The Rag Blog | The Latest in News and Views from the Progressive Front

Steve Russell :
The third time in Iraq is not the charm

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

The do-nothing Congress has to date done nothing. In better and more rational times there would already be a roaring debate.

Coming or going? Last U.S. soldiers leave Iraq in December 2011. Photo by Martin Bureau / AFP / Getty Images.

By Steve Russell | The Rag Blog | August 20, 2014

In my clearest memory of Iraq War I, I was in a graduate school dorm at the University of Nevada, where the rooms had no televisions. Just about every student I knew in Reno was gathered in the lounge down the hall for most of the night around a communal TV. Ten p.m. in Reno was 8 a.m. in Baghdad and the son of one of my fellow students was commanding a flight in an early wave of the air war.

In my clearest memory of Iraq War II, I was chatting on line with my son in a FOB north of Baghdad, when the light fixture behind him started gyrating and the screen shook.
Continue reading →

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Beheadings, Genocide, Iraq War, ISIS, Kurds, Peshmerga, Rag Bloggers, Steve Russell, Terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy, Yazidis | 4 Comments

Ron Jacobs :
BOOKS | The pacification that never ends

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Patrick Cockburn looks at the non-state forces in the region, who they are backed by, the motives of those backers. and the sectarian desires of the jihadis.

The book addresses the reemergence of Sunni fundamentalist militancy.

By Ron Jacobs | The Rag Blog | August 19, 2014

[The Jihadis Return: ISIS and the Failures of the Global War on Terror by Patrick Cockburn (October 2014: OR Books); Paperback; 150 pp.; $15.00.]

The sense of déjà vu in Iraq is not imaginary. With U.S. bombers attacking positions held by Sunni militants and a client Iraqi government apparently unable to fight on its own, the detritus of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq is creating what could end up being the third phase of direct U.S. involvement in at the bloody sinkhole it did plenty to create.

The air strikes and special operations undertaken by the U.S. have a greater likelihood of dragging the U.S. further into this war than they do of furthering a long term solution. The Islamic State (IS or ISIL) fighters are the progeny of Washington’s bloody mischief in the region. They are even using weapons provided by the CIA to rebel forces in Syria, of which IS is but one element. Like Afghanistan’s Taliban in 2003, IS could very likely gain strength once U.S. forces engage its fighters.
Continue reading →

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Books, Iraq War, ISIS, Islamic Fundamentalism, Middle East, Militant Islam, Patrick Cockburn, Rag Bloggers, Ron Jacobs, The Jihadis Return, U.S. Foreign Policy, U.S. Imperialism, War on Terror | 1 Comment

Michael James :
Stepping into America to see family, comrades & friends, then a return to Mexico, 1976-’78

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

After opening the Heartland Café in 1976, trips bolstered my positive outlook about life, and probably kept me sane.

My grandma Anne and my grother Beau, Dinner at the family home, Westport, Connecticut, December 1976. Photos by Michael James from his forthcoming book, Michael Gaylord James’ Pictures from the Long Haul.

By Michael James | The Rag Blog | August 19, 2014

[In this series, Michael James is sharing images from his rich past, accompanied by reflections about — and inspired by — those images. These photos will be included in his forthcoming book, Michael Gaylord James’ Pictures from the Long Haul.]

I like to travel. I like leaving Chicago — and I love coming home to the Windy City of Big Shoulders. I call Chicago the “Heartland Capitol, a sometime Paradise.”

My Dad was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, but grew up in Chicago. The city’s wonderfulness was ingrained in my consciousness early on. I’ve been in and out of my beloved city since December 1942, when I was almost a year old and first came to the place the Potawatomi called the land of wild onions.
Continue reading →

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Chicago, Heartland Cafe, Memoir, Mexico, Michael James, New Orleans, Pictures from the Long Haul, Rag Bloggers, SDS, Travel, Yucatan | 1 Comment

METRO | Lamar W. Hankins : Despite claims of partisan bias, Perry indictment has merit

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

The indictments mean that a special grand jury has good cause to believe that Perry has violated two criminal laws by his actions.

