The Exxon Valdez-BP Connection

Image from source, TruthOut

I grew up in Ohio, where all throughout my childhood, gasoline was almost synonymous with Sohio.  Yes, we had a gas station called Sohio, and it was everywhere.  As a buckeye, it felt like part of our state pride to go to Sohio, even though it was often more expensive.  But sometime in my teen years, all of the Sohio stations disappeared, replaced by BP.  There wasn't any internet, and as a teenager, I wasn't much into business news. We just noticed that all of the red white and blue stations were suddenly green and yellow.  But BP (British Petroleum) still felt like a link to the past, keeping some of the brand names ("Boron", "Supron"). I figured they were a stand-up company.

Of course, I also remember the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska from 1989. Anyone old enough does. Even in pre-internet times, that spill was in the top five news stories of the 80s, right there with the space shuttle Challenger explosion, and the shooting of Ronald Reagan. But I never knew there was a BP connection, did you? Greg Palast, the best American journalist around (who ironically doesn't live in America anymore) has the story.

[Excerpt]

Slick Operator: The BP I've Known Too Well

I've seen this movie before. In 1989, I was a fraud investigator hired to dig into the cause of the Exxon Valdez disaster. Despite Exxon's name on that boat, I found the party most to blame for the destruction was ... British Petroleum (BP).



That's important to know, because the way BP caused devastation in Alaska is exactly the way BP is now sliming the entire Gulf Coast. . .

Read more at: TruthOut

Greg Palast Warns of Voting Irregularities

Greg Palast is probably one of the best American journalists working today. Unfortunately, he works for the BBC. Which is probably good for him, because investigative journalism in the United States is practically nonexistent. Since the 2000 election, Palast has worked tirelessly to uncover voting irregularities, and he's still warning us to watch out: it could happen again.

[Excerpt]

BBC journalist warns against voter irregularities

The BBC journalist who uncovered possible voter fraud in the 2000 and 2004 U.S. presidential elections told a South Florida crowd Sunday those same forces that led to President Bush's victories will not "steal" this year's election.

"They've already stolen it," Greg Palast told a crowd at the Palm Beach Democratic Club on Sunday. "But, you can steal it back. . ."

Read more at: Palm Beach Post

Great Quotes by Famous People #1: George Orwell

Photo of George Orwell ThirdWorldTraveller.com

Posting on the weekends is rough work, as I've mentioned before. And it isn't like I haven't tried. I've been in front of the computer for a couple of hours, and just haven't dug up anything interesting enough to share.

On a break, I started leafing through a book called True Lies, a book by Anthony Lappé and Ian Inaba from something called "The Guerrilla News Network." I am not familiar with GNN. But what drew me to the book was a forward by Greg Palast, and blurb from Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser. Palast and Schlosser would be at the top of the list of writers I admire.

Anyway, the point of this post (and I do have one), is a great quote at the beginning of the book:


". . .we are all capable of believing things which we know to be untrue, and then, when we are finally proved wrong, impudently twisting the facts so as to show that we were right. Intellectually, it is possible to carry on this process for an indefinite time: the only check on it is that sooner or later a false belief bumps up against solid reality, usually on the battlefield."--George Orwell, "In Front of Your Nose"

Reading this quote, I couldn't help but think that Karl Rove probably should have put down his dog-eared copy of Orwell's 1984, and picked up In Front of Your Nose. Manufacturing reality works for a while, but then reality smacks you in the face. Thankfully, many people are getting smacked, and finally are waking up.

This will hopefully be a new semi-regular feature here. I'll be on the lookout for other notable quotes. And I'll also be checking out Guerrilla News Network, and see what that's all about.

Greg Palast: Kerry Won in '04

Journalist Greg Palast first caught my interest when he was a guest on The Randi Rhodes Show. Impressed by that and other appearances, I read Armed Madhouse, his book dealing with election theft and general government corruption. I was alarmed by what I read, but didn't have a blog at the time to use as a forum.

In the past week, my interest was re-sparked by another appearance on the radio, very shortly followed by the Andrew Meyer tasering the other day (Meyer was quoting Armed Madhouse right before he got into trouble). So, I've been checking out his blog.

I've posted a couple of items on Palast over the last couple of months, in fact two in the last couple of days. But this story is important, so we're triple-dosing.

