Telling the Truth About the War on Drugs

Telling the Truth About the War on Drugs
As anchorman of the CBS Evening News, I signed off my nightly broadcasts for nearly two decades with a simple statement: "And that's the way it is."




To me, that encapsulates the newsman's highest ideal: to report the facts as he sees them, without regard for the consequences or controversy that may ensue.



Sadly, that is not an ethic to which all politicians aspire - least of all in a time of war.



I remember. I covered the Vietnam War. I remember the lies that were told, the lives that were lost - and the shock when, twenty years after the war ended, former Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara admitted he knew it was a mistake all along.



Today, our nation is fighting two wars: one abroad and one at home. While the war in Iraq is in the headlines, the other war is still being fought on our own streets. Its casualties are the wasted lives of our own citizens.



I am speaking of the war on drugs.



And I cannot help but wonder how many more lives, and how much more money, will be wasted before another Robert McNamara admits what is plain for all to see: the war on drugs is a failure.



While the politicians stutter and stall - while they chase their losses by claiming we could win this war if only we committed more resources, jailed more people and knocked down more doors - the Drug Policy Alliance continues to tell the American people the truth - "the way it is."



I'm sure that's why you support DPA's mission to end the drug war. And why I strongly urge you to support their work by giving a generous donation today.



You see, I've learned first hand that the stakes just couldn't be higher.



When I wanted to understand the truth about the war on drugs, I took the same approach I did to the war in Vietnam: I hit the streets and reported the story myself. I sought out the people whose lives this war has affected.



Allow me to introduce you to some of them.



Nicole Richardson was 18-years-old when her boyfriend, Jeff, sold nine grams of LSD to undercover federal agents. She had nothing to do with the sale. There was no reason to believe she was involved in drug dealing in any way.



But then an agent posing as another dealer called and asked to speak with Jeff. Nicole replied that he wasn't home, but gave the man a number where she thought Jeff could be reached.



An innocent gesture? It sounds that way to me. But to federal prosecutors, simply giving out a phone number made Nicole Richardson part of a drug dealing conspiracy. Under draconian mandatory minimum sentences, she was sent to federal prison for ten years without possibility of parole.



To pile irony on top of injustice, her boyfriend - who actually knew something about dealing drugs - was able to trade information for a reduced sentence of five years. Precisely because she knew nothing, Nicole had nothing with which to barter.



Then there was Jan Warren, a single mother who lived in New Jersey with her teenage daughter. Pregnant, poor and desperate, Jan agreed to transport eight ounces of cocaine to a cousin in upstate New York. Police officers were waiting at the drop-off point, and Jan - five months pregnant and feeling ill - was cuffed and taken in.



Did she commit a crime? Sure. But what awaited Jan Warren defies common sense and compassion alike. Under New York's infamous Rockefeller Drug Laws, Jan - who miscarried soon after the arrest - was sentenced to 15 years to life. Her teenage daughter was sent away, and Jan was sent to an eight-by-eight cell.



In Tulia, Texas, an investigator fabricated evidence that sent more than one out of every ten of the town's African American residents to jail on trumped-up drug charges in one of the most despicable travesties of justice this reporter has ever seen.



The federal government has fought terminally ill patients whose doctors say medical marijuana could provide a modicum of relief from their suffering - as though a cancer patient who uses marijuana to relieve the wrenching nausea caused by chemotherapy is somehow a criminal who threatens the public.



People who do genuinely have a problem with drugs, meanwhile, are being imprisoned when what they really need is treatment.



And what is the impact of this policy?



It surely hasn't made our streets safer. Instead, we have locked up literally millions of people...disproportionately people of color...who have caused little or no harm to others - wasting resources that could be used for counter-terrorism, reducing violent crime, or catching white-collar criminals.



With police wielding unprecedented powers to invade privacy, tap phones and conduct searches seemingly at random, our civil liberties are in a very precarious condition.



Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent on this effort - with no one held accountable for its failure.



Amid the clichés of the drug war, our country has lost sight of the scientific facts. Amid the frantic rhetoric of our leaders, we've become blind to reality: The war on drugs, as it is currently fought, is too expensive, and too inhumane.



But nothing will change until someone has the courage to stand up and say what so many politicians privately know: The war on drugs has failed.