Rick Perry at Iowa State Fair. Photo by Charlie Neibergall / AP.

By Lamar W. Hankins | The Rag Blog | August 18, 2014

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry’s indictment on felony charges of “abuse of official capacity” and “coercion of a public servant” is not based on Perry’s veto of funds for the Public Integrity Unit of the Travis County District Attorney’s office — a special division that has state-wide jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute corrupt behavior of state officials.

The indictment is based on Perry’s efforts to force the resignation of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, after her arrest for drunken driving, by using his veto powers as leverage. Had Democrat Lehmberg resigned, Perry would have appointed her successor.
Continue reading →

Posted in Metro, RagBlog | Tagged Criminal Justice, Lamar W. Hankins, Metro, Michael McCrum, Official Repression, Political Corruption, Rag Bloggers, Rick Perry, Rosemary Lehmberg, Texas Politics | 2 Comments

METRO EVENT | Alice Embree : Israeli author and peace activist to speak in Austin

Posted on August 17, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Related: Latin American countries are breaking with the U.S. on its uncondiditonal support for Israel.

Israeli peace activist Miko Peled was arrested at this July 4, 2014 Gaza protest. Twitter image from InCapitol24.

By Alice Embree | The Rag Blog | August 17, 2014

Event: Speaker: Israeli activist Miko Peled
Place: Westminister Presbyterian Church
Address: 3208 Exposition Blvd., Austin
When: Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Hours: 7-9 p.m.

AUSTIN — Israeli peace activist Miko Peled, author of The General’s Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine, will speak in Austin, Tuesday, August 19. Peled’s appearance is sponsored by the Interfaith Community for Palestinian Rights and the Palestine Solidarity Committee

Miko Peled grew up in a well-known Zionist family and served in the Israel Defense Forces, but changed course during the 1982 Lebanese invasion to devote his life to peace activism. He has written:
Continue reading →

Posted in Metro, RagBlog | Tagged Alice Embree, Israel, Israel-Gaza Conflict, Israeli Peace Activist, Latin America, Metro, Metro Bloggers, Miko Peled, Rag Bloggers | Leave a comment

Tom Hayden :
There are alternatives to more war in Iraq

Posted on August 16, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

To reject the ‘Long War’ doctrine, the American Left first has to understand it.

Hawk Hillary flaps her wings. Photo by Win McNamee / Getty Images.

By Tom Hayden | The Rag Blog | August 16, 2014

Hillary Clinton’s flapping of her hawkish wings only intensifies the pressure on President Barack Obama to escalate U.S. military involvement in the sectarian wars of Iraq and Syria. Domestic political considerations already are a major factor in forcing Obama to “do something” to save the Yazidis, avert “another Benghazi,” and double down in the undeclared Long War against Islamic fundamentalism.

Clinton certainly was correct in arguing that Obama’s statement “don’t do stupid stuff” is not an organizing principle of U.S. foreign policy. Instead of offering a new foreign policy, based for example on democracy, economic development, and renewable energy however, Clinton lapsed into the very Cold War thinking she once questioned in the Sixties.
Continue reading →

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged American Left, Hillary Clinton, Iraq War, ISIS, Islamic Fundamentalism, Long War, Peace Movement, Public Opinion, Rag Bloggers, Saddam Hussein, Syrian Civil War, Tom Hayden, U.S. Foreign Policy | 2 Comments

Alan Waldman :
‘Love/Hate’ is a very dark but highly compelling Irish crime drama

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Despite its violence, this Dublin gang war saga is well written, performed, and produced, with strong characters and dialogue.

Love/Hate is gritty Irish mobster series.

By Alan Waldman | The Rag Blog | August 14, 2014

[In his weekly column, Alan Waldman reviews some of his favorite films and TV series that readers may have missed, including TV dramas, mysteries, and comedies from Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Scotland. Most are available on DVD and/or Netflix, and some episodes are on YouTube.]

