SHAKE WELL BEFORE USING

The world is filled with oddities and wonders. And a small oddity, if not a wonder, is that I received an invitation to a lunch for Condoleezza Rice that was part of her November 30 th speaking engagement at Claremont McKenna College.   The lunch itself was held at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, in the hotel’s Tiffany Ballroom—rather than here in Claremont.    Though the intended invitees to the lunch were “a special group” of donors to CMC, I had received an invitation—despite not being in that “special group”—due to a connection to CMC that goes back many, many years. The lunch was, then, exclusive, but only on a limited scale.   There were, after all, some 500 other guests.   And for the record, the lunch cost $50 per person—with a signed copy of Rice’s recent memoir, No Higher Honor , included in the cost.       My reason for attending the lunch was to circulate, as widely as possible, criticisms of...

Tomorrow, the 30 th of November, Condoleezza Rice, will be speaking here at the Claremont Colleges, specifically at the invitation of Claremont McKenna College.   Before and during her talk, I will be joining the “Un-Welcome” protest for, and teach-in about, her.  I will do so because I believe Rice is responsible for crimes against democracy and crimes against humanity.   In this regard, two aspects of her government service under George W. Bush are particularly noteworthy:  ● In July of 2002, Condoleezza Rice, as National Security Advisor, conveyed authorization to waterboard to CIA Director George Tenet . [1]   Waterboarding is torture and thus a violation of international law [2] and a violation of basic human rights.    Condoleezza Rice is thus responsible for this crime against humanity. ● In late 2002 and early 2003, Condoleezza Rice, as National Security Advisor, played a central role in circulating and accrediting f...