By John Burl Smith

Brash and boisterous, young Cassius Clay became known as the "Louisville lip." Startling everyone, a transformed Mohammed Ali demonstrated the power of his convictions by standing up for peace and against war in the 1960s. Several decades and wars later, Americans are still fighting for the same rights and personal freedom Ali refused to surrender to the government on demand.

Like a re-enactment of VE-Day (Victory in Europe), Michael Moore was greeted with kisses and flowers at the Cannes Film Festival. It was as though he had liberated this little corner of the world from George W. Bush's tyranny. Reminiscent of Charles de Gaulle entering Paris, Moore was given an enthusiastic 20 minutes standing ovation, as he premiered his film "Fahrenheit 9/11." Considered an invasion of executive privilege by the Bush White House, the film examines the war in Iraq, connections between Saudi families, like the Bin Ladens, and the Bushes. Irreverent as a "muckraker," Moore chided Bush's response to 9/11 and his decision to invade Iraq.

Comparing their situations was not meant to transform Moore into a Mohammed Ali. The juxtaposition is a reminder that Ali was condemned as unpatriotic for refusing to fight in Vietnam, not celebrated for his convictions. Although Moore's situation is not life threatening, as Ali's, his loss of free speech makes the dichotomy highly significant. According to Moore, Disney's plot to muzzle him by blocking distribution of "Fahrenheit 9/11" in the US was a salvo from the "White House" and a top Republican. "The potential for this film to have an impact on the 2004 election is much larger than anticipated."

Whether Moore has "mouthed" his film to success or the film is as explosive as his verbal barrages indicate, misses the target. The justification for tampering with Moore's First Amendment rights lines Bush v Gore up in the bull's-eye. There the US Supreme Court refused to allow legally cast ballots to be counted, for fear they may "adversely affect" Bush. And, the rest is history!

Born in the image of Mohammed Ali, hip-hop and spoken word artists share his legacy. Continuing his battle for fairness and justice for blacks in America, they see Michael Moore as a high profile version of their life and death struggle against recording companies, publishers and distributors. Such content and image problems are particularly acute for conscious artists, like Yohannes Sharriff, author of T.H.I.N.C. (Teaching Humanity In New Consciousness): The Chrysalis of Evolution, recording artist (The Cosmic Possibilities of Father Time) and host of Free Form X-Change Sunday nights at the Apache Café in Atlanta, GA. Unlike Moore, racial discrimination locks black artists out of America's economic mainstream and relegates them to an underground existence.

The principles at stake here are wider than Moore's mouth; they stretch the width and breath of the US Constitution. Openly blocking political speech in order to muzzle dissenting voices is an ominous sign for Americans that believe the Constitution makes the people sovereign, not the government or any particular officeholder. Muzzling Moore, like drafting Ali, is really not about him. It is about making it easier to block access and prevent the expressions of conscious hip-hop artists from reaching beyond the underground. The founding fathers believed such limits on citizens' ability to express contempt for or dissatisfaction with government smacked of tyranny. Permitting such violations of the Constitution for fear Moore's speech will "adversely affect" Bush reintroduces the logic of Bush v Gore as the controlling consideration of Election 2004.

Muckrakers (1900-1912)

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." -- Upton Sinclair

In the late 1800s, rapid technological changes and industrial development, coupled with philosophies such as laissez-faire and social Darwinism, created an America that cared little for the average human. Growing numbers of people complained about business exploitation and political corruption. Increasingly, they demanded reform or progress in these areas.

Exposés on political corruption and unsavory business practices published by a number of magazines and newspapers gave voice to the people's concerns. Articles published in Harper's Weekly helped bring down the corrupt New York Democratic Party machine known as the Tweed Ring. In Wealth Against Commonwealth (1894), Henry Demarest Lloyd denounced Standard Oil's exploitative business practices. By the turn of the century, the progressive movement grew more vocal as magazines and newspaper increased their circulation.

Some of the most famous writers, journalists and novelists of the progressive era were Lincoln Steffens, Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair and Jacob Riis. Steffens, an editor of McClure's magazine, wrote about political corruption in "The Shame of the Cities," which exposed the link between big business and crooked politicians. Tarbell's series of articles, "History of the Standard Oil Company," which appeared in McClure's, described the company's cutthroat methods of eliminating competition. Sinclair's novel The Jungle (1906) uncovered deplorable immigrant working conditions and unhealthy practices in the Chicago meatpacking industry. In How The Other Half Lives, a book of photographs, Riis showed the miserable conditions in American slums and cities.

