Military Resistance 9E 13 : What A Surprise

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5.19.11

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Military Resistance 9E13

What A Surprise!
A Chief Warrant Officer “Said He Believes The Army’s ‘Current Generation Of Leaders Is More Toxic Than Sustainable’”
May 23, 2011 By Michelle Tan, Army Times [Excerpts] A chief warrant officer deployed to Afghanistan, who asked that his name be withheld for fear of reprisal, said he believes the Army’s “current generation of leaders is more toxic than sustainable.” “From the team leaders to the brigade commander, anyone affected by these persons can point out the bad leader,” he said. The leaders today lack professional development, the chief warrant officer said. “We move officers into a position and quickly out to check the block and make room for the next person,” he said.

MORE:

“I Had Too Many Leaders Whose Idea Of Motivation Involved Choosing A Select Few To Be One Of The ‘Good Ol’ Boys’ And Dumping On Everyone Else.”
May 23, 2011 Army Times Forums [Excerpts] Five years were enough for me [“Why did you get out?” Military-Times.com, May 5]. Overall, I enjoyed the people. The camaraderie is certainly what I miss most. Unfortunately, I had too many leaders whose idea of motivation involved choosing a select few to be one of the “good ol’ boys” and dumping on everyone else. This happened to me in two different units and made me realize that being one of the good ol’ boys is the only way to make it above E-7. Of course, when I was getting out, I heard all the doom-and-gloom stories about how I’d only end up getting recalled from the individual ready reserve after being unemployed and homeless. Now that’s a retention strategy. — former 31B

DO YOU HAVE A FRIEND OR RELATIVE IN THE MILITARY?
Forward Military Resistance along, or send us the address if you wish and we’ll send it regularly. Whether in Afghanistan, Iraq or stuck on a base in the USA, this is extra important for your service friend, too often cut off from access to encouraging news of growing resistance to the wars, inside the armed services and at home. Send email requests to address up top or write to: The Military Resistance, Box 126, 2576 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10025-5657. Phone: 888.711.2550

IRAQ WAR REPORTS

Resistance Action

(Graphic: London Financial Times)

May 16 (Reuters) & May 17 (Reuters) KIRKUK - A roadside bomb blew up and wounded two employees of the state-owned North Oil Company southwest of Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, police said. BAGHDAD - Insurgents using silenced weapons shot dead Colonel Jasim Mohammed of the Interior Ministry’s criminal investigation department in the Amil district of southwestern Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said. BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb blew up near a convoy carrying Baghdad Provincial Council leader Kamel al-Zaidi, wounding three of his bodyguards, in Baghdad’s northeastern Sadr City district, an Interior Ministry source said. BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb wounded two policemen in central Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said. BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb wounded three Norwegians and two Iraqi employees of the Water Resources Ministry when it went off near their vehicle in eastern Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said. BAGHDAD - Insurgents using silenced weapons shot dead a traffic police officer in central Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said.

AFGHANISTAN WAR REPORTS

4 U.S. Soldiers Killed By Zabul IED Blast
May 16, 2011 Associated Press KABUL, Afghanistan — Four American soldiers serving in Afghanistan died Monday in an explosion in the country’s south, a defense department official said, bringing home the human cost of the U.S. push into Taliban strongholds.

They were hit by an improvised explosive device in Zabul province. The latest deaths make a total of 16 foreign service members killed so far this month, and 167 so far this year.

Foreign Occupation “Servicemember” Killed Somewhere Or Other In Afghanistan Wednesday: Nationality Not Announced
May 18, 2011 AP A foreign servicemember died following an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan today.

Soldier From Jacksonville Killed In Afghanistan

April 30, 2011 By Bridget Murphy, Jacksonville.com Less than two years after transforming from Jacksonville high school senior to soldier, Pfc. Jonathan Villanueva died in action in Afghanistan last week. Department of Defense officials announced the 19-year-old’s April 27 death Saturday. They said he died from wounds after enemy forces attacked his Army unit with small arms fire. He was part of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Polk, La.

