This was the week that was
November 18–24

Except for the snow birds, visitors to Miami have packed it in. Left behind is the various
estimates of the size of the protest, and charges filed by the police against at least 200
demonstrators. The physical injuries to people and the number of those who may be too
intimidated to participate in future protests will go uncounted as will the solidarity and resolve of
the participants. The National Lawyers Guild, and possibly the ACLU, will likely file charges
against the police for using excessive force and preventing a free expression of dissenting ideas.
The trade ministers from 34 countries sketched a plan for a free trade agreement, but they
did not buy into the Shrub administration’s transparent attempts at control. The president is
already in difficulty for US violations of trade agreements with the European Union.
At the other side of the Atlantic tens of thousands of people marched in the heart of
London protesting the Bush-Blair prosecution of the Iraq war. In a moment of great political
theater the protestors toppled a 17- foot papier mache statue of the Shrub, parodying the toppling
of a statue of Saddam last year.

Doing the right thing....Richard Perle, an influential hawk who serves on the Defense
Policy Board, amazed everyone this week with a public address in London at which he admitted
that the invasion of Iraq was illegal. He declared: “I think in this case international law stood in
the way of doing the right thing.‿ (Guardian.co.uk)

Remember NAFTA.....The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace released a report
this week declaring that North American Free Trade Agreement has not produced substantial job
growth in Mexico and probably hurt hundreds of thousands of subsistence farmers. The Carnegie
study also said that the Agreement had only a small effect on jobs in the US. (NY Times)

Picking us off one by one....The pending Medicare/Medicaid legislation would make
millions of the elderly low income and people with disabilities worse off than under current law
according to the Center on Budget and Political Priorities (CBPP.org)

In case one-by-one is too slow....Congress appropriated $6.3 billion of dollars to
support the development of a new generation of nuclear weapons. The new weapons, according
to Agence France-Presse, include a new bunker-busters and “low yield‿ bombs.(spacewar.com)

The Massachusetts highest court ruled that the state constitution guarantees the right of
gay couples to marry. The Conservatives are outraged; the Democrats are confused; and the
general public, according to the polls, is split. (Associated Press)

There’s a man going round taking names.....An investigative report by the New York
Times on Sunday revealed that the FBI has increased its surveillance of antiwar demonstrators
and has been recruiting local law enforcement agencies to join with them. The FBI said that its
intelligence gathering is aimed at anarchists and “extremist elements.‿



This week in history:
Anarchist-communist Alexander Berkman is born (1870); Socialist leader Norman Thomas is born (1884); 20,000 women garment workers strike in New York (1909); Industrial Workers of the World organizer Joe Hill is murdered by state authorities in Utah (1915); Mickey Mouse entered the world (1928); 22 month Chicago newsprinters' strike begins against the anti-union/anti-worker provisions of the Taft-Hartley Act (1947); John F. Kennedy was assasinated (1963)