Issue 81 Table of Contents

Issue 81
Table of Contents

	Julia Butterfly's "Luna" Redwood Slashed	by Nicholas Wilson Luna, the 1000-year-old giant redwood that Julia Butterfly Hill lived in for two years to save, was severely damaged in a chainsaw attack over the Thanksgiving holiday. The Humboldt County Sheriff's office is investigating the act as felony vandalism
	U.S. No Peace Broker in Mideast Conflict	by Thalif Deen As the death toll rose to more than 220, almost all of them Palestinians, the Israeli military is increasingly deploying its U.S.-supplied Cobra helicopters, rockets and missiles against Palestinian targets, including a vehicle carrying a Palestinian militia leader who was killed in a rocket attack last week
	Election Unsettles Global Warming Talks	by Marcela Valente The United States has been the key actor in preparatory negotiations leading up to the climate change conference to be held at The Hague this month, leading many to fear that U.S. presidential elections will mean the enactment of the conference's resolutions will be put on hold
	Groups Hoped to Raise Awareness of Climate Change Danger	by Ramesh Jaura Environmental justice was one of many issues raised by non-governmental organizations attending the COP6 conference at The Hague
	U.S. Blamed for COP6 Conference Failure	by Brian Kenety The United States is largely to blame for the failure of the sixth United Nations conference on global climate change, (COP6) to reach an agreement on how to reduce emissions of "greenhouse gases," say environmentalists here
	Report Blasts U.S. for Union Busting	by Michael Kreidler While there is very little economic risk for corporations to fire would-be union leaders, the perceived risk of being fired permeates entire unionizing campaigns. "Firing is the most potent anti-union weapon," said Lance Compa, Cornell University labor relations professor and principal author of the Human Rights Watch report. "The upshot is many employers can achieve their goal of remaining union-free by breaking the law." There are other ways that U.S. law prevents millions of workers from organizing unions
	Middle East Arab World Faces Revolt	by Ian Urbina Popular protests are growing. The demonstrations are not just against the killing of Palestinians but also against the U.S. -brokered peace negotiations. Though most Arabs hope for peace with Israel, they see the Oslo process as unworkable. Even if the problems of Jerusalem, borders and refugees are surmounted, Oslo would leave Palestine without ultimate control of its water and electricity. The Palestinian territory offered in Oslo will be entirely criss-crossed by Israeli roads and military checkpoints, making free internal travel impossible. Land given back in this form has no more value than a stolen bill returned in a hundred pieces
	Drug War and Election 2000	by Dave Borden and Philip Smith The drug war was almost completely avoided this campaign by both major party candidates. Yet a set of mostly successful ballot initiatives around the country have enacted profound changes in some states' drug policies. And if only by historical accident, drug war opponents have become key swing voters on both sides of the political divide in this year's presidential election
	Beijing: Bush or Gore -- Who Cares?	by Antoaneta Bezlova Both Gore and Bush promise to respect the "one-China" policy and work to bring about a peaceful resolution to tensions between Taiwan and China
	Arctic Drilling Proposal Sparks Heated Debate	by Brian Hansen "When people talk about opening [the refuge] to oil development, they're advocating sticking an oil well right smack in the middle of the wildest place left in America," Clark said. "What will future generations think of us if we hand them an Arctic coastal plane scarred with oil well, roads and pipelines, sucked dry of fuel and also sucked dry of the incredible wildlife that used to be there?" But at another press conference held just down the hall, Clark's point was sharply refuted by one of the leading proponents of opening the refuge to oil development, Alaska Senator Frank Murkowski
	Colombia Kidnappings on the Rise	by Yadira Ferrer Activists for Pa’s Libre, which works to support the victims of kidnappings and their families, said that of the cases reported this year, 1,067 included a demand for some sort of ransom, 246 were for political reasons, while the motives behind the remaining kidnappings are unknown. Right-wing paramilitaries and leftist guerrilla groups committed the majority of these crimes, using kidnapping as a tool to finance their activities or pressure political decision-makers
	Africans Fume Over Corp Claim to .africa Internet Name	by Nana Rosine Ngangoue African Internet professionals and users alike are fighting attempts by a multinational corporation to obtain rights to the top-level domain name (TLD) ".africa"
	Cuba Suggests Anti-Castro Groups Had Role in Florida Election Fraud	by Patricia Grogg The uncertainty reigning in the United States today was partly the result of "fraud" orchestrated by the "Cuban-American terrorist mafia" and their "extreme right-wing" allies in Florida, Granma, the official newspaper of the governing Communist Party of Cuba, said November 8
	Neither Bush or Gore "Wins" By Losing	by Steve Chapman Neither of these guys is likely to be embraced by the party faithful for a valiant losing effort. If Bush wins, Democrats won't say: "Good job, Al!" They'll say: "All you had going for you was peace, prosperity and a popular president -- and you got beat by a dimwit whose only qualification for the office was his name!" If Gore wins, Republicans will blame Bush: "You spent more money than any candidate in history and got fewer votes than the most annoying person on the planet!"
