David Swanson's Blog, page 216
May 28, 2011
Our New Iraq-Afghanistan War National Holiday
Memorial Day is nice, I suppose. Veterans Day is all right. Patriots Day can be fun. Yellow Ribbon Day's not bad. But you will be pleased to hear that on Thursday the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously voted, in pure bipartisan harmony, to add the following gem to the big war-funding, war-expanding, bill that now goes to the Senate:
"The President shall designate a day entitled a National Day of Honor to celebrate members of the Armed Forces who are returning from deployment in support of Iraq, Afghanistan, and other combat areas."
May 27, 2011
May 26, 2011
Audio: Mediaroots Interview
May 26, 2011
Media Roots Radio Interview with David Swanson by Media Roots
MEDIA ROOTS- This is an exclusive Media Roots Radio interview with David Swanson conducted on May 19, 2011. David is the co-author of "The 35 Articles of Impeachment and the Case for Prosecuting George W. Bush". He was press secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, and is the co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org, creator of ConvictBushCheney.org and Washington Director of Democrats.com, a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, the Backbone Campaign, and Voters for Peace, and a member of the legislative working group of United for Peace and Justice.
He has written two best selling books: Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union, and War is a Lie. To learn more about David Swanson go to http://davidswanson.org/
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Listen to last week's broadcast about Fukushima: Coverage and Break Down of Radiation, another broadcast about Libya, Nuclear Power, Religious Environmentalism, or an inerview where Two Active Duty Soldiers Speak Out.
U.S. House Backs Forever War: Liveblogging the Vote on Eternal Worldwide War
On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives backed eternal worldwide war and imprisonment powers for all future presidents, but blocked any ground troops in Libya (except for the ones already there, since the measure included no consequences for its violation). The House also unanimously created a new national holiday to celebrate the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. It defunded the US Institute for Peace (saving the cost of 5 hours in Afghanistan). And it required that all suspected foreign terrorists be tried by the military and not in courts (unless bullets are put in their heads first).
All in a good day's work.
Here's the play-by-play:
What each of the 152 amendments does: here.
May 25, 2011
I'm Now on BlogTalk Radio - Call In
Join me on BlogTalkRadio tonight 8-10 ET w/ questions http://t.co/gpZlKet
May 24, 2011
Obama Opposed to Being Given Total War Power
The White House has put out a statement expressing its disapproval of various bits of H.R.1540, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. Here's the most interesting, if not the most adamant, objection:
"Detainee Matters: The Administration strongly objects to section 1034 which, in purporting to affirm the conflict, would effectively recharacterize its scope and would risk creating confusion regarding applicable standards. At a minimum, this is an issue that merits more extensive consideration before possible inclusion."
And here's Section 1034:
"Congress affirms that--
Mumía Abú-Jamal on War -- Spanish Version
A veces me pregunto si el norteamericano común se detiene por un momento, ve el caos en el que está el mundo; y se pregunta: ¿Cómo llegamos a ésto?
¿Ella simplemente no le da importancia, lo atribuye al "destino", se deshace rápido del pensamiento; y, esclavizada por lo nuevo, se va de compras a los supermercados?
¿Lo toma él como una expresión moderna del proverbio bíblico, "habrán guerras y rumores de guerras;" sintonizará el último partido de fútbol en la televisión; y pondrá de lado la duda, el miedo y el terror?
May 23, 2011
The Small Group of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens Has Been Drugged
Movements for justice have historically been driven by a small percentage of any population. One percent of Americans nonviolently occupying Washington, D.C., could make Cairo and Madison and Madrid look like warm-up acts. It is certainly true that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens is the only thing that ever has changed the world for the better.
So, what happens if a society picks out a significant slice of its population, one including many thoughtful and committed citizens, and drugs them?