That's where the Drug Policy Alliance comes in.



From Capitol Hill to statehouses to the media, DPA counters the hysteria of the drug war with thoughtful, accurate analysis about the true dangers of drugs, and by fighting for desperately needed on-the-ground reforms.



They are the ones who've played the lead role in making marijuana legally available for medical purposes in states across the country.



California's Proposition 36, the single biggest piece of sentencing reform in theUnited States since the repeal of Prohibition, is the result of their good work. The initiative is now in its fifth year, having diverted more than 125,000 people from prison and into treatment since its inception.



They oppose mandatory-minimum laws that force judges to send people like Nicole Richardson and Jan Warren to prison for years, with no regard for their character or the circumstances of their lives. And their work gets results: thanks in large part to DPA, New York has taken the first steps towards reforming the draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws under which Jan was sentenced.



In these and so many other ways, DPA is working to end the war on drugs and replace it with a new drug policy based on science, compassion, health and human rights.



DPA is a leading, mainstream, respected and effective organization that gets real results.



But they can't do it alone.



That's why I urge you to send as generous a contribution as you possibly can to the Drug Policy Alliance.



Americans are paying too high a price in lives and liberty for a failing war on drugs about which our leaders have lost all sense of proportion. The Drug Policy Alliance is the one organization telling the truth. They need you with them every step of the way.



And that's the way it is.



http://stpeteforpeace.org/obama.html











Obama's foreign policy is arguably worse than George W. Bush's. Among other things, in his first year Obama has:





- Sent ships and missiles to the waters near Iran

- Put missiles and troops near the Russian border

- Sought a $44 billion increase in military budget

- Been accused of sending military to 'occupy' Haiti

- Increased arms sales to Persian Gulf nations

- Started a military offensive in Yemen

- Escalated the war in Afghanistan

- Increased drone attacks in Pakistan

- Continued the occupation of Iraq

- Made plans for 7 military bases in Colombia

- Continued to support Israel's occupation of Palestine



And it's not just his foreign policy that indicates he is a puppet of the U.S. Empire. Here is a partial history of Obama's dealings - listed (roughly) chronologically, most recent first:





School bombing exposes Obama’s secret war inside Pakistan (read).

Obama administration raises stakes on Iran by sending in ships and missiles (read).

Obama administration steps up arms sales to Persian Gulf allies (read)

Obama seeking $44 billion increase in military budget - including $5b for nuclear arsenal (read).



15 killed in US drone strike in northwest Pakistan (read).

Blackwater in Pakistan: Gates confirms (read).



Obama to Call for Freeze on Non-Defense Spending. The Pentagon will be exempted from the freeze, as will the Department of Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs. The freeze would cover many domestic areas, including education and the environment. (read).

U.S. Moves Missiles And Troops To Russian Border (read).

France accuses US of 'occupying' Haiti as troops flood in (read).



Obama Ordered U.S. Military Strike on Yemen (read).



Conservative praise for Nobel speech. “If Bush had said these things the world would be filled with violent denunciations... when Obama says them, people purr. That is fine by me.” (read).

Obama signs military bases agreement with Colombia (read).



Obama Seeks PATRIOT ACT Extensions (read).

Administration Seeks to Keep Terror Watch-List Data Secret --As of last Sept., the list included 1.1 million names and aliases corresponding to 400,000 individuals (read).

"[Afghanistan] is not a war of choice, this is a war of necessity. Those who attacked America on 9/11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which al-Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans. So this is not only a war worth fighting. This is fundamental to the defense of our people." (read).

Obama administration asks Supreme Court to block release of torture photos (read).

Obama’s Military Is Spying on US Peace Groups, by Amy Goodman (read).

The Obama administration has declined requests from U.N. human rights investigators for information on secret prisons and for private interviews with inmates at the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay (read).

Obama announced the nomination of Robert Hormats, a vice chairman of Goldman Sachs International, to a top economic position at the State Department (read).

Senior Obama Official Backs Cheney and CIA, Says Concealment of Assassin Program Legal (read).

Some Guantanamo Bay Detainees May Be Held Indefinitely (without prosecution) (read). Also, military tribunals at Gitmo resume (read).

Obama Goes to Bat for Bush Wiretap Program (read).