	In Defense of Katherine Harris (Somewhat)	by Randolph T. Holhut The abuse she's gotten in the media over her appearance has been a brutal example of the double standard women are held to in public life. When I saw her face for the first time in three years, I saw the face of someone who hasn't been sleeping much and is at the center of an electoral mess of epic proportions. I may be her 180-degree opposite politically, but I still wouldn't wish the treatment she's gotten on my worst enemy
	Jeb Bush's Secret Weapon	by Larry Jordan An investigation by the Orlando Sentinel revealed that these counties had been relegated some problem-prone voting machines, which were known to have an error rate five times higher than the more accurate equipment which was used in Republican dominated counties. This may have been the Republicans' secret weapon, and the reason why Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, brother of the GOP Presidential nominee, was so sure Dubya would carry the state. It allowed Bush to squeeze out the maximum number of votes in friendly precincts while Democrats waged an uphill battle to record all the votes due them
	Chaos, Confusion, and Other American Glories	by Steve Chapman Right now, of course, the nation and the world are presented with what looks like mindless chaos. The biggest vote-getter may lose, the outcome may be determined by ballot designers, and we not only don't know the winner -- we don't even know when we will know. Chaos this may be, but mindless it isn't. The American republic is not a sleek, efficient machine that infallibly converts popular sentiment into government policy. That's because it is not supposed to be. Just the reverse, in fact
	The Supreme Court as Scare Tactic	by Jeff Milchen The idea that Republicans will nominate justices that threaten women's reproductive choices has been repeated uncritically so often that voters start to believe it. But it's an argument that wilts under scrutiny. Indeed, if you ask Democrats to name a progressive justice appointed by a Democratic president, you'll likely face blank stares
	Spinning Out of Control	by David Corn Never has the spin been so fast and furious. One night, as I sat in a dark television studio, waiting my turn to pontificate, I watched Senator Sam Brownback, a Kansas Republican, on theÊ monitor. He was going on about how people were "scared" and the "process" had to be concluded. Scared? Republicans feared Gore in the White House and Democrats were horrified by a Bush win, but what average citizen was actually scared by a delay in pronouncing a winner?
