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REVIEWS ©& ROGUE STATE: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower V ! D E oO by William Blum ‘ Common Courage Press, USA, 2000, Beret by euiniceresl revised foreword 2001 THE TRUTH AND LIES OF 9-11 ISBN 1-56751-194-5 (198pp pb) A Lecture by Mike Ruppert Price: A$23.95; NZ$25.73 + $7 p&h; © From The Wilderness Publications, £14.99; Euro24.90; US$18.95 USA, 2002 (138mins, PAL & NTSC) Availability: Aust/NZ— Astam Books, tel Price: A$44.00; NZ$55.00; £18.00; +61 (0)2 9566 4400, http://www.astam- US$24.95 + $7.50 in USA, +$20 o/s s&h books.com.au; UK—Zed Books, tel 020 Availability: Aust/NZ/UK/Europe— 7837 0384, http://www.zedbooks.demon. NEXUS offices, USA—From The co.uk; Europe—NEXUS; USA—Common Wilderness, PO Box 6061-350, Sherman Courage Press, tel +1 (207) 525 0900, Oaks, CA 91413, tel (818) 788 8791, http://www.commoncouragepress.com http://www. fromthewilderness.com n the foreword to this revised edition of his is one powerful video. It's produced Rogue State, penned on September 19, and directed by Mike Ruppert, the for- 2001, William Blum writes that "Only the mer LAPD narcotics investigator whose American people stand between the bombers _ groundbreaking research, published in his and the bombed". But if there's to be any newsletter From the Wilderness and on his hope of their effecting a change of stance, website (http://www.copvcia.com), is caus- "their consciences and intellects will have to _ing a stir in high places. Ruppert was be awakened", he says. People all over the among the first to be publicly critical of the globe can concur with this, and Blum should _ official 9-11 story, and here he presents evi- be applauded for actually saying it. dence that proves the US government had Blum's rundown on the misdeeds of US foreknowledge of, if not complicity in, the foreign policy in the last half-century should _ tragic events of September 11, 2001. surely serve to shake a few more Americans The scene is set with introductory video out of the tendency to react with outpourings _ clips, including coverage of Mike's own run- of patriotism rather than reflection—treflec- in with then CIA Director John Deutch in tion on the idea that peoples around the 1996, when at a public hearing he posed an world who have been wrongly done by at uncomfortable question about the CIA's role the hands of misguided US policy (and mis- _in drug trafficking—his "greatest moment". siles) might actually have a valid gripe. Then the video continues with his first pub- In Blum's opinion, Americans also need to _lic talk post-9-11, which he gave at Portland take a good, hard look at the military-indus- State University, Oregon, on November 28, trial establishment and ask whose interests 2001. Mike, by the way, is a UCLA politi- it's really serving. Every time we tune into _ cal science honours graduate, and has a great the mainstream media, we hear more empty _ feel for history and what goes on behind the "war on terrorism" doctrine from Bush and scenes as well as a keen sense of humour his cronies, but we're usually left to read and irony. His policy is only to present between the lines ourselves. Blum's book information whose facts can be confirmed serves well to fill in the subtext. by government documents, official state- In the first part, he looks at Washington's ments or verifiable press sources. love/hate relationship with terrorists, war In his extensive talk, Mike exposes some criminals and other human-rights viola- of the geostrategic planning that the US has tors—a relationship that has not prevented engaged in over the last nearly two decades the funding of so many over the years. so it may lay claim to vast potential profits Next, he examines the history of US use of in gold, oil and drugs in the region of the weapons of mass destruction—nuclear, many -stans, with help from the likes of depleted uranium, chemical and biologi- Halliburton and of course the CIA. This is cal—not just abroad but at home. This isin essential background in understanding the sharp contrast to US pronouncements events of 9-11. He reveals startling CIA against use of such weapons by anyone else. _ links to Wall Street drug money laundering, Finally, he shows up the successive ruling —_ alarming predictions of imminent US eco- US governments for their global interven- nomic collapse, a damning timeline of 9- tions since 1945, their perverting of electoral _11-related events, and more. This is inter- processes, their eavesdropping on the planet, spersed with video commentary from their phony "war on drugs" facilitated by the notable whistleblowers, politicians and aca- CIA, and their intrinsic denials of freedoms demics. The text of documents is presented that are supposedly written into the US in a close-up bar for ease of reading. Constitution and Bill of Rights. But what Mike is a great communicator (he was a else can we expect of what has all the hall- huge hit at our last NEXUS Conference; see marks of a fascist state’? review next page), and a man of integrity. ROGUE STATE: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower by William Blum Common Courage Press, USA, 2000, revised foreword 2001 ISBN 1-56751-194-5 (198pp pb) Price: A$23.95; NZ$25.73 + $7 p&h; £14.99; Euro24.90; US$18.95 Availability: Aust/NZ— Astam Books, tel +61 (0)2 9566 4400, http:/www.astam- books.com.au; UK—Zed Books, tel 020 7837 0384, http://www.zedbooks.demon. co.uk; Europe—NEXUS; USA—Common Courage Press, tel +1 (207) 525 0900, http:/Awww.commoncouragepress.com n the foreword to this revised edition of Rogue State, penned on September 19, 2001, William Blum writes that "Only the American people stand between the bombers and the bombed". But if there's to be any hope of their effecting a change of stance, "their consciences and intellects will have to be awakened", he says. People all over the globe can concur with this, and Blum should be applauded for actually saying it. Blum's rundown on the misdeeds of US foreign policy in the last half-century should surely serve to shake a few more Americans out of the tendency to react with outpourings of patriotism rather than reflection—reflec- tion on the idea that peoples around the world who have been wrongly done by at the hands of misguided US policy (and mis- siles) might actually have a valid gripe. In Blum's opinion, Americans also need to take a good, hard look at the military-indus- trial establishment and ask whose interests it's really serving. Every time we tune in to the mainstream media, we hear more empty "war on terrorism" doctrine from Bush and his cronies, but we're usually left to read between the lines ourselves. Blum's book serves well to fill in the subtext. In the first part, he looks at Washington's love/hate relationship with terrorists, war criminals and other human-rights viola- tors—a relationship that has not prevented the funding of so many over the years. Next, he examines the history of US use of weapons of mass destruction—nuclear, depleted uranium, chemical and biologi- cal—not just abroad but at home. This is in sharp contrast to US pronouncements against use of such weapons by anyone else. Finally, he shows up the successive ruling US governments for their global interven- tions since 1945, their perverting of electoral processes, their eavesdropping on the planet, their phony "war on drugs" facilitated by the CIA, and their intrinsic denials of freedoms that are supposedly written into the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. But what else can we expect of what has all the hall- marks of a fascist state’? NEXUS +71 AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2002 www.nexusmagazine.com