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for January 2004

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1-22-04
"Christ" controversy brews "Christ's final agonizing hours of life, and death, as depicted in The Passion of the Christ, is hardly standard Hollywood drama. Mel Gibson's movie is graphic, violent and so controversial, no major studio would touch it. CBS News Correspondent Mark Strassman reports." (Real News 24/7: Major studios so concerned over controversy as to shy away from a film? Isn't that exactly the opposite of how Hollywood has been known to operate? Maybe it isn't so much that the movie is controversial, but the sort of controversy that's the issue. The main objections about the The Passion of the Christ have come from Jewish groups, primarily the Anti-Defamation League (see below), while the power in the motion picture industry is heavily Jewish, so, of course, the "controversy" is caused "major studios" to it turn down.  Oh, and about violence and gore? Just a reminder: A little over a year ago, eight major studios joined in suit against an company specializing in editing the violence and other objectionable material out of films to make them family-friendly. Sounds like they're really concerned about excessive violence, eh? [Concerned about keeping it in, that is!])

Gibson "Passion" film wows Christians , vexes Jews  "It's hard to imagine a movie provoking such contrasting reactions among Jews and Christians as Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, the story of the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ."

Vatican Confirms Pope Has Seen Mel Gibson's "Passion" "The Vatican confirmed that John Paul II has seen Mel Gibson's film on the passion and death of Christ but has made no official comments about the movie." (Real News 24/7: Please note that Mel Gibson's people never called John Paul II's purported "It is as it was" statement an endorsement or an "official" comment; they merely reported that this is what they were told by Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro-Valls. Despite recent attempts by those around John Paul II to downplay the statement, Gibson spokesman Alan Nierob continues to insist it is precisely what Navarro-Valls communicated to him and that permission was given to use the quote.)

5,000 pastors cheer Mel Gibson's "Passion" "Famed film actor and producer Mel Gibson told 5,000 pastors yesterday that 'there will always be opposition' to films on the Gospel, 'but you have to stand your ground and slug it out.'"
 

Latest "Passion" escapade shows duplicity of Anti-Defamation League

ADL screens Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ"; says film's "Painful to watch"   "After two of its representatives attended a screening of Mel Gibson's film 'The Passion of The Christ' at a religious gathering in Florida, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today renewed its concerns about the film's potential to promote anti-Semitism through its 'painful portrayal of Jews' as being responsible for the death of Jesus. The film is scheduled for national release on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25." (Real News 24/7: This is an ADL press release, which concludes: "It's sad that we could not see this film at the invitation of Mel Gibson, but instead by finding an opportunity to be part of an audience." Mel Gibson and his company have refused ADL requests because they knew that group was so vehemently opposed to it. No surprise there. So what is meant when the ADL writes of "find the opportunity to be part of an audience." As the next two articles reveal, create an opportunity is more like it.)  Jewish leaders pan Gibson film after posing as pastors "Leaders of two Jewish groups are giving negative reviews after posing as pastors so they could attend an advance screening of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ." ADL Snuck Into Film "After screening Mel Gibson's film 'The Passion of the Christ,' the Anti-Defamation League issued a scathing press release Thursday stating that the film will foster anti-Semitism. But sources close to Gibson's production company told NewsMax's James Hirsen that the ADL, which was hostile to the film before anyone had even viewed it, has never been invited to screen it."


 

1-21-04
State of the Union Address: Our work goes on, Bush says "President Bush described a nation at peril Tuesday in a State of the Union speech that focused on the threat of terrorism, the challenges in Iraq and the need for more economic growth. In a nationally televised address that previewed the themes of his reelection campaign, Bush defended his decision to invade Iraq and warned Americans that the nation remains vulnerable to terrorists. He sought to play to his political strengths by casting himself as a tough-minded leader dealing with big challenges."

The war president makes his case  "Two years ago in his State of the Union address, George W. Bush made history with his declaration that North Korea, Iran, Iraq and 'their terrorist allies' were an 'axis of evil' which the civilized world must confront. A year ago, the president declared Saddam Hussein's time had run out and the United States would accept nothing less than his removal from power. It's hard to achieve such a lofty dramatic standard three times in a row, and Bush's address Tuesday night did not manage the feat. Nevertheless, the 2004 version did return to the major themes of the past two years - and most notably the argument that we remain a nation at war."

White House text of the State of the Union address

 

1-21-04 The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 37
CIA warns of Iraq civil war "CIA officers in Iraq are warning that the country may be on a path to civil war, current and former U.S. officials said. Wednesday, starkly contradicting the upbeat assessment that President Bush gave in his State of the Union address.

