I was reading the comments in the following blog posting: Atheist Revolution: A Different Kind of Atheist Outreach. A common thread was that atheists don't have that much in common beyond a lack of belief in a deity.

This view ignores context and takes for granted many things about how atheists are treated that I don't think atheists should accept so passively. In this and most cultures in the world, there are some bigger things about being an atheist than merely a lack of belief in a deity.

1) Unless you became an atheist because of following an ideology like Marxism or Objectivism, you have questioned and rejected a belief system that has brainwashed you since birth, using some kind of critical thinking. (Even if you were lucky enough to have atheist parents, the rest of the society had been doing serious brainwashing.) Critical thinking is actively discouraged not only by the church, but also by the corporations and the government.

2) Being willing to accept something as absurd as religion means that you can accept anything, as long as some authority figures have told you to. Being an atheist means that you have the capacity to disregard what authority figures tell you to think. This is part of why corporate media are so hostile to atheists.

3) Atheists are often despised in this society and certainly not treated as equals. We are used as scapegoats by militant, Christian fundamentalists and their corporate enablers for nearly every problem in our society, despite of (or perhaps because of) the fact that religion and corporate power are the main causes of the vast majority of problems in our society.

4) Atheists don't have refuge in the cheapest and most irrational justification for our behavior, the notion that a good or bad deity is responsible for it.

5) Atheists don't believe in an afterlife, which makes us more difficult to manipulate and which makes it more difficult for us to accept injustice in the here and now. Accepting that when you die you rot means that our lives and the lives of others are much more important than they would be in most religious world views.

6) The gradual shift away from democracy in this country to a hybrid plutocracy/theocracy endangers us specifically as atheists, although we certainly are not the only people who are endangered (e.g., queers, feminist women, labor organizers, non-Christian religionists, liberals, progressives, Marxists, etc. are other such groups).

Atheism and atheists are so seldom mentioned in our media accept as public enemies that we often forget our commonalities, even if we are aware of them in the first place.

 

McCain sure gets confused a lot. He also should make an effort to try to learn a little about South Asia and the Middle East, given their strategic importance.

McCain, "We Should Be Able to Deliver Bottled, Hot Water to Dehydrated Babies"


McCain Butchers Foreign Affairs


Randi Rhodes: Senile McCain loses it at biker rally


Help John McCain Count His Houses


McCain Thinks Iraq Borders Pakistan


McCain's senile moment: thinks Karzai is President of IRAQ! (This one goes back to 2003.)



He also has issues with women.

McCain Jokes About Exploiting Wife for Topless Biker Beauty Pageant:


 

Here are some of the many condemnations of the wide array of human rights abuses during the Republican National Infomercial...er...Convention.

Use of Force Against RNC Protesters “Disproportionate,” Charges Amnesty International (9/5/08)

ACLU Renews Its Call For Investigation Into Civil Liberties Violations At RNC (9/4/2008)

Greens condemn brutal 'police state' raids, arrests of peaceful protesters and journalists outside the GOP convention in St. Paul (9/2/08)

National Lawyers Guild Seeks Judicial Review of Preventative Detentions Ordered by Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher (8/31/08)

There is some good coverage of the clampdown on the First Amendment in the independent media as well.

LiveWire - Breaking news from the streets (Note: Link is to home page. I don't know if or where this may be archived later.)
Twin Cities Indymedia

St. Paul in the Hot Seat over Journalist Arrests
by Timothy Karr
Huffington Post (9/5/08)

Police detain ex-DI writer, other journalists covering Republican Convention protests
by Danny Valentine
The Daily Iowan (9/5/08)

The Poor People's March
By Lindsay Beyerstein
Majikthise (9/3/08)

Journalists including DN! producer targeted by FBI in St. Paul
by Mary Turck
LA Indymedia (9/3/08)

Peaceful RNC Protesters Shot with Rubber Bullets/Tear Gas.
by Jodin Morey
ImpeachForPeace.org (9/2/08)

Democracy Now! has done some of the best reporting on RNC human rights violations, and three of their producers still face criminal charges for it. The attacks on freedoms we Americans used to take for granted are happening on a regular basis, and most people don't even hear or read about it.