Britain’s Guardian newspaper praised the award-laden Irish gang-war drama Love/Hate, comparing it to The Wire and The Sopranos, saying “what makes Love/Hate distinctive is the way in which the scripts root the mobster genre in the trends and tensions of contemporary Irish culture.” On the eve of the third of its five seasons, The Irish Times hailed the show as “the best drama RTÉ [the Irish broadcasting company] has produced.”
Continue reading →

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Alan Waldman, Crime Drama, Criticism, Irish Television, Love/Hate, Rag Bloggers | Leave a comment

Lamar W. Hankins :
REPORT | Child murder in Texas

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Is the Church of Wells, considered by many to be a cult, sacrificing children at the altar of religious belief?

Wells, Texas, is home to the controversial Church of Wells which many consider to be a cult.

By Lamar W. Hankins | The Rag Blog | August 11, 2014

[Lamar Hankins was Thorne Dreyer‘s guest on Rag Radio, Friday, September 12, 2014, on KOOP 91.7-FM in Austin. On the show they discuss the Church of Wells, the death of Faith Shalom Pursley, and other issues raised in this article. Listen to the podcast: on The Rag Blog or at the Internet Archive.]

WELLS, Texas — The death of three-day old Faith Shalom Pursley in Wells, Texas, more than two years ago was a result of child neglect and satisfied the criteria for injury to a child, criminally negligent homicide, and manslaughter under the Texas Penal Code. The latter two charges, if applied to the case, would make the child’s death a form of criminal homicide — what most people call murder.

Faith’s parents — Kristin and Daniel Pursley — and their religious leaders — “elders” in the Church of Wells — decided their religious beliefs took precedence over seeking medical treatment for the Pursleys’ new baby. As a result, Faith died of a routinely treatable condition. The Pursleys and their religious group, at the insistence of the “elders” of the sect (three 20-something young men — Sean Morris, Ryan Ringnald, and Jacob Gardner), chose prayer, rather than the services of a competent doctor, to “treat” Faith’s obvious medical distress.
Continue reading →

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Cherokee County, Child Protection, Church of Wells, Criminal Justice, East Texas, Faith Healing, Fundamentalism, Grand Jury, Lamar W. Hankins, Rag Bloggers, Religious Cult | 341 Comments

Thorne Dreyer :
PODCASTS | Listen to Rag Radio interviews with Chris Tomlinson and David Bacon

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Award-winning journalist Tomlinson discusses his acclaimed new book, ‘Tomlinson Hill,’ and photojournalist Bacon addresses the role of U.S. policies in causing the current immigration crisis.

Chris Tomlinson, left, with Rag Radio host Thorne Dreyer in the studios of KOOP-FM in Austin. Photo by Roger Baker / The Rag Blog.

Interviews by Thorne Dreyer | The Rag Blog | August 11, 2014

Journalist and author Chris Tomlinson discusses his new book, Tomlinson Hill, and photojournalist David Bacon addresses the border immigration crisis on these two Rag Radio podcasts.

Rag Radio is a weekly hour-long syndicated radio program produced and hosted by long-time alternative journalist and Rag Blog editor Thorne Dreyer. The show is produced in the studios of KOOP 91.7-FM, a cooperatively-run all-volunteer community radio station in Austin, Texas. It is broadcast live on KOOP every Friday from 2-3 p.m. (CST) and streamed live on the web.
Continue reading →

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Chris Tomlinson, David Bacon, Immigration Crisis, Interviews, Podcast, Racism, Rag Bloggers, Rag Radio, Slavery, Texas History, Thorne Dreyer, Tomlinson Hill | Leave a comment

METRO EVENT | Beverly Baker Moore: The tribe gathers

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

‘Friends of New Journalism’ come together to party and hail ‘Rag Blog’ editor Thorne Dreyer on the occasion of his 69th trip around the sun.

