Democracy Now! of the North Carolina High Country

Gotta Wear Shades

2008-07-25T18:45:00.001-04:00

Don't be fooled by Blackwater Worldwide's latest PR campaign, says Jeremy Scahill:

It seems that executives from Blackwater Worldwide, the Bush administration's favourite hired guns in Iraq and Afghanistan, are threatening to pack up their M4 assault rifles, CS gas and Little Bird helicopters and go back to the great dismal swamp of North Carolina whence they came. Or at least that's how it is being portrayed in the media.

More here.

Shilling For Shale

2008-07-24T18:09:00.003-04:00

The High Country's own Virginia Foxx (R-NC) has got this high gas price thing all figured out: all we need to do is drill for oil shale deposits!

Those darn deposits are sitting in plain sight, right here in the good ol' USA. If we tap into these vast deposits, we'll never have to rely on the likes of scary people like this ever, ever again!

Per Foxx, the "American Energy Act", which she co-sponsored, will increase supply and lower gas prices by:

...opening deep water resources, the Arctic coastal plain and shale oil resources and by reducing the bureaucratic hurdles blocking construction of new refineries. It is estimated that these sources hold the potential to provide an additional 6.5 million barrels of oil per day.

Virginia! You've done it! B-b-but:

...Faced with rising energy prices, and concern over climate change, rather than disinvest out of oil, the US is going to start digging for more of it. But this time it’s oil shale, which is dirtier, and more energy intensive than conventional oil. Oil shale development also consumes vast amounts of water...
...
Critics of the scheme, along with Colorado’s Democratic governor, Bill Ritter, accused the Bush administration of rushing to develop oil shale at “bargain basement” rates, without accounting for its various impacts. Ritter said that oil shale, which would not produce oil until 2015 or 2016, would do nothing to help with high gasoline prices...

But isn't Colorado just rolling in water? It's not like the Colorado River is used to supply water to California or anything. So we can use the water in Colorado to dig for the oil shale there, yes?

...
The Colorado River Basin, an important source of water supply for Southern California, continued in drought conditions, having experienced below average runoff in seven of the last eight years.
...

With few exceptions, 16,000 feet is the maximum depth at which oil is found. Below that depth, only gas exists, because of the temperature of the earth. The United States has large areas of oil shale deposits, which are sometimes misconstrued as being a readily available resource. However, oil shale deposits are not the same thing as conventional oil fields. There are no effective methods for extracting crude oil, from oil shale. A variety of processes have been tried, and all have failed.

Party poopers. Reality has a way of doing that sometimes. We have to wonder why the High Country Media outlets which reprinted Foxx's press release apparently did not attempt to use the InterGoogles to find the information noted above. It took us all of 10 minutes to find it.

How To Do It

2008-07-24T16:17:00.005-04:00

The Department of Labor wants to make it easier. Easier for you to work in an environment full of toxic stuff. And they're working on a rule right now to make it happen--in secret. According to ProPublica, the rule was drafted by a "political deputy" and not publicly disclosed.

But wouldn't ya know it--politicians are not supposed to make these sorts of rule changes. Oh, and we also live in a democracy. So, ProPublica is going to help:

We've been following a Department of Labor proposed rule that would make it harder to pass regulations regarding workplace toxins and chemicals. As the Washington Post reported, the rule did not go through the normal process: It was not publicly disclosed and was drafted by a "political deputy in Labor's office of the assistant secretary for policy."
Earlier today we posted excerpts from an early draft of the proposed rule. Our source just sent us a version of the full rule they say is currently under review at the Office of Management and Budget.

Happy reading.

Note to would-be journalists: This is how you do it.

Hear And Obey

2008-07-22T18:14:00.002-04:00

Are you having trouble thinking for yourself? You can tune in to a multitude of radio stations here in the High Country--and be told that the only candidate that a good Christian could ever vote for is John McCain. That's it--problem solved!

