READING LIST WEEK ENDING 3-5-2005

Lloyd Axworthy Open Letter to Condoleezza Rice
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030405C.shtml

Bush Using 'National Security' to End Court Challenges
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030405D.shtml

'Gannongate' Swinging Open? New Move in Congress for Info
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030405F.shtml

OPEC: Oil Could Reach $80 per Barrel in Two Years
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030405G.shtml

Head Whistleblower Now Target of His Own Whistleblowers
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030405J.shtml

Paul Krugman Deficits and Deceit
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030405K.shtml

Vietnam War Victims of Agent Orange Sue U.S. Chemical Companies
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030405HC.shtml

Clothes Will Cost Less, but Some Nations Pay
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030405LA.shtml

Wal-Mart Workers Sign Union Cards
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030405LB.shtml

David Corn Express Train to Disaster
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030405SB.shtml

Deepa Kandaswamy Mothers of Invention Face Technical Taliban
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030405WA.shtml

FOCUS Frank Rich: What's Missing from the News
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030505Z.shtml

Will Pitt FYI: A History of the Bush Administration in One Sentence
http://forum.truthout.org/blog/story/2005/3/3/204348/2437

BROKEDOWN PALACE
Matthew Scott Kelemen, AlterNet
Stationed in Uday Hussein's bombed-out palace, soldiers spend time swimming in the pool, playing golf on the putting green, and enduring roadside bombs, mortar attacks,RPGs and snipers. 'Gunner Palace' tells their story. Plus:Watch an exclusive clip from the film.
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/21405/

GOING NOWHERE
Ari Berman, The Nation
After dominating the party in the 1990s, the centrist Democratic Leadership Council is struggling to maintain its identity and influence.
http://www.alternet.org/story/21406/

BAD TO WORSE
Molly Ivins, AlterNet
If you think health insurance can keep you out of financial trouble if you get sick -- surprise! Three-fourths of those who filed for bankruptcy because of medical costs had health insurance.
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/21402/

QUEER EYE FOR THE GREEN GUY
Lou Bendrick, Grist Magazine
Message to enviros: Ditch the Birks! After all, clothes really do make the activist.
http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/21407/

PURCHASING THE PULPIT
Jasmyne Cannick, The Black Commentator
When a group of black pastors decides that the number one priority for black Americans is the protection of heterosexual marriage, they're doing the GOP's dirty work.
http://www.alternet.org/rights/21404/
More Rights & Liberties: http://www.alternet.org/rights/

FOCUS 42 Senators Address Bush on Social Security
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030405Z.shtml

Today's Working Assets (www.workingforchange.com) column is an interview withunembedded American journalist Dahr Jamail on media coverage of Iraq, and thatcountry's grim prospects. It's at:
http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=18668

Taxing For Success
by Robert Reich, TomPaine.com
The former labor secretary says we can afford to have good schools -- with a nationwide wealth tax.
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/taxing_for_success.php

AFL-CIO Leaders, Howard Dean Plan Political Strategy in Las Vegas
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030205LB.shtml

Wal-Mart, Unions Battle, Charges Fly
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030205LC.shtml

Women's Rights Leaders Call on U.S. to Reaffirm Historic Platform
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030205WC.shtml

DEARTH OF A NATION
Benjamin Wallace-Wells, Washington Monthly
America's economy is losing its high-tech competitive edge and Washington hasn't noticed.
http://www.alternet.org/story/21400/
Bill Gates says that obsolescence starts in high school:
http://www.alternet.org/story/21399/

A TALE OF TWO LEADERSHIP STYLES
Arianna Huffington, AlterNet
I have seen the future of progressive leadership in America,and its name is Andy Stern.
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/21393/

SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY
Jennifer Nix, AlterNet
Amy Goodman, Michael Moore, Al Franken: Why line the pockets of corporate publishers? The time has come for progressive authors -- concerned about media reform -- to make a commitment to independent book publishing.
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21397/

SOUTHERN STRATEGIES
Chris Kromm, The Nation
To win back the South, Democrats and progressives must find answers to two questions: What kind of politics can -- and should -- win in the region? And what are our bedrock values and long-term vision for the future?
http://www.alternet.org/story/21396/

THE COAST OF BOHEMIA
Jay Walljasper, Ode
Is changing the world still hip? Two books that set out to chronicle the cutting edge of American culture give social change short shrift.
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21395/

Senator Robert Byrd Stopping a Strike at the Heart of the Senate
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030305B.shtml

New Poll Finds Bush out of Step with Americans
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030305C.shtml

Sidney Blumenthal Recycled Rhetoric
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030305D.shtml

New York Times Bush Looking the Other Way
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030305F.shtml

Frédéric Faux Victims of the "Beast"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030305H.shtml

