Once our media would have covered honors like this.

[madfloridian]

Now it is hard to even get them to cover our candidates properly.
There has been absolutely no coverage of this in mainstream media, or even alternative media. Just this blog, and the CivWorld website, and a UN press release. The first event has only been covered at the blog.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.blogforamerica.com/archives/005113.html

PSR Honors Governor Howard Dean
"Last week, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization Physicians for Social Responsibility awarded Governor Dean the Caldicott Award "for bringing his physician's commitment to public health issues into the political and public arena." The Caldicott is PSR's highest award.

Tue, 09/07/2004 - 18:30
Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles
Annual Gala Dinner Honoring Dr. Dean
at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica

Physicians for Social Responsibility is delighted to announce that Governor
Howard Dean M.D. will be honored at our Gala Dinner on Tuesday, September 7
at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.

The gala will be held Tuesday, September 7 at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in
Santa Monica. 6:30 reception, 7 dinner.

This year, our dinner co-chairs are Rob Reiner and Harvey Karp, M.D. Our
honorees include:
* Governor Howard Dean M.D.
* Wally and Suzanne Marks
* Philip Landrigan M.D.

Governor Dean will be lauded for his inspiring campaign bringing new voters
to the polls. Mr. Reiner will be introducing Dr. Dean. Dr. Landrigan is the
nation's leading expert on environmental toxins and their effect on
childhood development. Wally and Suzy Marks are great local activists.

American recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985, PSR endeavors to be the
social conscience of American medicine. Founded on the principle that we
must prevent what we cannot cure, our group is committed to eliminating
weapons of mass destruction, preserving a sustainable environment and
reducing violence.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.newsdissector.org/weblog/indy_post.cfm?logID=2E522A85-4B91-47C1-8E50DAB8EC119C14

DEAN MADE THE SCENE

"Benjamin Barber assembled an impressive group of intellectuals and activists including two former Presidents of (Milan Kucan of Slovenia and Ruth Dreifuss of Switzerland) and one wannabe President of the US, Howard Dean. ......... I was impressed that Dean rode with us on a rarely on time bus, and listened closely to what others had to say, before speaking lucidly about his hopes for new initiatives from Europe to prod the US towards nuclear disarmament and help the Third World. Dr. Dean showed some of his bedside manner and seems to have lost none of his energy or engagement with political activism or a belief that young people have to be mobilized if the Democrats are to prevail. (Barber had been one of his campaign policy advisors.)

The other participants in the heady event included Carlo De Benedetti, an Italian industrialist and top newspaper publisher, Adam Michnik, a leader of Poland's Solidarity movement, Andrei Gratchev, a one time Russian aide to Gorbachev, an international lawyer from Brazil, two members of Britain's House of Lords and an undersecretary of the UN with a statement of support from Kofi Annan.

There was also a Turkish Moslem critic of extremism in the Islamic world, and former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard, who along with your News Dissector, was the only speaker to point out that the media was often more of a problem than solution in the fight for a better world. He suggested that the media favors the coverage of violence. One of the mistakes that many political analysts make is to focus on the formal institutions of democracy and ignore the power and influence of the media in framing issues and defining the discourse. "END SNIP

[tom_paine]

1. That was during the days of Free America, the Old Republic

Imperial Amerika is a nation tranisitioning into Managed Democracy/Totalitarianism.

You cannot expect a Totalitarian Nation like Amerika to be held to the same standards as the Free World.

[madfloridian]

2. You got it.

Isn't it sad?

[tom_paine]

3. Unimaginably so, my friend.

[madfloridian]

4. More on Barber. Interesting.

From the site above:

HAIL BARBER

SNIP..Ben Barber has skewered the official 911 narrative in a new book, Fear's Republic (W.W. Norton) which exposes the folly of the Administration's war on terror and offers a deeper understanding of its flawed strategic calculus and imperial agenda. Italy seemed to be on his mind when he wrote it since he begins with a quote by Machiavelli who writes in The Prince that "it is better to be feared than loved."

