Jason King is an activist, parent and graphic designer and a major force behind Boston911Truth.org and the Boston Tea Parties for 9/11 Truth. He is also on the steering committee of http://www.911truth.org/.

At the age of 17 he participated in the 1971 May Day demonstrations, and was a plaintiff in the class action suit Dellums v. Powell conducted through the ACLU, which established the precedent for monetary compensation for the violation of one's constitutional rights. The Supreme Court later cited this case as a precedent in the decision to grant compensation to Japanese Americans who in WWII were interned in American prison camps.

From a family of WWII veterans, Mr. King's role has been to fight the injustices of war itself by lending his talents as a graphic artist to many organizations in campaigns to end the wars waged, from Vietnam to Iraq. In the 1980's Mr. King was a member of Communicators for Nuclear Disarmament, a media and design clearinghouse for the Nuclear Freeze movement. His goal is to continue creating professional level design and creative teams, to convey the urgent message of our time regarding the unanswered questions 9/11. Mr. King maintains that peace and truth are American values that transcend political ideologies, and that the fundamental principals of our republic enshrined in the Constitution and Bill of Rights need to be restored.

Mia Hamel is an activist in Florida, who has also helped with 9/11 Truth Conferences, and communications through her White Rose Newsletter. She was arrested for leafletting at the premiere of Oliver Stone's film World Trade Center exercising her first amendment rights in an act of civil disobedience. She is a courageous, inspiring person showing how one person can and does make difference.

In the first hour, Jason and Mia give a bit of their own history and the history of the Boston Tea Party for 9/11 Truth. Mia shares an action plan that they hope people will be able to take away from the conference.

In the second hour, Dylan shares how he came up with the title Loose Change and how it has worked to bring people in who might not want to see a "documentary on a serious topic." He shares his experience on crafting the film, organizing events at Ground Zero in 2006 and 2007, and the response that they have had since they completed Final Cut, which has been picked up by the activists, but ignored by the mainstream press so far. Dylan Avery wanted to make films. He was told by the famous actor, James Gandolfini, "If you want to be a successful director, you have to have something to say to the world." His first foray was a fictional film about some guys who found out that 9/11 was was not a terrorist attack, but rather, an attack by their own government.

In the process of making the film, the evidence began adding up. Dylan took the heroic path of seeking and speaking truth, capturing the attention of an entire generation with- the internet blockbuster- Loose Change. In a very organic way, he and his friends began traveling to promote the film, speaking to audiences across the country. They garnered media attention and harsh criticisms from researchers within the 9/11 Truth Movement.

Dylan and his friends continued to do research, learn from their critics, work with the activists, bond with the victims, support those who risked their lives to save lives at Ground Zero and suffered the devastating health effects of the toxic dust. Dylan grew, the film evolved, and evolved again. With facts checked and given the warm approval of our esteemed researcher, David Ray Griffin, they have produced a third edition of the original idea - "Loose Change - Final Cut" released November 11th, debuting in the U.K., then the East Coast, and now premiering in the West Coast. Dylan and Jason Bermas will be at the premieres, along with local musician Remo Conscious who produced the soundtracks for the films. They will also be participating in the second San Francisco Tea Party for 9/11 Truth, held in Solidarity with the Boston Tea Party, on the 234th Anniversary of the first Boston Tea Party- Sunday, December 16, 2007.

From Boston to San Francisco, modern patriots will express their rejection of Bush’s tyrannical laws and their demand for a genuine investigation of 9/11--as well as their demand for impeachment--by tossing, burning or shredding into oceans, rivers, and barbecue pits the rejected 9/11 Report, the PATRIOT Act, the Military Commissions Act, Presidential Directive 51, and H.R. 1955: Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007.

In solidarity with Boston 9/11 Truth’s re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party, the Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance will echo the call for all Americans to cast off the tyranny, deceit and lies imposed on the American public since 9/11/2001.

At 12 noon on December 16th in San Francisco, costumed activists will rally at Pier 39, bearing oversized replicas of the flawed 9/11 Report and other tyrannical, offensive documents, ringing bells, and making proclamations. The activists will parade westward past Fisherman’s Wharf to rally again at 2 pm at the foot of Hyde Street Pier, before a final march through Aquatic Park to the end of Municipal Pier where at 3 pm the replicas will be thrown into the Bay.

H.R. 1955, in its heavy-handed measures to prevent homegrown terrorism, is reminiscent of “A Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition” issued by King George III in 1775, which had the effect of transforming loyal subjects into traitorous rebels and ordering all colonists "to use their utmost endeavours to withstand and suppress such rebellion." In Congressional hearings, those who dare to raise legitimate questions about the government’s account of 9/11 are now being branded as terrorists. Congress has joined the Executive branch in declaring war upon citizens who oppose war and defend the Constitution.

The San Francisco Tea Party for 9/11 Truth will feature the reading of a formal proclamation, which concludes as follows:

“Therefore, we the people… REJECT the findings in the official 9/11 and NIST Report, the PATRIOT ACT, the Military Commissions Act, the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, and Presidential Directive 51, and DEMAND the release of documents and evidence withheld by the government, and an IMMEDIATE, genuinely independent 9/11 investigation with subpoena powers, independent 9/11 researchers, and oversight by 9/11 families and concerned citizens. We DEMAND that Congress members uphold their oath of office to defend our Constitution, exercise executive oversight, and IMPEACH the President and Vice President before they commit more crimes against our nation and the world through deceptions, lies, and war.

Next Show- December 17, 2007 Poetry Show with Vanessa German. Vanessa is an outstanding performing artist and won the National Slam Bush Contest in 2004.

In the fall of 1995, after overdosing on 72 prescription painkillers, with vodka, Vanessa German was given a prognosis of 12 to 24 hours to live. Now, Vanessa German is one of the tri-state's most sought after public speakers. She weaves a powerful, heartfelt, life-affirming and altering message with her true to life " Power " presentations. Her voice resonates, calls-to-action, lifts, inspires, and moves audience members to make simple, yet powerful changes in their lives. Funny, definitely entertaining, and moving.

Vanessa grew up in Los Angeles , California and was a member of the LA Bloods by the age 11, nothing uncommon for the time. Having witnessed the death and destruction of so many lives, Ms. German initiated a change within herself, that allowed her to come from near death to achieving heights previously only dreamed of.

Vanessa German attended Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, Los Angeles Conservatory for the Performing Arts at University of Southern California , Southwest College , The University of Cincinnati, and the Los Angeles Theater Academy .

Ms. German is the daughter of Sandra German, one of this countries most famous and influential fiber artists.

An award winning speaker by the age of 16, Ms. German's powerful voice and message has been heard at schools and institutions throughout the country. From 2001 to present, Vanessa German has spoken to over 130,000 students from coast to coast.

Her words have power because she has something to say: "I am a poet, my greatest vision and desire is to inspire people to truth, passion and peace through poems."

Since 2002, Sherry Healy has been singularly dedicated to the election integrity cause. As a result Sherry Healy is co-founder of the California Election Protection Network, and is a coordinator for the Election Defense Alliance. Locally she is Chair of Marin-Democracy for America's Election Reform Committee, as well as a delegate for California's 6th Assembly District.

Sherry has created over a 70 written materials--from articles to position statements. Some notable articles are "Machinations Behind Closed Doors" and the "No Hearing Hearing." Some notable position papers are the "California Election Protection Network's Centralized Voter Registration Recommendations to the Election Assistance Commission" and the "Titanium Standard audit protocol. Sherry also wrote a humorous play titled, "How to Maintain Our Democracy's Election Hygiene," which was performed by CodePink at the Sparc Theater in Venice, California.

Also, with the aim of raising awareness, Sherry has orchestrated important public events, including a highly successful San Diego Town Hall meeting in November of 2006, which was hosted by Ed Asner and featured prominent national election integrity leaders. It is notable that this San Diego Town Hall meeting, with its important recommendations to voters, received extensive airplay on Link TV, as well as other outlets, in the critical week prior to a pivotal California Secretary of State race. Recently, Sherry joined the Board of Directors for California's Tangible Ballot Initiative.

More recently, she put her creative and entrepreneurial experience to use in co-creating Equalivote, which is a non-computerized ballot marking device for voters with disabilities.

In the first hour she looks at Vote by Mail a growing trend, which now constitutes 40% of California’s vote, and its popularity is rapidly gaining momentum nationwide.

She makes a strong case against voting by mail, electronic voting, "convenient- high turn-out devices" which are centralized and rely on "trust" rather than any meaningful citizen oversight. She describes the shift from "retail fraud" to "wholesale fraud."

Elections have been stolen, ever since they have held them, but the techniques and technologies have evolved over time. She points out some of the dangers, pitfalls, shortcomings, blatant criminality and corruption, that she has discovered on her journey and the direction that we need to go, if we are to avoid institutionalized fascism.

In particular, she looks at the wholesale noncompliance with the law exhibited in the election for Governor in California where the supervisor of Los Angeles County refused to allow observers see the centralized tabulating of votes. She looks at Potrero, a city of 450 people who did not want Blackwater to build a training facility. Potrero was devastated by the recent fires and is now going to hold an election (by mail) in an attempt to receall the supervisors who are for Blackwater. The election will be overseen by two very dubious characters, one who has worked for Diebold and Sequoia (who make the voting machines), the other oversaw the stolen Presidential Election in Ohio, and his underlings all went to jail for their roles.

Sherry encourages people to get involved in this issue, which is not as dry and technical as one might imagine, but filled with hair- raising stories and personalities who have done some very outrageous things with the help of a silent press who has felt that "stolen elections" are of little interest to the general public.

She recommends in addition to her own website - www.verifygra.com, the film Hacking Democracy and Greg palast's book- Armed Madhouse: From Baghdad to New Orleans--Sordid Secrets and Strange Tales of a White House Gone Wild.

She makes a very strong case for a decentralized, precinct based system, with active citizen oversight.

Next week- December 10, 2007- "Boston Tea Party for Truth Show" with Jason King and Mia Hamel.

Jason King is one of the moving forces behind Boston911Truth.org which is holding its second annual Tea Party for 9/11 Truth. Mia Hamel is very active with the 9/11 Truth Movement in Florida and has helped nationally with the various conferences, actions, and edits a national newsletter called The White Rose.

