Iraq

By David Swanson

Pretending to end a war and occupation, while stationing 50,000 soldiers, 18,000 mercenaries, and 84,000 support contractors in massive and permanent military bases in Iraq is a far cry from what candidate Barack Obama described as ending "the mind-set that got us into war in the first place." It fits better with Nobel Peace laureate Obama's description of war as "not only necessary but morally justified." » read more »

This Wednesday in C'ville: One Event & Every Issue
War and Peace, Crime and Justice, Budget Priorities, Freedom of Assembly, Local and National Politics

You don't want to miss this!

This Wednesday at noon in Charlottesville, and simultaneously in 100 congressional districts around the country, Americans will hold Brown Bag Lunch Vigils against further war funding, including the proposed $33.5 billion to fund an escalation in Afghanistan. 

Meet on the sidewalk along the street near Congressman Tom Perriello's office at 313 2nd Street SE, Charlottesville, VA, and be there by noon!  We will all walk across the parking lot (where gatherings are not permitted) and enter the congressman's office.  (If you get there late, join us in the office.  Any police present are there to protect your right to do so.)

We have met with the congressman.  We have taken our vigil into his office before (video).  He has not indicated how he will vote on dumping another 33.5 billion borrowed dollars into the hopeless and catastrophic war in Afghanistan.  This new flyer from Code Pink explains what's wrong with this war.  Make lots of copies.  And make posters to bring.  Or print out the various posters and flyers found at http://defundwar.org

Congressman Perriello knows that if the Republicans all vote No, the Democratic Party for which he works may not allow him the option of a No vote.  His rationale for voting Yes will be the unrelated items packaged into the same bill, despite the fact that those items could be brought up separately if the package was voted down, despite the fact that the good items will not outweigh the damage of the war, and despite the fact that his refusal to publicly commit to opposing the war escalation funding is one reason his Party will package this pig of a bill with so many lipsticky lame excuses for Yes votes.

» read more »

By David Swanson

During the past five years since I moved back to Charlottesville, Virginia, I had yet to observe the slightest violent incident, prior to the recent spree of horrific mass murders. There was crime, but I hadn't ever seen it. I had only heard about it in the local media. First there was a young woman picked up hitch hiking and murdered. That was many months ago now. Then there was a man from Charlottesville attacked out of the blue up in the mountains, not actually in Charlottesville. Most recently, a University of Virginia student was alleged to have killed his girlfriend; this made national news, apparently because they were both Lacrosse players.

That was the situation before the blood started flowing. Charlottesville was the kind of town where murder was so rare that any occurrence of it was publicly discussed and mourned in detail. Everyone felt for the victims, whether they knew them or not. All of that has changed. » read more »

By David Swanson

So, we elected a president who promised a withdrawal from Iraq that he, or the generals who tell him what to do, is now further delaying. And, of course, the timetable he's now delaying was already a far cry from what he had promised as a candidate.

What are we to think? That may be sad news, but what could we have done differently? Surely it would have been worse to elect a president who did not promise to withdraw, right? » read more »

By David Swanson

On Friday afternoon, I posted the following announcment online:

CONTEST: Obama Calls War on Iraq "A New Dawn" -- What Do You Call It? (Limit 8 Words)

I'll start the entries:
Operation Funnel Unlimited Cash to Killing (OFUCK)

The winner will be announced on an aircraft carrier with a banner! Plus job offer possible for video editing work to insert "rename" in place of "end" in campaign speeches.

Winner gets signed copy of Daybreak, latest issue of Humanist magazine, a bucket of snow, and anything else I can find.

**

Perhaps not the most tempting offer ever, but here it is Saturday afternoon and I'm scrolling through hundreds of creative and provocative contest entries, and I'm keeping the contest open and hunting for more prizes, so that more people can enter. I'd also like to encourage people to post comments on their choices thus far for winning entries.

Here are some that have caught my eye (not a list of finalists, just a sampling): » read more »

By David Swanson

Last June we were handed an opportunity to block the funding of our illegal, murderous, counterproductive, catastrophic, and hated wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The president insisted on an off-the-books "emergency supplemental" bill, and the Senate added an IMF bailout to the bill, leading all the Republicans in the House to commit what for years they'd called treason: they all voted No on war money.

So, we only needed 39 Democrats to vote No, and we could have stopped the thing, at least temporarily. We had a week-long knock-down drag-out fight, with the White House telling freshmen Democrats they would be "dead to us" if they didn't vote Yes. And we still persuaded 32 Democrats to vote No. » read more »