From divisek at yahoo.com Wed Feb 1 17:50:16 2017 From: divisek at yahoo.com (Dianna Visek) Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2017 17:50:16 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Peace] Fw: [wuna-list] Mayoral debate rebroadcast on UPTV In-Reply-To: <393218670.2037886.1485971345024@mail.yahoo.com> References: <7CD4BDA230FA4B4881F0BC648895D021C4BFC29F@CHIMBX5.ad.uillinois.edu> <20170131172529.40a5c93e31067909ec5b86b5ae519100.46b50064c9.mailapi@email03.godaddy.com> <393218670.2037886.1485971345024@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1680878561.2056583.1485971416675@mail.yahoo.com> It will be broadcast 2/2 at 9:00am, and 3:00 and 7:00 pm, 2/3 at 9:00 am, and 2/5 at 9:00 am. When will the mayoral debate be broadcast on UPTV? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Wed Feb 1 18:10:33 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2017 18:10:33 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Anti-war flyer for Saturday Message-ID: [https://scontent.ford1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-1/p50x50/15420933_10208540622932903_4873907131868161648_n.jpg?oh=61fd172e7c348c30e014a218835286fb&oe=5913A299] Carl G. Estabrook 9 mins [Text of a flyer prepared for distribution at the regular monthly AWARE anti-war demonstration, Saturday 4 Feb., 2-4pm, Main & Neil in Champaign; editorial suggestions welcome.] ============================= NO MUSLIM BAN! NO CHINA WAR! President Trump must break with the policies of his predecessors. “I and the public know / What all schoolchildren learn, Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return.” --W. H. Auden [1] NO MUSLIM BAN. President Trump’s restrictions on entry to the US - designed to lessen the chance of terrorist attacks on Americans - are approved by a majority of Americans, but he is going about it in the wrong way. “In War against terrorism or expansion of the American Empire?” (2002), William Blum, former State Department employee and historian of US interventions, puts it as follows: “If I were the president, I could stop terrorist attacks against the United States in a few days. Permanently. I would first apologize - very publicly and very sincerely - to all the widows and the orphans, the impoverished and the tortured, and all the many millions of other victims of American imperialism. I would then announce that America's global interventions - including the awful bombings - have come to an end. And I would inform Israel that it is no longer the 51st state of the union but – oddly enough – a foreign country. I would then reduce the military budget by at least 90% and use the savings to pay reparations to the victims and repair the damage from the many American bombings and invasions...” [2] NO CHINA WAR. A war between the greatest military power and the world's second largest economy is no longer unthinkable. The media is beating the drums of war as the world is being primed to regard China as a new enemy. The disputed islands in the South China Sea have become a flashpoint for war between China and America. American bases form a giant noose encircling China with missiles, bombers, warships all the way from Australia through the Pacific to Asia and beyond. A stereotype of communist dictatorship is widely spread by the US, preventing from understanding China as it is. The Chinese government is not trying to run the world. They want to keep America from dominating the region. The US massive military build-up is known in Washington as the ‘pivot to Asia’. The target is China. President Obama in 2011 said that creating an American presence in the Asia Pacific was his "top priority.” For America's unchallenged arms industry, the annual prize is huge profits from almost $600 billion of military spending - but the smartest weapons need enemies. With the current situation in the South China Sea, the danger of confrontation grows by the day. [3] ANTI-WAR GROUPS HERE & ABROAD CALL ON PRESIDENT TRUMP TO ~ (1) establish a foreign policy based on diplomacy, international law, human rights, and respect for the sovereignty of other nations; end war provocations In Europe and Asia; ~ (2) end the wars (in the Mideast and elsewhere) and stop US drone assassinations; ~ (3) cut US military spending by at least 50% and close the more than 700 foreign military bases (neither Russia nor China has more than twelve); bring US troops (and weapons) home; and withdraw US ‘special forces’ - death squads - sent into 70% of the world’s countries; ~ (4) stop US support for human rights abusers, notably Israel and Saudi Arabia; and ~ (5) lead on global nuclear disarmament. ANTI-WAR ANTI-RACISM EFFORT - on Facebook at “AWARE of Champaign Urbana Illinois” ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cge at shout.net Wed Feb 1 18:14:32 2017 From: cge at shout.net (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Wed, 01 Feb 2017 12:14:32 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Flyer for Saturday's AWARE peace demonstration Message-ID: <385a6c15ad44583efa0bb9c3eecb4c7a@shout.net> [Text of a flyer prepared for distribution at the regular monthly AWARE anti-war demonstration, Saturday 4 February, 2-4pm, Main & Neil in Champaign; editorial suggestions welcome.] ============================= NO MUSLIM BAN! NO CHINA WAR! President Trump must break with the policies of his predecessors. “I and the public know / What all schoolchildren learn, Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return.” --W. H. Auden [1] NO MUSLIM BAN. President Trump’s restrictions on entry to the US - designed to lessen the chance of terrorist attacks on Americans - are approved by a majority of Americans, but he is going about it in the wrong way. In "War against terrorism or expansion of the American Empire?” (2002), William Blum, former State Department employee and historian of US interventions, puts it as follows: “If I were the president, I could stop terrorist attacks against the United States in a few days. Permanently. I would first apologize - very publicly and very sincerely - to all the widows and the orphans, the impoverished and the tortured, and all the many millions of other victims of American imperialism. I would then announce that America's global interventions - including the awful bombings - have come to an end. And I would inform Israel that it is no longer the 51st state of the union but – oddly enough – a foreign country. I would then reduce the military budget by at least 90% and use the savings to pay reparations to the victims and repair the damage from the many American bombings and invasions...” [2] NO CHINA WAR. A war between the greatest military power and the world's second largest economy is no longer unthinkable. The media is beating the drums of war as the world is being primed to regard China as a new enemy. The disputed islands in the South China Sea have become a flashpoint for war between China and America. American bases form a giant noose encircling China with missiles, bombers, warships all the way from Australia through the Pacific to Asia and beyond. A stereotype of communist dictatorship is widely spread by the US, preventing from understanding China as it is. The Chinese government is not trying to run the world. They want to keep America from dominating the region. The US massive military build-up is known in Washington as the ‘pivot to Asia’. The target is China. President Obama in 2011 said that creating an American presence in the Asia Pacific was his "top priority.” For America's unchallenged arms industry, the annual prize is huge profits from almost $600 billion of military spending - but the smartest weapons need enemies. With the current situation in the South China Sea, the danger of confrontation grows by the day. [3] ANTI-WAR GROUPS HERE & ABROAD CALL ON PRESIDENT TRUMP TO ~ (1) establish a foreign policy based on diplomacy, international law, human rights, and respect for the sovereignty of other nations; end war provocations In Europe and Asia; ~ (2) end the wars (in the Mideast and elsewhere) and stop US drone assassinations; ~ (3) cut US military spending by at least 50% and close the more than 700 foreign military bases (neither Russia nor China has more than twelve); bring US troops (and weapons) home; and withdraw US ‘special forces’ - death squads - sent into 70% of the world’s countries; ~ (4) stop US support for human rights abusers, notably Israel and Saudi Arabia; and ~ (5) lead on global nuclear disarmament. ANTI-WAR ANTI-RACISM EFFORT - on Facebook at “AWARE of Champaign Urbana Illinois” ================================================================================= From brussel at illinois.edu Thu Feb 2 02:49:28 2017 From: brussel at illinois.edu (Brussel, Morton K) Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2017 02:49:28 +0000 Subject: [Peace] [Peace-discuss] Anti-war flyer for Saturday In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <2BEF4A41-956D-47DE-A3B0-6F8781971FAD@illinois.edu> This is a fine cogent statement, I might also add, were there space, that the threat of war is perhaps greatest with respect to Iran, not to speak of the unresolved conflict in Ukraine, a failed state propped up by the U.S. and its NATO clients. On Feb 1, 2017, at 12:10 PM, Karen Aram via Peace-discuss > wrote: [https://scontent.ford1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-1/p50x50/15420933_10208540622932903_4873907131868161648_n.jpg?oh=61fd172e7c348c30e014a218835286fb&oe=5913A299] Carl G. Estabrook 9 mins [Text of a flyer prepared for distribution at the regular monthly AWARE anti-war demonstration, Saturday 4 Feb., 2-4pm, Main & Neil in Champaign; editorial suggestions welcome.] ============================= NO MUSLIM BAN! NO CHINA WAR! President Trump must break with the policies of his predecessors. “I and the public know / What all schoolchildren learn, Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return.” --W. H. Auden [1] NO MUSLIM BAN. President Trump’s restrictions on entry to the US - designed to lessen the chance of terrorist attacks on Americans - are approved by a majority