Texas Labor Against the War

WikiLeaks, Backlash, and the Future of Open-Source Journalism

Thursday, August 26 7:00 pm  (NOTE TIME CHANGE FROM 7:30)
*MonkeyWrench Books, 110 E. North Loop*

WikiLeaks’ recent posting of more than 90,000 documents detailing the war in
Afghanistan was perhaps the most important such disclosure since the
Pentagon Papers. The Afghan War Logs, combined with leaked footage of U.S.
personnel killing civilians and reporters in Iraq, has made WikiLeaks an
important source for unfiltered information on the U.S.’s ongoing wars.
Backlash to the leaks has been swift, with top administration officials
implying that WikiLeaks founders have “blood on their hands.”

**Join University of Texas journalism professor Robert Jensen, Texas
Observer managing editor and former AP war correspondent Chris Tomlinson,
and members of the newly revived Austin Indymedia for a discussion on the
importance of the WikiLeaks documents, backlash, and open-source
journalism. **

This event is sponsored by MonkeyWrench Books, Austin Indymedia and
CodePink.                                                                                                                                                     

www.wikileaks.org
www.austin.indymedia.org

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1828946493&v=app_2344061033#!/event.php?eid=147796761906358&index=1

Sunday evening, March 28, 7 pm, at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. UT professor Robert Jensen will interview Fletcher onstage, questioning him about the social justice movements that have been the focus of his life and work. What lessons about today’s crises can we draw from Fletcher’s experience in the struggle for racial and economic justice, at home and abroad?  Sponsored by: Third Coast Activist Resource Center, MonkeyWrench Books, and Workers Defense Project.  Free (suggested donation of $10 for Austin People’s Community Center).  St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church is at 14311 Wells Port Drive (1 block west of IH-35 on Wells Branch Parkway).

Monday evening, March 29, 7 pm, National Association of Letter Carriers Br. 181 union hall, 601 Williams St. (off N. Lamar near Airport). Bill directs his remarks at union members and friends.  What are the challenges we face?  How can we help lead a resurgence of the labor movement as part of the broader social justice movement?  Be ready with your questions and plenty of opportunity for discussion.  Sponsored by the Austin Central Labor Council, NALC Branch 181, and Pro-Care Spine & Medical Center.  (Free; door prize; light refreshments start at 6:45 pm.)

Bill Fletcher, Jr., is Director of Field Services & Education for the American Federation of Government Employees and has been a fighter for workers rights, racial justice, and international causes for decades.  He has worked for the AFL-CIO, SEIU, UAW, and National Postal Mail Handlers Union.  He is Executive Editor of The Black Commentator, past president of the Trans-Africa Forum, founder of the Center for Labor Renewal and of the Black Radical Congress, and is a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies.  Bill co-authored Solidarity Divided with Fernando Gapasin, and co-authored a provocative article, “Reimagining Socialism” with Barbara Ehrenreich.

Thanks to Professor Bob Jensen for bringing Mr. Fletcher to Austin.  

From the MonkeyWrench Bookstore Calendar.  MonkeyWrench is located at 110 E. North Loop, Austin.  Call them at 512-407-6925 for directions to the store

TYRANNY OF OIL: THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL INDUSTRY
Monday, December 14, 8pm

Antonia Juhasz is on the National Advisory Board of Iraq Veterans Against
the War and The (True Cost of) Chevron Program Director at Global Exchange
in San Francisco. She’s the author of The Tyranny of Oil: The World’s Most
Powerful Industry–And What We Must Do To Stop It, just newly released in
paperback, updated with a new preface on Big Oil and the Presidency of
Barack Obama.

Note from Texas Labor Against the War: In 2007, with Ms. Juhasz’ permission, we issued as a pamphlet her excellent NYTimes article, “Whose Oil Is It, Anyway?” which laid out how big oil corporations, aided by the US government, were trying to take over control of Iraq’s oil resources.  This short pamphlet is still available at MonkeyWrench–and Iraqi labor unions are still struggling against the privatization of Iraqi oil.

“I refuse to deploy to Afghanistan”: Meet the Face of GI Resistance
Saturday, June 27, 7:00 PM
Monkeywrench Books, 110 E North Loop Blvd., Austin, TX

Find out more about Victor Agosto and his decision to refuse, as well as other active duty soldiers resisting war.  Victor will be joined by Cindy Thomas, manager of Under the Hood Cafe in Killeen, which has given Victor and others support.  More info: [email protected]

Website for Under the Hood:  http://www.underthehoodcafe.org/

Website for Monkeywrench Books:  http://www.monkeywrenchbooks.org/