One person issuing these directives is none other than Dr. James Dobson (Focus On The Family), the same chosen one who declared that he would never vote for McCain. While he has not endorsed McCain yet, Dobson is moving ever so slowly to McCain's side. Is this the same good doctor who said he would never vote for McCain? Why the divine flip-flop?

...
I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has at times sounded more like a member of the other party.
...

But now, Dr. Dobson says:

...
"I never thought I would hear myself saying this," Dobson said in a radio broadcast to air Monday. "... While I am not endorsing Senator John McCain, the possibility is there that I might."
...

It seems that Dobson is sufficiently "alarmed" by Obama:

"He is also supportive of the entire gay activist agenda. We're not just talking about showing respect for people and equal rights for all citizens of the United States. It’s not referring to it in those terms. He’s talking about homosexual marriage. I mean, he makes no bones about that. He's talking about hate crimes legislation which would limit religious liberty, I have no doubt about that, that ministers and others - people like us - are going to very quickly be prohibited from expressing your faith and your theology on certain views. … Just so many aspects of his views on that issue that keep me awake at night frankly … that he is so extreme, that he does threaten traditional family life and pro-moral values …"

And so we are told by the "Christians" over the public airwaves how to place our votes. How to think. Fear tactics are freely used. All in the interest of raw power.

With as many radio stations as there are out there that carry Christian-oriented programming, you'd think that maybe one station might want to carry some other religious views...but more on that later.

If You're Not A Terrorist, Then You Have Nothing To Worry About--Right?

2008-07-21T19:14:00.004-04:00

AMY GOODMAN: We turn now to Maryland, a new document revealing police surveillance of local activists opposed to war and the death penalty. The American Civil Liberties Union released documents Thursday showing undercover officers from the Maryland State Police spied on peace groups and anti-death-penalty protesters for over a year from 2005 to 2006, when Robert Ehrlich, Jr. was governor. On Friday, current governor, Martin O’Malley, vowed not to allow police surveillance of peace groups.
...
AMY GOODMAN: Longtime peace activist Max Obuszewski from the Baltimore Pledge of Resistance joins me now from Washington, D.C. We’re also joined by another target of the surveillance of the Maryland State Police, Dave Zirin, the sportswriter and author of, among other books, Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics and Promise of Sports. He writes a weekly column called “Edge of Sports.” His latest article for CounterPunch is called “COINTELPRO Comes to My Town.” We welcome you both to Democracy Now!
Max Obuszewski, let’s begin with you...

Weekend Video Salon: Pesky Questions Edition

2008-07-20T17:39:00.002-04:00

Will Boone's Aisling Broadcasting ever realize that other kinds of political talk radio exist? Perhaps one day they will. Think for a minute--Boone is a college town. Boone has overwhelmingly supported progressive candidates for political office. Boone is a haven for socially tolerant people. Boone is a recognized leader in the development of alternative energy solutions. These are all strong indicators of the existence of a forward-looking population.

But there is no progressive radio programming offered by Aisling in Boone. Why?

Here is Thom Hartmann doing his show live on the radio and on C-SPAN--discussing the odd level of secrecy Bush has insisted on regarding his plans for the continuity of government in an "emergency".

Aisling may be interested to know that Thom beats Rush in many markets where they go head to head. We're just sayin'. Enjoy!

Anthrax: Unsolved Mysteries

2008-07-18T18:45:00.004-04:00

Remember the anthrax? In the days following 9/11, there were several incidents of anthrax being sent to journalists, television networks, and members of Congress. It was a scary time.

Did you know that these cases have never been solved? Did you know that the only two Senators (Leahy, Daschall) who were in a position to actually stop the Patriot Act were the ones who got the anthrax sent to their Senate offices?

Here's Thom Hartmann answering a caller from Charlotte--who wants to know why these cases were never solved:

Profits Are Privatized. Losses Are Socialized.

