News & Views | Weekly Top Ten

Week ending Friday August 19, 2011    Readers Choice | Most Read Views... Joel Federman: The World Should Be Watching Tahrir Square Dean Baker: President Obama Joins the Cult of Economics Deniers Bill McKibben: This Is Getting Exciting Ray McGovern: Did Tenet Hide Key Info on 9/11? Naomi Klein: Daylight Robbery, Meet Nightime Robbery John Nichols: Can We Have Health Reform Without an Individual Mandate? Yes, It's Called 'Medicare for All' Chris Hellman: How Safe Are You? What Almost $8 Trillion in National Security Spending Bought You Linh Dinh: Looting Frenzies: Thinking about the Federal Reserve while Nursing a Cheap Beer David Michael Green: The Grubby Species Glenn Greenwald: A Prime Aim of the Growing Surveillance State Readers Choice | Most Read News... Behind the 'Official History' of the Bin Laden Raid The establishment media just keep getting worse. They’re further and further from good, tough investigative journalism, and more prone to be pawns in complicated games that affect the public interest in untold ways. NYU’s Nouriel 'Dr. Doom' Roubini: ‘Karl Marx Was Right’ Economist Nouriel "Dr. Doom" Roubini, the New York University professor who four years ago accurately predicted the global financial crisis, said one of economist Karl Marx's critiques of capitalism is playing itself out in the current global financial crisis. The Explosive Truth Behind Fukushima's Meltdown to Counter Austerity Push How much damage did the 11 March earthquake inflict on the Fukushima Daiichi reactors before the tsunami hit? The stakes are high: if the earthquake structurally compromised the plant and the safety of its nuclear fuel, then every similar reactor in Japan may have to be shut down. True Cost of Afghan, Iraq Wars? Staggering When congressional cost-cutters meet later this year to decide on trimming the federal budget, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq could represent juicy targets. But how much do the wars actually cost the U.S. taxpayer? Nobody really knows. Revealed: Fake Facebook Identity Used By Military Contractors Plotting To Hack Progressive Organizations Earlier this year, ThinkProgress obtained 75,000 private emails from the defense contractor HBGary Federal via the hacktivist group called Anonymous. The emails led to two shocking revelations. Town Hall Meeting to Pelosi: Sellout! Tax the Rich! End the War! Although her castigation of House Republicans drew some cheers, Pelosi's critics remained focused. When she cited the recent deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling and cut the budget without raising any new revenues, a man angrily shouted, "Why did you vote for it?" Buffett: Tax Me and My Mega-Rich Friends Billionaire investor Warren Buffett urged U.S. lawmakers Monday to raise taxes on wealthier Americans to cut Washington's huge budget deficit, saying the move would not dampen investments or jobs. BART Pulls a Mubarak in San Francisco; Shuts Cell Phone Service to Impede Protest This week, EFF has seen censorship stories move closer and closer to home — first Iran, then the UK, and now San Francisco. Operators of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system (BART) shut down cell phone service to four stations in downtown San Francisco in response to a planned protest. Murdoch Scandal Bombshell: Reporter's Letter Reveals Cover-Up Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch and their former editor Andy Coulson all face embarrassing new allegations of dishonesty and cover-up. Critters Moving Away from Global Warming Faster Animals across the world are fleeing global warming by heading north much faster than they were less than a decade ago, a new study says. Home About Us Donate Subscribe Archives ****** Common Dreams Summer Fundraising Campaign Now Underway Please Donate Today! ****** Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community. Independent, non-profit newscenter since 1997. Our Mission: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. www.commondrems.org You are subscribed to the Common Dreams Weekly Newsletter as F.Abdolian.blogi@blogger.com. Click here to unsubscribe.

Common Dreams needs you today!

Dear Farhad, We hear all the time from our readers that we sustain them in their work and activism. We show them that there are others like them - pushing back against the corporatocracy - fighting every day for a just and sustainable future. You need to know you are not alone. You need to have access to the truth - to be able to act on it! Common Dreams offers one of the only sources of "real" information still available to a world that is being lied to by the media and the government on a daily basis. ~Jim in New Mexico You give me hope in my fellow American and in our future! ~Sarah in Wisconsin Thanks for your great work and very effective website. I routinely recommend it to friends. ~Joe in Oregon Keep up the good work...you provide an invaluable service to the progressive community! ~Shaw in Indiana For nearly 15 years we've helped bring America's progressive community together by bringing the truth to you every day...365 days a year. But we've never done it alone. We’ve only gotten this far thanks to your generous past financial support. With the collapse of our economy, Common Dreams, too, has been hard hit. Our expenses continue to rise -- while our donors aren’t able to give at the same level that they have in the past. Our Summer fundraiser - critical to our survival - is building slowly and has us all concerned. Our funding comes nearly 100% from our readers - from you. We have no corporate sponsors. We have no pop-up ads. We don't sell or rent our mailing lists or any of your personal information. We depend on you. If you believe that our work is important can we count on your help once again? We can't survive without you. And survive we must - for you, and for our future! Thanks so much, Malory Shaughnessy for the whole Common Dreams team P.S. You can make a secure, tax-deductible online donation with your credit card, or your Paypal account. Or, you can print our donation form and mail it to us with a check. But please do it today!

