David Swanson's Blog, page 228
March 17, 2011
Video: Dahlia Wasfi and Ross Caputi on Iraq War
Usually "power couple" describes two plutocrats, but here is a young engaged (to be married) (and in the struggle for justice) couple with the power to move people against war, that leaves the audience asking them to speak in their schools. Wasfi is an Iraqi American who speaks of war from the point of view of its victims. Caputi is a US veteran of the current war on Iraq who describes the crimes he engaged in and the thinking that allows such acts, including what he describes as "reconnaissance by fire" (shooting up houses as a means of determining whether anyone is in them) and the ability of the human mind to rationalize killing people on behalf of the people being killed.
Random Row Bookstore
Charlottesville VA
March 17, 2011
Video by David Swanson
Video: Bruce Fein and David Swanson on Imperial Presidents
Bruce Fein and David Swanson spoke in Charlottesville VA on March 17, 2011, as part of the Virginia Festival of the Book in an event sponsored by the Rutherford Institute and hosted/moderated by John Whitehead. The event was also filmed by C-Span Book TV. This video was shot by Josh Whitehead.
Part 1: John Whitehead
Part 2: Bruce Fein
Part 3: David Swanson
Part 4: Questions and Answers
March 16, 2011
Audio: David Swanson and Al Mascitti on Ending War
Audio from WDEL: Listen. This show is in Wilmington, DE, where I'll be on Sunday:
Sunday, March 20th
2-4 p.m.
Westminster Presbyterian Church
http://www.wpc.org
Pennsylvania Ave. & North Rodney Street
Wilmington, DE
Sponsored by Pacem in Terris
David Swanson & Dahlia Wasfi & Dave Lindorff
Dave Lindorff is a veteran investigative reporter, author of "The Case for Impeachment," founding editor of the online newspaper ThisCantBeHappening! and is a regular columnist at Counterpunch and Truthout. He will speak on "Afghanistan: NOT the 'Good War' -- A war without a reason or an end"
Dahlia Wasfi, an Iraqi American and leading peace advocate, will speak on "Iraq: The Forgotten Occupation."
David Swanson will discuss, sell, and sign copies of his new book "War Is A Lie"
http://warisalie.org
"David Swanson's War Is A Lie may be the most comprehensive antiwar statement available in the English language." — Kevin Young
"Not since General Smedley Butler's War is a Racket has a simpler, more brilliant, or truer book been published." — Geoffrey Millard
CONTACT: June Eisley peace4june at gmail dot com
Another flyer: Doc.
Audio: David Swanson and Al Mascetti on Ending War
Audio from WDEL: Listen. This show is in Wilmington, DE, where I'll be on Sunday:
Sunday, March 20th
2-4 p.m.
Westminster Presbyterian Church
http://www.wpc.org
Pennsylvania Ave. & North Rodney Street
Wilmington, DE
Sponsored by Pacem in Terris
David Swanson & Dahlia Wasfi & Dave Lindorff
Dave Lindorff is a veteran investigative reporter, author of "The Case for Impeachment," founding editor of the online newspaper ThisCantBeHappening! and is a regular columnist at Counterpunch and Truthout. He will speak on "Afghanistan: NOT the 'Good War' -- A war without a reason or an end"
Dahlia Wasfi, an Iraqi American and leading peace advocate, will speak on "Iraq: The Forgotten Occupation."
David Swanson will discuss, sell, and sign copies of his new book "War Is A Lie"
http://warisalie.org
"David Swanson's War Is A Lie may be the most comprehensive antiwar statement available in the English language." — Kevin Young
"Not since General Smedley Butler's War is a Racket has a simpler, more brilliant, or truer book been published." — Geoffrey Millard
CONTACT: June Eisley peace4june at gmail dot com
Another flyer: Doc.
March 15, 2011
"War Is A Lie" Published in Spanish
Miguel Sevener is publishing my book "War Is A Lie," one chapter at a time, in Spanish at http://mentirasdeguerra.wordpress.com
When he's finished I'll be able to sell copies of the book in Spanish from http://warisalie.org
And donations to provide the book to peace and counterrecruitment groups (which I encourage you to keep making at http://davidswanson.org/give ) will be able to provide the book in English and Spanish to groups that can use each version.
A giant GRACIAS to Miguel!
Is Obama Even Worse Than Bush?
