"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in  mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."   --John Donne

"All courts around the world act upon a simple principle: a person who carries out an action with predictable results is held to have intended that result."        --Uri Avnery

Major Alternative Progressive Media   Concise list of links to major U.S. progressive alternative media and political action sites, and some discussion of myths about "liberal" mainstream media.  (Many of these sites are also found in parts I and II below.)

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Links to Articles on Topics of Current Interest:  Market Socialism by David Schweickart  Review of Jimmy Carter Book Reality in Iraq: 1/25/07      US Attack on Iran?

Katrina Relief: SOS After Katrina.org The Iraq War Debacle  Excellent overview, with substantial detail, by Edward Jayne. Hegemony Unravelling -- by Giovanni Arrighi  ( Part 1 and  Part 2 )  Very useful recent analysis of current US situation in the world, arguing that imperial overreach in Iraq and lessening relative economic power are causing US decline.  Not light reading, but clear, lucid and stimulating.

Economics of Empire   Nice, understandable overview of globalization and free trade by journalist William Finnegan.  From Harpers, May 03

Introduction to Progressive Politics from ZNet   New to progressive political/economic analysis?   ZNet's site helps you start to make sense of things. Oakton Library Newspaper Indexes (Chicago Tribune, Others)   Find that Trib article you meant to cut out and use...

Iraq OccupationWatch  Comprehensive coverage of U.S. occupation of Iraq.                        U.S. Death Toll in Iraq   Iraqi Civilian Death Toll Code Pink  (Women for Peace)           United For Peace and JusticeLargest Antiwar Group    Oil and Energy Current Prices and News Misunderstanding Suicide Terrorists   Perceptive, but its proposals are unlikely to work, given the capitalist world framework (which the article ignores.)

I.  The World Since 9/11--Terror, War, and Violence   A mixture of general websites and many older individual articles--the latter have not been updated     since early 2004.  Much commentary in older articles remains apt, though, as Iraq continues to deteriorate.  The general sites are usually still relevant.

II.  Critical Thinking and Analysis About Economic, Social, and Political IssuesA list of websites devoted to various progressive issues, with some      explanation and evaluation.  Many are also listed on the Major Alternative Progressive Media page above.

OCCFA (union)

