Federal Courts Dismiss Workers' Case by Paul Wolf, World War 4 Report On August 11, 2009, the Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta affirmed the dismissal of a case against the Coca-Cola Company and its Colombian subsidiaries, brought by a Colombian labor union and several of the union's leaders. The plaintiffs alleged that Coca Cola and its local bottlers collaborated with the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), a right-wing terror organization, to torture and murder the unionists, in violation of international law. The lawsuit was brought suit under the Alien Tort Claims (ATS) and Torture Victim Protection (TVPA) Acts. The case is noteworthy, not only because Coke has been the target of boycotts and protests in relation to its labor practices, but also because the decision itself helps clarify a particularly muddy and controversial area of law. In recent years, liberal activists have sought to hold US corporations liable in US courts for their actions overseas, which either constitute war crimes, or some other conduct universally prohibited under international law. While the outcome may be disappointing, once the details are understood, it is hardly surprising, and should not be seen as a setback for advocates of corporate responsibility. The Coke case was really a stretch. The plaintiffs did not allege that Coca-Cola USA was directly responsible for any of the murders. Instead, liability was premised on a complex chain of relationships. In the words of the Court: Plaintiffs attempt to connect the Coca-Cola Defendants to the local facilities’ management through a series of agency and alter ego relationships. For example, in the [Isidro Segundo] Gil case, the plaintiffs' layered theory of agency and alter ego liability is as follows: the bottling facility, Bebidas [y Alimentos, in Carepa, Antioquia], is responsible for the acts of its employees, including conspiring with local paramilitaries to rid the facility of unions.

Few Americans dispute the fact we live in a country which savors freedoms and liberties. Often taken for granted, we have so many choices. We can conversate with who we choose and when. We communicate online with whomever we wish barring few exceptions. We can send mail to almost anyone. We can hear from any and all political parties during presidential elections - given they're Democrat or Republican.

If they're not the chances of us hearing from them are well... unlikely. What could any party not Democrat or Republican have to offer or say anyway? Democrats and Republicans must cover the gamut of what Americans hope to hear or surely there would be alternate voices. Two parties would never be the beginning and end to American political opinion if they did not represent a desire on the part of the American public to be boxed and limited.

Surely there must be some wise omnipotent body of scholars who understand this, and, though we think of ourselves as more of a melting pot, have decided two was enough - no more, no less, no way. Kind of like when the big three decided they knew what was best for us. That worked well.

And after all who are we to question it? It's only our hard earned dollars which fund all military, infrastructure and any other publicly funded endeavors our governments at all levels seek to undertake including public campaign financing. All on our behalf of course.

But maybe not. When we were getting the strange feeling we'd been duped by the G.W. Bush administration with regards to the case for invading Iraq perhaps another voice would have helped. After the economy had come unglued over the past few years perhaps the input of another view or maybe two to help us balance our decisions could have helped to bring clarity to the debate. Perhaps a voice other than Republican or Democrat does not have to be radical, out there or necessarily nutty.

11ish - 1pm Rally at City Hall -
>> We will lay all the markers on the lawn of city hall, there will be a few
>> speaker's, we'll raise hell. . . .ect. ect. Cascade will be serving lunch.

Dear Radio Friend, The latest Shortwave Report (October 30) is up at the website http://www.outfarpress.com/outfarpress/shortwave.shtml in both broadcast quality (13.3MB) and quickdownload or streaming form (4.9MB) (28:59) (NEW! If you have access to Audioport.org there is a higher quality version posted up there {26.7MB} http://www.audioport.org/index.php?op=producer-info&uid=904&nav=&) This week's show features stories from China Radio International, Radio Netherlands, Radio Havana Cuba, and the Voice of Russia. From CHINA- The World Health Organization has determined that the Chinese vaccine for the H1N1 flu is safe and effective- in Cuba the Director General said that the pandemic is moderate and the virus has not mutated. The US is pushing for more American company involvement in developing renewable energy systems in China. Uruguay held a presidential election on Sunday between Jose Mujica, a former Tupamaru guerilla leader and Luis Lacelle a former center-right president- a runoff will be held on November 29th. The UN general assembly voted that the US lift its blockade against Cuba for the 18th consecutive year- the only votes against the measure came from the US, Israel, and Palau. Thousands of Palestinians clashed with Israeli police in Gaza City following similar events at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. From NETHERLANDS- Radio Netherlands has eliminated shortwave broadcasts to North America. The decision is based on their surveys that find very few listeners in N America. If you ever listen to RN on shortwave, please let them know- by email to letters@rnw.nl or send them a letter to Radio Netherlands Worldwide, PO Box 222, 1200JG, Hilversum, The Netherlands. Many food products in Sweden now include a label listing the carbon dioxide emissions generated per item, that is, the carbon footprint.

Thursday Oct 29th at 4pm in atlanta ! Cigna Health Care

 

Join us to protest Cigna's horror stories: denied claims, increased premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, dropped coverage- it's enough to make you scream! Cash prize for best costume and sign! Costumes are not necessary to participate and children are welcome. We will also draw attention to Sen. Isakson's support for the insurance industry. We need him to say no to the insurance companies and yes to a strong public option! Bring your cell phones so we can call Sen. Isakson and ask him to stop putting health insurance company interests before people.

