Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Monday, December 18, 2006
Don't mind us, we're just defending our interests (lessons from Panama)
Good morning all.... BTW, Pravda has picked up the story about the re-trial.
I know that rhyme is out of style but...........
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 12/18 at 09:15 AMGood morning, my fellow Expendables. Looks like I might be wearing shorts again today for my walk to the gym.
RMJ: I just typed your name into a Google News search and wow. This story has legs and the “folk hero” angle is just what you needed to capture the imagination of lethargic and apathetic lefties.
As captcha sez: YES
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/18 at 09:58 AMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVXWd7E5lHc
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/18 at 01:25 PMSomething to quiet the crickets:
http://newsbusters.org/node/9720Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/18 at 01:38 PMLooks like RMJ has stepped up to the big leagues. This exposure seems a lot better than anything we could’ve dreamed up.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/18 at 02:45 PMVery nice...of course, plenty of morons are harping on the reporter calling her an “unlikely” activist. Just sent this link out to my email list…
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 12/18 at 03:09 PMJOS: I know Rosemarie will love this comparison but I’m not using it casually. Choosing to focus on the “unlikely activist” aspect is like those who’d rather debate what percentage of Ward Churchill’s blood is Native American. The larger points, of course, always go undiscussed.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/18 at 03:22 PMExactly.
As Rosemarie says in the article and has said many times before...she just couldn’t stand around while our government bombed and murdered iraq children. Why don’t they talk about that?
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 12/18 at 03:27 PMWhy don’t they talk about that?
Sadly, we know the answer to that. For me, it’s a victory just to see how far this story has reached. It’s global. RMJ will inspire more than we’ll ever be able to calculate.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/18 at 03:28 PMWhat I can’t understand is how we condemn and prosecute a person for protesting to end the killing and on the other hand we honor those whose job it is to kill. I just don’t get it.
Rosemarie, I honor you and what you stand for. Thank you for your courage and fortitude in, what must be for you, a very difficult time.
Posted by Canadian Observer on from 12/18 at 03:34 PMNo doubt...this is great. I just sent the link to Drudge about 20 times...I bet Rosemarie would be thrilled to be featured there despite the fact that he would portray her in a negative light. There’s no such thing as bad press as long as the message get’s out there…
By the way, Mick, nice work getting the word out there...I remember a few days ago we thought it was going nowhere. I think you played a big role in getting the word out.
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 12/18 at 03:36 PMI appreciate that, JOS...but I didn’t have much to do with it. An AP reporter interviewed RMJ and put the story on the wire. From there, it got picked up by websites and newspapers across the globe. It goes to show how easy it is for the corporate media to bring any story it chooses to the forefront and how impossible it is for someone like me to do anything even approaching similar.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/18 at 03:42 PMHello CO.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/18 at 03:44 PMI wonder how the AP writer found out about Rosemarie though?
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 12/18 at 03:44 PMGood question, JOS. We’ll have to ask RMJ.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/18 at 03:52 PMHi all...Mickey and everyone here deserves the credit. If you didn’t inspire me, I would be sitting in a rocking chair learning how to crochet doilies.
Canadian Observer...the worse part of it all is the negative spin that the Press is putting on it. The latest spin is that I “insist on a trial”. That kind of a statement influences public opinion against me at a time when taxpayers are not wanting money spent this way.
We all know that the real talents like Mickey, Bill Blum and so many others are not given the time in the media that they have earned by their body of work. Even Osama showing Blum’s book did not get Blum the interviews that he should have gotten. The Press continues to dumb down the masses because the Press seeks its own level. How many members of the Press could participate in a discussion with Mickey, Bill Blum, Jos, CO, Amelopsis, Youngfox, Zenprole, etc…
JOS...I did everything I could during the 2 hour, in-depth interview to get the facts out about the civilian deaths. I even read Blum’s list of the countries that the usa has bombed since WW2. I was hoping that that would get in print. It is a part of the story. It was one of the things on my protest sign that was part of the basis for the Appeal.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 12/18 at 04:22 PMRMJ, just because you refuse to give in, roll over and just take your punishment by admitting guilt doesn’t mean you are insisting on a trial...of course, you know that already.
No matter...this exposure is great.
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 12/18 at 04:54 PMThanks for this reminder, Mickey! Another despot who fell out of favour with the US is of course .. Saddam Hussein. I’m sure all of us expendables remember the famous handshake between Rumsfeld and Hussein in 1983 - and there’s more ..
And ‘Hi’ to Rosemarie, JOS and Canadian Observer from a windy Daylesford.
Ciao expendables!
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 12/18 at 05:50 PMThanks for the link to the article on RMJ, Mickey. You look like the feisty woman you are, Rosemarie - keep raising some more hell!
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 12/18 at 05:55 PMHello MZ, RMJ, CO, and JOS. I’ve some continuing thoughts on strategy.
Depending on the date of the retrial, there are bigger media outlets still to be reached. I’m thinking Bill Maher and/or Arianna Huffington (and still think this is a natural for Keith Olbermann). Think ahead about which outlets you might refuse outright, or what conditions you will require. For instance, when Boots Riley from The Coup was on Fox News (c. 2002), Hannity cheated: the producer was shouting into Boots’ earpiece to distract him from answering. I witnessed the segment (as one would a crime) and later spoke to Boots when he played in Providence.
The momentum is excellent thus far and I think the keys to greater exposure are 1) that the state, after losing in the VSC, wants another trial, and 2) the facts about RMJ, including the deposition and courtroom statement, and some sort of buzzline like “15 minutes vs. 650,000 corpses.”
