Volume 6 Issue 5…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…February 7, 2003

Iran-Contra Affair (1982-1992)

President Ronald Reagan (1981-1988) was an early and vigorous opponent of the Sandinista regime that seized power in Nicaragua in 1979. As a presidential candidate, he advocated cutting aid to Nicaragua. As President, he stepped up American activities against the Sandinistas and embraced their opponents, known as the Nicaraguan Democratic Resistance or "contras."

Congress (1982) passed the first in a series of amendments introduced by Rep. Edward P. Boland. The Boland Amendments prohibited the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the principal conduit of covert US support to the contras, from spending any money "for the purpose of overthrowing the government of Nicaragua."

To circumvent the funding shortfall, Reagan's national security adviser, Robert C. McFarlane (1983-85), suggested and CIA Director William J. Casey agreed that other countries should be encouraged to contribute to the contra cause. The Reagan administration used the National Security Council (NSC) to supervise covert military aid to the contras. Under McFarlane and John Poindexter (1985-86), who succeeded him as Reagan's national security adviser, the NSC raised private and foreign funds for the contras. This operation was directed by Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North, a NSC staff member.

In August 1985, Congress approved $27 million in humanitarian aid to the contras, with the proviso that the State Department administers it, rather than the CIA or the Defense Department. Reagan quickly established the Nicaraguan Humanitarian Assistance Office (NHAO). These funds were quickly diverted to the secret war.

Funds for the secret war came mainly from three sources: (1) National Endowment for the Preservation of Liberty (NEPL), a tax-exempt organization, (2) Iran arms sales, which were facilitated by the Israeli government under the pretext of freeing U.S. hostages held in the Middle East by terrorists and (3) foreign governments, mainly Saudi Arabia, Korea and Taiwan.

According to testimony by North, Reagan was aware of the secret war, and the independent prosecutor's report (1994) said that Reagan and Vice President George H.W. Bush had some knowledge of the affair or its coverup. Reagan and Bush both claimed to have been uninformed about the affair's details. A presidential commission was critical of the NSC, while congressional hearings uncovered a web of official deception, mismanagement and illegal action.

A number of criminal convictions, including those of McFarlane, North and Poindexter, resulted. North and Poindexter's convictions were vacated on appeal because of immunity agreements. Former State Department and CIA officials pleaded guilty in 1991 to withholding information from Congress. Caspar Weinberger, defense secretary under Reagan, was charged (1992) with the same offense. In 1992 then-president Bush pardoned Weinberger and other officials that had been indicted or convicted for withholding information on or obstructing investigation of the affair. (For more, see the Final Report of the Independent Counsel for Iran/Contra Matters Lawrence Walsh at www.fas.org and www.infoplease.com.) History Homepage

Poetic Fire

On Friday, February 7, 2003, some of the hottest poets in the country - Yohannes Sharriff, Amir Sulaiman, Malik Salaam, Lee, John Goode, SmoothBlack, Last4Ever and Tahiri - will blow-up Augusta, Georgia's night scene with Poetic Fire. The evening of poetry/soul music will be videotaped. Steve Harvey plans to use the videotape as an audition medium. These artists will be considered for inclusion in a nationwide poetry tour. After the taping, the poets will be featured in an Augusta venue hosted by N'tellect of the Eboni Poets. For details, call 404-226-5417. The Atlanta Vibe Homepage

By John Burl Smith

Beneath the smoke and mirrors of the so-called "war on terror," First Amendment rights of free speech and press are being bludgeoned to death. Before the dust settled on 9-11, US media became a propaganda machine for the George W. Bush administration. Now, US media express only the official government line.

Prior to 9-11, the US was proud to be a haven for the world's "tired, poor and huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Today, fearing terrorists behind every tree, Bush has barred the US' "golden door." Dousing "Lady" Liberty's flame, his administration conducts massive arrests of Muslim and Middle Eastern men. Hiding behind military tribunals, it denies them access to legal counsel and the constitutional presumption of innocence until proven guilty is no longer operational.

Desperate for information sources other than the government, Americans went online in search of alternative views. Cyberspace lit up with questions regarding 9-11. Who was really responsible? What role did the Israeli secret service play and why did Israelis working in the towers stay home on that day? Why did Attorney General John Ashcroft stop flying in commercial airplanes mere days before 9-11? Where were the CIA, FBI, NSA, etc? When and by whom were millions in American airlines’ put options executed? E-magazines and newsletters offered intriguing conclusions, but the Bush team is silent more than a year later.

Keeping information flowing via email became a vital link for citizens trying to stay informed. However, emails became the "fly in the ointment" for Bush's war plans. Envisioned as an economic tool for business, e-commerce gurus demanded government take a "laissez-faire" approach to Internet regulation, prior to 9-11. Back then, SPAM was unwanted email sales pitches. Outraged recipients reported repeated offenders for abuse. Since the "war on terror" began, alternative news emails have been treated as threats to national security. Now, it seems alternative e-zines and newsletters are no longer covered by the First Amendment as free speech and freedom of the press. Cloaked in national security claims, Bush has ordered Internet service providers (ISP) to treat alternative news as SPAM.