Obama Slides Further Down Bush’s Hill on Indefinite Detention (read).

About Face: Obama to Proceed with Bush-Era Cybersecurity Plan (read).

Obama Administration Backs Bush White House on Cheney Interview (read).

Obama administration seeks to quash suit by 9/11 families (read).

In his May, 2009 speech in Cairo, Egypt, Obama denounced retaliation and force in discussing how Palestinians should respond to Israel. Given that Obama's government sells weapons to Israel, has escalated violence in Afghanistan and has increased the number of drone attacks in Pakistan, his request of Palestinians is void of any credibility. Obama also proudly proclaimed that US troops would be out of Iraq by 2012 (as if three more years is acceptable), and he again did not mention how many mercenaries would remain, and of course, he didn't discuss US military bases in Iraq.

Obama OK's Mountaintop Removal. With the election of Barack Obama, environmentalists expected to see the end of the "Appalachian apocalypse" -- their name for exposing coal deposits by blowing the tops off of whole mountains. But in recent weeks, the Obama administration has quietly decided to open the way for at least two dozen more "mountaintop removal" projects. (read).

Obama embraces Bush's immigration policy. In recent days, for example, the administration has announced it will expand a $1.1 billion program begun under President George W. Bush to check the immigration status of virtually all people booked into local jails over the next four years. Obama will continue a "zero-tolerance" program that charges and jails any illegal immigrant caught crossing parts of the U.S.-Mexico border. And the administration will resume construction of a $8 billion "virtual" fence of tower-mounted sensors and cameras along the border (read).

Obama pledges to keep U.S. 'dominance': We will maintain Americas military dominance and keep you the finest fighting force the world has ever seen. (read).

Obama administration sides with Bush, Cheney and Rove in the case of outed CIA agent Valerie Plame (read).



Obama to Keep Israel's Nuclear Secrets (read).

Obama Endorses Indefinite Detention Without Trial for Some. President Obama acknowledged publicly for the first time yesterday that some detainees at Guantanamo Bay may have to be held without trial indefinitely, siding with conservative national security advocates (read).

Obama does U-turn on Guantanamo Bay terror trials - will restart military tribunals for a small number of Guantanamo detainees, reviving a Bush-era trial system he once assailed as flawed (read).

Little Known Military Thug Squad Still Brutalizing Prisoners at Gitmo Under Obama (read).

Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on the U.S. to halt air strikes in his country (read). Unfortunately, the Obama administration rejected Karzai's demand and said that U.S. airstrikes will continue (read)

Obama renews U.S. sanctions on Syria (read).

Photographs of prisoner abuse which Barack Obama is attempting to censor include images of apparent rape and sexual abuse (read).

McCain backs Obama (read).

Obama pledges to protect CIA torture operatives (read).

President Obama is asking Congress for $83.4 billion in funding for the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. The request marks a complete reversal for Obama from two years ago, when he voted against war funding as a senator under former President George W. Bush (read).

Obama Administration Embraces Bush Position on Warrantless Wiretapping and Secrecy (read).

Replace "Afghanistan" with "Iraq "and Obama sounds like Bush . Barack Obama made an impassioned plea to Americas allies to send more troops to Afghanistan, warning that failure to do so would leave Europe vulnerable to more terrorist atrocities (read).

3/17/09- Obama quietly gave Blackwater $70 million in February, despite Iraq saying it doesn't want the company there (read).

President Barack Obama declared today that the United States will maintain our military dominance. We will have the strongest armed forces in the history of the world. And we will do whatever it takes to sustain our technological advantage and to invest in the capabilities that we need to protect our interests and to defeat and deter any conventional enemy. (read).

3/13/09- Obama extends sanctions against Iran for one year, saying it continues to pose a threat to US national security (read).

Even though Obama has repeatedly pledged to ban congressional earmarks, his Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has 16 such projects, worth about $8.5 million, in the bill the Senate is considering (read).

Suspend Military Aid to Israel, Amnesty Urges Obama after Detailing US Weapons Used in Gaza (read).

Obama backs Bush: No rights for Bagram prisoners (read).

Obama Sides With Bush: Tries to Kill E-Mail Case (read).

2/20/09- Obama Expands Missile Strikes Inside Pakistan (read).

Obama Lets CIA Keep Controversial Renditions Tool (read)

Obama lawyers set to defend Yoo (read).