of Americans, but he is going about it in the wrong way. “In War against terrorism or expansion of the American Empire?” (2002), William Blum, former State Department employee and historian of US interventions, puts it as follows: “If I were the president, I could stop terrorist attacks against the United States in a few days. Permanently. I would first apologize - very publicly and very sincerely - to all the widows and the orphans, the impoverished and the tortured, and all the many millions of other victims of American imperialism. I would then announce that America's global interventions - including the awful bombings - have come to an end. And I would inform Israel that it is no longer the 51st state of the union but – oddly enough – a foreign country. I would then reduce the military budget by at least 90% and use the savings to pay reparations to the victims and repair the damage from the many American bombings and invasions...” [2] NO CHINA WAR. A war between the greatest military power and the world's second largest economy is no longer unthinkable. The media is beating the drums of war as the world is being primed to regard China as a new enemy. The disputed islands in the South China Sea have become a flashpoint for war between China and America. American bases form a giant noose encircling China with missiles, bombers, warships all the way from Australia through the Pacific to Asia and beyond. A stereotype of communist dictatorship is widely spread by the US, preventing from understanding China as it is. The Chinese government is not trying to run the world. They want to keep America from dominating the region. The US massive military build-up is known in Washington as the ‘pivot to Asia’. The target is China. President Obama in 2011 said that creating an American presence in the Asia Pacific was his "top priority.” For America's unchallenged arms industry, the annual prize is huge profits from almost $600 billion of military spending - but the smartest weapons need enemies. With the current situation in the South China Sea, the danger of confrontation grows by the day. [3] ANTI-WAR GROUPS HERE & ABROAD CALL ON PRESIDENT TRUMP TO ~ (1) establish a foreign policy based on diplomacy, international law, human rights, and respect for the sovereignty of other nations; end war provocations In Europe and Asia; ~ (2) end the wars (in the Mideast and elsewhere) and stop US drone assassinations; ~ (3) cut US military spending by at least 50% and close the more than 700 foreign military bases (neither Russia nor China has more than twelve); bring US troops (and weapons) home; and withdraw US ‘special forces’ - death squads - sent into 70% of the world’s countries; ~ (4) stop US support for human rights abusers, notably Israel and Saudi Arabia; and ~ (5) lead on global nuclear disarmament. ANTI-WAR ANTI-RACISM EFFORT - on Facebook at “AWARE of Champaign Urbana Illinois” ### _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From galliher at illinois.edu Thu Feb 2 04:41:44 2017 From: galliher at illinois.edu (Carl G. Estabrook) Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2017 22:41:44 -0600 Subject: [Peace] [Peace-discuss] Anti-war flyer for Saturday In-Reply-To: <2BEF4A41-956D-47DE-A3B0-6F8781971FAD@illinois.edu> References: <2BEF4A41-956D-47DE-A3B0-6F8781971FAD@illinois.edu> Message-ID: <8A0A9057-DA68-42C7-9665-A63524C01569@illinois.edu> Thanks, Mort. I agree about Iran - and the connected matters of the KSA & Yemen - but US policy seems unclear, despite Flynn’s ’notice’ today (& worrisome contacts with/comments on KSA). As Karen described on AWARE ON THE AIR yesterday, the Heavy Thinkers on US fp (mainly Kissinger) are doing ‘divide-et-impera’ dances around Iran-Russia-China, but the administration hasn't quite figured out who’s naughty and who’s nice. (Altho’ the phone call with Putin suggests the US wants the other two to be considered naughty.) Hard to get this into a brief flyer, especially when it seems that the administration hasn’t made up its collective mind (or Steve Bannon’s?) yet. And Porky’s killing more people, to try to get DC’s attention - but MSM has so poisoned the Ukrainian wells that we dassen't drink… —CGE > On Feb 1, 2017, at 8:49 PM, Brussel, Morton K via Peace-discuss wrote: > > This is a fine cogent statement, I might also add, were there space, that the threat of war is perhaps greatest with respect to Iran, not to speak of the unresolved conflict in Ukraine, a failed state propped up by the U.S. and its NATO clients. > > >> On Feb 1, 2017, at 12:10 PM, Karen Aram via Peace-discuss > wrote: >> >> >> >> >> Carl G. Estabrook >> 9 mins >> [Text of a flyer prepared for distribution at the regular monthly AWARE anti-war demonstration, Saturday 4 Feb., 2-4pm, Main & Neil in Champaign; editorial suggestions welcome.] >> ============================= >> NO MUSLIM BAN! NO CHINA WAR! >> President Trump must break with the policies of his predecessors. >> “I and the public know / What all schoolchildren learn, >> Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return.” --W. H. Auden >> [1] NO MUSLIM BAN. President Trump’s restrictions on entry to the US - designed to lessen the chance of terrorist attacks on Americans - are approved by a majority of Americans, but he is going about it in the wrong way. “In War against terrorism or expansion of the American Empire?” (2002), William Blum, former State Department employee and historian of US interventions, puts it as follows: >> “If I were the president, I could stop terrorist attacks against the United States in a few days. Permanently. I would first apologize - very publicly and very sincerely - to all the widows and the orphans, the impoverished and the tortured, and all the many millions of other victims of American imperialism. I would then announce that America's global interventions - including the awful bombings - have come to an end. And I would inform Israel that it is no longer the 51st state of the union but – oddly enough – a foreign country. I would then reduce the military budget by at least 90% and use the savings to pay reparations to the victims and repair the damage from the many American bombings and invasions...” >> [2] NO CHINA WAR. A war between the greatest military power and the world's second largest economy is no longer unthinkable. The media is beating the drums of war as the world is being primed to regard China as a new enemy. The disputed islands in the South China Sea have become a flashpoint for war between China and America. American bases form a giant noose encircling China with missiles, bombers, warships all the way from Australia through the Pacific to Asia and beyond. >> A stereotype of communist dictatorship is widely spread by the US, preventing from understanding China as it is. The Chinese government is not trying to run the world. They want to keep America from dominating the region. >> The US massive military build-up is known in Washington as the ‘pivot to Asia’. The target is China. President Obama in 2011 said that creating an American presence in the Asia Pacific was his "top priority.” For America's unchallenged arms industry, the annual prize is huge profits from almost $600 billion of military spending - but the smartest weapons need enemies. With the current situation in the South China Sea, the danger of confrontation grows by the day. >> [3] ANTI-WAR GROUPS HERE & ABROAD CALL ON PRESIDENT TRUMP TO >> ~ (1) establish a foreign policy based on diplomacy, international law, human rights, and respect for the sovereignty of other nations; end war provocations In Europe and Asia; >> ~ (2) end the wars (in the Mideast and elsewhere) and stop US drone assassinations; >> ~ (3) cut US military spending by at least 50% and close the more than 700 foreign military bases (neither Russia nor China has more than twelve); bring US troops (and weapons) home; and withdraw US ‘special forces’ - death squads - sent into 70% of the world’s countries; >> ~ (4) stop US support for human rights abusers, notably Israel and Saudi Arabia; and >> ~ (5) lead on global nuclear disarmament. >> ANTI-WAR ANTI-RACISM EFFORT - on Facebook at “AWARE of Champaign Urbana Illinois” >> ### >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace-discuss mailing list >> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Thu Feb 2 15:16:05 2017 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2017 09:16:05 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Roll Call: With Tweets, Trump Escalates Saber-Rattling Toward Iran Message-ID: http://www.rollcall.com/news/tweets-trump-escalates-sabre-ra ttling-toward-iran Posted Feb 2, 2017 8:12 AM John T. Bennett With Tweets, Trump Escalates Saber-Rattling Toward Iran New U.S. president to Tehran: You have been ‘formally PUT ON NOTICE’ The Trump administration escalated its sudden sabre-rattling toward Iran when President Donald Trump directly criticized Tehran in a series of tweets Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Hours after his top national security adviser put Iran “on notice” and other senior administration officials refused to rule out U.S. military action against the Islamic Republic, Trump himself appeared to threaten the Middle Eastern power in a series of tweets — and the words of U.S. presidents carry far more weight than career bureaucrats briefing behind the veil of anonymity. The president used his personal Twitter account to say around 6:30 a.m. Thursday that Iran has been “formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile,” apparently using all capital letters to add weight to his words. Iranian leaders “should have been thankful for the terrible deal the U.S. made with them!” Trump tweeted. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/827118012784373760 Trump followed that tweet with one that took a shot at the Obama administration and other global powers who last year inked a deal with Iran over its nuclear arms program, a pact that included easing sanctions and releasing frozen Iranian assets. The new U.S. commander in chief wrote that Iran was on its “last legs” before the nuclear deal, arguing Washington gave it a $150 billion “life line” via the deal. