[Peace-discuss] [OccupyCU] [Peace] PDA Press Release on HJ Res 30

Thu Feb 12 18:14:12 EST 2015

And your position is completely legitimate, Carl, although there was
that interlude called the Civil War (and other names) about 150 years
ago, oh, and there was that attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

I merely posted PDA's press release on Rep. Barbara Lee's bill on the
peace list for the information of any who might be interested in it.
Rep. Lee is on PDA's Board and has been ranked the most liberal member
of the U.S. House. She submitted a bill as progressive as she thought
could get serious attention and spark a serious debate about
Congressional war powers, a debate I am sure you would agree is sorely
needed.

PDA's position is clearly stated in the press release. It is certainly
your prerogative to disagree with our position. Personally, I plan to
call my representative--Republican Rodney Davis (local office phone is
403-4690 and DC office is 202-225-2371)--and ask him to support Rep.
Lee's bill. He won't, but he doesn't get to sit as my representative
without hearing my opinions on issues he will be voting on. In fact,
he sent me a letter today regarding an issue I called about recently.

Perhaps you should call his office and tell him why he should vote
against Rep. Lee's bill. The more our elected officials hear from us,
the better!

Debra

On 2/12/15, C. G. Estabrook <carl at newsfromneptune.com> wrote:
> BTW I am a pacifist in the sense that I don't want my country to (continue
> to) commit war crimes.
>
> But I do think a country has a right to resist - in arms, if necessary -
> when it's invaded by a foreign power.
>
> That hasn't happened to the US since Admiral Cockburn's troops burnt the
> White House and Capitol, two hundred years ago.
>
> But Obama alone has attacked eight countries (two more than GWBush), and
> resistance was surely warranted.
>
> --CGE
>
>
> On Feb 12, 2015, at 12:35 PM, Debra Schrishuhn via OccupyCU
> <occupycu at lists.chambana.net> wrote:
>
>> Carl:
>>
>> No one is trying to co-opt anything here. HJ Res 30 proposes diplomacy
>> and political solutions over military forays in the Mideast. It is not
>> perfect by a long shot, but it is the least military-oriented of
>> resolutions being proposed in answer to the AUMF. I understand that it
>> is not up to your standards of pacifism. Nevertheless, it may help
>> provoke a real discussion of the range of options available. Not to
>> worry--it does not have a chance to pass this hawkish Congress.
>>
>> Debra
>>
>> On 2/12/15, C. G. Estabrook <carl at newsfromneptune.com> wrote:
>>> ANOTHER CO-OPTION OF THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT?
>>>
>>> Ms. Schrishuhn:
>>>
>>> The Obama administration continues to murder people throughout the
>>> Mideast
>>> in pursuit of their economic goals, the profits of the 1%.
>>>
>>> What does PDA propose as an alternative?  A “comprehensive solution” as
>>> set
>>> out in H.J.RES. 30?
>>>
>>> "... a robust regionally-led, political, economic and diplomatic
>>> strategy”?
>>>
>>>
>>> What does that mean? Let local armies do the killing and dying on the
>>> ground
>>> while the US continues to kill from the air with planes and drones?
>>>
>>> It's true fewer Americans die that way, and we kill Middle-easterners who
>>> we
>>> think might one day want to do us harm (along with their families and
>>> children), instead of holding them in our wretched prisons until they
>>> become
>>> an international embarrassment.
>>>
>>> But H.J.RES. 30 is little more than an authorization for the mass murder
>>> the
>>> Obama administration is currently carrying out in the Mideast.
>>>
>>> Why not instead bring US troops (and mercenaries) home, close American
>>> bases
>>> in the region, and follow international law by submitting problems like
>>> ISIL
>>> to the Security Council, as the UN Charter demands?
>>>
>>> President Putin said in Cairo this week, "Regrettably, we must note that
>>> the
>>> actions being undertaken today by the members of the anti-terror
>>> coalition,
>>> their strategy and tactics are disproportionate to the scale and nature
>>> of
>>> the existing threat. Airstrikes alone are not enough to deal with it.
>>> What
>>> is more, such actions lack legitimacy since they were not directly
>>> sanctioned by the UN Security Council and in certain cases are taken
>>> without
>>> the consent of states whose territories are being targeted.”
>>>
>>> The problem, of course, is that the policy of obeying international law
>>> would no longer allow the US military to control the flow of energy
>>> resources from the Mideast - which gives the US government an
>>> unparalleled
>>> advantage over its economic rivals in Europe and Asia.
>>>
>>> Under these circumstances, the only comprehensive strategy worth
>>> supporting
>>> is a US withdrawal and a submission of the matter to the UNSC.
>>>
>>> Regards, C. G. Estabrook
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Feb 11, 2015, at 5:36 PM, Debra Schrishuhn via Peace
