Friday, July 01, 2005

Global Pew Poll: the 'Image of the United States'

A nation and it's global War of Terror.

by Henk Ruyssenaars

FPF - July 1st - 2005 - Of course it has to be taken into account what firm does the polling, what for, and for whom. Quote: "Even though the image of the United States has improved slightly in some parts of the world over the past year, this country's global approval ratings trail well behind those of other leading nations.

When the publics of the 16 nations covered by the survey were asked to give favorability ratings of five major leading nations - the United States, Germany, China, Japan, and France - the U.S. fared the worst of the group. In just six of the 16 countries surveyed does the United States attract a favorability rating of 50% or above. By contrast, China receives that level of favorability rating from 11 countries, while Japan, Germany and France each receive that high of a mark from 13 countries." [end quote Pew Poll - details: - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/c6sjj]

URANIUM-238 AMMUNITION HAS A HALF LIFE OF 4 BILLION YEARS

Well known american writer Ted Rall gives his opinion on the image of the US and writes about 'six decades of humiliation'. It's one of the few points where we disagree: it's going to be forever.

According to a report by the 'United Nations Human Rights Commission' - Uranium-238 in the ammunition which for decades widely has been used to 'liberate' millions of people, but deadly poisoning them instead. [http://tinyurl.com/be7aa] This permanently festering wound, inflicted on the globe and the people in the around 190 countries surrounding the US will take at least 4 billion years to heal partly. That is the half live of the millions of tons of radioactivity spread in the countries which the US and it's collaborators is liberating from their oil and other forms of energy.

In his article Ted Rall writes: "The world hates us more than ever, according to a new Pew Research poll of 16,000 citizens in 15 countries. Most Canadians think Americans are exceptionally rude. The Chinese say we're violent and greedy. Nearly half of Turks--up from 32 percent a year ago--say they dislike Americans as individuals and America as a nation, according to the survey. Muslims have a "quite negative hostility toward America," says Pew president Andrew Kohut. Even among our traditional allies, he says, the United States "remains broadly disliked."

The reason for our declining popularity is no mystery: Bush's unjustified, illegal war against Iraq. But Iraq, Bush's doctrine of preemptive warfare and instances of prisoners being tortured and even murdered aren't completely unprecedented. Cheney's neoconservatives are merely the latest executors of an aggressive foreign policy that has long prompted fear, hatred and resentment among the leaders and citizens of other nations. Beginning with Theodore Roosevelt's brutal suppression of Filipino insurgents at the dawn of the 20th century, continuing with the holocaust of two million Vietnamese civilians under LBJ and Nixon's carpet bombs and recently exemplified by a series of bullying adventures against such defenseless nations as Grenada, Panama and Afghanistan, the U.S. has become, perhaps to its surprise, the biggest danger to peace and stability on the planet.

Many Americans, still taking pride in the memorable image of "Gift of USA" flag logos on bags of grain being tossed to starving Africans, find it difficult to accept the role of international pariah.

BUT THE TRUTH IS, THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE AS SCARED OF US AS THEY WERE OF GERMANY AND JAPAN IN 1939.

Ah, irony. Our rep has gone down the toilet with the Koran, but things are looking up for the Axis powers we defeated in World War II.

Germany, nearly recovered from the economic shock of reunification and a lead partner in the European Community, is lobbying for a permanent seat on the United Nations security council. "Because of [Germany's role in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans]," Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder told Bush at the White House on June 28, "we have earned certain rights." Bush, seeking payback for Schroeder's lack of support for the Iraq war, is said to be cool to the German bid. Nevertheless, bringing up the question demonstrates Germany's newfound self-confidence. As the German weekly Der Spiegel commented: "Normally it is only superpowers who express themselves--and their rights--so aggressively."

Twenty countries, including India, Japan and Brazil, want to join the prestigious security council. Controversy continues to dog Japan's efforts to be recognized as a major military as well as economic power, mainly due to its refusal to come to terms with its part in World War II. Japanese textbooks gloss over atrocities in China, and the government has never issued a formal apology. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi continues to pay honors at a shrine to Japan's war dead, including known war criminals.

BUT BUSH SUPPORTS JUST ONE ADDITION TO THE BIG FIVE: JAPAN.

Germany and Japan's remarkable comeback since 1945 holds an instructive lesson for the United States today. During the last six decades both countries recovered from total defeat, massive loss of life and infrastructure and the humiliation of occupation by concentrating first on economic revival, then building a political society designed to cause as little offense as possible to the international community and finally, since the end of the Cold War, asserting themselves militarily but only in peace-keeping missions which even their former enemies couldn't openly oppose. Now both are poised to resume the roles they played before they launched their empire-building military campaigns, no longer as expansionist aggressors but as powerful nations worthy of trust and respect.

