Transcripts For KCSM Democracy Now 20140910

Environmentalists and the da himself. As philadelphia is poised to become the largest city in the country to decriminalize marijuana, group of former president s from around the world are calling for in end to the drug war. Governments, as a general directing enforcement, resources strategically towards the most disruptive and violent elements of the trafficking. In the Spinning Wheel of death. You know that circle that spends and spends and spends near looking for webpage to load . You will see that circle today on many websites, including netflix, kickstarter, as they take art in the Global Internet slowdown to defend Net Neutrality. All of that and more coming up. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The white house is asserting president obama already has authority for the expandability or a campaign against the Islamic State he is asked congress to approve. The message was delivered to lawmakers ahead of obamas address to the nation tonight. He is expected to outline his strategy for what the white house calls the grading and ultimately destroying the terrorist group. Leaked details forecast a longterm campaign that will extend u. S. Airstrikes from iraq to syria where isil has established a foothold battling syrian president bashar alassad. Obama speculations are said to include how to intervene without assad the us on regime. Speaking to reporters, the White House Press secretary says obamas plan is informed by the mistakes of the iraq war. Our priorities are implants include and what our plans dont include. It is in porton to note that the president come as much as anyone else, presently learned the lessons that are evident from previous military activities in iraq, specifically, those are that the United States cannot it does not serve our interest to put the United States in a position which we are bearing the load of the responsibility for providing security in the nation of iraq. Although obama has asked congress to vote on the authorization of force he says he are, it is unclear if enough the opportunity. Speaking to the New York Times, republican commerce member Jack Kingston said president obamas plan includes new military equipment and training for Syrian Rebels not aligned with isis. In a setback for that group, a top leader of the alsharam organization has died in a thatng attack in idlib killed at least 45 people, including several top commanders. The last of the 2014 primaries were held in five northeast states tuesday ahead of the approaching a german elections. And you hamsher, got brown one. Brown previously served as a senator for massachusetts and to losing his seat and 2012. The contest is seen as one of the key races deciding which Party Controls the senate for the last two years of president obamas term. In the nights biggest upset, iraq war veteran a political newcomer seth moulton defeated nine term democratic commerce member john tierney in massachusetts. In new york, democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo won the democratic nomination, defeating his main challenger, zephyr teachout. The New York Times said teachout posted the strongest challenge to incumbent governor since the state primaries began in 1970. Residents of ferguson, missouri packed a City Council Meeting last night, the first since last Months Police killing of 18yearold African American Michael Brown. The city council unveiled reforms that have stemmed from activist demand, putting a citizen review board for police, a cap on how much of city revenue can come from fines, and a onemonth recall program for warrants. The number of residents was criticism the reform still go far enough, calling for the resignation of top officials and the arrest of the officer who shot brown, darren wilson. Over the course of the night, many who rose to speak gave their name simply as mike brown. The meeting came as the senate held a hearing on the militarization of Police Forces nationwide. Democratic senator Claire Mccaskill of missouri set the hearing was prompted by concerns over the heavily armed crackdown on the ferguson protests following Michael Browns death. I saw Armored Vehicles with a sniper pointing a rifle at an unarmed protester on a warm summer afternoon. I think most americans were uncomfortable watching a suburban street in st. Louis being transformed with vivid images, powerful images across this country into a war zone, complete with camouflage, tear gas, rubber bullets, Armored Vehicles, and laser sites. The pentagon 1033 program has transferred over 5. 1 billion in military equipment to local agencies since 1991, including over 600 mineresistant armor protected vehicles, or mraps. Speaking in defense of the program, brian kamoie said military government help locate the surviving suspect after the Boston Marathon bombing last year. The response to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing demonstrated helper pair of this great investments have improved capabilities. Grant funded increment such as the forwardlooking infrared camera on a Massachusetts State Police helicopter enabled the apprehension of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev while enhancing the personal safety of Law Enforcement officers and protecting public safety. In a statement, the mickens of the Liberties Union says it plans to deliver a petition calling on the government to stop funding the militarized policing of communities of color. The aclu said the pentagon transfers feel Police Crackdowns in low income, majority black communities like ferguson. Having all at the disposal of local