Richard Holbrooke's Deathbed Conversion

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For all the talk of strategic counterinsurgency that oozes out of Washington, and all the manuals explaining that 80% of our investment in a nation-building operation should be civilian, we've been investing about 3% of our efforts in Afghanistan into a civilian project the leader of which has described it as a way to support the military. That leader was, until he died yesterday, Richard Holbrooke.

Asked at a U.S. Senate hearing earlier this year what in the world he was doing and toward read more

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How the Pentagon Turns Working-Class Men into the Deadliest Killers on the Planet

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By David Swanson, davidswanson.org
http://www.alternet.org/story/149165/

The following is an excerpt from David Swanson’s self-published new book War is a Lie (David Swanson, 2010).

Since the Vietnam War, the United States has dropped all pretense of a military draft equally applied to all. Instead we spend billions of dollars on recruitment, increase military pay, and offer signing bonuses until enough people "voluntarily" join by signing contracts that allow the military to change the terms at will. If more troops are needed, just extend the contracts read more

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AUDIO: Peter B. Collins Show: Two Powerful Anti-War Voices; Swanson and Thistlethwaite

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News and Politics from the Left Coast

by Peter B. Collins on December 10, 2010

 PBC podcast 200 [1:25:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Human Rights' Day Has Not Yet Dawned

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By David Swanson

"I think there is a proliferation of rights. I am often surprised by the virtual nobility that seems to be accorded those with grievances. . . . I have to admit that I am one of those people that still thinks a dishwasher is a miracle." –Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

I. RIGHTS WE'VE HAD
II. RIGHTS WE NEED
III. CHANGES WE CAN MAKE

 I. RIGHTS WE'VE HAD

According to the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, read more

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"War Is A Lie" Event Planned in Santa Cruz

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Here’s a poster/flyer: PDF

War Is A Lie

A benefit for the Youth Empowerment Program of the Resource Center for Nonviolence

Featuring a book talk by antiwar and impeachment activist David Swanson, author of the new runaway bestseller War Is A Lie

Plus slam poetry from an assortment of poets from across our community
and poetry open mike! You’re invited to perform a poem (less than 5 minutes, please) on the theme “War Is A Lie”

Saturday, December 18
7:00 p.m.
Unity read more

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Life Inside the Giant Porno-Scanner

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By David Swanson

John Whitehead’s “The Freedom Wars: What You Can Do to Preserve Your Rights” came out earlier this year, before airport patdowns alerted so many Americans to the possibility that our government’s post-911 in-security theater might have some flaws in it. This little handbook covers all the concerns that the TSA-as-sexy-news-topic has raised, but in a much broader context. It turns out we’re being stripped in more ways than we can count.

The book is read more

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The December 8th Project

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http://december8thproject.com

John Lennon believed that artists can change the world, and that each of us has a responsibility to create a better future.  We are gathering creative people on the 30th anniversary of his murder, to do good. Human beings can be killed, but the power of human creativity endures.

Each participant’s name is linked to a place where you can purchase his/her work. They have pledged to donate any read more

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