Saturday evening, Villanueva’s family returned from an out-of-state trip a neighbor said they made to bring his body home. His sister said that in their grief, the family could not speak about their loved one. They still are finalizing funeral arrangements. This time in 2009, Villanueva was a student at Englewood High School, working toward graduation. When he didn’t have enough credits to graduate on time, he kept at it. He went to summer school, persevered and got his diploma, his former guidance counselor Lucy Brown said Saturday. “I was just so proud of him to do it,” she said. Brown described Villanueva as a sweet, quiet young man. She said when he earned his diploma, his parents were so proud they came to Englewood and took photos. “My heart goes out to them,” she said. Neighbor Luis Panameno recalled Saturday how Villanueva used to run laps around his gated Southside subdivision to get in shape. “He was really looking forward to going into the military. This was his idea forever,” he said. Panameno said the young man followed the path of his older brother, who also serves in the military. On the Villanuevas’ front door, an Easter decoration that said “Welcome” still was hanging up Saturday. The late soldier’s sister said family didn’t get to speak to her brother for the holiday. But even small reminders of his service were never far away. In a window by their doorbell was a sticker with a bald eagle and a U.S. flag.

“I Guess We’re Not Saving Afghanistan Today”
Four Canadian Soldiers Injured In Afghan Helicopter Crash
May 15, 2011 The Canadian Press

[Outstanding reporting and the shithead publishers didn’t give the reporter credit by name.] PANJWAII DISTRICT, AFGHANISTAN Four Canadian soldiers were injured, one of them seriously, when a Chinook helicopter crashed on landing under moonlight in a remote part of Panjwaii district in southern Afghanistan early Monday morning. The chopper, carrying five crew and about 25 soldiers along with a Canadian Press journalist, flipped onto its side, throwing men and equipment into a mad tangle of bodies, weapons and gear. “The noise was just horrifying,” said one soldier of the hull and rotors scraping. Despite the smell of fuel, there was no fire but the helicopter was severely damaged. The haze and darkness were believed to have caused the crash and there was no enemy activity. “I just wanted to get out because I could smell gasoline,” said Master Bombadier Nick Gurton. Many of those aboard spent several terrifying minutes trapped in the confusion but everyone was finally able to make their way from the stricken craft and into the dusty moonlit night safely. Soldiers immediately began setting up a security cordon, and feverishly went to work in near darkness, using only small flash lights or headlamps on the injured, one of whom screamed and thrashed in agony. “We’re just lucky we did not come under (enemy) contact,” another soldier said. Medevac helicopters arrived and three of the injured were flown to hospital at Kandahar Airfield. The fourth was treated at the crash site. The two-rotor Chinook was attempting to land on a dry river bed in the darkness, when it hit hard on one side before crashing onto its side. “I don’t blame the pilot at all,” a soldier said of the difficult landing. The helicopter, along with a second Chinook that landed safely, was deploying troops on an operation when the crash occurred. The mission was called off as a result of the mishap. “I guess we’re not saving Afghanistan today,” said Warrant Officer Steve (Scott) Scotto d’Anielo.

The second Chinook, with the pilots from the first aboard, departed for the base. A Chinook was called in, arriving as day broke, to ferry the rest of the passengers back to a forward operating base. Soldiers and tanks called in for support formed a ring to ensure the insurgents could not get to the damaged helicopter. As the shock wore off and the injured were safely taken care of, soldiers finally expressed relief at making it out safely. “I survived a crash,” one said. Captain Cory Durant, who was promoted five days ago, said he didn’t expect to die in a chopper crash so soon after his promotion. The Canadian Press reporter had to struggle to free himself initially, but only suffered some bruises and scrapes along with damaged camera equipment.

IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE RESISTANCE END THE OCCUPATIONS

Girl, 12, Killed By Occupation Troops For Sleeping Outside While Afghan:
“They Killed My 12 Year-Old Innocent Daughter And My Brother-In-Law And Then Told Me, ‘We Are Sorry”
“What Pain Can Be Cured By This Word ‘Sorry’?”
[Thanks to Redvet, who sent this in.] May 12, 2011 By ALISSA J. RUBIN, New York Times. An Afghan employee of The New York Times in Jalalabad contributed reporting. [Excerpts] KABUL, Afghanistan — In the fertile lowlands of eastern Afghanistan it is already summer, and the warm nights send families out of sweltering houses and into their courtyards so that they can sleep in the relative cool of the night breezes.