on enforcement is a contributor to the culture of militarism that weve seen and lawenforcement, again, for several decades of particularly in poor communities and communities of color. I think we need to be very concerned it is not quite as though all americans experienced the militarization of policing equally. President obama ordered a review of military transfers to local Police Forces in the aftermath of Michael Brown scaling. The Justice Department is also carrying out a civil rights probe of the Ferguson Police force. National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell is maintaining neither he nor any other League Official saw the videotape of ray rice punching his fiance before its release this week. The videos disclosure profit the nfl to suspend rice and definitely the details of the case have been known for months. After previous video from a different angle showed rice dragging his fiance, now wife, out of an elevator and dropping her face first on the ground. Speaking to cbs news, Roger Goodell was asked why it took a new tape for him to take action. We certainly did not know what was on the tape, that weve been very open and honest and i have also, from two weeks ago when i acknowledged we did not get this right. That is my responsibility and i am accountable for that. But what changed . On the first tape, she was lying unconscious on the ground being dragged out. Did you really need to see a videotape of ray rice punching her in the face to make this decision . Know, we certainly didnt. I will tell you what we saw on the first videotape was troubling to us in and of itself, but what we saw yesterday was extremely clear, extremely graphic, and it was sickening. That is why we took the action we took yesterday. The website that released the video, said the police never asked for the new tape on the casino. Roger goodell said they were relying on Law Enforcement to hand over any evidence instead of acting on its own. Goodale fuel used Roger Goodell refused to discuss his return to football. Missouri has executed an africanamerican despite his sentencing by all archery. Roll ringo was convicted in 1998. His attorneys expressed insert about the sedative, a drug used to prolong executions and other states, putting one in arizona where prisoner gasped for air, choked, and started during a twohour long ordeal. Report by stateless public radio found missouri had used the sedative in all nine executions since last november. Despite public claims by officials that it would not be used. Missouri officials said ringo declined to take the drug or any sedative before his execution today. Texas is set to execute its first prisoner since state attorney general and republican gubernatorial candidate greg abbott said the state could keep the source of its execution drug secret. Convicted murderer Willie Trottie is expected to be scheduled to be put to death this evening, despite claims to his attorney the execution drugs may have expired. Texas, missouri, and florida have accounted for more than three quarters of the 20th executions carried out in the United States this year. A campus day of action was held tuesday at the university of illinois at urbanachampaign over the unhiring of a professional professor critical of the israeli government. Steven salaita was due to start work as a tenured professor in the American Indian studies program. But after posting a series of tweets harshly critical of this summers israeli assault on gaza, salaita was told the author was withdrawn. Ms. Per in his first Public Comment on the controversy, he told a packed News Conference the unhiring has caused personal hardship, leaving his family without income, home, and health insurance. More broadly, salaita said school in ministrations are trampling academic freedom. As this is on me personally, the danger of the universitys decision is farther reaching implications. Universities are meant to be cauldrons of critical thinking. They are meant to foster a creative inquiry and when at their best, challenge political, economic, or social orthodoxy. Over 100oncept that is years old, is supposed to be an ironclad guarantee that University Officials respect these ideals and do not succumb to financial pressure or political expediency by silencing controversial or unpopular views. The schools board of trustees is expected to take up the controversy at a meeting thursday. You can go to democracynow. Org for our coverage a professor salaitas unhiring from tuesdays broadcast. Philadelphia is poised to become the largest u. S. City to decriminalize marijuana. The mayor has pledged to sign a City Council Bill imposing a 25 fine for possession of an ounce or less of pot. Those cited would reportedly have to appear before a judge, but would not have a criminal record. People caught smoking pot in public would face a 100 fine, which could be waived through community service. The measure to prevent thousands of arrests each are. We will discuss this and other issues around the issue of decriminalization later in the broadcast. Thosare some of the headlines. Is is mocr, demoynow. Orgr e report. Im amy goodmaermeen shaikh. Welcome to all our listeners and vieweromrod th uny and around the world. We begin todays show with two climate activists who were arrested last year after they used their lobster boat to block a delivery of some 40,000 tons of coal to the Brayton Point power station in somerset, massachusetts. When the ship carrying the coal, named the Energy Enterprise, attempted to unload its cargo, it found a boat, named the henry david t. , in the way. On the board were climate