Thank goodness for Democracy Now (which has added over 400 stations since this war on Iraq was revealed as planned by it’s new reporters inAugust 2002)--and other independents, like Alternet http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/79789/
Well, America, I plead with you to spend at least one hour watching some of the hour-long recordings of those presentations.
Go on the web and get hooked on to the biggest news story of 2008 and the most important stories of the past decade—the real stories of our new heroes, WINTER SOLDIERS 2008.
KEVIN STODA has been blessed to have either traveled in or worked in nearly 100 countries on five continents over the past two and a half decades. He sees himself as a peace educator and have been a promoter of good economic and social development--making him an enemy of my homelands humongous spending and its focus on using weapons to try and solve global issues.
"I am from Kansas so I also use the pseudonym 'Kansas' when I write and publish. I keep two blogs--one with blogger and one with GNN. My writings range from reviews to editorials or to travel observations. I also make recommendations related to policy--having both a strong background in teaching foreign languages and degrees in teaching in history and the social sciences. As a midwesterner, I also write on religion and living out ones faith whether it be as a Christian, Muslim or Buddhist perspective."
You couldn't ask for clearer proof that the Corporate Media is a tool of the State then this wilful blackout of Winter Soldier, which is, in turn, a tool of the Plutocracy, a bloodthirsty and avaricious entity of diabolical dimension. Screw the Corporate Media. Undermine them at every opportunity. They are boot-lickers. Continue to build the Independent Media.
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Mac McKinney (48 articles, 78 quicklinks, 180 diaries, 1137 comments)
on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 6:22:21 AM
You couldn't ask for clearer proof that the Corporate Media is a tool of the State then this wilful blackout of Winter Soldier, the State being, in turn, a tool of the Plutocracy, a bloodthirsty and avaricious entity of diabolical dimension.
Sorry for any confusion.
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Mac McKinney (48 articles, 78 quicklinks, 180 diaries, 1137 comments)
on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 1:06:09 PM
I think it is key that Americans demand that they get local free high speed wireless in the rural areas of the land if Cable is run by a Cabal and sattelite channels cost too much.
The alternative is to demand that the real airwaves of America be sold and taxed--not given away as they are currently.
The monopoly Cox cable and others have across rural America is astounding. Most rural folks(I'm from Kansas and come such Red state rural America) don't have high speed alternatives to sattelite and dish or cable currently, this enables the plutocrats media feeds--Fox etc. to pray on the outsiders--35 to 40 % of Americans still not living in urban areas.
I think the movie about Winter Soldier should be brought out ASAP and put on screens and at town halls in America--pronto.
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ALONE (152 articles, 1 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 337 comments)
on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 10:54:15 AM
Where are the rest? If the media hides the truth along with the government then we are nearing a state of totalitarianism.
Badken interviewed several soldiers and her article is unemotional and straight-forward but my stomach still turned when reading the facts of what goes on.
An exerpt:
Jeffery Smith recalled how his Army unit beat and humiliated Iraqi prisoners. Former Marine Bryan Casler recounted how fellow Marines urinated and defecated into food and gave it to Iraqi children. Former Marine Matthew Childers talked about how he used to humiliate Iraqi civilians during predawn raids on their homes. When he described turning away an Iraqi father who was asking American troops to help the badly burned baby he carried in his arms, Jackson began to weep silently.
"These soldiers are saying: 'I'm complicit,' " said Jackson, 29, a community organizer from Cambridge. "But every American citizen who saw this happen and isn't out there protesting is complicit. I include myself."
Indeed. Have you protested the Iraq Occupation?
If not, why the hell not?
(also posting as a diary)
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Kathlyn Stone (42 articles, 227 quicklinks, 27 diaries, 665 comments)
on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 12:06:30 PM
According to Glenn Greenwald's research, on the same day I wrote my critique of the Blackout on WINTER SOLDIER:
click here magazine put out an article claiming GW Bush's crimes against Americans are a Ho-Hum subject in the American household.
Besides being dead wrong the article had long quoted factual errors--about 10 of them. The article he writes is on salon.com and he backs up with his charges that the lies are retractable by quoting them and tearing them to shreds.