The articles below are not recent, and haven't been updated since Jan 2004.  For more current analysis, use the MAPM link page.
U.S. Government Helped and Supported Saddam During His Worst Crimes
Iraq Index--by Brookings Institute:  Up-to-date info on many aspects of Iraq Occupation
Politics and Science--How Bush Distorts Scientific Findings (Report from a U.S. Congress)
Corporate Globalization--Overview by Michael Albert of Z Magazine
Interview with Noam Chomsky On U.S. Power and Iraq     Another Interview with Chomsky On War on Iraq
A Primer on Iraq -- Institute for Policy Studies
The Real Numbers of the War on Iraq
Iraq Is A Trial Run--Noam Chomsky
Geneva Conventions violated by Iraq and U.S.--George Monbiot on ZNet
Alternative Sources on the War with Iraq -- American Library Association
  (International Responsibilities Task Force of the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the A.L.A.)
13 Myths about the War with Iraq
AGAINST WAR WITH IRAQ--Znet's large section (see the "AntiWar" list at right of page) of articles and links to other anti-war sites.
All About Iraq, and Against War--Move-On Iraq Links Page
Chicagoans Against War on Iraq--Local Activities and Resources against the war.
Antiwar.comRecent news on the war on Iraq from a wide variety of sources.  The site itself is Libertarian, so their opposition to war is genuine, as is their support of progressive social and cultural freedom within the U.S.--their economic views, though, are quite conservative (though not displayed on this site.)
Colin Powell's UN Case Against Iraq Rebutted--2/6/03
Is Hussein Too Crazy For Us to Control?--by Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune editorial board member
  (Chapman is a libertarian, completely pro-capitalist Chicago Trib editorialist, and consistently gives very solid arguments against war with Iraq.)
All About Iraq--Dozens of Articles on Iraq and War, Including History Since Gulf War--compiled on Z-Net
The Arguments Against War on Iraq--by Stephen Zunes in the Nation
The State of the Economy--Connections Between War and our Currently Troubled Economy.  (A MoveOn Bulletin.)
Even Conservatives Oppose War on Iraq--Paul Schroeder in The American Conservative Magazine
  I usually disagree completely with the views normally expressed in this magazine, but this article supports the facts and reasoning that progressives use to oppose war, and is thus very valuable in showing that such arguments are not merely the "bias" of liberals, but that an anti-war position also makes complete sense to (some) conservatives, too.
Energy And War--from MoveOn.org -- Summary & list of articles, links about relationship of oil and Iraq
  (Excellent starting point for overview of issues of oil, energy, and war on Iraq)
U.N. Weapons Inspector Denounces War on Iraq:  Scott Ritter, former Marine and Conservative Republican, Opposes War
Bush's Oct. 7 Speech:  A Line-by line Rebuttal of His Case for War on Iraq
Detailed Overview of War on Iraq and War on Terror Since 9/11--Stephen Shalom & Michael Albert on Z-Net
  (Excellent starting point, gives the anti-war position in a coherently argued and principled analysis, with serious objections engaged and rebutted.)
Iraq and the Art of Misdirection--from MoveOn.org -- Summary & list of articles, links about current Iraq situation.
  (Excellent starting point for overview of War on Iraq)
The Case Against War on Iraq--Matthew Rothschild, Editor of The Progressive Magazine
Nonviolence.org--Information and Opportunities for Anti-War Activism
It's Not About Oil?--Chicago Tribune
Oil, Nukes, Israel, and War on Iraq--Gary Leupp in Counterpunch
Only the White House Wants Iraq War--Eric Margolis in Toronto Sun
Special Report on 9/11: One Year Later -- by various contributors to CounterPunch magazine
RAWA on the September 11 Anniversary:  Afganistan's Women Still in Misery
Do Americans Care When Foreigners Die?
The Other Israel:  Voices of Refusal and Dissent--Kathleen Christison in Counterpunch
Before Terrorism -- Kathleen Christison in CounterPunch
  (Excellent Recent Overview of Israel-Palestinian Conflict)
Noam Chomsky Answers Questions on the Mideast--from ZNet
Confronting Terrorism and War -- Stephen Shalom in New Politics
  (Great Summary of 9/11 and Afghan war, Good Starting Point)
Counterpunch--Many Perspectives on World Since 9/11  (Run by Alexander Cockburn)
Information About the U.S. Economic Sanctions Against Iraq
  (Click on the first link:  "Myths and Realities regarding...")
The Nation Magazine's Web Page
  (Good Starting Point)
Bush's War--Gerson on Znet
  (Good summary of Bush's future war plans, including nuclear threats--very ominous.)
Chomsky on Colombia and U.S. Role in Violence There
U.S. Has Killed More Civilians in Afghanistan Than Died at WTC--Marc Herold, U. of New Hampshire
Overview of U. S. Military Response to 9/11--My Own Views
History of Afghanistan, Bin Laden, and Wahhabism -- Composite of Many Sources
Alternative Sources on 9/11 -- International Responsibilities Task Force
  (Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association)
Afghanistan Online: Press and News  Geography and Maps  General Homepage
  ("Press and News" link has lots of current detailed info and stories--click on "Today" under "Afghan News")
R.A.W.A.--Afghan Women Fighting Fundamentalist Oppression
America's Jihad -- Afgahanistan 1979-1992
  (Chapter from "Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II"by William Blum)
Common Dreams News Center -- Breaking News and Views
UCLA Links List -- For an Honors Course re: WTC
  (Many, many interesting links, from a wide range of political viewpoints)
Noam Chomsky On the U.S. Response to WTC -- from MSNBC Chat Room
Pentagon to Use Drugs in "War on Terror"--Edward Hammond in Counterpunch
 

3 Articles on America as Super-Power in the New Millenium:     American Primacy in Perspective--Foreign Affairs, July/August 2002     American Primacy--Its Prospects and Pitfalls--Naval War College Press     America's Imperial Ambition--G. John Ikenberry,  Foreign Affairs, Sept/Oct, 2002