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Outsmarting the corporate media

Dear Farhad, We're one week  into our Summer Appeal, and not quite half way to our $50,000 goal. Can you make your secure, tax-deductible contribution now, so we can reach our goal and shut down this campaign? For years, Corporate America and wealthy conservatives have been spending outrageous amounts of money to influence the media. Fortunately, we're outsmarting them. Every single day - 365 days a year - our knowledgeable and dedicated staff brings you the latest news and best progressive opinions available. Common Dreams was here for you in the aftermath of 9/11. We were here for you during the Bush years. We are here for you today in these increasingly complex and maddening times. Bringing you the truth. And we're doing it with grassroots support from progressives just like you. Please donate today and help keep the progressive voice strong. It's a good value. Not just for you personally, but also for the progressive community as a whole. And for democracy. Can you make a tax deductible contribution today to sustain this work? Thanks! We can't do it without you! Malory For the whole Common Dreams team P.S. Don't forget that you can use our print and mail form if you prefer to mail your donation.

Click above to find the different ways you can make a tax deductible donation to Common Dreams! Common Dreams is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Our EIN is 20-3368194.) Follow us on Twitter Find us on Facebook Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community. Independent, non-profit newscenter since 1997. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. www.commondreams.org  Click here to unsubscribe

No Compromise

Dear Farhad, You cannot compromise with a tornado. You do not negotiate with an earthquake. You may duck and cover, but you do not hold out your hand to destructive forces. If you are wise, and if you are brave, you stand your ground, remain aware of those around you, offer shelter to those who have none, and when it’s done, you shake the debris off your shoulders and get to work fixing the damage. Unfortunately for us, the storm of corporate influence that has infected our democracy and the dark ten-year-old cloud of war have not yet past. Even so, our duties are the same. Common Dreams has never succumbed to the fear of the post-9/11 era. We stood our ground against war. We railed against torture. We championed those who called for equality, justice, community prosperity, and peace. We built a home for those who shared our concerns and we nurtured a hope for a better a world before it was a campaign slogan. We do that today. We will do that tomorrow. We do none of this, however, without your continued support. Without you, we are quite literally nothing. We don’t exist. We close shop. Because all of our support comes from people like you who have stood their ground against calls for war and fought back against corporate greed, political intransigence, and the cynicism of defeat. In this fight -- and it is a fight -- we will always offer you shelter. The only pledge we sign is to you. We pledge our commitment to continue this struggle and we thank you and commend you for sharing in this struggle with us. Help us today and know that no contribution is too large or too small. Clouds do lift, but only when the winds demand it. And demand we must. In solidarity and with deep gratitude, Jon Queally Assistant Editor P.S. We still need to raise $35,000 to reach our budget goal. You can donate online in a variety of ways by clicking here. Or click here to get information to mail us a check. Either way, please contribute today!

Click above to find the different ways you can make a tax deductible donation to Common Dreams! Common Dreams is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Our EIN is 20-3368194.) Follow us on Twitter Find us on Facebook Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community. Independent, non-profit newscenter since 1997. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. www.commondreams.org  Click here to unsubscribe