The tribe gathered for Thorne Dreyer’s 69th birthday party at Maria’s Taco Xpress in Austin, Friday, August 1. (Dreyer’s the smug one up front in the loud blue shirt and “Goofy” cap!) Photo by Carlos Lowry / The Rag Blog.

By Beverly Baker Moore | The Rag Blog | August 10, 2014

AUSTIN — The tribe gathered Friday night, August 1st. The call was to “Come and Party Like It’s 1969” in honor of our hard-working Rag Blog editor, Rag Radio host, and birthday boy, Mr. Thorne Webb Dreyer. Thorne has now completed 69 trips around the sun, and that’s reason enough to party.

But 69 is a fun number in itself, what with the famous sex position and the past history of using the number to hassle censors and the general excesses of the time, so maybe we tried harder, because it really was a good party. (See the photo above. And those pictured were only the cats we could herd!)
Continue reading →

Posted in Metro, RagBlog | Tagged Beverly Baker Moore, Friends of New Journalism, Maria's Taco Xpress, Metro, New Journalism Project, Rag Bloggers, Rag Radio, The Rag Blog, Thorne Dreyer, Thorne's 69th Birthday Bash | 1 Comment

METRO | Sunshine Williams : Austin’s illustrious mayor likes them ‘bad boys’

Posted on August 9, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Hizzoner fetes ex-Louisiana governor and ex-con Edwin Edwards, who joins the rarefied company of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and noted doper Lance Armstrong.

Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell (left) with former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards. August 7, 2014, was “Governor Edwin Edwards Day” in Austin. Photo courtesy of Edwin Edwards for Congress.

By Sunshine Williams | The Rag Blog | August 9, 2014

AUSTIN — Mayor Lee Leffingwell is almost as embarrassing to Austin as Gov. Rick Perry is to the state of Texas. According to the Austin American-Statesman, the mayor honored an ex-governor, ex-con from Louisiana by declaring Thursday, August 7, 2014, “Edwin Edwards Day.” This after Edwards spent nine years in prison for “bribery, racketeering, extortion and fraud — involving a riverboat casino licensing scandal.” (Also see Ken Heman’s column in the Statesman, “Honoring the dishonorable in Austin.”)

And last October, during the Austin City Limits Festival, he named controversial Toronto Mayor Rob Ford an Honorary Citizen of Austin. I suggest the mayor go to his dictionary and look up “honor” and “honorary” or just Google them. Those terms don’t include those “bad-boy” acts of Edwards nor Ford’s drugging, alcoholism, and alleged sexual harassment of his employees.
Continue reading →

Posted in Metro, RagBlog | Tagged City of Austin, Edwin Edwards, Lance Armstrong, Lee Leffingwell, Metro, Rag Bloggers, Rob Ford, Sunshine Williams | 5 Comments

METRO PODCAST | Thorne Dreyer : Community activists Bill Oakey & Roger Baker on Austin transportation politics

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Affordability blogger Oakey joins The Rag Blog’s Baker in a lively discussion of the city’s proposed billion dollar transportation bond election and other community issues.

Roger Baker, standing, and Bill Oakey in the studios of KOOP-FM in Austin, Texas. Photo by Tracey Schulz / Rag Radio.

Interview by Thorne Dreyer | The Rag Blog | August 7, 2014

[Also read Roger Baker’s in depth analytical article, “Is Austin’s ‘Strategic Mobility Plan’ smart planning or a billion dollar boondoggle?” on The Rag Blog.]

On this Rag Radio podcast, Austin community activist and affordability blogger Bill Oakey and transportation writer and Rag Blog contributing editor Roger Baker discuss a number of community issues affecting Austin, including affordability and gentrification, but they focus primarily on Austin’s controversial proposed billion dollar transportation bond election.
Continue reading →

Posted in Metro, RagBlog | Tagged Austin Politics, Bill Oakey, Interview, Metro, Podcast, Rag Bloggers, Rag Radio, Roger Baker, Thorne Dreyer, Transportation | Leave a comment