Some thoughts on an important day...

Today mark's the third anniversary of our invasion and occupation of Iraq, which was one of the weakest countries in the middle east before hand and probably certainly so now.

No evidence of weapons of mass desctruction have been found in 3 years, and even our own bi-partisan investigation could not back up our justification for war.

Anyhow, I don't have time or adequate knowledge to completely argue what our real motivations probably are, although I have some ideas, so I'll leave it be.

All I have to say in addition is that I'm currently reading Noam Chomsky's book, Hegemony or Survival, which seems particularly relevant. I suggest you all read it to gain a better understanding not only of what is going on with Iraq, but what we have done in the past century in terms of foreign intervention. It may be an easier read if you have some background in US foreign intervention, but it's not necessary. Read the El Mozote book beforehand to get a little idea of one of our interventions, as it unfortunately represents a broader pattern.

For now, here is a quote that I particularly liked from the Chomsky book. I especially liked the first 2 sentences and last sentence:

“...Those who are seriously interested in understanding the world will adopt the same standards whether they are evaluating their own political and intellectual elites or those of official enemies. One might fairly ask how much would survive this elementary exercise of rationality and honesty.

It should be added that there are occasional departures from the common stance of subordination to power on the part of the educated classes. Some of the most important current illustrations are to be found in two countries whose harsh and repressive regimes have been sustained by US military aid: Turkey and Colombia. In Turkey, prominent writers, journalists, academics, publishers, and others not only protest atrocities and draconian laws but also carry out regular civil disobedience, facing and sometimes enduring severe and prolonged punishment. In Colombia, courageous priests, academics, human rights and union activists, and others face the constant threat of assassination in one of the world’s most violent states. Their actions should elicit humility and shame among their Western counterparts, and would if the truth were not veiled by the intentional ignorance that makes a crucial contribution to ongoing crimes.”

Noam Chomsky
Hegemony or Survival, p49

A Lake, a Spy, an Election, and a Book: Another Month in Chinamequita

I've been in Chinamequita for about a month and a half now. I have gotten to know many people, who have treated me very kindly the whole while. The people, landscapes, food, and culture have provided me with wonderful experiences. I've made a friend recently who has introduced me to some poetry and some places in the country, including the overlook (the Mirador) of the capital city and a trip to the largest lake in the country, located in Suchitoto. We saw only a little of the small colonial city as we spent most of the day at the lake, where we met up with a Presbyterian delegation who I had met the other day in Chinamequita during their visit to our agency.

Among the delegation is a woman who happens to be involved with the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship (PPF), which is currently one of the organizations coordinating human rights work in Colombia. It was definitely a stroke of luck to meet this woman now, as I had just days ago decided to apply to the Peace Corps, and talking with her rekindled an interest in human rights accompaniment. I have decided that the Peace Corps can provide me with an opportunity to make a difference, as well as the opportunity to conforton internal policy with which I may not agree. Moreover, I realize that despite my large differences with most US foreign policy of which I'm aware, I should support those policies with which I agree. Thus, I have started an application, although it is temporarily halted while I apply to the human rights work in Colombia, which I would prefer as it seems more neutral. Still, I'm looking for all manner of opportunities in Latin America, as I have school loans and other concerns. I could end up waiting in a bar for a bit to get by as I figure out something better for the long term.

I may not be able to join in the volunteer service through PPF as I'm agnostic, but I have expressed my willingness to examine the faith during my stay if allowed to serve as a volunteer. I realize I need to do more work to investigate various religious beliefs, even though I have no intention of believing in one. It's good to understand other people's perspectives. I also realize however, that my main motivation for applying to the human rights work through this organization is that they are willing to accept volunteers with lower levels of language abilities. Although I'm working to improve my abilities on a daily basis, it will be quite awhile before I can be accepted to the long term volunteer opportunities that are offered by Peace Brigades or Wintess for Peace. Basically, all of the opportunities work with towns that have requested human rights monitoring. These towns have declared themselves neutral in the longstanding armed conflict that continually ravages the country, and because of their unwillingness to support any armed group, including government soldiers, they have suffered repression and massacres. The idea is that it is less likely that the government will massacre the civilians if people from the US are present there. In any case, I am currently applying to the PPF and am awaiting word as to whether I will be permitted to serve. If not, I still hope to go to Colombia and perhaps do some teaching work as I explore Bogota and Cali. I am currently contemplating a bus trip through Nicaragua and Costa Rica and flying out of San Jose, although I realize I won't have the time or money to spend much time exploring. I would like to see Managua for historic reasons and Grananda for the view, at least.

In any case, back to the lake. It was artifically made and huge. It is a wonder that something so large and spectacular could be made by effort. We took a small motorboat out for a half hour and didn't even come close to seeing any other shore point. We did, however, pass many small islands with birds a plenty. We were told that some 40,000 birds live at the lake at the high point around easter, but there were probably less there when we went. We saw pelicans, white and gray cranes, blue herrings (I think), some other type I've never seen, and even a few buzzards. It was an impressive site. The bird I had never seen was interesting. It rested beneath the water with it's head sticking out and then would make dives for fish. It was black with some sort of mane thing on it's neck. Smaller than the pelicans but not by a whole lot. The water was a mossy green color and didn't look very great for swimming, so we stayed out of it. It is amazing to think that something so massive was created by humans. While its history is artificial, it is certainly now a natural habitiat for birds, fish, and the cows and horses that graze along it's shore. Towards sunset we were greeted with rays poking through clouds and extending to treetops. My friend and I then caught the last bus home avoiding an unpredicted stay in either Suchitoto or San Salvador.

Anyway, today is a special day for the country. The legislative elections were Sunday, and resulted in the rightist party still having a majority in the unicameral (one house) legislature, but not by much. In the local Chinamequita elections, the ARENA candidate won the mayorship, which was an unfortunate loss for women's interests as the FMLN team had 5 women that would be sitting on the Mayor's board of advisors had he won, while the ARENA only had one. The election for the mayor of San Salvador proved to be tricky though, as it was decided by less than 100 votes. The leftist candidate, Violeta Menjívar, was decided winner on Sunday but then recounts were demanded. Over the next two days it is unclear how many times the votes were recounted. At some point it was decided to include the votes that had been discarded because they were unclear. I was told the rightist party also has more influence in the current Election Monitoring Tribunal (TSE), and I wouldn't be surprised if the rightist leaders had pushed for a recount including the unclear votes once they realized they would lose with the regular count. This, however, is only pessimistic speculation. It should be said however that last night, when the results were being postponed yet again, there was a large march led by the FMLN (leftist party) to the hotel where the votes were being recounted. Some people unfortunately resulted to throwing rocks and even firing some kind of projectory, but it was unclear what kind it was. The street had been closed off with large fences, which I believe had barbed wire on them but it wasn't clear from the TV images I saw. I don't believe there were any injuries, although I saw one of the policemen fire a gun into the crowd before the leftists had fired anything, but while they were throwing rocks into the empty street. I am not sure if this was a bullet or a rubber bullet for dispersement purposes.

