Author Archives: Thorne Dreyer

As Go the Penquins, So Goes the Sea

Bellwether Species?A king penguin at the edge of an ice shelf in Antarctica. Photo from Getty Images.Penguin Woes Signal Trouble at SeaBy Seth Borenstein / July 1, 2008 The dwindling march of the penguins is signaling that the world’s oceans … Continue reading

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NRA Has Obama In Its Sights

NRA plans $40M fall blitz targeting ObamaBy Jonathan Martin / June 30, 2008 The National Rifle Association plans to spend about $40 million on this year’s presidential campaign, with $15 million of that devoted to portraying Barack Obama as a … Continue reading

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A poem of peace

Making Peace A voice from the dark called out,“The poets must give usimagination of peace, to oust the intense, familiarimagination of disaster. Peace, not onlythe absence of war.” But peace, like a poem,is not there ahead of itself,can’t be imagined … Continue reading

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Two For The Road : Heading For The Exit Lane

By 2012 there should be roughly 10 million fewer vehicles on the road in America… We stand at a turning point for US transport. Real gasoline prices have already surpassed the peak levels that followed the second OPEC oil shocks, … Continue reading

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Two For the Road : Killing Off the Small Town

A road going to Leeton, Missouri, population 619. Photo by jelene’s photostream.High Gas Prices Threaten to DrainSmall Towns’ PopulationsBy Donald Bradley / June 28, 2008 LEETON, Missouri – In this small town south of Warrensburg, directions usually begin with, “From … Continue reading

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Sy Hersh : Preparing the Battlefield

Drawing courtesy of The New Yorker The Bush Administration steps up its secret moves against Iran. by Seymour M. Hersh This blockbuster article by Seymour Hersh about U.S. covert operations in Iran appears in the July 7 and 14 issue … Continue reading

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Kim Phuc : Then and Now

Kim Phuc now lives in Toronto with her husband and two children. Her organization, Kim Foundation International, aids children who are war victims. Photo courtesy of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. In one of the most famous images of the Vietnam … Continue reading

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Corn Dog’s Coat — and Big Bad Jew

The video above from the Daily Show includes excerpts from John (Corn Dog) Cornyn’s video, “Big Bad John,” — already a thing of legend — previously posted and discussed on The Rag Blog. But the best part is a faux … Continue reading

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Jim Hightower : Surprise! It’s About the Oil

Bush’s Iraq Oil Grab By Jim Hightower / June 30, 2008 Out of the question. Don’t be silly. Never was a factor. Such are the absolutes that George W, Cheney, Rummy and other Bushites have employed whenever anyone has suggested … Continue reading

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Arctic Ice: Going, Going…

This satellite image shows a portion of Canada’s Northwest Passage largely free of ice, as seen by NASA’s Terra satellite on Sept. 15, 2007. Arctic ice has shrunk to the lowest level on record, raising the possibility that the North … Continue reading

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History : How the Republicans Perfected Their Propaganda System

Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North at Iran-Contra hearings, 1987.Iran-Contra’s ‘Lost Chapter’By Robert Parry / June 30, 2008 As historians ponder George W. Bush’s disastrous presidency, they may wonder how Republicans perfected a propaganda system that could fool tens of millions of … Continue reading

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AT&T Whistleblower on Congress and FISA

Mark Klein in the offices of his lawyers in San Francisco. Photo by Ryan Singel / Wired.com.Says Spy Bill Creates ‘Infrastructurefor a Police State’By Ryan Singel / June 27, 2008 Mark Klein, the retired AT&T engineer who stepped forward with … Continue reading

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