Peace and War

By David Swanson

If a new Daniel Ellsberg were to release a new pile of Pentagon Papers exposing the lies behind the Afghanistan War, or even the past few decades of misdeeds by our country in that one, the result would differ from what happened to Ellsberg in a number of stark ways. No newspaper would touch it. The whistleblower would go to prison. Little of substance would be added to what we already know and tolerate. Nobody would be impeached. And no war would end.

These thoughts occurred read more

By David Swanson

It’s hard to imagine a desirable and sustainable world with the world’s largest naval base still in it, but it’s hard for a lot of people in Norfolk, Virginia, to imagine it gone. The military is not just the force of good that selflessly patrols the world, slaughtering evildoers for the betterment of humanity, but it’s also the primary source of jobs.

On Wednesday I visited a new coffee house in Norfolk called OffBase. read more

www.narocinema.com

A high-level Pentagon official and Vietnam War strategist, Ellsberg concluded in 1971 that the war was based on decades of lies, and leaked 7,000 pages of top secret documents to The NY Times—a daring act of conscience that leads directly to Watergate, Nixon’s resignation, and the end of the Vietnam War. A riveting story of how this one man’s profound change of heart created a landmark struggle involving America’s newspapers, its president and the Supreme read more

By David Swanson

On Sunday, April 11, 2010, Congressman Bill Delahunt hosted a public forum in Falmouth, Mass., on the question of whether or not he should vote for another $33 billion to escalate war in Afghanistan.  Delahunt was honoring a commitment he had made to Cape Codders for Peace and Justice following a sit-in in his office. 

Two pro- and two anti-war speakers were scheduled to speak.  But Delahunt put out a press release announcing only the two pro-war speakers, and the read more

By David Swanson

James Gilligan published a book 13 years ago called “Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic,” in which he diagnosed the root cause of violence as deep shame and humiliation, a desperate need for respect and status (and, fundamentally love and care) so intense that only killing (oneself and/or others) could ease the pain — or, rather, the lack of feeling. When a person becomes so ashamed of his needs (and of being ashamed), Gilligan writes, and when he sees read more

In the coming weeks, Congress will vote on spending $33 billion of your money to send another 30,000 troops, plus many more contractors, to Afghanistan. 

We are inflicting horrible suffering on the people of Afghanistan, making our own nation less safe, and spending resources we badly need.

Tell congress members we need them to publicly commit to voting No, and to urge their colleagues to do the same.  Call your Representative at (202) 224-3121.

Here’s a whip list tracking who has read more

By David Swanson

[Testimony to be hand-delivered and presented orally at a forum hosted by Congressman Bill Delahunt in Falmouth, Mass., this Sunday. The public is encouraged to attend. The article could be tweaked for any congress member, and I’d be glad to help you tweak it for yours.–DS]

I want to thank Congressman Delahunt and Cape Codders for Peace. I opposed this war before it began, as did many of you, and I hope to explain why. But, Congressman Delahunt, you need not agree read more

Wednesday, April 14

Book Signing 6:00 p.m. at Azar’s

Movie at 7:30 p.m. at Naro Cinema

Movie Premier: THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers A high-level Pentagon official and Vietnam War strategist, Ellsberg concluded in 1971 that the war was based on decades of lies, and leaked 7,000 pages of top secret documents to The NY Times-a daring act of conscience that leads directly to Watergate, Nixon’s resignation, and the end of the Vietnam War. A riveting read more

By David Swanson

I’ve been reading about the history of torture, including John T. Parry’s new book “Understanding Torture: Law, Violence, and Political Identity.” Parry gives a history of torture in Europe and the United States through the twentieth century, establishing its pervasiveness, and the repetitiveness of the excuses and legalistic machinations used to allow it. Parry sees torture as an absolutely normal activity in our society, but an activity that at least read more

From TheaterMania.com

By: Dan Bacalzo · Apr 7, 2010  · New York

TheatreThree Collaborative has announced a talkback series for its production of Karen Malpede’s Prophecy, to play the East Fourth Street Theater, May 27 – June 20, with an opening on June 4. Playwright Malpede will direct the production.

As previously announced, the cast will feature Kathleen Chalfant, André De Shields, George Bartenieff, Najla Said, and Brendan Donaldson.

The drama is both the story of a marriage and the personal legacy of the wars in Iraq and read more

When I wrote an April Fool’s article claiming to have discovered the Democrats’ new super-pro-war strategy, I mostly got the desired result: outrage, followed by recognition of the joke with some lingering outrage. But I also got a call from a corporate reporter who knew it was a joke but who thought hyper-militarism was a terrific idea for the Democrats. Did I think they should do what my joke article advised and talk up the wars, read more

Congressman Bill Delahunt hosts a forum on Afghanistan policy, honoring a commitment he made to Cape Codders for Peace and Justice

When: Sunday, April 11, 2010, 3:30 pm
Where: Morse Pond School • 323 Jones Road • Falmouth • Massachusetts

Speakers:

        
Jo Comerford         David Swanson       Thomas Barfield        Joe Wipple

Jo Comerford, read more

I sent around this Email on April Fools Day and it generated heated discussions as to whether it was real. Many people assumed it was real and reacted with anger toward Congress. Of course, much of it is certainly much closer to reality than general understanding of things is. I apologize to the Guardian and the fictional author named below. –DS

——– Original Message ——–

Democrats’ New War Strategy Revealed
Exclusive Memo drafted by White House read more

By David Swanson

When I encourage people to throw away their televisions and newspapers in favor of reading books, I think a lot of times they imagine that what they’d get would be a different angle on the same topics. After all, the stories in the news are just the stories in the news, the only possible difference is what spin you put on them, right?

But I just read a great book, and not the first, on a topic that as far as I know has never made it onto U.S. television or into any substantive read more

By David Swanson

I had the opportunity to ask war lawyer John Yoo a couple of questions on Friday.  The situation was not ideal, with someone else holding the microphone and deferring to the witness, and other people heckling, and other people shouting at the hecklers.  Nonetheless . . .

I gave Yoo every opportunity I could to place a limit on presidential power.  Can a president shoot missiles in the United States?  Can a president drop nukes in the United States?  Yoo read more

David Swanson, Mark Lane, Ray McGovern, Debra Sweet, Mike Ferner, Susan Harman, Ann Wright, Shahid Buttar, and Cindy Sheehan speak at protest of war and of John Yoo at the University of Virginia on March 19, 2010. Four videos:

read more