Shiites demand Saddam for trial "Thousands of Shiite Muslims hit the streets of four Iraqi cities on Tuesday, calling on the US to hand over Saddam Hussein to be tried as a war criminal and demanding a bigger say in their political future. The fresh rallies followed a march through Baghdad on Monday by tens of thousands of people from the majority Shiite community demanding direct elections to decide who controls Iraq when the US hands back power in June."

 

1-21-04 The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day LXXXXIV
Gov. Bush seeks evidence in Terri's case "[Florida] Gov. Jeb Bush has asked an appeals court for permission to collect evidence in a severely brain-damaged woman's right-to-die case.  Terri Schiavo, 40, has been the subject of a long legal battle between her husband, who has sought to disconnect her feeding tube, and her parents, who believe she can be rehabilitated and want to take care of her."

UPDATE! The petition mentioned in the following has been moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please click scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you can help."   ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able to thank you for your help!

[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October 15.]  

Pray for Terri Schindler-Schiavo & her family
 

1-20-04
Deception in the name of science?  "The popular science writer John Gribbin has written a book entitled The Scientists: A History of Science Told Through the Lives of Its Greatest Inventors. In it, Gribbin (p. 95) describes the seventeenth-century dispute over the nature of comets, between Galileo and several prominent Jesuit astronomers, as follows: 'Three comets were seen in 1618, and when a group of Jesuits… published a rather fanciful account of their significance, Galileo replied in withering terms, sarcastically suggesting that they seemed to think that 'philosophy is a book of fiction by some author, like the Iliad…" (When Galileo says "philosophy," he means what we would call science, which was referred to as natural philosophy in his day.) Gribbin continues: 'He had a point, and [respect for observed facts] is indeed a distinguishing feature of real science. Unfortunately, on this occasion, Galileo's explanation of comets was also wrong...."

Galileo Galilei  A biographical article from the New Advent website.
 

 

 

1-20-04 The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 36
Bomb attack shows Saddam's capture has done little to weaken resistance "The suicide bomb in a white pick-up truck which exploded at the entrance to the heavily guarded headquarters of the US-led coalition in Baghdad yesterday showed how little the capture of Saddam Hussein last month has affected the level of violence in Iraq."

 

 

1-20-04 The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day LXXXXIII

UPDATE! The petition mentioned in the following has been moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please click scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you can help."   ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able to thank you for your help!

[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October 15.]  

Pray for Terri Schindler-Schiavo & her family
 

1-19-04
Welsh star in race row: "Ring's" Rhys-Davies speaks out in defense of Western Civilization  "Outraged Islamic leaders in Wales demanded an immediate apology from Lord Of The Rings actor John Rhys-Davies, who claimed an increase in Europe's Muslim population was a 'demographic catastrophe' threatening 'Western civilization.¼' In the interview, Rhys-Davies, who plays heroic dwarf Gimli (right) and recorded the voice of computer-animated character Treebeard in the Hollywood blockbuster, interprets Tolkien's story of good versus evil as a metaphor for modern race relations. He said: 'There is a demographic catastrophe happening in Europe that nobody wants to talk about, that we daren't bring up because we are so cagey about not offending people racially. And rightly we should be. But there is a cultural thing as well. By 2020, 50 per cent of the children in Holland under the age of 18 will be of Muslim descent.'" (Real News 24/7: One objection to Rhys-Davies basically sound comments: Why's he using the term" racially" when he's talking about a religion?)

The free folks vs. the Orcs An article in World magazine (following up the one with Mr. Rhys-Davies's interview) on how The Lord of the Rings trilogy mirrors real-life geopolitical issues. Not Goblins and Orcs this time: ‘Gimli’ defends Western Civilization  "At a recent get-together with the cast of The Lord of the Rings, perhaps the most passionate observations came from John Rhys-Davies.¼Rhys-Davies took the media to task for failing to appreciate the preciousness of Western civilization. He warned of the potential consequences of rising Muslim extremism and the increasingly Islamic face of Europe."