Regardless, today Violeta was finally declared winner, and the rightist party (ARENA), has apparently accepted the results. This is historic as this is the first woman who has won the mayorship in the capital of a country in a deep struggle with gender relations. Audio from ARENA's political coordinator was on the TV last night, and he was angrily saying they were prepared to accept the San Salvador results while denouncing the leftists as using unjustified violence. I agree that the people should not have thrown rocks (although from what I saw this was only into an empty street) or have fired any projectiles (obviously more dangerous), and that this is unjustified as I am against all violence. However, it is important to note the country's recent history in the people's frustration in the democratic process.

After a 10-year civil war in which the government's soldiers and death squads committed the majority of massacres, rapes, tortures, and violence as a whole, a peace process was initiated. When information came forth, notably through the UN's investigation, that the government was responsible for almost all of the war crimes, and simultaneously while the government was under investigation from a local court over a huge massacre at El Mozote, they pushed through legislation giving them general amnesty from all war-crime charges. Thus the rightist government cleared themselves of all of the atrocities they had committed, and the local court case about El Mozote had to be dropped. But, the country still had the Peace Accords. Unfortunately, according to a number of the informed people I've talked to here, the objectives in the Peace Accords have largely been unrealized. Further, recent elections have been marred by vote-buying and intimidation, and reports of the fairness of most recent election are forthcoming. A quote from the murdered president John F. Kennedy seems relevant here: "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." I submit replacing the word inevitable with likely, as I have faith that peaceful revolution is possible even in the face of widespread repression and violence. My greatest faith comes from Gandhi, Oscar Romero, and Martin Luther King, Jr., although I know there are many others I'm leaving out and that there was great violence during their peaceful efforts.

I have been managing to read a bit at night when I can no longer do work on the computer and when I am not preparing for my English classes. In addition to Gandhi's "The Story of My Experiments with Truth", the one I have just finished is quite relevant to the abovementioned issues and to us as United Statesians. It is short, sad, and utterly worthwhile. It is called Massacre at El Mozote: A Parable of the Cold War, and you can find a cheap used copy at www.addall.com. In short, it is about a huge massacre of over 750 people, mostly unarmed women, children, and old people, who were brutally murdered by the government soldiers in El Salvador in 1981. Some of the methods included hurling babies in the air and impaling them with rifle bayonets as they fell towards the ground (a tactic that I have read has also been used in Colombia against their citizens, and probably in many other places if I had to guess). Almost all of the emptied clips of the soldiers' machine guns were found to be of US make when dug up by forensic anthropologists. This was common, as the US was supporting the government despite its atrocities with the view that anything was better than communism. In fact both the Carter and Reagan Administrations and US Congresspersons were bent on fighting communism on ideological grounds even if it meant fighting against democracy at the same time. I submit here an old idea, that if we simply blanket a group as having unnaceptable views and try to destroy them, we are operating against democracy itself, which should accept a variety of views into the democratic process and allow the people to decide for themselves what they wish. I highly recommend the above-mentioned book, as it is reported with what seems to be very high integrity and with the original documents included so that the reader can come to her or his own conclusion. Given all of the information, it is hard to imagine one could conclude that the US and Salvadoran governments acted justly or in a manner that would promote democracy.

I understand that most people do not want to read such sad things. I understand. I wish there were no sad things to read. Further, I know most people feel that they have nothing to do with US foreign policy or that it warrants their attention, they are simply working at their jobs, having some fun when they can, and not hurting anyone. I argue otherwise. As United Statesians, we benefit every day from US foreign policy. The clothes and electronics we buy are cheap and of great variety and quantity because they are made in sweatshops that our government and corporations ensure stay in existence, and our complacency and refusal to do anything serves those interests. The services at many restaurants we eat at, such as the washing of the dishes, are often provided by immigrants who are struggling to better their economic circumstances even though our government is currently trying to make them criminals for having entered the country to do so. Most undocumented immigrants would surely prefer not to be undocumented, but the process of securing a visa is expensive and near impossible for many, and so they enter with the hopes of the so-called American Dream that previous immigrants entered with. Each immigrant wave is persecuted by the descendents of the older generations. What a sad cycle.

But there are things we can all do to change the circumstances. We can provide service to our communities, perhaps a little here and there after work or on weekends. Or, we can make work part of our service by working for agencies with social justice oriented missions. We can educate ourselves by reading. I know I have much to learn and every day I'm trying to read a little or learn something from the people I'm meeting. I realize I know hardly anything and it seems impossible to learn what I know I should, but I'm trying, driven by ideas that community service and non-violence are wonderful and correct things. We can use this knowledge to take direct political action by writing our representatives asking that our all individuals be respected and that our policies be more sensitive to humans and the environment. For instance, in regard to the current immigrant bill, we can write our representatives asking that immigrants be treated more humanely, that the undocumented be given amnesty, that we not spend a mountain of money building a huge wall between us and Mexico, that we provide better foreign policies to lift other countries out of poverty (which is the root of many people's desires to come to the US to begin with), and so forth. To begin with, we can educate ourselves so as to send informed letters and to educate each other. The book about El Mozote is an incredibly easy start. All you have to do is check it out of the library or buy a copy and read it. It took me less than 10 hours, and I'm not a fast reader as I often stop to replay the scenarios in my head or imagine myself debating Bush, which of course I do quite eloquently and with the result of him realizing his errors and greatfully stepping down as president.

One final and somewhat odd note is that in my classes it is possible there is a spy from the ARENA party. I have been informed by a lefty friend that their family knows that my student's father is a spy for ARENA. I was informed by the same person that the daughter had previously joined the leftist party for a small stint, but that this was probably to obtain information as she promptly left. The woman, of about my age, joined the class halfway through. However, the charges are speculative and personally I do not feel threatened by her. Nor do I have any reason to feel threatened as I am not pushing any political agenda in the class (neither does the agency have any political paraphenalia up; the agency allows everyone to join in and encourages unity within the community). However, I am trying to work in social justice issues into the curriculum, as is asked by my the agency for which I'm doing the volunteer work, and this could prove interesting depending on her perceptions. I'm certaintly not making any political suggestions nor do I want to. I solely want to submit various issues for thought to the class, introducing information of which they may not be aware. I think this is a wonderful idea and am in complete accordance with it. However, it has proven quite difficult as my classes are of very low level abilities. We will see what happens over the next few weeks though as I finish the classes here. There is much to do, as I am helping put up a web site and doing some limited translation work. But I feel confident that I am up to the task of managing various responsibilities and enjoying myself at the same time.