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/827119326880813056 PolitiFact, an independent fact-checking organization, examined similar claims Trump made during the presidential campaign. “Experts say $150 billion is the high end of estimates,” the organization wrote last March. “Most peg the the total value of Iranian assets at around $100 billion, but Iran probably still won’t be able to access all of it.” The president’s Thursday morning posts came about nine hours after Trump first joined his administration’s seemingly out-of-the-blue attacks on Iranian behavior. Late Wednesday night, he said Iran has been seizing larger and larger swaths of Iraq while previous U.S. administrations “squandered three trillion dollars there.” Want insight more often? Get Roll Call in your inbox [*Trump White House Puts Senate Dems, Iran ‘On Notice’* ] The Trump administration clearly wants to turn up the heat on Iranian leaders, but just how far the new president is willing to go to force Tehran to alter its behavior is unclear. Senior administration officials declined to answer multiple questions about Trump’s willingness to use U.S. military force during a Wednesday background briefing that at times felt like the beginning of a confrontation with Iran. Senior administration officials, who who briefed reporters at the White House on condition of anonymity to be candid, said the U.S. has a “large range of options available … from financial and economic … to pursuing other options related to support for those that are challenging and opposing Iranian malign activity in the region.” Asked multiple times whether that list includes military force, three senior administration officials repeatedly declined to say Trump, for now at least, is not exploring deploying the U.S. military against Iran. “We are considering a whole range of options. We’re in a deliberative process. The important thing here is that we are communicating that Iranian behavior needs to be rethought by Tehran,” one of the senior administration officials said. “That we consider these actions to be inherently destabilizing and a threat to our friends and our allies, and as counterproductive to the goals of the region,” the official told reporters. “It undermines the people’s security in the region, and creates inherent instability.” The official then delivered the second hawkish threat of the day toward Iran from the White House podium in as many hours: “That is something that Tehran needs to consider and think through because we are considering these things in a different perspective.” The thing about military force is when a White House goes out of its way to deliver muscular threats, but refuses to clearly state the military option is off the table, the implication is it is very much on a president’s list of options. About two hours before the officials spoke to reporters on Wednesday, the president dispatched his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, to the White House briefing room to call out Iran for its support of Houthi forces that have struck Emirati and Saudi ships, and its recent ballistic missile test. “In these and other similar activities, Iran continues to threaten U.S. friends and allies in the region,” said Flynn, a retired three-star general who was fired by the Obama administration. “As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice.” Asked to elaborate on Flynn’s hawkish warning, one of the senior administration officials responded, “I’m not going to address that.” [*Bannon’s Power Spawns Fears of Frozen-Out Congress* ] The officials revealed the new administration has kicked off a “deliberative process” to review and finalize its Iran policy. For that reason, the officials acknowledged that are unable to say that military options have been ruled out. “You’re asking for the results of a review process that is just now beginning. We’ve been here for a few days,” one of the officials said. “These are questions to which the answers are,” he then stammered a bit before saying “we don’t have anything to say for reasons that will not surprise you.” But the afternoon’s “on notice” warning followed by the officials’ refusal to rule out military action signaled the Trump administration likely will take a hard line against Iran. But the new White House’s message is as vague as it is hawkish, leaving open the possibility that Iranian leaders could misinterpret it and act out. Asked whether the Trump administration has attempted to avoid some sort of incident by dispatching a third party or even itself talking directly to the Iranian government, one of the officials only added to a confusing afternoon at the executive mansion by responding, “I don’t think we would comment on that today.” === Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (202) 448-2898 x1 <(202)%20448-2898> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From divisek at yahoo.com Thu Feb 2 17:01:58 2017 From: divisek at yahoo.com (Dianna Visek) Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2017 17:01:58 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Peace] =?utf-8?q?College_of_Law_Panel_Event=3A_=E2=80=9CPresiden?= =?utf-8?q?t_Trump=E2=80=99s_Executive_Order_on_Immigration=E2=80=9D?= References: <756276446.3048425.1486054918744.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <756276446.3048425.1486054918744@mail.yahoo.com> College of Law - Master Calendar | | | | | | | | | | | College of Law - Master Calendar | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Thu Feb 2 23:14:32 2017 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2017 17:14:32 -0600 Subject: [Peace] News-Gazette: Trump's order leaves three Iranian UI students in limbo Message-ID: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2017-02-02/trumps-order-leaves-three-iranian-ui-students-limbo.html Trump's order leaves three Iranian UI students in limbo Thu, 02/02/2017 - 7:00am | Julie Wurth URBANA — A University of Illinois graduate student who flew home to Iran to get married over winter break has been unable to return to the United States because of new U.S. immigration restrictions. Shayan Tabe Bordbar, a graduate student in computer science, is stuck in Iran, even though his student visa was approved the day before the new executive order took effect. At least two other people with UI ties are stranded in Iran because of the travel restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump's executive order, which suspended immigration from Iran and six other countries for at least 90 days to review vetting procedures. A UI graduate student's Iranian wife, who had planned to come back to Champaign-Urbana in mid-February, won't be able to return, the UI said. And chemical-engineering graduate student Erfan Mohammadi, who proposed to his fiancee, Farnaz Kabiri, when they went home to visit their families in December, said she is stuck in Iran because the processing of her student visa was frozen. Kabiri is a graduate student in physics at the University of Akron in Ohio. Mohammadi, who is a permanent legal resident and had hoped to become a U.S. citizen, returned to Illinois several weeks ago before the order, but he doesn't know when he'll see his fiancee again. "This is a very hard condition for us," he said. "Students shouldn't be banned from continuing their education." UI officials at first didn't know of any students or faculty stranded overseas when the executive order was signed Friday night. Bordbar spoke to The News-Gazette via friends and email. "He went back home to get married and was planning to apply for a dependent visa for his wife immediately after he got back to the States," said UI physics graduate student Rezvan Shahoei, who is also from Iran. Bordbar and his fiancee had been in a long-distance relationship for more than three years, she said. Bordbar had reapplied for a student visa from the U.S. Embassy in Dubai, stopping there on the way home Dec. 13 for the required interview. There is no U.S. embassy in Iran. He learned Jan. 26 that his visa had been renewed, but before he could pick it up, he received an email canceling his appointment because he wouldn't be allowed into the U.S., even with a visa. "The executive order was definitely a surprise," he said. Bordbar said he returned to Iran for a visit in the summer of 2014, "and there was no problem. I got my visa in four weeks and everything was fine." He has been in contact with his department at the UI and is "hoping for good news." "Since I'm not sure how long this situation will last, I can't plan anything for now. My department is being supportive; they've contacted me from the first day and I hope they can do something about this situation," he said. Bordbar enrolled at the UI in fall 2013 and finished a master's program in molecular and integrative physiology, then started a master's program in bioinformatics in spring 2016. He was scheduled to finish that program next fall. 'Uncharted territory for us' UI spokeswoman Robin Kaler said the campus is trying to help students find other options — through online courses, continuing their studies in Iran or perhaps through universities that partner with the UI. Canada has already offered to take in students affected by the ban. "Universities are pretty collegial about that," Kaler said, noting that the UI took in students at New Orleans schools affected by Hurricane Katrina. "Is there a way they can work remotely, perhaps defend a dissertation through Skype?" she said. "This is all uncharted territory for us. We're trying to explore ways to make sure that our students can continue their education and have as little disruption in their lives as possible." University spokesman Jan Dennis said the UI's three campuses have admitted 21 students from the affected countries for next fall, including 10 at the Urbana campus. Nine of the 10 at Urbana are graduate students from Iran. "Hopefully, all of this will be resolved far before then," he said. Mohammadi said his fiance is in the middle of her graduate studies at Akron and works as a teaching assistant. If she can't come back soon, her teaching contract will expire, and her tuition waiver will be canceled, he said. "You spend two years to achieve something and now, without any notice, without you being able to predict, you're not able to get what you deserve. That's really hard to accept," he said. Mohammadi has a green card but can't go visit his family. The Trump administration has said re-entry for permanent legal residents will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but officials say their status remains unclear. His family won't be able to visit him, either, and it will take another two years to earn his Ph.D. "It makes your life very unstable," he said. "It's the exact opposite of the thing you were counting on when you were choosing the U.S. to study." 