Signing Statements More Dangerous Than Guantanamo

When George W. Bush was president, everybody to the left of Karl Rove was offended by his signing-statements in which he announced his intention to violate laws as he signed them into law. Congressman John Conyers held one of his countless and toothless hearings, heard all about it, and went home self-satisfied.

Many of us warned that if the next president did the same thing it would be considered legal, even if blatantly unconstitutional. Then Obama read more

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Meet the New Imperial Court, Same As the Old Imperial Court

By David Swanson, Euro Atlantic Quarterly

One of the mistakes that foreigners make about the United States, millions of Americans make themselves with much less justification: they overestimate the difference between members of the Democratic and Republican Parties in Washington, D.C.

The two parties scream at each other on television quite a lot and attract supporters who come from two very different cultures. But over half of every dollar of income tax in the United States is spent on the military, read more

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What Do Afghans Think of the War? Ask Them!

By David Swanson

Americans are down to 35% supporting the war on Afghanistan. The trouble is that our government officials, media pundits, and newspaper editors are part of the 35% and feel no particular obligation to represent the rest of us. And they repeat the same nonsensical justifications for the war so often that we imagine they’re 90% instead of the 35% they are or the 20% they should be pretty soon if current trends read more

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JANUARY 15 1991-JANUARY15 2011: 20 YEARS OF U.S. WAR ON IRAQ!

http://dccatholicworker.wordpress.com/

COME TO WASHINGTON, D.C. SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 2011 TO COMMEMORATE THE U.S. SLAUGHTER OF IRAQ, AND REDEDICATE OUR LIVES TO LIVING OUT DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.’S DREAM OF ABOLISHING WAR AND INJUSTICE.

8:45am Mass at Sacred Heart Church 16th & Park Road NW ‘’Mass of Repentance for War’’ celebrated by Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Sponsored by Pax Christi Metro DC

10:30 am   Assemble at read more

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It's Gonna Be a Real Peace Gathering in Baltimore

Here’s a poster/flyer: PDF

David Swanson to Discuss, Sign Copies of “War Is A Lie” in Baltimore, Md.
January 10, 2011
7:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble Johns Hopkins Bookstore
3330 St. Paul Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
(410) 662-5850

Special guests:
Andy Worthington, author of “Guantanamo Files”
Debra Sweet, director of The World Can’t Wait
Cindy Sheehan, the Peace Mom
and other surprises!

Cosponsors:
Pledge of Resistance Baltimore
Chesapeake Citizens
read more

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Identifying the Districts the Peace Movement Should Focus On

Here’s a post by Robert Naiman that provides a useful list of the most Democratic congressional districts in which the incumbent has supported wars, and a list of districts where the incumbent showed some very minimal pretense of interest in peace but was defeated last month.

Naiman’s analysis, in my opinion, needs tweaking, but is nonetheless a great place to start. It needs tweaking because, rather than looking at the list of congressmembers who read more

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Planet Green Takes on Planetary War: Mickey Z. Interviews David Swanson

By Mickey Z., Planet Green

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Helena Cobban Publishes Terrific Review of "War Is A Lie"

=&0=&, Just World News

My neighbor and friend, the antiwar activist David Swanson, recently published a terrific book that takes on, one by one, all the main myths/lies that warmongers use to try to persuade people that wars are effective, moral, and necessary. The book's title 'War is a Lie' is a subtle reference to (and its contents a good complement to) Smedley Butler's 1935 classic study 'War is a Racket'.

Here are some of David's chapter titles:

read more

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Charlottesville–Right Now: Rick Sincere and David Swanson join Coy Barefoot

Dec 282010

12.28.10 Former Chair of the Libertarian Party of Virginia Rick Sincere and Author David Swanson join Coy to recap 2010. Two well known voices in Central Virginia, Swanson and Sincere touch on what they view to be the most significant national read more

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FILIBLUSTER

There’s a simple reason why the Democrats in Washington, D.C., can’t end the wars or shrink the military or close Guantanamo or legalize union organizing or create a real health coverage system or repeal NAFTA or tax carbon or (fill in the blank).

But the simple reason keeps changing.

In 2005 and 2006 it was that they were in a minority in the House and Senate.

In 2007 and 2008 it was that they lacked the White House.

In 2009 and 2010 it was the filibuster.

In 2011 and 2012 it read more

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A Year of Fall and Decline

The fall and decline of an empire can take many years, but certain “benchmarks” (as imperial courts have been known to call them) can measure the progress in one year alone. Take, for example, the year 2010.

This year opened with the United States Supreme Court claiming further power to rewrite the U.S. Constitution, specifically by further opening up elections to the highest bidder. The year closed with congressional elections that cost more than before and in which money spent by read more

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NYC – Baltimore – DC – "War Is A Lie" Tour

David Swanson to Discuss, Sign Copies of “War Is A Lie” in NYC, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.

“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

“David Swanson despises war and lying, and unmasks them both with rare intelligence. I learn something read more

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On the 25th Day of Wikileaks, My Government Gave to Me

On the first day of Wikileaks, my government gave to me: the military in every embassy.

On the second day of Wikileaks, my government gave to me: two criminal presidents.

On the third day of Wikileaks, my government gave to me: three  illegal wars.

On the fourth day of Wikileaks, my government gave to me: four covered up crimes.

On the fifth day of Wikileaks, my government gave to me: five plutocracies (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

On the sixth day of Wikileaks, my government gave to me: six sycophants ( read more

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AUDIO: Great Interview by Marianne Barisonek of David Swanson on "War Is A Lie"

From KBOO

David Swanson, author and activist talks about his new book "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming A More Perfect Union." The host is Marianne Barisonek.

 Swanson talks about how the office of Presidency has acquired more and more power while Congress neglects its duties. He offers ideas on how we the people can rebalance the political structures.

Powers taken by George Bush will become cemented into place during the Obama administration unless Congress takes read more

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Be the Peace You Want to See on Earth

By David Swanson

“And the bewildered herd is still believing
Everything we’ve been told from our birth
Hell they won’t lie to me
Not on my own damn TV
But how much is a liar’s word worth
And what happened to peace on earth”
–Willie Nelson

When President Barack Obama joined the ranks of Henry Kissinger and the other gentle souls who have received Nobel Peace Prizes, he did something that I don’t think anyone else had previously done in a Peace Prize acceptance read more

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2011: Year of Resistance

You say protests are outmoded because the corporate media ignores them (unless they’re corporate sponsored). I say the corporate media is outmoded because it ignores protests.

The coming year is going to see intense resistance to the plutopentagonocracy from volunteer representatives of that majority of Americans that opposes its agenda. We are not going to ask for the media cartel’s approval or permission. We are going to continue developing our own communications systems, which read more

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