For now, I'm off to work and lesson plan! But before I go, I'd like to share a poem that I recently read and particularly liked. It's by a man from Uruguay named Mario Bendetti, and is called Te Quiero, which to my understanding is another way of saying "I love you." For those of you who don't speak Spanish you can get a general idea of the poem by using one of the online translators such a Babelfish, although these are not very good and their translations are more confusing than helpful at times. I'd recommend using an online English-Spanish dictionary if you want to better understand it, as not all words are used in their primary meanings. One note is that the word "sos" means "you are," and this form is only used in certain countries so I don't know if Babelfish will be able to translate it.

So, adios for now and here it is:

Te Quiero

Tus manos son mi caricia
mis acordes cotidianos
te quiero porque tus manos
trabajan por la justicia

si te quiero es porque sos
mi amor mi cómplice y todo
y en la calle codo a codo
somos mucho más que dos

tus ojos son mi conjuro
contra la mala jornada
te quiero por tu mirada
que mira y siembra futuro

tu boca que es tuya y mía
tu boca no se equivoca
te quiero porque tu boca
sabe gritar rebeldía

si te quiero es porque sos
mi amor mi cómplice y todo
y en la calle codo a codo
somos mucho más que dos

Y por tu rostro sincero
y tu paso vagabundo
y tu llanto por el mundo
porque sos pueblo te quiero

Y porque amor no es aureloa
ni cándida moraleja
y porque somos pareja
que sabe que no está sola

te quiero en mi paraíso
es decir que en mi país
la gente viva feliz
aunque no tenga permiso

si te quiero es porque sos
mi amor mi cómplice y todo
y en la calle codo a codo
somos mucho más que dos

Human Rights Abuses in El Salvador

below is a recent release from the US state department, which doesnt exactly have the best record of being fairly critical of right wing governments. however, i was surprised to read their report, or at least skim it haha.

there are more details on the linked page above, but here is the really short version. the government in power is mostly from the right. the legislative elections are this sunday. we'll see what happens!

--------------
El Salvador

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 8, 2006


El Salvador is a constitutional, multiparty democracy with an estimated population of 6.7 million. In March 2004 voters elected Elias Antonio Saca of the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) as president for a five-year term in generally free and fair elections. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces.

Although the government generally respected the rights of its citizens, protection of human rights was undermined by widespread impunity, corruption among the security forces and other governmental authorities, and gang violence. The following human rights problems were reported:

excessive use of force and mistreatment of detainees by members of the security forces
arbitrary arrest and detention
harsh prison conditions, including inadequate supervision, widespread violence, and overcrowding
lengthy pretrial detention
inefficiency and corruption in the judicial system
violence and discrimination against women
abuses against children, child labor, and forced child prostitution
trafficking in persons
discrimination against persons with disabilities
discrimination against indigenous persons
discrimination against persons based on sexual orientation
lack of enforcement of trade union rights

For the Defense

this is relatively short and really engaging. an easy to read piece with something big to think about...

For the Defense
By Richard Pretorius

"The ACLU would defend Jerry Falwell, but he certainly would not defend its work" was the gist of my argument with a close friend more than 20 years ago in a Georgetown bar.
In our college days, when youthful idealism had not been beaten about by the inevitable disappointments of an adult life, I was a liberal's liberal.

If only people cared about the less fortunate more and government programs worked better, the problems of poverty, oppression and racial strife could be solved went my mantra . I was shaped by a divorced mother raising two children on a school teacher's salary and on playgrounds and ball fields where one's ability, not skin color or bank account, was paramount. A scholarship to a private high school, where I met my friend, opened my eyes to the often supercilious world of the elites. I was a Nick Carraway in a world of Tom and Daisy Buchanans.

My friend took a more each-person-for-himself approach to the issues of the day. He was not a callous conservative. But he did not think government programs were the answer. He believed people had the ability to rise above their circumstances with hard work and a little bit of luck.

Of course, my friend's good fortune included having a father who was a surgeon, a mother who was a super-successful real estate broker and brothers and sisters who were close and supportive.

The MacMahons had a townhouse in Georgetown, a farm in Virginia horse country and the ability to provide the children with the best educations and experiences possible. They were also as generous as could be, allowing me to share their home as I tested my idealism when working for the D.C. Public Defenders Service.

If life had a predetermined career track, my friend, with his UVA and Tulane law school degrees, would now be a partner in a corporate firm helping rich companies get richer.
He did dabble in that world for awhile. But today Edward B. MacMahon Jr. has caught the national media's attention in a case as far removed from helping big business as Falwell is from addressing an ACLU convention.

Every time I hear or read about my friend defending the so-called 20th hijacker, I recall those conversations of two decades ago.

Then we could not have imagined a 9/11. Nor could I have thought possible that Ed would one day be appointed to take such a case. Defending the despised did not seem to be part of his life's resume.

I knew Ed would be successful, not solely because of his upbringing and education, but because he had a glowing self-confidence, smarts, charm and Kennedyesque looks that were bound to lead to great things. He was even then a person of substance, style and great gregariousness.

Life does indeed throw surprises. Our youths leave indelible memories of the people whose lives touch ours; reflections that always play a part in how we view each other for decades to come.

As Zacharias Moussaoui's well-dressed, articulate attorney appears on television or is quoted in a newspaper, I think back to the nights at a Shirlington pizza joint drinking beers before we were of legal age, trading arguments and sharing dreams.
Ed, who loved a good story as much as he relished a good time, once garnered the nickname "Divide by 10," meaning many of his great tales had their share of embellishments.

Of course, there can be no exaggerating the serious of the Moussaoui case. Nor the bravery of the lawyers who are fighting for his life, often without their client's blessing.
The only contact I have had with Ed in recent years was via an e-mail in which I said I greatly admired his courage in taking on this case and that I was glad to see he was doing good. He suggested I drop by sometime and have dinner with the family.
So as he talks about the wrongness of seeking the death penalty against a person the government admits killed no one, I reflect on how our two-decade-old bar banter has come full circle.

While I truly miss those late-night chats when all seemed possible, I am extremely proud of the person my friend has become.

Here's to you, Ed. The system fails without your passion and dedication.

Support a New Budget

just got this email from true majority and it looks good...thought i'd post it!

