Radical media, politics and culture.

The State

simulacrum writes:

The "New" Europe

The European Union as from May 1 has ten new member-countries. It extended its membership after years of debate and indecisiveness and became the world's single biggest market with a population of 450 million. Not only that the extended EU increased its economic potential, and eventually its worldwide influence and economic power, but it created a part of the world which will presumably be a respective, almost equal, competitor to the US on the global political landscape in quest for global dominance.

As it is, there are some significant downsides to this spectacular "Europeanization of Europe". Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, as some of the new members are societies with a dreadful recent past of unsuccessful communism. Their economies were systematically ruined by the overwhelming influence of Stalinist Soviet Union and the population of those countries as a whole lack, if we can call it like that, a basic training course in democracy. Of course, some countries, like for example Slovenia, had more ideological and geographical contacts with Western Europe, and therefore have developed a stronger sense of what "capitalism" and "democracy" as abstract concepts mean. Thus, this Slovenian experience reflected itself to certain extent in the current socio-political situation in the country which is, along with Cyprus, the richest newcomer in EU with a GDP per head of 69% of EU average.

"Cruel Science: The Long Shadow of CIA Torture Research"

Alfred W. McCoy, Boston Globe, May 15, 2004

The photos from Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison are snapshots, not of simple
brutality or a breakdown in discipline, but of CIA torture techniques
that have metastasized, over the past 50 years, like an undetected
cancer inside the US intelligence community.


From 1950 to 1962, the CIA led massive, secret research into coercion
and consciousness that reached a billion dollars at peak. After
experiments with hallucinogenic drugs, electric shocks, and sensory
deprivation, this CIA research produced a new method of torture that
was psychological, not physical — best described as "no touch torture."


The CIA's discovery of psychological torture was a counter-intuitive
break-through — indeed, the first real revolution in this cruel
science since the 17th century. In its modern application, the
physical approach required interrogators to inflict pain, usually by
crude beatings that often produced heightened resistance or
unreliable information. Under the CIA's new psychological paradigm,
however, interrogators used two essential methods, disorientation and
self-inflicted pain, to make victims feel responsible for their own
suffering.

2006 Cuts In Domestic Spending On Table

Jonathan Weisman, Washington Post

The White House put government agencies on notice this month that if
President Bush is reelected, his budget for 2006 may include spending
cuts for virtually all agencies in charge of domestic programs,
including education, homeland security and others that the president
backed in this campaign year.

"Your Bill for the War"

Sean Gonsalves, Cape Cod Times

Amount you owe for the war in Iraq: $4,000. Make check payable to Uncle Sam's Iraq Quagmire Fund. If you dispute any portion of this bill call 1-800-IMPEACH-THIS.


According to Doug Henwood, author of "After the New Economy," $4,000 is the amount that each household will have to fork over in taxes to foot the Iraq occupation bill.


"I feel a little callous about talking about the economic impact of the war in Iraq, which seems like an afterthought next to the human toll. But at a time when civilian budgets are being cut at every level, when clinics are closing and professors at our public universities have to pay for their own photocopying because there's allegedly not enough money, it's amazing how much we're spending," Henwood says.

Material Given to Congress in 2002 Is Now Classified

Eric LIichtblau, The New York Times

WASHINGTON, May 19 — The Justice Department has taken the unusual step of retroactively classifying information it gave to Congress nearly two years ago regarding a former F.B.I. translator who charged that the bureau had missed critical terrorist warnings, officials said Wednesday.


Law enforcement officials say the secrecy surrounding the translator, Sibel Edmonds, is essential to protecting information that could reveal intelligence-gathering operations. But some members of Congress and Congressional aides said they were troubled by the move, which comes as critics have accused the Bush administration of excessive secrecy.

electroNic writes:


UT Watch Membership Questioned by Feds
Jonathan York, The Daily Texan

Watch members are on edge after hearing that federal terrorism investigators asked a student whether he was a member of their activist group.