Jonathan Schell A Less Super Superpower
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030305I.shtml

Al Kennedy Why Death is No Big Deal
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030305K.shtml

Dean says Democrats 'Not Going to Concede the South'
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030305L.shtml

NOW Civil Liberties
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030305M.shtml

Conyers to Force Election Reform on House Floor
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030305Y.shtml

China Legislature Passes Renewable Energy Bill
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030105EB.shtml

Worldwide Anti-Tobacco Treaty Takes Effect
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030105HB.shtml

Labor Debates Its Future
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030105LA.shtml

Unions' Issue Is Unity Itself
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030105LB.shtml

Union Miners Arrested during Bankruptcy Law Protest
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/030105LC.shtml

Paul Krugman Just Say No
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030105C.shtml

Porn, Patriot Act and Judges Are Gonzales Priorities
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030105E.shtml

Secret Society: Council for National Policy
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030105F.shtml

Jean-Claude Magendie Terrorism and Human Rights
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030105I.shtml

Robert Scheer The Force Bush Won't Use on Iran
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030105K.shtml

Karen Houppert Peace Activists in the War Room
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030105N.shtml

William Rivers Pitt The Third Stage of American Empire
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/030105Z.shtml

BETWEEN BLACK AND RIGHT
Makani Themba-Nixon, ColorLines
My father's story represents the long tradition of black conservatism in this country. And if we are to truly understand the increasing number of African Americans joining their ranks, we will have to go back a lot further than this election.
http://www.alternet.org/rights/21349/

THE RETURN OF THE SWIFT BOAT VETERANS
Molly Ivins, AlterNet
Yes, our old friends from the Swift Boat Veterans for"Truth" are back again. These same friendly folk are now attacking the AARP, a group largely known for advocating afternoon naps for the elderly.
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/21384/

DOWN WITH THE FIRST AMENDMENT
John Nichols, The Nation
Judging from the lackluster showing against the BroadcastDecency Enforcement Act, it seems that most Democrats -- who are supposed to take civil liberties more seriously than the Republicans -- believe that censorship is what America is all about.
http://www.alternet.org/rights/21383/

GANNON AND THE BLOGGERS
Greg Mitchell, Editor & Publisher
A veteran reporter traces his first blog-aided journey through an investigative story.
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21389/

ALL OPTIONS ON THE TABLE
Ray McGovern, Tomdispatch.com
The notion that the Bush administration would mount apreemptive air attack on Iran seems insane. But is proof of insanity needed?
http://www.alternet.org/story/21388/

BEYOND BEATS AND RHYMES: MASCULINITY IN HIP HOP
Suemedha Sood, WireTap
With his new documentary, 'Beyond Beats and Rhymes:Masculinity in Hip Hop Culture,' Byron Hurt hopes to expose and take apart the structures of violence, hyper-aggression, and misogyny present in much of today’s hip hop.
http://www.alternet.org/wiretap/21386/
More WireTap: http://www.alternet.org/wiretap/

The President has given the Selective Service System a set of readiness goals to be implemented by March 31, 2005. As part of these performance goals, the System must be ready to be fully operational within 75 days. This means we can look for the Draft to be in operation as early as June 15, 2005.
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/030305_world_stories.shtml#0

I SPY A SELLOUT
Matt Taibbi, New York Press.
A former rabble-rousing liberal joins the 'with us or against us' crowd. http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21390/

THE PERFECT BLOG STORM
Jan Frel, Personal Democracy.
Did a couple of paid bloggers help unseat South Dakota senator and Democratic leader Tom Daschle?
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21379/

African Loggers Begin to See the Light in Forests
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/E022805A.shtml

David Bacon The Midwest Union Rollback
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/L022805A.shtml

Labor Union Says UC Diverted $20 Million Intended to Raise Wages
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/L022805B.shtml

The Century Foundation Rags to Riches?http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/L022805C.shtml

Seniors Draw Fire: AARP Prepares to Punch Back on Social Security
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/S022805B.shtml

U.N. Women Conference Reviews Progress since Beijing
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/W022805A.shtml

Poll Finds U.S. Voters Want Female President
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/W022805C.shtml

SECRET SOCIETY
Sarah Posner, Gadflyer
Just who is the Council for National Policy, and why isn't it paying taxes?http://www.alternet.org/story/21372/

LAWS OF GRAVITY
Deborah Pearlstein, The American Prospect
When the law sanctions torture-lite, the real thing always follows.
http://www.alternet.org/rights/21370/

INNOCENCE AND INNER EXPERIENCE
Matthew Scott Kelemen, AlterNet
Jessica Yu's documentary explores and empathizes with the vast creative world of outsider artist Henry Darger.
http://www.alternet.org/movies/21374/