They both are working on the upcoming The Second Annual Boston Tea Party and Conference for 9/11 Truth! - Scientists & Citizens Speak Out! to take place in Boston December 15th & 16th. Additional tea Parties will take place in other cities - including Milwaukee, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Evan Ravitz has been championing the National Initiative for Democracy, written by former US Senator Mike Gravel. The National Initiative empowers people to share law-making power with representatives, similar to ballot initiatives in 24 States, but at all levels from national to local and with several improvements. The People as check and balance against legislators, Congress, lobbyists, and money!

Senator Gravel among others tried to get Congress to ratify a similar National Voter Initiative in 1977, but of course Congress refused to share power (as also happened in 1917 and 1937.) Since then, Gravel discovered that the Founders had the same basic problem: the existing 13 Legislatures refused to share real power with the upstart USA. The Founders pondered and "resorted" to their First Principle ("The People are Sovereign.") and decided to have The People ratify the Constitution, at the Constitutional Conventions.

The National Initiative, is the most powerful reform since the Constitution, to make real the promise of "government by the people." The National Initiative consists of the brief Democracy Amendment and the more detailed Democracy Act. Similarly, YOU can now vote to ratify the National Initiative at Vote.org!"

Initiatives put the people in the drivers seat. Responsibility brings more responsible people: more people vote in States with initiatives. In Switzerland, centuries of national initiatives result in the highest newspaper readership in the world.

Initiatives are competition for legislators, which brings more representative behavior from representatives. The National Initiative will break Congress' monopoly on national legislative power.

People are less influenced by money than representatives. This study and book show that people favor "grassroots" initiatives over "big money" initiatives while the Associated Press shows Congress usually votes the way big money wants.

When legislators make mistakes they cover them up --to protect their careers & egos. Citizens lack the coverup incentive but have incentive to fix mistakes: regular people suffer more than the privileged. Thomas Jefferson said "The will of the majority is the natural law of every society and the only sure guardian of the rights of man; though this may err, yet its errors are honest, solitary and short-lived."

Large, diverse groups of independent people make better decisions. The award-winning book "The Wisdom of Crowds" shows how and why. The National Initiative is endorsed by a wide variety of movers and shakers.

Evan Ravitz is an activist, performing artist, programmer/analyst, writer, and has led a very adventurous life.

Evan shared the experiences that led him to take on the National Initiative for Democracy which he has been working on for 18 years, including his move to Guatemala, and the deaths of his friends at the hands of the US backed Guatemalan government and death squads. He also shared his experiences with 3 members of the Edall family, two in politics and their reactions to the National Initiative (which is posted on his website).

He made a very solid case for improving our system of government, most compelling I believe is that the Initiative process, at the state level, has been responsible for some of the best legislative reforms to improve our electoral process (clean money) and health care. Certainly the system we have is in dire need of improvement, as it enables murderers, whilst denying life and liberty to innocent people at home and abroad.

Laura Wells has over 21 years experience in financial systems – investments, pension funds, union dues accounting, and real estate loans. She holds a B.A. from Wayne State University (Detroit, MI, Phi Beta Kappa), and an M.Ed. from Antioch University. She lives in Oakland and is the proud mother of Natalia, a 23-year-old musician and graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz.

In 2006 she ran (again) for the office of "State Controller" on the Green Party ticket in California. http://www.laurawells.org/ is her campaign website. (She had the distinction of getting more votes than any other Green candidate- over 400,000, when she ran for the same office in 2002.) Controllers basically “Follow the money!” and keep track of where the taxpayer's money goes and report to the real boss — the people of California.

Our current political system is Democracy 101. It was a state-of-the-art political system 200 years ago, but it needs to be updated for today.

Laura Wells spoke on the show immediately following a meeting (held in her home) on Wise Democracy Oakland ( See- Wisdom Councils http://www.wisedemocracy.org/ and http://www.wisedemocracyvictoria.com/.) That project is an experiment in direct, participatory democracy in Oakland, where ordinary citizens willcome together to address the issues they deem important in civil society. Thr group includes those who responded to this appeal at a recent Democracy Forum in Oakland:

"Let's take as our focus the possibility of holding a Wisdom Council on March 14-15, 2008, with approximate 12 participants, who would be a randomly selected group of folks from Oakland. The group would be facilitated with dynamic facilitation, and would come to a consensus statement to be presented to the community, public officials, and the media. This Wisdom Council is meant to be the beginning of a continuing process of engaging more and more people and building consensus toward action around the issues that concern us all. Who here would like to be part of a group working toward that possibility?"

Everywhere in the U.S. and the world where regular folks have been involved in policy, their ability to handle complexity and to devise creative and practical solutions, has surprised themselves, and public officials. (See An Experimental Framework for Community Democracy.)

The Green Party, which has Grassroots Democracy as one of its four main values, has been one area of activism for Laura. She ran as a candidate for State Controller in order to open up the electoral process, and she was on the campaign team that got a 69% "yes" vote in Oakland in November 2006 for Instant Runoff Voting, a form of ranked choice voting.

Laura has also visited Venezuela, where in the past couple of years participatory democracy has made great strides, in the barrios of Caracas and the towns of the campesinos, in a way that is the complete opposite of how the media and U.S. government portray the Hugo Chavez government (Her recommended websites for more accurate information regarding what is happening in Venezuela are: http://www.venezuelanotes.blogspot.com/, http://www.veninfo.com/ and www.vensolidarity.net.)

She is applying her learnings in Venezuela, the Green Party, and the Dialogue and Deliberation movement (See- Deep Democracy and Community Wisdom) to the local experiment being planned for Oakland. In so doing, she hopes at least to plant seed for a feeling of empowerment and hope - which she sees as a vital nutrient in these times - in ordinary people.

Laura cited numerous examples of experiments which empowered ordinary people to act/think together in service to their communities and countries which worked beautifully. She detailed the processes which give people more control and power over their own lives in Venezuela that have been written into the Coinstitution. She also hinted that we are in the process of learning and that all we do to make the world a better place is planting seeds and will bear fruit in the future, even if we can't see it now. Her stories were very inspiring.

Next Show-December 3, 2007-Electoral Reform Show with activist Sherry Healy. Sherry Healy has devoted the last several years of her life to electoral reform, and is a member of the California Election Protection Network steering committee. Here's an excerpt from an article about the challenges Healy has had to face over the years:

At a California summit on voting equipment, where many of the speakers had apparent conflicts of interests, entry was barred to consumer groups calling for election reform. The State skewed presentations in favor of electronic voting, with advocates far outnumbering critics. Some panels contain exclusively vendors of electronic voting equipment and representatives of testing labs chosen by these vendors.
"This smacks of Dick Cheney meeting with the energy companies and locking out opposing interests of environmental groups," Sherry Healy, a member of the California Election Protection Network steering committee, told RAW STORY. "Diebold and other vendors selling electronic voting equipment have been invited to attend, along with all 400 members of the California Association of Election Officials," she said. "It costs one hundred and seventy five dollars a ticket and will be picked up by the state."

When several members of CEPN applied for admission, they were denied - despite the fact that the event was not yet full. Correspondence from the Secretary of State's office denying the request has been posted at the CEPN website.

"We offered to pay a fee," Healy said of the invitation-only event. "They assured us that our views are being represented."

But after reviewing a list of attendees, CEPN found no activists and only three computer experts with views compatible with CEPN's election reform goals. "Panels are stacked so as to be heavily pro-Diebold," Healy noted. "Our side is heavily outnumbered."

Actress Mimi Kennedy, head of Progressive Democrats of America and a member of CEPN's steering committee, expressed outrage that the public has been excluded from an event paid for by taxpayers.

"Among California citizens are some of the best computer scientists in the world," she said. "This is the home of the computer chip. Our concerned citizens know more about computer software and its fraud capacity in voting machines than do our election officials - and they must be let in to challenge the vendors."

CEPN maintains that the public has a right to know what goes on behind closed doors. A letter hand-delivered to McPherson noted that "members of CEPN have demonstrated knowledge and leadership in this important cause, yet to date all of our requests to attend the Summit have been refused."

Barring activists from the Summit comes on the heels of a hearing last week on whether or not to recertify Diebold TSX machines in California. The TSX system was de-certified by former Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, a Democrat, after Diebold was found to have installed uncertified software.

A new California law requires paper trails on all voting machines. Earlier tests of TSX machines retrofitted with printers to produce paper trails had a combined failure rate of 30%, including printer jams and software crashes. But a recent new test, conducted without public scrutiny by California officials using a machine selected by Diebold, showed only a 3% error rate, Healy said.

Activists expressed concern prior to last week's hearing upon learning that McPherson had dissolved the Voting Systems Panel (VS), which had been charged with hearing public testimony and advising the Secretary of State regarding certification. At the hearing November 21st, only members of McPherson's staff showed up.

"We thought it was a charade," said Healy. "They are political appointees, and one attorney." Only one computer consultant, Steve Freeman, appeared at that hearing to hear public testimony.

CEPN lists seven reasons not to certify Diebold, including known security holes that the vendor has failed to address, demonstrations by Black Box Voting proving the ease of hacking into Diebold systems, criminal records of a Diebold programmer, and warnings by the Secretary of State's own technical advisors of serious defects in Diebold machines.

BBV seeks other changes in protocol. "We want the media there," said March. The state's proposed protocol would bar the public and the media. "We would not be able to bring in a lawyer or court reporter," March noted. "We could not tape record or videotape anything, or take notes - and we had to give them anything we write about for them to include if they see fit in the final report." The State's proposal also required BBV to identify its planned attack method ahead of time.

BBV believes it's important to videotape the attempted hack, as it did in Leon County, Florida, where Harri Hursti penetrated a Diebold system in less than a minute, altering contents of a memory card.

Kennedy says California officials need to take such concerns seriously.

"The State seems to be treating the buying of voting machines the same way they'd treat buying toilet paper for the statehouse," she urged. "Don't give private companies control of our vote."

One goal of McPherson's goals is to ultimately standardize election protocols nationwide who views California as ground zero for election integrity.

"This is a critical moment where technology can install fraud capacity in our votes nationwide," Kennedy said. "Citizens being shut out is dishonest."