--
Military Budget Shifted to Schools, Healthcare by New Bill

Dear Rocky,
Admirals, generals and CEOs support this plan to spend more on kids and less on useless Cold War weapons. Can you support the work needed to make it happen?
CONTRIBUTE


Yesterday, a group of courageous U.S. Representatives introduced the “Common Sense Budget Act, ” which would take $60 Billion in wasted Pentagon funding and spend it instead on schools, doctors, and stuff we care about.1
This money could save 6 million kids who die of starvation each year in impoverished countries. It could rebuild our public schools and provide health insurance for our kids who don’t have it. It could do all this and a lot more, every year.2 And it’s exactly what tens of thousands of TrueMajority members have been asking for.

With a group of respected business and military leaders, we’ve planned a yearlong campaign to spread that common sense across the country. Can you donate today to make it happen?

Our partner in this campaign, Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, has already established field offices in Iowa and New Hampshire. Full-page newspaper ads have been prepared to pressure the House and Senate budget chairmen to pay attention. We’re making plans for delivering the 40,000+ petitions signed by TrueMajority members like you asking for a sensible, moral federal budget.

But it will take $50,000 to keep the momentum going for the first half of this year. Please contribute what you can.
https://secure.truemajority.org/03/csbafundraiser

Yes, you’ll be taking on a big job; the habit of giving away HALF of the federal discretionary budget to defense contractors developed over decades and won’t be broken overnight. But look at the resources we have on our side:
• President Reagan's former Asst. Secretary of Defense,3
• a whole list of retired admirals and generals (including the former commander of the U.S. Second Fleet),4
• 650 current and former CEOs and other business leaders,5
• ...and the majority of the American public.6
And don’t forget, some representatives are already so convinced this is the right thing to do that they were willing to stick their necks out in an election year.
"What better serves the cause of national security? Investment in first responders, energy independence and global nutrition ... or billions that we're still pouring into the F-22A Raptor, which was designed to outpace Soviet fighter jets?" — Common Sense Budget Act sponsor Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
Thanks for taking on this important work,
Matt Holland
TrueMajority Online Director

References:
1 "Liberals seek $60B in cuts to defense." The Hill, 3/9/06.
2 "The Common Sense Budget Act."
3 Lawrence J. Korb, Assistant Secretary of Defense from 1981-85, administered about 70% of the defense budget. He has prepared a report, identifying exactly where $60 billion can be saved from that budget.
4 The full list of military advisors.
5 These are the members of BLSP. Learn more here.
6 When presented the major items in the discretionary federal budget and given the opportunity to modify it, Americans make some dramatic changes. The largest cut by far is to defense spending...the largest increases are to reductions in the deficit, various forms of social spending, and spending on the environment. The PIPA/Knowledge Networks Poll. The Federal Budget: The Public's Priorities.
________________________________________

________________________________________

Contribute
If you like what you see, please click here to contribute. ...and keep these messages going to more people!
TrueMajority.org is a grassroots group of citizens who believe in America's true values of openness, fairness and compassion. We believe participating in an effective government is the best way to be mutually responsible for our community.
TrueMajority.org, 191 Bank Street, Third Floor, Burlington, VT 05401

My Experiences in Chinamequita

so i've been in san francisco chinameca, affectionately called chinamequita to distinguish it from a city of the same name in another state, for 2 weeks now. the people are very friendly and have treated me so well. i've been giving english classes to 4 different groups a few times a week and i've been enjoying it. the students are extremely motivated, moreso than i remember seeing in my experiences throughout all of my edu.

the other day for my birthday the 2 brothers from my host family and some of the students through me a little party with a freshly made cake, singing, and gifts. i was and have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the people i've met here, but most especially by those who do not have much to give. chinamequita is a small town set in the moutains. i hope to put up some pics soon but it has been very difficult with the slow connection. there is a volcanic lake about a 10 minute's ride from me, and this saturday some of the students and i are going to have a little picnic there. i'm looking forward to having a closer view than that which the bus window gives, but seeing it from the road allows for a nice view as well. it is similar to lake atitlan in guatemala, which is also surrounded by volcanoes and lush green foliage. unfortunately i heard that the hurricane and floods hurt the communities in atitlan pretty bad. i'm sure they've opened up the lake again because it's a huge tourist draw. i've heard that the pueblo that was buried in the landslides has been left as a mass grave and the survivors are resettling nearby.

in any case, aside from the natural beauty that seems to bless central america, my pueblo is also a place of poverty. i take bucket showers in the morning, which can be a little brisk with the early morning mountain winds. the bathroom is a latrine without a light or woodchips for that matter, and i dont know if i'll ever get used to the sight of the cockroaches before i use it. the house is sturdy, with cement walls to hopefully withstand the next earthquake set to hit in april. the roofs are tin, which should make it less dangerous. there are still people without houses after a storm that hit a year ago. i think my host family is still paying off the loan they took to rebuild their house after the last earthquake that hit 5 years ago. potable water only flows every couple of weeks or so, and in some places less frequently or not at all. i think it had been 18 days without water when the first flow came while i was here. when it does come, we store the water in buckets to use for the inevitable dry periods. during the days, almost the entire adult working population leaves the pueblo to work in the fields or in san salvador taking care of children, teaching, or working other jobs. there is virtually no work in the pueblo except for a few small tiendas. it will be interesting to see how the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) affects el salvador, as they are the first country set to implement it. i have a feeling it will mean tougher times for the farmers and vendors, but i am unable to speak to that as of yet.

the elections are coming up in a few weeks, and the television stations are flooded with commercials for the ultra right wing government, ARENA, who i've heard owns most of the television stations and media outlets. literally every commercial break has an ARENA commercial, some of them obviously filled with direct lies, such as the one that depicts the opposing party as street gangsters as a scare tactic for the voters, and another insinuating, from the best of my understanding, that they support prostitution. there were also problems with vote buying in the last election. my host family told me that last time ARENA members were handing out money to voters before they went to the polls, while i've heard others actually buy the votes inside houses or buses where they are less likely to be seen. most newspapers are recognized to be right of moderate to varying degrees, and the one left leaning paper, which is run through a cooperative, is extremely limited in circulation do to its obvious financial limitations. i'm hoping to write an article about my experiences in chinamequa and to submit it to some newspapers in the states, although i don't know if it will be accepted or not. we'll see how that goes, for now it is but a seedling idea.

for now i'll return to work in the cyber cafe where i'm sitting in san salvador, just outside of plaza libertad. abrazos y paz!

Tell McDonalds to Practice what they Preach

McDonalds says it will hold their suppliers responsible for violations of labor and human rights, and now they're trying to hide from their responsibilities. Don't let them do it, at least not without telling them you know what they're up to. Take the 5 minutes to tell them with the online message at the link above!