Particularly in Germany, every postwar generation was taught about the evils of militarism and the horrors their parents and grandparents had carried out in the name of God and country. Pacifism is the norm; Nazism is reviled. Even in Japan, where official signs of contrition haven't been forthcoming, only a few nostalgic nutcases yearn for the glorious days of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. No one's afraid of the Axis anymore.

Now the U.S. is the sole, charter member of its own Axis of Evil: invading and threatening invasions, breaking arms treaties willy-nilly, kidnapping and murdering foreign citizens without cause, refusing to abide by the Geneva conventions. But that will change someday--whether we're forced to change, as were Germany and Japan, or whether we choose a different path on our own. What's daunting is how much time--and humility--it will take for the rest of the world to trust us as much as they trust Germany and Italy. - [enditem]

Ted Rall - Story at one of the most informative web sites: 'Information Clearing House' - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/b575o

FPF - The US: Making Dead Friends? - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/8sswk  

Fwd. by:

FOREIGN PRESS FOUNDATION
http://tinyurl.com/3tro9
Editor : Henk Ruyssenaars
http://tinyurl.com/amn3q
The Netherlands
FPF@Chello.nl

FPF-COPYRIGHT NOTICE - In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107 - any copyrighted work in this message is distributed by the Foreign Press Foundation under fair use, without profit or payment, to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the information. Url.: http://liimirror.warwick.ac.uk/uscode/17/107.html

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Reaction To Bush Insider Claim WTC Collapse Bogus Gets 'Huge Response'

And Read By Millions Worldwide

After the dust settled, a former chief economist in Labor Department shocked by enormous support for his story and vows to keep writing about glaring inconsistencies in government's version of 9/11.

Greg Szymanski | June 29 2005

When Morgan Reynolds called the official story about 9/11 bogus, it seemed like the whole world stopped for a moment to listen.

It seemed like a lightning bolt hit the heart of the government story, cracking it into a million unexplainable pieces.

And when the dust settled from his explosive statements, the highest-ranking member of the Bush team to make such an accusation said he wasn’t expecting any "invitations to the White House anytime soon."

Two weeks ago, the former chief economist in the Labor Department during President Bush’s first term told the world he thought the WTC fell from a controlled demolition, indicating 9/11 was "an inside government job."

Reynolds, a respected economist and former Republican conservative, made his claims after researching many aspects of 9/11, including scientific and engineering data for and against the government story.

He presented his findings on the Internet in a long, detailed article, concluding:

"It is hard to exaggerate the importance of a scientific debate over the cause(s) of the collapse of the twin towers and Building 7. If the official wisdom on the collapses is wrong, as I believe it is, then policy based on such erroneous engineering analysis is not likely to be correct either.

"The government's collapse theory is highly vulnerable on its own terms. Only professional demolition appears to account for the full range of facts associated with the collapse of the three buildings.

"More importantly, momentous political and social consequences would follow if impartial observers concluded that professionals imploded the WTC.

Meanwhile, the job of scientists, engineers and impartial researchers everywhere is to get the scientific and engineering analysis of 9/11 right."

Considering his place among the Republican faithful, once the media got its "claws into his controversial remarks," his words quickly spread with the help of cyberspace like an out of control wildfire.

Not only did millions read his story on the Internet, but Reynolds controversial comments then drew instant attention from numerous mainstream newspapers, radio and television stations, including UPI, MSNBC, FOX News and over a dozen other major market local radio and TV stations.

It was a story that "grew wings," a story Reynolds never expected would get so much attention and such a large audience.

"I had a huge response and it really was amazing. I never expected so many people to respond so passionately," said Reynolds this week in a telephone interview. "I literally received hundreds and hundred of emails, some agreeing with me and others, of course, disagreeing.

"After it was all said and done, as things are starting to finally quiet down now, I would guess it was about 5 to 1 in favor of what I was saying. However, I never imagined how much support there was out there for what I was suggesting occurred on 9/11."

Without mincing words, as he did in his article, Reynolds quickly changed the subject, again placing the blame squarely on the government for not coming clean about what happened on 9/11, saying it’s important to get to the bottom of a "story that dwarfs all others in comparison."

"What it boils down to is that the government and the mainstream media are not digging into the 9/11 controversy because they are hiding something," said Reynolds. "From a media point of view, it’s the story of the century and they are not even trying to connect the dots."

Continuing to throw some punches at his former employer, he added:

"It’s nothing new. The government has always lied about so many things. Look at the Downing Street Memo, for example, the document confirming that the Bush administration lied to us about its motives for getting into the war.