Unnoticed by the public, Bush is forcing ISPs to close down e-zines and news sites, if they receive SPAM complaints. Before 9-11 recipients of unwanted e-zines or newsletters hit the delete key or requested "unsubscribe." Now, news sites are kicked off the Internet for SPAM abuse without notice. Once a site is closed, there is no appeals process. Only the complainant's view is considered relevant. News site owners cannot face their accusers, nor are they informed by ISPs of their action. Owners discover they no longer have Internet access when they attempt to go online.

Freedom of speech and the press died along with the rite of habeas corpus for Muslims. The First Amendment, as envisioned by the founding fathers in the Bill of Rights, considers one man's SPAM another man's "Common Sense." We know the British considered such writings SPAM. Is this the democracy Bush plans to wage war to export to Iraq? Other Essays by John Burl Smith

Disgruntled feels! Powell's Bankruptcy! It is obvious George Bush and Colin Powell were playing a version of "good cop/bad cop" to hoodwink the world. In appeasing his master, Powell has spent his goodwill and political capital. Harry Belafonte had him pegged right. A retired general, he is not a diplomat; he is a Bush doormat, a bankrupt one at that!

Disgruntled wants to know: While campaigning for governor of Georgia, Sonny Perdue promised to hold a referendum on the state's flag. Perdue loyalists want to bring back the old flag with its huge Confederate emblem. Perdue has been warned by George Bush not to put the referendum on the 2004 ballot. A 2003 referendum will cost DeKalb County more than $400,000. Residents of the majority black county strenuously object to the expenditure when it can be inexpensively placed on the 2004 ballot. Why should blacks foot the bill to make Perdue, Bush and Confederate flag lovers feel good?

Disgruntled says: Bellsouth and AOL have been added to our growing list of boycotted people, places and things. They join McDonald's, Coca-Cola, AT&T, MCI, IRS, and a host of alphabet entities. For a complete list, see our website. Specifically regarding Bellsouth, which overcharges for local telephone service, the near monopoly discontinued our Internet service without prior notice. On AOL, we spent an entire day trying to get Internet service as part of a three months' free promotion to no avail. Now, we know why AOL's stock is tanking; its service stinks! More Disgruntled Moments

Let's Burn the Confederate Flag.

By brew@thedailybrew.com

A number of events, M. L. King's birthday, Trent Lott's fall from grace, and Bush's support for keeping blacks out of the University of Michigan, came together to produce this idea. The coup de grace was a column written by Tucker Carlson for the New York Times' magazine in which he said liberals had "lost their sense of humor." It struck me that maybe he had a point. Perhaps, having our faces rubbed in it on so many issues over the past two years has made us shrill and less effective.

It got me to thinking. What could I do that would produce the same effect in our ideological enemies? What symbolic act could we take that would be perfectly acceptable to the vast majority of the US public, yet be so completely offensive to the right-wing yahoo contingent that they would totally lose their composure?

As I read Josh Marchall's piece about Richard T. Hines, a political ally of President Bush who is the likely force behind the President's decision to resume the practice of sending a wreath to honor the memory of Jefferson Davis on Memorial Day, it hit me.

Let's burn the Confederate flag. It's perfect, isn't it? Flag burning makes for great visuals, so it gets on television. And, it is not burning the US flag, which even civil libertarians recognize as likely to offend the sense of patriotism of many of our moderate allies. No, burning the Confederate flag is only going to offend that small slice of the US public who longs for slavery. Who better to offend? Who better to flush out of their ideological rat's nest? Who better to incite into ranting tirades?

Is there any issue that haunts the GOP more than its occasionally closeted racism? Is there any other purely symbolic act that we could do that is as likely to awaken the indignation of the Bob Jones' University crowd? Could anything be better than having some yahoo GOP Congressman propose a constitutional amendment banning the burning of the Confederate flag?

So do me a favor. The next time you are at a public event where the media is likely to be present, be it a President's day celebration, a 4th of July parade, or a political protest, bring along a Confederate flag. And, when you see the media with cameras rolling, pull it out and burn it. Then watch the sparks fly. Venue for an Artist Homepage

Broadcast Ownership Deregulation

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent US government agency. Established by the Communications Act (1934), subsequently amended, most recently in 1996, the FCC regulates interstate and international communications by wire, cable, radio, television and satellite.

The five FCC commissioners are presidential appointees that are confirmed by the Senate for 5-year terms. No more than three commissioners are from the same political party. Michael K. Powell, son of Secretary of State Colin Powell, is the FCC chairman.

Congress, under the 1996 Telecommunications Act, required the FCC to review its ownership rules. These six rules are Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Prohibition (1975), Local Radio Ownership (1941), National TV Ownership (1941): remanded by D.C. Circuit, Local TV Multiple Ownership, aka "Duopoly rule" (1964): remanded by D.C. Circuit, Radio/TV Cross-Ownership Restriction (1970), and Dual Television Network Rule (1946).