activist ken ward and jay ohara. Their boat was kept in place by 200 pound anchor and displayed a banner with the hashtag coal is stupid. They call the police to report their direct action charlie after they arrived. The anchor is down here. Do you want to do the honors . Can is going to call the Somerset Police and not them know we are here and let them know we are here. This is a nonviolent protest, purely peaceful protest that we are intending to do what is right for the planet and prevent this coal from coming in. Hi, this is ken ward. I wanted to let you know i am on t. Rd the henry david were anchored off the somerset pier at Brayton Point. Sure, im ken ward and we are on atoat anchored off the pier Brayton Point and i wanted to let you know were conducting a nonviolent and completely peaceful protest against the use of coal. We will be completely cooperative. That is ken ward and jay ohara, speaking on may 15, 2013 as their lobster boat blockade successfully blocked a shipment of coal to the Brayton Point power plant in a 51yearold facility which is one of the regions largest contributors to greenhouse gases. On monday, more than a year later, ward and ohara redo to appear in court to face charges stemming from their act of civil disobedience. But in a surprise move, the Bristol County massachusetts District Attorney sam sutter announced he had instead dropped their criminal charges and reduced three other charges to civil offenses. This is sam sutter speaking just outside the courthouse. The decision that robert, kid , and i come this is to District Attorney who handled this case, reached today was a decision that certain he took into consideration a caused to the taxpayers in somerset. But was made with our concern for their children, the children of Bristol County and beyond in mind. Climate change is one of the greatest crises our planet has ever faced. Opinion, the Political Leadership on this issue has been gravely lacking. I am heartened that we were able to forge an agreement that both parties were pleased with and that appeared to satisfy the police and those here in sympathy with the individuals who were charged. I am also extremely pleased that we were able to reach an agreement that symbolizes our commitment at the Bristol County District Attorneys office to take a leadership role on this issue. That is very inspiring to me and ill carry that with me in my heart. Thank you. [indiscernible] i certainly will be in new york in two weeks, how is that . [cheers] im walking round with bill mckibbens article from rolling stone. That was the Bristol County District Attorney sam sutter, who will join us soon from providence. First, were joined by the climate activists who carried out the lobster boat like kate, joining us here in new york. Ken ward is a longtime climate activist, cofounder of the National Environment a law center and former Deputy Director of greenpeace usa. And jay ohara is a quaker and a sailmaker from cape cod, massachusetts. We welcome you both to democracy now what inspired this action . Talk about how you actually accomplished it last year in may. The inspiration for this i think is many of us have this huge weight on our hearts knowing this crisis is bearing down on us. Almost two years ago in october, ken and i both ended up at a on then Downtown Boston eve of hurricane sandy. Ken proposed the idea it was time to take direct action to stop coal from being burned in massachusetts. It seemed my heart leapt with joy at the first mention of it, and it was clear that was the work that we needed to do. Ken ward, you been a long time, activist. Why did you decide to take this direct action last year . Nothing else was working. A lot of us have been doing this one of the things we had to argue or would have argued had we gone to trial, is that we pursued all legal available means to try to address the problem. We had been doing lobbying, Public Education for a long time. None of those things have worked. The trajectory hasnt changed. In terms of how do we change politics, the thing that seemed needed is direct action. Why did you focus on this coal plant and take the action you did with the lobster boat . Explain how that happened. I am from new england. This is the biggest visible source of coal burning in new england. We picked it partly because you can see the plant and partly because it is coal and coal coming by ships. There was a way to interpose ourselves between the plant and the coal. So all of those things are was suggested it. Were you concerned about your safety . Not physical safety in the sense that we took very careful precautions. Jay knows much more about this than i do, but we took a number of steps. We took landing to make sure we were safe and nobody else would be endangered. Maybe question afterwards about the strength of parts of the ship, but explain exactly what you did. On the morning of may 15, 2013, after a short prayer meeting on the docks in newport, rhode island, we motored our boat up the bay how did you come up with the name henry david t. . We knew we need to do some rechristened of the boat and it was clear that Henry David Thoreau would be a good example for us as we went into this work. We motored up and dropped anchor in the ship channel, putting ourselves right off the pier or the Energy Enterprise would be attempting to dock. We dropped a really large anchor so we were in movable, called the police and let them know we were there, and then waited. And then . After several hours, eventually the coast guard arrived. The ship arrived. Somerset police arrived. The coast guard boated our boarded our boat