	One Night, Two Different Elections	by David Corn Bush failed in his effort to reposition the Republican party with sentiment. He posed for photo ops with children of color. He branded himself "a different kind of Republican" and hailed his own personal creation of "compassionate conservative." His convention in Philadelphia was a cynical affair of unacknowledged affirmative action. He sold himself to the electorate as a GOPer who had fared well among African-American and Hispanic voters in Texas. But exit polls on election day were showing that minority voters -- especially Latino Americans -- were not being enticed by the GOP's happy warrior, and thousands of these citizens in his own state did not trek to Austin to show their support for Bush on election night
	Our New President: Corporate America	by David Corn Much of this extra lubricant was provided by corporate interests. In the first year-and-a-half of the campaign, soft money contributions -- the unrestricted big-dollar contributions from corporations, millionaires and unions -- were up 70 percent over four years ago. As they say in Washington, these millions add up to real money. The boost in political dollars was partially fueled by Bush, who raised a record-setting $100 million to Gore's $45 million. Seventeen percent of Bush's funds came from the real estate, finance, oil and gas, and insurance industries
	The Blame Game Begins	by David Corn Before the votes are even counted in the scion-versus-scion, $300-million-plus presidential election of 2000, nervous Democrats are looking for a fall guy
	Another Florida Snafu: Voters ID'd as Felons	by Sasha Abramsky The cliffhanger in Florida may ultimately be decided by those who didn't vote. Hundreds or even thousands of Florida residents may have been erroneously crossed off the voter lists because they were mistakenly identified as ex-felons
	From Bad Elections Spring New Dreams	by John Tirman What surprises lurk in the politics of this election? The obvious parallel to 1980 is the anti-globalization forces that rocked the world's trade ministers in Seattle less than a year ago. Those groups, from the anarchic to the scholarly, were nurtured in a similar way -- a few activists and critical intellectuals, backed by a handful of progressive donors, gradually building a movement and a case against the ill effects of a globalized economy
	Mass Media Continued Nader Blackout Until End	by Jennifer Bleyer Nader has called the coverage of his campaign a "media blackout," dramatic words that suggest a boardroom full of media executives rubbing their palms together, gleefully plotting his electoral demise. Yet several prominent media critics and some of the journalists who have covered him agree Nader is the subject of a news blackout, disagreeing only on the reasons for it
	Nader Campaign Stunned by Rally Turnouts	by Matt Welch By all accounts, the rallies have served as raw motivational and monetary adrenaline, for the campaign as a whole and the candidate most of all. On several occasions over the past 10 weeks, the same haggard man seen grumbling through another press conference has been transformed, in a manner of minutes, into a spry and quick-witted orator, barking invectives and jokes to a howling audience
	Why 2.7 Million Greens Stuck by Nader	by Alexander Cockburn Nader didn't break 5 percent nationally, but he should feel great, and so should the Greens who voted for him. Their message to the Democrats is clear. Address our issues, or you'll pay the same penalty next time around. Nader should draw up a short list of Green non-negotiable issues and nail it to the doors of the Democratic National Committee
	Bush Presidency Will Backfire on GOP	by Steve Chapman Instead of a honeymoon, Bush's first few months may resemble a bad day in divorce court. Imagine if the Monica Lewinsky scandal had broken at the beginning of Bill Clinton's presidency, and you get a glimpse of what Bush may have to endure. After that, things will probably get worse
	Gore, Not Nader, the Spoiler	by Robert W. McChesney Those genuinely concerned about the fate of progressive ideals should urge Vice President Gore to withdraw from the race immediately. Only Nader can defeat Bush. All that progressives stand for -- the Supreme Court, a woman's right to choose, the environment -- is on the line. The sad truth is that on November 7 a vote for Gore is a vote for Bush
	Nader Loosens Up	by Matt Welch With his famous rumpled blue suit, droopy eyes, hunched back, Ichabod Crane fingers and a voice that sounds perpetually in need of a glass of water, Nader can come across so dour he makes Jimmy Carter look more bubbly than Richard Simmons. When he begins rallies by droning: "Welcome to the politics of joy," there is a great temptation to laugh. Yet, despite first impressions -- and after some shaky attempts earlier in the campaign to leaven his bleak worldview with jokes involving a rubber chicken -- Nader is actually running a campaign full of good humor and crowd-pleasing punchlines, especially in the last few days
	Gore 'Cowardly' on Mideast, Says Nader	by Matt Welch Nader accused Democratic presidential rival Al Gore of being "cowardly" in his stated support for Israel Sunday night, and suggested a more sympathetic approach toward the Palestinians could produce a Middle East peace settlement sooner than anticipated. At yet another fundraising rally last night at the University of California at Davis, the Green Party candidate told approximately 1,400 supporters that there will be no "peace in that area without justice for the Palestinians"
	Panicked Gore Finally Attacks Nader	by Matt Welch On a day when Al Gore spent his valuable time trying to quell a progressive revolt in the once safely Democratic Pacific Northwest, insurgent presidential candidate Ralph Nader laughed at his opponent's discomfort, and accused the vice president of being "incapable of telling the truth." "It's so pathetic," Nader told NewsForChange. "He's trying to salvage his campaign, which is sinking in the quicksand of a credibility crisis"
	13 Myths About Election 2000	by Rich Cowan Myth #12: Richard Nixon's party in 1960 did the honorable thing in not contesting the results of the election
	Clone Jesus?	by Robert Masterson The technology is there, they say, and the DNA is there, they say, and the biblical imperative is there, they say, and it's about time to get this Second Coming thing moving, they say. After 2,000 years of waiting, they ask, why not take matters into our own hands and get the job done right with the God-given tools of intellect and free will and technology?