Global Warming Worse than Thought

new alarms about global warming. but hey, we've got nothing to worry about becaue bush thinks it doesnt exist. burn the fossil fuels baby!

a week in san salvador

so i've been in san salvador for a week now. i've been staying with an elderly couple, who are very nice. the grandmother cooks very well and even showed me how to make a typical salvadoran food called pupusas, which are basically fat, small tortillas stuffed with cheese, bean, and/or meat and dry pan fried until the cheese melts inside. i've also been treated to homemade tamalitos, smaller sized tomales with no meat inside, and of course the many fresh fruits and vegetables that abound in the tropical climate...mmm piña! i also went to a friend's birthday party on saturday, and had some german style potatoes in some kind of vinegar, which was great. we had a few drinks and danced cumbia, banda, salsa, and reggaeton through the night. i'm still horrible at all of itt, but it's fun. the climate is warm and sunny, and the people have been very friendly to me.

in the mornings i have been going to small group spanish classes, during which we're not only learning more of the language but also about the history of el salvador's civil war, which lasted from 1980-1992. my teacher is very knowledgeable and has shared a lot so far about his experiences during the war. he also did some translation of interviews for a univ of chicago research project. he told us one story of a small town that was situated next to the leftist rebel camp at the time. as a warning to anyone who might have been thinking about joining the revolution, the US-backed government army murdered 6 unarmed teenagers one night. one of them was a 4-month pregnant girl. they killed her by slicing open her stomach, ripping out her unborn fetus, and allowing her to die slowly. they decapitated one of the boys and hung his head on the entrance to the public school. one of the stories that the teacher translated was about another woman. she, along with 40 other civilians who were not involved in the war were hiding in a river from the US backed government soldiers looking to recruit young boys and perhaps murder the rest of them. when the armed forces were close, her young baby started crying, so she pushed her baby under the water to stop him from crying in order to save the group from the army's attack. by the time the army left, her baby had died. it was a typical policy to murder civilians as a way to scare people away from joining the revolution, and the us ovt knew that as they poured a staggering 6 billion dollars of aid in during war years, a great deal of which was used for military purposes.

you can get a little bit of perspective of what it was like for the families during the war by watching a very good and powerful movie called Voces Inocentes. although this movie may downlplay some of the inexcusable wrongs committed by the guerrillas, including some murders and military recruitment of minors as well, the UN Commission for Truth in El Salvador found that a full 85% of complaints of murder, torture, and dissapearances could be attributed to agents of the government, including the death squads. Only 5% were attributed to the leftist guerillas, the FMLN. The state and deathsquads were funded and had the verbal political backing of the US government, just as in similar cases in central america such as with our interventions in guatemala and nicaragua. you can find out more about us intervention in latin america by searching around online. there is a lot of info and plenty of perspectives out there. but be wary of documents demonizing the left simply because some of them had a communist perspective. if we are truly for democracy, we must respect others' choices for their own government. in fact, it was the US and the right wing government of el salvador who were committing the vast majority of human rights violations. we must take responsibility for what we've done.

there are countless other stories like the ones above. at least 75,000 people were killed during the 12 year civil war, with the vast majority of murders and human rights violations being attributed to the US backed army (although some violations were indeed perpetrated by the guerrillas). in the most recent presidential election, the US meddled with the democratic process by making threats to the salvadoran public should they vote for the left leaning side, specifically by threatening to diminish the ability of salvadoran immigrants to send remitances back to their family. currently, about 6 million people live in el salvador, and a full 3 million other salvadoreños work in the US, accounting for a massive portion of their economy.

the next round of parlimentary (congressional) elections are coming up in march, and i have been invited by the school to be an election monitor. the elections should be interesting, as this week a long time leader of the left, schafik handal, died of a heart attack, reawakening the public 's desire to act in the interest of old issues, especially that of the rampid poverty that exists despite the US's claims that free trade will cure all. this is a massive event for el salvador, as many people loved schafik for his dedication to the people. the right wing party is most likely getting scared by the public turnout to his wake and funeral. i went to one of the viewings/protests last friday, and took some very short video clips of it. the song in the background is Sombrero Azul, a classic revolution song that is sung at most political and cultural events throughout the country. there are people gathered in the plaza civica to see the body of schafik, with people standing in trees and on the tops of trucks for a view. a sunday mass apparently eclipsed this population by many many more, and ex president of nicaragua daniel ortega apparently came to visit, which i unfortunately missed.

during the afternoons, i have been going to some locations of political and historical interest, including the church where archibishop oscar romero was assassinated, most likely by a US-trained terrorist. at his public funeral, the national guard, the US backed national guard, dressed in almost identical outfits to those of hitler's soldiers, used their machine guns to rain bullets down on the people in mourning, just as they had done at student demonstrations and other massacres as well. other massacres included the incineration of babies and dismembering, among other atrocities. we also saw the sight where 6 jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter were murdered by the right wing goverment in 1989. this was considered by many to be the straw that broke the camel's back, and i believe us military aid finally ceased at that point, but i believe it recommenced as the left leaning party campaigned on a communist platform including agrarian land reform, a common fear of the small group of wealthy elite that control most of the country's wealth while the poor coffee farmers struggle to survive. i have posted some pics of these places, but haven't labeled them yet. however if you want to get a preliminary look, please go ahead.

for now, i'm off to have dinner with the family. in a week i head to a rural community an hour from the capital, where i'll teach english twice a week and probably help with the election monitoring in march. i'll also be looking for teaching jobs in other parts of latin america for april. i'll try to take more pictures and post something less morbid next time.

Caracas excels as left-wing haven

i haven't been to caracas yet, and hopefully the US government won't disallow us from going there as they have with cuba. i don't know enough about chavez to comment on his social programs, only that it seems that literacy and health insurance are two strong issues, as with cuba, which is amazing with our long time efforts to destroy their economy. i guess we will never know how cuba's government could have functioned if it wasn't for our efforts to see it fail. and if i remember correctly, the literacy programs of the sandanista government in nicaragua were strong as well. surprising they could do anything we we were corruptly continuing our war against them, forcing them into a defensive position that, combined with their own mistakes and some repression as well, would lead to their downfall. it's funny how we say we respect democracy but fairly consistently side with dictators over groups who want to establish a non-dictatorship if you will, even if they do choose communism. we're supposed to be for freedom of political choice right? we originally fought for freedom from tyranny of a similar kind.

US Soldier Guilty of Afghan Abuse

here's the latest judgment against our troops.