Healy believes that the closer people are to the voting process, the greater their chances of preventing and catching those who would like to steal not only their votes, but their power.

More Details and links will be posted on the Questioning War- Organizing Resistance Website

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Mon., November 19, 2007: Playlists: M3U | RAM (Individual MP3s: Hr1 Hr2 )
November 19, 2007- Growing Threat of Martial Law Show with Frank Morales.

Frank Morales is an Episcopal priest, writer, musician and activist born and raised on New York City's Lower East Side. He is a central leader of New York 9/11 Truth and the foremost investigator on the militarization of the police and preparations for military rule in America.

His articles Homeland Defense: Pentagon Declares War on America and Bush Moves Toward Martial Law were voted voted #2 Most Censored Story in 2003 and 2006 by Project Censored. He recently spoke at their Media Accountability Conference whose theme was- Media Censorship and the erosion of Civil Liberties

In the first half hour of the show, Frank shares his personal background, growing up in the Vietnam Era and his inspiration by the activists and spiritual leaders of that time. He was actively involved in the squatters' movement. His own direct experiences led him to investigate and understand the government's use of the police as a counter-insurgency tool to displace people who might provide pockets of resistance. Eliminating their housing, access to food, community, dispersing the poor in the inner cities was one of the tactics. The squatters' movement helped to create community and space for resistance, art, music to flourish and they have had their skirmishes with the police, but have triumphed to some degree, although certainly gentrification and the struggle continues.

In the rest of the first hour, Frank looks at the larger pattern and the Military Commissions Act and the most recent H.R.1955 - Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007, passed by Congress and now in the Senate- pre-emptive measures to control thought and dissent.

In the second hour, we respond to a couple of callers who questioned the veracity of a book on The Franklin Cover-Up (See http://www.franklincase.org/silence.htm) and the illegality of Martial Law which raised the issues of the evil/ the demonic within government, and the existence/persistence/definition of martial Law in various forms. Frank recommended a book entitled Hitler's Justice: The Courts of the Third Reich by Ingo Muller which showed how Hitler created a parallel legal structure to the court system in Germany to implement his agenda. We are seeing new structures being created to replace the Constitutional, accepted legal system within the United States to implement an agenda which serves a very small segment of the population at the expense of everyone else.

Despite the litany of Executive Orders, and horrific legislation, Frank believes that the resistance is growing stronger and truth will triumph. Local initiatives include getting an initiative on the ballot in New York City for a real investigation into 9/11 with subpeona power. He uses the metaphor that Jesus used of the "mustard seed" for truth which was considered a weed by farmers who tried to eradicate it- but were never successful. His work has obviously inspired him and he sees how historically movements have grown and succeeded over time.

Next Show- November 26, 2007 National Initiative for Democracy Show with Evan Ravitz. Evan Ravitz has been championing the National Initiative for Democracy, written by former US Senator Mike Gravel (consulting with many) the National Initiative empowers people to share law-making power with representatives, similar to ballot initiatives in 24 States, but at all levels from national to local and with several improvements. The People as check and balance against legislators, Congress, lobbyists, and money!

Senator Gravel among others tried to get Congress to ratify a similar National Voter Initiative in 1977, but of course Congress refused to share power (as also happened in 1917 and 1937.) Since then, Gravel discovered that the Founders had the same basic problem: the existing 13 Legislatures refused to share real power with the upstart USA. The Founders pondered and "resorted" to their First Principle ("The People are Sovereign.") and decided to have The People ratify the Constitution, at the Constitutional Conventions.

The National Initiative, is the most powerful reform since the Constitution, to make real the promise of "government by the people." The National Initiative consists of the brief Democracy Amendment and the more detailed Democracy Act.

Initiatives put the people in the drivers seat. Responsibility brings more responsible people: more people vote in States with initiatives. In Switzerland, centuries of national initiatives result in the highest newspaper readership in the world.

Initiatives are competition for legislators, which brings more representative behavior from representatives. The National Initiative will break Congress' monopoly on national legislative power.

People are less influenced by money than representatives. Study and book show that people favor "grassroots" initiatives over "big money" initiatives while the Associated Press shows Congress usually votes the way big money wants.

When legislators make mistakes they cover them up --to protect their careers & egos. Citizens lack the coverup incentive but have incentive to fix mistakes: regular people suffer more than the privileged. Thomas Jefferson said "The will of the majority is the natural law of every society and the only sure guardian of the rights of man; though this may err, yet its errors are honest, solitary and short-lived."

Large, diverse groups of independent people make better decisions. The award-winning book "The Wisdom of Crowds" shows how and why.

Evan Ravitz is an activist, performing artist, programming analyst, writer, and has led a very adventurous life.

Photos and more details of the next show will be posted on http://questioningwar-organizingresistance.blogspot.com/.

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Mon., November 12, 2007: Playlists: M3U | RAM (Individual MP3s: Hr1 Hr2 )
November 12, 2007, Veterans Day In the first hour- David Mathison, in the second hour- Eduardo Cohen.

David Mathison is an internationally recognized media expert with more than 20 years experience in content management. Some of the world's largest publishers use his solutions to directly connect with mass, globally distributed audiences for maximum exposure. His legacy provides millions of global citizens with free news, financial data, audio and video information on the web's most popular sites.

David's resume includes- *1995: Masters degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs * 1994-1999: Vice President with Reuters, the world's largest news agency * 1999-2001: Chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Kinecta Corporation, now part of Oracle. * 2002-Present: Publisher of the book, BE THE MEDIA. His new book-BE THE MEDIA is an extension of Mathison's award-winning work in eliminating inefficiencies in publishing, providing all participants with more egalitarian, democratic and open systems. The book is the result of a decentralized, collaborative effort by some of today's leading media activists, educators and experts. BE THE MEDIA offers solid, practical and proven techniques that show artists how to inexpensively create and widely distribute their content.

In the introduction to his book, the notion that a media renaissance is underway is explored. This renaissance is creating an upheaval in existing social relationships and new possibilities, as we improve people's ability to communicate with one another directly rather than allowing the most powerful to monopolize mass communications. We are in the birth process of opening new media possibilities to nurture genuine informed democracies, while the illegitimacy and lies of the dominant structures are challenging and destroying those who have abused their power.

David details the major renaissances in human history up to, and including the one we are in the midst of at this moment in time. His own background as a pioneer in bringing news to the internet has helped to open the internet to all media producers, but there is currently a struggle going on over "Net Neutrality" which is in jeopardy in policy making circles right now and whether the internet remains open or becomes colonized by corporations who received favorable treatment, to the exclusion of the "public" is one of our struggles now- and is one of the chapters in his book. He points out that although many experts in their own fields say what is happening is "revolutionary" that combined they are larger than "cyclical" or replacing one form of tyranny with another, but are actually "evolutionary" birthing a dramatic transformation of the way homans see themselves, one another and the world. People are not content just to hear the stories, but are finding their voice to shape the stories and the large narrative of which we are all a part. He encourages everyone to participate and support the independent vioices that are championing truth a a hopeful vision for the future.

Eduardo Cohen hosted and produced "The Other Americas Radio Journal" for fifteen years, providing analysis of US foreign policy and it's coverage in US news media with a focus on the distorting affects of racism, propaganda and corporate nationalism. The program aired on several radio stations, including KPFA.

- Served in a combat unit and in an Army press information office in Viet Nam. It was there he first observed the gaps between the realities of US foreign and military policy and how they are reported in the United States.

- Witnessed the impact of US policy during seven years living and traveling in Latin America and while investigating human rights violations in the Middle East during the Gulf War.

- Has been documenting anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism in the news for more than twenty years.

Eduardo Cohen is a member of Veterans for Peace and Alternatives to War Through Education. He speaks and gives workshops to activists to improve their skills in getting their message to the media, and covered by the media. At the same time he is very aware of how the media works and will focus on "News Media Complicity and the Selling of Never-Ending War."

He analyzes the "monumental journalistic failure" in coverage of US Middle East policy, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the manufactured threat of Iran, and the War on Terror. He also takes a look at media coverage/cover-up of what has happened in Venezuela.

He describes how anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism, propaganda, nationalism, ethnocentrism and militarism combine with news media complicity to distort and even reverse reality in Middle East coverage.

He touches upon the blueprint being set up now to allow the military to be used in the United States should the President decide that a event of "National Significance" has taken place. He also point out that the elaborate missile "defense system" being constructed is more offensive than defensive, despite the hyped up rationalizations that the defenses are being constructed to protect the US against "Korea" or "Iran"... when clearly they are being designed to impose American Hegemony on the entire world. He suggests finding critical analysis by independent media such as www.informationclearinghouse.info, www.buzzflash.com, and Znet.

Next week's November 19, 2007 Show will focus on the Growing Threat of Martial Law in the US with Frank Morales. Frank Morales is an Episcopal priest, writer, musician and activist born and raised on New York City's Lower East Side. He is a central leader of New York 9/11 Truth and the foremost investigator on the militarization of the police and preparations for military rule in America. Two of his articles have received awards from Project Censored for being of great significance and under-reported by the mmainstream press.

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Tue., November 6, 2007: November 5th, 2007- Unmasking State Sponsored Terrorism Show. In the First Hour with Barrie Zwicker. In the Second Hour with Kevin Barrett, Sherry Clark, and John Leonard. (This is a repeat of the October 22nd 2007 Show photos and more links and details posted at questioningwar-organizingresistance.blogspot.com. Next Week's November 12, 2007 - Media Renaissance- from Selling War to Serving Life Show will be with David Mathison in the First Hour, and Eduardo Cohen in the Second Hour.

David Mathison is an internationally recognized media expert with more than 20 years experience in content management. Some of the world's largest publishers use his solutions to directly connect with mass, globally distributed audiences for maximum exposure. His legacy provides millions of global citizens with free news, financial data, audio and video information on the web's most popular sites.

His new book-BE THE MEDIA is an extension of Mathison's award-winning work in eliminating inefficiencies in publishing, providing all participants with more egalitarian, democratic and open systems. The book is the result of a decentralized, collaborative effort by some of today's leading media activists, educators and experts. BE THE MEDIA offers solid, practical and proven techniques that show artists how to inexpensively create and widely distribute their content.

In the introduction to his book, a notion that a media renaissance is underway is explored. This renaissance is creating an upheaval in existing social relationships and new possibilities as we improve people's ability to communicate with one another directly rather than allowing the most powerful to monopolize mass communications and opening possibilities for genuine informed democracies to exist.

Eduardo Cohen is an independent, investigative journalist, as well as an activist. He speaks and gives workshops to activists to improve their skills in getting their message to the media and covered by the media. At the same time he is very aware of how the media works and will focus on "How the Media Sells War."

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Mon., November 5, 2007: Playlists: M3U | RAM (Individual MP3s: Hr1 Hr2 )

This show was a bit unusual, as our scheduled guest was in New York giving a deposition in a suit against his arrest and treatment during the protests against the Republican National Convention in September 2004, and his lawyer advised him to not speak on the radio. Frank Morales was going to replace him, but we were never able to reach him by phone. I spoke in broad and personal terms about my experiences in New York, protesting, and also here in California. There were a couple of callers who shared their experiences, as well. The first caller was in New York during the Republican National Conference and witnessed what happened and helped those who were arrested and reported that those who did file a class action suit were awarded $1500 each in "damages." Our second caller shared his story about his terrible treatment at the hands of a police officer when he reported the death of his mother. That police officer, however was reprimanded and fired for his behavior.

Aram James was a Public Defender for many years and still stands up for people who have had their rights trampled. He fought a battle in San Jose and Palo Alto against Tasers, and helped form the Coalition for Justice and Accountability, calling for a ban on the use of tasers, the electric shock devices now carried by all San Jose patrol officers. James is extremely knowledgable about these dangerous devices which can be used to torture people, and can and have caused many needless deaths. On October 7th a study on tasers was released and James said:

“The study concludes -- without supporting data -- that Tasers reduce injuries to both police and the individuals Tasered. But the authors, offer no systematic data to support this conclusion.” James says that actually the study's own data belies their own conclusion of safety. The abstract reported 23% of 597 subjects received some sort of injury. “Nearly 1 in 4, hardly support for the proposition that Tasers are safe -- and when coupled with 293 taser related deaths, a statistic conveniently ignored by the authors of this study, the conclusion that Tasers are safe is not only not true but in fact a lie of deadly proportions.”

Aram went into greater detail about tasers and responded to the second caller by asking him about the taser policy in his county. There the local sherrif had a policy theat officers who didn't experience tasers or pepper spray themselves were not allowed to carry or use them.

Aram cited some chilling data about the severe injuries that police officers experienced while, under control conditions they experienced being "tased." In three cities they passed laws where police could no longer be tased, but allowed them to continue using the devices on citizens.

The importance of citizen oversight regarding the police cannot be underestimated, as laws are passed granting the police, and the military, greater and greater power over our lives. If we do not assert our human and constitutional rights and the rights of our fellow human beings, we will continue to lose all of them as the government is trying to codify torture, rendition, warrantless searches, the basic rights that most people have taken for granted.

Aram has done all he can to exercise more oversight over the police on a local level as well as to oppose tasers nationally. We also discussed the prison system in California which is enormous, is being "privatized" and basically providing "slave labor" for the State and corporations. In California those targeted for prison are generally poor, and generally people of color.

The theme of Project Censored's Media Accountability Conference last weekend was Media Censorship and the Erosion of Civil Liberties. Journalists Frank Morales, Robert Parry, Jeremy Scahill, Mike Whitney, Ralph Schoenmann and others discussed the media's apparent lack of concern over our eroding civil liberties.

Frank Morales will also be speaking on Police State America &Pentagon Civil Disturbance Planning
Ralph Schoenman & Mya Shone, who produce the radio show Taking Aim will be speaking on 9/11 & the Architecture of the Fascist State on Tuesday, October 30, 2007. 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Berkeley Unitarian Center, 1606 Bonita Ave. (Corner of Cedar and Bonita) in Berkeley, CA.

Frank Morales is an Episcopal priest, writer, musician and activist born and raised on New York City's Lower East Side. He is a central leader of New York 9/11 Truth and the foremost investigator on the militarization of the police and preparations for military rule in America. Hopefully someday we will have him on the show, but we couldn't reach him tonight.

Ralph Schoenman and Mya Shone are co-producers of Taking Aim, now heard in seventy-seven countries. Their broadcasts, lectures and writing on the "treason at the top" that defines the role of U.S. governmental authority in the events of 9/11 have offered a class analysis that reveals the nature of capitalist rule today.

The violence used to crush dissent in Third World countries is increasingly being used in the United States against opposition to corporate globalization and imperial wars.

Mya and Ralph have been organizing and active for decades and spoke in detail about some of the most egregious legislation that was passed in the wake of 9/11 and in detail about Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's replacement, Judge Michael Mukasey. Mukasey is almost unbelievably worse than Gonzales, and Ralph detailed many of the very significant articles he wrote and cases that he presided over which make an utter mockery of the law and the legal system.

I mentioned how Boston 9/11 Truth is planning another Tea Party for 9/11 Truth this year to draw attention, not only to 9/11, but to the horrific legislation that has been passed in the wake of 9/11. This year they are planning on throwing not just the Commision Report, but the Patriot Act, the Military Commisions Act, and the most offensive tyrannical powers Continuity of Government decrees into the Boston Harbor. Last year San Francisco and other cities held many actions in solidarity with Boston. Opposition to Murkasey should be screamed from the rooftops, but the corporate press is as silent about his appointment as the rest of the draconian measures.

. Mya and Ralph, in addition to speaking out publicly and on their radio show are also very active with the International Labor Movement which just held a major conference on actions labor can support to end the war, not just the war against iraq, but the class war by the rich against the poor, using every mechanism at their disposal. "The Last Man Out Tour" at the Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland with 9/11 Hero- William Rodriguez, and special guests- Cindy Sheehan and Peter Dale Scott, author of The Road to 9/11 Wealth, Empire, and the Future of America to be followed by a reception with heroes from the local 9/11, Truth, Peace and Justice movements. The public is invited to join us. $10 tickets include the reception to follow. (This is also a celebration, and we will be screening, before and after the main presentation a colorful slideshow of activists, and actions.)

On Wednesday, October 31, 2007, I will be in downtown Palo Alto at my Listening Project, the sixth anniversary of my struggle to expose "the war on terrorism" as a "war of terrorism" against Americans and the world. It has been a challenging struggle, and i've discovered I can't do it , all by myself. I thank everyone for their support, not just of me, but the movement and all the independent media that have sprung up in defense of people and planet- like this network. Please support them.

The next show will be a replay of our Unmasking State Sponsored Terrorism show, recorded on October 22nd with Barrie Zwicker in the first hour and Kevin Barrett, John Leonard and Sherry Clark in the second hour, looking at Guy Fawkes Day (November 5th), the history of state sponsored terrorism, World Peace Week, and War on War Week (November 5th- November 11th, also known as Veterans Day).

Photos, Details and Links from past shows can also be found on the Questioning War- Organizing Resistance Website

Barrie Zwicker is the author of Towers of Deception- The Media Cover-Up of 9/11, winner of the Independent Publisher 2007 Gold Medal Award in the Current Events category. Barrie Zwicker is an independent documentary producer, writer, and political activist. He is the first mainstream television journalist in the world to deeply question the official 9/11 story. He became a director of the International Citizens' Inquiry Into 9/11, Phase 2, at the University of Toronto in May of 2004. He produced The Great Deception, which aired on Canadian television in early 2002. He also produced The Great Conspiracy- The 9/11 News Special You Never Saw (which is also included in the book Towers of Deception).

Barrie also wrote Was Guy Fawkes just a victim of an earlier WMD scheme? in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail on Nov. 5, 2005. (Guy Fawkes Day happens to be Barrie’s birthday.) He is also currently writing a book on this topic.

In the first hour, Barrie speaks about the history of "The Gunpowder Plot" and its parallels to 9/11. He also speaks about the need to prevent the next 9/11 and raise awareness, so that if another attack happens in the US, we can clearly identify who was behind it, and stop the stampede to expand the war and further axe our civil liberties.

Barrie mentions how agent provacteurs are used to discredit movements and how exposing the tactic and the agents makes it harder for the governments to keep pulling their dirty tricks on us- giving the recent example of the protest against the North American Union in Montebello, Canada (it can be found on You-Tube- the agents wearing the same boots as the rest of the police force).

October 22nd is also National Police Brutality Day, which we noted and also how local police can be ordered to target political dissidents and put a chill on thieir activist efforts, and how important it si to win the police and the military over.

We also discuss how the 9/11 Truth movement is a real threat to the system and a natural target of Cointelpro efforts to disrupt it and the importance of not attacking individuals, but of exposing the tactics of Cointelpro.

A caller suggests that Barrie do a radio show or a book on Cointelpro and Barrie says he needs to take a break from activism in order to finish his book on "State Sponsored Terrorism" a subject that needs to be taught as widely as possible, if we are to stop it. Barrie feels that we are at an important crossroads and the future is really up to us.

In the second hour the conversation begins with Kevin Barrett, the author/editor of Truth Jihad My Epic Struggle against the 9/11 Big Lie, and 9/11 and American Empire: Christians, Jews and Muslims Speak Out. He is a founder of the Muslim, Jewish, Christian Alliance for 9/11 Truth-(MUJCA.com) and also a radio host on We The People Radio Network.

He was enthusiastic about the idea of World Peace Week, which he jazzed up, brainstorming with Sherry Clark, the creative webmaster of War on War Week. Kevin thought that we should take greater advantage of the film V is for Vendetta which exposes state terrorism and encourages people to not allow their governments to terrorize them and destroy their rights and freedoms. A fun, fireworks-filled, participatory holiday would win over greater support than a quiet, peaceful anniversary observation, in his opinion.

The idea, however of War on War Week, has created some division and controversy within the 9/11 truth movement and Carol mentions the division within the Northern California 9/11 truth Alliance over the issue.

Kevin feels that some controversy is good and draws attention to issues which need a public airing, including what is "violence." He also feels that the film is an artistic masterpiece with mythic characters, conveying multiple messages on many levels, but one of the more important ones is our responsibility to show some courage and get out in the streets to challenge a criminal, violent government, and to win over the police and militaries to the side of the people rather than the wealthy elite who would use people as pawns in their game for greater power, wealth and control.