'THE BONUS ARMY' LESSON
Sean Gonsalves, AlterNet
The phrase "support our troops" has become code for supporting the war. But it doesn't logically follow that such a sentiment means supporting the policies that unnecessarily put troops in harm's way.
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/21373/

THE DISPASSION OF THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT
Bill Berkowitz, WorkingForChange.com
Why have the morality monitors been silent about the Gannon affair in which a gay prostitute was given special privileges by the Bush White House?http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21366/
More MediaCulture: http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/

THE AGE OF ICELESSNESS
Danielle Murray, Environment News Service
According to the latest forecasts, the Arctic could beice-free in the summer by the end of this century.
http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/21362/
More EnviroHealth: http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/

Climate Change And War
by Jeffrey Sachs, Project Syndicate
It's clear that climate change is already driving warfare in Ethiopia and Sudan. To spread democracy, America needs to rethink its environmental policies. http://www.tompaine.com/articles/climate_change_and_war.php

ETIQUETTE FOR EX-CONS
Ellis Henican, AlterNet
This Friday, Martha Stewart gets out of jail after serving five months. A former prisoner passes along some advice about adjusting to life outside.
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/21371/

THE POT FARMS OF SEQUOIA
Benito Ortiz, Pacific News Service
Growers using national parks to illegally cultivate marijuana often recruit undocumented farmhands to work their fields -- and then let them take the rap when they're caught.
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/21385/

HIGHWAY ROBBERY
Dennis Romero, LA CityBeat
Despite the state's Compassionate Use Act, California statet roopers seize thousands of pounds of medical marijuana on the highways each year. Now some motorists want their weed back.
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/21380/

MORE ON THE MEDI-POT WARS
Jordan Smith, Austin Chronicle
A Texas representative has introduced a bill to prevent prosecution of medical marijuana users; federal drug czarJohn Walters is still dispensing misinformation.
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/21382/

HIJACKING THE OWNERSHIP SOCIETY
Joshua Holland, AlterNet
Long before the Republicans came up with the notion of an"ownership society," the Democrats had been pushing proposals to create it. What happened?http://www.alternet.org/story/21363/-->>
More from Joshua Holland, who says Democrats should steal back the ownership society.
http://www.alternet.org/story/21364/

REGAINING MY HUMANITY
Camilo Mejia, AlterNet
Conscientious objector Camilo Mejia: "I was a coward not for leaving the war, but for having been a part of it in the first place."
http://www.alternet.org/rights/21359/

NUCLEAR TERROR AT HOME
Noam Chomsky, Foreign Policy in Focus
Nuclear destruction isn't a high-probability event. But if a low probability event keeps happening over and over, there's a high probability that sooner or later it will take place.
http://www.alternet.org/story/21358/

DEBTOR NATION
Susan J. Douglas, In These Times
Credit cards manage to further impoverish the poor, the working classes and women and are rife with hidden scams that benefit the financial institutions at our expense. The Bush version of Social Security will be just like this.
http://www.alternet.org/story/21356/

KEYBOARD CONFESSIONAL
Tamara Wieder, Boston Phoenix
A programmer's 'little' side project of anonymous confessions, GroupHug.us, received over 13 million hits in its first three months. The best are now collected in a book: 'Stoned, Naked, and Looking in My Neighbor's Window.'
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21330/

PROOF AND PREJUDICE
David Borden, DRCNet
If marijuana use in the distant past is not relevant to judging President Bush, his hypocrisy on the drug issue is very relevant.
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/21360/
More DrugReporter: http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/

RIGHT WING, LEFT WING, CHICKEN WING
Matt Taibbi, New York Press
A new poll reveals that most Americans don't know their right from their left...wing. The right knows this and leads the manipulation race.
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21354/
More MediaCulture: http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/

Labor Pains: Eight Simple Rules
by Jonathan Tasini, TomPaine.com
Check any and all 10-point plans for reviving America's unions against these criteria. http://www.tompaine.com/articles/labor_pains_eight_simple_rules.php

Robert B. Reich Don't Blame Wal-Mart
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022805G.shtml

In Vermont, a Town-Meeting Revolt over Iraq War
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022805H.shtml

Reporters Without Borders In Memory of Thomas Jefferson
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022805I.shtml

Tom Engelhardt: Potemkin World ... or the President in the Zone
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022805J.shtml

Poll: Americans Uneasy about Retirement
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022805M.shtml

The Democrats' Mini-Deans
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022805N.shtml

Bush, Blair 'Agreed to Iraq War in April 2002'
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022705D.shtml

Maureen Dowd W.'s Stiletto Democracy
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022705G.shtml

Private Health Care in Jails Can Be a Death Sentence
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022705H.shtml

No Child Left Behind: The Pluses and Minuses
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022705I.shtml

FOCUS A Day in the Life of the Homeless in America
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/022705Y.shtml