 

If you want to know the latest on Hanna, Ike, and Josephine, these three widgets from the NOAA should be a start.

Hanna:


Ike:


Josephine:


Global Warming sure is making the weather more bizarre, uncertain, and unpredictable.

 

Photo: triciaward
From the Huffington Post:

When Chuck Todd asked her if this was the most qualified woman the Republicans could nominate, Noonan responded, "The most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political bullshit about narratives. Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and that's not what they're good at, they blow it."

Murphy characterized the choices as "cynical" and "gimmicky."

For those unfamiliar with the cast of characters, Peggy Noonan was a notorious Reagan bullshitter/speech writer. She now propagandizes for Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal. Mike Murphy is a Time columnist who used to work for "Keating Five" McCain. Apparently, both of them thought that taping was over.

 

From Today's Democracy Now! show:

AMY GOODMAN: Police in St. Paul are being accused of continuing to intimidate a group a video makers that traveled to the Twin Cities to document police misconduct during the Republican National Convention.

On Saturday, police raided a home where members of I-Witness Video collective were staying. Members of the group were detained for over two hours. We talked about that on Monday.

Well, yesterday, police armed with batons and battering ram entered a St. Paul office building that housed the offices of I-Witness Video. Police claimed they were investigating reports of anarchists holding hostages in the building. Members of I-Witness Video accuse the police of blatant harassment and of using the bogus hostage claim to seek entry to their office.

Even the Associated Press joins Democracy Now! in having a journalist illegally detained.

Protesters have had to go to court to try to get the police and sheriffs to stop stealing video cameras and cellphones which can be used to document police abuses. These actions demonstrated intent by local "law enforcement" to break the law.

From the St. Paul Pioneer Press 8/31/08:

Two organizations said today they filed an emergency motion with the court Saturday to try to prevent police from seizing video equipment and cell phones used to document officers' conduct.

The move came after the Ramsey County sheriff's office raided on Friday night a center used by protest groups in St. Paul, and three Minneapolis homes Saturday. Five people were arrested. Sheriff Bob Fletcher said they are key leaders of the RNC Welcoming Committee, a self-described anarchist group.

The National Lawyers Guild and Communities United Against Police Brutality filed the motion late Saturday, according to a press release.

The release said "examples of police interference with the right to document their conduct" included seizure of equipment in Minneapolis from three journalists with Glass Bead Collective and targeting of journalists during a raid in St. Paul on Saturday.

The National Lawyers Guild has been active in opposing these attacks on our constitutional rights, as can be seen in two recent press releases.

8/31/08
National Lawyers Guild Seeks Judicial Review of Preventative Detentions Ordered by Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher

8/30/08
National Lawyers Guild Condemns Fabrications of Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher and Preventative Detention Arrests

The array of human rights violations in Minnesota this week is disgusting. Although the Republican Sheriff of Ramsey County has been the instigator, Democratic politicians in the area have been way too willing to go along with these attacks on our constitution.

 

Photo: sloomis08

This item is appearing in many news sources, but I'm quoting the Iranian Press TV to make a point.

Like US President George W. Bush, Governor Palin attempted to justify her policies by claiming they were divinely-ordered during a speech at the Wasilla Assembly of God church in June.

"Pray for our military. Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right for this country - that our leaders, our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God," the Alaska governor said in her address posted on the website of the Wasilla Assembly of God.

We tend to forget that when militant, Christian fundamentalists make nutty statements like this, they tend to be more widely publicized in predominantly Muslim countries than they are here. They reinforce the perception that America is run by Christian Crusaders who are bent on destroying Islam and subjugating or killing Muslims.

There is a certain degree of accuracy to that perception.
Many opponents of the Iraq war of occupation are determined to see one main or exclusive cause of America's involvement in this seemingly permanent nightmare. However, in reality, there have been several causes of the US entry and stubborn refusal to end the Iraq War.