We will meet on the street in front of Cigna. We encourage attendees to bring signs, wear costumes, and bring cell phones. However, these things are not necessary to participate.

 

(quotes in this report are paraphrased from notes taken during the forum)

On Monday, October 5th, community groups including the Virginia Highland Church, BLOCS (Building Locally to Organize for Community Safety), ATAC (Atlantans Together Against Crime), as well as representatives from the Atlanta Police Department held a forum to discuss the police department's recent raid on the Atlanta Eagle, a prominent gay nightclub.

Expectations of a genuinely open and forthcoming discussion were lowered at the very beginning when police refused to discuss the incident at all, preferring instead to have a dialogue around more general issues of policy and tolerance in the police department.

Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality set the tone of the discussion early by placing the Atlanta Eagle raid in the context of 70 years of police harassment and targetting of GLBT social venues. He pointed out that police vice units have been used throughout the past century as a way to persecute GLBT gatherings. "We want to feel like equal citizens, not targets in our own communities."

Forum attendees were especially interested in the role of the Red Dog Unit, a special police unit which is trained as a SWAT team and uses especially aggressive tactics. Police representatives said the Red Dogs were formed in the 1990s as a response to increased gang activity, and are currently used mostly to deal with so-called "open air drug markets". Despite repeated criticism of the decision to send a SWAT force to the Eagle, police representatives were unapologetic, saying that the Red Dogs are specially trained for this type of operation and are very well disciplined. One attendee asked "Who is policing the Red Dogs?"

201 Paul D. Coverdell Legislative Office Building, 18 Capitol Square, Atlanta, Georgia 30334 404.656.0028 or outside the Atlanta area 800.282.5803 Senate Press Office For Immediate Release: For Information Contact: October 5, 2009 Katie Wright, Communications Associate katie.wright@senate.ga.gov 404-656-0028 Sen. Fort and the Atlanta Fighting Foreclosure Coalition get Confession from Wells Fargo/Wachovia on Stopping Foreclosures ATLANTA (Oct. 5, 2009) ­ State Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) and members of the Fighting Foreclosure Coalition got a confession from Wells Fargo/Wachovia regarding foreclosures. As a result, there will be 1,000 Metro Atlanta homes taken off the list of foreclosures. "After a long struggle, the Atlanta Fighting Foreclosure Coalition is gratified that Wells Fargo/Wachovia is taking 1,000 homes off of the foreclosure list," said Sen. Fort. "This is only the beginning however. Wells Fargo/Wachovia must craft a Loan Modification Plan with the Atlanta Fighting Coalition to ensure that families can retain the homes that they have worked so hard to maintain." Wachovia is currently owned by Wells Fargo and the corporation has received over $25 billion in taxpayer bail out money. The bank is also being sued by the city of Cleveland, OH, San Diego, Calif. and by the NAACP for racial discrimination used in lending practices. The Atlanta Fighting Foreclosures Coalition came together shortly after convening a forum on foreclosures and a call to action at the First Iconium Baptist Church this past April. The Coalition consists of 40 community organizations -- labor unions; civil rights, human rights and civil liberties groups; homeless shelters and faith-based organizations. The AFFC¹s program is facilitated by a committee of eight co-chairs of which Sen. Fort is one. # # # # Sen. Vincent Fort represents the 39th Senate District which includes a portion of Fulton County.

In response to the call made by the National Front against the Coup d’ Etat in Honduras (http://contraelgolpedeestadohn.blogspot.com/2009/08/todos-organizar-el-b...), we ask for your help in the establishment of a PERMANENT WORLD BOYCOTT of the CHIQUITA Company that, behind the scenes, is supporting those responsible for the coup. For further information, we recommend Nicolas Kozloff's article: In Spanish: http://www.rebelion.org/noticia.php?id=88860 In English: http://www.counterpunch.org/kozloff07172009.html and John Perkins’ article:http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article23211.htm (English) How to participate: 1) Don't buy Chiquita bananas; 2) Pass along information about the boycott to your friends, relatives and acquaintances; 3) Print the boycott logo on stickers, T-shirts, posters, flyers; 4) Publish this information on web sites; 5) Visit the web page of Chiquita's Headquarter in Cincinnati, OH (USA) http://www.chiquita.com/CompanyInfo/ContactUs.aspx and send them the following message: I DON’T BUY CHIQUITA BECAUSE IT SUPPORTS THE COUP D’ ETAT IN HONDURAS If you want versions of the logo in other languages, you will find them at: www.boicotchiquita.blogspot.com FACTS: On June 28, 2009, military commandos involved in the coup d’etat arrested the legitimate president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya. They attacked his residence with machineguns, kidnapped him and took him to the US military base at Palmerola. The plane carrying the “president-prisoner” flew to Costa Rica, where he was abandoned in pajamas on one of the runways. It is a military-business coup d'etat, planned by the United States IV Fleet, which buries Honduras once again in its dark past of military dictatorships. All of the international organizations of the American continent, the United Nations, the European Union, etc.

Mujeres: La Historia SILENCIADA Ciclo de conferencias dictadas por Fatima Enciso Caballero y Marcia Mendieta Mendieta en Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia los días 25 y 31 de agosto y 2 de septiembre de 2009 invitadas por la Fundación Mujeres del Sol y la Universida Popular Igualitaria Andrés Ibánez. http://mujeresdelatierra-arcadia.blogspot.com/