In the last half hour we are joined by John Leonard and Sherry Clark.

John Leonard came up with the idea for a World Peace Week from November 5th through November 11th:

It would start on November 5th -- Guy Fawkes Day, the holiday that celebrates the granddaddy of all fake war provocations (the 400th anniversary was in 2005) – and last through November 11th --Veterans Day, which commemorates the end of WWI on 11/11/1917 and the veterans and victims of this and all other wars started by false pretexts.

To end these wars, we have to awaken people to both the knowledge of how the war party incites war, and to sympathy for the fallen. These dates in November are a perfect time to remember both culprits and victims.

John is also the publisher of the first 9/11 Truth book, The War on Freedom by Nafeez Ahmed, as well as Kevin Barrett's Truth Jihad and Webster Tarpley's Synthetic Terror- Made in USA. When Nafeez Ahmed had to cancel his first speaking trip to the U.S. in the summer of 2002 when his book came out, John Leonard traveled to the Bay Area to speak in his place. He helped sponsor the first issues of the Deception Dollar and has distributed them over the years. He is both a publisher and an activist.

Sherry Clark is an activist, carrying on her work in the extremely red state of Ohio. She herself was once a Bush supporter who honestly believed she had voted for the moral candidate...twice. In the summer of 2006 she read the book, Crimes Against Nature by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. That is when she fist learned of Bush's disregard for the environment. From there she explored other news sources outside of her local printing company, the Columbus Dispatch, and learned that the situation was even worse than Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had described. She stumbled upon the documentary Loose Change shortly thereafter, and her life changed from socialite to political activist practically overnight.

She is launching a newspaper called The Liberty Voice to educate her fellow Ohioans. She agrees with Abraham Lincoln that

"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts." Sherry believes that the Midwestern people are the salt of the earth. The phrase "salt of the earth" is inspired from the nature of salt itself as both an irritant and a healer. In the case of 9-11 truth, she believes the salt of the earth will have the power to heal the nation, first by causing irritation to others through telling the truth about that day and then by transforming that wound into healing.

In addition to publishing The Liberty Voice, she has launched the website War on War Week ( www.waronwar.us/) and spearheaded the group Columbus 9/11 Truth (www.columbus911truth.org/. ). She is involved with her local World Can't Wait group and has helped create their local website at www.columbuswcw.org. She lives in Liberty Township, Ohio, with her two young daughters.

Sherry voiced her sense of outrage and anger when she realized how she had been lied to and tricked by her own government- which is why she was ready to "wage war on war." She is however, a nonviolent person and believes in Gandhi's idea of Satyagraha- truthforce- which was for courageous people.

While we all abhor state violence directed against the innocent, and ordinary people, Kevin and callers also spoke up for the need for self defense and noting the situation we are in today when we are overtly being threatened with large scale violence to help the global elite expand and consolidate power and redraw the political landscape.

We all believe that it is very important to expose state-sponsored terrorism. Celebrating the week of November 5th- November 11th provides an annual opportunity to educate the public about the history of state-sponsored terrorism, whether we choose to emphasize peace or to dramatically challenge war.

By exposing the common pattern through which state-sponsored terrorism has been used to launch imperial wars and crack down on dissent, we hope to bust the "war game" once and for all.

October 22nd was also National Police Brutality Day, which we noted and also how local police can be ordered to target political dissidents and put a chill on thieir activist efforts, and how important it si to win the police and the military over.

Next Show- October 29, 2007 Crushing Liberty and Dissent Show with Nikolas Sikelianos, Aram James and others. The militarization of the police forces has happened slowly, but surely for decades. Police and the National Guard have been used to disperse protesters, break strikes, protect the wealthy against the wrath of the masses. During the Republican national Convention, 1200 protesters were rounded up and incarcerated in an unhealthy, unpleasant, toxic environment; their rights were blatantly violated. One of them was Nikolas Sikelianos who will be returning to New York for his day in court to stand up for civil rights. He will also run for them, quite literally in the New York Marathon next month, championing 9/11 Truth in the process.

Aram James was a Public Defender for many years and still stands up for people who have had their rights trampled. He fought a huge battle in Palo Alto against Tasers and is extremely knowledgable about these dangerous devices which can be used to torture people and can and have caused many needless deaths.

The importance of citizen oversight regarding the police cannot be underestimated, as laws are passed granting the police, and the military greater and greater power over our lives- if we do not assert our human and constitutional rights and the rights of our fellow human beings.

Captain Eric H. May has been focusing his attentions on NORTHCOM-USJFCOM war game "Vigilant Shield-National Level-TOPOFF '08" on Oct 15-20 in Guam; largest counter-terror drill.

The NORAD drill, conducted to be concurrent with Top Officials 4 (TOPOFF 4), the nation's premier exercise of terrorism preparedness sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security, and several other linked exercises as part of the National Level Exercise 1-08.

These linked exercises will take place October 15-20 and are being conducted throughout the United States and in conjunction with several partner nations including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as well as the Territory of Guam.

The Department of Homeland Security as well as local, state and other federal responders will exercise their response abilities against a variety of potential threats during Exercise Vigilant Shield ‘08, which is a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-designated, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM)-sponsored, and U.S. Joint Forces Command-supported Department of Defense exercise for homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities missions.

VS-08 and National Level Exercise 1-08 will provide local, state, tribal, inter-agency, Department of Defense, and non-governmental organizations and agencies involved in homeland security and homeland defense the opportunity to participate in a full range of exercise scenarios that will better prepare participants to prevent and respond to national crises. The participating organizations will conduct a multi-layered, civilian-led response to a national crisis.

USNORTHCOM’s primary exercise venues for VS-08 include locations in Oregon, Arizona and a cooperative venue with USPACOM in the Territory of Guam.

He has been working with the local Oregon Truth Alliance whose-

"goal is to inform officials, the media and the public about the dangerous, and largely covered up or ignored history of similar military exercises and the repeating pattern whereby official exercises are used to either facilitate, cover, or disrupt the official response to, live terrorism events."

His main goal is to prevent another 9/11- orchestrated by the same folks who did the last one. Clearly the public is being prepared for another 9/11 that would be used to expand the war into Iran, and take away even more of our liberties, and lives.

From 1977-1980, Captain May served in the U.S. Chemical Corps in the 1st Cavalry Division, holding ranks from private to sergeant. In 1980, he entered the University of Houston Honors College, and received a commission as a second lieutenant. He completed his degree in Classics (Latin & Greek) in 1985.

After graduation, he attended the Military Intelligence Officers Basic Course at Ft. Huachucha, Arizona, where he remained for a year working on special projects for the Director of Reserve Intelligence. In 1986 he attended the Defense Language Institute (DLI) at the Presidio of Monterey, California, where he completed the Russian basic and intermediate courses. In 1988 he was selected as an inspector/interpreter for the Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty team, and afterwards worked on special projects for an intelligence asset in the area of Washington, D.C. Afterwards, he attended the Military Intelligence Officers Advanced Course in Ft. Huachuca, Arizona.

In 1990 he returned to civilian life, teaching languages (Latin, Greek and Russian) for Houston’s Mt. Carmel High School (where he was elected teacher of the year), and serving in the Army Reserves as an expert on Opposing Forces (OPFOR) doctrine and tactics with the 75th Division (Exercise). In 1991, he began to write op-eds for the two Houston daily papers, the Post and the Chronicle. Most of his op-eds were about education and general-interest topics, but twice (after Operation Desert Storm), they were strategic warnings. His first strategic op-ed, “Success of Desert Storm being judged unfairly” (Houston Chronicle Outlook, August 12, 1992) was based on his insights as a Desert Storm volunteer. In it he stated that, had we invaded Iraq after liberating Kuwait, we would have ended up in a quagmire like Vietnam. His second strategic op-ed, “Somalia intervention not as simple as it seems” (Houston Chronicle Outlook, December 3, 1992) advised that we were making a big mistake by going into a little-known African country called Somalia — an opinion borne out by later events.

In 1993, he became the public affairs officer for the 75th Division, and attended the Defense Information School in Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. In 1995 he began a new civilian career as a freelance executive speech writer for many prominent Houston companies: Texaco, Enron, Compaq, Hill & Knowlton — you name ‘em. At the same time he was the editorial writer for NBC affiliate KPRC-TV. He continued to publish op-eds in the local and national media, mostly for clients, without his own name. He was what is "known in the info biz" as a ghostwriter.

Before the fall of Saddam Hussein’s statue April 9, 2003, he had published two more strategic warnings, specific to the new Gulf War. The first, “Don’t laugh at duct tape, it saves lives” (Houston Chronicle Outlook, February 23, 2003) urged greater domestic caution in light of the pending conflict, particularly at Houston’s chemical plants. Government agencies (e.g., EPA) started issuing the same warning late this summer — half a year after my initial analysis. The second op-ed, “Visions of Stalingrad: Claim victory in Iraq now” (Houston Chronicle Outlook, April 3, 2003) flatly predicted that the Iraq war would turn into quicksand, and perhaps spin out of control into a world war. Here is the op-ed’s concluding paragraph:

“Military intelligence officers are accustomed to being told that their field is a contradiction in terms, and that they are the bearers of bad news and worst-case scenarios. But it seems to me that fortune is no longer smiling on our heroic liberation of Iraq, and I’m afraid we may learn too late that we have stepped into quicksand.”...

He was plenty skeptical about the American media’s presentation of the war. After all, he had been trained at the Defense Language Institute to evaluate the techniques and tendencies of the Soviet media, which some of his most intelligent Soviet-emigrant instructors assured him had duped them for decades on the realities of the world. He never forgot the important lesson that smart people could be misled by “the big lie” (as Hitler used to call it) of a false media picture.