2008-07-16T19:14:00.005-04:00

The ideology of deregulation really took root when Reagan came into office, 30-plus years ago. The concept that all problems stemmed from big government interference was king, and the idea that the free market should be completely unleashed to work its magic--ruled the day. Yes, survival of the fittest! The end of lazy people. Ownership society. On and on...

A funny thing happened on the way to that free market utopia, though. It turns out that maybe a few regulatory measures should have been saved. Too bad it wasn't this one:

The Glass-Steagall Act, also known as the Banking Act of 1933 (48 Stat. 162), was passed by Congress in 1933 and prohibits commercial banks from engaging in the investment business.

It was enacted as an emergency response to the failure of nearly 5,000 banks during the Great Depression. The act was originally part of President franklin d. roosevelt's New Deal program and became a permanent measure in 1945. It gave tighter regulation of national banks to the Federal Reserve System; prohibited bank sales of Securities; and created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which insures bank deposits with a pool of money appropriated from banks.
...
The expansion of commercial banks into securities underwriting was substantial until the 1929 Stock Market crash and the subsequent Depression. In 1930, the Bank of the United States failed, reportedly because of activities of its security affiliates that created artificial conditions in the market. In 1933, all of the banks throughout the country were closed for a four-day period, and 4,000 banks closed permanently.
...
As a result of the bank closings and the already devastated economy, public confidence in the U.S. financial structure was low. In order to restore the banking public's confidence that banks would follow reasonable banking practices, Congress created the Glass-Steagall Act.

Sounds like a great idea! What happened?

[The] Gramm-Leach-Bilely Act of 1999 repealed the Glass-Steagall Act's restrictions on bank and securities-firm affiliations. It also amended the Bank Holding Company Act to permit affiliations among financial services companies, including banks, securities firms and insurance companies. The new law sought financial modernization by removing the very barriers that Glass-Steagall had erected.

So, they basically undid everything--and allowed banks, securities firms and insurance companies to sell the same products again--and brought all that risk of bank failure right back into play. And what do we have now? Failing banks, failing Freddies, and failing Fannies--just like the good ol' days.

But as long as these huge organizations are making a profit, they get to keep all the profits. When they fail? Well, you and I pick up the tab. Call it Corporate Socialism, from the Real News Network:

The Potpourri That Is Rush

2008-07-15T18:46:00.004-04:00

We would never suggest that a man wanting to get in touch with his feminine side was anything but good.

But what, we wonder, were the legions of Rush Limbaugh's (carried locally on WXIT 1200 AM and WHKY 1290 AM) fans to think after the allegedly "liberal" New York Times ran a major puffpiece on the guy, disclosing all sorts of interesting details about Rush's lifestyle?

At the very least, Rush's carefully crafted image as a "REGULAR! GUY!, JUST LIKE YOU AND ME!!" can no longer be justified by anyone. From the New York Times:

“ANTICIPATING A QUESTION,” Limbaugh said when we pulled into the garage of his secluded beachfront mansion in Palm Beach, “why do I have so many cars?”
I hadn’t actually been wondering that. Very rich people tend not to stint on transportation. For example, we drove to the house from the studio, Limbaugh at the wheel, in a black Maybach 57S, which runs around $450,000 fully loaded. He had half a dozen similar rides on his estate.
“I have these cars for two reasons,” Limbaugh said. “First, they are for the use of my guests. And two, I happen to love fine automobiles.”
He also loves space. There are five homes — all of them his — on the property. The big house is 24,000 square feet. Limbaugh lives there with a cat. He’s been married three times but has no children.
...
The place, largely designed by Limbaugh himself, reflects the things and places he has seen and admired. The massive chandelier in the dining room, for example, is a replica of the one that hung in the lobby of the Plaza Hotel in New York. The gleaming cherry-wood floors are dotted with hand-woven oriental carpets. A life-size oil portrait of El Rushbo, as he often calls himself on the air, hangs on the wall of the main staircase. Unlike many right-wing talk-show hosts, Limbaugh does not view France with hostility. On the contrary, he is a Francophile. His salon, he told me, is meant to suggest Versailles.
...
Limbaugh is especially proud of his two-story library, which is a scaled-down version of the library at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. Cherubs dance on the ceiling, leatherbound collections line the bookshelves and the wood-paneled walls were once “an acre of mahogany.”
...
His staff lights fragrant candles throughout the house to greet his arrival from work each day.