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ALONE (152 articles, 1 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 337 comments)
on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 12:23:59 PM
I had to write Real News and complain about how they post
Dear Real News, cut the bias-- contact@therealnews.com
I believe that the EAGLES UP PROTEST WINTER SOLDIER piece should not be on the page where it is--at the top.
It is biasing to those who click on the link--on the news from Winter Soldier--like I did and find it at the top and watch it first.
It almost seem that someone has manipulated this piece into the front slot through politics--a no no.
Please place the older pieces on random or something--everyone clicks on the first real news in a long series to see what other real news programs may be about.
The Eagles UP group is getting undue attention because of how you put it at the top.
Kevin Stoda, Kuwait
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ALONE (152 articles, 1 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 337 comments)
on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 12:53:08 PM
You just can't watch this testimony without weeping --
which is exactly why the corporate media refuses to carry it. The soldiers speak with a dignity & honesty that is beyond challenge. The criminality of the media in suppressing coverage of this material can't be overstated. Anyone who doubts that the US media has sunk to the levels associated with the worst tyrannies in history should try watching one of these sessions, on DemocracyNow! or any other independent carrier. It will remove your doubts.
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Richard Mynick (2 articles, 3 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 1231 comments)
on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 3:28:35 PM
When was the last time any corporate media addressed the number of dead? Montel Willams was on FOX news last month and they asked him about Heath Ledger (no relation) He said "Why aren't you talking about the 28 Men who died in Iraq this month?... They cut his interview short, went to commercial, and when they returned, he was gone...3 years ago a major newspaper ran pictures of those coffins being loaded on to the cargo plane...major Sh*t hit the fan.
I watched the first two days of Winter Soldier live...at the end of both days, I was physically drained...my soul was weeping not just for Americans ...but Iraqi's who die every day by the dozens.
To be honest with you I love what the Constitution Represents, and I'm still in love with the potential of a fully functioning Republic, But Americans have... In the words of King George "Gone Shopping" They can't be bothered with a Winter Soldier testimony because that would mean that THEY would have to accept their share of what's wrong here, and as some of those brave young men and women stated, some of that blame lies firmly with the American public. The blackout of course does ALSO have everything to do with keeping that war machine turning and making Billions for the corporate whores who run the Networks.
People rise up and create change when THEY are suffering, not enough Americans qualify...YET... But that day as we can all see is fast approaching. Winter Soldier is another sign post of change, but not the main catalyst. Chavez for example is loved by the poor...not the wealthy who lost some of their power when he nationalized the oil fields and redirected some money to the MANY instead of the few. When a large portion of Americans begin to REALLY suffer...look out :)
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Scott Ledger (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 135 comments)
on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 9:24:07 PM
I appreciate the balance--but it may be more negative than p
I appreciate the balance--but it may be more negative than helpful or poignant.
AS I was in Nicaragua in the summer of 1983 studying international development the idea was spawned to create Witness for Peace... which worked in its goal to stop endless wars running through America's veins 100% of the time in the 1980s. Contrast that with now!
On the other hand, the Nicas told me that it (1) had taken a major earthquake destroying the nation's capital in the 1970s and (2) a revolution to change the status quo in Nicaragua.
In short, it takes a major disaster to see any strong and important changes.
HOWEVER, America is in a disaster nOW--that would have occured to the USA in 1990 had not the Soviet Union collapsed first in that era.
What disaster?
THE ECONOMY STUPID! The neocon Ninjas have put the USA in the worst economic state it has seen since the 1930s.
The USA is absolutely in the worst economic state it has seen since the 1930s.
The world is watching to see if America will let the train wreck--like any third world country that tries to print itself out of debt.
In Kuwait the rumor is that GOLD will hit 3 times its current value within a short period if the US doesn't right itself.
It can't right itself without pulling out of horrible misadventures around the world.
Kevin in Kuwait
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ALONE (152 articles, 1 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 337 comments)
on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 9:49:38 AM
and we all came to see that this material will be "making the rounds".
It was perhaps the most emotional and supportive thread I have EVER experienced online! Seriously.
If you would like to read it, and experience the rising and falling energy and persepctive, the link is
click here have real problems with The Real News, and I live in Toronto. I don't think that they yet fully "get it" . they are attempting to be something that they are NOT. Still way to CBC as yet; maybe they will get over that, maybe they won't. They have too many people on who don't talk to the veiwers as VIEWERS, they come on and act as "experts" ..
sigh
The times . they are achangin' and this WINTER SOLDIER event certainly showed that. NO ONE IS GOING TO RECOVER FROM THIS WAR ALONE, and certainly no one deserves to do that.