Palast has recently excerpted a chunk of his book, which really captures the gist of what really happened in 2004. This saves me a lot of time trying to recap it myself! So, please do go check it out. If this interests you, and you want to learn more, check out Armed Madhouse, all righty? OK then.

[Excerpt]

Cranks and Kooks: Kerry Won in ‘04

THE CON

Kerry Won. Now Get Over It . . .

. . .because they’re putting ‘08 in their pocket. Republicans just seem to have that winning spirit. They also have caging lists, felons of the future, rotting ballots, snuffed canaries, and a lock on the votes of Kissinger-Americans and the undead.

WARNING! There are cranks and kooks and crazies out there on the Internet who say that George Bush lost the 2004 election, like one titled, “Kerry Won” published on the TomPaine.com web site two days after the election. I wrote it.

On November 11, a week after TomPaine.com published it, I received an e-mail from The New York Times Washington Bureau. Hot on the investigation of the veracity of the vote, The Times reporter asked me pointed questions:

Question #1: Are you a “sore loser”? Question #2: Are you a “conspiracy nut”?

There was no third question. . .

Read the rest (it's good): GregPalast.com

Andrew Meyer, Tased Student: A Better View

Just one more post about this story, because I found a video that shows the incident in a far more revealing light. Andrew Meyer may hold extreme views. He may not have presented himself in the best light.

But as this version of the video shows, he did nothing to warrant this behavior by the campus police. There is simply no reason to arrest someone and put them in handcuffs for being an activist. He did not have a gun, he did not threaten to club Kerry with his copy of Armed Madhouse.

This was a colossal overreaction, and while certainly not in scale with Kent State, it did give me that vibe, and made me wonder if another Kent State could happen if a large group of people behaved as Andrew did.

You may have already made up your mind that this kid got what was coming to him. Watch this video, and see if you still feel that way.

UPDATE: I've been hearing that Meyer is something of a prankster, and at least in part was hoping for a confrontation. That may be, but I'm not sure it changes my opinion about the police reaction. They sure did seem to be enjoying themselves, and overly eager to zap the guy.

Greg Palast's Take on Tasered Student Story

Photo from source, GregPalast.com

Since his book is what sparked (sorry) this fracas, it's only appropriate to hear what Greg Palast has to say on the matter. And any interest I can generate (sorry again) in Greg Palast's electrifying (OK, I'm not sorry, I'm just immature) is absolutely justified. It's a fantastic and enlightening (heh) book.

[Excerpt]

Student Tasered for Armed Madhouse Question to Kerry

Read the excerpt from Armed Madhouse that got Andrew Meyer’s in trouble.We warned you: ‘Armed Madhouse’ is a dangerous book. Yesterday, Andrew Meyer, a University of Florida student was attacked by five cops, zapped with tasers and arrested after demanding that Senator John Kerry answer the question. [snip]

The Washington Post reported only that Meyers was holding a “mysterious yellow book.” VERY mysterious. [snip]

I must admit I feel some appreciation for Meyers, especially because, even while he was being shot with untold amps of electricity, until he was handcuffed, he would not let go of his mysterious yellow book, ‘Armed Madhouse.’

Read the rest at: GregPalast.com

Greg Palast Exposes Bush and the Sheik

Greg Palast is (as I've said in the past) America's best investigative reporter, and he lives in England. In fact, I can't think of another reporter that even comes close. Why isn't this man a household name by now?

In this article, he exposes much about what's going on behind the assassinated "Sheik" from Bush's umpteenth Iraq pep speech on Thursday.

One of my goals in starting this blog was to expose the "news behind the news" that isn't seen in the mainstream press. Well, outside of the blogosphere and The Randi Rhodes Show, I haven't seen this anywhere else. Read it.

[Excerpt]

Greg Palast: Bush's Fake Sheik Whacked: The Surge and the Al Qaeda Bunny

Here's what you need to know that NPR won't tell you.
1. Sheik Abu Risha wasn't a sheik.
2. He wasn't killed by Al Qaeda.
3. The new alliance with former insurgents in Anbar is as fake as the sheik -- and a murderous deceit.

That's just a small snippet. Read the rest at: Buzzflash.com

Greenlee Gazette Book Club

I've taken Air America Radio's Randi Rhodes' advice to heart, and would like to reiterate it here, don't believe a word you read on this blog. Or those of any other. I'm not saying I'm not trustworthy, I'm only saying, do you homework. If I've said something here that resonates, for good or bad, I want you to check it out for yourself. Read the source material, check out the links, go a little further.