You can check out the full NYT article (registration required) to find out more about the softer side of Rush.

But also be sure to check out the interview with the author of the article itself--an article widely panned for being pretty soft all by its little own oneself:

In a July 4 interview preceding the publication of his profile of radio host Rush Limbaugh, New York Times Magazine contributor Zev Chafets asserted on WNYC's On the Media: "I'm not an apologist for Rush Limbaugh, but I'm a little bit defensive because I think that the liberal media takes such an unfair view of him." During the interview, however, Chafets offered no support for his assertion that "the liberal media takes such an unfair view of him."

Listen to the interview on WNYC here. Transcript here.

Rush, keep having your staff light those scented candles for you. We'll support you in your efforts to get in touch with your feminine side. Maybe it will help you find out where all that anger is coming from. That can only be a good thing. We'll bring you a wine cooler (certainly NOT a beer).

Finally, for Rush fans: Do you now understand why your Dear Leader wants to make the Bush tax cuts for the super-rich permanent? Certainly not for your benefit.

Journalistic Guts: Get You Some

2008-07-14T19:29:00.002-04:00

ProPublica tells the story of how the Raleigh News & Observer had (and still has) the guts to take on Blackwater Worldwide. Here's a taste of the interview with the N&O's Steve Riley:

When did you realize the significance of Blackwater as an investigative subject?

We started paying attention as far back as 2001, when they were just a training company. When Fallujah burst upon us in March 2004, we pretty quickly came to the conclusion that we should go as deep as we could. We saw the Fallujah incident as a way to explain how those four guys came to be on that bridge that day—tracing their lives up to their decision to work for Blackwater. This gave us a way to explain the increasing importance of these private military contractors that we were paying a lot of money for.

Full story here.

Weekend Video Salon: If you don't know how to fix it, then please stop breaking it.

2008-07-13T12:40:00.002-04:00

Just a 12 year old girl with a message to the adults of the world.

Weekend Video Salon: Action Steps For Change

2008-07-12T19:16:00.002-04:00

Many of us know what the issues are, but the problem seems to be figuring out what we can DO to change things. This video is the final few minutes of a documentary called Affluenza. In the closing minutes, the narrator offers a few excellent ideas about how we can take concrete steps toward creating a more sustainable lifestyle, including co-housing, voluntary simplicity, and pushing for measures which incentivize reuse over waste. Check it out, and enjoy!

Percy's Food Future

2008-07-11T22:20:00.003-04:00

We just finished screening The Future of Food--an outstanding documentary about the impact that genetically modified food is having on farmers, consumers, objective academic research efforts, and the health of us all.

We would be remiss if we didn't give a huge shoutout to the large contingent of folks from Wilkes County who came to Boone to see the film (and grab a bite to eat)! Thanks to everyone for coming!

Pictured at left is an independent family farmer by the name of Percy Schmeiser. Percy's story was told in the film (he was sued by Monsanto because his fields suddenly sprouted crops whose seeds were patented by Monsanto--never mind the fact that the seeds most likely arrived on his fields by way of floating through the air). But since The Future of Food was made in 2004, we were all left hanging as to the fate of Schmeiser's monumental struggle with Monsanto.

So, here's an update on Percy, from a popular radio program called Deconstructing Dinner (via radio4all.net). Go Percy! Take a listen, it will make you feel a little bit better about the state of the world.

Swamped By Propaganda

2008-07-09T16:03:00.002-04:00

Is the "liberal media" not providing the kind of coverage your mercenary company rightly deserves? Do polls show that your mercenary company has a not-so-great, dismal, swamp-like standing among the public and elected officials? Don't give up...we're here to help:

Private military corporations such as Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR) have launched a new public relations and lobbying initiative to counter what David Marin calls "the steady drip of negative front-page media reports about contractors and growing public concerns about the effectiveness of the federal contracting process." Samuel Loewenberg reports that Marin is the industry's "point man charged with heading off criticism." A former Republican staff director of the House Oversight and Government Affairs Committee, he now works for the Podesta Group, a PR and lobby shop. His client is the Professional Services Council, a trade association whose members include KBR, Blackwater USA, Boeing and DynCorp International.

But wait--there's more! If you order your propaganda today, you'll get this video--FREE!

Are You Feeling Cornified?

2008-07-07T11:36:00.002-04:00

We'll be showing The Future of Food this Friday night.

Did you know about the huge role that corn plays in our industrialized food chain? It is truly amazing--corn is seemingly in everything you eat these days. Why is that?

Michael Pollan gave a 57-minute talk called "The Cornification of Food" not too long ago. Check it out here.

File Under: Stray Bullets

2008-07-04T21:56:00.003-04:00

North Carolina's own Blackwater Worldwide is in the spotlight again. Gosh darn it--what does a mercenary company have to do these days to engage in a little harmless war training? Can't the oppressive government of the City of San Diego just step aside and let the private sector work its magic?

Why in the world would a city require a public hearing for a good company like Blackwater--which simply wants to operate a war training facility in the middle of a business park? Jeez--the hoops the guvmint makes you jump through these days (from the San Diego Union-Tribune):

City Attorney Michael Aguirre filed an appeal yesterday against a federal
court ruling last month that allowed Blackwater to operate the training facility
– even though the city had not completed its permit process.
...
“If we have individuals operating war training facilities in the
middle of a business park, as proposed here, with absolutely no security
whatsoever, that dramatically and radically changes land-use patterns,” Aguirre
said.
...
On June 17, U.S. District Judge Marilyn Huff ruled in favor of Blackwater
in a lawsuit in which it alleged the city interfered with its permits for an
indoor Navy training center in Otay Mesa near Brown Field.
Huff ruled that the city did not have the right to hold public hearings on the
project, basing much of her decision on the city's internal audit of
the project. That audit upheld the company's building permits and the site's
designation as a vocational school.

Umm...did ya catch that one line above that said the city had no right to conduct a public hearing? That certainly is an interesting brand of democracy. Where did Judge Huff come from?

Independence Day

2008-07-04T21:01:00.003-04:00

Happy July 4th! Here are a couple of segments from the Thom Hartmann radio show on the significance of the Declaration of Independence. Wouldn't it be nice to have a show like this here in the High Country? Imagine a talk radio program that does not rely on hatred or aggression to get its message across...hmmmm...

We can always hope that someday the good folks who control our local public airwaves may someday realize that other viewpoints do exist--and that along with these other viewpoints comes a built-in listener base (assuming they promote these shows, and actively seek advertisers, etc.).

Part I here.

Part II here.

Dangerous Libraries

2008-07-04T14:42:00.003-04:00

In advance of our free showing of The Future of Food, you may be interested to learn about what is going on at the Environmental Protection Agency's libraries.

Originally, these libraries were set up to track and provide information to the public about the newest chemicals and pesticides being developed and marketed throughout the world.

But it turns out that many of these libraries were shut down recently (later to be restored by the newly-elected congress in 2007)--but the EPA's newest chemical library will not be reopened.

So why won't it be re-opened? Who would benefit from it being closed?

We wonder...

Threatened Much?

2008-06-28T19:41:00.003-04:00

Did you catch that radio program carried by Aisling Broadcasting here in Boone that dared to question the recent bizarre statements issued by Dr. James Dobson (pictured at right, of course)? You didn't?

Oh, right, we forgot. Aisling only carries programming that hews to the conservative party line. So you wouldn't have heard that program, now would you?