That is why a 12-year-old girl, Nelofar, was sleeping outside with her family early Thursday morning. A raid by NATO troops singled out the wrong house, and she was killed along with her uncle, who was the target of the raid, because he was incorrectly believed to be a local Taliban leader. “It was around 12 o’clock midnight, and we heard someone knocking at the door,” said Neik Mohammed, whose home was raided. “We thought it was thieves or criminals. A short time after the knocking we heard a loud explosion; the explosion was from a grenade thrown into our yard. As it is warmer now, we sleep in the courtyard. “My daughter, who was sleeping with us in the courtyard, was hit by the bomb’s shrapnel in her head, and she died on the spot,” Mr. Mohammed said. The uncle, Shukrullah, who like many Afghans uses only one name, was a police officer; he had recently been transferred to Surkhrod District, where the raid occurred. He was 25 and had a wife and two daughters, said Mr. Mohammed, who was his brother-in-law and in whose home he was staying. A police officer who arrived after the shooting said that Mr. Shukrullah, who was a graduate of the police academy, was at the house that night only by chance. “He was supposed to be on patrol with others, but someone else went on patrol instead of him because he was still new and didn’t know the villages very well,” said the officer, who asked that his name not be used because he was not supposed to speak to reporters. “He was a really good officer,” his colleague said, adding, “He was shot twice: once in the head and once in the chest. His pistol magazine was full. No round had been fired from it.” “They killed my 12 year-old innocent daughter and my brother-in-law and then told me, ‘We are sorry,’ “ he said. “What does it mean? “What pain can be cured by this word ‘sorry’?”

MORE:

11 Afghans Civilians Killed For Demonstrating After Foreign Troops Kill Four Civilians:

German Troops Shot At Protestors

An Afghan girl whose family members were killed overnight by foreign soldiers covers her face as she weeps during a protest in Taloqan May 18, 2011. REUTERS/Wahdat

Afghans protest the killing of four civilians overnight after a raid by foreign and Afghan forces in Taloqan. (Reuters / May 18, 2011) May 18, 2011 From the Associated Press KABUL, Afghanistan— Some 1,500 protesters poured into the streets of a northern Afghan city Wednesday, shouting “Death to America!” and calling for justice as they clashed with security forces following an overnight raid they claim killed four civilians.

At least 11 people were killed as the protesters fought with police and demonstrated at a German troop outpost in the city of Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province. The raid they were protesting took place hours before on the outskirts of the city. Provincial Gov. Abdul Jabar Taqwa said the four casualties from the raid were two women and two men who were killed when troops burst into a home in an area known as Gawmal late Tuesday night. He said that no one in his government was informed about the raid and that NATO acted unilaterally. Provincial police chief Gen. Shah Jahan Noori said he had not been informed of the operation and said none of his officers were involved. Army officials could not be reached immediately for comment. On Wednesday, hundreds of people gathered on the road from Gawmal to Taloqan and carried the four bodies on platforms as they marched into the city, according to an Associated Press Television News cameraman at the scene. They shouted insults at Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the United States as they pumped their fists in the air. “Death to Karzai! Death to America!” they yelled. The governor, Taqwa, estimated that there were about 1,500 demonstrators. The protest turned violent as some in the crowd started looting shops and throwing stones at a small German base in the city. Gunfire could be heard in a number of neighborhoods and troops at the German outpost shot off rounds in an attempt to disperse the crowd outside their walls. At least 11 protesters were killed in the fighting, and 50 people were wounded - some of them police officers, said Faiz Mohammad Tawhedi, a spokesman for the Takhar government.

