May 2010

The Common Culture of Turkey, the United States, and Iran

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By David Swanson

I’d guess roughly 3% of the Americans who watch the new Disney movie Prince of Persia have any idea that Persia and Iran are the same place. A similar number are probably aware of Iranians’ demonstrations of sympathy following 9-11 and of Iran’s assistance to the United States in Afghanistan in 2001. But surely an even smaller percentage of Americans know that Iran, Turkey, and our own country read more

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PROTEST BP IN CVILLE ON MEMORIAL DAY

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PROTEST BP IN CVILLE ON MEMORIAL DAY


Blow-Out Polluters, Bull Promoters, Bellowing Pigs, Beyond Prosecution?

What ever you call , it’s destroying the Gulf of Mexico, utterly destroying it. 

Think I’m kidding?  See these images.

And people in Charlottesville, in addition to through their taxes, are giving money directly to BP every day at gas stations.

This has got to end!

Memorial Day- Protest BP

Join a local protest of BP’s role in one of the worst ecological disasters read more

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This Is What a United Front Looks Like

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By David Swanson

The “supplemental spending bill” in the House has peace groups against it because it funds the escalation of a war in Afghanistan that a majority of Americans oppose, makes us less safe, and kills human beings. It also has environmentalists against it because it subsidizes nuclear power, the industry that cannot compete in a free market except in the arena of catastrophes, where it may out-do BP some read more

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90 Congressional Candidates and National Organizations Oppose War Spending No Matter What Lipstick Is Applied to It

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Sixty-six congressional candidates and 24 national organizations are opposing any more funding for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, no matter what unrelated measures are packaged into the same bill, and no matter whether the bill appears likely to pass or not. This position contrasts strongly with that of most incumbent congress members who “oppose” and “criticize” the wars. The new Coalition Against War Spending is inviting more candidates, including all incumbents, read more

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$5 Friday: SaveTheWildUp.org

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For $5 Friday I just gave $5 to http://savethewildup.org

As my friend (and book editor) Crystal Yakacki explains (like many websites, this worthy group’s website does not explain itself to newcomers and just gives the latest developments):

“The UP is the upper peninsula of Michigan, one of the most beautiful places in the world. The native people there, and local neighborhoods, have been trying to protect a sacred site from a mine by Kennecott Eagle that will not only destroy the sacred read more

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What Does the New National Security Strategy Say About U.N. Asking the U.S. to Stop CIA Drone Attacks?

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Apparently the United Nations is going to ask the United States to please stop using a secret agency to murder numerous people with drones. What the United States might say in response is found in the new National Security Strategy which, like all things hopey and changey, is pretty much like the old National Security Strategy, and which declares:

“Military force, at times, may be necessary to defend our country . . . “

and which could have stopped there, stayed legal, and left well read more

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Moving From Disclosure to Prevention of Corporate Politicking

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By David Swanson, FreeSpeechForPeople.org

The US House of Representatives may soon have the opportunity to vote on whether to move forward with a constitutional amendment to ensure that we the people, not we the corporations, control our elections.

Yesterday, Congresswoman Donna Edwards introduced a proposed amendment to the DISCLOSE Act (HR 5175), a bill that would require disclosure by corporations engaged in making political expenditures as a result of the US Supreme Court’s recent ruling read more

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Rep Barbara Lee Will Bring Amendment to Block War Escalation Funding

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By David Swanson

At 5 p.m. this evening, the House Appropriations Committee will begin marking up a bill to spend another $33.5 billion on escalating the war in Afghanistan. Various useful projects will be packaged into the bill in order to provide congress members with assorted lame excuses for voting yes.

Among those speaking and voting against the war funding in committee will be Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who just told me that her thinking is as follows: “Since Congress last authorized read more

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