So here, take yourself a listen. Might make you wonder what else is out there--what a dangerous thought indeed.

Weekend Video Salon: Well, There You Go.

2008-06-28T14:16:00.001-04:00

Love it.

Careful-You May Lose That Monopoly

2008-06-26T18:51:00.004-04:00

We've been blessed lately by the gods of consolidated corporate media--treated, really--to a spate of hate speech and general misinformation not seen since we began this journey. To the usual list of suspects, this time we get to add the misguided utterances of radical cleric James Dobson. So here goes:

On his radio show, James Dobson falsely suggested that Sen. Barack Obama claimed Dobson "wants to expel people who are not Christians" from the United States. Dobson was referring to a 2006 speech in which Obama actually asked: "And even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools? Would it be James Dobson's, or Al Sharpton's?"
Rush Limbaugh asserted, "Hamas has endorsed Obama. ... Why do you think they've endorsed Obama? Because they want a very strong ally for Israel in the White House?" In fact, Obama stated his support for Israel in a speech June 4 speech in which he said: "Those who threaten Israel threaten us. ... And I will bring to the White House an unshakeable commitment to Israel's security." Hamas reportedly responded to Obama's remarks by saying, "Hamas does not differentiate between the two presidential candidates, Obama and McCain, because their policies regarding the Arab-Israel conflict are the same and are hostile to us, therefore we do have no preference and are not wishing for either of them to win."
After being asked by a caller: "I want to know how the Republicans don't need Christians and conservatives, and they think we're 30 percent. Twelve percent black people in the population. Ten percent -- they claim -- homosexuals in the population. Rush, honey, when did 30 percent get to be a small number?" Rush Limbaugh responded, "Let me see if I can get your question right. You want to know why the Republicans are willing to say, 'Screw you,' to 30 percent or more of their voters and yet Democrats will bend over, grab the ankles, and say, 'Have your way with me,' for 10 percent and 2 percent of the population?"

Three in one day has got to be some sort of record, even for these enlightened cultural leaders-- and for the other fine folks (Aisling Broadcasting) who bring this tripe to us each day.

But we think there are some interesting reasons behind the recent rise in fear and hate mongering directed at Obama being carried on the local airwaves--not the least of which is this exclusive interview given by Obama to Broadcasting and Cable magazine. You see, it would seem that the consolidated corporate media monopolies might just stand to lose if Obama gets elected. And we can't have that, now can we Rush, Dobson, Aisling, Clear Channel, etc.? Breaking up those monopolies may just put the hurt on their very decisive control of the public airwaves. Pity.

Q: What prompted you to weigh in on media ownership and diversity at an FCC field hearing in Chicago (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6480419.html) last year?

A: I strongly favor diversity of ownership of outlets and protection against the excessive concentration of power in the hands of any one corporation, interest or small group. I strongly believe that all citizens should be able to receive information from the broadest range of sources. I feel that media consolidation during the Bush administration has had the effect of eliminating a lot of the diversity of information sources available to persons who have to rely on more traditional information sources, such as radio and television broadcasts and newspapers.

Q: What ill effects has the country suffered from media consolidation, if any?

A: This country’s media ownership rules that both chairman [Michael] Powell and chairman Martin have wanted to dismantle protect us from excessive media concentration. However, even under current rules, the media market is dominated by a handful of firms. The ill effects of consolidation today and continued consolidation are well-documented -- less diversity of opinion, less local news coverage, replication of the same stories across multiple outlets, and others. We can do better.
...
Q: You co-sponsored the Dorgan bill to block the FCC’s media-ownership change, which Martin has argued was a moderate compromise that took into account the input of opponents to consolidation. Why block it?

A: Chairmen Martin and Powell both argued that their previous effort to deregulate the media market was moderate, as well. Both the courts and a majority of the Senate disagreed the first time. And a few weeks back, the Senate disagreed with chairman Martin again. While he argues that the rule is no longer in the public interest, the public response has heavily weighed in against him. And common sense tells us that the consolidation of outlets in local markets will lead to fewer opportunities for diverse expression of opinions.
...
Q: How would communications policy be different under your administration compared to the current president?

