David Swanson's Blog, page 204
September 9, 2011
Audio: David Swanson and George Kenney
September 9, 2011, edition of Electric Politics
Praxis
I've admired David Swanson for a number of years. He's one of the most active progressive activists I know — indeed, both astonishingly productive and absolutely on message. Since he gets out and about all the time, and I don't, it was a real treat to hear his sense of where things stand politically, and his advice regarding what people should be doing. (Think getting arrested.) Thanks, David!! Total runtime thirty six minutes. Āctum est dē rēpūblicā.
GO HERE.
September 8, 2011
How to Launch a Presidential Challenge to Obama
Here's a way to make this work within a Democratic Primary or in the general election of 2012.
Nobody can just announce that they are running in the general election as a candidate of the people, of peace, of justice, of decency, because all the corporate media would want to talk about was Spoilerdom.
And running instead in only non-swing-states, or asking voters in swing states to swap their votes with people in non-swing-states, would lead to only that same conversation about Spoilers and the mechanics of theatrical electioneering.
September 7, 2011
Can We Love Both Peace and War?
If I told you I would support women's rights as long as I didn't have to oppose rape, you'd think I needed lessons in both logic and basic human decency. If I said I would favor freedom as long as I didn't have to be against slavery, you might start backing away slowly.
Yet on September 1st, in a statement that's anything but out of the ordinary, the Daily Progress reported Charlottesville School Board Member Ned Michie's objection to a resolution in support of events celebrating the International Day of Peace:
"I'm all in favor of peace and non-violence," Michie said, "but, for instance… to the extent that any of the events are really sort of anti-war events, I'm not necessarily comfortable with supporting that."
It's a funny thing about peace and war: you really do have to choose between them. They don't mix any better than freedom and slavery. You can't favor peace without opposing war. In fact, you can't support peace without opposing the machinery that makes wars likely. And that machinery is all over Charlottesville, where it provides many local residents with jobs.
Nonetheless, job creation is something else you can't support without opposing what President Dwight Eisenhower 50 years ago warned of as the "military-industrial complex."
How can that be? Let me explain.
September 5, 2011
Jobs or Wars: We Have to Choose
Register. | Speakers. | Agenda and Location. | Sponsor. | Donate. | Volunteer. | Flyers and PSAs. | Offer Room. | Request Room. | Contact. | Resources
Did you know that redirecting a fraction of our military spending to education, green energy, healthcare, and tax cuts would create a job for every unemployed or underemployed person in the country (including those losing war industry jobs during this conversion)? It's true.
Did you know we're fighting drone wars that create enemies by killing innocents, in large part because the CIA created a bureaucracy for drone wars and wants to use it? Now you do.
We've got a choice to make between the military industrial complex and our future. Experts from around the country will help us make it at this conference: http://MIC50.org
Why Register Now:
1. Only if you register ahead of time can you get food at the conference.
2. Only if you register ahead can you pay a discounted rate.
Everyone should pay only what they can afford, even if it's nothing! But you need to register!
3. Only if you register ahead can we best plan the conference and let you know how to get involved.
So, please assure yourself a spot at this unique event, and register now!
September 4, 2011
The Month of Normality
Here's a simple proposal. I'm sure it's too much to ask for, but I'm asking anyway. Let's set aside a single month, say the month of April, following each federal election, and for that single month behave like the citizens and elected officials of a normal representative republic.
September 2, 2011
Insider Tells Why Obama Chose Not to Prosecute Torture
Two Years Ago Obama Decided Not to Prosecute Torturers
Now We Get An Account of Why
By David Swanson
If you can think back all the way to January 2009, back when wars were ending, Guantanamo was closing, the Pentagon was getting oversight, employees were going to have free choice, the rich would start paying taxes, the air would be getting cleaner, and so forth, you'll recall that the Obama transition team was acting super populist and high-tech.
They had questions from ordinary people for the President Elect submitted on their website and voted up or down. The top question at the end of the voting had come from Bob Fertik of Democrats.com and it was this:
I Just Found 29 Million Jobs
No, not 29 million job offers. I'm no better at applying for jobs than you are, and my town offers nothing but dead-end McJobs or positions in the military industrial complex, just like yours. I mean I just spotted an easy way to create 29 million jobs, one for every unemployed or underemployed U.S. worker.
Audio: David Swanson and Christiane Brown Discuss October2011.org
01Sep11
Topic: THE REAL PEOPLE'S PROTEST!! – October2011.org
Guest: David Swanson – Author of "War Is a Lie" and "Daybreak and Progressive activist and blogger at DavidSwanson.org , WarIsACrime.org and toyysaction.org
On October 6th 2011 people from across the nation will come together in Freedom Plaza Washington DC to light the spark that sets off a true democratic, nonviolent movement. We will make it our Tahrir Square, Cairo, our Madison, Wisconsin and through NON_VIOLENT civil disobedience we will force the halls of power to hear our voices, and take back our nation from the corporate machine that puts human and environmental needs before corporate profit.
Listen Now.
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September 1, 2011
Knock Knock Knocking on the Devil's Door
Last year I reviewed a book called "Apocalypse Never" that made a powerful case for our options being limited to two: either we get rid of nuclear weapons or humanity will be destroyed. I noted then a deep flaw in the case: the author accepted nuclear energy as something we could survive, focusing his opposition purely on nuclear weaponry.
