Headlines from DemocracyNow.org, a daily TV/radio news program, hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, airing on over 650 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the US.
Obama: Plan for GM May Involve Bankruptcy
President Barack Obama has ordered General Motors and Chrysler to accelerate their restructuring efforts and brace for possible bankruptcy. Obama spoke Monday hours after the White House forced GM CEO Rick Wagoner to resign and ordered Chrysler to complete an alliance with the Italian automaker Fiat.
President Obama: “Now, what we’re asking for is difficult. It will require hard choices by companies. It will require unions and workers, who have already made extraordinarily painful concessions, to do more. It will require creditors to recognize that they can’t hold out for the prospect of endless government bailouts. It’ll have to–it will require efforts from a whole host of other stakeholders, including dealers and suppliers. Only then can we ask American taxpayers, who have already put up so much of their hard-earned money, to once more invest in a revitalized auto industry.”
Obama administration officials say they are weighing a fix for GM and Chrysler that would divide their “good” and “bad” assets and send the auto makers into bankruptcy. If GM declared bankruptcy, up to one million employees, dependents, retirees and their spouses could lose healthcare and retirement benefits. A bankruptcy judge recently allowed car part suppler Delphi to cancel healthcare and life insurance benefits for retirees, calling the moves “good business judgment.” During his address on Monday, President Obama said nothing about protecting the benefits of workers and retirees. GM’s shares plunged 25 percent Monday, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 3.3 percent. President Obama said there is no plan to nationalize General Motors.
President Obama: “Let me be clear: The United States government has no interest in running GM. We have no intention of running GM. What we are interested in is giving GM an opportunity to finally make those much needed changes that will let them emerge from this crisis a stronger and more competitive company.”
Obama Accused of Double Standard on Bailouts
Michigan lawmakers, including Democratic Senator Carl Levin and Republican Congressman Thaddeus McCotter, said there is a double standard in terms of treatment of the financial industry compared with the auto industry. The government has not yet required any banks to replace its top executives.
GM CEO to Receive $20 Million in Retirement Benefits
While GM’s CEO Rick Wagoner is being forced to resign, he still stands to make millions. ABC News reports that Wagoner will be eligible to collect $20 million in retirement benefits from GM.
US Seeks International Support for Surge in Afghanistan
Officials from more than seventy countries are meeting in the Netherlands to discuss the future of Afghanistan. All of Afghanistan’s neighbors, including Iran, are attending. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to ask conference delegates for their countries’ support for Washington’s escalation of the war. President Obama has said he plans to send an extra 17,000 soldiers and 4,000 advisers to Afghanistan. The Red Cross has warned that the planned US surge is likely to mean more civilian casualties. The Red Cross urged the conference to “consider the plight of civilians as a matter of urgency.” On Monday, US special envoy Richard Holbrooke spoke about the importance of Iran’s role in the summit.
Richard Holbrooke: “The presence of Iran here is obvious. How can you talk about Afghanistan and exclude one of the countries that’s a bordering, neighboring state? This is absolutely clear. The creation of the current government in Afghanistan in the Bonn negotiations of 2002 involved Iran, and they played an important role. And when the Dutch government decided to invite them, it seemed to us to be the most logical thing in the world.”
Sayeed Jawed of the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief called on the international community to fight government corruption.
Sayeed Jawed: “Normally, you know, the security is coming if you have a good governance. So we would ask the international community to work for the good government, which provides situation for development and that will guarantee the security.”
Sunni Awakening Council in Baghdad Stages Brief Uprising
Iraqi and US soldiers have completely disarmed a group of Sunni fighters, following an uprising in Baghdad led by members of the Awakening Council, a group of former insurgents now on the US-Iraqi payroll. This marks the first time an Awakening Council has been forcibly disbanded in the capital. Iraqi security officials said eighty Sunni fighters have been detained.
Major General Abdulkarim Abdulrahman: “The military operation is almost complete. There are some wanted men, those who attacked the military forces, and they will be arrested. We are working now on returning civilian services back to the area. We have made a call to the people of al-Fadhil, urging them to open the shops and resume normal life.”
US Sergeant Convicted of Killing Iraqis
In other Iraq news, a US sergeant has been convicted of murder in the execution-style slaying of four bound and blindfolded Iraqi detainees in 2007.
Dozens of Israeli Jets and Drones Attacked Sudan in January
Time Magazine has uncovered more details of an Israeli military attack on Sudan in mid-January. Time reports dozens of Israeli fighter-bombers, backed by unmanned drones, bombed a 23-truck convoy in the Sudanese desert. Israeli sources told the magazine the convoy was allegedly transporting Iranian arms to Gaza.
