Tidbits, Announcements & Reader Response
September 14, 2012

* Re: Expert Report: US Strikes on Iran Would Risk Major War
  (Jack Radey, David Worley, Laurel MacDowell)
* Re: REWIND - A Week of Quotes & Cartoons (Furaha
  Youngblood)
* Re: Romney's Decline and Fall - EdgeLeft column by David
  McReynolds (Ellen Schwartz)
* Weird book on Amazon, like film: Exporting Islamic
  Terrorism (Helena Worthen)
*  Health Care Wars: How Market Ideology and Corporate Power
  Are Killing Americans = San Francisco - September 16
* The Neoliberal Assault on Disability Rights - New York -
  October 4

==========

* Re: Expert Report: US Strikes on Iran Would Risk Major War

Previously, under the George W. Bush administration, the
Joint Chiefs (according to Sy Hersh) informed POTUS that
this mission was a non-starter, that it could only be
reliably done using nuclear weapons, and in case the dummy
in the White House didn't understand, the chairman of the
chiefs spelled out what the political consequences of such a
step would be.  Without using nukes, the chiefs believed
that they could not assure the destruction of the Iranian
plants processing nuclear material.  In fact, they could not
guarantee that they had located all of them.  Essentially
they told the Commander in Chief (and Dick Cheney, who was
probably calling the shots) that if ordered to do this they
would refuse, because "...it is a dumb fucking idea, sir."

Despite the development of a super powerful bunker buster
(20 tons I believe), this assessment is still basically
true.  As far as an Israeli strike is concerned, it is
obviously even more true.

Jack Radey

===

Re. "experts" assessment of US-Israel attack on Iran
The headline is exactly right. Unfortunately text doesn't
really get into that. Muslim public outrage might not be too
much for Washington to weather. It would possibly be
confined to Shia populations, which are not powerful outside
the neighborhood of Iran. The really frightening scenario
is: 1) Even damaged iranian military could likely retaliate
by killing hundreds of US servicemen in the region, raining
missiles and bombs on US fleet in the gulf and US bases in
the gulf and Afghanistan; 2) Even if Iran could not reach
Israel directly, Hesbollah could and might, leading to
another Israel invasion of Lebanon; 3) Iran could also
launch military attacks against US allies, especially Saudi
Arabia and associated princely states. If Iran succeeded in
destroying a US aircraft carrier or the royal palace in
Bahrain or Riyadh, how could the US government avoid an
allout war, including military occupation of Iran. Some
Israeli fanatics and US neocons may be delighted by this
prospect but the any sane person must be aghast.

David Worley

===

The United States does not need another war. President Obama
is supporting sanctions. Benjamin Netanyahu is sabre-
rattling. His timing is meant to put pressure on Obama,
discredit him if possible to give Romeny more support, which
is disgraceful. Netanyahu knows that in Israel ex- security
people and ex-generals are also advising him that an attack
on Iran would be disastrous.

Laurel MacDowell

==========

* Re: REWIND - A Week of Quotes & Cartoons

I am so happy to see this feature back; I thought it had
been lost forever!

Furaha Youngblood

==========

* Re: Romney's Decline and Fall (EdgeLeft column by David
McReynolds)

So, what I wonder, in the month since this was written, did
the Romney campaign disintegrate, or is he a viable
candidate? Viable, right?   I think David is right about
everything he said, but just by staying put, and the media
not jumping on it, Romney has made it look like all the
problems, his finances, his choice of Ryan, his diplomacy
gaffe in England, even the dog-crate on the station wagon
roof... all trivial.    If a party wants to keep a
candidate, all is forgiven; if they want to get rid of one,
he will be declared "unpresidential" and disappear into the
Memory Hole quicker than you can say Howard Dean.

Ellen Schwartz

==========

* Weird book on Amazon, like film: Exporting Islamic
Terrorism

Hello, Portside,  etc  --

I am on a lot of email lists and for some reason, have been
getting Tea Party emails for the last six months or so. I
actually read some of them, but that's another matter.  One
day in August this came along. It immediately struck me as
dangerous provocateurism. And Amazon is hosting/offering
this book?

I'm reading a lot about the film, but not about this book or
about Amazon.com hosting it.  Any thoughts?

Helena Worthen

-----
    From: Landon Islam Stovall <[log in to unmask]>
    Date: Thursday, August 23, 2012 5:17 AM

    Subject: Exporting Islamic Terrorism

    Did you know that Mohammad was a drunken, child
    molesting, cowardly pimp? The Ayatollahs and
    Terrorists do not want you to know the truth about
    Islam and promise to harm you if you tell anyone.
    Fight back and read this well written, totally
    funny, parody on the founding of the so-called
    religion.