'Thinking about Canada' A graduate of Iran's top engineering school, Mohammadi initially came to the UI because of its reputation in engineering but also because of the opportunities here. He's interested in wearable electronics (think Fitbit), and "if you want to go into high-tech research, you don't go to any other country but the U.S.," he said. "I wanted to have high-quality research and I wanted to build something that has real impact." That was his plan: get his Ph.D., work for a tech firm, start his own company and go into academia. "I definitely wanted to work here and contribute," he said. "Now it's completely undetermined." His fiancee is trying to continue her studies at an Iranian university this semester. If she doesn't get a visa after the 90 days expires, "I think we are thinking about Canada as our first option," he said. He won't leave before he finishes his Ph.D., but he doesn't want to stay beyond that if his travel continues to be restricted. Like other students, he's worried the ban will be extended beyond 90 days. "I am completely doubtful about my future here," he said. Mohammadi said international students contribute greatly to the United States. Their own governments have paid for their education up until graduate school, and U.S. universities can pick the cream of the crop, he said. They receive assistantships, usually paid for by their professor's research grants, but they teach undergraduate classes and spend many hours helping professors with research, he said. And most of them stay in the U.S. to work. He rattled off a list of U.S. companies co-founded by Iranians, including Dropbox, Oracle and eBay. None of those entrepreneurs could have come to the U.S. had the executive order been in place at the time, he said, and future students may go elsewhere. He loves being on campus and said people there have always been "very welcoming, no matter what I believe in, no matter what my faith is or what my color is." But he's shocked by the recent turn of events, and can't understand why the ban didn't include exceptions for students or professors. "Banning people from education and banning the U.S. government from benefiting from all these special skills and talent — it makes absolutely no sense," he said. === Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (202) 448-2898 x1 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Fri Feb 3 03:08:04 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2017 03:08:04 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Demonstration Saturday Message-ID: Please join us, AWARE, this Saturday, to protest the continuing wars, now under the Trump Administration………at the corner of Church and Neil St. downtown Champaign, Il. We have flyers and signs available. 2:00-4:00pm [https://scontent.ford1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/c0.72.640.337/s526x296/16387134_10155051988772502_8438407069793961035_n.jpg?oh=a2101e8504aba638ae5ae538f712bb93&oe=5908EAEC] FEB4 Going Anti-War Demonstration Sat 2 PM CST · Main and Neil, downtown Champaign 15 people interested · 4 people going -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Fri Feb 3 13:13:23 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2017 13:13:23 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Fwd: Announcing End Racism Hub - new website References: Message-ID: Reply-To: Amy Felty > END RACISM HUB A new website is up and running. Check out this link to see community events about understanding and eliminating racism and other prejudices that divide us. https://sites.google.com/site/endracismhub/calendar If you or your organization would like to add events, click the “contact” link to the left of the calendar. Or email Amy Felty at asfelty at gmail.com. Please help spread the news about this website by sending the link to your friends and groups. *** Please invite people to the next community showing of the film Racial Taboo. Sunday, March 12, 2017 McKinley Presbyterian Church and Foundation 809 S. 5th Street (on Daniel Street between 4th and 5th) Champaign, IL Doors open - 2:00 pm Film begins - 2:30 pm Discussion - 3:30 pm This email was sent to karenaram at hotmail.com why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences Racial Taboo group discussion notification list · 1914 Clover Lane · Champaign, Il 61821 · USA [Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Fri Feb 3 15:20:59 2017 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2017 09:20:59 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Sen. Murphy: Flynn missile test - Houthi link = Reckless Slide To War with Iran Message-ID: [...] Making matters worse this week, instead of trying to heal the wounds created by Friday’s executive order, Trump’s new National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, *doubled down on the path to conflict*. Though Trump’s executive order was the proximate cause of the ballistic missile launch, that doesn’t excuse it. Flynn appropriately warned Iran that the test would be met with consequences from the United States and the international community. Though the wording of “putting Iran on notice” was a bit odd, a strong message in the wake of the tests was warranted. *What was exceptional was that Flynn included in the statement a warning to Iran that had nothing to do with the missile tests*. “These are just the latest of a series of incidents in the past six months in which Houthi forces that Iran has trained and armed have struck Emirati and Saudi vessels and threatened United States and allied vessels transiting the Red Sea,” he said. *Flynn brought the Houthis into the statement in order to warn the Iranians that if the Houthis continued to attack Saudi Arabia, we would consider it a threat to us commensurate to the firing of the ballistic missiles. This is an absurd equivalence argument, and it could lead us into a war that no American is looking for.* Houthi rebels inside Yemen have been at war for two years with Saudi-backed forces that historically have controlled the country’s government. The Houthis are undoubtedly backed by Iran, but *they are not a pure Iranian proxy* in the way, for instance, that Hezbollah is. The Houthis’ grievances against the ousted Yemeni government were organic, and though Iran helps to fund the rebels, *they do not command nor control them*. [...] [...] *What was so dangerous about Flynn’s statement was that he is now suggesting that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia could lead to war between the United States and Iran. This makes no sense.* [...] [...] Observed in conjunction with Flynn’s statement this week, it makes clear *the U.S. is doubling down on our involvement in the Yemen civil war. This would be madness, and Democrats and Republicans who have any influence with the administration need to beg Trump and his team to back off these escalatory moves*. The United States should target extremist groups in Yemen, *which are growing stronger largely because of the bombing campaign by Saudi Arabia*. But *we should stay the hell out of the civil war there*. I have long argued that we should cease helping Saudi Arabia in its bombing campaign, but *we should not get any more involved in a war between two rival ethnic groups in Yemen when who wins that fight has no meaningful effect on U.S. national security*. Yes, it matters to Saudi Arabia who wins that fight, but the transitive property doesn’t apply to foreign relations – not everything that matters to our friends automatically matters to us. American presidents are supposed to keep us out of war. What is so hard to fathom about the first few weeks of the Trump administration is that *every step they have taken seems to get us closer and closer to a conflict with Iran*. I hope that is not their goal. I hope that it’s simply a series of mistakes. If it’s the latter, Trump should correct his course right now, or the blood and treasure wasted in an unnecessary conflict with Iran will be entirely of his own making. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/5893ce89e4b02bbb1816b8d3 ?timestamp=1486129734543 *A Reckless Slide Toward War with Iran* Since the inauguration, the White House has taken several ham-handed escalatory steps that bring into question whether Trump and his most radical advisors are begging for war with Iran. This would be a disaster of epic scale, perhaps eclipsing the nightmare of the Iraq War. Republicans and Democrats need to start viewing President Trump’s actions and words as a possible accidental or intentional prelude to major conflict, and taking steps to counter this dangerous slide to war. The descent began with last Friday’s executive order barring Iranian citizens from entering the United States. Potentially the most dangerous result of the order was to empower the most hardline clerics in Iran—threatening not just our own security, but our ally Israel’s as well. The danger of including Iran comes in the message it sends to Iranians and its potential to tip the political balance inside Iran to forces that are deeply antithetical to the United States and Israel – the kind of people who actually could start World War III. The Iranian people, especially the growing numbers of young people in the country, do not hate the United States. They regularly get fed anti-American garbage by the regime, but the young men and women who will inherit Iran largely admire America. This tilt toward the West is what caused the relatively moderate Hassan Rouhani to be elected President. It is also what brought Iran to the negotiating table, resulting in the landmark nuclear agreement committing Iran to give up its pathway to a nuclear weapon. Rouhani said that the Muslim ban was a “great gift to extremists.” He meant groups like ISIS, but he might have also have been referring to extremist political groups in his own country. Why? Because the hardliners in Tehran who want to tear up the nuclear agreement, make Iran a nuclear weapons power, and create havoc in the Middle East will use the Muslim ban as evidence that America does indeed hate Iran. We watched on Sunday as the hardliners showed off their new strengthened position. The ballistic missile test was a signal that Rouhani is losing power and the anti-Western conservatives are ascendant. This edges us closer to war, but it also endangers our allies in the region, most notably Israel. By and large, Rouhani has dispatched the hateful anti-Israel speech that was a regular part of his predecessor’s rhetorical repertoire. If Rouhani goes, so does any chance at Iranian moderation on Israel. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of reasons to view Tehran as a serious adversary. The government has long been a sponsor of terrorists and radical groups in the Middle East. Most recently, the Iranian government bears responsibility for some of the worst carnage in Syria. But often lost in the debate in the United States is that Iran has not been associated with direct threats against our country. Though Trump referenced 9/11 several times in rolling out his executive order, not one of the hijackers or plotters was from Iran (wildly, none of the 4 countries of origin of the 9/11 perpetrators are on the list). Iran’s government is full of bad actors, and that’s why we have levied sanctions against their government for its support of terrorism in the Middle East. But Trump claimed the Muslim ban was about protecting against terrorist threats against the United States – and there’s no evidence to suggest that vetted Iranian immigrants pose a threat to Americans. Making matters worse this week, instead of trying to heal the wounds created by Friday’s executive order, Trump’s new National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, doubled down on the path to conflict. Though Trump’s executive order was the proximate cause of the ballistic missile launch, that doesn’t excuse it. Flynn appropriately warned Iran that the test would be met with consequences from the United States and the international community. Though the wording of “putting Iran on notice” was a bit odd, a strong message in the wake of the tests was warranted. What was exceptional was that Flynn included in the statement a warning to Iran that had nothing to do with the missile tests. “These are just the latest of a series of incidents in the past six months in which Houthi forces that Iran has trained and armed have struck Emirati and Saudi vessels and threatened United States and allied vessels transiting the Red Sea,” he said. Flynn brought the Houthis into the statement in order to warn the Iranians that if the Houthis continued to attack Saudi Arabia, we would consider it a threat to us commensurate to the firing of the ballistic missiles. This is an absurd equivalence argument, and it could lead us into a war that no American is looking for. Houthi rebels inside Yemen have been at war for two years with Saudi-backed forces that historically have controlled the country’s government. The Houthis are undoubtedly backed by Iran, but they are not a pure Iranian proxy in the way, for instance, that Hezbollah is. The Houthis’ grievances against the ousted Yemeni government were organic, and though Iran helps to fund the rebels, they do not command nor control them. You wouldn’t know this by listening to his statement, but the United States does not have a security treaty with Saudi Arabia. They are our ally, but they fight their own battles. They are waging war against the Houthis with a reckless bombing campaign (supported by the U.S.) that has killed thousands and thousands of civilians. Some by accident. Some on purpose. The Houthis have fought back – and they too are responsible for scores of civilian deaths. What was so dangerous about Flynn’s statement was that he is now suggesting that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia could lead to war between the United States and Iran. This makes no sense. And it squares with other actions that Trump has authorized in the early days of this administration. Last week, an American Navy Seal and countless Yemeni civilians were killed in a special operations mission against Al Qaeda inside Yemen. It was the first counter-terrorism operation authorized by Trump, and it went very, very badly. According to military sources, it was approved “without sufficient intelligence, ground support or adequate backup preparations.” This showed that Trump is willing to escalate U.S. military activity in Yemen in dangerous ways. Observed in conjunction with Flynn’s statement this week, it makes clear the U.S. is doubling down on our involvement in the Yemen civil war. This would be madness, and Democrats and Republicans who have any influence with the administration need to beg Trump and his team to back off these escalatory moves. The United States should target extremist groups in Yemen, which are growing stronger largely because of the bombing campaign by Saudi Arabia. But we should stay the hell out of the civil war there. I have long argued that we should cease helping Saudi Arabia in its bombing campaign, but we should not get any more involved in a war between two rival ethnic groups in Yemen when who wins that fight has no meaningful effect on U.S. national security. Yes, it matters to Saudi Arabia who wins that fight, but the transitive property doesn’t apply to foreign relations – not everything that matters to our friends automatically matters to us. American presidents are supposed to keep us out of war. What is so hard to fathom about the first few weeks of the Trump administration is that every step they have taken seems to get us closer and closer to a conflict with Iran. I hope that is not their goal. I hope that it’s simply a series of mistakes. If it’s the latter, Trump should correct his course right now, or the blood and treasure wasted in an unnecessary conflict with Iran will be entirely of his own making. *Following President Trump’s executive order banning citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries from traveling to the U.S., Murphy published **“**How Trump Just Made America Less Safe .”* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Sat Feb 4 14:05:07 2017 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2017 08:05:07 -0600 Subject: [Peace] The Hill: Trump right turn on Iran likely to lead to war Message-ID: Wake up and smell the coffee. [...] Indeed, Matthew McInnis, a resident fellow at the conservative *American Enterprise Institute*, said sanctions alone probably won’t be enough to stop Iran’s missile program, though they will hopefully have some positive effect. “*Eventually there will need to be some further pressure, potentially including threats of force*,” he said. “The ballistic missile program is so critical to the regime that it will take a very significant amount of pressure on them to seriously consider stopping the program.” As an example of the type of threat, *McInnis said the United States could threaten to shoot down Iranian missiles.* *Shooting down a missile would be an act of war, said Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council *and author of “Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy.” *Parsi expressed alarm at Trump’s handling of the situation, calling it “blind escalation.”* He said he expects Iran to respond in some way to Trump,* at which point Trump will either have to make good on his promises* or look weak on foreign policy. *“What’s their mechanism to dial this down,” Parsi said. *“They don’t really have much options, so why make the threat. If you want to be strong on foreign policy, you don’t make threats you can’t act on.” ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: The Hill Date: Sat, Feb 4, 2017 at 7:00 AM Subject: News Alert - Trump makes right turn on Iran To: Subscriber View in your browser [image: News Alert] [image: Facebook] [image: Twitter] [image: LinkedIn] [image: Email] Trump makes right turn on Iran President Trump’s decision Friday to quickly slap new sanctions on Iran after it conducted a ballistic missile test signals the hard turn the new administration intends to take with Tehran. It capped a week in which the fiery rhetoric from Team Trump highlighted rising tensions between the two countries. Read the full story here [image: Learn more about RevenueStripe...] [image: Facebook] [image: Twitter] [image: LinkedIn] [image: Email] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kmedina67 at gmail.com Sat Feb 4 14:42:05 2017 From: kmedina67 at gmail.com (kmedina67) Date: Sat, 04 Feb 2017 08:42:05 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Peace Demonstration today, feb 4, 2017, 2pm-4pm Message-ID: <74ft256t23612phhusgwaqcq.1486219325433@email.android.com> Dear peace, Got 2 hours for peace?  What: Peace DemonstrationWhen: today and the first Saturday of every month. 2pm-4pmWhere: downtown Champaign, IllinoisThe corner of Neil St. and Church St.Who: AWARE and friends The weather is expected to turn quite windy today. Please wear warm clothes, including hand covering.  Why:  What is new right now?  Tough talk toward Iran.  And the continuation of the Pivot to Asia. On top of the ongoing wars.  