Between The Lines For The Week Ending Oct. 3, 2008

www.btlonline.org

THIS SATURDAY, SEPT. 27, 2008 IN NEW HAVEN

A FORUM WITH MICHAEL T. KLARE SPEAKING ON "OIL, WAR and the FUTURE of AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY" Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008 3:00-5:30 p.m. Educational Center for the Arts, 55 Audubon St., New Haven, CT

Featuring a documentary film screening of "BLOOD AND OIL: The Dangers and Consequences of America's Dependency on Foreign Petroleum" based on his book, "Blood and Oil" and produced by the Media Education Foundation Suggested donation: $15, students $5 Reservations recommended. Call (203) 268-8446.

Michael Klare, internationally renowned authority on energy and security issues, unearths declassified documents and highlights forgotten passages in prominent presidential doctrines to show how concerns about oil have been at the core of American foreign policy for more than 60 years, rendering our contemporary energy and military policies virtually indistinguishable. Klare calls for a radical re-thinking of U.S. energy policy, warning that unless we change direction, we stand to be drawn into one oil war after another as the global hunt for diminishing world petroleum supplies accelerates. Klare will also discuss his new book, "Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Energy," and describe the innovative policy changes at the national and international level -- including the development of new energy sources and climate-friendly industrial processes -- that can make a difference.

Visit our website at www.squeakywheel.net for more information. Reservations recommended at 1-(203) 268-8446. Proceeds benefit Squeaky Wheel Productions, nonprofit distributors of Between The Lines Radio Newsmagazine; and cosponsors Greater New Haven Peace Council and the New Haven/Leon, Nicaragua Sister City Project. Media sponsors: The New Haven Advocate and Fairfield Weekly

Download a flyer. See a trailer of the documentary. Read "The Klare Choice: Michael T. Klare argues for energy independence," New Haven Advocate interview with Betsy Yagla, Sept. 25, 2008.

"Our military policy and our energy policy have become intertwined. They have become one and the same. ... And if we continue to rely on military force to solve our resource needs, we're in for a very bloody and dangerous and painful century indeed." -- Michael T. Klare, in "Blood and Oil"

THIS WEEK'S PROGRAM

This week we present Between The Lines' summary of under-reported news stories and:


Taxpayers Reject Blank Check for Wall Street Bailout

Interview with Robert Borosage, co-director of Campaign for America's Future, conducted by Scott Harris

In response to the panic on Wall Street following the failure and government takeover of major U.S. investment banks and the world's largest insurer, the Bush administration has proposed a $700 billion bailout of the U.S. financial system. But Congress has greeted the White House bailout legislation with skepticism. The bill would give Bush Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson the power to hand over nearly a trillion dollars in taxpayer money to financial institutions to buy their distressed sub prime mortgage-related assets.

The money in the bailout bill amounts to $2,000 for every man, woman and child in America - and specifically prevents any court of law or administrative agency from reviewing decisions made by the Treasury Secretary. Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, chairman of the Senate banking committee, rejected the White House plan and instead proposed the establishment of a board to oversee the allocation of bailout funds, place caps on executive salaries at institutions receiving help, and provide assistance for struggling homeowners.

Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has proposed that a 10 percent surtax be levied on those making over $500,000 a year, in order to raise an estimated $300 billion to fund the bailout. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Robert Borosage, co-director of Campaign for America's Future, who explains why taxpayers should demand strict conditions, including new regulations and accountability be imposed as part of any bail out plan.

Contact the Campaign for America's Future at (202) 955-5665. Read Borosage's article, "Shock Doctrine: Will We Get Fleeced In This Crisis?" online at ourfuture.org

Related links:

"Robert Borasage on the $700 billion federal bailout plan," on WPKN's Counterpoint, interview conducted by Scott Harris, Sept. 22, 2008 "Growing right-wing opposition to the Paulson plan," by Glenn Greenwald, Sept. 22, 2008 "Fleecing What's Left of the Treasury," by Chris Hedges, truthdig.org, Sept. 22, 2008


U.S. Presidential Election Could Decide Course of Global Climate Change

Interview with Bill McKibben, climate activist and author, conducted by Melinda Tuhus

The interest and concern generated by global climate change last year -- when Al Gore and scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize -- and when grassroots activity erupted across the country, especially among young people -- seems to have now been eclipsed by concerns about the economy. The current financial crisis has driven much of the news coverage about the climate crisis off the pages of newspapers and off the airwaves.