Q: Since the judge disallowed use of the demonstration video at the first trial, why not post it at YouTube? I didn’t gather that it was central to the first trial’s result (whatever the appropriate legal term for it), and it certainly hasn’t been otherwise requested by the state. Aside from the technology involved in posting it (beyond me!) this might be a way forward.
RMJ, also consider posting the state’s summons to re-trial (when you get one). Posting that online would help silence some of the disinfo about your wanting this second go-round.
Captcha sez “general.” I say “Zapatista.”
Posted by Zenprole on from Urth 12/18 at 05:58 PMCouldn’t check out before a “G’Day” to Helga.
Posted by Zenprole on from Urth 12/18 at 06:00 PMI just received this. It is an excerpt from a letter just sent to the newspaper. The letter writer is a 73, retired Navy Officer who was one of those arrested with me.
“Recent, Letters to the Editor take Rosemarie Jackowski to task for her action at the “four corners” the day the Iraq war started. In these letters the writers complain that Ms. Jackowski should take responsibility for her action. For the record, and as one who stood alongside Ms. Jackowski that day, I would like to point out that at no time did we plan on, nor did we intend to block traffic. Support people had been positioned near the intersection to signal us in the event emergency vehicles needed to get through and, in fact, one of them assisted a private vehicle turn around so it could continue to the hospital unimpeded. Further, as is the case when parades are held in downtown Bennington, one lane of traffic in all directions was always kept open for emergency use. At no time did any of us lay down in front of a vehicle to block it or prevent it from passing....” None of this came out in the original trial!
Zenprole...good idea about the video. I do not have it. It is somewhere in the court. It shows very little of me because I was the one who was not doing anything. I was standing silently, with my head bowed, holding a sign. Others were in costume putting on street theater. A lot was happening. It looked like a scene from “Dog Day Afternoon”. The video shows that I wasn’t doing anything of interest.///////////About a public appearance. I do my best in college classrooms and debates but will talk anytime anyone will listen. (about a year ago)I was asked to do 10 minutes on the Colmes (of Hannity and Colmes) Syndicated radio program. The hot topic was my support of Ward Churchill. After I spoke, I took call-in questions. They kept me on for an hour. It might be a good topic for the Colbert Report or Olberman or Maher....but I kind of think this whole thing will pass in a day or two.
A blog site is attacking me today. Things might heat up tonight. It doesn’t bother me. If Mickey wants I can name that site here.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 12/18 at 07:14 PMRMJ: You know you can write and say whatever you please here. Go ahead: name the site and provide a link.
Zenprole: Your enthusiasm is contagious. I’m all ears, re: a publicity campaign.
Hello dear Helga.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/18 at 07:19 PMWow! Who knew the story would make it into the “big leagues”? 15 minutes vs 650,000 corpses-that sums it up nicely. In my opinion I think RMJ’s case might even be stronger without a lawyer present.
Posted by Fiona on from San Diego 12/18 at 07:30 PMI was so glad to see that article. I think everyone would agree that Rosemarie deserves a lot of exposure for her courageous stand. Good on you!
Edson
Posted by Edson Castilho on from Halifax 12/18 at 07:55 PMHi Fiona and Edson.
RMJ: I’m going to assume you mean this site. To be honest, LGF is designed to attack people like you but more importantly, I skimmed the 170 comments and there was not one criticism with merit. Personal attacks, hyperbole, ignorant regurgitation of Fox News mantras...nothing worth replying to. I get attacked worse on left wing websites. What passes for discourse and debate across the Web is depressing and further proof that some people can’t be reached. This is yet another reason why I cherish the crowd that assembles here.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/18 at 08:37 PMMickey...I just checked the blog site that I referred to. It has about 180 nasty comments, no intelligent debate. Looks like a typical blog site where they discuss body parts and bathroom humor. Don’t waste your time. I will name it if anyone wants to e-mail me and ask for it. I don’t think we should give it any exposure here. Below is a link to the Daily Kos....I think that about 200 comments are there from a few days ago. Some of those comments were funny, but none very important. Better just stay here.
Good slogan “15 minutes v 650,000 corpses”....also I agree with those who are calling for the rule of law. When do the war crimes trials start?Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 12/18 at 08:44 PMJust received this Google Alert. Michael Moore’s site picked up the story. You already read it. How can we get the focus back on the deaths and photos of the bombed civilians? 650,000 + 500,000 dead children as a result of the sanctions, + an unknown number of deaths from the bombing that started in 1991. Some estimates have been as high as 3 million dead. We are sure that the number is over 1 million.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 12/18 at 08:56 PMRMJ, see my comment #26 and let me know if it’s the same site.
Also, I posted something at Smirking Chimp last week:
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/3922It was barely read and garnered only two inane comments. Meanwhile, a week or so earlier, I posted my Xmas tree piece there. That one was read by thousands and provoked nerly 40 comments. Folks were lining up to skewer me for dissing Xmas trees...but when a brave activist needs support, they yawn. This is one of the many reasons I no longer call myself a “leftist.” (more on the pathetic left tomorrow)
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/18 at 09:05 PMRMJ in China:
http://tinyurl.com/vs9n9Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/18 at 09:19 PMAs a Panamanian-American, I am grateful everytime someone (accurately) remembers and recalls what we had to live through all those years ago. Thank you for your brief article about one of the final crimes of a one and a half century military occupation of our country by the United States.
Posted by panama on from Americas 12/19 at 10:43 AMThanks, panama. How did you find the article?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 12/19 at 01:01 PM
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