David Swanson's Blog, page 219
May 9, 2011
The Athens Human Rights Festival Is May 14-15 -- See You There!
From David Swanson:
I'm looking forward to speaking at the Athens Human Rights Festival in Athens, Ga., on May 14 and 15, 2011.
I'm also looking forward to hearing the great line-up of speakers, poets, singers, and musicians.
Here's the schedule.
This festival began in 1979 to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the Kent State murders. That first year, Gene Guerrero (Director - Georgia American Civil Liberties Union) urged students to oppose the reinstatement of the draft. Attorney Hue Henry criticized UGA President Fred Davison's "pattern of arrogance" and supported the Free Speech Task Force's lawsuit against the Board of Regents' policy of preventing students from addressing Board meetings. Gary Appelson (Athenians for Clean Energy) appealed for unity to fight nuclear power. Promoting solar energy, Appelson said, "We think we are free to go to war and to interfere in the Middle East. Americans are oil junkies." Tommy Jordan played acoustic guitar and has performed at every festival since.
At the 1981 festival, Dave Dellinger warned, "If the world is going to survive, the resurgence of the peace movement must continue," and Elton Manzione (Vietnam Veterans Against the War and Grass Roots Organizing Workshop - GROW) spoke from his experience as a Navy SEAL.
The history of the Athens Human Rights Festival is one of relentless support for human rights, including the rights of humans targeted by the United States military.
This is an example to most U.S. human rights groups.
And the music makes this event an example for most activist productions. This is the revolution with the music.
I hope to see you there:
SATURDAY May 14th 10 a.m. to midnight
SUNDAY 2 pm to 10 pm
College Square, Athens, Ga.
Rain or Shine.
NY Times Takes on Pentagon Spending With Two Hands Tied Behind Its Back
The New York Times has posted seven super-short columns on how to cut the U.S. military. All seven seem to support cutting the military in one way or another. That's excellent, and I don't mean to complain, but . . . .
The United States has the largest military in the world. We could cut it by 85% and still have the largest military in the world. And that's without counting all the military spending that we funnel through departments other than the Pentagon, spending that brings our annual total to around $1 trillion.
This World and the World Without War
The New York Times published an op-ed on May 7th by a professor here in Charlottesville, Va., arguing that celebrating the killing of Osama bin Laden is actually a good thing, because in so celebrating we are building solidarity with those we view as part of our exclusive group. Implicit in this argument is that we can do no better. Bonding over our common hatred of an outsider is better than no bonding at all, and therefore we should rebrand such hatred as altruism. Or so says psychology professor Jonathan Haidt.
May 6, 2011
World History Quiz: Only 1 Question
This will be a very short pop quiz. Post your answers below.
Who is this person?
He's the most powerful person ever.
He has sole command of the most powerful and profitable military and death squads ever.
He's the most corporate national leader ever.
He spent more money to get into office than anyone else ever.
He is the focus of a huge cult of personality, patriotism, partisanship, and obedience.
He oversees the most high-tech illegal spying apparatus ever.
He engages in lawless imprisonment and torture and assassination.
He depends on extreme secrecy, dishonesty, and immunity.
He's taken part in one of the largest transfers of wealth upward ever.
His opponents tend to be delusional and to be opposing a caricature of him.
May 5, 2011
Audio of Radio Show That Read Full Text of "Killing Resolves Nothing"
From Samaa Elibyari, Host / Producer
Caravan, CKUT 90.3 Fm (Montreal)
Community /McGill campus radio
http://www.ckut.ca
What Osama bin Laden, Troy Davis, and You Have in Common
So, the United States invaded Mexico, lied about it, killed, raped, pillaged, and stole half the country for the cause of expanding slavery in our growing continental empire. Then a devastated rump Mexico was invaded by the French who wanted their debts repaid, but the Mexicans won a big battle against the French on the Fifth of May, leading Americans to buy several tons of tacos and thousands of gallons of beer every Cinco de Mayo. Viva international solidarity in the land of Might-Makes-Right!
Secularists and Congressman Pete Stark have declared May 5th the Day of Reason, but how many people know that, how many television stations will stand for it, and how many Americans are even pretending to be reasonable?
May 4, 2011
Osama bin Lynched
I'm going to give this speech tonight to a crowd of drunk young people. If I'm not back by morning, ask around if there have been any "Islamic burials."
About 10 years ago a bunch of psychotic killers crashed planes into buildings. A tall skinny guy who took credit said he was protesting the presence of US troops in Saudi Arabia and US support for Israel's war on Palestinians. That wasn't exactly going to hold up in a court of law as a justification for mass-murder. But the U.S. government had already, before 9-11, turned down offers from the Taliban to put bin Laden on trial in a third country, and it turned those offers down again.
May 3, 2011
Listen to Ex-CIA Officer Tell Me Killing Bin Laden Was Cleaner Than Capturing Him
From Marc Steiner Show
May 3, 2011 - Segment 1
The killing of Osama Bin Laden has caused mixed reactions throughout the world, from uproar to near apathy. We will discuss how Bin Laden's death will effect the government and military of the United States.
We are joined by David Swanson, whose most recent book is War is a Lie. He is also the author of Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union.
Attachment
Size
steiner_11_5_3_seg1.mp3
13.25 MB