MORE ON OIL and WAR:     Oil Pipelines, Afghanistan's Future, and U.S. Foreign Policy -- by Richard Tanter     Bush Hands Control of Afghanistan and Central Asian Oil to Russia -- Eric Margolis in Los Angeles Times     America's Pipe Dream--Oil Behind the Afghanistan War--George Monbiot in the Guardian     OIL:  Many Perspectives on WTC, U.S. Foreign Policy, and the Pursuit of Oil In Central Asia     It's About Oil -- Ted Rall     Running Out of Oil -- It's Going to Happen Soon     The War for Oil Subtext in Afghanistan -- Fran Shor of Wayne State University

Chronology Of United States Military Interventions Since 1890  Eye-opening!
Center For Middle Eastern Studies -- Univ. Of Texas at Austin
How the U.S. Destroyed Iraq's Water
Afghan News Channel--Listing of WTC News Stories
Noam Chomsky at MIT Forum on WTC
U.S. Families of WTC Dead meet Afghan Families with Bombing Dead
Central Asia Caucus Analyst Homepage
     (Lots of specific articles on geopolitics of Afghanistan and neighbors)
Global Issues--Background and Perspective on Many World Issues Affecting Terrorism
Unlikely Doves--Counter-Terrorism Experts Advise Against Military Solutions
U.S. Sent Over $100 Billion in Weapons to Dictators and Terrorists in 80's & 90's
  (See especially "GAO:  Info on Weapons to Mideast...9/2001")
Many Alternate Perspectives on WTC--Global Research Website
Central Asia Caucus Analyst Homepage
  (Lots of specific articles on geopolitics of Afghanistan and neighbors)
Scientific Information on Terrorism and Biological Warfare -- Fed. of Amer. Scientists
Osama Bin Laden:  General Index --Guardian
  (Very Good Starting Point, Lots of Detailed Links on his Background and History)
Federation Of American Scientists Profile on Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda
  (Good Summary, Fairly Detailed)
Liberation Movements, Rebels, Terrorists, Etc -- Fed. of Am. Scientists
  (Very comprehensive and fascinating!)
Military Situation in Afghanistan:  Background
Origins of WTC Bombing in U.S. Covert Policies of the 1970's -- Janes Defense Weekly
The Progressive Magazine's Website--Howard Zinn and Others on WTC
  (Good Starting Point)
Q & A on Taliban, Islam, and Afghanistan
  (Good Summary)
Hundreds of WTC-Related Links to Foreign and Other Media Sources--Counterpunch
U.S. Avoided Getting Bin Laden from Sudan in 1996 -- Wall Street Journal
Aryan Supremacists Applaud WTC Attacks, May be Behind Anthrax Threats -- James Ridgeway, Village Voice
Ongoing and Recent Links of CIA to Bin Laden and Radical Islamic Terrorists
U.S. Bombing Kills Scores of Civilians at Wedding
First-Hand Report from Village Where U.S. Bombs Killed Hundreds of Civilians
U.S. Bombs Killing Hundreds of Civilians--2 Stories
 

The Fundamentalist Wahhabi Movement in Islam:  Various Informational and Historical Links:     Mediumly Thorough History of Wahhabi -- Library of Congress Search Result Good Starting Point     Wahhabi Fanatics Control Our Ally Saudi Arabia--William Pfaff in Chicago Tribune     General Overview of Wahhabi from BBC     Wahhabi Movement in Kashmir and Chechnya     Origins of Wahhabi -- Short Encyclopedia.com Article  Has links to short articles on related issues     Wahhabism in Dagestan--Central Asia Caucasus Analyst     Wahhabi Movement in Yemen     Wahhabi Overview and Relationship to the Balkans     The Talibanization of Kashmir  Brief mention of Wahhabi; interesting description of same basic process     CenAsia Chat-Room Exchange on Wahhabi History and Function     BBC Analysis of Islamic Militancy and Wahhabi in Former Soviet Republics -- written in 1999     Russia Fights Wahhabis in Dagestan, Creates Refugees--written in 1999     Origins of Wahhabi in Islam -- Short Article on Details of Early History     Two Branches of Islam--Sunni and Shi'ite Belief and Practice