A: I think communications policy must be more focused on the public interest, more inclusive of nonindustry voices and analysis, and maximize opportunities for the expression of a diversity of views. These issues go beyond simple economics to involve a set of core principles of an informed and empowered citizenry that need to be recognized in government’s approach to this important segment of our society.

Goodness, gracious. But what about radical cleric James Dobson, heard locally on WATA 1450 AM--seemingly all day long.

Two years ago, 55 percent of evangelicals younger than 30 called themselves Republicans. Now, just 40 percent do, according to a recent Pew survey.

The study found that they are more likely than their parents to champion environmental causes, less concerned about gay marriage and more interested in improving health care and combating poverty.

According to the Pew study, more than 60 percent of evangelicals younger than 30 say it is worth the cost to do more about environmental pollution and climate change. Only 52 percent of older evangelicals think so.
...

Perhaps the cleric knows that he is watching his own passing into irrelevancy. Again, pity.

Self-Equip Yourself, Soldier!

2008-06-21T18:40:00.003-04:00

It's obviously a lot more effective for the syndicated talk show hosts aired locally by Aisling Broadcasting to just keep it simple--no shades of gray, lots of "us" versus "them" rhetoric, hate speech, etc.

But if they did delve into reality-based living, what would these talk show hosts (and their listeners) learn? Lots of uncomfortable truths. Like this one: it turns out that our glorious leaders (multiple deferments, AWOL, etc.), still are not properly equipping U.S. soldiers.

How do we know this? Take a listen to this segment of the Rachel Maddow Show (another radio program that Aisling could never, ever consider airing) as she talks about the story of soldier from nearby her hometown who was recently killed in Iraq. Rachel plays an interview the soldier's father gave on their local TV station:

Thursday Video Salon

2008-06-19T21:21:00.003-04:00

John Cusack made a very brief video for the NCMR 2008 Conference.

In it, he talks about the obvious major conflicts of interest that exist in today's corporate media structure. When people who sit on corporate boards of major defense companies are given free air time to push for war (and then their companies earn fantastic profits from that very same war)--or when one of the architects of a failed war policy is rewarded by being given his own column in the New York Times...is that a problem?

Cusack also mentions Naomi Klein's recent book, The Shock Doctrine. A darn good read. Also, check out his new film, War, Inc. It may just remind you of a certain charming little company headquartered in beautiful Moyock, NC.

Go Aisling

2008-06-19T18:09:00.005-04:00

Aisling's balanced presentation of diverse points of view continues, this time with our friend Neal Boortz, a self-proclaimed libertarian. His show airs on WXIT 1200 AM. Boortz picks up where Rush left off in his racist diatribe about the lazy blacks of New Orleans:

"[W]hy is it that the people who are being affected by the floods in Iowa and the upper Midwest, why is it that they seem to be so much more capable of taking care of themselves and handling this disaster than were the people of Katrina in New Orleans?" Boortz continued, "I think the answer's pretty clear, is that up there in that part of the country, you find a great deal of self-sufficiency. Down there in New Orleans, it was basically a parasite class totally dependent on government for their existence."

Be proud Aisling. There are no other viewpoints that you could possibly air. You know, because there aren't any progressives around here. None.

Full transcript and audio here.

What Aisling Brings To The Local Airwaves

2008-06-17T19:58:00.005-04:00

Programming that spews hatred for "lazy" black people. You can catch it all on WXIT 1200 AM.

Idea: Maybe the people of New Orleans could not "save themselves" from Katrina because:

1) They are poor
2) They do not have cars
3) No buses were running
4) They couldn't reach for their bootstraps and tread water at the same time
5) They were dying.

But the good white folks of Iowa? They make Rush proud.

Sickening audio here.