In 2001, the FCC began rule-making proceedings on the Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership and Local Radio Ownership Rules. In September 2002, it issued a Notice of Proposed Rule-Making (NPRM) asking for public comment on its other rules, and combined all three proceedings into a single Biennial Review. Two of its rules were remanded to the FCC by the US Court of Appeals for the D. C. Circuit.

Lessening the restrictions or eliminating the rules is deregulation. Those familiar with the perils posed by privatization and deregulation know they invariably mean higher consumer prices with fewer providers, as has been the case with natural gas deregulation. We can imagine the tenor of media propaganda with few alternative sources for news and information. With media concentration a reality in some areas, the prospect of a single entity controlling all broadcast media is scary.

A Republican, Chairman Powell seems poised to deregulate. The FCC is required to hold field hearings for public comment before making its decision. A one-day hearing is scheduled for February 27, 2003 in Richmond, VA. The site has not been announced. If you cannot attend the hearing, file your comments online at www.fcc.gov. Voice your opposition to broadcast ownership deregulation and media concentration. News You Use Homepage

Peeping Poin

By John Burl Smith

Sneaked in under the radar, like George Bush's plan for US Supreme Court nominees, John Poindexter, Ronald Reagan's National Security Adviser, now works for the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA). A major "bad guy" in the Iran-Contra scandal, Poindexter plays "dirty tricks" for Donald Rumsfelt at the Pentagon as head of the Total Information Awareness (TIA) project. Termed "data-mining," TIA tracks citizens' transactions, such as bank deposits, credit card, prescriptions and gun purchases, as well as, requests for permits or licenses of any type. TIA tries to "pick out dots in this massive database and connect them to patterns common to terrorists."

Critics, such as Barry Steinhardt, technology expert for the American Civil Liberties Union, say the program violates personal privacy and threatens other forms of personal freedom. "People will be followed and arrested, their communications intercepted and interrupted." Moreover, Internet expert Chris Prosise says, "The program will generate thousands of false positives. A hypothetical data pool this large will match innocent people to patterns of mythical terrorists, but real people will be unjustly questioned and detained." Such casualties are collateral damage in cyber warfare.

Implications of governmental "cyber warfare" (bugging telephones, tracking Internet use and collecting information on individual movement), prompted Senators Russ Feingold (D-Wis) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore) to propose suspending data-mining pending congressional review. They demand a detailed report and threaten to cut off TIA funds. Dé jà vu Iran-Contra! Poindexter is only the latest attempt by Bush to sneak "dirty tricksters" from the Nixon and Reagan administration back into government. Rumsfelt, Poindexter, Dick Cheney, Henry Kissinger and the lot routinely lied to Congress and disrespected the law. DARPA and TIA are arms of the "shadow government." WAKE UP AMERICA!!! Other Essays by John Burl Smith Hood Notes Homepage

The Dark Knight-Batman/White Ninja/Zorro is hooked on video games. Better than watching television, he can maneuver the controls for hours on end. When queried for comments, the Dark One/Ninja/Zorro clicked his joystick and shrugged his shoulders. No comments!

Back to the Bat Cave

On Voodoo Ship!

By Dot

Despite what George Bush said to the contrary, the state of the US economy is uncertain; some think its condition is scary. Thrust into unchartered waters, the ship of state drifts towards the jagged rocks of unilateralism in foreign affairs and self-destruction in its pursuit of a domestic agenda that screams class warfare.

Steered by a captain of uncertain ability who pledged to change the tone in Washington, because he is a "uniter not a divider," Bush has done more than any chief of state in recent memory to drive a wedge down the center of the country and fractionalized its usual allies with inane military aggression. Since the Supreme Court selected Bush president, the haves have more and the have-nots have considerably less. His 2004 budget could sink the ship in a sea of red ink.

Unfortunately, there is no loyal opposition capable of seizing the till and righting the ship. Lisping on continuing resolutions in 2003, the proposed 2004 budget was unveiled on Monday. The head of Bush's budget office, Mitch Daniels, held a press conference. His most noteworthy comment concerned the $307 billion deficit and the projected deficits as far as Daniels' crystal ball can foresee. Daniels claimed these deficits will have no impact on interest rates. As if under a witch doctor's spell, the media accepted his assertion.

While Daniels disparaged the brouhaha that any economist worth his salt should raise over this sea of red ink, there is a link between interest rates and federal budget deficits. Only voodoo economists ignore the forces of supply and demand that operate in money markets. To finance its debt, the federal government competes against private sector investment. Daniels pointed to the current historically low interest rates as proof of his assertion that the link does not exit.

Given a weak economy, which is characterized by a deflationary gap and a liberal monetary policy pursued by the Federal Reserve under Alan Greenspan, the current low interest rates are placed into context. But, if the state was healthy with businesses competing with the government to finance capital expenditures, the cost of money (interest rates) would rise. Once this ship corrects its course, to gather a full head of steam, private investment is a must. Deficits will be a drag on private sector investment and interest rates will rise. To ignore this is a sure sign that voodoo economics is back! DISHing It Up Hot Homepage

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