	Barry McCaffrey: Just Say Lies	by Dave Borden As General Czar McCaffrey prepares to retire from public life, it is a fitting time to look at his record and see whether this was an isolated incident or whether McCaffrey used such tactics often. The answer to that question should then have implications for how trustworthy the drug czar's words should be regarded in general, and by extension how trustworthy the government that he represents should be regarded on the drug issue in general. Unfortunately, it appears that this was not an isolated incident, but rather a lengthy and incredible pattern of slander and disregard for facts
	Power Plant Soot Kills Thousands, Study Warns	by Danielle Knight Pollution from electric power plants in the United States shorten the lives of more than 30,000 people every year, according to a new report released here by environmental and health researchers
	Year After Reactor Accident, Japan Even More Dependent on Nuke Power	by Suvendrini Kakuchi Just last month, Japan marked the first anniversary of the worst domestic nuclear accident in the nation's history. Unrepentant, the government has revealed plans to build more nuclear plants, even as many Japanese call for a reduction in the country's use of nuclear energy
	First Endangered Species Cloned	by Cat Lazaroff The scientific feat represents a couple of firsts: the first time an endangered animal has been successfully cloned, and the first time that a clone has been raised in the womb of another species
	Industries Using Threat of Offshore Plants to Curb Unions	A rise in threats to close plants and move corporations overseas is stifling U.S. union organizing, says a federal trade study
	Agent Orange Still Poisoning Vietnamese Children	by Tran Dinh Thanh Lam The Vietnam War ended 25 years ago, but still claims victims today through genetic mutations in the children of soldiers on both sides of the conflict who were exposed to Agent Orange. More than 50,000 children have been born with serious deformities. The Vietnamese government, which has never officially asked for war reparations, in late 1998 began to sound out Washington about "cooperation to overcome the effects of the war"
	Conservatives Push Back RU-486	by Bill Berkowitz For years, activists on both sides of the abortion issue argued that the availability of RU-486 would dramatically change the debate forever. By allowing doctors to dispense the pill abortion would become a much more private affair. However, the hyperbole coming from Religious Right groups, candidate Bush's fuzziness on the issue, and Rep. Coburn's proposed legislation suggests that it will not be smooth sailing for those who manufacture, prescribe and receive RU-486
	Some Child Disabilities Caused by Pollution	by Danielle Knight Toxic chemicals commonly released by industry into the environment in large quantities across the United States may be adding to the mysterious surge in child development and learning disabilities, warns a new report. More than one in every 200 children who suffer from developmental or neurological disabilities could have acquired the impairment by exposure to these toxic chemicals, according to the report by three national environmental and health advocacy organizations
	500 Year-Old Trees Felled For $100	by Nefer Munoz "Sustainable management plans" through which logging is permitted in Costa Rica made it possible to fell 500-year-old trees, which sell for as little as $100 apiece
	Colombia War Escalates on Eve of U.S. Aid	by Yadira Ferrer Analysts say the latest outbreak of fighting in the south is just a preview of the consequences that can be expected from Plan Colombia, to go into effect next month with the forcible eradication of coca and opium poppy crops, and heavy support from the United States
	Pinochet Plotted to Kill Successor, CIA Reveals	by Mario Osava Former Chilean president Patricio Aylwin Nov. 14 expressed disgust at revelations that the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship's secret police had planned to use chemical weapons in a 1989 assassination attempt against him, a plot that surfaced in the declassification of CIA documents
	Mad Cow Fears Ripple Through France	by Julio Godoy A new case of the human Creutzfeld-Jakob disease and a report from government authorities that infected beef has been sold in local supermarkets have triggered a wave of fear in France about "mad-cow disease," recalling the panic Great Britain faced four years ago
	UN Audit Uncovers Fraud in Peace Missions	by Thalif Deen Leading women's rights groups in India are pressing the government to give its up plans to use contraceptive injections as part of the national birth control program, which they say is becoming coercive