and through a number of different attempts to get us out of the way, we decided we would comply with their order after having been threatened with some very, very serious and hefty fines. Then we spent most of the day trying to haul up the anchor ourselves and waiting for the coast guard to say, well, we cant do that, you have to wait for us and have to wait for the ship to arrive, have to wait for to arrive. Am between the anchor being stuck on the bottom and was a some bureaucratic snafus, we ended up being able to block a shukman for the entire day. What were you charged with . We were charged with four charges. Disturbing the peace, conspiracy to disturb the peace, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and failure to avoid a collision of a boat. What did they say . Our lawyer said all of those charges together could at maximum sentences of a couple of years. Were you at any point concerned the coast guard may detain you . We were surprised we were not detained. After the coast guard got on amicable was very almost along a conversation. They said let off the that they theymarily concerned said right off the back of her primarily concerned with our safety, the safety of everyone on the boat, and moving as. They were not interested in Law Enforcement the traditional sense. Since for make tw them to remove the boat because it would be harder to it did not make sense for them to remove as because it would be harder to get the boat out. As we were trying to raise the anchor, holding onto our lifejackets to make sure we did not fall overboard. It was a very and friendly interaction between us and the coast guard. I want to bring in Bristol County District Attorney sam sutter. On monday in a surprise move, he dropped the criminal charges and reduced three other charges to civil offenses against jay ohara and can afford. District attorney sam sutter is joining us from providence, rhode island. Can you talk about your decision to drop these charges . I can tell you i started wrestling with exactly how i was going to accomplish various goals i had on this case as we got closer to trial and actually reached the decision over the weekend for several discussions in myome top illegals office. All of whom come up with commissioner mike is on Climate Change. What just about talk more about what you discussed, waiting to decision and why you are so concerned about kind of change. Unusual for a, not only to drop the charges like this, but to make such a dramatic announcement as you did you came out of the courthouse. I think very much like the with every activists were about to try. Cursed about the decision and then about a point of view and whether it was unusual or not. We thought about reporting part of the case to the Appeals Court because we were not sure that the criminal court had jurisdiction of the motorboat charges. With thewas not met positive reception, really, by either the judge or the Defense Attorneys. So then we had to trying to come up with a resolution of the case that met several concerns. Number one, my duty to uphold the law. I can be in great sympathy with the protesters, but i do have a duty to uphold the law. Secondly, the interest of those in somerset who had to foot the bill. That is the taxpayers of somerset. Finally, my moral position on this issue. Through very open discussion, which i like very much, there was a synthesis and we came up with what i thought was really the ideal resolution. This was an act of civil disobedience so this should be treated as a civil infraction. I was extremely pleased when we broached the idea with the Defense Attorneys and they embraced it. After that, you simply a question on monday morning of determining what was a fair figure for the restitution. Once again, the Defense Attorneys showed great reasonableness. I thought that aspect of the not and what we did was unusual. I thought that was prudent, wise. Able, and the second part, though, the decision to walk out and give a short speech that i did. I thought about when i did this, what one of my colleagues did not that i agreed with that, but it was a bold move when bill bennett, are District Attorney in springfield, after the people of massachusetts voted to decriminalize marijuana by two to one vote, he dismissed the cases in his office. Im not saying i agreed with that decision, but that is the kind of move that i have seen District Attorneys make that is bold. That guided me to some extent. So i decided to go out and give a short speech about exactly why i made the decision that i did and state my position on Climate Change, which i think is in congruence with mr. Ward and mr. Ohara. Explainutter, can you what kind of response you have received both to your decision as well list your speech outside the courthouse . Well, it has been a humbling response. In an inspiring one. I dont think i have ever received maybe tonight i received District Attorney i received cheers that loud and energetic, but it was just a wonderful, wonderful feeling. The response since all of the requests for interviews, a really has taken me aback is ase i think my position reasonable one in view of the data ive looked at, the conversations i have had with individuals more expert than i am. We are at a crisis point. I do believe, with all respect for the Political Leadership, i do believe there are not enough political leaders speaking out boldly on this issue. I do hope that what takes place in new york next weekend is similar to some of the great protests, marches that have taken place within my lifetime from selma to montgomery to the marches on washington to end the war