May 18, 2011: A wounded Afghan boy is rushed to a hospital after he was shot during a protest against foreign troops killing of two men and two women in a night-time raid in Taloqan, Afghanistan. REUTERS/Wahdat

A protestor killed during demonstration against foreign troops in Taloqan at the hospital in Taloqan, Takhar province, north of Kabul, Afghanistan May 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Fulad Hamdard)

“The Soldiers Say The Taliban Forces Are Getting More Clever”
“They Are Finding New Ways To Improve Bomb Technologies”
May 13, 2011 By Jeff Cummings ,Edmonton Sun [Excerpts] CFB SUFFIELD, AB — It’s no longer a combat role for Edmonton-based troops in Afghanistan, but that doesn’t mean there’s no longer a threat. Roughly 3,000 troops from Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry have been training at CFB Suffield near Medicine Hat in preparation for the long mission in Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul. And now about 950 leaders from Afghan security forces are being trained in Kabul by Edmonton-based troops. Canada’s soldiers will continue to travel from place to place within the country, and Kabul is far from safe. Improvised explosive devices used by Taliban forces are planted even within the city. And the soldiers say the Taliban forces are getting more clever. They are finding new ways to improve bomb technologies.

Instead of a vehicle driving over a platform that sets off the deadly device, the Taliban are using cellphones to trigger the explosions remotely.

Resistance Action:
Bomber Kills 13 In Attack On Jalalabad Police

A minibus hit by a bomber in Jalalabad May 18, 2011. The minibus was carrying police cadets in the main city in Afghanistan’s east. REUTERS/Parwiz 5/18/2011 By Mohammad Rafiq, Reuters A bomber killed 13 people and wounded at least 20 in an attack on a minibus carrying police cadets in the main city in Afghanistan’s turbulent east on Wednesday, a government spokesman said. Ahmadzia Abdulzai, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, said the bomber had rammed an explosives-packed car into the bus carrying cadets in Jalalabad city. Pieces of human flesh lay on the street amid the debris, while members of the Afghan National Police and local residents carried away scorched bodies.

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WELCOME TO OBAMAWORLD. HAVE A NICE DAY.

A US Army flight medic rushes into the dust out of a medevac helicopter looking for wounded Marines at a ‘hot’ landing zone that was under insurgent attack north of Sangin, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, May 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

SOMALIA WAR REPORTS

Celebrate Bin Laden Death Demonstration A Paid-For Fraud:
“It’s Sad And Painful To See The Somali People Interests Are Lost Between The Two Conflicting Parties” --

“The Direct Agents Of Neo-Imperialist Powers, And Those Influenced By AlQaida Destructive Ideology”
The Question is - What an ordinary Somali citizen in Mogadishu got to do with Bin-Laden’s killing? After all, Bin-Laden is American made monster-jihadist and it seems that his charismatic effectiveness or somehow his mission is over. 05.16.2011 By: ABDI, Mareeg Mogadishu ---- new facts are unfolding in a very strange fashion about the limited demonstrations that have recently seen in the streets of Mogadishu welcoming the killing of Osama bin Laden, the number one terrorist in the world according to the American classification. The eagerly circulated reports that day; was describing spontaneous demonstrations by the residents of government controlled areas in Mogadishu who allegedly came out to the streets of Mogadishu welcoming the killing of bin Laden. The reports to this point appear to be logically acceptable, and perhaps to large extent DIGESTABLE; except for one thing which may fluctuate this interesting context upside down. We did our own investigation and it appears that; this particular demonstration and the march followed, were in fact a fraud, a very advanced political fraud scheme, the scheme was orchestrated and funded by Somali non governmental organization, surprisingly enough, many news agencies and media outlets have fallen for this; including our news website. We met one of the participants; a woman in her thirties, she confirmed with a wry laugh that she had received the equivalent of three dollars for her participation in the demo from local broker who’s widely believed to be associated with Somali non governmental organization. “You seem to be the last to know, we were nearly a hundred and fifty, no need to guess; all paid participants of course, you know, it’s hard to get three dollars and a bottle of coke these days in Mogadishu, Said the lady who introduced her self as Safia. Another demonstrator goes by the name Adan says “We live on these things, they call us here in Somali “Cammiraad, pronounced: Amiraad” it roughly translates “The people who fill the space or the space fillers”, We attend mock demos, conferences, workshops and seminars, All of which centered on democracy, human rights, peace, freedom, the fight against extremism, children’s rights, women’s rights, dialogue, reconciliation, civil society or combination of,….. you name it”

