Nexus - 1106 - New Times Magazine-pages

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... GLPBAL NEWS ... NEWS ... 6. Sale of electoral politics Aw to electronic voting may seem innocent enough—until you look at who's implementing it, and how. Indeed, the transfer represents the privatisation of the voting process in the hands of a select few fervent GOP supporters who've insisted on keeping their operating systems and codes a trade secret-—meaning they enjoy absolute control over the entire voting process, including ballot counting and oversight. There's no paper trail. Cheney's industry-stacked energy task force—provides taxpayer cash for companies that build new nukes. Recall—and to cancel plans to reregulate or recoup the $9 billion. Back in May 2001, in the midst of California's energy crisis, Schwarzenegger met with Enron's Ken Lay to discuss "fixing" California's energy crisis. 11. The media can legally lie [i 2003, a Florida Court of Appeal ruled that there are no written rules against distorting news in the media. It agreed with an argument by Fox TV that, under the First Amendment, broadcasters have the right to lie or deliberately distort news reports on public airwaves. Under the cur- rent ruling, it is up to the public to discover whether or not they're being lied to. 14. New bill threatens intellectual freedom he International Studies in Higher Education Act of 2003 threatens acad- emic freedom and the curriculum. Under this act, professors whose ideological prin- ciples do not support US practices abroad can have their appointments terminated, any course curriculum containing criticism of US foreign policy can be censored, and any course deemed anti-American can be barred from the classroom. 7. Conservative organisation drives judicial appointments Ee since the Reagan administration, the neoconservatives have pursued an aggressive campaign to stack the federal courts with right-wing judges. Their main vehicle: the Federalist Society of Law and Public Policy, founded in 1982 by a small group of radically conservative law students at the University of Chicago. 12. The destabilisation of Haiti n 29 February 2004, Haiti's President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was forced into exile by the American military. While US officials were eventually forced to acknowledge the kidnapping allegations, they were quick to discredit them and deny responsibility. Meanwhile, the circum- stances that led to the current situation in Haiti, as well as the history of US involve- ment, are being ignored by US officials and the mainstream media. 15. US develops lethal new bioweapons cientists funded by the US government have developed a way to make pox viruses incredibly deadly. The stated goal of this research is to fight possible bioter- ror attacks. The new virus kills all mice, even if they have been given antiviral drugs along with a vaccine that would nor- mally protect them from death. 8. Secrets of Cheney's energy task force come to light A“ the Bush administration continues to protect the iron wall of secrecy it's erected around Cheney's energy task force, at least two documents confirm longstand- ing suspicions that the administration's for- eign policy is being driven by the dictates of the energy industry. 13. Schwarzenegger met with Enron's Ken Lay before Recall [ 2002, while the California Governor and his deputy were attempting to rereg- ulate the energy industry (and get back the $9 billion defrauded from Californian tax- payers by Enron and other energy compa- nies), Arnold Schwarzenegger was being groomed to overthrow Governor Davis ina 16. Law enforcement agencies spy on innocent citizens Wi little media comment, federal, state and local agencies have begun working as partners in the collection, analysis and dissemination of intelligence 9. Widow brings RICO case against US government for 9/11 s the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, completed its first year, Ellen Mariani and her attorney held a press conference on the steps of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to announce her own star- tling conclusions. Mariani, wife of Louis Neil Mariani, who died when terrorists flew United Airlines Flight 175 into the World Trade Center's south tower, has come to believe top American officials—including Bush, Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and others—had foreknowledge of the attacks yet failed to prevent them and have since been covering up the truth. Would you like pepper with Het, Bee) Not sure, fet pre She ie een ban 10. New nuke plants: taxpayers’ support, industry profits Tf you thought nuclear energy was dead, think again: the Bush administration's energy bill—yet another product of NEXUS +7 ea OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2004 www.nexusmagazine.com