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ladybroadoak (38 articles, 20 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 391 comments)
on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 3:52:15 AM
I'm glad you shared this. I hope others share those links h
I'm glad you shared this. I hope others share those links here. I had to write another blogs and demand impeachment now when I realized what this administration has done--become the war crimes promoter poster boy for the WEST.
First of all I salute the brave soldiers who spoke out about the atrocities they had experienced and were involved in as with those in the first Winter Soldier. I had the opportunity to see the first Winter Soldier last year on DVD and it is available through Block Buster online. It is well worth watching.
If we don't see the truth most will never know the truth. This stuff should be shown in all schools. And if you look back into history, history shows America's dark past. It all started with the atrocities to the Native Americans and has never stopped. In one of McCain's speeches when visiting the Middle East recently, he said "When the people of Iraq are liberated, we will again have written another chapter in the glorious history of the United States." McCain is on drugs. How can he say this. This is a man who can become our next President. Most are unaware of the continuing atrocities against the Native Americans. With the help of McCain the remainder of the Dineh Navajo are being forced to leave their homes in Arizona. For what? Coal! A total of 10,000 Dineh were forced from their lands for Coal.
I commend Democracy Now for showing Winter Soldier all this week.
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Rick Theile (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 50 comments)
on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 11:07:31 AM
I would like to add, no matter how difficult it is to watch or hear the testimonies everyone needs to see this. Hiding from the truth will only foster lies. We must feel pain sometimes to understand the truth.
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Rick Theile (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 50 comments)
on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 11:16:09 AM
click here definately agree. What they will see and here will provide clarity that there is not just a phenomena of bad apples in the military but an irresponsible military that doesn't manage behavior and treatment for its soldiers, prisoners, or the civilians and others about them.
The story by the parents of the soldier who was told to "ignore bumps in the road, i.e. children or whomever they were running over" is particularly important for all veterans and their families to here as the young man was not treated properly by the military and VA--eventually committing suicide.
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ALONE (152 articles, 1 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 337 comments)
on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 10:10:50 PM
Camilo Mejia, former staff sergeant states clearly
Camilo Mejia, former staff sergeant states clearly:
And we have a whole new generation—we have over a million Iraqi dead. We have over five million Iraqis displaced. We have close to 4,000 dead. We have close to 60,000 injured, both by combat injuries and non- combat injuries, coming back from this war. That’s not even counting the post-traumatic stress disorder and all the other psychological and emotional scars that our generation is bringing home with them. So all that just to say that war is dehumanizing a whole new generation of this country and destroying the people in the country of Iraq. In order for us to reclaim our humanity as a military and as a country, we demand the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all troops from Iraq, care and benefits for all veterans, and reparations for the Iraqi people so they can rebuild their country on their terms.
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ALONE (152 articles, 1 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 337 comments)
on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 10:14:01 PM
Everyone in the peace movement needs to join the 911 truth movement. Exposing the war on terror as a scam is the key to ending America's imperialist foreign policy.
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Ty (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 888 comments)
on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 12:07:44 PM
This is the link that people should be passing along.
I didn't see this link in the above article. Please pass this link along. KPFA is the radio station that covered this event live in its special coverage title "The War Comes Home" http://warcomeshome.org/
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Gregory Wonderwheel (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 99 comments)
on Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 6:37:18 PM
Most Importantly the Obama and Clinton have ignored it.
So far both the Democratic contenders have been cowardly and ignored the Winter Soldier testimony. I wonder what it will take for them to admit the truth of US atrocities and crimes instead of trying to sell their troop reductions as the better way to win the war in Iraq and Afghanistan? Neither Obama nor Clintoin has shown the courage to admit that we have already lost in both Iraq and Afghanistan for the very reasons that the testimony has demonstrated. From the commander in chief down to the lowest private, the military has destroyed all credibility of itself as being there for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and shown itself to be exactly what retired Gen. Smedley Butler called them: musclemen enforcers for the racketeers of American corporations.
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Gregory Wonderwheel (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 99 comments)
on Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 6:46:16 PM
