Sept. 11 changed the world forever. That is what the corporate media keeps telling us. And it is true. But does their uncritical backing of George W. Bush’s “war on terrorism” suggest that they have learned any lessons from that tragedy? They keep pounding the drums for a wider war, even though it is clear that war will only kill more innocent people while not eradicating terrorism.
Our approach is radically different. We stand against both terrorism and war. A real struggle against terrorism must start with the rule of law, not the rule of war and assassination. It must attack the widening chasm between rich and poor spawned by globalized capitalism. Take a look back at our coverage of this crisis:
• We featured stories from “ground zero” on the heroic struggle to rescue victims of the attack. This week we report on the International Criminal Court and the United Nations as an appropriate venue for the trial of the terrorists.
• We carry articles every week on the growing protest movement demanding a halt to the bombing and opposing a ground war, including resolutions and petitions circulated by labor unions, the religious community and students.
• We exposed the Ashcroft anti-terrorism bill, which gives the FBI sweeping new powers of surveillance and mass detention. We have given extensive coverage to the struggle against racial profiling of Arab Americans and Muslims.
• The House approved an additional $100 billion tax giveaway to giant corporations and the rich, as the nation plunges into a deep recession. We exposed this as cynical “war profiteering.” We gave front page coverage to the AFL-CIO’s “Blueprint for Economic Recovery,” which would assist the half million workers who have lost their jobs with extended unemployment compensation and public works jobs.
• As anthrax spores killed postal and health care workers, we called for an expansion of our public health system, enactment of a national health care and the nationalization of pharmaceutical monopolies that keep profit as the bottom line even during this health care crisis.
Every week the World shines the searchlight of truth on the lies and half truths spewed out by right-wing politicians, the ultra-right and Wall Street.
It costs a lot of money to keep that searchlight shining. And we would like to expand our coverage, put it daily on our new website, up and running since Nov. 5. We are just over halfway to our $250,000 goal. Please, won’t you reach for your checkbook and write out a generous check? Make it payable to Long View Publishing Co.
Yours for a world without war and terrorism,
Tim WheelerEditor
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