The stories that OB Rag has covered these last two months have not gone away in the new year. You knew that, but we just wanted to remind all of us. Since our baptism by fire during the wildfires week in late October, we seemed to have focused on about half a dozen story lines – or threads. Here they are and check out the ensuing discussions:
San Diego Wildfires Will Strike Again – will we have learned anything when they do?
Anyone who has lived in San Diego County more than a couple of years knows that the Santa Ana winds will bring us more wildfires in the future. Have we learned anything from the two devastating fires that have swept our land since 03? We raised a number of issues: whether mass evacuations are any good; why it took so long for firefighting aircraft to reach the air; how can the left or the progressive community respond in mass during the next emergency or catastrophic event; we cannot continue to allow housing and urban development in fire zones; and what are some of the lessons from viewing wildfires historically in Southern California? See here.
Which Way for the Peace Movement?
Over the last several weeks, voices from our blog have outlined and discussed the issues within the current peace movement – and ideas for its future direction. This on-going discussion is some needed reflection on the part of antiwar activists; we’ve discussed factors that make this war different as well as similar to the Viet Nam war days; why the youth are not involved; the disconnect between the war and the lives of our citizens; the futility of the peace movement locally using more of the same tactics, and other issues. Hopefully these voices can begin to create some kind of consensus that will aid the peace movement in our efforts to bring an end to this war and occupation in Iraq, at the same time preventing war with Iran. See here for more.
The Making of a Police State in America
Is America heading for a police state? We’ve begun looking into this central issue of our times, for if democracy and our freedoms are lost, what else is there? Some believe we live in a fascist country already, but we still enjoy politicians like Dennis Kucinich and newscasters like Keith Olbermann. Yet the Bush administration’s contributions to the burying of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, is enough to make any skeptic sit up and be afraid, very very afraid. To continue, go here.
New Orleans Public Housing Developments
With an on-scene observer, OB Rag is able to bring first-hand accounts of post-Katrina New Orleans public housing debacles and developments. It’s part of our efforts to keep this struggle of a major city to regain its former and future self in front of the American conscience. For more, go here.
Venezuela’s Social Experiment
From across the continents, OB Rag has brought observations and analysis of Venezuela’s experiment in social government to our readers, with reports from people close to the movements that ushered in the Chavez era and of coup threats from our government. For more, ….
Continuing Saga of the Early OB Rag and its Staff Is Continually Exposed
We are trying to piece together a rendering of the early days of the OB Rag, Ocean Beach’s first successful “underground” newspaper, with quotes and photos from the pages of those Rags themselves, and with the scanning of the actual pages. These stories are continually being updated and improved, so keep a watch on the “1st OB Rag“.
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