in vietnam, to the most recent, the Million People who gathered in new york in 1983 that clearly had an impact on Ronald Reagan to move him to the point where he had a discussions that he did with mikael gorbachev. I think that is the goal of the 20,er 20, 21 september 21, and i plan to be part of it. You are talking about this march on september 21, the major climate march that will be taking part here as people at the u. N. Are weighing the issue of Climate Change. What hast in your life influenced you most on this issue, and where does that leave the coal plant that is so significant in york county, the Brayton Point coal plant . Professor mckibbin has really influenced me. I remember beginning to read books andwalk his insights that in the late 1980s when i was living on tape god. I tried to get involved in some infernal causes then. I have been a passionate environment was from the time i became a adult. The influences are what i read, the shows i watch on television. I saw a program last weekend or two weekends ago about deforestation in indonesia. Those are some of the influences. What was the second part of your question again . Talking about the influences and also where does that leave the coal plant in york county in Bristol County . Think we have to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to Renewable Energy to green energy. I mean, as i read professor mckibbins article in rolling stone, on these sunny day, germany is getting half of its energy on solar. On a normal day, texas is getting one third of its energy from wind. Those are the kinds of situations that need to take lace globally. To the extent i have a form, i will speak about this. And to the extent my office can be a leader for state agencies, District Attorneys on this issue, that is what im going to try to do. s Brayton Point now scheduled to close in a couple of years or a few years . I think mr. Ward and mr. Ohara no more than i do about this. Heard, 2016, 2017, frankly, is not soon enough. I would like to see that plant closed quickly as i would like to see Pilgrim Nuclear plant close quickly. Do hope the decision you have made will embolden other climate activists to challenge the coal plant in the whole issue of Climate Change overall . That is a question i have to answer very carefully and i have been asked that question many times since monday. What i say is this. I havece of at the great sympathy with what these two gentlemen did, but i do disagree with her action, honestly, because it broke the law. We reached a perfect resolution of the case, and my opinion. So to say i agree with their position but disagree as the District Attorney with her action, i think, is completely consistent. More lawfulging protests and demonstrations . And fatah clique, yes. Am i encouraging more unlawful ones . No, im not. Thats what about that question, can, of what should be happening to this plant . Learned the summer we the west Antarctic Ice shelf is now an unstoppable collapse, of seaeans the tendency level to rise. That to me is all we need to know. In theing we are downslope. We should therefore be taking Emergency Action everywhere we can. The first Emergency Action is to stop burning coal. The plant owners of Brayton Point did announce the plant would be closed in 2017, but that is not soon enough. It should be shut immediately, i mean, within a year we should be engaging in emergency shifts to renewables right away. That should be the top of our political agenda. I think one of the interesting things is that this plant is scheduled to close currently, but that is just on the companys own prerogative. There is no legal barrier to continuing to burn coal in massachusetts. So there has not been a policy shift significant enough to actually put a final stop to burning coal in massachusetts, and that is the sort of action that needs to be taken. Do you have something you would like to say to the District Attorney . Did you expect this was going to happen on monday . No. Im hoping for an opportunity you can look right into that camera. Were thinking we should drive back from new york where you are and take a picture with you, inviting people to come to new york to the march with us. Maybe you want to do that. I would also like the opportunity to meet you at some point in person again and to you what we think, which is thankful, but i think theres a lot of people in positions of authority, Political Leadership, Law Enforcement leadership, who might share your opinions on climate. But nobody else has linked it as you did to an actual decision in a way that is powerful. This is quite powerful. We are where we are not just because of what we did, but because of how you responded to it. I think of taken a great and courageous step and should be applauded for it. Or i applaud you for it, sure. Words. Inspired by those i look forward to seeing you in new york city. I look forward to more dialogue. I agree with you about the coal burning plant. I just look forward to working together with the activists as much as i can and think crafting stands for my office that put us in a leadership role there. There are many of my office they share my views, certainly robert kid, roger michael, with whom i worked on this case, the director of communications. This is a first step. Might you be marching together at the climate march on september 21 . Is certainly possible. If they call it, i will give them my cell phone number. Sounds like a plan. We will leave it there. We certainly will be out there covering that marked on september 21, the climate march here in new york. That does it for this segment, though it certainly does not do it for continuing to cover these issues. Democracy now will be moving on from covering what is happening at the u. N. In the clinic march to lima, peru for the u. N. Climate summit in december. I want to thank you District Attorney sam sutter, jay ohara and ken ward for joining us. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Thatwe come back, why is Spinning Wheel of death, that spine that just spins and whens youre waiting for website to load, giving us some and websites . Today we will talk about the internet slowdown. Stay with us. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with nermeen shaikh. If your favorite website seems to load slowly today, take a closer look. You might be expressing the battle for the net internet slowdown, a global day of action. The internet wont actually be slowing down, but many sites are placing on the home pages animated loading graphics, which organizers call the proverbial spinning will of death. They will symbolize what the internet might soon look like. As that wheel spins, the rules about how the internet works are being redrawn. Large Internet Service providers , or isps, like comcast, time warner, at t, and verizon are try to change the rules that govern the internet. Some of the biggest counties on the internet are joining todays internet slowdown to draw attention to Net Neutrality that principle that Service Providers should not be allowed to speed up or slow down loading times on certain websites, such as their competitors. They include netflix, mozilla, kickstarter, etsy, and wordpress. This comes as 27 online advocacy groups sent a letter to federal Communications Commission it federal can medications Commission Chairman tom wheeler tuesday, calling on him to participate in town hall style public hearings on Net Neutrality. For the the fcc response to that letter, but they did not reply by the time of our broadcast. For more, were joined by tim karr, one of the main organizers of the slowdown today. Lay it out. Explain exactly what youre so concerned about. Talks that better Communication Commission has rigidly gone the issue of Net Neutrality wrong. Earlier this year, the chairman, tom wheeler, put forth a proposal that would allow very powerful websites to dominate the internet, allow Internet Service providers to favor their websites and services in a way that degrades access to the rest of the internet. It creates this twotiered system. The internet was never meant to be that way. Theres been this amazing public response over the year rejecting the proposal and asking for real Net Neutrality protection, which involves treating Internet Service providers as common carriers. That they are networks that have all information equally got discrimination. Today is the culmination of a lot of that effort. How Many Organizations or websites are participating in todays internet slowdown . We will know by the end of the day. Right now, there are hundreds of tech companies, advocacy organizations, and websites that are displaying, as you call it, the Spinning Wheel of death. It is important that the internet will not be slowing down as result of that. Although, one website may slow down, and that is that of the federal Communications Commission which will be receiving a lot of the activism. The last time we had a moment like this was in mid july when there were a lot of people and it crashed. We do not want to crash the fcc website. We want comments to come in and we want them to listen to them and we want them to listen to the overwhelming consensus among the public that real Net Neutrality protections are needed. A netflix spokesperson issued a statement confirming the site will display the spinning icon on its home page today. She said tim, this is interesting that netflix is one of those participating because netflix really highlighted the problem for so many as they made a deal to be on one of those fast lanes and paying comcast so netflix could stream more easily. It is a good illustration of the type of companies that are protesting fcc the plan. Comcast, for example, has a competing business for netflix. They provide us with table color vision cable television. It is not just large copies like netflix that are participating, etsy, document the makers documentary makers. There are many websites that have built their business on an open internet that are very actively involved. Explain why is the u. S. Position on this so important . There are debates about Net Neutrality going on throughout the world, but the u. S. Position is very important because in many ways, u. S. Policy influences policy that is made in other countries. Although, i should say countries like chile and brazil are a step ahead of us. They have put in place Net Neutrality rules that are being enforced today. It is not just the u. S. Is influential, so much of the web goes through the United States. Much of the routings take place in the United States, so if there is a potential for a slow down at that level, it could affect all internet traffic around the world. Tom wheeler, what he formally did before president obama asointed him to the fcc chair and what youre demanding . It was a chief lobbyist for the telecommuting case in industry and before that, for the wireless industry. He has a history of working with industry. Were asking him to put those potential biases aside side with the people and side with people by reclassifying Internet Service providers as common carriers. And that means . They have to connect people equally wedlock like telephones. Pick up a telephone and make a telephone call to