“We’re not bad people, we harm no body, they need some people to fill the space, and we need some pocket money and free meals, you know they serve grilled meat with Biryani rice in these hotels”. Said Adan with pernicious smile. I met the broker later in the day with great assistance from Safia, the Anti Bin Laden female demonstrator; she introduced me to the broker, a man in his mid thirties, very skinny, crumbling teeth, of course, no need to mention that he’s daily Qat abuser. I introduced my self as the assistant manager of newly formed community-based organization that wants to draw the attention of potential western donors through serious of seminars and workshops on terrorism. I also indirectly expressed my intention to organize a demo to denounce Al-Shabaab’s terrorism, I hinted my growing doubts in his capabilities of successfully implementing such demo in this short period of time. The Broker who introduced him self as “Hadji Hayaysi”, Burst into laughter, waving his hands carelessly, before lighting a foul-smelling cigarette and pulling few breaths. “Listen carefully my friend; I’ve being doing this for years now, and I received no complaint so far, once you pay our service fees, we’ll make sure every thing looks as real as it should be” Said Mr. Hadji in a cloud of smoke. “We recently arranged a similar demo in Mogadishu on behalf of Somali NGO that desperately wanted to draw Uncle Sam’s attention, it was really a very difficult operation, the time was critical as the client wanted to be the first to take credit for arranging such demo. “He is one of these Somali Diaspora NGO guys who came to Somalia with a clear vision of making money out of every possible looming opportunity on the horizon, we actually don’t care, business is business”. Added Mr. Hadji. We’ve learned that most of Mogadishu residents were clearly confused at the time when the early news of Bin-Laden’s demise had surfaced. Many didn’t believe it, while many others had begun circulating conspiracy theories which are still over-interestingly circulated among Somalis due to the long history of mistrust between the ordinary Somalis and the USA government. For most Somalis in Mogadishu Mr. Obama claims were hard to believe. Some Somali NGOs are desperately trying to prey on Somali people’s misery by using them as a “Cheap Attention-Drawing Element”, orchestrating fraudulent demos from the comfort of their hotels expecting to be rewarded by their foreign donors. This indeed a clear indication that the Somali tribalism-rooted conflict is covered systematically with names and layers driven from global imperialism agenda. Why the ordinary Somali citizens in Mogadishu or else where, should feel the exigency of interacting with an incident that happened thousands of kilometers away from their

home and eventually will have no direct affect on their daily life struggle with food, shelter and STREY BULLETS? The recent Anti-Bin Laden demo in Mogadishu wasn’t genuine not because Bin-Laden was a good man, but obviously because the Somali people are tired of seemingly never ending wars, they’re too busy coping with their essential needs amid all this political and security chaos. In fact they’re not in a position of interacting with global incidents since they’ve lost their morale and appetite for positive global engagement in Somalia. The Question is - What an ordinary Somali citizen in Mogadishu got to do with BinLaden’s killing? After all, Bin-Laden is American made monster-jihadist and it seems that his charismatic effectiveness or somehow his mission is over. What is really alarming is how our basic primitive conflict is actually taking global dimensions with direct complicity and orchestration of some suspicious Somali organizations who are trying to use our people as cheap means to enforce global neoimperialism agenda. It’s sad and painful to see the Somali people interests are lost between the two conflicting parties – the direct agents of neo-imperialist powers, and those Influenced by Al-Qaida destructive ideology.

MILITARY NEWS
HOW MANY MORE FOR OBAMA’S WARS?

The funeral of Army Cpl. Justin Ross, of Green Bay, Wis., at Arlington National Cemetery April 20, 2011. Ross died March 26 after he was shot in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. He was posthumously promoted to corporal. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FORWARD OBSERVATIONS

“At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. Oh had I the ability, and could reach the nation’s ear, I would, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. “For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder.

“We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.” “The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose.” Frederick Douglass, 1852

It is a two class world and the wrong class is running it. -- Larry Christensen, Soldiers Of Solidarity & United Auto Workers

“What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms.” -- Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1787

“From A Combat Veteran Of The 5th Special Forces Group”
From: j To: Military Resistance Newsletter Subject: Re: Military Resistance 9E11: Countdown - From a combat veteran of the 5th Special Forces Group Date: May 17, 2011 11:34 AM I have forwarded your information to many, many people, civilians and veterans. Typically, they are shocked at the truth. So, what else is new? At least with the farce of a war being conducted today you know it’s about stealing oil - in the jungle, there was NO reason! I’m glad you guys are around.