Actors' politics pollute "Ring" "In fact, Mortensen's protests set up a potential ideological conflict with one of his Rings co-stars: veteran actor John Rhys-Davies, who plays Gimli the Dwarf and voices the character Treebeard the Ent. In recent comments to the media, Rhys-Davies delivered his own interpretation of the epic cycle: 'I think that Tolkien says that some generations will be challenged, and if they do not rise to meet that challenge, they will lose their civilization. That does have a real resonance with me.' Leveling a stinging accusation at leading reporters, he declared: 'What is unconscionable is that too many of your fellow journalists do not understand how precarious Western civilization is, and what a jewel it is.' He went on to warn about the potentially devastating impact of the rise of aggressive, uncompromising Islamism among the growing Muslim population of Western Europe." (Real News 24/7: We owe Rhys-Davies a debt of gratitude for speaking the truth, even at the risk of his career. We urge him not to apologize for a single word! It really speaks volumes as to how far society has fallen, when someone is portrayed as some sort of ogre for standing up for Western Civilization. If Queen Elizabeth was a worthy monarch she would knight him, instead of drugged, decadent rock stars. Europe fought an Islamic invasion over 400 years ago, but today people are vilified for opposing this modern invasion. Incredible! )

  In the above article, film critic Michael Medved dismisses any suggestion that a defense of Western Civilization can be found in the trilogy, even quoting from the work's forward, in which

the author insisted that the world of Middle Earth exists as an independent universe, with no connection to current events. "As for any inner meaning or 'message,' it has in the intention of the author none," Tolkien wrote. "It is neither allegorical nor topical."

Tolkien understood that the finest works of art appeal with equal power to people of all political persuasions, without sacrificing their permanent meaning through association with transient debates.

There are a couple of problems with these observations, however. First, while it's true that Tolkien had "neither allegorical or topical" messages in the Ring, he was undoubtedly effected by certain powerful events during his life, including two world wars and the ongoing industrialization of society, which he viewed in a largely negative way. (See National Geographic's Influences on Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.)

And second, Medved's assertion that "Tolkien understood that the finest works of art appeal with equal power to people of all political persuasions" is open to question. All truly great works of art, however different their subject matter and approaches, have one thing in common: They express, whether directly or indirectly, plainly or ineffably,  something of the Truth. Because of this, there are, necessarily, those rulers who will oppose them. It is utterly inconceivable that Hitler or Stalin would have, had the opportunity presented itself, allow George Orwell's anti-totalitarian classics 1984 and Animal Farm to be sold in German or Soviet bookstores. Today, a powerful pro-life novel would likewise be denigrated by the abortion lobby, and with good reason: Such a book exposes the falsities upon which they stand. Surely, Medved is familiar with Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, a powerful book depicting a society in which firemen don't put out fires, but start them - they burn books. No, Tolkien was under no illusion that his books would be equally accepted by all factions. (For an article that leaves no room for doubt on this point, read  Tolkien vs. Socialism.)

John Rhys-Davies bio/filmography
 

A John Rhys-Davies fansite

Free Republic visitors' chat-room comments on Rhys-Davies "Well at least there's one actor in the movie with a grain of sense in his head." 

 

 

1-19-04 The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 35
Iraqis demand early elections  "[us administrator in Iraq] Paul Bremer and members of the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council were to meet UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York later in the day to discuss a plan to hand power back to Iraqis by June, before the US presidential election.¼The talks come a day after a suicide bomb blast at the gates of the US-led administration compound in Baghdad which killed at least 25 people, according to Iraqi police. US officials said two American contractors were believed to be among those killed in the deadliest attack since Saddam Hussein's capture."

 

 

1-19-04
Turkish P.M.: Global changes point to new world order  "Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that the world was turning into a giant village in which every moving part affected the other. ¼'`In this global village, there is a discrimination between those who open their doors and gain together establishing closer economic and political relations and those who close their doors and isolate themselves in concern,`` Erdogan said. Erdogan noted that the world had experienced many important political changes in the last ten years. As the bi-polar cold war era ended, discussions on 'new world order' started aiming at forming new powers and balances, Erdogan said." John Paul II calls for new world order "This year, John Paul directed his thoughts to continuing conflicts around the globe. But he stressed that to bring about peace, there needs to be a new respect for international law and the creation of a "new international order" based on the goals of the United Nations."   The intelligent student's guide to the New World Order "The essence of the New World Order (NWO) or world management system is that it is management by social engineers, rather than government based on a written constitution. How you are affected by this management system depends on what the social engineers decide the system should do for you and require of you." Understanding the New World Order "This idea of a planned world-state is one to which all our thought and knowledge is tending ... It is appearing partially and experimentally at a thousand points ... its coming is likely to happen quickly." (H.G. Wells, The Open Conspiracy: Blueprints For A World Revolution, 1928)
 

1-19-04 The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day LXXXXII
Disabling assisted suicide "Just about every year assisted-suicide advocacy groups insist that they are on the verge of their next big legalization breakthrough. In 1998 it was supposed to be in Michigan, via a voter initiative. Early polls showed the proposal leading by a wide margin. But when the smoke cleared, the measure lost by a whopping 71-29 percent."

