By David Swanson
Alternet is exactly right about the damaging effect of the New Yorker cover depicting Obama as Osama, and does not excuse it because the New Yorker shouts “Satire!”
And at the same time, Alternet approves of John Cusack’s “War, Inc.”, presumably because it’s “satire” and because glorifying violence is so much a part of the air we breathe that Alternet doesn’t
Alternet: Right About Cartoon, Wrong About Film Read More »
By David Swanson
Senator Obama published a sketch of a plan for Iraq in the New York Times today, and it’s about the same as his plan has always been, clearly superior to Bush or McCain and yet horribly muddled, vague, and militaristic, until he gets to the highly encouraging last few lines. Obama begins by fudging Maliki’s call to withdraw troops into his own longstanding call to withdraw “combat
Obama's Plan for Iraq Read More »
From David Swanson
The peace movement has stood for peace and justice, for ending wars, preventing new ones, and building peace. Our top priority in Washington, D.C., has been ending the funding of the occupation. That work is over for the next year, because Congress has provided that funding.
We can still work against recruitment, we can still educate, we can still agitate, we can still oppose an attack on Iran. But one of our secondary priorities in Washington has been imposing a penalty for the
A Note to the Peace Movement Read More »
By David Swanson
Back in March 2007, John Stauber was for forcing tough actions for peace from the new Democratic Congress, and David Sirota was opposed. Now the two of them chat as though we were all for the same principled push for peace all along. This is good news, because – to his credit – Sirota has improved his position. But just wait until we actually achieve peace. Everybody and their brother will have been sacrificing for it. And that will be a good thing.
Everyone Will Have Been for Peace After the Fact Read More »
By David Swanson
Charlottesville Daily Progress columnist Bryan McKenzie reported on our recent protest of Bush at Monticello that we had made our point of diminishing a citizen naturalization ceremony? We did? McKenzie had plenty of communication from protesters before and after the event, all of which made perfectly clear that we wanted to NOT do that, that we wanted in fact to counter Bush’s diminishment of the day and to communicate to the world that Americans oppose our president’s
On Protest and Patriotism Read More »
By Bryan McKenzie, Charlottesville Daily Progress
It was an exciting weekend of patriotic fervor with a presidential appearance, minting of new citizens, protests and other fireworks.
The events and surrounding media hoopla, however, begged questions of what patriotism is and why it’s useful, so we sought answers in many different places. Here’s what we found: READ THE REST AND POST YOUR COMMENT.
Voicing Thoughts on Patriotism Good and Bad Read More »
That’s $4,681 per household, $1,721 per person, $341.4 million per day.
Taxpayers in Charlottesville, Virginia will pay $75.1 million for total Iraq war spending approved to date. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:
490 Affordable Housing Units
OR
1,094 Elementary School Teachers for One Year
OR
10,478 Head Start Places for Children for One Year
OR
9,350 Scholarships for University Students for One Year
OR
21,036 People with Health Care for One Year
These
Charlottesville Taxpayers Have Now Dumped Over $61 Million Into Occupying Iraq Read More »
By David Swanson
I posted the following on TomDispatch at the start of the current (and last?) Congress:
Can Congress End the War?
Democratic Leaders May Prefer to Claim They Tried But Failed
By David Swanson
The shortest route to ending the Iraq war (and preventing additional wars) is almost certainly through Congress. Influencing the White House directly is unimaginable, and stopping the war through the courts unlikely. Clearly, Congress is the way to go. But what specifically can
I Hate to Say We Saw It Coming, But Read More »
By David Swanson
I went to the trouble to get a copy of John Cusack’s film “War, Inc.” and I would have had more fun watching Congress declare national swamp moss appreciation week on C-Span.
SPOILER WARNING
I’m thrilled that the film’s release has put Cusack on TV talking against illegal wars and mercenary armies. He speaks very well off script. I’m thrilled that hunger for anti-war films gave “War, Inc” an early burst of interest and public pressure