News & Views | Weekly Top Ten

Week ending Friday August 12, 2011    Readers Choice | Most Read Views... Michael Moore : 30 Years Ago: The Day the Middle Class Died Drew Westen: What Happened to Obama? Ray McGovern: They Died in Vain; Deal With It Laurie Penny: Panic on the Streets of London Noam Chomsky: America in Decline Thom Hartmann: Democracy Died First in Wisconsin – Long Live the Oligarchs James K. Galbraith: The Bad Deal Ralph Nader: Congressional Tea Party Downgrade of America Jim Hightower: America's Real Job Creators Are Broke Phil Rockstroh: Life in an Age of Looting: "Some Will Rob You with a Sixgun and Some with a Fountain Pen" Readers Choice | Most Read News... The Empathy Ceiling: The Rich Are Different — And Not In a Good Way, Studies Suggest Psychologist and social scientist Dacher Keltner says the rich really are different, and not in a good way: Their life experience makes them less empathetic, less altruistic, and generally more selfish. Krugman: Right's 'Madness', S&P Ineptitude Conjured Downgrade OK, so Standard and Poors has gone ahead with the threatened downgrade. It’s a strange situation. There is a case to be made that the madness of the right has made America a fundamentally unsound nation. And yes, it is the madness of the right. Progressives Unveil 'Contract' to Counter Austerity Push In the wake of the deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling, widely viewed as yet another setback for the progressive community, advocacy groups on the left are redoubling efforts to change the political narrative. GOP Candidate Romney: "Corporations Are People" Speaking to an occasionally rowdy crowd two days before the Ames Straw poll, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney made what seems likely to become a much-discussed flub, declaring to a group of Iowans that "corporations are people." UK Looters Say of Bankers: 'They Set the Example' The riots that turned London and some other English cities upside down this week have raised questions about the sustainability of spending cuts and a widening gap between rich and poor.. Obama Sides w/ Panetta: Medicare Cuts Over Defense Last week, Congressional Democrats were blindsided by newly-confirmed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who basically nixed any further cuts to military spending, and demanded that lawmakers trim from programs like Medicare and raise taxes to reduce future deficits. Next Low-Wage Haven: The United States of America Jokes about the U.S. becoming “Europe’s Mexico” are commonplace, but now high-priced consultants are pushing the notion in all seriousness. Progress But No Takeover: WI Recalls Claim 2 GOP Seats Five months to the day after the Republican majority in the Wisconsin State Senate voted to approve Governor Scott Walker's plan to strip most collective bargaining rights from public emloyees, two of the most governor's most prominent allies in the chamber have been removed from office. Town Hall Anger Returns on the Left Still licking their wounds from what liberals believe was a capitulation by President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats on the debt deal, liberal activists online are consoling themselves with — and pushing — confrontations at congressional town hall meetings.. Liberals See Peril as 'Compromise Hawk' Appointed to Debt Committee Sen. John Kerry’s appointment to the debt-reduction supercommittee is his big moment to shine as a dealmaker and silence critics who have questioned his modest record of legislative accomplishments.. Home About Us Donate Subscribe Archives ****** Common Dreams Summer Fundraising Campaign Now Underway Please Donate Today! ****** Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community. Independent, non-profit newscenter since 1997. Our Mission: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. www.commondrems.org You are subscribed to the Common Dreams Weekly Newsletter as F.Abdolian.blogi@blogger.com. Click here to unsubscribe.

A Decade of 'Shock Doctrine'

Dear Farhad, Since we first launched Common Dreams in 1997, we have been providing breaking news & views to the progressive community. 365 days a year. And we've been through a lot of tough days together. We are approaching the ten-year anniversary of some of our darkest days - September 2001 - when the “shock doctrine” kicked into high-gear. Bush started his global “War on Terror” by attacking Afghanistan with his cynically named “Operation Infinite Justice.” We soon saw sweeping infringements to basic rights from the PATRIOT Act in the US to random round ups of thousands of “terror suspects” across the globe. Rendition, torture, Guantanamo, Blackwater, Abu Ghraib, drones and ‘collateral damage’ filled our headlines. Consumerism became a patriotic duty. We saw the rise of a war machine beyond even the wildest dreams of the cold war era combined with huge giveaways for the financial elite. The basis was created for the dramatic austerity measures gutting investments in our future and devastating our social safety net today.   Bush’s Iraq War led to the privatization-obsessed Coalition Provisional Authority and was the centerpiece of Naomi Klein’s excellent best-seller “The Shock Doctrine.” Klein argued that it was part of a broader pattern. From Chile in the 1970s onward, she suggested, right-wing ideologues have exploited crises to push through an agenda that has nothing to do with resolving those crises, and everything to do with imposing their vision of a harsher, more unequal, less democratic society. And all signs indicate this pattern is not ending anytime soon. But if there is hope -- and we are all optimists around here -- the progressive voices demanding that we push peace and pursue justice must be heard. I think you will agree that its at times like this that independent voices and a strong independent media are absolutely crucial. We can’t do it without you. Common Dreams plans to be around for at least another 15 years to provide you with smart, honest voices standing up to the injustice -- and to provide constructive ways forward. But we can only continue with your support. We must raise $50,000 in this Summer Fundraising Campaign to meet our budget. Can you help? Naomi Klein describes Common Dreams as: "A daily, glorious taste of what the dominant media could be if it was shaped by our common dreams of justice and peace. In the meantime, we all owe an enormous debt to Common Dreams, which has done so much to keep the dream of that alternative world alive." Only with your help, Common Dreams will continue to survive, move forward and help try to make sense of this wild and wonderful world. Can you make a contribution right now? Thanks so much! We really can’t do it without you. Craig Brown for the whole Common Dreams team P.S. Don't forget that you can use our print and mail form if you prefer to mail your donation. There's no time to waste. Please pitch in today!