Contact person: Karen Medina  -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stuartnlevy at gmail.com Sat Feb 4 14:46:58 2017 From: stuartnlevy at gmail.com (Stuart Levy) Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2017 08:46:58 -0600 Subject: [Peace] anti-war demonstration *today* - 2-4pm, Saturday, at Main & Neil, downtown Champaign Message-ID: <2584273b-d1ac-d7af-373a-15bdb854446d@gmail.com> NO MUSLIM BAN, NO WAR WITH CHINA - NOR WITH IRAN! ~~~ Saturday, Feb 4th, 2pm-4pm, at the corner of Main and Neil in downtown Champaign ~~~ AWARE's monthly anti-war demonstration - the first under the new administration. The wars are still on, and US military bases still span the globe. The Trump administration, while less belligerent toward Russia, is already using threatening language toward China and now toward Iran. Please join us in demonstrating against war - and help remind the new regime that dissent is an essential part of democracy. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cge at shout.net Sat Feb 4 15:30:23 2017 From: cge at shout.net (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Sat, 04 Feb 2017 09:30:23 -0600 Subject: [Peace] News from Neptune for this week In-Reply-To: References: <5880c407a1db5_222964d980682c3@asgworker-qmb2-1.nbuild.prd.useast1.3dna.io.mail> Message-ID: Carl Estabrook and David Green discuss the news of the week and its coverage by the media on Friday, February 3, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rdioxQpP5E&list=TLGGtGtN6PhKahQwNDAyMjAxNw A Coup-Coup edition. From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Sun Feb 5 15:35:55 2017 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2017 09:35:55 -0600 Subject: [Peace] NYT: Ninth Circuit rejects DoJ; groups urge ppl to rebook travel to US immediately Message-ID: We need to get this word out far and wide ASAP: as a practical matter, you have way more rights if you have one toe on U.S. soil. Get your butt here right now. Do not pass Go. Do not collect two hundred dollars. I'm thinking that our 4-4 Supreme Court is looking pretty good right now. "Ninth Circuit, live like them/Dare to struggle, dare to win." [...] A group of advocacy organizations that had worked to overturn the executive order and help immigrants and refugees stranded at airports issued a statement on Saturday afternoon encouraging travelers “to rebook travel to the United States immediately.” “We have been in contact with hundreds of people impacted by the ban, and we are urging them to get on planes as quickly as possible,” Clare Kane, a law student intern at the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization at Yale Law School, one of the groups involved, said in a statement. [...] - Appeals Court Rejects Request to Immediately Restore Travel Ban https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/04/us/politics/visa-ban-trum p-judge-james-robart.html === Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (202) 448-2898 x1 <(202)%20448-2898> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From susanroseparenti at gmail.com Mon Feb 6 18:27:00 2017 From: susanroseparenti at gmail.com (Susan Parenti) Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2017 12:27:00 -0600 Subject: [Peace] =?utf-8?q?Fwd=3A_SDaS_News=E2=80=94upcoming_trips=2C_prog?= =?utf-8?q?rams=2C_artist-in-residence!?= Message-ID: Learn about our upcoming events & current Artist-in-Residence View this email in your browser *Upcoming Events* *“Got clowning? Got design?”Clowning and Caring in Mexico* *Mexico City, Mexico | February 19-26, 2017* One-week session to explore performance and clowning as a strategy for caring, with daily clowning in hospitals, shelters, mental-health institutions, streets. In the afternoons we’ll build our clown skills with performance workshops, and build our social change skills with design workshops. More Info *Desire and Design, Caring and Clowning* *May 28 - June 18, 2017 | Hillsboro West Virginia* A 3 week session held at the Gesundheit Institute in West Virginia, drawing on insights and practices from experimental composition, story-telling, systems theory, care theory and clowning... in an era when caring becomes an act of resistance. See More *Construct Your Humanism!* *June 11 - July 2, 2017 | Urbana Illinois* Join us for three weeks in Urbana Illinois at Patch Adams and Susan Parenti’s home, where we’ll offer teaching presentations, play workshops, community living and clowning—all centered around your creating an action plan to support and protect your humanism. Open to all members of the caring fields—medicine, education, governance, ecology, arts, parenting, social services, small businesses. Learn More *Artist-in-Residence* *Koushalya Jeganathan (“Earthling”)* *March - July 2017 | Urbana Illinois* This spring and summer, friend Koushalya Jeganathan will be creating films and various projects with members of School for Designing a Society and Urbana friends. Come by and let’s cook something up! Earthling (aka Koushalya Jeganathan) comes from the part of the earth called Pondicherry, a small, quaint coastal town located in the South east coast of India. As part of the Accessible Horizon Film Collective team, she collaborates with her 3 other team-mates as an art director, writer, editor and director for short films, documentaries & features. She writes of herself: "I was taught that this planet thrives on the strength of the collective rather than that of the individual...and that my existence is justified and makes sense only with the rest of the beings in this reality…” *Questions? * Confused about how to apply for a course? *Contact Us, We're here to help.* Contact Us *Copyright © 2017 School for Designing a Society, All rights reserved.* These are people who have been imported from Creatsend. *Our mailing address is:* School for Designing a Society 122 Franklin St Urbana, IL 61801 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list -- *Susan Parenti* *Educational Coordinator * *The School for Designing a Society *www.designingasociety.net *Like us on Facebook !* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stuartnlevy at gmail.com Mon Feb 6 21:56:03 2017 From: stuartnlevy at gmail.com (Stuart Levy) Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2017 15:56:03 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Tuesday 1pm @ YMCA: "What does the ban mean for Africa? "Center for African Studies forum Tues. Feb. 7- 1 p.m. In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <7864ada7-5eca-6256-831b-2987cba2d85b@gmail.com> Event tomorrow -- Tue Feb 7th, 1:00pm at University YMCA *"What does 'The Ban' Mean for Africa?** **Conversations about Immigration, Foreign-ness, and Resistance"* Panel about the recent executive order targeting immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim nations, including Libya, Somalia and Sudan. Moderator: Prof. Faranak Miraftab (Urban & Regional Planning) Panelists: Prof. Teresa Barnes (History), Dr. Maimouna Barro (Center for African Studies), Mor Gueye (Education), Brenda Sanya (Education), Angela Williams (CSAMES) ​ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 543474 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ Announce mailing list Announce at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/announce-communitycourtwatch From karenaram at hotmail.com Mon Feb 6 22:09:02 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2017 22:09:02 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Tuesday 1pm @ YMCA: "What does the ban mean for Africa? "Center for African Studies forum Tues. Feb. 7- 1 p.m. In-Reply-To: <7864ada7-5eca-6256-831b-2987cba2d85b@gmail.com> References: <7864ada7-5eca-6256-831b-2987cba2d85b@gmail.com> Message-ID: Thanks Stuart I won’t be able to go, but perhaps someone who is going, can point out the perfect solution to “fear of terrorists,” is to stop creating them. This concern over refugees, is to stop creating them. If the US stops our wars of imperialism we might not have either. People could live in their own lands in peace and harmony, without being massacred for their resources by the imperialist, western powers. On Feb 6, 2017, at 13:56, Stuart Levy via Peace > wrote: Event tomorrow -- Tue Feb 7th, 1:00pm at University YMCA "What does 'The Ban' Mean for Africa? Conversations about Immigration, Foreign-ness, and Resistance" Panel about the recent executive order targeting immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim nations, including Libya, Somalia and Sudan. Moderator: Prof. Faranak Miraftab (Urban & Regional Planning) Panelists: Prof. Teresa Barnes (History), Dr. Maimouna Barro (Center for African Studies), Mor Gueye (Education), Brenda Sanya (Education), Angela Williams (CSAMES) _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From susanroseparenti at gmail.com Tue Feb 7 14:38:53 2017 From: susanroseparenti at gmail.com (Susan Parenti) Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2017 08:38:53 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Tuesday 1pm @ YMCA: "What does the ban mean for Africa? "Center for African Studies forum Tues. Feb. 7- 1 p.m. In-Reply-To: References: <7864ada7-5eca-6256-831b-2987cba2d85b@gmail.com> Message-ID: Thanks Karen for these insights. I’m going, and will try to represent them. > On Feb 6, 2017, at 4:09 PM, Karen Aram via Peace wrote: > > Thanks Stuart > > I won’t be able to go, but perhaps someone who is going, can point out the perfect solution to “fear of terrorists,” is to stop creating them. > > This concern over refugees, is to stop creating them. > > If the US stops our wars of imperialism we might not have either. People could live in their own lands in peace and harmony, without being massacred for their resources by the imperialist, western powers. > > > >> On Feb 6, 2017, at 13:56, Stuart Levy via Peace > wrote: >> >> Event tomorrow -- Tue Feb 7th, 1:00pm at University YMCA >> >> "What does 'The Ban' Mean for Africa? >> Conversations about Immigration, Foreign-ness, and Resistance" >> >> Panel about the recent executive order targeting immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim nations, including Libya, Somalia and Sudan. >> >> Moderator: Prof. Faranak Miraftab (Urban & Regional Planning) >> Panelists: Prof. Teresa Barnes (History), Dr. Maimouna Barro (Center for African Studies), Mor