As many as 1,800 are now reported dead in the wake of the mudslide in the central Philippines.  I often check Topix.net's "world" news feeds for information following disasters of this magnitude but right now their Philippines page does not seem to be drawing many stories.  Maybe this will change in the near future but for the time being, if you're searching for information about the disaster your best bet is to do a Google News search.

Speaking of schadenfreude, Coingate kingpin Tom Noe was formally indicted on February 14.  He was indicted on 53 felony counts which carry a combined maximum sentence of 172½ years in prison.  Happy Valentine's Day, Tom! 

From toledoblade.com

Within hours of gaining control of $25 million from the state of Ohio in 1998, Tom Noe began stealing it, according to a 53-count indictment unsealed yesterday.

He did not stop, the indictment states, until state officials shut down his coin funds last spring.

The indictment by a Lucas County grand jury alleges that Mr. Noe laundered and stole more than $3 million from the rare-coin investment funds he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.  (full story)

Let's not forget that Noe is also facing separate charges for funneling thousands into Ohio's Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.

And whatever you do, make sure you don't confuse Tom Noe with Ohio Representative Bob Ney, who is under investigation over allegations that he accepted bribes from D.C. supercrook Jack Abramoff.  Late last month, Ney announced he will run for re-election despite the swirling allegations of corruption and impropriety.  Tell me, folks...Do we call that "chutzpah" or "audacity"?  Hell, I just can't decide.

A specter is haunting American universities—The specter of independent thought!  America's right wing has reacted with shock and alarm at this phenomenon and they have mobilized an effort to undermine the intellectual freedom of American students through a campaign that utilizes intimidation and censorship.  Consider this recent example from California:

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A conservative activist dropped his offer to pay students up to $100 per class for providing information on what he called "radical" professors at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The activist, Andrew Jones, said Monday he would continue his effort with unpaid volunteers.

Jones' Bruin Alumni Association had offered UCLA students up to $100 to supply tapes and notes from classes to expose professors he considered to be pushing liberal political views on their students.

After news reports about the plan, Jones was criticized by faculty members who complained of a "witch hunt." Several prominent members of his organization's advisory board, including a former congressman, resigned from the group after details of the payment plan became public. (full article)

In Ohio, there has been some recent legislation has been introduced which  allegedly aims to create a so-called "Academic Bill of Rights."  The bill purports to protect the "rights" of students but instead opens the door to extreme censorship and intellectual repression on college campuses.  The ACLU is one of several groups to have taken issue with the effort, and they summarize the major concerns regarding Senate Bill 24 as follows:

· The bill forces the board of trustees, of both public and private schools, to adopt policies about what can and cannot be taught.

· Under the bill, faculty would be discouraged from teaching anything "controversial" - a vague term that could pertain to any number of topics including evolution, history, or religion.

· If they do raise controversial issues, instructors would have to present alternative views regardless of the merits of those views or their own beliefs about them.

· Senate Bill 24 would shift the responsibility for course content and student evaluation from highly trained faculty to the state government or the courts. (full article)  (full text of SB 24)

Whether these efforts are led by a lone individual, a political organization or elected officials, the ultimate goal remains the same: The elimination of dissent and diversity in all forums, both public and private.  

It's hard to say when Americans will finally take a definitive stand against this new wave of McCarthyism. Perhaps it would do us well to reflect upon the words of Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—
and there was no one left to speak out.

 

Joseph Welch to Joseph McCarthy, June 9, 1954:
"Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?"

---

 

Further Reading
American Association of University Professors statement on Academic Bill of Rights
Board members resign after group targets UCLA profs    CNN.com article
McCarthy-Welch Exchange: "Have You No Sense of Decency"  americanrhetoric.com