The Influence of Militant Christian Fundamentalists:
Although the corporate media tend to deny or downplay this, Bush is a Christian extremist of the same ilk as Sarah Palin, James Dobson, or Pat Robertson. While most of Bush's advisers don't share Bush's religious extremism, that desire to be a religious Crusader played a key role in motivating Bush to get us into Iraq in the first place. The desire of militant Christians like Palan to convert or conquer Muslims plays a huge role in forming a political base for the war.

Greed and Corruption:
Let's not forget that Bush and Cheney own oil stocks and that Cheney had strong ties to Halliburton (which then owned Iraq mercenary company KBR). Not only does Cheney own Halliburton stock, Cheney received a golden parachute from that company for the first years while he was occupying the office of Vice President. Also, war profiteers and Big Oil give a ton of money to pro-war politicians.

The Desire for More Global Power:
This is where the infamous neocons come in. It was believed that grabbing Iraq would give this country absolute control over Mideast Oil, which was, in turn, believed to keep the economies of other nations at our mercy. This hasn't turned out so well. The debt from the war has made the US largely subservient to China, and overextending our military dramatically reduced the US's influence over Latin America and Russia.

The Pro-Likud Lobby:
Mislabeled as the "pro-Isreal lobby," this is a coalition of conservative Jews who equate Likud's rightist policies with Israeli security along with Christian fundamentalists who hope that supporting Likud's provocative policies will result in a catastrophic war for Israel which will lead to the Apocalypse. It should be noted that most of these fundies are quite antisemitic when talking among themselves.

A variety of forces resulted in getting us into the war, and those same forces are working to continue it indefinitely. It hampers anti Iraq war analysis to ignore the role that the Christian Taliban, including Palin, play in perpetuating the Iraqtastrophe.

 

More info is becoming available on the illegal detentions and charges against Democracy Now! producers:



Hat tip to Product Shop NYC.

I could clearly hear her identify herself as press. That seemed to encourage acts of brutality against her. There is no excuse for what happened to her.

The corporate media are generally censoring the story. I wish I could say I was surprised.

 

Video of Amy Goodman being arrested for pleading on behalf of her producers who were illegally arrested by corrupt, Republican controlled "law enforcement."



There has been a massive police effort to stamp out any protests during the Republican National Convention.

Massive police raids on suspected protestors in Minneapolis - Glenn Greenwald (hat tip to Where's the Outrage?)

The corporate media and corrupt government officials are trying to spin these attacks on our Constitution and our freedoms as Americans by falsely claiming that the people arrested and detained are all anarchists bent on violence. Glenn Greenwald (a libertarian) and Jane Hamsher (a Democrat) were among those illegally detained.

VIDEO: “Food Not Bombs” Protesters Raided in Minneapolis
By: Jane Hamsher Saturday August 30, 2008 10:53 am

If you have actually seen the Food Not Bombs people at one of their efforts to feed the homeless, it is obvious that they are among the sweetest and gentlest people imaginable. Portraying them as violent would be laughable if not for the fact that it is being used as a pretext for illegal detainment and kidnapping by the Ramsey County Sheriffs.

Three other people (who are not anarchists, by the way) who were illegally detained by "law enforcement" (two with fraudulent felony charges still pending) were Democracy Now! producers, including Amy Goodman. Being members of the press did not exempt people from the attacks on civil liberties. Here's the latest press release from the Democracy Now! website:

September 01, 2008
Update: Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar Released After Illegal Arrest at RNC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 1, 2008

Contact: Mike Burke

UPDATE

Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar Released After Illegal Arrest at RNC

Goodman Charged with Obstruction; Felony Riot Charges Pending Against Kouddous and Salazar

ST. PAUL--Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar have all been released from police custody in St. Paul following their illegal arrest by Minneapolis Police on Monday afternoon.

All three were violently manhandled by law enforcement officers. Abdel Kouddous was slammed against a wall and the ground, leaving his arms scraped and bloodied. He sustained other injuries to his chest and back. Salazar’s violent arrest by baton-wielding officers, during which she was slammed to the ground while yelling, “I’m Press! Press!,” resulted in her nose bleeding, as well as causing facial pain. Goodman’s arm was violently yanked by police as she was arrested.