	Sony Found Tracking Enviro Critics	by Danielle Knight A leaked document written by Sony Corporation, obtained by IPS, outlines a presentation made in July to fellow electronics companies at a conference in Brussels illustrating the various activities of environmental groups. It names specific U.S. activists who seek to regulate waste caused by the electronics industry. The presentation describes the various campaigns of Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the European Environment Bureau, the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, and the Northern Alliance for Sustainability. It then suggests that a counter-strategy by the industry would be discussed at the meeting
	How Much of the World do we Really See?	by Laura Spinney Experimenters had already shown that we may ignore items in the visual field if they appear not to be significant -- a repeated word or line on a page of text, for instance. But nobody, not even Dennett, realized quite how little we really do "see."

	What's the Point of Executing Retarded Killers?	by Steve Chapman A guy who can't count above 40 is not much of a threat to escape from a maximum security prison, which means that a life sentence without parole would suffice to protect society from him. Expressing our collective outrage at a crime carried out by someone who is incapable of understanding what he has done makes about as much sense as expressing outrage at a tornado after it destroys a neighborhood"
	A Third Term for Clinton? It Might Have Been	by Steve Chapman Without the 22nd Amendment, the party could have asked the American people to keep the real Clinton around for another four years, and the people probably would have agreed. Fully 58 percent of them currently approve of the job he's doing. Clinton himself once moaned that the White House is the "crown jewel of the federal correctional system," but no one doubts that he would leap at the chance to extend his sentence
	Texas Knows From Chad	by Molly Ivins The R's best strategy at this point is to make the hand recount process into the zoo that they have been claiming it is for two weeks. Chaos! Unleash the dogs of war! Contest every ballot! Foul it up past the deadline! Protest every dimpled, preggers, hanging, swinging, light-shining-through chad in the entire bunch!
	Pick Your Indignation	by Molly Ivins My other favorite indignation ploy was the more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger "May I point out that my opponent has the incredibly bad taste to attack a lady" -- to wit, Cruella de Vil, the Florida secretary of state. People were even making fun of the poor woman's makeup. These same people have been excoriating Hillary Clinton for eight years as the most murderous, lesbian, adulterous, lying, ruthless, desperate, dishonest, manipulative rhymes-with-witch since Lady Macbeth -- not to mention their endless animadversions on her appearance. It's awfully nice to hear these defenders of womanhood protecting Harris' makeup from ruthless attack
	Taking Sides on Al and George's Mud Fight	by Molly Ivins Have you persuaded yourself that one or the other is the perfect, impeccable way to decide this election? Even better, are you for the hand count in one place and against it in another? To point out the perfectly obvious, machine counts err, consistently, and hand counts are subjective. Duh
	Election Solutions Needed	by Molly Ivins On behalf of beleaguered election officials everywhere -- who wrestle with outdated equipment, understaffed polling places, cheap county commissioners, geriatric helpers (bless their hearts) and an endless set of other travails -- let us strike while the iron is hot and do something about the way we run elections
	Texas to Execute Man With 6 Year-Old Mind	by Molly Ivins Somebody should be held responsible for this tragedy, but it's not the man with the IQ of a small child sitting in a cell with his coloring books. The 18 members of the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, and Gov. Bush could spare his life
	High Roads, Low Roads in Florida	by Molly Ivins The political high road is clear, for at least a while. Of course, Al Gore's camp was entitled to demand a recount in Florida. The race was so tight that the recount was triggered automatically under state law anyway. For George W. Bush's camp to sigh impatiently and pretend that the D's are out of line is ridiculous. All the world knows that the Bushies would be the ones demanding a recount and raising Cain had this thing gone 300 votes the other way. Since the Bushies may be in some danger of trying to usurp the presidency, they should drop the pretense that they have unquestionable claim to it. That Gore won the popular vote gives him additional political and moral standing. Trying to spin your way into the presidency is bad form
