Ex-NBA Star: Olympians Should Speak About Human Rights in China

Staff / Truthdig May 31, 2008 John Amaechi is not your typical basketball star. The former center for Utah, Orlando and Cleveland is the first NBA alumnus to openly declare that he's gay, and now he's combining sports and cultural politics in another sense by serving as Amnesty International's sports ambassador to this summer's Beijing Olympics. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Sergeant Refuses to Serve in ‘Illegal’ War

Staff / Truthdig May 16, 2008 On Thursday, a group of U.S. soldiers spoke before members of Congress about the failings of the Iraq war and the immeasurable toll it has taken on Iraqis and American troops. Afterward, Sgt. Matthis Chiroux announced that he is refusing to serve in Iraq. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Chris Hedges’ Civil Disobedience

Staff / Truthdig Nov 22, 2007 The Truthdig columnist writes in The Nation that he will not pay his taxes if the United States attacks Iran. Like Henry David Thoreau before him, Hedges will not help finance an immoral war. "I realize this is a desperate and perhaps futile gesture," he writes. "But an attack on Iran -- which appears increasingly likely before the coming presidential election -- will unleash a regional conflict of catastrophic proportions." Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Bridge Protest Leaves U.S. Team Vulnerable

Staff / Truthdig Nov 14, 2007 The bridge world is in an absolute tizzy over a protest by the world champion U.S. women's team, which held up a sign during its victory celebration in Shanghai last month that read: "We did not vote for Bush." Some bridge fans have accused the group of treason, and the United States Bridge Federation -- whatever the hell that is -- has decided that its authority trumps free speech, a value some people vaguely remember associating with America. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Truthdiggers of the Week: The Monks of Burma

Staff / Truthdig Sep 29, 2007 For decades Burma's ruling military junta has governed through terror, determined to meet dissent with intimidation, detention and murder. It is because of the military's particular cruelty that the story of the Buddhist monks of Burma is so compelling. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Protest Bush or Get Rich Trying

Staff / Truthdig Aug 18, 2007 Nicole and Jeff Rank, who were arrested in 2004 for refusing to remove or cover their anti-Bush T-shirts at a presidential rally, have just won an $80,000 settlement from the federal government. In prosecuting the case, the ACLU learned that the president's advance manual has little tolerance for free speech, saying: "As a last resort security should remove the demonstrators from the event." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The CIA’s ‘Family Jewels’

Staff / Truthdig Jun 22, 2007 The National Security Archive at George Washington University has posted documents on its website that expose ugly activities by the CIA before reforms were made in the 1970s. The secrecy watchdog says the agency violated its charter for 25 years by spying on journalists and political dissidents, in addition to engaging in other nefarious activities. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

CBS Silences General Dissent

Amy Goodman / Truthdig May 30, 2007 Listening to retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste, you sense his intense loyalty to the military. He commanded the Army's 1st Infantry Division in Iraq, capping a 31-year Army career. So why did CBS News fire him as a paid news consultant? Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Patriot’s Day: Stop the Violence

Amy Goodman / Truthdig Apr 18, 2007 Historian Howard Zinn tells us that patriotism "is about dissent." Americans should see the wisdom of his words in a time when some equate patriotism with supporting the war. As the U.S. mourns the loss of innocent college students, let's not blindly accept the horror that has destroyed thousands of young Iraqis. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

The Post-Bush Awakening

E.J. Dionne Jr. / Truthdig Mar 20, 2007 Americans are starting to learn the real lessons of the Iraq war: Dissent has value, political conformity costs lives and leaders who fail time and again don't deserve one more chance. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

The Road Map to Despotism

Chris Hedges / Truthdig Feb 12, 2007 Despite spending an estimated $80 million, the government was unable to prove that Dr. Sami Al-Arian was a terrorist, yet he remains in prison and his sentence will probably be extended. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges warns that the abusive imprisonment of this nonviolent Palestinian dissenter does not bode well for the rest of us. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Castro Makes Overture to Free Speech

Staff / Truthdig Dec 22, 2006 Cuba's acting president, Raul Castro, hinted at boosting freedom of expression this week, inviting university students to debate without fear. The remarks signal a departure from the practices of his brother, Fidel, who handed over power after undergoing surgery in July. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )