A Witness from the Past
Uri Avnery
2002-09-12 16:00
A person who died 1,900 years ago was summoned this week by Ariel Sharon to appear before his verbal kangaroo court.
That, in itself, is not surprising. In Jewish consciousness, there is no clear borderline between past and present, as there is none between history and myth. This may be the result of living outside history for thousands of years. Anyhow, in all debates about the future, Jews are...
The State as Landlord
strike
2002-09-10 03:00
The other day I received my annual property tax bill in the mail. If I don’t pay the annual rent to the landlord and true owner—the State—it will evict me and sell my house to another tenant. Oh sure, it leads me to believe that I own the house, but it just lets me stay here as long as I pay the rent.
- It is very difficult to avoid a property tax, whereas...
War Now!
Uri Avnery
2002-09-08 16:00
Slowly, President Bush's war plan against Iraq is emerging from the thick fog. At first it looked like a collection of hazy slogans, but gradually it is becoming clear that it has definite--if hidden--aims.
The plan is unconnected to the famous 'war on terrorism,' to the personality of Saddam Hussein or to the weapons of mass destruction that Iraq is producing, like all the other states in the...
The Beverly Reali-billies
Jef Allen
2002-09-03 16:00
The rumors have finally been confirmed.
Last week in Los Angeles, CBS television executives announced that they would begin next month to interview 'rural, lower-middle-class families' for a new reality series based on the classic 1960's sitcom, 'The Beverly Hillbillies.' One of the most successful television series in history, the original show aired from September 26, 1962 to September 7,...
A Recovering Voter
Joseph S. Bommarito
2002-09-03 03:00
Hi. My name is Joe. I’m a . . . a voter.
I didn’t start right out voting. You know how it goes, you start on the soft stuff for a little buzz and it leads you on, and pretty soon you’re hooked on the hard stuff, the real high.
My sophomore year in high school was when it started. My buddies were getting older guys to...
The Return of the Dinosaurs
Uri Avnery
2002-09-01 16:00
How did the dinosaurs die out? There are many theories about this. For example, that a meteor hit earth and the ensuing dust cloud obliterated the sun.
I have a theory of my own: The dinosaurs suffered from a lack of proportion between body and brain. The tyrannosaurus, for example, had monstrous physical dimensions but his brain was the size of a pea. Then our ancestors, the little mammals,...
Ritual Carnage
strike
2002-08-30 03:00
Yesterday I told you about The Privatization Song. Today I’m going to tell you about the metal band Ritual Carnage, whose new album “The Birth of Tragedy” ischock full of pro-freedom songs. Danny Carnage, the front man of the group and apparently its only American member (the rest are Japanese) happens to be a big fan of STR. The...
Why I Disagree...
Jeff Baxter
2002-08-25 16:00
It was said earlier today that things will never be the same after 9/11. In a way, that is true. Some 3,000 souls are no longer among us, and more than most, I abhor their absence from our midst.
The Next Zimbabwe?
John Martin
2002-08-21 03:00
Montgomery County, Alabama, just delivered itself a catastrophic and perhaps fatal economic blow on August 19 when the county commission voted to impose a 1.5% occupational tax upon its citizens. The tax will be imposed upon everybody who works within the county--including people who live outside the county.
The county includes...
"Living Wage," Dying City
Joseph S. Bommarito
2002-08-19 16:00
An alliance of the usual suspects consisting of liberal politicians, Green Party members, a group calling itself the Atlanta Living Wage Coalition, labor union members, and other assorted economic lackwits wants to enact a 'living wage' ordinance in Atlanta, Georgia. The Atlanta City Council will vote on the ordinance this Fall, but that is just a starting point. A 'living wage' rally was held...