	Bush Presidency Means No Political Reform	by Molly Ivins The only reason to be down about a Bush presidency is the money. We may well have just lost our last shot for a very long time at getting anything done about the money in politics. Unless John McCain makes fixing soft money the price of his participation -- and the Bushies may not want him on the inside -- we're not going to see campaign finance reform. A House led by Tom DeLay and Dick Armey and a Senate led by Trent Lott and Mitch McConnell are not going to commit public campaign financing. Business just outspent labor in this election by more than 15-to-1, and the business folks ran the table, as they say in pool. They took it all
	Honest to Pete, This is Historic	by Molly Ivins We also need to vote to thank them for all this fabulous entertainment. Has this been a marvelous campaign, or what? For years to come, we'll be able to produce a laugh riot simply by looking at a group of people and saying, "Dingell-Norwood." And if I can't fool you into voting with a lot of charming piffle, let's try the truth
	Bush Attention Span: Zero	by Molly Ivins When all this started, I used to tell people calmly: "Well, I think you ought to look at his record, because it's pretty clear, and you can make up your mind from that." Now I feel like standing out by the highway in the rain with a sign that says: "Don't Vote for George W. Bush -- He's Not Up to the Job." I'm sorry -- the man is inadequate. You cannot slide through life on your daddy's name, turning in a poor performance in school and the military, and a distinctly questionable performance in the business world, loaf through a few years in baseball trading Sammy Sosa and then tell outrageous lies about your part-time performance in a powerless job. This is silly
	Bush's Disconnected Sense of Justice	by Molly Ivins You know, I don't think George W. Bush is a mean person. I think he probably is a compassionate conservative. There's just some kind of disconnect in his thinking. He does not seem to grasp that policy has consequences like this
	All Crimes Are Not Hate Crimes	by Molly Ivins A dramatic new political ad reminding viewers of the dragging death of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper two years ago has the Bush campaign in a royal snit, denouncing the ad as utterly disgusting and below the belt. You may want some background on how it came about
	Mr. Uniter-not-Divider Gets Mean	by Molly Ivins Our Boy George -- the uniter not the divider, the one who promises to restore civility to Washington politics -- is getting so mean that it's creating newspaper headlines. So much for his pledge not to wage a campaign of personal attacks
	Lesser of Two Evilism	by Molly Ivins Not to Texas-brag, but we are No. 1 in the art of Lesser Evilism. I have voted for candidates so putrid that it makes your teeth hurt to think about 'em. Why? Because they were better than the other guy
	Why Should we Trust Bush?	by Molly Ivins You want pop psychology? (With which the entire Washington press corps seems to be infatuated these days.) I'll give you some pop psychology. I think Bush threw that debate. Consciously or subconsciously, the poor man knows that he is not prepared to be president of the United States, and he is desperately trying to signal us to that effect
	Florida Sideshow Distracts From Real Question of Power	by Norman Solomon A convincing case could be made -- but you won't hear it on network television -- that the 2000 presidential election was stolen a long time ago by both of the two major parties as they ran campaigns fueled with hundreds of millions of dollars from wealthy individuals and large corporations. No matter who the next president turns out to be, those benefiting from the fact of oligarchy have already won
	Pundits Echo Bush "Hurry Up" Theme	by Norman Solomon From the outset, numerous familiar voices on the cable TV networks were asserting that a winner should be declared -- in a hurry. On CNN, patrician news analyst Bill Schneider fretted aloud that the public would not take kindly to delays. The New York Times swiftly singled him out for praise in a Nov. 10 editorial that warned against dragging legal issues from the election into the courts