Conservative Group Trying to Expose "Radical" UCLA Profs

I often wonder why it is that conservatives are so concerned with liberals. I understand that "radicals" are basically considered dangerous to democracy because they're assumed to be communists, anarchists, or some other ists. The funny thing is though, if you look back through US history, it seems like liberals, including many radical ones, have often been the most outspoken voices for democracy and badly needed social change, while conservatives (and many democrats too) have often been willing to sacrifice democracy for corporate benefits and power.

If it weren't for radical liberals, we would still have slavery or at least legalized segregation instead of the covert kind we have now, something liberals are still desperately trying to change despite constant roadblocks by conservatives (e.g. fair housing & housing segregation, segregation in our schools, etc.). We would still not allow women or minorities to vote. We would probably allow big corporations like Wal-Mart, Enron, Nike, and others to exploit and deceive their workers here and abroad without a fight. We would still be working 10 hours a day 6 days a week with basically no workers rights or benefits. Imagine if we had no radical liberals willing to speak out against the threats to democracy, and there are certainly many here, so many so it begs the question of how democratic of a political system we have. Imagine no one pushing for broader understanding and appreciation of diversity. No one trying to get your children health insurance simply because they are human beings and deserve it (oh yeah, that's radical). Who stands to benefit from removing radical liberals? Those in charge of large corporations for sure.

Headin to El Salvador

It's been a long time since I've posted. So much for following the news while traveling.

I had a great time in Mexico, experiencing the people and Cervantino festival in Guanajuato. The pace of life is so much more laid back than the northeast US, and the people are, generally speaking, incredibly friendly, except for one dude who decided to punch me in the back of the head for no reason. Of course, he was really drunk and we had some pretty ladies with us; maybe he was just jealous.

Anyway after Guanajuato I went to another city, Guadalajara...much more modern but still very nice and much different than Mexico City. There I took a TEFL course. I see teaching English as a way to get by while I'm traveling. I'm still taking a potential job away from a local, but these positions seem to be in high demand and I'd feel worse taking a different job I was less qualified for and that was easier for a local to get. Also, I struggled with teaching English for awhile, as I see spreading English around as facilitating US world dominance, but it's also a practical skill that many people want and so I also think it's not my place to not provide it if people want it. I'll just do my best to make it culturally sensitive and contribute to the community through service as much as I can. I also want to keep up with community service whenever possible to keep myself connected to the social work field, as I do want to practice when I get back to the US, who knows when. I'm thinking of maybe community organizing work with immigrants, but not sure yet and anything could change as I learn more about myself and what direction I want to go careerwise.

So anyhow I've been back in the NJ/NY area for month now and have been trying to see family and friends and catch up on some research work that I do on the side. I've been half heartedly looking for English teaching jobs because I wanted to do a little more volunteer work before my savings run out. I found a few good programs, and was able to arrange for a placement in one of them, called the Center for Exchange and Solidarity. I'm leaving early this Sunday morning for San Salvador, El Salvador, where I'll spend two weeks taking Spanish classes, Freirian style, and learning about the local issues that have persisted since the end of the country's long civil war in the 80s (of which the wonderful US made sure to be on the wrong side of democracy, again).

After that, I'll move to a town a couple hours away from the capital called San Francisco Chinameca, which is hopefully gringoless. I'll be teaching English for about 6 hours on Wednesday and Friday evenings through a local grassroots social change agency. The class changes each class and is supposedly relatively small. I'll also be doing my research job, learning Spanish (think I have to learn the vosotros that i never memorized before haha), and learning about the local culture. I know basically nothing about SFC, maybe it's more rural who knows.

I'll probably finish the volunteer work in mid-April, by which time I hope to have a lead for an English teaching job. I have a friend in Honduras who can probably get me a job, and an open offer to a friend's house in Bogotá, Colombia, where I'll have free room and board for a bit while I find a place and a job. Of course, before I leave Central America there is still much I'd like to see. I recently read a great book called The Country Under My Skin by Giocanda Belli. It reads very well and the way she describes Nicaragua made me want to go, so maybe I'll stop by Granada. It would also be nice to see Costa Rica to see what all the gringo hype is about. Once I get to South America I'd also be interested in checking out Peru and Chile, to say the least. But who knows what will happen. I'm just tryin to take it one step at a time and make smaller rather than larger commitments for now.

Also, I still have a desire to do long term volunteering in the future, but I'd like to get my Spanish to a better level first. I go back and forth with Peace Corps, not so much because it's a long commitment (actually, it offers the best benefits most security you can find for a long term placement so it's pretty enticing), but more because I have reservations about being a part of our country's often questionable foreign policy. These concerns are compounded with the current admin for sure. We'll see though. For now, ya me voy.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Marches Against Bush

Yet another large march against Bush occurred a couple weeks ago when he was down in Latin America trying to push the pro business, free trade policies that have been helping the rich and hurting the poor for decades. Argentinian Nobel Peace Prize winner, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, was among the protestors.

Untangling the Iraq War Debacle

this is a great article on how, even if we grant the Bush Admin all benefit of doubt in their intentions with the Iraq War (a very generous gift), we still must admit we've made errors on a grand scale. there are many links to other news articles here as well, and corroborating stories can be found in many other sources as well for these citations. read on please...

It wasn't just the intelligence, it was the War
Posted by Cenk Uygur at 10:37 AM on November 14, 2005.

Even if you believe that all the pre-war misinformation was just an honest mistake, the war was still counterproductive and wrong.

Throughout the last three years we have been given three principle reasons for the Iraq War by the White House.
We had to launch a pre-emptive strike to make sure we hit Iraq before they hit us with their arsenal of WMD.
Iraq is tied into the Global War on Terror that was brought to our shores on 9/11.

By bringing democracy to Iraq we will stabilize the region and make it friendlier to US interests, thereby defeating terrorism in the long term. All of these reasons might have sounded good at some point, but time has proven that they are all terribly wrong.

The first reason for the war seems the most comical in hindsight. At different points, the administration warned the American people about nuclear attacks, drone planes spraying us with chemical and biological weapons and imminent strikes against the United States. Let alone the hidden mustard gas on turkey farms (I'm not kidding). Condoleezza Rice told us that we could not wait for actual evidence of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction because, "We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud."

As we all know now, Iraq did not have a plan to invade the US, or any drones, or nuclear weapons made in Niger, or even a single weapon of mass destruction. Whether you think that was an enormous fraud perpetrated upon the American people or you think it was unprecedented negligence leading to a terrible but honest mistake, the conclusion is beyond obvious - we were wrong.