REPLY:
Your encouragement means the world: and we will make sure the good people, civilians and veterans, who help with our work sees it. And all of us are no less glad veterans like you are around, to know and proclaim the truth. Respect for your service. T

Mirror Image

Photograph by Mike Hastie 2008 From: Mike Hastie To: Military Resistance Sent: May 19, 2011 Subject: Mirror Image Mirror Image An American child looks at a picture of a Vietnamese child leaned up against the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Thousands of Vietnamese children like this child, were killed during the Vietnam War. Or, as the Vietnamese people would say: The American War. Thousands of Iraqi children have been killed in the two Iraq Wars. Or,

as the Iraqi people would say: The American Wars. Then, there is the Afghanistan War. Or, as the Afghanistan people would say: The American War. Millions of children all across America are living in poverty as a result of the billions of dollars that the U.S. Government is spending on war after war after war. It is right in front of us. Or, as some American people would say: The American Wars. Mike Hastie U.S. Army Medic Vietnam 1970-71 May 19, 2011 Photo and caption from the I-R-A-Q (I Remember Another Quagmire) portfolio of Mike Hastie, US Army Medic, Vietnam 1970-71. (For more of his outstanding work, contact at: ([email protected]) T) One day while I was in a bunker in Vietnam, a sniper round went over my head. The person who fired that weapon was not a terrorist, a rebel, an extremist, or a so-called insurgent. The Vietnamese individual who tried to kill me was a citizen of Vietnam, who did not want me in his country. This truth escapes millions. Mike Hastie U.S. Army Medic Vietnam 1970-71 December 13, 2004

NEED SOME TRUTH? CHECK OUT TRAVELING SOLDIER
Traveling Soldier is the publication of the Military Resistance Organization. Telling the truth - about the occupations or the criminals running the government in Washington - is the first reason for Traveling Soldier. But we want to do more than tell the truth; we want to report on the resistance to Imperial wars inside the armed forces. Our goal is for Traveling Soldier to become the thread that ties working-class people inside the armed services together. We want this newsletter to be a weapon to help you organize resistance within the armed forces.

If you like what you've read, we hope that you'll join with us in building a network of active duty organizers. http://www.traveling-soldier.org/ And join with Iraq Veterans Against the War to end the occupations and bring all troops home now! (www.ivaw.org/)

DANGER: POLITICIANS AT WORK

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CLASS WAR REPORTS

Activist Takes Back Her Home
“They Can’t Take Our Money And Take Our Houses, Too”

Catherine Lennon in front of her home. [Socialist Worker photo] May 11, 2011 By Chelsea Miller, Socialist Worker [Excerpts] ROCHESTER, N.Y., community members and anti-eviction activists in Take Back the Land gathered on March 9 for an important announcement from Catherine Lennon: She has moved back into her home. Lennon was forcibly removed from her home on March 28 after a year in which she tried, unsuccessfully, to negotiate with her mortgage holder, Fannie Mae. During the eviction, Rochester police officers sealed off the entire block to traffic and arrested seven anti-eviction activists. The incident shone an unflattering light on Fannie Mae, which quickly made a great show of coming to the negotiating table in the hopes of returning the Lennon family to their home. Catherine Lennon and her late husband purchased their home in 2006 for $30,000. Fannie Mae has offered to sell the home back to her for $50,000. Even more outrageous is the fact that New York State Supreme Court records reveal that Fannie Mae paid just $500 for the home--and is attempting to garner a 1,000 percent profit. Rob Robinson, a co-founder of the national Take Back the Land network and one of the 25 people at the May 9 event, told reporters, “The government took our

