Gyroscope

A newsletter for those unmoved by spin.
No. 1, July 21, 2003

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The collection of zeros running against President Bush may hold a couple that could be more than cyphers. Not endorsing anyone, but the progressive voter should at least give a look to Vermont governor Howard Dean and Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich.

Dean is getting attacked by the pundit corps already, a sure sign that he might be saying something interesting. That brings us to our first round of web site recommendations for those determined to penetrate the spin of the media.

Three sites you must read to understand the propaganda you read in mainstream media are:

Spin Sanity They actually attack errors from both the right and the left, which makes them unique.

Daily Howler A full-on rant against the crowd who appear on pundit shows and Sunday gasbag programs. Recently he's been on the war path about the slandering of Hillary Clinton's book, showing that most of the press attacks are both wrong on the facts and done by people who freely admit they've never read the thing. He's also pointing out how Dean is being slandered and how Bush was getting a free ride on Iraq for "exaggerating" compared to how the press treated less serious "exaggerating" by Gore in the last campaign. Now the media has flipped and is trashing Bush, but on a very narrow issue and with equally bad logic.

Media Whores Online Goes after how the press mindlessly apes the official line from Bush.

Back to presidential candidates. Kucinich actually uses the word "progressive" to describe himself. For that reason alone, you should give him a few minutes attention. Assuming you still vote for candidates from the two major parties.

About Gyroscope There's a lot going out there, and most of the interesting news is buried. Thought there might be an audience for seeing some of it brought to light. Let me know. (Better graphics to be added later.)

U.S. holds British citizens at Guantanamo Bay. British government officials will object "at the highest level" to military trials of UK citizens reports the Financial Times, July 5, 2003, p.1 The US later put off the decision about bring them to trial.

"Unjust, Unwise, un-American" Description by the Economist Magazine about military trial for detainees. July 12.

Israel's security fence completely encloses some Palestinian towns. NY Times reports, July 12, p. A3. The town of Qalqilya will be totally enclosed with just one gate for people to move in and out.

"We know where the weapons are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat." Donald Rumsfeld, March 30, 2003. Financial Times, July 12, p.3.

The "Mediterranean diet," of cheese, olive oil, nuts, fruits, and yogurt protects against heart disease and cancer, a study of 22,000 Greeks shows. Olive oil receives much of the credit, but other factors are involved. Seattle Times, July 13, p. L6.

Iraq owes 21 billion to various nations, reports the Financial Times, July 12, p.3

Bush administration attempts to require companies to accurately report underfunding of pensions are being stymied by Congress. Current reporting methods cover up possible defaults later, says Floyd Norris article, NY Times, p. C1, July 18.

"A man may build for himself a throne of bayonets, but he cannot sit on it." William Ralph Inge, quoted in "Nationalism, Sectarianism, and the future of the US Presence in Post-Saddam Iraq", W. Andrew Terrill, US Army War College.