His readings of the international press, his own observations and a few choice conversations led him to believe that the American media had self-mobilized to support the war effort, much in the same way it self-mobilized to support the war effort in World War II; it had become something of a national propaganda agency, like the former Soviet TASS, or like Nazi Josef Goebbels’ Propaganda Ministry. 911 was waved like a bloody shirt. Whatever did fit the war picture (e.g., patriotism and profiteering) was hyped, while whatever didn’t fit the war picture (e.g., lack of WMD evidence and lack of terrorist connection evidence) was neatly omitted. The propaganda crested as U.S. forces approached the city of Baghdad, which they began to surround for an eventual assault…

On April 13, 2003, he wrote an unpublished essay entitled“3/7 Cavalry, tragedy and travesty”... He believes we have a Watergate cover up on our hands; worse, we have a war. He has self-mobilized (under my former rank of captain) to oppose the Bush cover up of the unpleasant realities of Iraq — especially of Ghost Troop, 3/7 Cavalry. He considers himself to be in a state of revolution against an unconstitutional, unconscionable abuse of the public’s right to know — the first freedom guaranteed to Americans. As long as there is no talk of what actually happened in Baghdad that weekend in April, there is no freedom of the American press.

Later, when he realized that the official 9/11 story didn't add up, he began decoding the psychological operations launched against the American people. He used his considerable experience to draw attention to "war games" which had the potential to "go live" and advance the agenda of the powers that be.

In the first hour of the show, Captain May discusses his background and his personal transformation. We discuss how exercises are conducted continually by the military and what draws his attention to particular "drills" which he feels have a serious chance of going "live" following the pattern of the 9/11 attacks and the London bombings. He mentions the obvious patterns, codes, modus operandi of the current power holders within the US and their support from the media. We discuss briefly the use of films and propaganda to prepare and set the stage for war, as well as to recruit young men into the service.

Captain May looks at his past predictions, explains what they were based upon and uses the metaphor of the "surprize party" how he has chosen to spoil the surprize by casting light and attention on the "preparations." He also looks at the major clues that drew his concern to Portland and the help he has received from citizens and his own military connections. He also writes for an online publication called the The Lone Star Iconoclast and his most recent article is on this week's exercise.

In the second hour, we look at the more recent history of state sponsored terrorism in the United States from Waco to Oklahoma City to the 93 WTC bombings to 9/11 and the Anthrax attacks in October 2001. Captain May also gives his take on the strange incident that took place in August when nuclear weapons were flown from North Dakota to Louisiana (See his article at Loose Nukes Looming Near. He makes a point in saying that the hardest conspiracy theory to swallow is the government's story on 9/11 and the government's story on the "Loose Nukes." We may not know the truth about either, but we know that they are lying. What really raised the flag for him about Portland more than anything else was the different lies told to him by the many officials he queried about the exerciess.

Hopefully drawing attention to the exercises will help "prevent them" from "going live."

Next Show- October 22, 2007, Unmasking State Sponsored Terrorism Show with guests- Kevin Barrett, Sherry Clark, John Leonard (and hopefully Barrie Zwicker- if I can reach him...)

Kevin Barrett is the author/editor of Truth Jihad My Epic Struggle against the 9/11 Big Lie , and 9/11 and American Empire: Christians, Jews and Muslims Speak Out, a founder of Muslim, Jewish, Christian Alliance for 9/11 Truth-(MUJCA.com) and also a radio host on We The People Radio Network. He also is enthusiastic about the idea of World Peace Week, although he jazzed it up, brainstorming with Sherry Clark (the creative webmaster of) War on War Week. John Leonard came up with the World Peace Week idea. John is also the publisher of the first 9/11 Truth book- The War on Freedom by Nafeez Ahmed, as well as Kevin's Truth Jihad, and Webster Tarpley's Synthetic terror- Made in USA.

We all believe that it is very important to expose State Sponsored Terrorism and that November 5th- November 11th provides a yearly opportunity to educate the public about the history of State Sponsored Terrorism.

I hope Barrie Zwicker will be able to join us on the show. Barrie wrote Was Guy Fawkes just a victim of an earlier WMD scheme? in the Canadian Globe and Mail Nov. 5, 2005. He is also writing a book on this topic.

By exposing the pattern of false flag operations, we hope to bust the "war game" once and for all.

Updated details on next week's show will be posted on the Questioning War Organizing Resistance website.

Both authors are in their twenties and discussed their books and their activism.

Nick Shelton is the author of The American Truth, a recently released book that presents the 9/11 Truth issues through an engaging story. In addition to 9/11 Truth and related political subjects, Nick has written on various religious topics. Nick is currently living in England where is studying literature and globalization at the University of Oxford.

Nick shares some of his formative experiences. He lost his father when he was fourteen years old, which prompted his writing and his spiritual journey.

In the summer of 2006, he first came across 9/11 Truth materials and plunged into researching the subject for himself. He decided to use his considerable talents and skills to create a novel that would engage people of his generation and to introduce him to the life changing facts of 9/11. He has found that in England students are more politically aware than many of the students in the US, but at the same time, it is easier for the English to believe that the US was responsible for 9/11 than to believe that their own government might have had something to do with the 7/7 London bombings, as it is easier for people to see governments more critically from the outside than from within a country. Jeremy Begin is the author of Fighting for G.O.D. (Gold, Oil, and Drugs), a graphic novel, beautifully illustrated by Lauren Salk. The book views 9/11 as a cynical ploy by global elites to maintain their control. It places 9/11 into a larger framework of endless war and the growing police state, designed to maintain subservience amongst the masses.

Jeremy Begin is a long-time activist organizer against war and corporate globalization, and for 9/11 Truth. Jeremy received a degree in writing from Hampshire College. He also is an active member of the Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance.

He takes part in the monthly 9/11 Visibility actions and also enjoys one on one outreach to people using simple tools- like Deception Dollars, flyers and DVDs. He believes it takes more courage than intellectual ability for people to grasp the truth about 9/11.

Next Show- October 15, 2007 Stopping the Next 9/11 Show with Captain Eric H. May. From 1977-1980, he served in the U.S. Chemical Corps in the 1st Cavalry Division, holding ranks from private to sergeant. In 1980, he entered the University of Houston Honors College, and received a commission as a second lieutenant. He completed his degree in Classics (Latin & Greek) in 1985. After graduation, he attended the Military Intelligence Officers Basic Course at Ft. Huachucha, Arizona, where I remained for a year working on special projects for the Director of Reserve Intelligence. In 1986 he attended the Defense Language Institute (DLI) at the Presidio of Monterey, California, where I completed the Russian basic and intermediate courses. In 1988 he was selected as an inspector/interpreter for the Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty team, and afterwards worked on special projects for an intelligence asset in the area of Washington, D.C. Afterwards, he attended the Military Intelligence Officers Advanced Course in Ft. Huachuca, Arizona.

In 1990 he returned to civilian life, teaching languages (Latin, Greek and Russian) for Houston’s Mt. Carmel High School (where I was elected teacher of the year), and serving in the Army Reserves as an expert on Opposing Forces (OPFOR) doctrine and tactics with the 75th Division (Exercise). In 1991, hebegan to write op-eds for the two Houston daily papers, the Post and the Chronicle. Most of his op-eds were about education and general-interest topics, but twice (after Operation Desert Storm), they were strategic warnings. My first strategic op-ed, “Success of Desert Storm being judged unfairly” (Houston Chronicle Outlook, August 12, 1992) was based on his insights as a Desert Storm volunteer. In it he stated that, had we invaded Iraq after liberating Kuwait, we would have ended up in a quagmire like Vietnam. His second strategic op-ed, “Somalia intervention not as simple as it seems” (Houston Chronicle Outlook, December 3, 1992) advised that we were making a big mistake by going into a little-known African country called Somalia — an opinion borne out by later events.

In 1993, he became the public affairs officer for the 75th Division, and attended the Defense Information School in Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. In 1995 he began a new civilian career as a freelance executive speech writer for many prominent Houston companies: Texaco, Enron, Compaq, Hill & Knowlton — you name ‘em. At the same time he was the editorial writer for NBC affiliate KPRC-TV. He continued to publish op-eds in the local and national media, mostly for clients, without his own name. He was what is "known in the info biz" as a ghostwriter.

Before the fall of Saddam Hussein’s statue April 9, 2003, he had published two more strategic warnings, specific to the new Gulf War. The first, “Don’t laugh at duct tape, it saves lives” (Houston Chronicle Outlook, February 23, 2003) urged greater domestic caution in light of the pending conflict, particularly at Houston’s chemical plants. Government agencies (e.g., EPA) started issuing the same warning late this summer — half a year after my initial analysis. The second op-ed, “Visions of Stalingrad: Claim victory in Iraq now” (Houston Chronicle Outlook, April 3, 2003) flatly predicted that the Iraq war would turn into quicksand, and perhaps spin out of control into a world war. Here is the op-ed’s concluding paragraph:

“Military intelligence officers are accustomed to being told that their field is a contradiction in terms, and that they are the bearers of bad news and worst-case scenarios. But it seems to me that fortune is no longer smiling on our heroic liberation of Iraq, and I’m afraid we may learn too late that we have stepped into quicksand.”...

He was plenty skeptical about the American media’s presentation of the war. After all, he had been trained at the Defense Language Institute to evaluate the techniques and tendencies of the Soviet media, which some of his most intelligent Soviet-emigrant instructors assured him had duped them for decades on the realities of the world. He never forgot the important lesson that smart people could be misled by “the big lie” (as Hitler used to call it) of a false media picture.

His readings of the international press, his own observations and a few choice conversations led him to believe that the American media had self-mobilized to support the war effort, much in the same way it self-mobilized to support the war effort in World War II; it had become something of a national propaganda agency, like the former Soviet TASS, or like Nazi Josef Goebbels’ Propaganda Ministry. 911 was waved like a bloody shirt. Whatever did fit the war picture (e.g., patriotism and profiteering) was hyped, while whatever didn’t fit the war picture (e.g., lack of WMD evidence and lack of terrorist connection evidence) was neatly omitted. The propaganda crested as U.S. forces approached the city of Baghdad, which they began to surround for an eventual assault…

On April 13, 2003, he wrote an unpublished essay entitled“3/7 Cavalry, tragedy and travesty”... He believes we have a Watergate cover up on our hands; worse, we have a war. He has self-mobilized (under my former rank of captain) to oppose the Bush cover up of the unpleasant realities of Iraq — especially of Ghost Troop, 3/7 Cavalry. He considers himself to be in a state of revolution against an unconstitutional, unconscionable abuse of the public’s right to know — the first freedom guaranteed to Americans. As long as there is no talk of what actually happened in Baghdad that weekend in April, there is no freedom of the American press.