According to a number of historical accounts, US President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) accidentally named the group. After David Graham Phillips' articles --"The Treason of the Senate"-- were published, Roosevelt gave a speech (1906) criticizing some sensational journalism as "irresponsible." He likened Phillips to a character in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress (1678) that was so busy raking the muck at his feet that he could not see the heavenly crown that was offered him from above. Conservative Speaker of the House, "Uncle Joe" Cannon, supposedly replied to Roosevelt: "Yes, you're the chief muckraker."

Concerned with all aspects of American life, muckrakers adopted the monocle. More important, their writing helped to shape public demand for change, which included the regulation of business trusts and an end to political corruption. Unfortunately by 1912, business hostility brought the era of muckraking to an end. Newspapers, magazines and publishing houses survived on credit and advertising revenue; they could ill-afford to alienate their principal sources of income. (Sources: www.bartleby.com/65/mu/muckrake.html and American History: A Survey; Current, Williams and Friedel)

Preserve Public Broadcasting

On June 23, 2004, the Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on the future of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, non-profit corporation created by Congress with passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. According to its web site at www.cpb.org, an annual appropriation from Congress makes up 14.9% of public broadcasting's revenues, which help fund more than 1,000 local public radio and television stations. CPB is the largest source of funding for non-commercial public programming.

Common Cause, a public interest group, is concerned that the upcoming congressional hearing will be used as a forum by conservative groups displeased with public radio and television programming to succeed in affecting public broadcast content where they have failed in the past. Already the Bush White House has sought to shape board policy with the appointment of two known Republican contributors that have indicated a willingness to intervene in programming content.

Published reports indicate Senate Commerce Committee chairman Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) intends to submit a re-authorization bill that will not change CPB. However, CPB critics, including committee member Senator Trent Lott (R-MS), may try to amend this legislation to reduce editorial independence, including funding CPB on a year-to-year basis, rather than committing resources to CPB two years in advance.

To preserve CPB's editorial integrity, Common Cause plans to publicize the upcoming hearing and collect signatures for a petition urging Congress' continued support of unfettered public broadcasting. Visit www.commoncause.org for more information.

The Jungle (Excerpt from Chapter 26)

By Upton Sinclair (1878-1968)

"All day long the blazing midsummer sun beat down upon that square mile of abominations: upon tens of thousands of cattle crowded into pens whose wooden floors stank and steamed contagion; upon bare, blistering, cinder-strewn railroad tracks, and huge blocks of dingy meat factories, whose labyrinthine passages defied a breath of fresh air to penetrate them; and there were not merely rivers of hot blood, and carloads of moist flesh, and rendering vats and soap caldrons, glue factories and fertilizer tanks, that smelt like the craters of hell--there were also tons of garbage festering in the sun, and the greasy laundry of the workers hung out to dry, and dining rooms littered with food and black with flies, and toilet rooms that were open sewers."

About Me: A member of the American social reformers collectively known as muckrakers, Upton Sinclair started writing at age fifteen. About his most famous work The Jungle (1906), the novelist, essayist, playwright and short story writer said, "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach." Sinclair's description of the meat-packing process led to passage of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act. (For more on Sinclair and his work, see www.sparknotes.com/lit/jungle/quotes.html)

Muzzling Opposition

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) had the temerity to ask pertinent questions about wartime funding and fiscal responsibility, which was once championed by Republicans. As Senator McCain noted, "Throughout our history, wartime has been a time of sacrifice...What have we sacrificed? As mind-boggling as expanding Medicare has been, nothing tops my confusion for cutting taxes during wartime. I don't remember ever in the history of warfare when we cut taxes."

In response to McCain's questions and observations, Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert suggested that McCain, a prisoner of war during the Vietnam conflict, visit the Washington, DC area military hospitals to see the wounded soldiers to answer his question about the nature of the US sacrifice in prosecuting the war on terror. Hastert's effort to dismiss McCain's concerns about wartime funding is just one more example of the efforts to silence opposition to Bush administration domestic and foreign policies.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who dared to "Speak Truth to Power," charged George W. Bush with incompetence during an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. Like Senator McCain, Rep. Pelosi immediately came under attack for daring to disparage our wartime President, "an unpatriotic act that could endanger our troops." Nothing could be further from the truth!

CODEPINK applauds Rep. Pelosi! It is urging women worldwide to voice their support by encouraging her to never back down and continue to speak power to truth. Women and CODEPINK supporters are urged to take action today. Email or call her offices and tell Rep. Pelosi how inspired you are with her courage to speak the truth. Please contact the office of Rep. Pelosi in Washington, DC at 202-225-4965, her San Francisco office at 415-556-4862, or email her at sf.nancy@mail.house.gov. CODEPINK is also urging supporters to write the editors of their local newspapers and forward a copy to webmistress@codepinkalert.org.

