In a feat of Orwellian doublespeak, US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has upped the ante in the Neocons’ zeal for yet another war in the Near East, stating that while the US hopes to resolve its nuclear differences with Iran diplomatically, time has run out for discussion.
Apparently having determined that its wars against Afghanistan and Iraq have gone swimmingly, and despite a report that concludes that the US Army is stretched to the breaking point, the War Party seems desperate to draw Iran into their grand plans.
So, why am I not surprised to hear that the real reason behind America’s next war may be that Iran is about to open a new Oil Bourse which will threaten the US economy by selling its oil for Euros instead of dollars? Here is another report on the same subject, and another, and another, and another.
[2/11/06 Postscript: But then again, here is a brief piece by Paul Craig Roberts that says the Iranian oil bourse will not have a negative impact on the dollar. Notwithstanding Roberts’ opinion, I don’t trust the Bushies not to try to destroy Iran just for having the gaul to make the attempt to sell their oil in Euros.]
[2/17/07 Postscript: Here is an update on the threatened US war (crime) on Iran.]
Steal This Yippie
January 31, 2006Last night at a packed showing of Videos from the Resistance, I learned that Stew Albert had died of liver cancer the night before at his home in SE Portland. When I got home, I did a web search and found very little (actually nothing) on Stew’s passing. Today, the flow began to pick up a little as word spread and folks had a chance to collect their memories of this founding member of the Yippies.
Stew was a free spirit to be reckoned with, fought in the streets of Chicago with Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin in 1968, hung out in bed with John and Yoko, sued the federal government after his wife Judy discovered a tracking device on their car, levitated the Pentagon to purge its evil spirits, helped found People’s Park in Berkeley, and so much more.
Here is an interview that Stew gave to Salon in 2000, an interview with The Third Page, and an article he wrote for Counterpunch in December 2005. Lastly, Stew’s blog.
[Postscript: Today I tried to go to Stew’s funeral, which I recalled from memory was in the 800 block of 18th Avenue. I left the house thinking, “Maybe I should look at the address one more time to make sure” but decided I could find it. So I’m riding my bike up SW 18th Avenue, looking for the 800s when I realize that that block is taken up by the monolithic Oregonian building on one side of the street and PGE Park on the other. I’m thinking, “I KNOW there was a W in the address so it must be on NW 18th.” So I ride over to NW 18th and as soon as I get to the 800 block, the cell phone rings. I stop and answer it. When I’m done, I look around for the synogogue, but I don’t see it. I decide to ride downtown to try to get some work done, thinking I am already too late to ride across the river to the east side and start the process over. It is only when I get to the Northwest Constitutional Rights Center office that I get a chance to check the address and realize it WAS in NW, but I had failed to realize that I drifted over to 17th Avenue when I crossed Burnside Street! I was one block away, but missed it. I am sorry about that.]
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