11 subject!’ Many of these same people are actually very outspoken and active in combating civil liberties related issues and abuses such as NSA Illegal Domestic Wiretapping, Rendition and Torture, FBI National Security Letters, TSA’s outrageous abuses …and the long list goes on. However, for ‘some’ reason they see ‘this 9/11 thing’ as a pointless nuisance, and wonder why some people don’t give up and keep bringing ‘it’ up. After all, the majority of these people consider 9/11 as ‘case closed,’ and a few regard it as a ‘cold case.’
I am not going to get into the ‘some’ reasons for this post; although, I have plenty to say on the subject. Instead, for the purpose of this piece, and for those audiences, I am going to answer the ‘whys.’ Why ‘some’ still question and seek answer(s) and accountability on 9/11.
Why 9/11? Because ‘they’ claim that’s what gives them the right to override our Constitution and all other laws guaranteeing our liberties and privacy.
Why 9/11? Because that’s what ‘they’ claim as justification for every one of our many wars.
Why 9/11? Because that’s what ‘they’ say is the reason for us having to be violated, humiliated, groped and fondled for the ‘privilege’ of travel.Read more
In this episode of our EyeOpener Report James Corbett looks at the book publishing industry controlled by a few media moguls, examines how the ease with which political and governmental bodies have been able to block the publication of books that are uncomfortable to the Washington elite has greatly increased, while books that fulfill a social function of rallying the populace around the flag and supporting the dominant narratives of our time are given copious attention by a fawning lapdog press, and talks about the self-publishing industry as not only a viable alternative for suppressed and dangerous works, but often the only outlet for books that truly challenge the status quo.
Watch the Full Video Report Here:
*The Transcript for this video is available at Corbett Report: Click HERE
“We must tell our children about how this evil was allowed to happen — because so many people succumbed to their darkest instincts, and because so many others stood silent.” – Barack Obama
When President Obama spoke those words at the Holocaust Memorial Museum last Monday, he was referring to atrocities committed by the government of Nazi Germany. He urged nations to learn from the Holocaust and commit to preventing new atrocities. Then, he unveiled a plan for America’s implementation of this “core responsibility.”
“I’ve signed an executive order that authorizes new sanctions against the Syrian government and Iran and those that abet them for using technologies to monitor and track and target citizens for violence. These technologies should not empower — these technologies should be in place to empower citizens, not to repress them. And it’s one more step that we can take toward the day that we know will come — the end of the Assad regime that has brutalized the Syrian people — and allow the Syrian people to chart their own destiny.” – Barack Obama
The president made no mention in his speech of torture and extraordinary rendition under his predecessor; no mention of his own administration’s efforts to silence disclosures of government wrongdoing. In the US government lexicon, “evil” apparently means the use of technology by a government to monitor, track and target citizens for human rights abuses except when the government is the United States orwhen the government is too powerful to risk angering or a US ally. This propagandistic definition of evil provides the framework for US foreign policy and the executive order mentioned in Obama’s speech. Read more
CIA Whistleblower Kiriakou Indicted for Exposing Waterboarding Practices
No one can accuse Barack Obama of not tackling our government’s still-continuing torture practices. No sir. The man has made it clear – he is going to hunt, prosecute and cage those involved … in exposing them. In fact he has just tucked one under his belt. Former CIA officer John Kiriakou was indicted Thursday for allegedly disclosing classified information to journalists. The following is what triggered the administration’s resolve in pursuing, hunting and finally indicting him yesterday:
In 2007, Kiriakou gave an on-camera interview to ABC News in which he disclosed that accused al-Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah was “waterboarded” and that waterboarding was torture. Kiriakou was one of the first CIA officers to label waterboarding as torture.
He is also accused of leaking classified information to reporters. This is part of his 2007 interview with ABC’s Brian Ross.
John Kiriakou: “At the time, I felt that waterboarding was something that we needed to do. And as time has passed, and as September 11th has moved farther and farther back into history, I think I’ve changed my mind. And I think that waterboarding is probably something that we shouldn’t be in the business of doing.”
Brian Ross: “Why do you say that now?”
John Kiriakou: “Because we’re Americans, and we’re better than that.”
You see, those involved in planning, sanctioning, executing, and later covering up our government’s illegal (nationally and internationally) yet rampant torture practices have all been given medals, immunity, and a guaranteed lavish good life to live. However, our President wants to make sure that what happened to his predecessor – being caught and exposed in the middle of torture mayhem – will never happen to him. After all, he is not one for stopping wars-murders-torture. So how does he go about ensuring a black-out of his illegal practices today and tomorrow? Easy – he will send a strong message to deter any soul from even thinking about exposing murder, torture and other illegalities committed by this government. Read more
This week, Eric sits down with activist and organizer Eugene Puryear to discuss a number of important issues. First, Eric and Eugene discuss the ongoing hunger strike at the Guantanamo concentration camp and the continued use of torture by the US authorities. Eugene also informs listeners about the demonstration he has helped organize in Washington for May 18th demanding the closure of Guantanamo and the end of systematic torture. Eric and Eugene also discuss the US-sponsored destabilization of Venezuela and the nature of the imperialist ruling class in the United States. In addition, they examine the current situation in Syria and the role of the United States in perpetuating this conflict for geopolitical reasons.
Chase Madar is the author of a new book The Passion of Bradley Manning. He is a lawyer in New York and a frequent contributor to the London Review of Books, the American Conservative Magazine, and Le Monde Diplomatique. 
In this episode of our EyeOpener Report James Corbett looks at the book publishing industry controlled by a few media moguls, examines how the ease with which political and governmental bodies have been able to block the publication of books that are uncomfortable to the Washington elite has greatly increased, while books that fulfill a social function of rallying the populace around the flag and supporting the dominant narratives of our time are given copious attention by a fawning lapdog press, and talks about the self-publishing industry as not only a viable alternative for suppressed and dangerous works, but often the only outlet for books that truly challenge the status quo.
