October 2007

Zogby Poll: 52% of American Voters Support Attack On Iran

October 31, 2007 by Staff

According to a brand new Zogby telephone poll, released on October 29, 2007, a majority of likely voters — 52% — would support a U.S. military strike to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon. The telephone poll of 1,028 likely voters nationwide was conducted Oct. 24-27, 2007 and carries a margin of error of […]

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Will the U.S. Attack Iran?

October 30, 2007 by Richard Nadeau

One of the things I have learned in reading history is that states and organizations often miscalculate or underestimate the consequences of their actions and that such miscalculations can be disastrous with horrible consequences for millions of people. In my coffeehouse discussions with people in Sacramento, I sometimes hear people say confidently that Bush cannot […]

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San Diego County Suffers From Chronic Underfunding of Fire Fighting Resouces

October 30, 2007 by Staff

THE CENTER ON POLICY INITIATIVES ASKS: Does Chronic Underfunding of Safety Services Heighten Fire Risk?The wildfires that tore into our communities last week brought devastation to people of all income levels and affected everyone in the region. Our emergency responders fought heroically to contain the fires, but were they adequately equipped and prepared for this […]

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Nov 5th: Global Day of Action Against Cluster Bombs

October 30, 2007 by Staff

Cluster bombs are a grave humanitarian concern. Unexploded remnants (called “bomblets”) kill in horrible ways: Children play with bomblets thinking they’re toys, and farmers stumble across them tending their fields. The best research available indicates that, over the last 40 years, 98% of cluster bomb casualties have been civilians. This includes 12,000 civilian casualties in […]

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What’s a cop on a horse to do on a sunny Friday afternoon in OB – besides hasslin’ teenagers?

October 29, 2007 by Staff

In a spectacularly superfluous display of power, four horsemen of the San Diego Police Equestrian Squad rode through the streets of Ocean Beach for hours on the Friday afternoon before this year’s OB Oktoberfest, October 12th. Undaunted by the typical lack of crime in sleepy Ocean Beach on an autumn weekday afternoon, the armed posse […]

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Vigil for Lt. Ehren Watada – Putting the War On Trial

October 29, 2007 by Staff

Army Lt. Ehren Watada is the first officer to publicly refuse to deploy to the U.S. war on the people of Iraq. Army authorities at Fort Lewis, Washington are attempting to court martial him for a second time but a Federal judge has issued a temporary stay (until Nov. 9) and is considering his lawyers’ […]

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A Perspective – From Crickets to Waves

October 28, 2007 by Patty Jones

Sometimes, late at night, I sit on Frank’s front porch under the wonderful canopy of trees and if the wind is right and the night is quiet I can hear the waves. It’s wonderfully hypnotic. As an east county gal it took me a little while to figure out exactly what the sound was, there […]

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Thousands Demonstrate In Major Cities Against Iraq War & Occupation

October 28, 2007 by Frank Gormlie

On Saturday, October 27, 2007, thousands demonstrated in major cities across the country against the U.S. war and occupation in Iraq. Calling for a swift end to American involvement in Iraq, people in the thousands rallied and marched from Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles on the West Coast – to Salt Lake City, Denver, Chattanooga […]

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Border Angels Rally to Protest Discrimination In Fire Relief Efforts

October 28, 2007 by Staff

Protesting discrimination and intimidation in this week’s fire relief efforts, San Diego’s Border Angels sponsored a rally and press conference Sunday, October 28th, in front of the Federal Building in San Diego, calling attention to the inequities. The Border Angels, along with other organizations such as MAPA (Mexican American Political Association), and volunteers — some […]

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Mike Davis Speaks – Seeing through the Smoke: the San Diego Fires

October 28, 2007 by Staff

Mike Davis speaks on how the right is spinning the tragedy as a triumph of Republican values. Thursday, November 1, 7-9 pm City Heights Rec. Center 4380 Landis (at Fairmount) Free and open to the public Celebrated historian Mike Davis is the author of In Praise of Barbarians, Planet of Slums, Ecology of Fear, and […]

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Despite Fires, Blackwater and Its Opponents Still Face-Off in Potrero

October 27, 2007 by Frank Gormlie

The Harris Ranch fire swept west out of Potrero this week, and in doing so, it isolated nearly 300 people who did not evacuate the area beforehand. This includes many immigrant families who never received a notice to evacuate. Now, many of the remaining Potrero families are still without electricity, while water and other supplies […]

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TRICK OR TREAT ! Bush & the American People Want to Bomb Iran

October 27, 2007 by Frank Gormlie

Halloween 2007 is scarier than you think! Bush, Cheney, the neo-cons, Fox News, all want the U.S. Military to bomb and attack Iran either over the threat of Iran having nukes or Iranian involvement in Iraq. Pick your choice. Now, according to a recently released Zogby telephone poll of American voters — a majority (52%) […]

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Latest figures on San Diego Wildfires

October 27, 2007 by Patty Jones

According to the U-T Fireblog; San Diego County officials have released the latest numbers related to the wildfires. As of 11 a.m. today, the total acreage burned was 346,890 and firefighting costs stood at $31.1 million. Residences destroyed — 1,588 Residences damaged — 320 Commercial properties destroyed — 2 Commercial properties damaged — 0 Outbuildings […]

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We Have to Keep Asking: Why Did It Take So Long for the Military Aircraft to Get Up in the Air and Fight the Fires?

October 27, 2007 by Frank Gormlie

It was before sunrise on Tuesday morning, the 23rd of October, the third day of the fires. Patty and I sat on the edge of Sweetwater Reservoir, watching a spectacular line of orange flames that had crossed the entire flank of San Miguel mountain. The flames were marching down the side of the slopes toward […]

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Continuing Discussion: Obey the Gov’t Order to Evacuate vs Stand & Fight the Fires

October 26, 2007 by Frank Gormlie

Continued from “Mandatory Evacuations“ The Union Tribune today continued the discussion of the issue of whether residents living in the path of the wildfires should obey the government order to evacuate or whether they should stay and fight in attempts to prevent destruction to their homes. The article, by staff writers Alex Roth and Kristina […]

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People Coming Together — why doesn’t the left respond en mass to natural disasters?

October 26, 2007 by Frank Gormlie

During the first days of the fire storms, after Qualcomm was opened up, the first volunteers appeared at the stadium ready to do what they could to help those evacuated. In the end, the stadium held approximately 12,000 San Diegans and their pets, and hundreds of volunteers had swarmed the football center (I never saw […]

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Links to Articles About the New Students for a Democratic Society

October 26, 2007 by Staff

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) — one of the most significant new left organizations formed during the 1960s — has resurrected itself in this new century. Please check out the following collection of articles and analysis (by clicking on the magazine or article titles): Left Turn PopMatters Counterpunch Red Flags New York Z Magazine

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Mandatory Evacuations – Are They Any Good Or Do They Contribute to the Fire Damage?

October 25, 2007 by Frank Gormlie

We’ve all seen or experienced the “mandatory evacuations” ordered by the authorities during the FireStorms this week. Last count, there were 560,000 residents ordered to evacuate their communities since last Sunday, October 21st as reported by the San Diego Union Tribune today. There have been additional evacuations ordered just today as fires continue to burn […]

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