Gueye (Education), Brenda Sanya (Education), Angela Williams (CSAMES) >> >> >> ​ >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Wed Feb 8 13:27:29 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2017 13:27:29 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Chilling Message-ID: First paragraph, second sentence is chilling. * Print * Leaflet * Feedback * Share » In speech at Florida Air Force base Trump appeals to the military against the press and the courts 8 February 2017 In an extraordinary appearance Monday at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, President Donald Trump dispensed with democratic protocol to deliver a political speech. He denounced the press and implicitly suggested the formation of a presidential-military alliance against the courts and the Constitution. In his brief remarks, Trump lavished praise on the Central Command and Special Forces Command troops that are based at MacDill. He began by thanking the military for its lopsided vote in his favor in last November’s election. “And I saw those numbers—and you like me and I like you,” he said. He continued: “And we’re going to be loading [MacDill] up with beautiful new planes and beautiful new equipment… We’re going to load you up.” He returned to this theme several times, stating at one point, “We will make a historic financial investment in the Armed Forces of the United States…” Invoking the specter of “radical Islamic terrorists,” he darkly accused the press of deliberately downplaying the threat. “It’s gotten to the point where it’s not even being reported and, in many cases, the very, very dishonest press doesn’t want to report it. They have their reasons and you understand that.” Following this suggestion that the press is aiding and abetting the terrorists, Trump promoted his anti-immigrant measures, without referring to them directly, and implicitly criticized the courts for temporarily blocking his anti-Muslim travel ban. “We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism, and we will not allow it to take root in our country… You’ve been seeing what’s been going on over the last few days. We need strong programs so that people that love us and want to love our country and will end up loving our country are allowed in—not people that want to destroy us and destroy our country.” The speech followed his tweets denouncing the judge who ruled against his travel ban and blaming any future terror attack on the “court system.” His top political aide, the fascist Stephen Bannon, has meanwhile told the press to “shut up.” Trump’s speech comes in the midst of an intense conflict within the state over foreign policy and national security questions, involving not only the travel ban but also new attacks by the Democrats and much of the media for his supposed “softness” toward Russia. It also takes place in the context of ongoing demonstrations across the country and internationally in opposition to his racist immigration measures and other antidemocratic policies. The MacDill event marks a milestone in the long-term strengthening of the role of the armed forces in US political life and erosion of the constitutional principle of civilian control. Trump has packed his administration with retired generals, including James “Mad Dog” Mattis as secretary of defense, Michael Flynn as national security adviser, and John Kelly as head of the Homeland Security Department. The latter appointment for the first time places a military man at the head of a sprawling apparatus for domestic repression established as the internal component of the “war on terror.” These developments follow the sinister incident, which remains unexplained and virtually unreported by the media, that occurred toward the beginning of Trump’s inaugural address. Ten officers from the various services lined up behind Trump and remained there long enough for the image of the new president flanked by uniformed military men to be broadcast across the country and internationally. This was no accident, but rather a calculated maneuver devised by Trump and advisers such as Bannon to present an image of a quasi-military government, prepared to crack down on opposition at home and wage war against multiple enemies abroad. The immense growth in the size, power and political influence of the military is not something new or unique to the Trump administration. Rather, as with every other manifestation of the decay of American democracy, with the Trump presidency a protracted process of decline has reached a qualitatively new stage. Twenty-five years of unending war following the dissolution of the Soviet Union have vastly increased the power of the military brass. The consolidation of a professional military has increasingly isolated the armed forces from civilian society, creating a distinct social caste that asserts its independent interests in the affairs of state ever more aggressively. The greater the level of social inequality, the more widespread the alienation of the working masses from the entire political system, the more the ruling financial oligarchy seeks to base itself on the military. Already in the 2000 election, in which the Supreme Court handed the White House to George W. Bush, the loser of the popular vote, by shutting down a vote recount in Florida, Democrat Al Gore agreed to Republican demands that illegal military votes in Florida, mainly for Bush, be counted. Both Bush and Barack Obama set records for the number of speeches they gave to military audiences. With Trump’s chauvinist “America First” government of generals and billionaires, the semi-criminal financial oligarchy bares its teeth and removes the mask of democratic niceties. In the press and among the think tank strategists of the ruling class, the demise of the bedrock constitutional principle of civilian control of the military is being openly discussed and debated. The headlines of articles on the subject that have appeared since Trump’s election include: “Is Civilian Control of the Military in Jeopardy?” (The American Conservative), “The ‘Civilian Control of the Military’ Fallacy” (Defense One), and “Trump is surrounding himself with generals. That’s dangerous” (Washington Post). An article published by Foreign Policy in December by Georgetown University Professor Rosa Brooks argues that civilian control of the military has “become a rule of aesthetics, not ethics, and its invocation is a soothing ritual that makes us feel better without accomplishing anything of value.” The Democratic Party will not oppose the further politicization of the military and militarization of politics. On the contrary, in recent days media outlets aligned with the Democrats have presented the military brass as a democratic check on Trump’s fascistic impulses. The New York Times responded to Trump’s elevation of Bannon to the National Security Council and demotion of the director of national intelligence and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by urging Trump to seek advice in matters of war and peace from “more thoughtful experienced hands” such as Defense Secretary Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dunford. The Atlantic magazine published an article with the headline “Are Trump’s Generals Mounting a Defense of Democratic Institutions?” There is no faction of the ruling class or its political representatives, Democratic or Republican, that will defend democratic rights. The collapse of American democracy, as with democratic institutions all over the world, is the outcome of the mortal crisis of American and world capitalism. It is up to the working class to take the lead in the defense of basic rights through an independent struggle for political power and socialism. Barry Grey -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From deb.pdamerica at gmail.com Wed Feb 8 15:20:27 2017 From: deb.pdamerica at gmail.com (Debra Schrishuhn) Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2017 09:20:27 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Chilling In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Chilling barely begins to describe this article and situation. I invite everyone to attend the workshop at Channing Murray Saturday Feb 11 2-4 pm on building progressive power in the age of Trump. Featured speakers are Urbana Alderman Aaron Ammons and local activist Jared Miller. Thanks for sharing, Karen. Deb Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 8, 2017, at 7:27 AM, Karen Aram via Peace wrote: > > First paragraph, second sentence is chilling. > > Print > Leaflet > Feedback > Share » > In speech at Florida Air Force base > Trump appeals to the military against the press and the courts > 8 February 2017 > In an extraordinary appearance Monday at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, President Donald Trump dispensed with democratic protocol to deliver a political speech. He denounced the press and implicitly suggested the formation of a presidential-military alliance against the courts and the Constitution. > In his brief remarks, Trump lavished praise on the Central Command and Special Forces Command troops that are based at MacDill. He began by thanking the military for its lopsided vote in his favor in last November’s election. “And I saw those numbers—and you like me and I like you,” he said. > He continued: “And we’re going to be loading [MacDill] up with beautiful new planes and beautiful new equipment… We’re going to load you up.” He returned to this theme several times, stating at one point, “We will make a historic financial investment in the Armed Forces of the United States…” > Invoking the specter of “radical Islamic terrorists,” he darkly accused the press of deliberately downplaying the threat. “It’s gotten to the point where it’s not even being reported and, in many cases, the very, very dishonest press doesn’t want to report it. They have their reasons and you understand that.” > Following this suggestion that the press is aiding and abetting the terrorists, Trump promoted his anti-immigrant measures, without referring to them directly, and implicitly criticized