"But is fear America's best ally?" he asks. "Not in an era of interdependence. Not when going it alone invites failure . . . If 911 teaches a lesson about fear's potency, it also tells a story of the insufficiencies of military power.'

Barber the critic soon became Barber the architect of an alternative narrative, a way to challenge the domination of fear with a call to action. His concept grew out of his realization of the importance and emergence of civil society or what he calls "Civ world" as a new power center for change. The hope is to energize a more activist sense of global citizenship and responsibility...."

http://www.benjaminbarber.org/

[Eloriel]

5. That is fabulous.

I'll bet that award means a lot to him. I know it means a lot to me. (In fact, I'm blubbering. Again.) It's nice to have a reminder that there are still good people in the world (PSR), doing good things, people who are also able to recognize the goodness and contribution of others.

[madfloridian]

6. Well, I know the feeling.

Hubby and I both get emotional when he hear how clearly he speaks. He is on Paula Zahn tonight. Watch it and blubber, eloriel.
:hi:

[Eloriel]

7. I most certainly will!

That is if the electricity holds out - Thanks!

[madfloridian]

9. How much have you been effected by Ivan?

I know you guys got hit a lot by Charley as well. We got lucky on Ivan.

[Eloriel]

13. Ivan hasn't seemed so bad -- altho

looking out the windows at the trees dancing can be a little disconcerting.

So far we still have electricity. There was a lull in the rain and I was outside briefly (in the dark) and heard a crash in the woods -- there's one tree down (not ours, the neighbor's property, tho I won't be surprised if we lose some).

We've had a few fluctuations and very brief power outages (momentary, that's all), but we've got continued wind advisories for tonight.

All in all, I'm VERY pleased and VERY grateful. There are hundreds of thousands of Georgians without power, there is flooding in many areas, etc. Alabama got hit quite badly too. It was still a Cat 1 when it went over Birmingham!!!

Thanks for asking. I really do feel grateful.

[madfloridian]

15. Well, then, we can both sit back and wait for Jean.

Yuck

[shance]

8. Absolutely Floridian*

Information and events like the ones you mentioned bring hope, they inspire us and the possibility of what can be, to citizens all across the planet.

The glaring and striking contrast to the individuals and events you mentioned above, would be those in our own American media and current Administration, who are more driven to immobilizing, establishing a dominant control and disempowering citizens, than working to create self-sufficient, interdependent, and confident communities at large.

Hopefully, if we continue to spread the word far and wide, people will be much more attracted to building commnunities that are creative, hopeful, and see the value and investment in promoting a healthy, better quality of life for everyone, not just the wealthiest, versus moving in a contrary, fearful and oppressive direction.

Thanks for the inciteful post.

[madfloridian]

11. Our media cares more about violence and war than about peace.

That is why they are not carrying it. He should get credit for these.

[LuminousX]

10. Dean has yet to let me down

Go Dean Go, and god bless him for being him.

[madfloridian]

12. I agree with you.

:hi:

[Eloriel]

14. Make that me too!

Dean has never done ANYthing but exceed my expectations, often in surprising ways.

[madfloridian]

16. "It's a Small World After All." Katrina vanden Heuvel

This is about a group with similar goals, and it looks like many of the same names who attended the Interdependence Day event.

http://www.thenation.com/edcut/index.mhtml?pid=1822

SNIP..."

The International Ethical Collegium is an important new global voice. Its membership includes philosophers, diplomats, scientists, human rights activists and current and former Heads of State and governments, like ex-President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, who want the global community to respond "intelligently and forcefully to the decisive challenges facing humankind." (The group has recently published an important Open Letter to George W. Bush and John Kerry, which is reprinted below.)

The Collegium sees three great challenges confronting the modern world--all of which require robust multilateral solutions: an ecological threat that includes global warming, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and a shortage of drinkable water in many of the world's poorest regions; a global economy in which deregulation has created massive disparities in income and a less secure world; and, finally, a "crisis of thought and meaning" whereby humanity is thwarted by forces like "violence and intolerance materialistic obsession."