Are You Ready for Memorial Day?

David Swanson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday May 27, 2011 · 6:39 AM PDT

2011/05/27 · 06:39

Are you ready for this?

U.S. House Backs Forever War: Liveblogging the Vote on Eternal Worldwide War

David Swanson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday May 26, 2011 · 11:44 AM PDT

2011/05/26 · 11:44

On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives backed eternal worldwide war and imprisonment powers for all future presidents, but blocked any ground troops in Libya (except for the ones already there, since the measure included no consequences for its violation). The House also unanimously created a new national holiday to celebrate the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. It defunded the US Institute for Peace (saving the cost of 5 hours in Afghanistan). And it required that all suspected foreign terrorists be tried by the military and not in courts (unless bullets are put in their heads first).

All in a good day's work.

Here's the play-by-play:

David Swanson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday May 24, 2011 · 6:37 AM PDT

2011/05/24 · 06:37

The "Defense Authorization" bill now before Congress, HR 1750, is arguably the worst bill ever considered likely to pass into law. It includes $118 billion for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, wars a majority of Americans wants ended. But that's not why it's the worst bill ever.

This bill also includes $553 billion for other military waste. That's enough money to save and improve a lot of lives if it weren't being dumped into the war machine. But that's not why this is the worst bill ever.

The bill limits the President’s ability to implement the New START agreement unless there is full funding for the nuclear weapons complex, bars the retirement of nuclear weapons until two new nuclear facilities are completed, and bars further nuclear weapons reductions below New START levels unless approved by Congress. But that's not why this is the worst bill ever.

David Swanson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday May 21, 2011 · 3:25 PM PDT

2011/05/21 · 15:25

Rupert Murdoch, who got his start in business marketing rats and manure, has chosen to deny Italy access to a television network that has presented critical coverage of both Murdoch and of leading Italian media baron and prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi. The network, Current TV, is the project of a man identified in Italy primarily as a Nobel Peace Prize winner, Al Gore.

David Swanson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday May 19, 2011 · 5:47 AM PDT

2011/05/19 · 05:47

David Swanson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday May 18, 2011 · 12:00 PM PDT

2011/05/18 · 12:00

"Ban the bombers are afraid of a fight
"Peace hurts business and that ain't right
"How do I know? I read it in the Daily News"
--Tom Paxton

PBS (the P stands for "Pure" I think) is concerned that if the U.S. government stops funding the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. economy will crash:

"An executive at a small defense contractor recently joked to me, 'Afghanistan is our business plan.' I asked him what he would do if the war ended. He stared at me for a moment and said, 'Well, then I hope we invade Libya.'"

David Swanson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday May 17, 2011 · 11:03 AM PDT

2011/05/17 · 11:03

Now we know why Obama has gone to such outrageous lengths to keep Bush's lawyers out of prison, claiming powers of secrecy and immunity beyond Cheney's wildest dreams and pressuring foreign nations to clamp down on any outbreaks of law enforcement.

If the Bush lawyers who "legalized" aggressive war, lawless imprisonment, and torture were not consulted on how to keep the war in Libya going in perpetuity, they were certainly the inspiration for the latest White House brainstorming session.

Remember when Alberto Gonzales claimed that the U.S. Constitution gives no one the right to habeas corpus by merely asserting that if you had that right it could not be taken away? Amateur work.

Remember when John Yoo and Jay Bybee explained that a man tortured but never tried had no rights due to his guilt? Child's play.

Remember when Bush suggested he might get a war with Iraq started by painting airplanes with UN colors, flying them low, and trying to get them shot at? He was the warm-up act.

David Swanson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday May 15, 2011 · 7:41 PM PDT

2011/05/15 · 19:41

U.S. newspapers sometimes print what they call the total death count from one or more of our wars, and all the dead who are listed are Americans. They aren't all the Americans. They don't include contractors or suicides or various other categories of dead Americans. They certainly don't include those who died for lack of basic needs while we dumped half of our public treasury into wars.

But they also don't include anyone from that 95% of humanity that's not from the United States. In our current wars, well over 95% of the dead, even in the short-term, are from the countries where the wars are fought. Some get labeled combatants and some civilians, but they're all left out of most body counts, and when they are counted they are counted low. Our government pretends not to count them at all, and only thanks to Wikileaks do we know otherwise, that the military has counted some of them.

This may be a step up from the Vietnam War, when the deaths of Vietnamese were officially celebrated. But it's not a step all the way to considering everyone human. The dead are still dead and unmourned. The official collection of ears in Vietnam has evolved into the unofficial collection of fingers in Afghanistan. This is not the progress we ultimately need.

David Swanson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday May 09, 2011 · 7:43 AM PDT

2011/05/09 · 07:43

The New York Times published an op-ed on May 7th by a professor here in Charlottesville, Va., arguing that celebrating the killing of Osama bin Laden is actually a good thing, because in so celebrating we are building solidarity with those we view as part of our exclusive group. Implicit in this argument is that we can do no better. Bonding over our common hatred of an outsider is better than no bonding at all, and therefore we should rebrand such hatred as altruism. Or so says psychology professor Jonathan Haidt.

And why? Why was putting the Nazis on trial rather than simply putting bullets in their heads not just an unusual occurrence but a physiological impossibility, something that did not occur because it could not have? Why? Because professor Haidt has read some research on ants, bees, and termites.

David Swanson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday May 06, 2011 · 6:42 AM PDT

2011/05/06 · 06:42

From the Atlantic:

"The SEALs' decision to fatally shoot bin Laden -- even though he didn't have a weapon - wasn't an accident. The administration had made clear to the military's clandestine Joint Special Operations Command that it wanted bin Laden dead, according to a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the discussions. A high-ranking military officer briefed on the assault said the SEALs knew their mission was not to take him alive."

Those wishing to apologize for the past five days' of embarassing fascistic name-calling and pretense of knowing they would have captured him if they could have, the floor is yours.

What Osama bin Laden, Troy Davis, and You Have in Common

David Swanson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday May 05, 2011 · 12:58 PM PDT

2011/05/05 · 12:58

So, the United States invaded Mexico, lied about it, killed, raped, pillaged, and stole half the country for the cause of expanding slavery in our growing continental empire. Then a devastated rump Mexico was invaded by the French who wanted their debts repaid, but the Mexicans won a big battle against the French on the Fifth of May, leading Americans to buy several tons of tacos and thousands of gallons of beer every Cinco de Mayo. Viva international solidarity in the land of Might-Makes-Right!

Secularists and Congressman Pete Stark have declared May 5th the Day of Reason, but how many people know that, how many television stations will stand for it, and how many Americans are even pretending to be reasonable?

I've been reflecting during this Cinco de Mayo on exactly how pervasive in my country is the idea that violence can solve all problems.

David Swanson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday May 04, 2011 · 9:36 AM PDT

2011/05/04 · 09:36

I'm going to give this speech tonight to a crowd of drunk young people. If I'm not back by morning, ask around if there have been any "Islamic burials."

Newer
Older

RSS

Are You Ready for Memorial Day?

U.S. House Backs Forever War: Liveblogging the Vote on Eternal Worldwide War

The Worst Bill Ever in Congress

Gore v. Murdoch, The Media As Curable Disease

Louder Than Words

Support Killing People Or Lose Your Job

60 More Days in Libya: Obama Does Bush Lawyers Proud

Of Humans and Rights

This World and the World Without War

They Were Ordered to Kill, Get in Line to Apologize

What Osama bin Laden, Troy Davis, and You Have in Common

Osama bin Lynched