UPDATE! The petition mentioned in the following has been moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please click scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you can help."   ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able to thank you for your help!

[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October 15.]  

Pray for Terri Schindler-Schiavo & her family
 

1-18-04
Why boycott Disney?  ( See photo at left for three good reasons!)  "Homosexuality. Violence. Anti-Christian themes. Incest. Graphic sex. and drug use. Profanity and obscenity. All these now share a strange legacy with Pinocchio, Snow White, Peter Pan and the Little Mermaid as hallmarks of the Walt Disney Company. This radical departure from traditional Disney values is nowhere more evident than in the company's headlong rush to promote homosexuality as normal and to profit enormously from that promotion."

Truth about the (Eisner-controlled) Walt Disney Company  "FACT: Actors Ernie Sabella and Nathan Lane said in a New York Times interview that the characters they played (Timon, the meerkat, and Pumbaa, the wart hog, shown in picture at the right ) in THE LION KING are 'the first homosexual Disney characters ever to come to the screen....'—NY Times, 6/12/94" (See also "Sex in The Lion King, from a fansite for the film.")

 Disney promotes the homosexual lifestyle through Gay Day (see photo below)  

Roy Disney rallies the faithful at Disneyana convention "Roy E. Disney got a standing ovation Saturday as he brought his campaign to oust Walt Disney Co. chairman and chief executive Michael Eisner to lovers of all things Disney. 'It stands for quality,' he said of the Disney brand. 'It stands for families, it stands for getting your money's worth and it stands for a lot of innovation and a lot of new and creative ideas that make things fun every time you visit a park or go to a film.' Disney was asked to comment on changes since his departure that he has seen at the Disneyland theme park, just two miles north of the hotel hosting the convention." Related article  "The war continues between Disney chairman Michael Eisner and the son of the company's son. Walt Disney says Disney has closed its Florida animation studio with 260 employees."

 

 

 

 

saveDisney.com  (Real News 24/7: Roy Disney's website; significantly built upon since its Internet debut a month ago. Unfortunately, we have yet to see him come out against sicko activities like Gay Day.)


 

1-18-04 The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 34
Attack on US HQ in Iraq; 20 killed  "A suicide bomber blew up a truck packed with half a ton of explosives outside the main United States headquarters here yesterday, killing at least 20 people and wounding about 60 as they queued to enter the base. It was the bloodiest assault yet on the symbol of the US-led presence in Iraq after former president Saddam Hussein's capture by US forces on Dec 13."

 

 

1-18-04 The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day LXXXXI

UPDATE! The petition mentioned in the following has been moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please click scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you can help."   ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able to thank you for your help!

[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October 15.]  

Pray for Terri Schindler-Schiavo & her family
 

1-17-04
Tom Brokaw vs. conservative "Jihad" "In the last few months, Brokaw has really pushed the petal to the metal on his theory that Big Money is the enemy of democracy. On Comedy Central’s "The Daily Show" January 6, he sympathized with Howard Dean and declared George W. Bush is a transparent capitalist tool. He said Dean "cannot equate with the fundraising power of a President of the United States who is a Republican, especially representing the corporate interests. He can go out there, push the button and get a lot of money." Bush is for the "corporate interests," while Dean stands for the "underrepresented." But if that’s so, where was Mr.Brokaw when Bill Clinton was breaking all the fundraising records, not to mention fundraising laws?"

Bozell issues $1 million challenge to Tom Brokaw and NBC  "Media Research Center President Brent Bozell is issuing a $1 million challenge to NBC and NBC Nightly News Anchor Tom Brokaw, calling Brokaw on his comments made in a recent interview with Columbia Journalism Review. In the interview, Brokaw directly took on Bozell and the Media Research Center while denying the credibility of their evidence of liberal bias in the press.¼" Related article

Flashback: Brokaw took the money and ran "NBC nightly News anchorman Tom Brokaw narrated a one-hour Dateline special, 'Take the Money and Run.' Brokaw contended that CEOs were making millions of dollars through stock option schemes and other maneuvers at a time when investors were losing their shirts. Brokaw contended that CEOs were making too much money compared to the average worker. But that could apply to Brokaw."

Media trumpeting war (Real News 24/7: The war being discussed in this linked article in Clinton's Kosovo invasion. The following passage belies elitist Brokaw's claim to speak for the "underrepresented.")

