David Swanson's Blog, page 207
August 13, 2011
CA Dem Party May Dump Progressive Caucus for Proposing Primary Challenge to Obama
On July 30th the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party passed a resolution proposing that a primary challenge be offered to Obama next year. The Progressive Caucus's certification expired at the same time, and while other caucuses were routinely recertified that day by the state party, the Progressive Caucus (I'm told by its chair, Karen Bernal) would not have been, had a vote been held. So the recertification was tabled, and the Progressive Caucus is in limbo. It no longer exists, but it may yet continue existing.
I asked Karen Bernal about the resolution and the response to it on Sunday. Here's that audio: mp3.
Here's the resolution:
August 12, 2011
Constitutional Conventions: Shall We ConCon?
To Constitutionally convene or not to Constitutionally convene: that is the question. (And one taken up by an upcoming conference I'll be taking part in at Harvard: http://conconcon.org ) Or is it? The government's broken, but would a Constitutional convention be broken too? This debate among those on the left usually takes the form of:
August 11, 2011
The Military: Closer to You Than Your Family
Two blocks from my house in a nondescript little building on the edge of our residential neighborhood is an office with a small sign reading "DVBIC of Charlottesville" which turns out to mean "Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center."
Now, I'm in favor of caring for people with brain injuries. Heck, I wish we had universal comprehensive health coverage like other countries do. But it disturbs me how difficult it is in this country to get any distance away from the military. It's almost certainly closer to you than your relatives' homes.
August 10, 2011
The Divided Left
The Satan Sandwich budget deal seems to have been left lying on the table in some television green rooms. Dylan Ratigan has begun cursing both political parties, even while still fantasizing about the President saving us. Keith Olbermann and Al Gore want a Tahrir Square in Washington, even while ignoring the actual preparations for it that are going on. Cornel West and Tavis Smiley, who are part of those preparations, were permitted onto CNN momentarily -- only to be informed that they should calm down about the wealth gap since poor people "even have refrigerators!" (The refrigerators are empty, but they look good in the kitchen!)
August 9, 2011
Uranium Safe to Eat With a Spoon!
Carefully ignoring Fukushima, Los Alamos, Vermont, and Nebraska, a comforting new announcement informs us that "nuclear energy is safe."
A series of soothing television ads and videos tells us that mining uranium in Virginia would produce jobs and protect us from scary foreigners.
August 8, 2011
Podcast: Coy Barefoot and David Swanson
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Charlottesville Right Now (Subscribe)Charlottesville Right Now: 8-8-11 David Swanson
Best-selling author David Swanson joins Coy to breakdown the national problems facing the economy.
National Conference in Charlottesville: The Military Industrial Complex at 50
Click this image to visit the conference website, see the agenda and speakers, and register to attend:
Sign Up Now for Low Rate to Attend in September!
August 5, 2011
Truman Lied, Hundreds of Thousands Died
On August 6, 1945, President Harry S Truman announced: "Sixteen hours ago an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima, an important Japanese Army base. That bomb had more power than 20,000 tons of T.N.T. It had more than two thousand times the blast power of the British 'Grand Slam' which is the largest bomb ever yet used in the history of warfare."
New York Events Free to LetsTryDemocracy Supporters
Until our supply of tickets runs out, anyone who donates $10 or more per ticket will get their name on a list to get into these amazing events in New York City. Just donate and we'll contact you to confirm:
Both events are at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater, John Jay College, 899 Tenth Ave., NYC.
The Guantanamo Lawyers' Panel
Thursday, September 8 at 5pm in the Gerald W. Lynch Theater lobby
This panel of lawyers who represent Guantanamo and other detainees and work to defend civil liberties at home is bound to create an incredible dialogue about some of the most hotly debated and contested issues surrounding the ongoing detainment of terrorism "suspects" and the line between interrogation and torture. Panelists: Jonathan Hafetz, Seton Hall and Rutgers Universities; Martha Rayner, Fordham Law, currently representing a Guantanamo detainee; Gita Gutierrez, the Center for Constitutional Rights; Alex Abdo, ACLU's National Security Project; chaired by Kathleen Chalfant, award-winning actress of stage and screen and advocate of social justice.
Another Life
Written and Directed by Karen Malpede (author/director of Prophecy, editor: Acts of War)
Starring George Bartenieff with Eunice Wong, Ariel Sharif, Omar Koury, Christen Clifford, Dorien Makhloghi
Co-Produced with Theater Three Collaborative
Invited Dress Rehearsal Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 7:30pm, following The Guantanamo Lawyers' Panel
A surreal, real, and satiric story of a mogul and his daughter locked in a titanic struggle, Another Life offers a whirl-wind trip through the past ten years. Greed, torture, war-lust and sexual enslavement vie with a subtle but growing resistance that leads to brave acts of caring and whistle-blowing. Another Life employs inventive language and memorable characters to bring to light questions of complicity and conscience in civil society. For more information, visit www.theaterthreecollaborative.org
(Here's the Foreword I wrote for the forthcoming book. --David Swanson)