    The good non-biased reviews on Amazon.com "How
    Fatima Started Islam" are very accurate in
    describing this both laugh and insult per page well
    written novel featuring the always drunk proprietor
    of Mohammad's Saloon & Brothel. Still, available
    from Amazon.com and 234 truly funny pages at only
    $9.99. You will not be sorry, but do not import this
    book to the Middle East. The Terrorists DO NOT want
    you or anybody to read, publicize, promote, or
    purchase this book, they HATE the fact that this
    book exists and is being read. Buying this parody is
    not only sticking up for American freedom it is
    sending a big message to Islam. ¡¡ How Fatima
    Started Islam

    Use this link to go to Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/How-Fatima-Started-Islam-Mohammads/dp/0578032902/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342969660&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=haw+fatima+started+islam
....
    NOTE: There is a concerted and subtle effort to
    manipulate Americans from buying or reading the
    parody.  A foreign based group, I'll call them 'the
    friends of Islam' are pressuring Amazon.com to cease
    selling the book and also to flood Amazon.com with
    bogus 'reviews' to dissuade Americans from
    purchasing it.  In a two week period 40 'reviews'
    rushed in, mostly with non-Arab names, telling
    people how horrible, petty, stupid, poorly written
    etc. the book was and not to buy it.  All 40
    unanimously gave it the absolute lowest rating.  It
    was obvious that each of the 'reviewers' had not
    bought or read the book, many proclaimed that they
    would not under any circumstances read an anti-Islam
    tome. From George III to Adolf Hitler many
    foreigners have tried to limit what Americans should
    be allowed to read.  Protect the First Amendment and
    do not be dictated by the Ayatollahs of Damascus ,
    Bagdad, and Tehran.

==========

* Health Care Wars: How Market Ideology and Corporate Power
Are Killing Americans

A panel discussion of John Geyman's new book "Health Care
Wars." Eleven Single Payer Now activists will discuss Dr.
Geyman's book.

Sunday 3pm Sept. 16 518 Valencia, SF (5 doors south of 16th
St)

Single Payer Now panelists include:
* Don Bechler - past member of SF Labor Council from IAM
1781
* Judy Beck - Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
1021 single payer committee
* Diedre Booker - Assn. Professional Flight Attendants,
retired
* Ann Chen - member SEIU 1000 retired
* Barbara Commins - RN, member CSUEU/SEIU 2579 at SF State
* Lou Gold - member SEIU 2579 retired
* Barry Hermanson - Green Party representative to Campaign
for a Healthy California
* Michael Lyon - Gray Panthers
* Donald Nemeyer - Federation of American College Teachers,
retired
* Rob Stephenson Ellen Yoshitsugu - member United Educators
of San Francisco local 61

Sponsored by Single Payer Now For more information call
415-695-7891 or [log in to unmask] www.singlepayernow.net
Support HR 676 (The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All
Act) & SB 810 (The California Universal Healthcare Act)

Don Bechler,  Chair - Single Payer Now

==========

* The Neoliberal Assault on Disability Rights - New York -
October 4

The Campaign for Peace and Democracy will be co- sponsoring
a public forum, "The Neoliberal Assault on Disability
Rights" at 7pm on Thursday, October 4th in Room 803, NYU
Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South, in Manhattan.
Speakers include Nadina LaSpina, Ravi Malhotra, Jihan Abbas
and Paula Wolff. Forum co-sponsors are New Politics magazine
and RFLS (Radical Film and Lecture Series). We invite
everyone who will be in the New York City area that evening
to join us!

Ravi Malhotra is a disability rights advocate, a sponsor of
New Politics, and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law,
Common Law Section, at the University of Ottawa in Ottawa,
Canada. He has published widely on disability rights and
serves on the human rights committee of the Council of
Canadians with Disabilities.

Nadina LaSpina is an activist for social justice and in
particular for disability rights. She has been arrested
countless times for civil disobedience and is an organizer
for American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT),
Not Dead Yet and the Disability Caucus of Occupy Wall
Street.

Jihan Abbas is a Vanier Canada Graduate scholar and PhD
candidate at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Her
research interests include disability and the labor market,
social policy, and inclusion.

Paula Wolff is President of Disabled in Action and active in
Occupy Wall Street.

Co-Chairs: Joanne Landy and Adaner Usmani. Landy is CPD Co-
Director, a New Politics editorial board member, and former
Executive Director of the NY Metro Chapter of Physicians for
a National Health Program. Usmani is a member of the New
Politics editorial board, a graduate student in Sociology at
New York University, and a member of the Radical Film and
Lecture Series.

If you are on Facebook, please check out the  forum's FB
event page and if you plan to  attend, indicate that you are
coming. And  please tell your friends and colleagues about
the event.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

In peace and solidarity,

Joanne Landy  &  Thomas Harrison Co-Directors,
Campaign for Peace and Democracy

Email: [log in to unmask]: www.cpdweb.org
http://www.cpdweb.org/letters/20120914.disabilityforum.shtml

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