June Protests

Two important protests are planned for early June. Scheduled for June 5, the first march and rally will be held in Washington, DC. June 5 is the anniversary of the Israeli seizure of the West Bank and Gaza. Speakers at the march will address this dilemma as the Israeli military raze homes and kill Palestinian children.

Sponsored by Act Now to Stop War & End Racism (ANSWER), the Speak Truth to Power rally will feature a multitude of voices raised in protest against US policies. Speakers include Michael Berg, father of slain American Nick Berg, who blames Bush policies for his son's death. After the People's Speak-Out, thousands will march to the mansion of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to highlight the phony "transfer of sovereignty." For more about scheduled events, transportation, etc., see www.ANSWERcoalition.org.

The second protest is planned to coincide with the Group of Eight Summit scheduled for June 8-10 at Sea Island, Georgia. While Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue has placed the state's six coastal counties under a state of emergency, protest organizers plan to proceed with a march through downtown Savannah and other activities during the summit.

Disgruntled wants to know: This is hard to ignore, whether at the gas pump or grocery store, prices are rising. Some oil producing countries and economists claim the price of gasoline has little to do with the laws of supply and demand; it is price-gouging. Recent news reports show milk prices will likely rise to exceed the price of a gallon of premium unleaded gasoline. Again, one must look beyond market forces and ask questions. With the recent announcement that Monsanto will cease to make available to diary farmers its growth hormone, is this rise in milk prices related to the human health hazard posed by this manufacturer's bovine poison?

Disgruntled says: Secretary of State Colin Powell has publicly stated that US troops will leave Iraq, if asked by the interim government. The Bush administration says it will hand over "complete sovereignty" to Iraq on June 30th. No one believes Powell or trusts George W. Bush when the US is building more than a dozen bases to maintain more than 100,000 ground troops. In international relations, there is no such thing as "complete sovereignty." There is simply sovereignty. And, a country either has it or it is a colony.

Disgruntled feels: "Hooked on Phonics!" In remarks before an audience commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision, actor and comedian Bill Cosby addressed a number of black stereotypes and foibles from faux fashion to failure to speak proper English. For his comments, Cosby has been equally criticized and applauded, depending on the commentator. Personally, Cosby scored some points. Parents play a role in the education of their children. Today, the public school system cannot be trusted to teach grammatical skills. Even private schools sometimes fail in this department, just listen to George W. Bush. Yet, Cosby is not suggesting that Bush buy Hooked on Phonics to improve his reading and grammar.

Email pressadvocates@hotmail.com Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), which released its annual report to coincide with World Press Freedom Day, said, "Forty-two journalists were killed while doing their job or for their opinions, mainly in Asia and the Middle East (the Iraq war), compared with only 25 in 2002." As many as 766 journalists were arrested, at least 1,460 were physically attacked or threatened and 501 media censored, according to the Paris-based organization. "Nearly a third of the world's people live in countries without press freedom." As of April 1, 2004, more than 120 journalists remained in prison, including 30 in Cuba, 27 in China, 14 in Eritrea and 13 in Myanmar.

Email hadeelassali@yahoo.com Rafah has become the next Jenin! More Palestinian lives destroyed by US tax-dollars, more Palestinian homes demolished by American-made CATERPILLAR bulldozers! And, all the United Nations (aka. American stooges) could say is that it was a "disproportionate operation?" At least 8 Palestinians were killed (including 2 children), 1500 more are now homeless. A journalist was shot in the face...This is not a city, this is a refugee camp. They did not just bulldoze homes; they took down shelters. Power, water and other basic necessities are nearly non-existent and completely controlled (if not completely destroyed) by Israel. This is US-funded genocide!

Email sonsoafrika@yahoogroups.com Recently, Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel lashed out at U.S. intervention in his country, saying that the U.S. should concern itself with its own drug problem. Rangel noted that the U.S. is "the largest producer of marijuana in the world," as well as the world's largest consumer of illegal drugs. Earlier, US sources accused Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez of complicity in the drug trade, a charge Chavez denied.

Email contactus@legitgov.org Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. ordered its ABC affiliates to preempt the broadcast of "Nightline,'' when it aired the names and photographs of U.S. military personnel who have died in combat in Iraq, saying the program was politically motivated. The Washington-based liberal think tank the Center for American Progress cited campaign contribution reports showing Sinclair executives have donated more than $130,000 to Bush and his political allies since 2000.

Email peterkhanzendran@fastmail.fm The inhabitants of Baghdad will NEVER be healthy ever again. The U.S. Armed Forces increased their use of depleted uranium weapons in Iraq six times. This resulted in radioactive contamination of a number of regions in Baghdad. International Action Center reported last week that the U.S. has increased its use of weapons with depleted uranium (DU) from the 375 tons used during operation "Desert Storm" in 1991, to 2,200 tons. Many of those exposed to DU are U.S. soldiers.

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