[Peace-discuss] [Peace] News from Neptune #431 notes

[C G Estabrook]

Karen--

In the 20th century, major US wars began in Democratic administrations (and ended in Republican ones), but that's not a matter of virtue - both parties were responsible for war crimes.

	World War I (1914-1918) - Wilson	
	World War II (1939-1945) - Roosevelt
	Korean War (1950-1953) - Truman
	Vietnam War (1962-1975) - Kennedy

I want a real anti-war candidate (an ‘isolationist,’ in the current political establishment slur) to win the next election. I don't care what party they belong to. 

Not by accident, it's hard to tell. It's clear now that Trump was more an anti-war candidate than Obama ever was. Obama could have withdrawn from Afghanistan (and Syria) any time in eight years: Trump looks like doing so now, to the consternation (and fevered opposition) of the US political establishment, including the Democrats. [See e.g. today’s WaPo: “Pentagon watchdog warns that ISIS is ‘resurging in Syria’ after Trump’s drawdown of U.S. troops”]

—CGE

(P.S. - As I recall, far from  “requiring Carol visit the local Green Party,” I sat in a Green party meeting she’d requested, and - like a kid caught out being naughty - she brought along a ‘big brother,’ Belden Fields, to help her defend her non-vote on using state & university funds to support Israeli apartheid. Her principal defense was, “You didn’t call me [before the vote]!” When asked if she would have done the same, had South African apartheid rather than Israeli apartheid been the issue, her answer was, “I’m against racism!” - a shocking revelation, but non-germane…)   

See
[1] <http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/5/19/illinois-governor-to-sign-anti-bds-bill.html>

[2] Illinois lists 11 companies banned from doing business with state due to BDS
WASHINGTON (JTA) 20 Mar — An Illinois state agency named 11 companies barred from doing business with the state for boycotting Israel or its settlements, the first such designation by an official US body. A number of the entities on the list approved Friday by the Illinois Investment Policy board have pulled money from Israeli businesses that operate in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem, but have not boycotted Israel within its 1967 lines. At least two of the entities have said their disinvestment from Israel in recent years was based on commercial, not political, calculations. The Illinois law passed last year explicitly bars dealing with companies that boycott Israeli operations in territories controlled by Israel . . . More than 20 states are considering bills or have passed laws targeting companies that comply with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. Most of these penalize only companies that boycott Israel, although nine states, like Illinois, have passed or are considering passing laws that extend the penalties to entities that boycott Israeli businesses operating in the West Bank
<http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Illinois-becomes-first-state-to-list-companies-banned-for-business-due-to-BDS-448601>

###

> On Aug 8, 2019, at 10:53 AM, Karen Aram <karenaram at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> I have nothing but respect for your long term anti-war stand, focusing on history, based upon knowledge, and reality, connecting the dots as very few are able. Nonetheless I find your focus on electoral politics, defense of Trump, and now support for Tulsi Gabbard disturbing. 
> 
> I don't like to get personal, but the very fact, that you have always blamed the Democrat Party for US wars, but now support a Democrat, Tulsi because she talks the talk, though walk the walk, she will never do, given the power of the DNC. No different than the GOP, they both prevent any candidate/President within the two Party system, from doing anything other than that which they are told, tells me your sudden support for a Democrat, is because she divides the Democratic Party, thus ensuring a Republican wins the next election. Global warming is a very serious issue, and with a Republican in office, we have no hope. Chomsky makes this very clear. 
> 
> One who truly supports anti-war supports a third Party candidate and focuses on uniting groups rather than dividing. 
> 
> True anti-imperialists won’t support a Democrat or Republican candidate no matter what they say, because foreign policy will continue unabated under either administration.
> 
> I say this in reference to the fact that your public condemnation of Carol Ammons, when she abstained from supporting BDS, was non stop, requiring Carol visit the local Green Party to explain her situation, thus staining the local Green Party and AWARE.  Carol’s abstention had little impact, while Tulsi’s voting against BDS has severe ramifications and provides us with a glimpse of what she would likely do if elected. Your reference to Carol on the AWARE FB website, as “whining,” in defending her actions, is trivial and personal. 
>