We weren't just wrong on the intelligence - we were wrong to invade. We launched a pre-emptive strike against a non-existent threat. I don't remember the Iraqi people, let alone the American people, receiving an apology for this grave error. In the best case scenario, the administration invaded a country - invaded a country - based on an error.

If the intelligence was not manipulated by the administration for the express purpose of taking us into war, then they have committed the largest error in US history. Someone has to take responsibility for this act of colossal negligence. Usually the person ultimately responsible for this type of decision is the President. Has he ever accepted responsibility for this historic error?

The second reason given for the war was that Iraq was somehow involved with the Global War on Terror before we invaded the country. President Bush said on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, in his famous "Mission Accomplished" speech, "We've removed an ally of al-Qaeda." Really?

Then why did the 9/11 commission conclude that there was "no credible evidence" whatsoever that Iraq had anything to do with al-Qaeda before the invasion? The commission reported there was no "collaborative relationship" between al-Qaeda and Iraq. How much clearer did they have to be?

In fact, before the Iraq war, the Pentagon gave the White House three different opportunities to take out the only person who might have been related to al-Qaeda in Iraq. All three times, the White House refused to order the air-strikes because it might undercut their reason for going to war. That person's name was Abu Musab Zarqawi.
The Bush administration, after specifically turning down all of those opportunities to strike Zarqawi, then claimed we had to invade Iraq because Saddam Hussein was giving shelter to Zarqawi. By the way, of course, this Saddam-Zarqawi link has also been debunked and discredited.

So, by letting Zarqawi go so that we could theoretically have a better case against Saddam, we wound up handing al-Qaeda a huge present in Iraq (according to most sources Zarqawi started working with al-Qaeda after the Iraq war began). After Saddam was toppled, Zarqawi was free to go on a campaign of terror he never came close to mustering under Saddam's rule.

Now, that al-Qaeda has been unleashed in Iraq by our gross negligence -- again, it is horrific negligence if you are being charitable and accepting that the Bush administration didn't want any of this to happen -- President Bush has the nerve to say that we should have gone into Iraq in the first place because it is now the central front in the war on terror.

At one point Vice President Cheney tried to justify the war by saying that through defeating Iraq, "we will have struck a major blow right at the heart of the base, if you will, the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9/11." Could you imagine if after Pearl Harbor, FDR launched an invasion of China because it was in "the geographic base" from which our enemies launched their attack, namely Asia?

Then, if he sent Truman to the talk shows to argue that starting a second war against a country that was not part of World War II was a great idea. That we should be busy fighting the Chinese instead of fighting the Japanese and the Germans. I imagine they would have been thrown out of office immediately. But since Iraqis look like "the terrorists" we think we're fighting, I guess attacking the wrong country these days while we're in the middle of the war on terror is no big deal.

Or could you imagine if President Clinton said after the Oklahoma bombing that we were going to invade Iraq because of the global war on terror? Iraq was as tied to 9/11 as it was to the Oklahoma City bombing. But since it was mainly Saudis who carried out the terror on 9/11 and white people who carried out the terror in Oklahoma City, invading Iraq in one case makes sense but doesn't in the other?

Knowing what we know now, isn't it obvious that there would have been a much smaller, if not nonexistent, presence of al-Qaeda in Iraq if we had not invaded? That there would have been far less acts of terror in Iraq and throughout the Middle East if we had not invaded? Even the CIA has acknowledged that we have created more terrorism through the invasion than we have stifled. Given these obvious mistakes, couldn't we at least expect our elected officials to admit we have made a grave error in launching this attack, even if they still hold on to the delusion that it was all an honest mistake?

Perhaps they are holding on to the third reason for invading as the one thing that will come to the rescue of their folly. I don't remember any grand speeches about democracy in Iraq before the invasion. Nonetheless, let's be charitable again and say that was their secret intent and that they thought we were too dense to comprehend such a global worldview (I believe the neocons did actually believe this, so I don't think we're being too charitable in thinking they had the intention of deceiving us for what they viewed to be our own good).

So, whatever became of this democracy? Now that we have had two and a half years of "tremendous progress" in the Iraqi political process, we should have less terrorism in Iraq, right? Apparently not, US government analysts told the Los Angeles Times recently that they realize the insurgency has not weakened as "democracy" has taken hold in Iraq.

General George Casey indicated to the Senate recently that the Iraqi insurgency might last a decade and that the US could leave before the insurgency is defeated. The Washington Post reported several months ago that inside administration sources have quietly given up on the idea of democracy in Iraq. Why that didn't make headlines everywhere I will never know. But that is a matter of the disheartening negligence of the American media, as opposed to the disheartening negligence of American politicians, which is the matter presently at hand.
The White House has given up on democracy in Iraq! What else is left then?

Apparently, the orchestrated leaks to the Washington Post were supposed to dampen the expectations of what could be accomplished in Iraq. Believe me, they were dampened already.

But this should have come as no surprise because the Washington Post also reported earlier that the White House at one point authorized the United States to rig the Iraqi elections -- or as they say, "influence the outcome of the Iraqi election by covertly helping individual candidates for office." There is disagreement on whether this plan was actually put into effect in the past January elections, with Seymour Hersh reporting in The New Yorker that it was. But again, being charitable, with all of the flowery talk about how the real reason for the invasion of was to bring democracy to Iraq, the White House at one point authorized a covert plan to influence the Iraqi elections, so that the people we supported won the elections rather than whoever might win without our "influence." Is it me or does that sound like colossal hypocrisy?

More importantly, it tells you that this White House never believed in bringing democracy to Iraq in the first place. On top of this, they have already admitted that they will not accomplish that goal or defeat the insurgency before we leave. We will leave Iraq a bloody mess without even coming close to any of the stated goals of the invasion.

There is nothing left. This war is indefensible. Yet, the administration has not admitted that they are responsible for a single mistake in the war, let alone the colossal mistake of invading in the first place.

It makes you despair of democracy. This invasion was so thoroughly wrong and so thoroughly botched that it not only makes you worry about democracy in Iraq, but it makes you worry about democracy here as well.

Evan Derkacz is a New York-based writer and contributor to AlterNet.

US Press Freedom Slipping

This is an interesting article. Not sure how well the survey questions were created or how well the surveys were administered, but still it's interesting that the US, supposedly the beacon of freedom for the world, is so far down on the list.

Coca Cola In Trouble Again: Found Guilty!

Coca Cola is in trouble again. Big surprise. This time they were found guilty on a number of counts of monopoly charges in Mexico, specifically trying to pressure small business owners with bully tactics. And of course, Coke issued the standard corporate denail even after being found guilty twice. Always Coca Cola, always the real unethical thing? Hmmm...the CNN story is below, just another in a very long list of human, environmental, and labor rights violations by the corporate giant.