UT and federal officials, however, aren't saying why the group's name allegedly came up when physics freshman Mark Miller was investigated in January for filing an open records request for maps of steam tunnels under the campus. Miller told the Texan that FBI and Secret Service agents from the Austin Joint Terrorism Task Force asked if he was a member of "student activist organizations" with anti-government agendas. The agents specifically asked about UT Watch.

UT Watch closed a portion of its online forums after group member Forrest Wilder posted a comment citing the agents' questions.
"We need to make these forums private," Wilder wrote on the forum. "The FBI thinks we're trying to bring down the government by filing open records requests!"
The activists asked UT open records coordinator Annela Lopez last week why FBI and Secret Service agents mentioned UT Watch to Miller, who is not a member of the group. Lopez told them what officials already have said: Federal agents learned about Miller when UT System officials asked them to study vulnerabilities of the tunnel system. UT officials used the agents' opinions to prove their case to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott that the maps should not be released. He agreed.
"The AG wasn't simply going to accept the University of Texas saying, 'This is our critical infrastructure,'" Lopez said. "We had to go outside to get a better opinion."

UT officials with knowledge of the federal agents' visits didn't return phone calls.
"The main concern is that we're just caught in the middle of this thing that we've got nothing to do with," said Wilder. "But we're not going to hide in our homes or anything."

"Afflicted Powers:
The State, the Spectacle and September 11"
Retort

He too fought under television for our place in the sun.
Robert Lowell on Lieutenant Calley, 1971.

We begin from the moment in February 2003 when the tapestry copy of Picasso’s Guernica hung in the anteroom to the un Security Council Chamber was curtained over, at American insistence—not ‘an appropriate backdrop’, it was explained, for official statements to the world media on the forthcoming invasion of Iraq. [1] The episode became an emblem. Many a placard on Piccadilly or Market Street rang sardonic changes on Bush and the snorting bull. An emblem, yes—but, with the benefit of hindsight, emblematic of what? Of the state’s relentless will to control the minutiae of appearance, as part of—essential to—its drive to war? Well, certainly. But in this case, did it get its way? Did not the boorishness of the effort at censorship prove counterproductive, eliciting the very haunting—by an imagery still capable of putting a face on the brutal abstraction of ‘shock and awe’—that the velcro covering was meant to put a stop to? And did not the whole incident speak above all to the state’s anxiety as it tried to micro-manage the means of symbolic production—as if it feared that every last detail of the derealized decor it had built for its citizens had the potential, at a time of crisis, to turn utterly against it?


Read the rest at

New Left Review

"The world does contain much ugliness and despair, but artists have the divine privilege of reshaping the world to incorporate not a minimum amount of involvement and interpretation, but a maximum amount." -Thomas Kinkaid

In the spirit of the quote above.... COME ONE COME ALL...
Here is a chance to get out in the streets and act for change!!
This Saturday the New York Session of the World Tribunal on Iraq will be
held at Cooper Union - right on Astor Place.    STREET THEATRE - STREET
THEATRE - STREET THEATRE

The organizers have secured the rights to the area around Cooper Union and Kayhan Irani and Tricia Wagner are planning on doing some street theatre
to draw attention to the meetings and raise awareness.   We are planning
some newspaper theatre, some image work and short scenes.  Please contact
us through e- mail or phone if you would like to join us in this endeavor
paw233@nyu.edu or kayhanirani@msn.com

(646)335-3363 or (917)363-3481
We could use some planning help tomorrow as well as people to come act and
play with us on Saturday!  Attached is more information about the Tribunal
We will be meeting SATURDAY at 9:30 at Astor Place!  Hope to see you
there!!
Tricia & Kay

STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES
THE ISTANBUL PLATFORM TEXT
[Istanbul, October 29 2003]
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------