Obama Energy Secretary Nominee: Coal, Nuclear an 'Important Part' of Power Mix (read).

Obama picks Raytheon VP as deputy defense secretary (read).

Obama attends neo-conservative dinner party with William Kristol, David Brooks, among others (read); but refuses to meet with Hamas or to criticize Israel for Gaza attacks (read).

"His task, will be to develop an overall strategy for America in this period, when really a New World Order can be created. Its a great opportunity it isn't’t a crisis. He (Obama) has appointed an extraordinarily capable group (of advisers and staff) in both foreign and economic fields" ~ Henry Kissinger (YouTube)



12/23/08 Obama Wants Bush Pentagon Appointees to Stay (read).



12/16/08- Cheney lauds Obama's choice of national security team (read).



12/18/08 - Obama choice of evangelical pastor to give invocation at his inauguration has gay rights groups angry (read).



Obama's Pro-Nuclear Pick for Energy Secretary Steven Chu has a keen interest in energy efficiency and solar power and other clean forms of renewable energy, Chu is a staunch advocate of nuclear power (read).



Obama's Dept. of Ag. choice Vilsac is pro-GMO.



Campaign Promises on Ending the War in Iraq Now Muted by Reality

"I said that I would remove our combat troops from Iraq in 16 months, with the understanding that it might be necessary - likely to be necessary - to maintain a residual force to provide potential training, logistical support, to protect our civilians in Iraq," Mr. Obama said this week as he introduced his national security team.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2008/12/05-0





Barack Obama's kettle of hawks

The absence of a solid anti-war voice on Obama's national security team means that US foreign policy isn't going to change - "What does it say that, with 130 members of the House and 23 in the Senate who voted against the war, Obama chooses to hire Democrats who made the same judgment as Bush and McCain?" Neoconservative leader and former McCain campaign staffer Max Boot summed it up best. "I am gobsmacked by these appointments, most of which could just as easily have come from a President McCain," (Jeremy Scahill, 12/1/08).



11/28/08- Karl Rove praises Obama's economic team -

"Thanksgiving Cheer From Obama - He's assembled a first-rate economic team" (read).

"Hawks For Hillary" The New Republic: Why Are Conservatives Praising Obama's Pick For Secretary Of State? Newt Gingrich, Iraq war architect Richard Perle http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/01/opinion/main4640157.shtml

Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona is reportedly set to be offered the position of Homeland Security secretary. She is a two-term governor, as well as a former US attorney and state attorney general for Arizona. She was the first governor to call for National Guard troops to secure the US-Mexico border (read).

President-elect Obama is also expected to tap billionaire Penny Pritzker to serve as Commerce secretary. Pritzker is a longtime friend of Obama's and served as his national finance chair. Pritzker was involved in running and overseeing the Illinois-based Superior Bank, which collapsed in 2001. The bank has been described as being at the forefront of turning subprime loans into securities, the risky practice at the heart of the financial crisis (read).

Obama sends Madeleine Albright to represent him at the G20 summit. Albright is the person who, when told that a half million Iraqi children had died due to sanctions, said "I think this is a very hard choice, but the price--we think the price is worth it." (read).

Obama continued the fear-mongering that pushes this country into multiple wars when he told 60 Minutes: "I think it's important to get a national security team in place because transition periods are potentially times of vulnerability to a terrorist attack," (read).

Obama reportedly to keep Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense (read).

University of Chicago economist Austan Goolsbee will be U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's choice to lead the White House economic team (read).

Obama wants embattled U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman to remain in the Senate Democratic caucus (read), and fellow democrats follow and allow Lieberman to keep a key chairmanship (read).

Obama vowed to shut down Guantanamo - this is good news, and maybe something a John McCain presidency wouldn't have done. But what is Obama going to do with those held without charge at Guantanamo? And what about torture centers at Bagram and Diego Garcia? And will he shut down the School of the Americas torture training center in Ft. Benning, Georgia? And what about the torture American prisoners face in US jails?

Chomsky on Obama appointments

"Obama's choices to [run his economic team] were Robert Rubin and Larry Summers from the Clinton--Secretaries of Treasury under Clinton. They are among the people who are substantially responsible for the crisis. One leading economist, one of the few economists who has been right all along in predicting whats happening, Dean Baker, pointed out that selecting them is like selecting Osama Bin Laden to run the war on terror." (read or listen to the entire speech).