One way to do that, is to crack a book or two. Several that I've read have opened my eyes to how politics operates in this country, and how what we've been lead to believe may not necessarily be true. It's amazing what you can learn, what's out there in black and white, that you've never seen on CNN, MSNBC or FOX "News."

Now I'll admit, most of these books are written from a progressive/liberal point of view. I've really tried to read and digest some of the conservative tomes. I tried Slander by Ann Coulter, Deliver Us From Evil by Sean Hannity, a book by David Limbaugh (Rush's tag along brother), another by Michael (Weiner) Savage. . .all dreadful, partisan tripe. I'm not kidding, ranting and raving, easy to punch holes through.

The following books are much more dense, better researched, and a lot harder to dismiss, in my opinion (admittedly biased). The difference, as I see it, is an effort to present truth over partisanship. They're partisan, all right, but they at least try to be accurate. All highly recommended.

The Assault on Reason by Al Gore

Armed Madhouse by Greg Palast

Screwed by Thom Hartmann

Conservatives Without Conscience by John Dean (a Republican!)

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them and The Truth (With Jokes) by Al Franken

More Greg Palast: On Data Mining

Greg Palast is overdue to burst through to the public consciousness. If you haven't read his stuff yet, do so now.

[Excerpt]

Busted & Crimes of The Times
Published August 1st, 2007 in Articles
By Greg Palast

Cutely buried in the 18th paragraph in a story about Alberto Gonzales on Sunday was a slyly-worded updated confession by the New York Times that, in 2004, the Bush Administration leaned on its editors to spike a story about illegal invasions of citizens’ private records (”data mining”). The Times editors smothered the story. They finally ran it - a year later - after Bush was safely re-elected.

As a journalist, this makes me want to throw up.

For two reasons:

To find out the reasons, you must visit: GregPalast.com

Greg Palast on the 2008 Vote: The Fix is In

I'm way overdue in posting another link to GregPalast.com. Palast is one of the only American investigative journalists living today, and he lives in Britain! Check him out, you will likely be shocked.

[Excerpt]

Palast on PBS’ NOW‘The Fix is in’ for
Published July 27th, 2007 in Articles
Tonight (Friday July 27):

Catch Greg Palast on PBS’ top current affairs program.
WATCH THE REPORT HERE

‘NOW’ furthers the story Palast first busted open for Britain’s BBC Newsnight, the scheme to attack voters of color - the ‘Blue’ ones.

For Bill Moyers’ capable successor, David Brancaccio, Palast lays out the latest evidence never before televised.

Reporter Palast for BBC interviewing fired US Attorney David Iglesias in New York. Both appear on the PBS broadcast. (photo: J. Soohen)

Check it out at GregPalast.com

Get Active! - Vol. 1 (06-19-07)

A lot of news happens in a day, and with a full-time job, I don't always have a chance to sit down and analyze it. Especially when you factor in the time spent reading or listening to the news. So, from time to time, I'm going to give my readers (as Randi Rhodes is fond of saying) homework. I'll make an effort to link only to those stories that are of major interest, and will indicate otherwise if something is just fluff.

Here are links to some news stories that you probably haven't seen on the mainstream news (except for Keith Olbermann's show). Please read them, and spread the word.

The first three focus on the details of the White House email scandal. Don't know about it? Read on:

Bush Aides' Misuse of E-Mail Detailed by House Committee -
washingtonpost.com

The Raw Story Olbermann: 'Infinity minus 140,216 improper emails'

(And a repost of my earlier story by Greg Palast in case you missed it)

Palast Exclusive: The Tears of a Clone at BradBlog.com

Moving away from scandal news, I found this interesting interview with Rachel Maddow, host of the Rachel Maddow Show on Air America Radio (possible fluff warning!).

PageOneQ Rachel Maddow: Out on Air America, shaking up the airwaves

That's enough for a Tuesday night, kids! Study up!

Greg Palast Nails Rove, et al.

Greg Palast is an American journalist working for the BBC, and author of the terrific book Armed Madhouse. He has evidence that points to overt voter fraud in the Bush Administration, evidence that logically leads to Karl Rove. There is little I can add to the story, so (new blogger here, bear with me, I don't know how to automatically link), I'm just going to manually link to his story over at BradBlog. Please read it, it's absolutely stunning.

Palast Exclusive: The Tears of a Clone at BradBlog