  Origins of the project
The idea of organising an international tribunal against the invasion of
Iraq originated nearly simultaneously in several places around the world.
It  was discussed and in principle supported at  Anti-War Meetings during
2003  in Berlin, Jakarta and Geneva, Paris and Cancun. The Jakarta Peace
Consensus declared on May 25th, 2003 its commitment  to the realisation of
an international war crimes tribunal. The proposal was also discussed at
the Networking Conference (European Network for Peace and Human Rights)
organised by the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation in Brussels on June
26/27th 2003, and the idea was broadly supported at that meeting.  The
working group meeting in Brussels discussed the idea and possibilities of
convening an international tribunal to investigate and establish the
crimes perpetrated against the people of Iraq and humanity. It was decided
that it would consist of several hearings around the world, each of them
focusing on different aspects of this war and the strategies behind it.
The tribunal platform from Turkey was entrusted with the task of acting as
the secretariat and the clearing house, and carrying out the coordination
in close contact with the groups in Brussels, Hiroshima, New York, London
and other cities. This international Coordinating Committee convened a
meeting in Istanbul on October 27-29th 2003 to decide the concept, form
and aims of the project.
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------

  The legitimacy of the project
A war of aggression was launched despite the opposition of people and
governments all over the world. However, there is no court or authority
that will judge the acts of the US and its allies. If the official
authorities fail, then  authority derived from universal morals and human
rights principles can speak for the world.  Our legitimacy derives from:
·the failure of official international institutions to hold accountable
those who committed grave international crimes and constitute a continued
menace to world peace;  ·being part of the worldwide anti-war movement
which expressed its opposition to this invasion;  ·the Iraqi people
resisting occupation;
·the duty of all people of conscience to take action against wars of
aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other breaches of
international law;  ·the struggles of the past to develop systems of
peaceful co-existence and prevent future aggression and breaches of the UN
Charter;  ·giving voice to the voiceless victims of this war, articulating
the concerns of civil society as expressed  by the worldwide social
justice and peace movements;  ·the will  to bring the principles of
international law to the forefront.  Further, our legitimacy will be
earned as we proceed to achieve the aims stated in this document .
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------

  The tasks of the tribunal
·The first task of the tribunal is to investigate the crimes committed by
the US government in launching the Iraq war. In spite of a world movement
condemning this war and its clear violations of  international law , the
US government forced its premeditated war strategy upon the world.
Moreover the US-government demands impunity and continues to put itself
above all international laws and conventions.  ·The second task is to
investigate allegations of war crimes during the aggression, crimes
against laws of occupation, humanitarian law and crimes against humanity,
including genocide. Such an inquiry may include the sanctions imposed
against Iraq and the use of illegal weapons which kill over generations,
such as depleted uranium.  ·The third task is the investigation and
exposure of the New Imperial World Order. The tribunal would therefore
consider the broader context of the doctrines of "pre-emptive war" and
"preventive war" and all the consequences of those doctrines : "benevolent
hegemony", "full spectrum dominance" and "multiple simultaneous theatre
wars"… As part of this process, some hearings will investigate the vast
economic interests  involved in  this rationalized war-logic.  ·The
tribunal, after having examined reports and documentary evidence and
having listened to witnesses (Iraqi and international victims and various
experts), will reach a decision.
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------

  The aims
In organising this International Tribunal we pursue four fundamental aims.

  ·To establish the facts about what happened in Iraq and to inform the
public about the crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes during the
occupation, about the real goals behind this war and the dangers of this
War logic for world peace. It is especially important to break the web of
lies promulgated by the war-coalition and its imbedded press.  ·To
continue and strengthen the mobilisation of the peace movement and the
global anti-war protest. It is intended that the tribunal will not be an
academic endeavour but will be backed by a strong international network.
Anti-war and peace movements, which carried out the big mass movements
against the attack on Iraq have in principle adopted the idea of indicting
the aggressors and of setting up a campaign to support the Tribunal
process.  ·The tribunal is to be considered a continuing process. The
investigation of what happened in Iraq is of prime importance to restore
truth and preserve collective memory against the constant rewriting of
history. We are  challenging the silence of international institutions and
seeking to put them under pressure to fulfil their obligations under
international law. In judging the recent past our aim is to prevent
illegal wars in the future. During this process the tribunal can formulate
recommendations on international law and expand notions of justice and
ethical-political awareness. It can contribute to providing alternatives
to  'victors' justice'  and give a voice to the victims of the war. In
doing so, we support the demands  by world public opinion and the Iraqi
people to end the occupation and restore Iraqi sovereignty.  ·The
International Tribunal initiative seeks to  be part of a broader movement
to stop the establishment of the new imperial world order as a permanent
'state of exception' with constant wars as one of its main tools. The
Tribunal can bring a moral, political and judicial judgment that
contributes to build a world of peace and justice.
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------