When I advocated the impeachment of George W. Bush, I did so despite, not because of, all the animosity it fueled among impeachment supporters. I didn't want retribution. I wanted to deter the continuation and repetition of Bush's crimes and abuses. Specifically, and by far most importantly -- and I said this thousands of times -- I wanted to deny all future presidents the powers Bush had grabbed. One-time abuses can be catastrophic, but establishing the power to repeat them can multiply the damage many fold, especially when one of the powers claimed is the power to create new powers.
March 14, 2011
Audio: Karen Kwiatkowski and David Swanson on Cindy Sheehan's Radio Show
Against robbery: unity of "opposites" - March 13, 2011 (SOAPBOX #90) - Cindy brings you "two-fers" featuring 1) "conservative" Karen Kwiatowski, a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel whose assignments included duties as a Pentagon desk officer and a variety of roles for the National Security Agency. (There's also another good biography of her on the web here, from Source Watch.) Next, she brings you 2) "the left," represented by our old good web buddy, David Swanson, the author of two (2!) books: Undoing the Imperial Presidency, plus his latest, War is a Lie. Karen's archives can be found at Lew Rockell. What fascinated me the most was how eloquently these two vastly different personalities shared the heart of their vision, namely their dedication the TRUTH, and the way both despise politically-motivated lies presented as "truth." Gee; they even made me feel that maybe; just maybe - there are people out here who care about actual truth! (What a concept! Wow!) If so, then maybe there's still hope for humanity. Karen had MUCH to say on "intelligence" and its politicization. David noted revolutionary organizations cannot only align with Democrats when they oppose Republicans. Why is organized labor in such deep horse excrement today? Anyone think it just might be related to the fact that the Labor Movement never went after the Democrats when they failed to put the Employee Free-Choice Act through, when the Democrats were elected to do it - and had the power to do it? You can't win without an offense and you can't have an offense if you're subservient to a party that's the lesser of two evils. (That lesser's still evil, folks.) Today it's like pulling teeth to seek honesty out of groups who see dedication to the Democratic Party as part of their agenda. Example: the fictitious "cuts" to the military budget that actually represents its increase. But I've said ENOUGH here. And anyway, David speaks far better for himself than I can. Please use the link above, to listen to Karen and David!
War Is Illegal - Even in Libya
It's a simple point, but an important one, and one that gets overlooked. Whether or not you think a particular war is moral and good, the fact remains that war is illegal. Actual defense by a country when attacked is legal, but that only occurs once another country has actually attacked, and it must not be used as a loophole to excuse wider war that is not employed in actual defense.
Be in Wilmington, DE, on 3/20
Sunday, March 20th
2-4 p.m.
Westminster Presbyterian Church
http://www.wpc.org
Pennsylvania Ave. & North Rodney Street
Wilmington, DE
Sponsored by Pacem in Terris
David Swanson & Dahlia Wasfi & Dave Lindorff
Dave Lindorff is a veteran investigative reporter, author of "The Case for Impeachment," founding editor of the online newspaper ThisCantBeHappening! and is a regular columnist at Counterpunch and Truthout. He will speak on "Afghanistan: NOT the 'Good War' -- A war without a reason or an end"
Dahlia Wasfi, an Iraqi American and leading peace advocate, will speak on "Iraq: The Forgotten Occupation."
David Swanson will discuss, sell, and sign copies of his new book "War Is A Lie"
http://warisalie.org
"David Swanson's War Is A Lie may be the most comprehensive antiwar statement available in the English language." — Kevin Young
"Not since General Smedley Butler's War is a Racket has a simpler, more brilliant, or truer book been published." — Geoffrey Millard
CONTACT: June Eisley peace4june at gmail dot com
Another flyer: Doc.
March 13, 2011
Letter to the Daily Progress
Letter to Editor
Thanks for you excellent review of David Goldfield's argument that the Civil War was unnecessary and pointing out that every other nation that ended slavery did it without a civil war. Goldfield is right that we must get our view of past wars right if we are to avoid future ones.
One way in which our views must change is away from the worldview that allowed you to print this sentence: "The Civil War is still the most costly war we've ever waged in terms of loss of human life." Native Americans are humans. Russians are humans. Koreans are humans. Vietnamese are humans. Iraqis are humans. The US Civil War is nowhere near the most costly war we've ever waged in terms of loss of human life.
David Swanson