September 2008



Obama supports $700 billion bailout of toxic financial institutions. (Sep '08)

Barack Obama has now declared -- to Bill O'Reilly on Fox News, no less -- that Bush's "surge" in Iraq has "succeeded beyond our wildest dreams." He also proclaimed his "absolute" belief in the "War on Terror," and said "we have to go after them" (in Pakistan and Afghanistan). (WATCH or READ - Sep '08)



August 2008



As riot police were assaulting and arresting innocent activists outside the Democratic convention, Joe Biden was inside saying "Barack will put more cops on the street" (Aug '08)

Georgia/Russia: Obama sides with Georgia - position similar to Bush and McCain. (Aug '08)

July 2008

Would keep a residual force (possibly 60,000-80,000) in Iraq after 2010 to train military personnel, provide security for U.S. interests and thwart terrorist threats. (Jul '08)

"A nuclear Iran would pose a grave threat and the world must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," "Iranians need to understand that whether it's the Bush administration or the Obama administration, this is a paramount concern to the United States," (Jul '08)

Wants 10,000 more troops for Afghanistan. (Jul '08)

Making sure Iran does not have the capability to build a nuclear weapon would be "a number one priority" in an Obama presidency.... Iran policy must "combine much tougher threats of economic sanctions with direct diplomacy," (Jul '08)

Supports legislation granting legal immunity to telecommunications companies that cooperated with the Bush administration's program of wiretapping without warrants. (Jul '08)

Wants to expand faith-based programs. (Jul '08)



9/28/08 St. Pete for Peace statement on Obama following the first Presidential debate





Dear friends of peace,



The presidential debate on Friday night confirmed our previous statements about Barack Obama - he is not an antiwar candidate. St. Pete for Peace, in the strongest terms, condemns Obama's positions on Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and Iraq, among others. Like John McCain, Obama is pro-military and pro-empire. And just like the Republican Party, the Democrats are not representing the people, as further evidenced by the Democrats who pushed at least as hard as the Republicans for the $700 billion Wall Street bailout.



Some people believe Obama is just making pro-war statements to get elected, but if that were true, how do you know he's not also being deceitful about the things he says in which you agree? And if he's saying things now just to get elected, how do you know he wouldn't say those things to get re-elected? Some say that an Obama presidency would mean that their antiwar voice has a chance of being heard. How can this be true if he's not listening to your voice now when he's trying to get your vote?



"But he's better than McCain" is the reason many give for their support of Obama. Yes, that's true. But, if somebody knocked on your door and said, "You can either give me your children, or you can give me every dollar you earn for the rest of your life" what would you say? You would say "neither" and shut the door. It's time to shut the door on the Republicans and Democrats until they start representing the people. Of course, John McCain and the Republicans are dangerous and should not be in power, but acceptance of the "lesser of two evils" philosophy is one reason we continue to be stuck with two evils.



So, what do we do? Well, if you support the Democrats and Obama, then at least demand they start representing you, or abandon the party. This is not a call to join some other party - election politics should be just one small part of participating in your country's affairs. This is a call to consciousness. What you do once every four years pales in comparison to what you do every day.



Peace







June 2008

Voted in favor of $162 billion more for Iraq & Afghanistan wars. (Jun '08)

At his first stop after winning the primaries, Obama wore a U.S/Israeli flag lapel pin at AIPAC. (Jun '08)



Neoconservative leader William Kristol said: "Obama's not for pulling troops back from our forward positions around the world, with the exception of Iraq. Obama and McCain don't actually differ, at least on paper, even on Iran" (Jun '08)

Reverses his pledge and opts out of public financing. (Jun '08)

"But as president of the United States, I would be willing to lead tough and principled diplomacy with the appropriate Iranian leader at a time and place of my choosing if and only if it can advance the interests of the United States." (Jun '08)

"I have said repeatedly that I think that the death penalty should be applied in very narrow circumstances for the most egregious of crimes," (Jun '08)

May 2008

Supports a military 'surge' in Afghanistan. (May '08)