taxes and gave them to the banks, sending a strong message that it’s okay for an individual to fail, but it’s not okay for a bank to fail. “They can’t take our money and take our houses, too.” Take Back the Land’s press release states, “Lennon did not repurchase the home. Instead, she was moved back in with help from Take Back the Land-Rochester, the organization which initially helped her defend against the eviction. Lennon, Take Back the Land-Rochester and neighbors are preparing to defend the home against a possible second eviction.” There was no police presence at this morning’s press conference, but activists were prepared to chain themselves to the door in the event of a second eviction attempt. Rob Robinson articulated the sentiment of many of the organizers, “Civil disobedience has brought the only social change we’ve ever seen in this country.” Lennon, who has spent the last month depleting her savings living in a motel, spent last night in her home on a borrowed mattress. The city of Rochester is demanding that she pay $300 to retrieve her belongings from the storage space they were dumped into after the eviction. Regardless, she says, “I slept like a baby, because I came home.” The front of the house was decorated with banners that read “Welcome Home Cathy” and “Housing is a Human Right.” Ms. Lennon, who has been dubbed “the Rosa Parks of the foreclosure crisis,” responded to that comparison by saying: “She was a mighty woman, and I’m going to be mighty with her. I’m not doing this just for me right now; I’m doing it for the whole country. This is supposed to be the land of the free, and I’m not seeing that right now. What kind of America is this?”

“Tax Rates On The Very Rich Have Plummeted”
“More And More Of The Nation’s Income And Wealth Have Gone To The Top”
18 May 11 By Robert Reich, Robert Reich’s Blog [Excerpts] Forty years ago, wealthy Americans financed the US government mainly through their tax payments. Today wealthy Americans finance the government mainly by lending it money. While foreigners own most of our national debt, over 40 percent is owned by Americans - mostly the very wealthy.

Over that four decades, tax rates on the very rich have plummeted. Between the end of World War II and 1980, the top tax bracket remained over 70 percent - and even after deductions and credits was well over 50 percent. Now it’s 36 percent. As recently as the late 1980s, the capital gains rate was 35 percent. Now it’s 15 percent. Not only are rates lower now, but loopholes are bigger. 18,000 households earning more than a half-million dollars last year paid no income taxes at all. In recent years, according to the IRS, the richest 400 Americans have paid only 18 percent of their total incomes in federal income taxes. Billionaire hedge-fund and private-equity managers are allowed to treat much of their incomes as capital gains (again, at 15 percent). Meanwhile, more and more of the nation’s income and wealth have gone to the top. In the late 1970s, the top 1 percent took home 9 percent of total national income. Now the top 1 percent’s take is more than 20 percent. Over the same period, the top one-tenth of one percent has tripled its share. Wealth is even more concentrated at the top - more concentrated than at any time since the Gilded Age of the late 19th century.

Troops Invited:
Comments, arguments, articles, and letters from service men and women, and veterans, are especially welcome. Write to Box 126, 2576 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10025-5657 or send email to [email protected]: Name, I.D., withheld unless you request publication. Same address to unsubscribe.

“71% Of Respondents Said Increases In Gas Prices Caused Financial Hardship In Their Household”
“Oil Company Profits Jumped 45% In The First Three Months Of 2011”

“Big Oil Is Pulling In Profits Of About $300 Million Per Day--Or $12.5 Million An Hour”

May 10, 2011 By Gary Lapon, Socialist Worker [Excerpts] SKYROCKETING GAS prices are hitting working people hard across the country, whether the impact comes at the pump or in the increased of food and other goods or in a variety of other ways. According to a Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted in mid-April, 71 percent of respondents said increases in gas prices caused financial hardship in their household, with 43 percent reporting serious hardship. Meanwhile, the oil giants are making out like bandits. According to MarketWatch, oil company profits jumped 45 percent in the first three months of 2011, over the first quarter of 2010. Leading the pack is ExxonMobil, whose profits increased 69 percent to $10.7 billion, followed closely by Royal Dutch Shell, which raked in $8.8 billion, a 60 percent increase. So while workers struggle to pay for gas so they can commute to their jobs and pick up their children from school, Big Oil is pulling in profits of about $300 million per day--or $12.5 million an hour. That's equivalent to the U.S. average hourly earnings for nearly 550,000 people in the U.S.

A Vietnam Soldier Wrote The Book All About How An Armed Forces Rebellion Stopped An Imperial War
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POLITICIANS CAN’T BE COUNTED ON TO HALT THE BLOODSHED THE TROOPS HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THE WARS
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