But many people are still working hard to push for action to reduce greenhouse gases, which environmental scientists consider as much of a crisis, albeit a slow-motion one, as the financial meltdown.

Bill McKibben is the author of "The End of Nature," the first book on global warming, written in 1989, for a popular audience. McKibben has written several other books on climate change since then, and in recent years has become an activist and organizer. In 2007 he and six students from Vermont's Middlebury College, where he is a scholar in residence, organized 1,400 local actions as part of Step It Up, which called on politicians to reduce carbon emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050. Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with McKibben about the future of the movement to slow climate change, and what's at stake in this year's U.S. presidential election.

For more information on the movement to slow climate change, visit the websites 350.org and 1sky.org

Bush Iraq War Deceptions, Revealed in Book, Triggers Congressional Investigation

Interview with Ron Suskind, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, conducted by Scott Harris

Author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind's newest book, "The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism," examines how President Bush's policy decisions have affected the reputation and safety of the United States -- and the lives of millions in the U.S. and around the globe in the post-9/11 era.

Suskind states that 3 months before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, U.S. and British intelligence agencies had received credible information from Saddam Hussein's intelligence chief, Tahir Habbush, that the Iraqi military did not possess any weapons of mass destruction - President Bush's prime justification for the war. In one of the most publicized revelations in the book, Suskind charges that the White House instructed the CIA to forge a letter from Habbush stating that the 9/11 highjacker Mohamed Atta had trained in Iraq for his mission in the U.S. - and that Saddam Hussein had received uranium from the African nation of Niger with the help of al Qaeda. Although some of Suskind's sources later denied corroborating this story, the author has presented transcripts of the original interviews and stands by the book's claims.

The author asserts that President Bush's use of the CIA to deceive the American people on the justification for the Iraq war is an impeachable offense. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Ron Suskind about the Bush administration deceptions detailed in his book, and how the nation can hold these officials accountable for their violations of the public trust without impeachment proceedings.

Read transcripts of interviews from the book, "The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism" at ronsuskind.com

This week's summary of under-reported news

Compiled by Bob Nixon

After months of turmoil, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai signed a power-sharing agreement, leaving Mugabe as president and making Tsvangirai prime minister. ("Zimbabwe: New Deal Faces Challenges," InterPress Service, Sept. 16, 2008; "Prime Minister Tsvangirai Says Mugabe Can't Be Prosecuted," Los Angeles Times, Sept. 19, 2008; "Zimbabwe: Rights Reform Vital to Lasting Stability," Human Rights Watch, Sept. 15, 2008; "High Cost of Inclusive Government," Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Sept. 16, 2008) The aid group Care International is pushing the global community to prioritize fighting endemic poverty and long term development, rather than dealing with a succession of crises. ("Living on the Edge," Care International, September, 2008; "Billions Wasted by Aid System," BBC News, Sept. 18, 2008; "UN Chief Asks Rich Nations to Spend $72B on Africa," Associated Press, Sept. 22, 2008) After nearly 15 years of efforts to save the endangered spotted owl, government scientists say the bird's numbers continue to decline due to the resurgence of its rival barn owl and clearcutting of old growth forests. ("As The Spotted Owl's Numbers Keep Falling, Some Fear It's Doomed," Seattle Times, Aug. 13, 2008)


###################################
Between The Lines Radio Newsmagazine Squeaky Wheel Productions P.O. Box 110176 Trumbull, CT 06611 Phone: (203) 268-8446 Fax: (203) 268-3180 www.btlonline.org www.squeakywheel.net betweenthelines-AT-snet.net ###################################

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you are interested in Between The Lines Q&A, a weekly interview transcript with RealAudio link, email btlqa-subscribe-AT-lists.riseup.net.

To subscribe to Between The Lines Weekly Summary, e-mail btlsummary-subscribe-AT-lists.riseup.net. To unsubscribe, email btlsummary-unsubscribe-AT-lists.riseup.net