Political links and letters
If you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention - from a bumper sticker
Most of us, I think, have a sense that something is wrong in America and in the world. However, we are reluctant to look beyond the meager headlines of the local newspaper, much less challenge the accepted explanations of why our country's leaders are taking the actions they are committed to. There is a lot of news flowing through our lives, but it is mostly low-calorie news, fluff news, pocket lint news. Whether it is Laci Peterson, or a local boating accident, or some other tragedy de jour, our media lowers itself to the challenge and slogs on.
Fortunately, the internet is a plentiful source of alternative news. Below this paragraph you will find links to various news sources; perhaps the best praise that I can give them is that they will make you uncomfortable. If so, that is good; complacency is the drug administered by those who wish not to be noticed as they quietly plunder this country and this planet. Even if you do not share my political views I hope that you will find some benefit in these links, and resist the temptation to leave policy to experts.
- CrisisPapers.org publishes links to a wide variety of news sources, modestly billing itself as "the Best Political Opinion and Commentary of the Progressive Internet." Here you will find links organized by topics such as the 9/11 attacks, oil politics, the economy, and many others. The linked articles are from a wide range of publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Business Week On-line, etc. Updated weekly, highly recommended.
- You will find many, many well-reasoned opinions and commentary, as well as news of interest, at TruthOut.org. William Rivers Pitt is one of the most thought-provoking writers to issue a clarion call to "Wake up, America." Updated daily with full-text copies of mainstream news dispatches, which makes this the source to go to for breaking news.
- CooperativeResearch.org is a modest site with very detailed and compelling research on a variety of troubling topics related to recent political history. The 9-11 timeline is probably the most complete collection of facts available, presented both as a straight-through chronology and organized in an alternative view by subject. Every entry in this fascinating timeline has links back to the original source material where available, or to a saved transcript of the original. The thing that I like about Cooperative Research is that there is very little editorializing; the site is nearly pure information, with the responsibility on the reader to render an opinion. Sprinkled throughout the timeline you will find italicized comment and questions, but these serve as jumping-off points for your own thoughts. This site is a stark reminder that although the subject of Iraq has largely pushed 9-11 off the table, lots of troubling questions remain about this pivotal event. I would expect that questioning the official story on 9-11 to start becoming mainstream in the early summer of 2003 as the relatives of 9-11 victims start asking embarassing questions more publicly.
- AlterNet.org provides another compendium of articles on a wide variety of topics. Alternet has a broader range of topics than the links above; you will find more environmental and social issues raised here. Like crisispapers.org, the links include a brief abstract or quotation from the topic article.
- The Fighting Democrat web site is exactly the type of well-reasoned and combative resource that progressives will need to counter the all-pervasive voice of Republican media.
- Wondering about what is really going on in the world? Peer behind the headlines by visiting projectcensored.org. Includes a compilation of the top 25 censored or under-reported news items of the past year.
- You can find more overlooked news at SubliminalNews.com. Currently specializing in topics on Big Brother, Iraq, and Venezuela coup watch, this site is especially good for keeping an eye on civil liberties issues.
- Worried about genetically modified organism foods? Plastics and your health? Dioxins in the environment? mindfully.org provides a searchable database of articles, as well as a topic listing that is updated by dedicated volunteers.
- The Center for Democracy and Technology tracks legislation related to privacy, copyright, and technology, as well as providing commentary on these issues. The erosion of privacy and our Bill of Rights is real, and frightening.
- I don't always agree with ERiposte.com, but at least it makes me think hard.
- Are you feeling disenfranchised by Republican gains in the legislative and executive branches? Do you secretly believe that Bush and Rove and company are setting out to set new records for responsiveness to corporate contributions? Look no further than MakeThemAccountable.com for articles that track their nefarious deeds.
- Looking for news about democracy and the drug wars in South and Central America? NarcoNews.com provides an alternative viewpoint.
- Useful mostly because of all the links to foreign news sources, Google News is constantly updated with headline news. Unfortunately, it only has headline news, but you can at least see how the rest of the world is responding.
- Although you can get the party line from a variety of sources (Yahoo, Salon, as well as countless other gateways that I will not deign to publicize), you can find text-only access to the Associated Press headlines at the Northern Light search site [unfortunately discontinued in March 2003].
- Wired and C|Net News track the technical world, and often have tidbits related to the juncture of social policy and technology.
- Hungry for a peek at the paranoid Right? Check out WorldNetDaily. Actually, in a weird twist of fate World Net Daily has had some good articles that expose the excesses of Bush and company, thereby proving that you can't be too paranoid after all.
- Ok, you've read all the news and opinions you can stand, and you want to march! Portland Peaceful Response has the local details. MoveOn.org is emerging as THE force in progressive internet-based organizing. You could do worse than join TrueMajority.com, or check out Not In Our Name.
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Last update: July 6th, 2003