Also, having been in Mexico for a couple of months, I can attest to the magnitude of Coke's beverage power here. If you go into a tienda, you have to avoid Coke, Fanta, & Fresca (for soda), and probably some other names for juices. There is sometimes an alternative orange soda brand, but that's usually about it for soda alternatives. Additionally, Fresca and tequila is a very popular drink here, and it's served at basically every bar, most likely without a Fresca alternative (I think I've seen a lemon lime alternative a couple times in tiendas though). It would be one thing to accept benefits to an economy when business ties are friendly, it's entirely another to help the economy at the expense of the rights of individuals,which is what Coke has been found guilty and observed by independent investigators to be doing for quite a long time.


Mexico shop owner beats Coca Cola

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- Mexico has imposed its biggest anti-monopoly fines ever, totaling about US$68 million (euro58 million,) against Coca Cola and dozens of its distributors and bottlers.
The battle was won by one woman who got tired of being told what to sell at her one-room store in an impoverished Mexico City neighborhood.

In a country where David-vs.-Goliath battles usually end with David getting crushed, Raquel Chavez's victory is no small feat.

The fines -- one batch amounting to about US$15 million (euro13 million) and another for US$53 million (euro45 million) -- will not be formally announced until a mandatory appeals period ends, but regulators and a Coca Cola representative confirmed them to The Associated Press.

It is no coincidence that the battle -- which resulted in some of the highest antitrust fines Coke has ever faced -- was waged in Mexico, with the highest per-capita soft drink consumption in the world.

Even Chavez, 49, expected to lose when a Coke distributor told her to get rid of Big Cola, an upstart brand that arrived in Mexico recently from Peru, or risk having Coke stop selling to her.

"I told them, 'You can't refuse to sell to me. That's unconstitutional'," Chavez told The Associated Press. "I didn't really know if it was unconstitutional, but I said it anyway."

Coca Cola denied that it has engaged in monopolistic practices.

"We respect the ... decisions," spokesman Charley Sutlive said. "However, we have used the appeal processes open to us to present arguments that our business practices comply with Mexican competition laws, and to demonstrate that our commercial practices are fair."

Coke, whose share of the Mexican soft drink market hovers around 70 percent, is a must-have item for small stores. Chavez still sells it. But she also resented being told what she could sell.

"You may call the shots everywhere else, but I'm the boss in my store," she told the distributor.

She put her three children through college with her 20-hour days at her store, called "La Racha," which means a streak of luck, and takes pride in the business.

In 2003, her customers began asking for "Big Cola," which had begun cutting into Coke's market with lower prices. Coke told her to get rid of the brand, but she refused.

"I am a common citizen who demands her rights, who won't allow herself to be stepped on, that's all," the vigorous, fast-talking Chavez said as she sat on an upturned Coke crate outside her shop.

The shop is tucked into the corner of a one-story brick building in the working-class Iztapalapa neighborhood. Its counters are protected against thieves with steel mesh.

Doing business here is tough. Chavez has been held up at gunpoint or with knives several times since she opened the store in 1992. But nothing had prepared her for the fight with Coca Cola.

First, she didn't know which government agency to turn to. Then, Chavez found the Federal Competition Commission offices on the swanky west side of town. After two months of inaction, she blew up at the anti-monopoly agency.

"I told them, 'What are you good for? What purpose do you serve?"' she said. "Are you here to protect Coke, or to defend us?"

They finally accepted her complaint, investigated it, and found evidence of similar incidents -- some documented by Big Cola, which later joined the case. Two years later, on July 4, the commission ruled in a closed-door session that 15 Coke bottlers had violated anti-monopoly laws in the case, and fined them about US$15 million.

"I was sure we would lose, because in Mexico for so long, people got away with anything," Chavez said.

Dark days
Just a few weeks later, on August 12, a similar case that had been held up in hearings for years was suddenly resolved -- again, with a ruling against Coke, this time against 54 distributors who were ordered to pay about US$1 million (euro860,000) each, the maximum fine allowed.

A copy of one of the rulings obtained by The Associated Press showed that some Coke distributors had threatened to remove company-supplied refrigerators and displays from shops that sold other brands.
They also allegedly shifted competitors' merchandise away from prime locations in some stores, bought it all up and dumped it, or offered Coke merchandise in return for not selling the other brands.

Alfredo Paredes, the communications director for Big Cola's parent company, Ajemex, credits the rulings with "giving us a sense of reassurance ... that these small business owners will no longer be subject to intimidation."
Chavez won't get any of the money -- the fines go to the government -- though her victory didn't come cheap.
For three months, she lost all her Coke deliveries. "I thought we were going to go out of business," she said.
Chavez was forced to buy Coke from wholesale centers and lug home dozens of cases in her 1979 Dodge Dart.
"My husband just watched me," she said. "He was mad."

Things have changed since those dark days.

Her husband now waits on customers as Chavez proudly shows off her court papers. Almost on cue, a bright red Coke truck pulls up and smiling, courteous Coke employees unload Chavez's twice-weekly delivery. They say she's a good customer.

"I thought that we would lose this case, and when we did, it was going to be like 'Look, little ant, we crushed you,' because the powerful always win," she said. "Now I feel proud. Maybe now people will start standing up for themselves."

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

A couple easy things you can do to help...

It's hard to keep up with the news here, but here are a few interesting things worth noting...

Take a pledge to not shop at Walmart this holiday season. Instead, support businesses that are trying to make a real difference in the local communities where their businesses operate. The US takes so much from the world, partly in the form of Walmart. As an individual, this is one way you can help give something back as a thank you for everything we receive every day from all over the world. Read a bit more about the pledge here, and then sign it! :)

Also, as a big surprise, the Bush admin is pushing for more lax environmental laws to serve us up more pollution for profit. Read more here.

Finally, there are a whole buch of stories on www.alternet.org, www.indymedia.org, and www.commondreams.org if you are interested in some different perspectives on the news.

Israeli High Court Finally Rules Against Using Palestinian Civilians as Human Shields

A lot of times in the news we see Palestinian bombings of Israeli structures and people. This is horrible, as are many of the actions taken by the Israelis.

Here is one example:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051006/ts_nm/mideast_shields_dc

Stop Torture and Denial of Lunch Breaks

Here are two quick online petitions you can sign. The first is to tell Bush not to veto a bill (as he has threatened to do in the past) in order to allow torture of prisoners of war and detainees.

http://action.truemajority.org/campaign/torture

The second is to tell Wal-Mart (big surprise that they're in court again) to stop denying lunch breaks to some of its workers or to compensate them accordingly.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/974105653.