The Ruling Class Journalists (RCJ), an appellation coined by the Washington Post’s own ombudsman, Richard Harwood, do indeed have an agenda. As Harwood pointed out in his Post column for October 30, 1993, entitled "Ruling Class Journalists," the RCJ are but a subset of "the Council on Foreign Relations, whose members are the nearest we have to a ruling establishment in the United States."

The "watchdogs of liberty," the press, have long enjoyed a cozy, incestuous relationship with the political elite of this CFR establishment, which, according to former CFR member Admiral Chester Ward, is a gaggle of "one-world-global-government ideologists" consumed with a "lust to surrender the sovereignty and independence of the United States." Harwood admitted that the RCJ at his own newspaper constitute a virtual CFR fraternity. "The editorial page editor, deputy editor, managing editor, foreign editor, national affairs editor, business and financial editor, and various writers," he observed, "as well as Katherine Graham, the paper’s principal owner, represent The Washington Post in the council’s membership."

A similar representation, he noted, can be claimed by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, "the weekly newsmagazines, network television executives and celebrities — Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw and Jim Lehrer, for example — and various columnists, among them, Charles Krauthammer, William Buckley, George Will and Jim Hoagland." In fact, the CFR claims 363 top "journalists, correspondents, and communications executives" among its august membership.

More on the CFR and the New World Order

Brokaw at the Council on Foreign Relations (Real News 24/7:  This is an interview by Tom Brokaw of Ahmad Chalabi  at the CFR's New York headquarters. Chalabi is the leader of the CIA-financed Iraqi National Congress and the Bush's "opposition leader" of choice. As expected, Brokaw serves up a series of "softball" questions for Chalabi. The interview appears on the CFR's official website, as does this video of the inteview.)

 

1-17-04 The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 33 Charley Reese: Are you going to get mad?

"It is now about as clear as it's going to get that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction. Secretary of State Colin Powell even contradicted himself (in his U.N. speech) by admitting recently that there is no evidence of any link between Saddam and al-Qaida.

"Prior to the Iraq War, the Bush administration asserted as fact that Saddam had huge quantities of chemical and biological weapons and was actively pursuing nuclear weapons. Administration members ridiculed people who expressed any doubts. Today, after spending millions of dollars looking for the weapons, they haven't found anything. And every Iraqi official captured, none of whom has any reason at all to lie, has said the same thing: There are no weapons of mass destruction." (Real News 24/7: While we are in substantial agreement with the author, we must take exception to the assertion that Iraqi officials have no reason to lie. Of course they have a reason, Charley, its called avoiding criminal persecution. But saying they might lie to protect themselves is a far cry from saying they did lie or that there are, in fact, WMDs waiting to be found. And we don't need Iraqi officials to tell us this. Scott Ritter, an ex-Marine and conservative Republican, was a leader of weapons inspection team that combed Iraq in the mid- to late-90s and found nothing. He is adamant that Saddam had none. This was also confirmed by Bush Administration officials in 2001! )

 Powell: Saddam was a threat to the world "Saddam Hussein was a threat to the world although no large stocks of weapons of mass destruction have yet been found in Iraq, US Secretary of State Colin Powell has told Australia's national broadcaster." (Real News 24/7: Where have we heard this before?!)
 

 

1-17-04 The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day LXXXX

UPDATE! The petition mentioned in the following has been moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please click scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you can help."   ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able to thank you for your help!

[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October 15.]  

Pray for Terri Schindler-Schiavo & her family
 

1-16-04
 

Myths of Martin Luther King "There is probably no greater sacred cow in America than Martin Luther King Jr. The slightest criticism of him or even suggesting that he isn’t deserving of a national holiday leads to the usual accusations of racist, fascism, and the rest of the usual left-wing epithets not only from liberals, but also from many ostensible conservatives and libertarians. This is amazing because during the 50s and 60s, the Right almost unanimously opposed the civil rights movement. Contrary to the claims of many neocons, the opposition was not limited to the John Birch Society and southern conservatives. It was made by politicians like Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater, and in the pages of Modern Age, Human Events, National Review, and the Freeman."