	Networks Made Bad Situation Worse	by Norman Solomon After bringing us the fiascos of last Tuesday night, the TV networks assure us that they'll quit being so arrogant. And actually, it's easy to stop. They've done it hundreds of times. Periodic self-critiques and public shows of repentance are ingrained rituals for news organizations, which tout only corporate-friendly presidential candidates as serious contenders
	New Democrats: Maybe The Jig Is Up	by Norman Solomon Now there's outrage in elite circles. Leading Democrats and their fans in the media are appalled. In private, top party officials curse the day Ralph Nader was born. In public, they're dishing out lots of honey and vinegar to recalcitrant voters on the left. The point, as usual, is to consolidate power. It wasn't supposed to be this way. The pundits who insisted that the Democratic Party must shed vestiges of the New Deal are accustomed to being contemptuous of progressive constituencies: Take them for granted! They have nowhere else to go! Throw them a bone once in a while, but don't hesitate to treat them like dogs! On Election Day, they'll come running
	New Purge on the Horizon at Pacifica	by Norman Solomon Pacifica's current national board -- dominated by an array of corporate executives, business professionals, investors and political people aligned with the Clinton administration -- is hostile to the strongly progressive content that had been integral to the network's strength. The latest target for Pacifica's ideological housecleaning is award-winning journalist Amy Goodman, host of the finest national daily radio program in the United States, "Democracy Now!"
	Driving Ms. Browner	by Alexander Cockburn Racism appears to be rampant throughout the EPA, and director Carol Browner has done nothing to stem it
	These Happy Days	by Alexander Cockburn Are the stakes really that high? Of course they're not. That's why everyone is having such a wonderful time. It makes scant difference whether Bush or Gore is "elected," or appointed by America's minuscule reserve of "wise men." We have gridlock, and the prospect of glorious gridlock for the next four years. If Bush makes it, we'll probably get Al in four years after Bush is retired, just as his dad was, by a recession. If Gore makes it, we'll get W in 2004 for the same reasons, then in 2008, it will be Hillary's turn
	The Arch-Druid Passes	by Alexander Cockburn The fiery stance of today's green militants owes everything to Brower, whose widening areas of concern began to vex his colleagues in the Sierra Club more and more as he threw himself into battles against nuclear power and the big utilities, whose executives were tied into the same San Francisco establishment that had nourished the Sierra Club
	Demos Sharpen Knives for Nader	by Alexander Cockburn Somewhere in the third week of October, the Gore crowd woke up to the clear and awful thought that they might not make it, that maybe it wasn't their time any more and that the man to blame is Ralph Nader. Gore had bombed in the debates. The Greens had organized a whole string of Nader super-rallies across the northern half of the country from Seattle and Portland, Ore., through the upper Midwest to New York. In Minnesota, Nader was polling over 10 percent on some counts. In Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine, maybe even California, Nader could make enough of a dent to put Bush over the top. And so the Get-Ralph campaign began in earnest
	A Vote for Nader is a Vote for...	by Alexander Cockburn Gore liberals such as Steinem, or Patricia Ireland of NOW, or Carl Pope of the Sierra Club have been trading in false currency for so long they don't realize that as shills for the Democratic Party their credit was used up long, long ago. When Steinem, of all people, wags her finger at greens and tells them that poor people don't have the luxury of voting for Nader, it doesn't take longer than a second to hear the response: "Then what about the welfare bill? Was that good for the poor?" And only middle-class women enjoy the luxury of Roe vs. Wade, since Gore and others voted down federal aid for abortions for poor women long ago
	Depleted Uranium Bombs Still Pose Danger in Kosovo	by Gustavo Capdevila United Nations scientists investigating the effects of depleted uranium used in Kosovo during the 1999 war have called for precautions in handling ammunition that can still be found at numerous locations. NATO took five months to respond to the UN's request for information, and finally acknowledged in March of this year that its A-10 Warthog aircraft had used munitions with depleted uranium in approximately 100 attacks over Kosovo territory
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