Later, when he realized that the official 9/11 story didn't add up and he began decoding the psychological operations launched against the American people. He used his considerable experience to draw attention to "war games" which had the potential to "go live" an advance the agenda of the powers that be.

Lately, he has been focusing his attentions on the largest exercises scheduled to take place in Portland, Oregon (and other locations) from October 15th-19th (TOPOFF and VIGILANT SHIELD). He has been working with the local Oregon Truth Alliance whose " goal is to inform officials, the media and the public about the dangerous, and largely covered up or ignored history of similar military exercises and the repeating pattern whereby official exercises are used to either facilitate, cover, or disrupt the official response to, live terrorism events."

His main goal is to prevent another 9/11, done by the same folks who did the last one, from happening again in order to expand the war into Iraq and take away even more of our liberties, and lives.

Robert Shetterly is an artist, author, radio show host, and produced a traveling exhibition, and book entitled Americans Who Tell the Truth a collection of portraits & quotes.

Robert Shetterly was born in 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated in 1969 from Harvard College with a degree in English Literature. At Harvard he took a couple of courses in drawing which changed the direction of his creative life --- from the written word to the image. Also, during this time, he was very active in Civil Rights and in the Anti-Vietnam War movement.

After college and moving to Maine in 1970, he taught himself drawing, printmaking, and painting. While trying to become proficient in printmaking & painting, he illustrated widely. For twelve years he did the editorial page drawings for the Maine Times newspaper, illustrated National Audubon's children's newspaper Audubon Adventures, and approximately 30 books.

Now, his paintings & prints are in collections all over the U.S. and Europe.

He wrote an excellent essay entitled- The Necessary Embrace of Conspiracy. Here's an excerpt:

Several years ago I gave a talk on Martha’s Vineyard about many of the people whose portraits I’ve painted in the Americans Who Tell the Truth series. I spent some time talking about the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. When I talk about King, I like to focus on his last year --- the period when, defying the advice of many of his advisors in the civil rights movement, he spoke against the Vietnam War, equating racism with imperialism. King felt bound to make the point that the forces of capitalism, materialism, and militarism that were driving segregation were also driving the war, and until we confronted the source of the problem, the abuses would continue. It was April 4, 1967, in Riverside Church in New York, that he made that declaration. A year to the day before his assassination.

It has always confounded me every year when we celebrate Dr. King’s life that no mention is made of that Riverside Church speech in the major media. We are always treated to sound bites of the 1963 I Have a Dream speech. That speech’s oratory is as powerful as it is non-confrontational. Which is why it is re-played for modern audiences. Dr. King was about confrontation. Non-violence and confrontation, each ennobling and making the other effective. In 1967 he said, “... my country is the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.” And he explained how our economic system thrived on exploitation and violence, or, as Emma Goldman put it, “The greatest bulwark of capitalism is militarism.” This was probably the most important speech King ever gave and not playing it when we ostensibly honor him, is tantamount to castrating him morally and intellectually. Just as there is a long history of White America castrating black men, there is an equal legacy of Elite America cutting the most important truths of our social prophets out of the history books. We pay homage to King’s icon, the cardboard cutout, but not to his strongest beliefs and his most cogent analysis of our problems --- to what vision called forth his courage. And, if we think that he spoke the truth, to censor that truth is to promote a curious kind of segregation. He is segregated, not for the color of his skin, but for the accuracy of his perception, how close to the bone his words cut. We can’t bear to hear the sound of truth’s knife scraping on hypocrisy’s bone. Only people who actually want to change the system dance to that music or want it to be heard.

Equally important, and part of the same neglect, is the intentional ignoring of the facts of his death. In my talk on Martha’s Vineyard I spoke about William Pepper’s book, An Act of State: The Execution of Martin Luther King, Jr. Pepper had been James Earl Ray’s lawyer. Ray was the man convicted of killing King. But both Pepper and the King family were convinced that Ray was innocent. The King family hired Pepper to represent them in a suit; they asked only $100.00 in damages to clear Ray’s name. Before the trial came to court in 1999, Ray had died in prison. The jury determined that King had been assassinated by a conspiracy involving the Memphis police, the Mafia, the FBI, and the Special Forces of the U.S. Army. Ray, the patsy, had left town before the shot was fired. Pepper had confessions from people involved from each of the organizations named. The verdict was barely mentioned in the U.S. media then and is not mentioned every year on the anniversary of his death. Why?

After my talk on Martha’s Vineyard a man came up to me and said, “I enjoyed your speech and was with you until you started that conspiracy stuff about MLK, Jr.” I said, “That’s not conspiracy. What I told you are facts.” End of conversation.

I think we’re confronted with two conspiracies here: one to commit the crime, the other to ignore it even when the facts are known. (Two sides of the same coin.) The man who accused me of slipping into the neurotic, aliens-are–among-us land of conspiracy nuts was unable to hear the evidence, perhaps because he was so utterly convinced by our government and media that conspiracies don’t exist, people who espouse them are dangerous fruitcakes, and if you begin to think like that, your whole house of cards wobbles then topples. Who wants that? Better a standing tower of marked cards, than having to admit the game is rigged and the ground is shaking.

America is steeped in conspiracy, and even more steeped in propaganda that discredits those who try to expose the conspiracies. Whether we’re talking about MLK, Jr., JFK, RFK, Iran-Contra, 9/11, or, most importantly, the status quo, anyone who works to uncover the truth is branded a “conspiracy nut” and discredited before any evidence has a fair hearing. The government/corporate/media version is THE VERSION. Anything else is illusory.

In fact, the cultural success of labeling investigative reporters and forensic historians, and, simply, anyone who tries to name reality, “conspiracy nuts” is perhaps the most successful conspiracy of our time. Well, not the most successful. That prize goes to the conspiracy to give corporations all the rights of individual persons under our Constitution. That conspiracy has codified and consolidated corporate power so that it controls our lives in almost every meaningful way. It controls the election funds of our candidates, and them once they are in office. It controls our major media including public broadcasting. It controls the content of our television programming. It controls how are tax dollars are spent making sure that the richest get the most welfare. It controls the laws, the courts, the prison system and the mind numbing propaganda that we are the greatest democracy on earth. It controls the values with which we raise our children. It controls our ability to dispense justice. It controls how we treat nature, how we deface our land with strip malls, and blow the tops off our mountains --- a form of corporate free speech. It dictates our modes of transportation. It controls our inability to respond to true crises like climate change. It attempts to create a spiritual deficiency in every person that can be filled and healed only with stuff --- and no stuff is ever enough...

His work should be an inspiration to all who see it. Besides the 50 paintings in the book, he continues to paint and add to the collection (There are now over 100 portraits and he continues to be inspired by Americans who have shown amazing courage to stand up for themselves and others.

Emily and Darryl Bouchard help families, and couples to communicate with one another, nurturing healthy, peaceful relationships. They have, in the past specialized in helping Blended Families and have many insights to offer for solving personal communications problems which also can be applied on the macro-level to American society and the family of nations that share this planet.

I met Emily and Darryl at the Storyfield Conference last August, as was very impressed with their communications skills and their current project. This is how they describe what they are doing:

As we travel across North America speaking and connecting with like-minded people who are interested in furthering peace in their lives, we are struck by how many of these individuals are HeartHeroes -- people taking deliberate action to create peace in the world.

Along with our mission to share our tools for peaceful relationships with others, we are also committed to sharing the peaceful endeavors of others with the world.

We believe that there is as much, if not more, positive, uplifting and inspiring activity going on in the world as there are negative, destructive, and violent actions. We are motivated to bring greater awareness to how you can take action today to be a positive contribution in the world.

They shared some of their own experiences and insights on overcoming barriers to communication- including the largest one- Listening. Many times people react, and develope their counter-argument, instead of giving another person their full attention and trying to hear what the other person is feeling and trying to say.

They suggested ways of recognizing and not falling into "reactive mode" or the "victim mode."

They also suggested how we could recognize our own or other's strong emotional reactions, as "learning opportunities" to teach us something about ourselves or others.

We also spoke about personal or activist situations where our own perceptions of "the other" could severely limit our opportunity to "transform" and could trigger a very defensive reaction. They suggested that people be aware of how our behavior might place limits upon another's ability to respond- instead of giving the space for greater transformation.

October 8, 2007- Young 9/11 Truth Authors Show with Nick Shelton and Jeremy Begin.

Both authors are in their twenties and will discuss their books and their activism.

Nick Shelton is the author of An American Truth, which contains both facts, and a compeeling adventure, action packed murder mystery narrative, surrounding the events of 9/11. He is currently studying Globalization at Oxford.

Jeremy Begin is the author of Fighting for G.O.D. (Gold, Oil, and Drugs), a graphic novel, beautifully illustrated by Lauren Salk. The book views 9/11 as a cynical ploy by global elites to maintain their control. It places 9/11 into a larger framework of endless war and the growing police state, designed to maintain subservience amongst the masses. Jeremy received a degree in writing from Hampshire College. He also hosts a pirate radio station, somewhere in Oakland, California and is an active member of the Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance, often found in the street actions and tabling.

More details, images, and links can be found on the show's blog Questioning War- Organizing Resistance

Ellen Hodgson Brown is the author of The Web of Debt- The Shocking Truth About Our Money System -- The Sleight of Hand That Has Trapped Us in Debt And How We Can Break Free. Ellen will be attending Monetary Reform Conferences in Chicago September 26th-30th and in the UK October 5th-7th.

Ellen Brown developed her research skills as an attorney practicing civil litigation in Los Angeles. In Web of Debt, she turns her skills towards an analysis of the Federal Reserve and "the money trust." She shows how this private cartel has usurped the power to create money from the people themselves, and how we the people can get it back. Brown developed an interest in the developing world and its problems while living abroad for eleven years in Kenya, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua. She returned to practicing law when she was asked to join the legal team of a popular Tijuana healer with an innovative cancer therapy, who was targeted by the chemotherapy industry in the 1990s. That experience produced her book Forbidden Medicine, which traces the suppression of natural health treatments to the same corrupting influences that have captured the money system. Brown's eleven books include the bestselling Nature's Pharmacy, co-authored with Dr. Lynne Walker, which has sold 285,000 copies.