U.S., Not Western Civilization, The Target -- William Pfaff in Chicago Tribune:
The Speech Bush Could Have Given -- David Morris
Education and the Pledge of Allegiance--Michael Yates in Counterpunch
U.S. Aid To Taliban Helps Rogue Regime--May 2001 LA Times
Independent Media Center--Various Aspects of WTC
No Anthrax Links to Bin Laden; U.S. Right-Wing Groups Now Suspected--Washington Post
Alternative Press Index -- Middle East , Islam (among others)
The Struggle for Land in Israel and Palestine -- The Palestine-Israel Journal
Mid East Realities -- Alternative Reporting on the Mideast
Intro/Overview of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict -- Middle East Research and Info Project
Afghanistan Attack--Washington Post
WTC Aftermath and War on Afghanistan -- Guardian
Causes of Hatred of the U.S. -- Chicago Tribune
WTC Issues -- American Prospect
Fundamentalism--L.A. Times
MediaChannel
Nobel Prize Winners Advocate Social, Environmental Reform
World Press Organization-- WTC Coverage from Around the World
Ali Abunimah -- Activist Critic of Media Coverage of the Middle East
Amnesty International Reports by Country
WTC Rumors, Myths and Hoaxes Investigated--Snopes2 Web Site

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II.  Critical Thinking About Various Issues          "Nothing is easier than to convince oneself of the merits of actions and policies that serve self-interest.  Expressions of benevolent intent, in particular, must be regarded with much caution:  they can be taken seriously when the policies advocated happen to be harmful to self-interest, a historical category that is vanishingly small."    -- Noam Chomsky

     The following sites present discussion, research, and analysis of social issues.  The authors are, in general, good critical thinkers, but the views expressed on these sites are those of the authors, and are not necessarily indicative of my own views.  [The contents of these pages and the links therein have not been reviewed, approved or endorsed by Oakton Community College.]

Institute For Policy Studies
    The Institute for Policy Studies is the nation’s oldest multi-issue progressive think tank. Since 1963, the Institute has worked with social movements to forge viable and sustainable policies to promote democracy, justice, human rights, and diversity. IPS played key roles in the Civil Rights and anti-war movements in the 1960s, the women’s and environmental movements in the 1970s, the anti-apartheid and anti-intervention movements in the 1980s, and the fair trade and environmental justice movements today.  Wide range of interesting, valuable articles.

U.S. Foreign Policy: Latin America
      A collection of articles and links on Latin America--the page is not large yet, but one of the links there has many sources on it, so worth going to even now.

Citizens For Tax Justice
    They advocate a progressive, fair tax system, unlike our current one, which is quite primitive compared to most other civilized countries.  Although federal (though rarely state) income taxes remain moderately progressive (with Republicans trying to constantly reduce the progressivity), the total state and local tax burden--including sales, excise, and property taxes as well--is quite regressive, with poor and middle-class people paying a higher proportion of their income in total taxes than the wealthy.   So don't let anyone fool you--when all taxes are considered, the rich pay a smaller proportional rate of their income in taxes than those below them.  This injustice is a fundamental problem in the U.S., and is documented on this web page in their Who Pays section.  Many other great features, too.

ZNet Author Homepages
      Invaluable set of "homepages" maintained by ZNet, Z magazine's web-site. For each major progressive author who writes for ZNet or Z Magazine (even occasionally), there is a homepage grouping together all major articles by the author that have appeared in either source.  Also provides a comprehensive list of other articles from the two sources that even mention the author.  Noam Chomsky, Barbara Ehrenreich, Manning Marable, Jim Hightower, and dozens more.

Edward Herman Homepage
    Herman, like Chomksy, is an acerbic, intense critic of media and intellectual distortion and propaganda.  His main concern is the depradations of capitalist political and economic power, and the media's presentation of these in glowing terms.