Israeli Military Ends Probe of Army Misconduct in Gaza
The Israeli military has decided to end its internal investigation into reports that Israeli troops killed innocent Palestinians during the assault on Gaza. The probe was launched after IDF soldiers were quoted in Israeli newspapers saying that combat troops in Gaza fired at unarmed Palestinian civilians and vandalized property during the attack on Gaza. Military Advocate General Brig. Gen. Avichai Mendelblit said such claims were inaccurate and “based on hearsay.” Meanwhile, two Palestinians died earlier today in an Israeli air strike on Gaza.
US to Release Yemeni Doctor from Guantanamo
The Obama administration has announced plans to release a Yemeni doctor from Guantanamo just days before his habeas petition was scheduled to be heard in federal court. Dr. Ayman Batarfi is an orthopedic surgeon who was has been held since 2002. Batarfi said he was a humanitarian worker who found himself at the battle of Tora Bora while Osama bin Laden was in the area.
Detained US Journalists to be Tried in North Korea
In North Korea, two detained US journalists will reportedly be put on trial on charges of illegal entry and hostile acts. The two reporters, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, were detained along the Chinese border on March 17. The reporters work for Al Gore’s Current TV.
Boston College Bars Bill Ayers from Speaking on Campus
In education news, Boston College has barred University of Illinois professor Bill Ayers from speaking on campus. The former member of the Weather Underground was scheduled to give a speech last night, but it was canceled by school administrators citing safety concerns. The school also prevented Ayers from giving his talk by satellite. Ayers was scheduled to speak about urban schools and educational inequities. Boston College student Melissa Roberts said, “It’s an unconscionable violation of academic freedom on a college campus, which should be a place where all ideas are welcome, not just popular ones.”
Canadian Judge Upholds Ban on British MP George Galloway
Meanwhile, a Canadian judge has upheld Ottawa’s decision to ban British parliamentarian George Galloway from entering the country to conduct a speaking tour. Galloway has been a vocal critic of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the Israeli government. Canadian officials accused Galloway of giving financial support to Hamas and offering sympathy to the Taliban. Canadian officials claim he is a threat to national security. Last night, Galloway spoke to an audience in Toronto via the internet.
EPA to Monitor Air Quality Outside 62 Schools
USA Today reports the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce plans today to monitor the air outside sixty-two schools in twenty-two states. The plan marks the most sweeping effort to determine whether toxic chemicals permeate the air schoolchildren breathe.
Gov’t-Run Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Lost Billions in Risky Investments
In economic news, the Boston Globe is reporting the federal agency that insures the retirement funds of 44 million Americans has lost billions of dollars due to risky investment decisions. Last year, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation departed from its conservative investment strategy and decided to put much of its $64 billion insurance fund into speculative investments such as stocks in emerging foreign markets, real estate and private equity funds. The decision was made just months before the start of the stock market collapse. Analysts are concerned that large portions of the trust fund might have been lost at a time when many private pension plans are suffering major losses. The guarantee fund would be the only way to cover the plans if their companies go into bankruptcy. The investment strategy was implemented by Charles Millard, a former managing director of Lehman Brothers.
Goldman Sachs Exec Donated To Obama Senate Campaign After He Left Senate
The Washington Times is reporting President Obama continued collecting money for his 2010 Senate re-election campaign even after he resigned his seat from Illinois. The money came from some of Obama’s top presidential fundraisers including Bruce Heyman, managing director at Goldman Sachs, which received a $10 billion bailout last year. According to campaign records, Obama received four contributions totaling nearly $5,000 after Dec. 26. The donations are legal, but the timing is considered unusual because Obama formally left the Senate on Nov. 16.
Prominent Lobbyist Closes PMA Group After Federal Raid
A prominent lobbyist with close ties to Democratic Congressman John Murtha is closing his firm, weeks after federal prosecutors raided his office and his home. Paul Magliocchetti’s firm, the PMA Group, is one of the 10 largest lobbying firms in Washington. The New York Times Magliocchetti helped pioneer the lucrative specialty of helping contractors lobby for military earmarks, pet spending items that members of the panel insert in annual spending bills. Magliocchetti is very close to Murtha, chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Since 1998 employees of PMA have contributed nearly $8 million to members on the House defense spending panel and $2.4 million to Murtha.
Anti-Nuke Activists Arrested in Vermont
In Vermont four activists were arrested on Monday during a speech by Gov. Jim Douglas. They were calling on Douglas to close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant and replace its power with energy efficiency programs and renewable energy.
Cesar Chavez Day Marked in Eight States
And today is the birthday of the late labor leader Cesar Chavez. He was born on March 31, 1927. There is a growing movement to make his birthday a national holiday. Cesar Chavez Day is already a state holiday in eight U.S. states.
Is Grand Rapids Becoming Green: Part II
So, last year in my Earth Day-edition of this monthly column I raised some questions about whether or not Grand Rapids was really becoming a “Green City.” I discussed the notion of corporate green-washing and how the current fashion of calling something green was mostly a PR scam to get us to either buy more stuff we don’t need or to lull us into thinking that all we needed to do to avoid ecological catastrophe was to make some minor adjustments to the system.
