[Peace-discuss] Fwd: STATE OF THE UNION -- AFSC BULLETIN

[Jay Mittenthal]

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>Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 20:32:34 -0600
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>From: Sharon Haworth <shaworth at sbcglobal.net>
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>Subject: STATE OF THE UNION -- AFSC BULLETIN
>
>Sharon, Please share with IYM Friends. My apologies to any for whom
>this is a duplication.  -- Dawn Rubbert, IYM AFSC Corporation Representative
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Ruth Seeley" <<mailto:RSeeley at afsc.org>RSeeley at afsc.org>
>To: "Ruth Seeley" <<mailto:RSeeley at afsc.org>RSeeley at afsc.org>
>Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2004 4:08 PM
>Subject: AFSC: STATE OF THE UNION: NEAR RECORD UNEMPLOYMENT, MISGUIDED
>FOREIGN POLICY & DOMESTIC SUFFERING
>
>
>Jenny Shields
>Director, Media and Public Relations
>American Friends Service Committee
>1501 Cherry Street
>Philadelphia, PA 19106
>
>Phone: 215.241.7060
>Fax: 215.241.7275
>E-mail: <mailto:jshields at afsc.org>jshields at afsc.org
>
>For Immediate Release
>
>January 21, 2004
>
>STATE OF THE UNION: NEAR RECORD UNEMPLOYMENT, MISGUIDED FOREIGN POLICY
>AND DOMESTIC SUFFERING
>
>Philadelphia, PA - Far from the rosy picture the President paints, the
>current state of the union is marked by almost unparalleled
>unemployment, a multi-billion dollar deficit, millions of people without
>health insurance or affordable housing, a misguided foreign policy and 
>arguably the worst assaults to our constitution in history. In his
>speech, Mr. Bush glosses over the human suffering his foreign and
>domestic policies have created.
>
>The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), an internationally
>recognized Quaker humanitarian service organization, is uniquely
>qualified to speak concerning U.S. domestic policy and ongoing efforts in 
>war-torn Iraq. The Service Committee, in its historic role of mending 
>lives shattered by World Wars I and II, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947 
>along with the British Friends Service Council, on behalf of all Quakers 
>for peace building and humanitarian service. AFSC's quick reaction to the 
>internment of Japanese Americans at the beginning of World War II, helped 
>aid, educate and relocate thousands of innocent American citizens who were 
>unfairly
>targeted, corralled and warehoused because of race.
>
>True national security is economic security. Government must play an
>essential role in helping meet the need for affordable housing, quality 
>childcare, well-funded public education, and strong safety-net programs 
>such as TANF (welfare). To address growing inequality and economic 
>divisions in our country, we must raise the minimum wage, repeal the tax 
>cuts for the wealthiest families, and enact trade policies that value 
>workers over excess corporate profits.  Americans need health coverage, 
>jobs with decent wages, and good educational opportunities, if our nation 
>is to keep its people safe
>and out of harm's way.
>
>Today, over 8.7 million Americans are unemployed, including almost two 
>million who have been unemployed for more than 6 months.  Over 90,000 
>laid-off workers have lost their federal benefits every week since 
>December 21, when Congress failed to extend long-term unemployment 
>insurance. America has lost 2.7 million jobs since March 2001. The 
>"jobless recovery" since the recession officially ended in November 2001 
>has made for the worst hiring slump since the Great Depression.
>
>The tax cuts enacted last year - which the Administration wants to make 
>permanent - will rob the U.S. treasury of $1.7 trillion over 10 years. 
>Although Bush promised that these cuts would help the economy grow by 
>305,000 jobs a month, only a fraction of those jobs have actually 
>surfaced. In fact, our economy grew by only 1,000 new jobs during the 
>entire month of December, compared to about 1,000 jobs every three hours 
>during the Clinton years.
>
>These cuts have led to $260 billion in lost revenue last year, at a time 
>when more and more Americans can't afford the basic necessities of life, 
>such as food, utilities, housing, and health care, and the states are 
>facing their worst fiscal crisis in 50 years. U.S. trade policies have led 
>to a hemorrhaging of jobs - not just in manufacturing, but high-tech and 
>service jobs as well.
>
>This year, the United States launched a pre-emptive and illegal invasion 
>of Iraq, conducted with little support from the international community 
>and justified by the alleged presence of weapons of mass destruction, the 
>existence of which has yet to be verified. The occupation has led to 
>increased violence and delayed the emergence of self-governance.
>
>We parlayed a war on terror into a war against our constitution, robbing 
>decent and hardworking Americans of their civil rights and civil liberties 
>under the PATRIOT Act.  Our reckless foreign policy turned the outpouring 
>of goodwill and support of people around the globe after the tragedy of 
>9/11 to widespread anger and animosity, even among our traditional allies.
>
>The President's emotional imagery exploits a culture of fear and creates 
>an economy fueled by a perpetual multibillion dollar war. In November, in 
>spite of deep domestic budget cuts, national deficits, and unmet needs at 
>home, the U.S. Congress authorized $87 billion for military operations and 
>reconstruction efforts in Iraq. This was the largest special request for 
>money in the history of the United States. Yet, the $21 billion it 
>provided for reconstruction is only a fraction of what will be needed. The 
>end is not in sight.
>
>Last year, the U.S. defense budget was more than the combined military 
>budgets of the next dozen nations.  Next year, our spending will increase 
>to over $400 billion dollars.  Our military budget continues to grow, 
>while domestic programs must beg for money.
>Instead of no child left behind in educational opportunities, our
>schools have become another recruitment tool for the big guns in the
>military. Critical educational programs are not adequately funded and
>may be slashed in the wake of billions of dollars in projected deficits.
>
>And the casualties of the war and occupation continue to mount. More than 
>500 U.S. soldiers and thousands of Iraqi civilians have been killed since 
>the invasion. Thousands of soldiers were wounded in combat, many suffering 
>severe and debilitating injuries.  Some of these soldiers will no longer 
>be employable, either by the military they placed their trust in, or the 
>civilian job market they left behind.  Many will be eligible only for 
>discretionary disability pay from their service branch and perhaps social 
>security benefits due to their inability to work civilian jobs. The 
>immediate economic impact on the families of these soldiers could have 
>long reaching effects. Because of ongoing operations in Iraq, the Army, 
>for example, has prevented the retirement and scheduled discharges of more 
>than 40,000 soldiers, proving harmful to the economic security of many 
>reservists
>and their families and resulting in the loss of businesses, jobs and
>livelihoods.
>
>Record numbers of people around the globe took to the streets in
>protests not only against the Iraq invasion, but also to oppose a
>foreign policy that rejects the counsel of close allies in favor of
>unilateral military action. America will not win the war on terror by
>playing bully to the rest of the world. We cannot ease our own suffering 
>by lavishing destruction on other nations, cultures or people. Securing 
>the homeland means securing the right of ordinary people to jobs, a living 
>wage and the basic necessities of life, including food, utilities, 
>housing, and health care. We can't saddle mind-boggling debt on future 
>generations, or use the middle class and the poor to finance tax breaks 
>for the wealthy.
>
>With national headquarters in Philadelphia and regional offices in
>Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Des Moines, New York City, Pasadena, San 
>Francisco, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Seattle, Washington, the American 
>Friends Service Committee works for peace, justice and reconciliation in 
>22 countries of the world.
>
># # #
>
>The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that 
>includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, 
>peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief in the 
>worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence 
>and injustice.
>
>
>IYM has a website! Visit it at: <www.ilym.org>.
>
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