George Monbiot Home Page
    George Monbiot writes a weekly column for the Guardian newspaper. He's the author of Captive State: the corporate takeover of Britain, and the investigative travel books Poisoned Arrows, Amazon Watershed and No Man's Land.  His writing is clear, logical, and convincing.

Participatory Economics -- Towards a Just Economic System
    Participatory economics is a proposed economic system advocating a mixture of the best insights from socialist and other anti-capitalist systems.  Championed by Michael Albert of Z Magazine and economist Robin Hahnel, it advocates that economic activity and workplaces be organized based on democracy, sharing, and coordination between equally empowered people, rather than the traditional capitalist structures of hoarded wealth and power, autocratic command, selfishness, and competition. Well thought out and explained, makes for very interesting and stimulating reading.

Mainstream Media Concentration--from MoveOn
    A newsletter from MoveOn, a progressive political action committee, with discussion of, and links to other sites about, the consolidation of most mainstream media into huge corporate conglomerates, driven by profit and averse to transmitting much information that challenges or questions the corporate capitalist mode.  A very nice explanation of why the mainstream media can no longer be expected to be "objective", as it's not in their own economic self-interest to be so.

Common Dreams News Center -- Breaking News and Views
    Excellent site compiling many progressive articles from many authors.  Excellent lists of links to other progressive magazines and sites, as well as standard and progressive news agencies, and even a list of sites that compile articles by individual progressive authors.  Great starting point for further investigation.

Alternative Media Sources (compiled by Michael Moore)
    This is a very nice, alphabetical, medium-size list of progressive alternative media links.  Probaby a better starting point than the following link for investigating social, political, and economic issues.  Michael Moore himself is an acquired taste, too sarcastic and given to dubious humor for some people; see his linked homepage for examples.  But his basic aims are great (to make people think about injustice), and the links on this site are very useful.

ZNet Globalism Archive
    An excellent list of articles by many people on many aspects of the continuously accelerating dominance of the global economy by capitalist, multi-national corporations.  Well-organized into various subcategories, such as one on the current Argentina crisis.  Part of the overall ZNet site, which has several other links on this page, but worth focusing upon in its own right.

ZNet Economics Articles  An excellent list of articles by many people on the U.S. Economy and related issues.  Well-organized into several subcategories.  Part of the overall ZNet site, which has several other links on this page, but worth focusing upon in its own right.

Alternative Press Index
    An excellent, comprehensive index of many different sources of information on topics both serious and avocational.  The link is to the subject index, from which you can go back to the home page or the alphabetical site index.  I have not personally read through every source listed, and so cannot say that every one is rational or useful, but many of them are.

Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting
    FAIR, as it is known, exposes and comments on TV, radio, and press reports that offer inaccurate information.  Often accepting official government claims as fact, such reports, if disproven later, as they frequently are, are rarely retracted or corrected, so there is little publicity about the falsity of the original information.  Many provably false reports are thus assumed to be true and used as the "factual" basis for further or related stories, even years later.

Dollars and Sense
    Progressive views on economic issues, and almost everything they say does indeed make sense.  For example, read about why the privatization of Social Security is a ridiculous idea in their articles Q&A on Social Security  and  The Hidden Costs of Private Accounts.  But most of content of this magazine is NOT online, so you would have to subscribe to the (cheap!) hard copy version to get it, or find it in libraries.

Left Business Observer
    Doug Henwood's excellent magazine site, which analyzes the business world in ways that the Wall Street Journal doesn't.  Particularly useful is the Back Issues link, which contains one or two free article links for most back issues--these articles give you an idea of the sort of analysis the magazine contains.

United For a Fair Economy
    A “movement support” organization to provide media capacity, economic literacy education, and training resources to those who work to address the widening wealth gap in the U.S.  The U.S. would be a far more democratic, prosperous, and caring community if we narrowed the vast gap between the very wealthy and everyone else.  They seek a global society of shared prosperity, real equality of opportunity, and without the power of corporate wealth dominating the economy and mass culture. They seek a society that avoids large disparities of income, wages, wealth, health, safety, respect, and other opportunities.