I mentioned how in 2006 there was a Step It Up Campaign with the goal of reducing our levels of carbon humanity produces 80% by 2050. If we don’t reduce it that might much 2050 we might not be able to reverse the disastrous consequences of climate catastrophe. Well, it is a year later and I want to again raise questions about whether or not there are any serious efforts to structurally change how we live in West Michigan that would truly promote sustainability.
First, it seems like we simply have to stop consuming more and significantly reduce our levels of consumption. I have been to hearings in recent months in Holland over the proposed coal power plant and I rarely heard anyone talking about reducing the community’s electricity needs. There was some discussion of creating alternative and renewable energy, but not much was said about the need to reduce how much energy was being consumed and how much our system is built around “growth.”
The idea that you can have sustainability with growth generally seems to be accepted even though I have yet to come across any solid arguments on how this is possible. But it’s as if that doesn’t matter. What matters is that we call whatever we do green and all is well.
I read a story in the Grand Rapids Press in late February with the headline, “Green cell phones.” I thought this was probably going to be a PR created article touting some new solar powered cell phones, which are problematic in and of themselves. What the story was really about was that one company was now offering a new program on the cell phone, which would allow you to track your own carbon footprint. So, while you are stuck in traffic you can figure out how much of an impact you are personally having on the planet. How nice.
What is troubling about this green marketing scheme is that it not only doesn’t do anything to address the severity of the current ecological crisis we face, it takes our attention away from the corporations that produce this stuff and what these systems of communication are doing to us and the planet. It means you don’t have to discuss how the minerals are extracted from the earth that are used to make the phones, how far these materials are transported, and what pollution is produced in the process. It means you don’t have to think about the amount of water and chemicals that are used in the process of treating the electronic components used manufacturing the phones. It means you don’t have to think about the millions of cell phone towers that are erected all over the planet so that you can talk to people anytime you want. Cell phone towers mean that trees will come down and we don’t fully know what the consequences will be on our health from the electronic waves that cell phone towers and cell phone emit. This is what is dangerous about the production of “green products.”
In March, there was an announcement in the Grand Rapids Press about a joint business venture with a company from Spain and Rockford Construction Company to manufacture wind turbines for electricity production. Again, the story is presented as a wonderful thing, because after all don’t we need viable alternative energy sources? We do, but the problem with this uncritical approach is that it again avoids any discussion on how energy is currently being consumed and how it would be distributed.
Part of the problem of energy consumption is not just that the current system uses too much, but the production and distribution of energy is not done democratically. The power companies are private entities so you and I have no say in how energy is produced, distributed, nor what they charge for it. If energy sources in West Michigan were public utilities, then the public could have a say in how energy is produced and distributed. We could also have a say in creating community standards so that the current big consumers of energy, industry, could not continue to pollute at the current levels. It means that we would all have to become invested in the process, but it also means that there is some mechanism for accountability.
These are not the kind of questions that are being raised about our future, even from the organizations that claim to be leaders on issues of sustainability. In March, Congressman Ehlers and Hoekstra responded negatively to the Obama administration’s energy proposal, which in part promotes the idea of carbon trading. The Press interviewed the director of a local environmental organization who supported the idea of carbon trading. The story is framed to make you believe that the Republican Congressmen are not environmentally down with the government plan, but the eco-organization is. What are omitted are any third voices that might be critical of the idea of carbon credits because they don’t believe that the market should play a role in averting climate catastrophe. This is the basic critique of Indian activist and author Vandana Shiva’s latest book, Soil, Not Oil: Environmental Justice in the Age of Climate Crisis.
At the end of April, the Grand Rapids-based group Local First is hosting a conference called “Designing Sustainable Communities Through Business.” In looking at the website I can’t find anything about what Local First means by sustainability other than the green business mantra of the “Triple Bottom Line,” which means economic growth, social responsibility and sustainable environmental practices. However, there are no standards or guidelines for the triple bottom line.
The lack of clear standards about being a sustainable business is reflected in which businesses are members of Local First. With a quick look at some of the names I was confused as to how a company that sells RVs, a Lincoln car dealership, the Whitecaps Baseball Team Corporation, an asphalt company, Monte’s Bar, advertising agencies, The Grand Rapids Business Journal, real estate companies, and a fur company in East Grand Rapids practice sustainability.
These are questions that need to be asked and we just can’t give organizations and businesses a free pass because they put a green or local label on themselves. And since we can’t rely on the corporate media to ask these kinds of questions, we are going to have to figure out ways to ask them so that there is a more honest forum for confronting the challenges that we face in creating a more sustainable world.
Jeff Smith does media education work with the Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy. jsmith AT mediamouse.org
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