your favorite pizza joint, your Telephone Companies a common carrier, meaning they cannot connect you to dominos instead. They have to simply make that connection happen under the traffic. And a time schedule for this happening . Today is the internet slowdown day, so we encourage everyone to participate today. September 15 at the fcc is the deadline for comments, so a few more days for people to comment, then the agency is supposed to look at all of these comments and make a ruling based on what people have said. That could happen probably by the end of this year, maybe next year. Are their roles there has to be a public form for this . There are not rules, but theres been a long tradition the fcc predecessor of chairman meeting with people in these open hearings where people can come forth, and the commons are entered in the public record. Chairman wheeler has yet to schedule any of those hearings and weve been very adamant. Tim karr, thank you for being with us, one of the main organizers of the internet slowdown. When we come back, we will look at the latest of elements in the United States and around the world around marijuana decriminalization. Stay with us. [music break] i wish i knew how it would feel to be free by nina simone. Was in our congratulations to democracy now producer sam goldf and his partner anna on the birth of their beautiful new daughter, nina simone f board september 9. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with nermeen shaikh. We turn now to look at the growing Movement Toward drug criminalization. On monday, philadelphia mayor said he would sign a bill that would make philadelphia the largest city in the country to decriminalize marijuana possession. Just two weeks ago, the city council in santa fe voted to decriminalize marijuana as well. Earlier this year, district be a mayor vincent gray signed a bill to decriminalize possession of up to announce of marijuana in the us capital. Ballot initiatives on legalization will go before voters in oregon, florida, and alaska in november. This comes two years after voter initiatives in colorado and Washington State legalized recreational marijuana. Looks a group of former president s and United Nations leaders gathered in new york tuesday to call for an end to the criminalization and incarceration of drug users. Known as the Global Commission on drug policy, the Panel Includes the former president s of brazil, chile, colombia, mexico, poland, portugal, and switzerland. Other members include former u. S. Attorney general kofi annan and as well as george scholz, the former secretary of state under president reagan. The Commission First made headlines in 2011 and he declared the war on drugs to be a failure. This is the former president of mexico, ernesto zedillo. Rulevernments as a general should emphasize the pursuit of nonviolent and minor offenders while direct enforcement strategically toward the most disruptive and violent elements of the trafficking. The former president of colombia also spoke on tuesday in new york, Cesar Gaviria. What were trying to do is exactly to recognize that were not leaving the world free of drugs and we should move to control of the drug markets by regulation instead of these idealistic idea [inaudible] the former you and high commissioner for human rights also condemned the war on drugs. It is a model, the model we have embraced for the last 50 years that is now demonstrably andfficient catastrophic human cost that delivers nothing on a promise that was a ridiculous one to make in the first place. To talk more about the drug summit in the Global Commission on drug policys new report, were joined by two guests in your, dr. Michel kazatchkine is the uns secretarygeneral special envoy on hiv aids in each in europe and central asia, and former executive director of the global fund to fight aids and tuberculosis, and malaria. Us,ethan nadelmann joins the founder and executive director of the drug policy alliance. The largest u. S. City yet to decriminalize pot. It looks like october 20 may be the big day in philadelphia. Talk about the significance of this. On the one hand, i want to say there is decriminalization and there is decriminalization. To criminalization that results in marijuana being treated as a 25 ticket and what happened in new york and other states back in the 1970s when we decriminalize marijuana, arrests dropped and somehow the police, nypd in this case or other police, found ways to keep arresting mostly young men of color for having marijuana in their pocket. I think the latest wave of decriminalizations are much for the region. People understand what went wrong before. And new mexico, an important move. Some of these others are important as well. In d c, the to criminalization law that passed a few months ago, that was probably the furthest. Now the cops can even say, i smelled marijuana and that is why started searching him and arresting him. We are moving that direction. Thiswill have a ballot fall and hopefully set up to fully tax and regulatory wanted this year. Dr. Kazatchkine, lets turn to this report. Could you talk about the key recommendations of the report and how they differ from policies for drug control in the past . They are radically different. The policies in the past have been based on a prohibition paradigm. As Cesar Gaviria was saying in the short piece you are showing, there was a dream or unrealistic goal of drug policies of a drugfree world. And that could be achieved by just prohibiting drugs, prohibiting reduction, sales, distribution, consumption. That paradigm has failed. That is what we have been saying