Top Censored Stories

Neocons' plans for global domination top the annual list of stories ignored or downplayed by the mainstream media.

The neoconservative blueprint for U.S. military domination is hardly a secret. A group called the Project for a New American Century--a think tank founded by hawks who now hold prominent jobs in the White House--released a version of it three years ago. The document is shocking in its candor: It asserts that the United States should be moving unilaterally to assert military control around the globe, and that all that's necessary to jump-start the effort is a "new Pearl Harbor."

None of the major news media in this country have reported on this document or on the fact that Bush is so closely following its script.

That's the nation's biggest "censored" story in last year, according to Sonoma State University's Project Censored, a 27-year-old program dedicated to shining light on the shortcomings of the major news media.

1. The neoconservative plan for global dominance
David Armstrong, Harper's Magazine, October 2002; Robert Dreyfuss, Mother Jones, March 2003; John Pilger, www.pilger.carlton.com/print, Dec. 12, 2002.

2. Homeland security threatens civil liberties
"The second Patriot Act is a mirror image of powers that Julius Caesar and Adolf Hitler gave themselves," Alex Jones wrote on www.rense.com.
Frank Morales, Global Outlook, Winter 2003; Alex Jones, www.rense.com, Feb. 11, 2003, and Global Outlook, Vol. 4; Charles Lewis and Adam Mayle, Center for Public Integrity, Feb. 7, 2003.

3. U.S. illegally removes pages from Iraq U.N. report
Michael I. Niman, ArtVoice, Jan. 1, 2003, and The Humanist, March/April 2003.

4. Rumsfeld's plan to provoke terrorists
Chris Floyd, CounterPunch, Nov. 1, 2002

5. The effort to make unions disappear
Lee Sustar, Z Magazine, Sept. 20, 2002; David Bacon, War Times, October-November 2002; Anne-Marie Cusac, The Progressive, February 2003; Robert L. Borosage, The American Prospect, March 2003.

6. Closing access to information technology
Arthur Stamoulis, Dollars and Sense, September 2002.

7. Treaty busting by the United States
The United States has now "either blatantly violated or gradually subverted" at least nine multilateral treaties on which it is a signatory,
Marylia Kelly and Nicole Deller, Connections, June 2002; John B. Anderson, The Nation, April 2002; Eamon Martin, Ashe ville Global Report, June 20-26, 2002; John Valleau, Global Outlook, Summer 2002.

8. U.S. and British forces continue use of depleted uranium weapons despite massive evidence of negative health effects
Dan Kapelovitz, Hustler, June 2003; Reese Erlich, Children of War, March 2003.

9. In Afghanistan: poverty, women's rights and civil disruption worse than ever
Ahmed Rashid, The Nation, Oct. 14, 2002; Pranjal Tiwari, Left Turn, February/March 2003; Jan Goodwin, The Nation, April 29, 2002; Scott Carrier, with a photo essay by Chien-Min Chung, Mother Jones, July/August 2002.

10. Africa faces new threat of colonialism
Michelle Robidoux, Left Turn, July/August 2002; Asad Ismi, Briarpatch, vol. 32, no. 1 (excerpted from the CCPA Monitor, October 2002); Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher, New Internationalist, January/February 2003.

11. U.S. implicated in Taliban massacre. Kendra Sarvadi, Asheville Global Report; Adam Porter, In These Times.

12. Bush administration behind failed military coup in Venezuela. Duncan Campbell and Greg Palast, The London Guardian; Joe Taglieri, Global Outlook; Karen Talbot, People's Weekly World; Jon Beasley-Murray, NACLA Report on the Americas.

13. Corporate personhood challenged. Thom Hartmann, CommonDreams and Impact Press; Thom Hartmann, Wild Matters; Jim Hightower, The Hightower Lowdown.

14. Unwanted refugees a global problem. Daniel Swift, In These Times; Charles Bowden, Mother Jones; Bill Frelick, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.

15. U.S. military's war on the earth. Bob Feldman, Dollars and Sense; David S. Mann and Glenn Milner, Washington Free Press; John Passacantando, Wild Matters.

16. Plan Puebla-Panama and the FTAA. Miguel Pickard, CorpWatch.org; Timi Gerson, Public Citizen's Trade Watch; Tom Hansen and Jason Wallach, Labornotes; Rachel Coen, Asheville Global Report and Extra!

17. Clear Channel monopoly draws criticism. Jeff Perlstein, MediaFile.

18. Charter forest proposal threatens access to public lands. Kristin Robison, Earth First! Journal; Jon Margolis, American Prospect.

19. U.S. dollar vs. the euro: another reason for the invasion of Iraq. William Clark, The Sierra Times; Cóilín Nunan, Feasta; William Greider, The Nation.

20. Pentagon increases private military contracts. Nelson D. Schwartz, Fortune; Pratap Chatterjee, CorpWatch.org; Antony Barnett, London Observer.

21. Third-world austerity policies: Coming soon to a city near you. Greg Palast, Harper's Magazine; Michael Parenti, Covert Action Quarterly; Gabriella Bocagrande, Texas Observer.

22. Welfare reform up for reauthorization but still no safety net. Barbara Ehrenreich and Frances Fox Piven, Mother Jones; Neil deMause, In These Times; Dave Hage, The American Prospect; Heather Boushey, Dollars and Sense.

23. Argentina crisis sparks cooperative growth. Lisa Garrigues, Yes! Magazine; Leif Utne, Utne Magazine.

24. U.S. aid to Israel fuels repressive occupation in Palestine. John Steinbach, Covert Action Quarterly; Matt Bowles, Left Turn; Bob Wing, War Times.

25. Convicted corporations receive perks instead of punishment. Emad Mekay, Asheville Global Report; Ken Silverstein, Mother Jones.

For more information on Project Censored, visit www.projectcensored.org.