  Form of the tribunal
The general plan is to hold an independent world tribunal with: associated
events, associated commissions of inquiry, commissions of investigation,
hearings and specific issue tribunal sessions in various countries,
culminating in a final tribunal session in Istanbul. As for now, other
finalized locations for sessions are Brussels and Hiroshima. At the moment
other proposals for sites of hearings include New York, Copenhagen, Munich
and Mexico. Associated events will be held in London - Legal Inquiry into
the Invasion and Military Occupation of Iraq - and at the WSF in Mumbai -
World Court on War as Crime. The ICTI (International Criminal Tribunal for
Iraq) of Japan that is now preparing for public hearings of Iraq tribunal
throughout Japan and various Asian countries is a partner in the World
Tribunal on Iraq and will contribute to the final session of WTI in
Istanbul with all its findings.  Being confronted with the paradox that we
want to end impunity but we do not have the enforcement  power to do so,
we have to follow a middle way between mere political protest and academic
symposiums without any judicial ambition on the one hand, and on the other
hand, procedural trials of which the outcome is known beforehand. This
paradox implies that we are just citizens and therefore have no right to
judge in a strict judicial way and have at the same time the duty as
citizens to oppose criminal and war policies, which should be our starting
point and our strength.  Although these commissions of inquiry will be
working in conformity with an overall concept that will apply to the whole
tribunal (spelled out in the Charter), the hearings will also have some
autonomy oncerning format. By approaching the Iraq case from as many
angles as possible (international law, geopolitical and economical
analysis, we strengthen our common objective to end impunity and resist
the imperial wars. In this way the hearings will mutually enforce each
other and all the findings will be brought together in the final session
in Istanbul.  In order to be as inclusive as possible, we will support and
recognize endeavours to resist impunity. The project will endorse and
support the efforts to bring national authorities and warmakers to
national courts (like the complaints filed in various state courts under
the doctrine of Universal Jurisdiction ) and to international courts (like
the International Criminal Court in the Hague).
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------

  Timing
The core series of hearings will start on Wednesday April 14th 2004 in
Brussels and end in a final tribunal session in Istanbul that will start
on March 20th 2005, the second anniversary of the start of the war in
Iraq. These will be preceded by intensive inquiries, networking and
campaigning.  Appeal to the national and international movements
We address an appeal to all organizations and individuals to support this
project. We invite organizations to endorse and participate at various
levels. They could:  1.Undertake to organize a hearing or an associated
event.
2.Host a hearing.
3.Contribute by contacts, names of people who would qualify to take part
in the various components of the tribunal and make initial contacts with
those people.  4.Contribute names & contacts of persons and organizations
of experts who are already researching  various aspects of the crimes and
violations in question.  5.Undertake to  prepare certain reports and make
them available for the use of the tribunal.  6.Build a web page in as many
languages as possible and see that information is timely posted .
7.Undertake to organize a local campaign in support of the tribunal.
8.Contribute financially towards meeting the expenses involved in
realizing this tribunal.
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------"

"Historian With a History"

Jon Wiener, LA Times

The nominee for U.S. archivist has a penchant for dubious methods.


Go ahead, try. Name the archivist of the United States.


It's a pretty fair bet you failed. The archivist, former Kansas Gov. John Carlin, oversees the nation's most important documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights. The position has traditionally been one of the lower-profile jobs in the federal hierarchy, but, as its website notes, the National Archives is not simply "a dusty hoard of ancient history. It is a public trust on which our democracy depends. It enables people to inspect for themselves the record of what government has done."

"CIA Angers Russia by Predicting Break-up of State Within 10 Years"

Andrew Osborn, The Independent

Russia's political elite has been stung by a recently declassified CIA report
that suggests the world's largest country could fall apart at the seams in a
decade and split into as many as eight different states.

Pages

Subscribe to The State