" If they lied to us about this, what else? Well, 9/11 is just another example."

To add more fuel to the hot 9/11 controversy, William Rodriguez, the WTC janitor who heard and felt a strong explosion in the basement levels of the north tower just seconds before the jetliner crashed into the top floors, recently came forward to tell his story, adding further credibility to Reynolds’ conclusions.

Rodriguez claims a massive underground explosion brought down the towers. His story is strengthened further by 14 other eye witnesses who can verify his claims, as well as a burn victim from the basement explosion who he helped to safety.

Immediately following 9/11, Rodriguez tried to tell his story, but claims the 9/11 Commission and the mainstream media have systematically censored his words in order to protect the official government story, a story ignoring the possibility of explosives being used to bring down the WTC.

Commenting on Rodriguez, Reynolds said:

"It’s not a coincidence that there was first an explosion below and then the jetliner explosion seconds later above. At least there should have been a thorough investigation since the timing of the explosions strikes me as an impossibility if you believe, as the government contends, that only a jetliner brought down the towers."

Reynolds added that nobody from the Bush administration has officially contacted him about his statements suggesting 9/11 was an "inside job," but said he was aware that "administration operatives" have carried his message into the halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

"How high up it went, I just don’t know," he added.

Asked if he was going to continue to research and write about 9/11, Reynolds said:

"Yes, of course, I see it as a citizen’s duty and I hope to do some more writing on the subject very soon."

[enditem] - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/a4sax
 
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Downing Street Memos Update - Progress on every front!

From: AfterDowningStreet.org - activist@democrats.com
Email: david@davidswanson.org
Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 08:54:37 -0400
To: fpf@chello.nl
Subject: AfterDowningStreet Update


FOIA from Congress, Questions from Media, Poll from Public

There's progress on every front:

Fifty-two Congress Members have filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the White House, the Department of Defense, and the Department of State seeking any and all documents and materials concerning the Downing Street Minutes and the lead up to the Iraq war.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/597

Prime Minister Tony Blair has confirmed the authenticity of the Downing Street Minutes. - Url.: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/590

A Zogby poll has found that 42 percent of Americans would favor impeachment proceedings if President Bush misled the nation about his reasons for going to war with Iraq. Imagine where that figure will be after the public learns about the Downing Street Minutes! Url.: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/592

The United States changed its Iraq policy to begin airstrikes months before the official war. Url.: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/595

How can you tell when Bush is lying? His mouth is moving. Read this analysis of last night's speech. url.: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/569

MEDIA ACTION:

Tell MSNBC What You Think of its Pro-Bush "Town Meeting." Ask them to bring on spokespeople from the AfterDowningStreet.org coalition.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/588

EVENTS ACTION:

The AfterDowningStreet.org coalition is asking all of its member organizations and individual supporters to host or attend events on the third anniversary of the famous meeting on Downing Street, July 23, 2005.

Our online events system allows you to post an event and have others sign up to attend it. You can edit information about the event after posting it, which means that you can post an event and indicate that some details are "To Be Announced," and come back later to fill them in.

And you will be able to communicate with the people who sign up for your event. http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/596

On the same page, you'll find a wealth of resources, including information on how to:

Invite your Congress Member and/or Senators.

Invite the Media

Invite the Community

Play a DVD

Perform a Dramatic Reading of the Downing Street Minutes

Write Postcards to Congress Members or Senators not Present

Train Participants in Effective Lobbying

Be Sure to Collect Attendees' Contact Information!

Hand Out Supplies of Flyers So People Can Spread the Word

Sell or Hand Out Shirts, Stickers, Mugs, Magnets, etc...

Sing!

Use Events Between Now and July 23 to Raise Profile

DONATE:
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/edonate.cfm?campaign=ads

SUBSCRIBE TO GET THESE UPDATES:
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/subscribe_module.cfm?campaign=ads

PLEASE FORWARD THIS...

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As done by:

FOREIGN PRESS FOUNDATION
http://tinyurl.com/3tro9
Editor : Henk Ruyssenaars
http://tinyurl.com/amn3q
The Netherlands
FPF@Chello.nl

*'The war in Iraq is illegal' says United Nation's Secretary General Kofi Annan - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/5pl2v

* Impeachbush.org is mobilizing a massive impeachment contingent at the huge September 24, 2005 anti-war March on Washington. Assemble at 12 noon at the White House. Sign up here to learn about the plans of the impeachment movement in the next month - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/cex28

*Help the troops come home! Url.: http://www.bringemhome.org - We need them badly to fight our so called 'governments' - Url.:
http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/

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