I’ve been so concentrated at my new position with the symphony, and finishing up a feature article about the passion of dance (Argentine tango and Flamenco) that I’ve missed my log. Have you missed the news that plans are being made to cancel our presidential election in November if there’s a terrorist attack? This really scares me, more than any outside threat.Some Vietnam era activists and political people, like Tom Hayden, are more concerned about the elections in Iraq. If the new martial law/CIA-connected prime minister of Iraq and the U.S. ambassador John “death squad” Negroponte continue to be in charge there, let’s kiss our tax money, our prosperity and our next generation goodbye.

I also just read an article about the dozen points that define a fascist state (based on studying Hitler’s Germany, Mussolini’s Italy), and, cry my beloved country, it fits contemporary USA to a T. Speaking of fascism, did I mention the film The Corporation? A must-see twin to Farenheit 9/11

Consider the recent rigged vote in Congress in which the Republicans held the voting open past the allotted time in order to change the balance in their favor. It was on the provision of the Patriot act that allows FBI to investigate what citizens are taking out of the library. A passionate speech by Independent representative Bernie Sanders followed the vote: “The ball game is over after 9 innings, and whoever has the highest score wins. You don’t extend to 18 innings to get your way. Shame on you,” he said, followed by the Democrats chanting “shame shame, shame.”

That chant seems to apply to everything I hear on the news. Including Bush and Cheney in super denial about every report and every official commission that says they were wrong to invade Iraq and murder thousands of Iraqi civilians, hundreds of American soldiers, and to blind, wound, and cripple almost 10,000 of our service people. Check out Bill Moyers report on American wounded in the Iraq occupation and their treatment from July 2 broadcast of NOW. (Friday nights at 10 on PBS.)

Ariel Sharon has the same case of denial and refusal in response to the ruling against Israel’s Apartheid wall by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. (14 to 1 saying the barrier, which cuts into Palestinian land and cuts people off from their schools and livelihoods, is in violation of International Law. (The U.S. was the sole vote against.) Not surprising, however, that Sharon would say he’s not tearing down the wall. Israel’s occupation itself is in violation of International Law and has ignored numerous United Nations resolutions since 1968.

I recommend a film that was shown June 3 on PBS, Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land, which examines the role of media in shaping opinion around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. www.pbs.org