Not Important? Think Again - 25 July 2002

The Real War on Terror Stands Up

Is it aimed at Islamic Terrorism or Organised Labour? Let us see now…

Connecting the dots…

During the 2000 presidential election, Republicans held their convention in Philadelphia and did something very un-Republican. They invited Jimmy Hoffa Jr. to their party and treated him like a star. The fixer of this event was the governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Ridge, now chief of the Department of Homeland Security. It is no criticism of the union chief to point out that he is the son of the late, murdered Jimmy Hoffa senior, who achieved such notoriety in the 60s ad was targeted by Bobby Kennedy’s Justice Department. Like father like son?

http://www.utu.org/DEPTS/PR-DEPT/NEWS/NDigest/2000/Aug2m/801/8010001.htm

…to TIPS…

The Terrorism Information and Protection System conceived by the Bush administration’s Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department met a resounding rejection from many parties who presumably need to collaborate in order to make it work. The reason that they are rejecting it is that it is unworkable and profoundly antithetical to a free society. Having your post deliverer, meter reader and UPS man reporting on your activity is not what most people would like. This is trying to make the manifestly unworkable work. When someone wants to do something that cannot accomplish its stated purpose, it is usually a good idea to ask what it is that they are really trying to accomplish.

http://www.citizencorps.gov/tips.html

…and organised crime…

Interestingly, the first serious group to endorse TIPS is the Teamsters Union, whose leader Jimmy Hoffa Jr. announced his endorsement of the national informer system and pledged to put the Teamsters’ 500,000 truck drivers and 250,000 UPS workers to work informing on their fellow citizens. Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the history of the Teamsters Union must be having trouble lowering their eyebrows.

http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/politics/3708406.htm

…and suppression of organised labour.

Things begin to become a great deal clearer when we learn, thanks to the invaluable Counterpunch, that DHS Director Ridge, the anti-terror supremo, has involved himself in the negotiations between the longshoremen’s’ union and the shipping companies in the present round of labour negotiations on the west coast. As Counterpunch points out, you wouldn’t think twice about the Secretary of Labour involving himself, but the Department of Homeland Security?

http://www.seafood.com/news/current/71076.html
http://www.counterpunch.com/cockburn0627.html
http://www.historylink.org/output.cfm?file_ID=1278

Spending political capital…

Interestingly, even the Christian right is beginning to feel squeamish…

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/24/politics/24ASHC.html?ex=1028478585&ei=1&en=456faf5aabd06f99

…is stupid, especially when you are ineffectual…

The administration’s War on Terror has manifestly not accomplished any of its self-proclaimed goals, which is perhaps why those goals keep changing.

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=13594&area=geov

…even if you are scary

If there was ever a sinister web site, it has to be this one. Dr. John Poindexter runs the Information Awareness Office, a department of DARPA. Dr. John used to be Admiral John Poindexter, a title he seems to eschew these days, and for good reason. As Admiral Poindexter, he was indicted and convicted of a variety of crimes, none of which is mentioned on the DARPA web site. He was sentenced to six months in jail. His conviction was subsequently overturned, and he has joined the list of alumni of the Bush senior administration who are now working for the son.

http://www.darpa.mil/iao/index.htm
http://www.darpa.mil/iao/PoindexterBio.pdf
http://www.hpoindexter.com/jmarlan.htm
http://www.englisch.schule.de/state_of_the_union/group7/project/timeline.htm#tl90

ENDS

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