"I will maintain the embargo (on Cuba). It provides us with ... leverage..." "Never, in my lifetime, have the people of Cuba known freedom. Never, in the lives of two generations of Cubans, have the people of Cuba known democracy." (May '08; also, read Fidel Castro's response)





Obama Exposed: Facts about Obama from the African People's Solidarity Committee





April 2008

"I think that when you look back at George H.W. Bush's foreign policy, it was a wise foreign policy. In how we executed the Gulf War, how we managed the transition out of the Cold War, I think it's an example of how we can get bipartisan agreement." (Apr '08)

Would "take no options off the table when it comes to preventing [Iran] from using nuclear weapons or obtaining nuclear weapons, and that would include any threats directed at Israel or any of our allies in the region." (Apr '08)

March 2008

"The truth is that my foreign policy is actually a return to the traditional bipartisan realistic policy of George Bush's father, of John F. Kennedy, of, in someways, Ronald Reagan." (Mar '08)

Said the 2008 violence in Gaza was the result of Hamas’ decision to launch rocket attacks on Israeli civilians (Mar '08)

Said the US should not meet with (the democratically elected) Hamas leadership (Mar '08)

February 2008

Would not rule out using mercenaries (private military companies) like Blackwater in Iraq. (Feb '08)

January 2008

Said that US troops should be "relieved of the burden of policing someone else's civil war," and that Iraqis need "to take responsibility for their own future.” (Jan '08)

2007

He skipped the vote on Attorney General Michael Mukasey. (Nov '07)

"It is important to have tough sanctions on Iran, particularly on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which supports terrorism," (Oct '07)

Voted to expand NAFTA to Peru. (Oct '07)

Would not pledge to have all troops out of Iraq by the end of his first-term. (Sep '07)

Was "a strong supporter of the war in Afghanistan". (Aug '07)

“I strongly support the expansion of our ground forces by adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines." (Apr '07)

“We lead the world in battling immediate evils and promoting the ultimate good,” said Obama. “We must lead by building a 21st-century military... to advance the security of all people.” (Apr '07)

"No President should ever hesitate to use force unilaterally if necessary to protect ourselves and our vital interests when we are attacked or imminently threatened." (Apr '07)

Said the United States must be willing to strike al Qaeda targets inside Pakistan. (Apr '07)

"[W]e must preserve our total commitment to our unique defense relationship with Israel by fully funding military assistance and ... related missile defense programs, he said. This would help Israel maintain its military edge and deter and repel attacks from as far as Tehran and as close as Gaza." (Mar '07)

2006

Voted for Robert Gates (of the Iran-Contra scandal) to be Defense Secretary. (Dec '06)

"[L]aunching some missile strikes into Iran is not the optimal position for us to be in given the ongoing war in Iraq. On the other hand, having a radical Muslim theocracy in possession of nuclear weapons is worse. So I guess my instinct would be to err on not having those weapons in the possession of the ruling clerics of Iran." (Oct '06)

Voted for building a fence along the U.S./Mexican border. (Sep '06)

Said the government must crack down on employers who hire 'illegal immigrants'. (Sep '06)

Supported Israel's war against Lebanon. (Aug '06)

Voted for Patriot Act II. (Mar '06)

2005

Voted for Bush’s 2005 energy bill which sent billions of dollars in subsidies to oil companies. (Jun '05)



Voted to allow credit card companies to raise interest rates to over 30%. (Mar '05)

2004

"Military strikes on Pakistan should not be ruled out if violent Islamic extremists were to take over" (Sep '04)

"[T]he big question is going to be, if Iran is resistant to these pressures [to stop its nuclear program], including economic sanctions, which I hope will be imposed if they do not cooperate, at what point . . . if any, are we going to take military action?" (Sep '04)

"There’s not much of a difference between my position and George Bush’s position" on Iraq. (Jul '04)

Said it was time "to end the embargo with Cuba" because it had "utterly failed in the effort to overthrow Castro." (Jan '04)

2003

Two weeks after the Iraq war started he said, we "absolutely want to make sure that the troops have sufficient support to be able to win." (Mar '03)

2002

"I am not opposed to all wars, I'm opposed to dumb wars." (Oct '02)





"Voting is easy and marginally useful, but it is a poor substitute for democracy,

which requires direct action by concerned citizens" - Howard Zinn, Feb. 2008



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