nce our first report in 2011. So were talking about the new paradigm, and that is that we advocate for policies that are not based on repression and prohibition, but policies that are based on health, promotion of human rights and more humane policies. And that implies, first, to prioritize health. Drugs is about health, not about policy. A retortis not just sentence. This is about shifting resources that are currently going to totally ineffective repression into promotion of health and social interventions. Then it is about decriminalizing. It is about shifting the repressive efforts from targeting small dealers, vendors, farmers onto the big fishes that are currently escaping the system. And finally, and this is a very sensitive and a new somehow advocacy point of our commission, we are saying, ultimately, one day, we will have to renegotiate the International Drug control regime that is the True National treaties that were agreed 60 years ago because we advocate for legal regulation of drugs. In order for that to come one day, we will have to renegotiate those treaties. Ethan nadelmann, what do you think are the most difficult arguments you face in the United States . Say,s around someone might what about the massive issue of addiction overall when youre talking about, well, drugs or even beyond marijuana . The typical argument is, what about the kids . I think with respect to marijuana legalization, i think it will be greater levels of marijuana use in our society, but i dont think it will be the kids because theyve had the best access to marijuana for decades now and will continue to do so. The loss are not going to legalize it for them anyway. I think will probably be with older people. To the extent where talking about marijuana, it is not clear it will be a harm of people are having ofmarijuana instead of entering her sleeping pill or whatever it might be. Argument, thecond most vigorous opposition now is coming from the prison industrial complex, the police and others. Theyre just trying to hold on to what they had. Theyre making arguments about health, which is bizarre coming from the police because apparently they never carried about cared about the health issue before. The whole toward the possession of marijuana has created a crisis of identity for them. I think the last argument that remains that we really struggle with is, look what has happened with pharmaceutical opiates in our society. 15 years ago, theres a big problem with people not getting sufficient painkillers for things like cancer pain and terminal illness and all these things. We expanded the availability. The physicians and others started prescribing them much too broadly and they did not work that well. More people died last your opiate overdose, either heroin or pharmaceuticals, then an auto accident. Policiesrohibition have failed. Can we intelligently break Illegal Drugs once they are legal . Do you see a federal law coming down the road . The feds almost all was last on an issue like this. I will give president obama some credit. When washington and colorado voted to legally regulate marijuana, the White House Department had to figure what to do and they finally last summer, said, were going to allow washington and colorado to proceed. Changes was willing to the law, but that was monumental. Not just in the u. S. Once washington said colorado and washington have room to proceed, the head a say the same thing to people externally. So in earthquake legalized marijuana, the u. S. Said it is a domestic issue for uruguay. It is remarkable the International Impact of washington and colorado legalizing or one of. What are the drugs youre calling for as decriminalization of in trade and other laws . Our discourse is generic. Marijuana illicit trikes. Psychoactive substances and things like stimulants. You may know in new zealand in the last year, the government or parliament passed bills by which some of the ats can be summit it to national authorities, just as you submit a dossier for pharmaceutical drug, medicine. Her win as well . I will come back to that in a second. You show and document what the substances and if that is approved, then it is being sold like richard conditions not to people under the age of 18, and so on. That is what we call regulated market. And people from 2000 and so substances circulating and new zealand we have 20 seconds. Parks people are using now around 200. So people who want to use stuff they know what it contains. Heroin is different. To me, it can be a medicine for some of the people who are addicted to heroin and cannot use anything else in her strip independent of the highquality product that we as doctors should be able to provide to people who need it. Your meeting with ban kimoon today. We will put that online at democracynow. Org. Thank you for being with us, dr. Michel kazatchkine and ethan nadelmann. That does it for our broadcast. Democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. Email your comments to outreach democracynow. Org or mail them to democracy now p. O. Box 693 new york, new york 10013. [captioning made possible by democracy now ] joanne one of my favorite dinners in the world is chicken and salad, and on todays show im going to change that up a little bit. Im going to start, first of all, by making a very classic sauce, a mayonnaise. Im going to show you a few variations. And then, with my student pascal, together were going to make an oven Fried Chicken with a green salad with avocado and a lime vinaigrette thats going to be so delicious. Stay right there because pascal is going to sweep me right off of my feet. [ music ]