Her work on healing is a perfect complement to tackling the systemic problems caused by the current financial system. The global economy is terminally ill and the planet, after a long period of human abuse in the pursuit of power and profit, is in dire need of healing.

In a review of Ellen's book, someone wrote:

"I can unequivocally say that this is now the definitive work on the world's financial and banking system, the history of money and power in Western civilization, and the dire prognosis for our economy and our personal freedoms, in general, as a result. It is vastly superior to "The Creature from Jekyll Island",... looking back four to five years from now, this could be the most profound non-fiction work of our times. Robert Hemphill, Credit Manager for the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta, when speaking on the same topic as this book, stated, "It is the most important subject intelligent persons can investigate and reflect upon.". .. The mechanics of money and finance have a profound affect on every person's life and well being, and is inextricably linked to the fabric of our society and our freedom. Yet it is almost completely ignored and poorly understood by the common man. As Henry Ford said, "It is well that the people of this nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be revolution before tomorrow morning." ...

"Ellen Hodgson Brown does a remarkable job at making this subject both easily understandable and richly entertaining... Unknown to most, The Wizard of Oz was written as a parable for our monetary system. Ms. Brown takes us down that yellow brick road and shows us that the reason L. Frank Baum's timeless story resonates with us so deeply is that our own world works much the same way as the Land of Oz, with a parallel cast of characters. It lies within our power, and in this book, to find our own ruby/silver slippers, thus avoiding the crisis to find our way back home to the real utopia."

Carol Brouillet, the show's host, has also organized three conferences with a focus on "Money" and promoted local currencies for over a decade. Most recently, she published the "Conception Dollar which resembles money, but includes art and websites to raise consciousness about solutions to the current military/political/ecological crises that we face.

In the first hour Ellen expands upon a theme that runs through her book- the allegory used in The Wizard of Oz to describe the Populist Movement in the late 1800's, the first march on Washington, the populist demand for Congress to create money, and remove that privilege from private banks who were depriving them of land and liberty (and getting into the governing business- by backing politicians to do their bidding.)

Ellen discusses the problems with a debt based monetary system and the idea that government should create money to serve people.

In the second hour, callers raise different issues- Is the crisis deeper than money- of a spiritual nature? What are the best examples of community currencies and how do they work? How can we attack the corporations where they are most vulnerable- through boycott of corporations?

Ellen details how the middle class has been looted in the past few decades, as more and more money has been siphoned from them into the banks, mortgages, stock market to perpetuate a giant Ponzi scheme, the banckruptcy of the banks, the derivatives game. In closing, she looks at how Congres (if Congress actually was working for "We the People" and the benefit of the country) could solve the current financial crisis, by issuing money, retiring the debt, abolishing the income tax, nationalizing the banks- and giving them the functions that people "thought they had" (rather than perpetuating the fraud of creating money out of thin air and loaning it out at interest- that they have been getting away with for so long.)

Next Week- October 1, 2007- Telling the Truth Show with Robert Shetterly in the first hour, and Ellen and Darryl Bouchard in the second hour. Robert Shetterly, artist, author, radio show host, produced a traveling exhibition, and book entitled Americans Who Tell the Truth a collection of portraits & quotes.

Robert Shetterly was born in 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated in 1969 from Harvard College with a degree in English Literature. At Harvard he took a couple of courses in drawing which changed the direction of his creative life --- from the written word to the image. Also, during this time, he was very active in Civil Rights and in the Anti-Vietnam War movement.

After college and moving to Maine in 1970, he taught himself drawing, printmaking, and painting. While trying to become proficient in printmaking & painting, he illustrated widely. For twelve years he did the editorial page drawings for the Maine Times newspaper, illustrated National Audubon's children's newspaper Audubon Adventures, and approximately 30 books.

Now, his paintings & prints are in collections all over the U.S. and Europe.

He wrote an excellent essay entitled- The Necessary Embrace of Conspiracy.

Ellen and Darryl Bouchard help families, and couples to communicate with one another, nurturing healthy, peaceful relationships. They have, in the past specialized in helping Blended Families and have many insights to offer for solving personal communications problems which also can be applied on the macro-level to American society and the family of nations that share this planet.

I met Ellen and Darryl at the Storyfield Conference last August, as was very impressed with their communications skills and their current project (their website isn't complete, yet.) This is how they describe what they are doing:

As we travel across North America speaking and connecting with like-minded people who are interested in furthering peace in their lives, we are struck by how many of these individuals are HeartHeroes -- people taking deliberate action to create peace in the world.

Along with our mission to share our tools for peaceful relationships with others, we are also committed to sharing the peaceful endeavors of others with the world.

We believe that there is as much, if not more, positive, uplifting and inspiring activity going on in the world as there are negative, destructive, and violent actions. We are motivated to bring greater awareness to how you can take action today to be a positive contribution in the world.

This is a not-for-profit, grass-roots project that was born from a heartfelt prayer after 9/11. The goal is to facilitate peace on the planet by focusing on those activities, communities, conversations, and organizations that are promoting peace. We believe that, along with us, there are thousands of people out there doing their best to make a difference, and that we can further their efforts by shining a light on what they are doing as individuals -- while also creating a collective community -- where the sum total of our efforts is much greater than each of us alone.

How we define Peace:
Choosing to live from love and not from fear
Choosing to move towards, not against
Choosing to build bridges, not destroy them
Choosing to come from the heart.
It’s all about choice.

Ashley Casale (age 19) and Michael Israel (age 18) report on their experiences, and insights from their heroic March for Peace.

They began their march for Peace in San Francisco on May 21, 2007 to protest not only the war in Iraq, but, also:

"-Nonviolent resistance to war efforts
-End of genocide in Darfur and all crimes against humanity
-Civil disobedience to social injustices and orders of war
-End of nuclear weapon holding and proliferation
-Principles of sustainability and global citizenship

"The March for Peace is an anti-war march. In the face of the United States at war just as the people of the 1960s were, our generation is comparatively silent. Now is the time to change that by speaking out and taking action. Joining the March for Peace, submitting peace manifestos and coming to the rally... shows opposition to the war in Iraq and to all war efforts globally. In addition to speaking out against the present wars, supporters of the March for Peace commit to nonviolent resistance to all war efforts unconditionally. The March for Peace is an anti-draft-registration movement and supporters are committed to nonviolence regardless of circumstances - committed to resisting war efforts consistently."

Ashley explained that their march wasn't just against the war in Iraq, but for the the larger changes needed to address the problems that multiple social movements address.

The March formally concluded in Washington DC on September 10, 2007 at a rally at the White House, they also participated in other actions with various groups, including the major rally on September 15th, 2007. They were both arrested during an action in front of the White House on Thursday night, and unfortunately, both came down with colds.

Ashley and Michael will continue to work together. They will be taking a semester off, working, Ashley wants to start writing a book about their journey. Both plan to continue their activism, Michael plans on doing more counter-recruitment work.

Mike Ferner the author of Inside the Red Zone: A Veteran for Peace Reports from Iraq, and a representative of Veteran's for Peace described his experience with Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace who participated in massive civil disobedience- a "Die In" on September 15th to dramatize the loss of 4000 American soldiers in Iraq. At some point during the Die-In, some people chose to cross a police barricade at the Capitol Building, those who did were arrested, over 150 people were handcuffed, placed on buses, and taken away by the police. Mike was one of them and shared what he and the others went through. He was impressed by the young people who chose to participate in the civil disobedience and had a deep grasp of the political situation, and rallied to be treated as human beings, in solidarity with others despite the difficult circumstances that they were being subjected to.

Mike Ferner served on Toledo City Council and worked as an organizer and in communications for unions and nonprofits. He traveled to Iraq with Voices in the Wilderness just prior to the U.S. invasion, and in 2004 as a freelance writer. "Inside the Red Zone: A Veteran For Peace Reports from Iraq," is about those trips. He served as a Navy Corpsman from 69-73, was discharged as a conscientious objector, and joined VFP in 1985.

Mike shared his own story of how he became a conscientious objector and his insights into the psychological toll that the military inflicts upon the soldiers, which costs lives outside the US, but also places huge costs upon the families, loved ones, communities of the soldiers who suffer mentally from the dehumanization process that they undergo as part of their training.

On his website, Mike posted this:

St. Louis – His government broke his heart but it could not break Air Force veteran Charles Powell’s spirit. Fighting back tears, the 64 year-old vet stood tall and resolute in front of 400 of his comrades, describing in verse the final steps of a painful disillusionment.

Each summer during the national convention of Veterans For Peace, time is reserved for a Veterans’ Speakout, where any member can rise to say whatever is on their mind.

When the veterans gathered in 2002, prior to the invasion of Iraq, George Bush and the hawks of Washington were pounding away on the war drums. That year, Powell, who had served on a Titan ICBM launch crew during the Cuban missile crisis, read his poem titled, “I Won’t Let Them Take My Flag.” He noted the warmongers were “again waving my flag” as a buildup to invasion, and he countered what he felt was a manipulation of the national symbol with the following lines reminiscent of the great Langston Hughes.

“But to me ‘Old Glory’ still stands for the liberty, justice and solidarity yet to come. So I still wave it too. I wave it for health care, education, housing and food for all. I wave it for peace and love and I wave it for hope. Most of all, I wave it for the America yet to be.”
After four and a half years of war in Iraq, Veterans For Peace convened again this summer and Charles Powell was there as always. As his turn came at the Speakout microphone he struggled a few seconds to compose himself. Then, in a clear voice growing more determined as he spoke, Powell mirrored the pain, regret and anger in the hearts of so many who listened. I WILL SALUTE NO MORE FOREVER

As a child I learned to Worship that piece of colored cloth.

My family, my school, the movies, TV taught me to believe that fragment of fabric stood for good things.

I watched my father, a World War II Army veteran, give homage to that wad of material.

As an airman I saluted that banner for the four years I served in the Air Force where I stood ready to help launch Titan Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles on command.

Then I became aware that the wonderful things for which that clump of colors is suppose to represent, have not been achieved.

I came to know that awful, unlawful, unwise and immoral acts have occurred under the stars and stripes.

But I still clung onto the belief and hope that