Bear Left!

Fact of the Week

**Fact of the Week**
When faced in Venezuela with the choice between a bombastic but democratically elected president and a bunch of plutocrats and generals who (1) suspended the constitution, (2) abolished the Supreme Court, and (3) vacated the posts of governorships, guess who the Bush administration supported? Guess which group reflected , in the words of press secretary Ari Fleischer, "the message of the Venezuelan people"? Good thing that the United States is a proponent of democracy, or else other nations might be confused. Source: Washington Post, 13 April 2002.

Al Qaeda Investigations Fall Short of the Mark: The interrogation of prisoners at Guantanamo Naval Base has become farcical (John Mintz, Washington Post).
Big Tobacco: A global underground of smugglers and money launderers eases tobacco companies into foreign markets (Mark Schapiro, The Nation).
Rape—Silent War on SA Women: In South Africa, a woman is more likely to be raped than to learn how to read (Carolyn Dempster, BBC News).
Where, Oh Where has the Muckraker Gone?: Gregory Palast may be the best investigative journalist you've never heard of (Michele Chihara, Alternet.Org).
Pharmaceuticals Rank as Most Profitable Industry, Again: The 10 drug companies in the Fortune 500 make up its most profitable classification (Public Citizen).
Parallel Universes: Europeans and Americans see different victims in the conflict in Palestine and Israel (Jonathan Freedland, The Guardian).
Work at Home Overload: Ever wonder where those ubiquitous "Work from Home" signs come from? This fellow found out (Rob Cockerham, Cockeyed.com).
Le Monde-Diplomatique Maps: Check out these great, detailed maps on the Middle East and other regions.

"Bear left!"/"Right, Frog!" (Kermit and Fozzie, The Muppet Movie)

Want to reprint a Bear Left! original work? Write us and ask (we don't bite)!