Alan Stang: "Martin Luther" King Jr.: Communist fraud  "Let us now praise famous men – if we can. There are two reasons you don’t need to know anything about Mike (even his name is a fraud) King, to know that we should not be celebrating a holiday in his name. First, a respectable time needs to pass after a man dies, during which the facts will mature. After sober reflection has considered them, a national clamor will spontaneously call such an honor into being – it if is deserved. To force such a holiday into law soon after a man dies, almost gasping in haste as in an emergency, using intimidation and threats, is unseemly to say the least; but that is how the present farce we uncelebrate was arranged. Need we add that this principle applies to any man, whatever his name, whatever his color.¼" (Real News 24/7: Please note King's mannerisms displayed in this section's photos, then compare them with those  accompanying our Special Report: Mandela's Communist ties ignored as world celebrates his birthday. Notice any similarities? For more on KIng's Communist ties,  see this earlier MLK article by Alan Stang.)

Bush's Martin Luther King Proclamation "On the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, our nation honors an American who dedicated his life to the fundamental principles of freedom, opportunity and equal justice for all. Today, all Americans benefit from Dr. King's work and his legacy of courage, dignity and moral clarity.¼" (Real News 24/7: Further proof [not that any more is needed] of Bush's putting politics before principles. Here's something to show conservatives ignorant enough to believe that Bush is pro-American—not that we should expect many of these GOP-can-do-no-wrong types to awaken from their stupor. For that matter, how do we shake America from its MLK idolatry?)

King was also a notorious serial plagiarist who "borrowed" [without attribution] on numerous occasions: from his doctrinal dissertation to his "I have a dream" and Nobel Prize speeches. See the Martin Luther King plagiarism page and the Accuracy in Academia review of Theodore Pappas's Plagiarism and the Cultural War: The writings of Martin Luther King, Jr. and other prominent Americans and Nicholas Stix's The Longest Month Part II: The Divine Martin Luther King Jr., which quotes Pappas on King's overall poor showing as a student.

 

1-16-04 The Capture of Saddam Hussein: Day 32
America's enemies strengthened by overthrow, capture of Saddam Hussein"While the capture of Saddam Hussein last month was certainly an impressive victory for President Bush that has been a cause for much celebration for most Iraqis and for our troops, it will likely cause the Shiites to be emboldened to become increasingly more militant and may soon spark a general rebellion in the Shiite south of Iraq. In other words, the capture of Saddam may result in a gradual transfer of the leadership of the resistance from the Baathists to a potentially even more dangerous threat—the radical Shiites who are supported and in league with the mother of all terrorist states--the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is they who are the most radical of all Iraqi groups in addition to being predominantly Islamist and anti-American in outlook. In fact, the immediate past interim President of the Iraqi Governing Council, Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim, is the head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), which is the umbrella group for the radical Shiite organizations controlled by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Saddam, himself a brutal, murderous dictator, has been a longtime opponent of these Islamist terrorist groups and ironically served as an important proxy for the US in furtherance of its war against Islamist terrorism in the 1980s when he invaded Iran with US support."

Shiite protests complicate US plans in Iraq "Tens of thousands of Iraqis took to the streets in the southern Iraqi city of Basra Thursday to peacefully protest US plans for transferring power to Iraqis. The BBC reports that the protests were called for by Basra's Shiite clerics and 'show the strength' of local leader Ayatollah Saeed Ali Hakim. According to the BBC's Dumeetha Luthra, 'It sends a clear message to the Americans - we can mobilize the people against you if we need to.'"
 

 

1-16-04 The Terri Schindler-Schiavo File: Day LXXXIX
Terri Schiavo's valiant fight for life "Is it right to die? Or right to murder? That was the question suddenly put before Florida lawmakers last October. Many were stunned to learn that then 39-year-old Terri Schiavo, a severely brain-damaged woman from Pinellas Park, Florida, was being starved to death after a judge ordered her feeding tube removed at the request of her husband and legal guardian Michael Schiavo. House Speaker Johnnie Byrd felt something had gone terribly wrong. ¼"

UPDATE! The petition mentioned in the following has been moved from the the Terri's Fight homepage. To access it, please click scroll to near the bottom of that page and click under the heading "How you can help."   ACTION ALERT! Terri's family and friends have launched a petition drive urging Florida State Attorney Bernie McCabe to investigate charges that she was a victim of physical abuse. The petition says that McCabe has ignored "well-founded allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation"—all felony crimes under Florida law. Please lend your support by going to Terri's website and filling out the pop-up petition. God willing, Terri someday will be able to thank you for your help!

[Real News 24/7 will continue to carry news about Terri when it becomes available, until either her feeding/hydration tubes are reinstated or she passes away as a result of the current cessation of treatment. See our in-depth coverage, including update, from October 15.]  

Pray for Terri Schindler-Schiavo & her family