Peace and War

February 15 Ten Years Later

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On February 15, 2003, the world protested a long-announced pending war of aggression by the United States against Iraq.  The protest was the largest in world history, and we haven’t topped it since.  It persuaded many nations of the world and the United Nations to oppose the war.  It built an international movement that went on to limit, reduce, and prevent wars, including thus far a fullscale war on Iran, as well as to educate a new generation about the evils of war.  read more

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The Colin Powell Memorial BS Award

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John Brennan’s performance at his Rejection Hearing in the Senate Lack of Intelligence Committee on Thursday will likely be a contender for this year’s Colin Powell Memorial Bullshit Award.

Colin Powell set the standard on Feb. 5, 2003, at the United Nations.

Powell relied on the testimony of Saddam Hussein’s son-in-law to persuade us of the supposed need to attack Iraq.  Powell recited his claims about weapons of mass destruction but carefully left out the part where that read more

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First U.S. City Passes Anti-Drone Resolution

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Shortly after 11 p.m. on Monday, February 4th, the City Council of Charlottesville, Va., passed what is believed to be the first anti-drone resolution in the country.  According to my notes, and verifiable soon on the City Council’s website, the resolution reads:

WHEREAS, the rapid implementation of drone technology throughout the United States poses a serious threat to the privacy and constitutional rights of the American people, including the residents of Charlottesville; and

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Justice Department Leaks Memo "Legalizing" Murdering Americans (But Not Some Americans Already Murdered)

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Here is the memo.  With a few tweaks and a more creative title — like “Murder With Your Hands Clean” — this memo could sell a lot of copies.

And why not?  Either there’s a whistleblower in the Department of So-Called Justice about to be charged with espionage, and NBC is about to face the same persecution as WikiLeaks, or this is one of those “good” leaks that the White House wanted made public in an underhanded manner — perhaps as an imagined read more

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Rape as Collateral Damage

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Where I live in Virginia a member of the county board of supervisors was recently charged with the crime of “forcible sodomy,” which carried a sentence of five years to life in prison.  He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of sexual battery and was sentenced to 30 days in jail plus probation, etc.  He professed his innocence of the original charge. 

But what is sexual battery if not forcible sex?  The fine line drawn between 30 days and life may have less to do with read more

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Wars That Aren't Meant to Be Won

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In War Is A Lie I looked at pretended and real reasons for wars and found some of the real reasons to be quite irrational.  It should not shock us then to discover that the primary goal in fighting a war is not always to win it.  Some wars are fought without a desire to win, others without winning being the top priority, either for the top war makers or for the ordinary soldiers.

In Useful Enemies: When Waging Wars Is More Important Than read more

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Join David Swanson on Harvey Wasserman's Show on Monday

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DRONES & PEACE IN THE AGE OF OBAMA with the great David Swanson at 3-4pm (eastern) Monday on HarveyW’s Solartopia Green Power & Wellness Show.  David is one our most persistent, effective and unstoppable activists on issues of war, the environment and our Constitution.  Our action-packed hour will feature some serous strategizing about ending the empire and getting to Solartopia as we celebrate an age when activists like David really do make a difference.  Join us read more

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Look Not Unto the Morrow

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Robert Fantina, the author of a tragically nonfictional survey of the lives of soldiers in all past U.S. wars, has now published a devastatingly fictional account of the war that the Vietnamese call the American War.

I say devastatingly fictional, because Fantina condenses and concentrates into one small book and the lives of a very few characters the lead-up to, the experience of, and the aftermath of a U.S. soldier’s participation in that war.  The extreme horror and tragedy recounted read more

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