New Politics
    Journal of articles on progressive political analysis.  The main journal comes out in hard copy, and not all its articles are available here on the Web site, but some from the current issue, and proportionately more from their back issues, are available--what is available includes many very worthwhile pieces.

Economic Policy Institute  (EPI)
    This think-tank is a good source of facts and figures, as well as analysis.  The stuff is posted for free.  The political stance is generally closer to the mainstream than that of the CEPR below.

Center for Economic and Policy Research  (CEPR)
    This think-tank is another good source of facts and figures, as well as analysis. The stuff is posted for free.  The political stance is generally a little farther from the mainstream than that of the EPI above.

Soul Of A Citizen
    Website of Paul Loeb, an activist who works for more public involvement in progressive social change.  Good links and other information for people working for social change.  In particular, click on his "Web Links" if you want to get involved.

Global Policy Network
    The Global Policy Network (GPN) provides information to the public on the state of working people in the global economy, and exchanges information, research and analysis between its contributing organizations.  Good source for info on labor and the struggle for a just distribution of wealth in the U.S. and world-wide.

Noam Chomsky Archive
    A site hosted by Z-Net, part of Z Magazine (whose general site is linked above in the WTC links), that includes many, many free samples of chat-group type forum exchanges between Chomsky (and also Barbara Ehrenreich, Howard Zinn, Michael Albert, and others) and readers.  Very wide range of issues.
Separate, but worth listing here, is Chomsky on the World Social Forum, a comprehensive discourse on the state of the social world today.

Criticism by Bill Boisvert
    A perceptive and wittily acerbic critic and journalist who has published in In These Times, the Chicago Reader, the Baffler, Publishers Weekly, and other venues.  He is currently living in New York City, where he is working on various writing projects.

Debating Marxism
     Michael Albert of Z Magazine and Alan Maass of the International Socialist Organization debate the strengths and weaknesses of "Marxism".  A civil and extremely intelligent debate, very readable, and a not-bad introduction to many of the general ideas of Marxism for readers with only a superficial understanding.  But sophisticated readers will find much intriguing argument here, too.  Both men keep the debate relevant to today's world as much as possible.

International Socialist Review
     Website of the magazine of the International Socialist Organization.  Lots of good, thought-provoking articles.

Institute for Economic Democracy
    An insightful book summary, and many links to progressive economic web pages.

Commonwealth Institute  -- Project on Defense Alternatives; Pulse of Capitalism; and More...
    An organization that analyzes and recommends alternatives to make the world more secure, less inequitable, and less violent.

Global Circle.Net
    Critical articles about a wide variety of very interesting subjects.  Worth checking their alphabetical index for any topic you may be researching.

GRACE -- Global Resource Action Center for the Environment
    A program designed to foster critical thinking (and action) about the long-run prospects for the planet's environment, which is, ultimately, probably a more important issue than any other, political or otherwise.

Collected Articles on NATO Bombing of Serbia and Kosovo During 1999
    Articles (up to May, 1999) about the NATO military intervention in former Yugoslavia in 1999.  Particularly helpful is the "Questions and Answers" article by Michael Albert and Stephen Shalom, and Chomsky's article with a comparison to U.S. intervention elsewhere.  Denitch's articles argue the opposing view point (to that of Albert, Shalom, and Chomsky), and there are a various views in the other articles. A couple links are inoperative, but most work.

Public Eye
    Political Research Associates is an independent, nonprofit research center that studies antidemocratic, authoritarian, and other oppressive movements, institutions, and trends. PRA is based on progressive values, and is committed to advancing an open, democratic, and pluralistic society.  PRA provides accurate, reliable research and analysis to activists, journalists, educators, policy makers, and the public at large.

Spunk Library
    Many progressive resources, mainly related (though often only tangentially) to anarchist viewpoints.

Daniel Short Photography
    An erudite humanist whose artistic interests span literature, design, and photography.  In broadest terms, he portrays the bitter serenity of the wild fool in all of us.

Edward Jayne
    Interesting guy, has a great article summarizing the Iraq debacle at:  http://www.dissidentvoice.org/July06/Jayne20.htm

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