<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="entry-title">Illinois State Capitol Hit by War Disease Epidemic</h1><p>By David Swanson<br><a href="http://davidswanson.org/illinois-state-capitol-hit-by-war-disease-epidemic/">http://davidswanson.org/illinois-state-capitol-hit-by-war-disease-epidemic/</a><br></p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/davidswanson.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Screen-Shot-2017-11-01-at-11.42.10-AM.png"><img class="gmail-alignright gmail-size-medium gmail-wp-image-41661" src="https://i0.wp.com/davidswanson.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Screen-Shot-2017-11-01-at-11.42.10-AM.png?resize=300%2C150" alt="" width="300" height="150"></a><br></p><p>The
state capitol of Illinois is ground zero of a contagious outbreak of
war fever. The origins, I’m afraid, may lie in part in a resolution I
drafted that was passed, with various modifications, by numerous cities
around the United States and by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://worldbeyondwar.org/resolution/">resolution</a>
did educate some people, create some good discussion, generate some
attention for antiwar organizing, and bring some peace groups together
in a coordinated effort to advance a number of similar resolutions. But
its demand that Congress move money from the military to human and
environmental needs, rather than the other way around, has not yet been
met. In fact, Congress has given the military even more money than Trump
had proposed.</p>
<p>The text of the resolution is apparently safe for urban dwellers to
handle. But evidence suggests that it may be toxic to genetically
modified state legislators. I thank Robert Naiman for alerting me to <a href="https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/lawmaker-scolded-for-proposing-anti-trump-military-spending-measure/article_afeeb350-bb59-11e7-88e5-5fc70a58dcd9.html">a video</a> of what happened when it came into contact with Illinois state representatives.</p>
<p>In watching the video, at first the virus seems to produce no
reaction. State Rep. Laura Fine describes the resolution accurately and
notes the polling that indicates its agreement with the public at large.</p>
<p>Very quickly, however, Rep. Jeanne Ives suffers clear cognitive
impairment. She yells out that she does not want her son to fly an
“unfit” plane, as if a reduced military budget would produce just as
many airplanes but ones even more likely to crash than the F35.</p>
<p>During her rant, Rep. Ives appears to suffer a worsening of symptoms.
At one point she denounces the government in which she is yelling
incoherently as “the worst run state in the union.” In the same breath
she says that state legislators should not have opinions on federal
spending, says that especially those with no family in the military
should have no such opinions, and gives her opinion — which is
apparently for unlimited military funding.</p>
<p>By the time Ives has run out of breath, the virus has clearly spread
through the chamber. Rep. David Harris wobbles to his feet to declare
entirely falsely that the resolution calls for a complete elimination of
the military budget, and just as falsely that military spending is for
the benefit of soldiers, and then — way over the top into the ludicrous —
that all these wars are “protecting our freedom.” Yet no medical
personnel appear on the scene and no alarms are heard.</p>
<p>Rep. Carol Ammons, with no mask or other protection, seems entirely
unaffected by the disease. She praises the resolution as opposition to
the threat of cuts to Social Security.</p>
<p>Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer quickly takes over, however, with contagious
puss oozing from his mouth and nose. Clearly in a state of delirium, he
announces that if Trump were cutting the military to fund human and
environmental needs then supporters of the resolution would rewrite it
to say the opposite. The politician comes out against politics before
collapsing in his seat.</p>
<p>Rep. Allen Skillicorn coughs out his fervent opinion against having
any opinion, and, recognizing the danger at hand, Rep. Fine withdraws
the proposed resolution and sprints out of the Capitol, heading toward
the Emergency Room.</p>
<p>The video cuts off before the ambulances and police arrive to begin the now-famous quarantine.</p></div>