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Moving forward

Dear Farhad , At this point I am sure you are aware that we are in a fundraising campaign. Today I just wanted to share with you how critical these campaigns are and to answer a few questions you have asked about our budget and fundraising. Common Dreams operates on a very tight budget, in a small office of an old warehouse, with a staff of only five. From here we publish progressive news and analysis 365 days a year for millions of readers. We send hundreds of thousands of newsletters a week to a growing readership all over the world. And we bring you updates and breaking news 24/7. We are proud of what we've accomplished over the past 15 years with the support of our active and engaged community of readers and writers, and the tens of thousands of contributors sending what small amounts they can to keep Common Dreams alive. Several times a year we launch brief fundraising drives which provide us with most of our annual budget. Relying on small contributions from our readers not only guarantees us the independence to speak truth to power - but it helps keep us in touch (and on our toes) with our growing community of supporters. And since we began back in 1997, you have been able to count on Common Dreams to be there for you - and bring you the truth. Whether in the fall of 2001, when we published the critical analysis and progressive voices calling for a more thoughtful response to a nation’s tragedy, or today when we dig a little deeper to expose the distortions, and sometimes outright lies, that are spun out by the corporate media, you have been able to count on us. Can we count on your help now to keep moving forward? Can you help us raise $50,000 to meet our budget so we can end this campaign? Whether you can give $15, $50 or $500 - every amount gets us closer to our goal and every contribution is fully tax-deductible. Or sign up to give a small monthly or quarterly amount as a Sustaining Member. Please give today - and if you have the means - please give generously! Thanks so much. We can't do it without you. With warm regard, Malory Shaughnessy Director of Development & Special Projects P.S. If you are unable to contribute, please keep sharing our articles and analysis. Spreading the stories we publish and sharing the ideas is essential to growing our community! If you haven’t yet, please “like” our facebook page and share liberally:-)

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America Took the Wrong Path

Dear Farhad, Since we first came online in 1997, you have been able to count on Common Dreams to publish breaking news and views for the progressive community. Nearly ten years ago America was in shock from the events of September 11. George Bush and Dick Cheney immediately beat the drums for war. 24/7 the corporate media flooded our airwaves with retired generals, ‘patriotic’ flag-waving, vile islamophobia and cries for revenge. Common Dreams was a lonely voice in those dark days. In the weeks and months after 9/11 we sought and published voices calling for international cooperation, the use of legal channels to counter terrorism, the consequences of “blowback.” Would America chose the path of seeking justice or seeking revenge? America took the wrong path. And Bush launched the global "War on Terror." Now, here we are still watching that endless “war” claim lives daily. And still, Common Dreams is publishing the voices that question the status quo, challenge the corporate narrative and ask the hard questions to get to the truth. We believe our work is vital to helping build progressive community and getting our nation back on the right path. Can we count on your support today to continue this work? Only with the commitment of supporters like you, will Common Dreams still be here ten years from now - making sure that these voices of truth will be heard. With your support, Common Dreams will stay true to our mission: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.   Whether you can give $25, $50 or $500 - every amount is appreciated and every contribution is fully tax-deductible. We must reach our budget goal of $50,000 before we can end this campaign. Please give today! Thank you for all that you do and for all your past support! We can't do it without you! Peace, Craig, Andrea, Jon, Malory, Abby and the whole Common Dreams team P.S. By become a sustaining member of the Common Dreams community with a recurring contribution, you will help us plan our budget and will receive fewer contribution requests! P.S.S. Below is a screenshot of our frontpage as it appeared on September 18, 2001:

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Ten Years Later

August 8, 2011   Dear Farhad, Over the next month, as we approach the ten year anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001, the "war on terror" hype will again grow strong. Those that have profited from the status quo will defend the record of torture and intimidation, the endless wars, the continued loss of our basic civil rights, and the damage to our economy. But with your support, Common Dreams will stand strong - bringing you the authentic, independent voices you relied on then and can rely on now. In 2001, as the corporate media wrapped itself ever tighter in the American flag and the drumbeat of war grew, Common Dreams was there with in-depth coverage and progressive analysis to cut through the daily talking points and sensationalized coverage. That is why, in 2001, Utne Reader named Common Dreams "one of the best online sources for alternative news and views". We were there for you then, and are here for you today. But we have never done it alone. Since Common Dreams began, we have been reader supported - no corporate ads, no selling names, no gimmicks, no pulling punches - just the straight truth about the day's events. The only one we are beholden to is you, our reader. We know our work will never be done, because no matter which political party holds sway, corporate money holds the reins. And with the recent Murdoch scandal, the collusion between big money and big media is clearer than ever. The need for a free press to push back and publish the truth will always be urgent and compelling. If you believe in the importance of this work, please give a tax-deductible contribution to Common Dreams, or become a Sustaining Member today! Thank you for your support - past, present and future - we can't do it without you!  In peace, Craig, Andrea, Jon, Malory, Abby and the whole Common Dreams team P.S. To counter the coming hype and remember the reality of the time, you can still find our reader comments from September 11 here, and the September 2001 News and Views in our archives. P.P.S. We must raise $50,000 in this campaign to meet our budget. Please contribute today to help us reach the goal as quickly as possible so we can focus on the important work!

Click above to find the different ways you can make a tax deductible donation to Common Dreams! Common Dreams is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Our EIN is 20-3368194.) Follow us on Twitter Find us on Facebook Founded in 1997, CommonDreams.org is an Internet-based progressive news and grassroots activism organization. We are nonprofit, independent and nonpartisan. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. © Copyright 2011 www.commondreams.org  Click here to unsubscribe

News & Views | Weekly Top Ten

Week ending Friday August 5, 2011    Readers Choice | Most Read Views... John Atcheson: The Beast Is Starved: Welcome to the Next Great Depression Linda McQuaig: Tycoons Laughing All the Way to the Bank Sarah Churchwell: The Willful Ignorance That Has Dragged the US to the Brink Ralph Nader: 'Retreat, Surrender, Can He at Least Plead? Amy Goodman: War, Debt and the President Robert Reich: Ransom Paid Matthew Norman: The Unmaking of a President Jim Rigby: Five Scriptures You Won’t Hear at Rick Perry’s Prayer Event Nick Turse: A Secret War in 120 Countries: The Pentagon’s New Power Elite Ray McGovern: Obama Blows a Judas Kiss to the Poor Readers Choice | Most Read News... US Judge Orders Nixon's Secret Watergate Testimony Released Despite Obama Opposition Thirty-six years after Richard Nixon testified to the Watergate grand jury, a federal judge yesterday ordered the first public release of the transcript about the break-in that drove him from the presidency. 'A Sugar-Coated Satan Sandwich': Progressives Pan Debt Deal “Given the choice between a Republican and someone who acts like a Republican, people will vote for the real Republican all the time,” said Harry Truman. GOP Leader: Entitlement Promises ‘Are Not Going To Be Kept’ House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) said he is ready and willing to slash entitlements like Medicare, because, in his opinion, Americans have to “come to grips with the fact that promises have been made that frankly are not going to be kept for many.“ Tea Party's August Agenda? "Educate" US About Medicare With Medicare at the top of lawmakers' fall agenda, Tea Party movement leaders hope to ignite support for Republican plans to transform the popular federal healthcare program for the elderly. Massive 'Social Justice' Protests Sweep Israel Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in 10 cities to protest against the high cost of living and to demand ''social justice, not charity''. The Coming Double Dip: How DC Manufactures Recession The debt-ceiling compromise will do nothing to prevent the economy from tumbling into a second recession. Journalist Kicked out of ALEC Conference, Threatened With Arrest Surely as a member of the fourth estate, the good folks at ALEC would value my investigative efforts and grant me access to their back room dealings. House Dems Furious, See Debt Deal as GOP Win House Democrats on Monday expressed outrage at the White House for how it handled the debt-ceiling negotiations, claiming the administration caved to the GOP and left them in the dark. Debt Deal's 'Super Congress' Puts Democracy Behind Curtain The proposed so-called "super Congress," created by congressional leaders required to find $1.5 trillion in debt reduction, could wind up making those decisions behind closed doors, away from the public eye. Wanted: 27 New Planet Earths by 2050 Even if areas dedicated to conserving plants, animals, and other species that provide Earth's life support system increased tenfold, it would not be enough without dealing with the big issues of the 21st century: population, overconsumption and inefficient resource use. Home About Us Donate Sign Up Archives Founded in 1997, CommonDreams.org is an Internet-based progressive news and grassroots activism organization. We are nonprofit, independent and nonpartisan. Our Mission: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. © Copyright 1997-2011 You are subscribed to the Common Dreams Weekly Newsletter as F.Abdolian.blogi@blogger.com. Click here to unsubscribe.