On Tuesday, Democracy Now! will broadcast video of these arrests, as well as the broader police action. These will also be available on: www.democracynow.org

Goodman was arrested while questioning police about the unlawful detention of Kouddous and Salazar who were arrested while they carried out their journalistic duties in covering street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention. Goodman’s crime appears to have been defending her colleagues and the freedom of the press.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told Democracy Now! that Kouddous and Salazar were arrested on suspicion of rioting, a felony. While the three have been released, they all still face charges stemming from their unlawful arrest. Kouddous and Salazar face pending charges of suspicion of felony riot, while Goodman has been officially charged with obstruction of a legal process and interference with a “peace officer.”

Democracy Now! forcefully rejects all of these charges as false and an attempt at intimidation of these journalists. We demand that the charges be immediately and completely dropped.

Democracy Now! stands by Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and condemns this action by Twin Cities’ law enforcement as a clear violation of the freedom of the press and the First Amendment rights of these journalists.

During the demonstration in which the Democracy Now! team was arrested, law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force against protesters and journalists. Several dozen demonstrators were also arrested during this action, including a photographer for the Associated Press.

Amy Goodman is one of the most well-known and well-respected journalists in the United States. She has received journalism’s top honors for her reporting and has a distinguished reputation of bravery and courage. The arrest of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and the subsequent criminal charges and threat of charges are a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists.

Democracy Now! is a nationally-syndicated public TV and radio program that airs on over 700 radio and TV stations across the US and the globe.

Video of Amy Goodman’s Arrest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ

 

Tom Brokaw seems to think it is his job to repeat the McCain campaign talking point that no one can ever legitimately criticize "Keating Five" McCain, one of the most corrupt politicians in the history of the Senate, because he was a POW.

From an 8/29/08 Action Alert from Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting:

During NBC's August 26 convention coverage, Brokaw--the current host of Meet the Press--weighed in on Hillary Clinton's speech: “She'll be tough on John McCain, but he is her friend, and you have to be careful about how you go after an American Vietnam War icon, really.”

The next night, Brokaw appeared on MSNBC to discuss Bill Clinton's convention speech:

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Tom, first, what did you make of the acknowledgment of the service of John McCain in very glowing terms?

BROKAW: Well, look, for Bill Clinton, and for anyone in the Democratic Party, for that matter, it's a very tricky case taking on John McCain and trying to rough him up. When John McCain was sitting in a prison in Hanoi, Bill Clinton was writing letters to his ROTC commander and trying to get out of the draft, which he did successfully. It was an issue that he was really able to manage when he was running for president. But at the same time, that's still a very short fuse in America, as you know, Chris.

Brokaw continued:

But I think especially you have to be careful about how you go after John McCain because of that Vietnam experience. Jim Webb has written in his latest book, A Time to Fight, and repeated to me again just yesterday, the Democratic Party still has a long way to go to win the confidence of Vietnam veterans, and they don't want to squander that here in the big hall.

Because Brokaw is a frequent analyst on NBC and MSNBC, and the host of the network's Sunday talkshow, his message is an important--and troubling--one. Nothing in Hillary or Bill Clinton's speeches suggested any criticism of McCain as a Vietnam veteran--in fact, they both praised his service to his country--so Brokaw presumably isn't referring to Swift Boat-style attacks on his military record, but to criticism of McCain in general. Exactly how “careful” does Brokaw believe Democrats must be in challenging their political opponent in a presidential election?

ACTION:
Ask Tom Brokaw to clarify his warning that Democrats have to be "careful about" criticizing Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

CONTACT:
Meet the Press
Webform: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6872152/
Phone: 202-885-4598

This brings up the old issue of media ownership too. NBC is owned by General Electric, which is a military contractor. A war monger like John McCain would be more profitable than any of the other candidates running for president this year.

 

This just in from It's My Right to Be Left of Center:

Meanwhile, bus companies that were contracted to haul po' folks out of the area are NOT living up to their contracts. Sending only a couple hundred bus's when they are liable for 700.

Such bullshittery. Its fucking maddening.

Privatization isn't just corrupt and inefficient. It can be dangerous.