>>> <peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Local PDA members will be delivering letters next week to the
>>>> Springfield offices of Sens Durbin and Kirk; to the Champaign and
>>>> Decatur offices of Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13); to the Danville office
>>>> of Rep. John Shimkus (IL-15). I will post the full text of our letters
>>>> tomorrow. Anyone wishing to sign on to them should contact me at
>>>> deb.pdamerica at gmail.com
>>>>
>>>> Deb
>>>>
>>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>>> From: Conor Boylan <conor at pdamerica.org>
>>>> Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2015 13:23:28 -0600
>>>> Subject: PDA Press Release on HJ Res 30
>>>> To:
>>>>
>>>> Progressive Democrats of America
>>>>
>>>> Progressive Democrats Support New Legislation For Comprehensive
>>>> Strategy
>>>> Against ISIL
>>>> *Progressive Democrats of America announces support for Congresswoman
>>>> Lee's
>>>> and congressman Honda's new legislation to establish a comprehensive
>>>> strategy against ISIL and to stop a new American ground war in the
>>>> Middle
>>>> East*
>>>>
>>>> *Feb. 11, 2015 - WASHINGTON -- *Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)
>>>> is
>>>> endorsing the “Comprehensive Solution to ISIL Resolution” (H.J.RES.
>>>> 30),
>>>> introduced on February 10th of 2015 by Congresswoman Barbara Lee
>>>> (CA-13).
>>>> PDA supporters will deliver 100s of letters to Congressional offices,
>>>> urging Representatives to vote for this resolution, and other
>>>> progressive
>>>> priorities next week.
>>>>
>>>> Progressive Democrats of America National Director Conor Boylan said,
>>>> "The
>>>> United States has had large-scale military involvement in Iraq and
>>>> Afghanistan for over a decade. What is the result of all of this
>>>> effort?
>>>> The spreading of terrorism, the death of thousands of Americans, the
>>>> death
>>>> of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, Afghanis, and others throughout the
>>>> region; while leaving the Middle East unstable with millions of people
>>>> in
>>>> refugee camps, loss of trillions of dollars to the U.S. economy, no
>>>> significant lasting contribution to civil society in this region and
>>>> the
>>>> potential for an endless cycle of war that could spread to other
>>>> nations."
>>>>
>>>> Boylan added, "The time has come for a comprehensive strategy to stop
>>>> the
>>>> endless war in the Middle East. PDA strongly opposes sacrificing more
>>>> blood
>>>> of men and women of the United States Armed Forces through a new war in
>>>> the
>>>> Middle East. We cannot continue to request life sacrifices of military
>>>> personnel, aid workers, journalists, and others over battles that
>>>> American
>>>> ground troops should not have to fight, over resources that are not
>>>> ours
>>>> to
>>>> control, and over disagreements that could be handled using diplomacy,
>>>> economics, and politics, rather than bullets and bombs."
>>>>
>>>> PDA Advisory Board Member Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02) said, “I am
>>>> troubled by the Administration’s request, which I believe is far too
>>>> open-ended and does little to constrain this or the next Administration
>>>> from engaging in sustained combat.  We should be doing much more to
>>>> promote
>>>> a legitimate and lasting political solution in the region.”
>>>>
>>>> PDA Advisory Board Member Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) said, “[W]e
>>>> must be comprehensive in our strategy. National security experts have
>>>> clearly stated that there is no military solution to ISIL. In order to
>>>> ultimately degrade and dismantle ISIL, we must craft a robust
>>>> regionally-led, political, economic and diplomatic strategy.”
>>>>
>>>> PDA invites all Americans to join the PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS OF AMERICA
>>>> in
>>>> calling for real and lasting solutions to this conflict and to OPPOSE A
>>>> NEW
>>>> AMERICAN GROUND WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST. PDA asks all Americans to
>>>> contact
>>>> their member of Congress and ask them to cosponsor and vote for H.J.
>>>> RES.
>>>> 30.
>>>>
>>>> For more information please see: www.pdamerica.org and visit the
>>>> Educate
>>>> Congress page, or contact PDA directly at info at pdamerica.org
>>>>
>>>> *Media Contact*
>>>> Conor Boylan, Progressive Democrats of America
>>>> 206-965-0802
>>>> conor at pdamerica.org <http://www.prlog.org/email-contact.html#12424459>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Conor Boylan
>>>>
>>>> National Co-Director
>>>> *•* Progressive Democrats of America *•*PDAmerica.org *•
>>>> *PDAcommunity.org
>>>> Hey you! Yes, YOU! Have you signed? -->http://bit.ly/RunBernieRun
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Peace mailing list
>>>> Peace at lists.chambana.net
>>>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace
>>>
>>>
>>
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