Peace and War

By David Swanson

Change is in the air. How about a change away from violence?

The state of Georgia is preparing to execute a man widely known to almost certainly be innocent. Here is an Amnesty International report on the case of Troy Davis. And here are things you can do to try to prevent this murder, this state killing, this official lynching in the twenty-first century.

And if you don’t live in Georgia, don’t get too self-satisfied. All of us are currently engaged in killing innocent read more

By David Swanson

People have started passing around and publicly posting English translations of the Arabic version of the treaty being negotiated between Bush and Maliki. (It’s also been published by an Iraqi newspaper. Who should teach whom about freedom of the press?) The U.S. Constitution requires that the Senate approve treaties, so Bush is calling this one a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

There is almost no chance that the Iraqi Parliament will approve it or follow the U.S. read more

By David Swanson

Barack Obama would like to bring Colin Powell into his new administration. But Americans consider Powell only marginally more credible than how the rest of the world views him, and the rest of the world thinks he lies like a rug. Powell either wholeheartedly backed the biggest crime thus far this century, or he secretly opposed it but worked to make it happen anyway. I’m not sure which is worse, but either disqualifies him for future office.

Can you imagine having an opportunity read more

By David Swanson

I spent the past couple of days hanging out with Vincent Bugliosi who wants Bush killed for his crimes, following a fair trial of course, and who openly pushes the supposed need for retribution while disclaiming much interest in deterrence or restoration. Then I watched Oliver Stone’s new movie, “W,” which depicts Bush as a poor, sad fool who’s just been trying his hardest to please his daddy all these years. If I have to choose, I’m on Stone’s read more

By David Swanson

The three participants in the third U.S. presidential debate last week pretended Iraq didn’t exist, but if you go to a rally of supporters for either candidate it’s the top issue talked about. Baghdad, a city in ruins, divided into ethnically cleansed fiefdoms of rubble, rats, and open sewage, a place where one risks death by walking outside, is managing major rallies of tens of thousands of people in opposition to the treaty to extend the occupation for three more read more

By David Swanson

Vincent Bugliosi’s best-selling book, “The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder” may be about to become more than a book. A viable candidate for attorney general of Vermont has committed to appointing Bugliosi as special prosecutor to immediately indict Bush, Cheney, Rice, Tenet, et alia, if she is elected. Her name is Charlotte Dennett, and she and the future of the rule of law in the world need you to send every dime you can spare to her campaign.

Bugliosi read more

By David Swanson

Democracy Now! today not only admitted that I had broken the story but followed up on the story of illegal NSA spying, including the evidence of war crimes.

Link to original.

James Bamford: “The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America.”

The Bush administration’s wiretapping program has come under new scrutiny this week. Two influential congressional committees have opened probes into allegations US intelligence spied on the phone calls read more

By David Swanson

Vincent Bugliosi prosecuted Charles Manson. He is the author of bestsellers including “Helter Skelter” and his latest: “The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder.” In his new book, Bugliosi makes a devastating, well documented case that President George W. Bush is guilty of the murder of U.S. soldiers as a result of the lies he told to justify the invasion of Iraq, and can be prosecuted by any state attorney general or county prosecutor.

As a Los Angeles read more

By David Swanson

Last March, veterans of the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan gathered to talk about what they’d seen and done and survived. The event was called “Winter Soldier” and the soldiers’ testimony is recorded in a powerful new book: “Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan: Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupations,” by Iraq Veterans Against the War and Aaron Glantz.

The book reveals two worlds that are little known to producers employed by the corporate read more

By David Swanson

Tonight, Monday, October 6, 2008, a group of citizens in Charlottesville, Va., organized by the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice, will attend the City Council’s meeting to urge the Council to take up at its November meeting a resolution opposing a U.S. attack on the nation of Iran. Some members of the Council and of the public can be expected to respond with some well-intended but confused reasons to resist taking such a step. In hopes of clarifying the issue, read more

He’s coming to Virginia next. Why not set up a tour in your state too?

Vincent Bugliosi in Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Prosecutor of Charles Manson
Author of Bestsellers including “Helter Skelter” and his latest:
“The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder”

WHAT: Vincent Bugliosi to Speak and Take Questions from Audience

WHEN AND WHERE:

Richmond: Monday, October 13, 2008, 7:00 p.m., The Camel, 1621 Broad Street, Richmond, 804-347-7945, www.thecamel.org

Norfolk: Tuesday, read more

SPACE WEEK ACTIONS EVERYWHERE
October 4 – 12, 2008
Keep Space for Peace Week: International Week of Protest to Stop the Militarization of Space

No Weapons in Space! Stop U.S. First-Strike Star Wars Deployments in Poland and Czech Republic! Convert the Military Industrial Complex! Fund Human Needs!

* Adelaide, South Australia (Sept 24) Monthly vigil on steps of Parliament House with leafleting by Women in Black and South Australian branch of WILPF cpicone@westnet.com.au

* Adelaide, South Australia read more

By David Swanson

Why would anyone phone the United States and ask for lawyers, guns, and money? Primarily because, other than bad movies, that’s most of what the United States produces. What else could you phone home for if you wanted to? We produce weapons and movies about weapons and weapons that were in movies about weapons, and so on .

And we produce lawyers who push money around desks and into drawers and out of envelopes. They manipulate money all day and night, and they call that read more

By David Swanson

Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who in 1964 was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King, Jr., has published a new book of advice to Americans and to U.S. Congress members called “Calming the Fearful Mind: A Zen Response to Terrorism.”

Hanh’s words of wisdom strike me as potentially of great value for a variety of types of conflict resolution, but of somewhat limited — if still significant — value for Congress or for U.S. read more

MORE BELOW

Why Can’t They Count Our Votes?

More Below.

Do What I Have to Do – Phil Ochs

Women Say No to War

Has Anybody Seen the Choir?

Peace Salaam Shalom

Keep on Moving Forward

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