the courts for temporarily blocking his anti-Muslim travel ban. > “We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism, and we will not allow it to take root in our country… You’ve been seeing what’s been going on over the last few days. We need strong programs so that people that love us and want to love our country and will end up loving our country are allowed in—not people that want to destroy us and destroy our country.” > The speech followed his tweets denouncing the judge who ruled against his travel ban and blaming any future terror attack on the “court system.” His top political aide, the fascist Stephen Bannon, has meanwhile told the press to “shut up.” > Trump’s speech comes in the midst of an intense conflict within the state over foreign policy and national security questions, involving not only the travel ban but also new attacks by the Democrats and much of the media for his supposed “softness” toward Russia. > It also takes place in the context of ongoing demonstrations across the country and internationally in opposition to his racist immigration measures and other antidemocratic policies. > The MacDill event marks a milestone in the long-term strengthening of the role of the armed forces in US political life and erosion of the constitutional principle of civilian control. Trump has packed his administration with retired generals, including James “Mad Dog” Mattis as secretary of defense, Michael Flynn as national security adviser, and John Kelly as head of the Homeland Security Department. The latter appointment for the first time places a military man at the head of a sprawling apparatus for domestic repression established as the internal component of the “war on terror.” > These developments follow the sinister incident, which remains unexplained and virtually unreported by the media, that occurred toward the beginning of Trump’s inaugural address. Ten officers from the various services lined up behind Trump and remained there long enough for the image of the new president flanked by uniformed military men to be broadcast across the country and internationally. This was no accident, but rather a calculated maneuver devised by Trump and advisers such as Bannon to present an image of a quasi-military government, prepared to crack down on opposition at home and wage war against multiple enemies abroad. > The immense growth in the size, power and political influence of the military is not something new or unique to the Trump administration. Rather, as with every other manifestation of the decay of American democracy, with the Trump presidency a protracted process of decline has reached a qualitatively new stage. > Twenty-five years of unending war following the dissolution of the Soviet Union have vastly increased the power of the military brass. The consolidation of a professional military has increasingly isolated the armed forces from civilian society, creating a distinct social caste that asserts its independent interests in the affairs of state ever more aggressively. > The greater the level of social inequality, the more widespread the alienation of the working masses from the entire political system, the more the ruling financial oligarchy seeks to base itself on the military. Already in the 2000 election, in which the Supreme Court handed the White House to George W. Bush, the loser of the popular vote, by shutting down a vote recount in Florida, Democrat Al Gore agreed to Republican demands that illegal military votes in Florida, mainly for Bush, be counted. > Both Bush and Barack Obama set records for the number of speeches they gave to military audiences. With Trump’s chauvinist “America First” government of generals and billionaires, the semi-criminal financial oligarchy bares its teeth and removes the mask of democratic niceties. > In the press and among the think tank strategists of the ruling class, the demise of the bedrock constitutional principle of civilian control of the military is being openly discussed and debated. > The headlines of articles on the subject that have appeared since Trump’s election include: “Is Civilian Control of the Military in Jeopardy?” (The American Conservative), “The ‘Civilian Control of the Military’ Fallacy” (Defense One), and “Trump is surrounding himself with generals. That’s dangerous” (Washington Post). An article published by Foreign Policy in December by Georgetown University Professor Rosa Brooks argues that civilian control of the military has “become a rule of aesthetics, not ethics, and its invocation is a soothing ritual that makes us feel better without accomplishing anything of value.” > The Democratic Party will not oppose the further politicization of the military and militarization of politics. On the contrary, in recent days media outlets aligned with the Democrats have presented the military brass as a democratic check on Trump’s fascistic impulses. The New York Times responded to Trump’s elevation of Bannon to the National Security Council and demotion of the director of national intelligence and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by urging Trump to seek advice in matters of war and peace from “more thoughtful experienced hands” such as Defense Secretary Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dunford. > The Atlantic magazine published an article with the headline “Are Trump’s Generals Mounting a Defense of Democratic Institutions?” > There is no faction of the ruling class or its political representatives, Democratic or Republican, that will defend democratic rights. The collapse of American democracy, as with democratic institutions all over the world, is the outcome of the mortal crisis of American and world capitalism. It is up to the working class to take the lead in the defense of basic rights through an independent struggle for political power and socialism. > Barry Grey > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Wed Feb 8 15:50:40 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2017 15:50:40 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Chilling In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: The article comes from the World Socialist Website. They are opposed to war, Democrat and Republican Parties alike. On Feb 8, 2017, at 07:20, Debra Schrishuhn > wrote: Chilling barely begins to describe this article and situation. I invite everyone to attend the workshop at Channing Murray Saturday Feb 11 2-4 pm on building progressive power in the age of Trump. Featured speakers are Urbana Alderman Aaron Ammons and local activist Jared Miller. Thanks for sharing, Karen. Deb Sent from my iPhone On Feb 8, 2017, at 7:27 AM, Karen Aram via Peace > wrote: First paragraph, second sentence is chilling. * Print * Leaflet * Feedback * Share » In speech at Florida Air Force base Trump appeals to the military against the press and the courts 8 February 2017 In an extraordinary appearance Monday at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, President Donald Trump dispensed with democratic protocol to deliver a political speech. He denounced the press and implicitly suggested the formation of a presidential-military alliance against the courts and the Constitution. In his brief remarks, Trump lavished praise on the Central Command and Special Forces Command troops that are based at MacDill. He began by thanking the military for its lopsided vote in his favor in last November’s election. “And I saw those numbers—and you like me and I like you,” he said. He continued: “And we’re going to be loading [MacDill] up with beautiful new planes and beautiful new equipment… We’re going to load you up.” He returned to this theme several times, stating at one point, “We will make a historic financial investment in the Armed Forces of the United States…” Invoking the specter of “radical Islamic terrorists,” he darkly accused the press of deliberately downplaying the threat. “It’s gotten to the point where it’s not even being reported and, in many cases, the very, very dishonest press doesn’t want to report it. They have their reasons and you understand that.” Following this suggestion that the press is aiding and abetting the terrorists, Trump promoted his anti-immigrant measures, without referring to them directly, and implicitly criticized the courts for temporarily blocking his anti-Muslim travel ban. “We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism, and we will not allow it to take root in our country… You’ve been seeing what’s been going on over the last few days. We need strong programs so that people that love us and want to love our country and will end up loving our country are allowed in—not people that want to destroy us and destroy our country.” The speech followed his tweets denouncing the judge who ruled against his travel ban and blaming any future terror attack on the “court system.” His top political aide, the fascist Stephen Bannon, has meanwhile told the press to “shut up.” Trump’s speech comes in the midst of an intense conflict within the state over foreign policy and national security questions, involving not only the travel ban but also new attacks by the Democrats and much of the media for his supposed “softness” toward Russia. It also takes place in the context of ongoing demonstrations across the country and internationally in opposition to his racist immigration measures and other antidemocratic policies. The MacDill event marks a milestone in the long-term strengthening of the role of the armed forces in US political life and erosion of the constitutional principle of civilian control. Trump has packed his administration with retired generals, including James “Mad Dog” Mattis as secretary of defense, Michael Flynn as national security adviser, and John Kelly as head of the Homeland Security Department. The latter appointment for the first time places a military man at the head of a sprawling apparatus for domestic repression established as the internal component of the “war on terror.” These developments follow the sinister incident, which remains unexplained and virtually unreported by the media, that occurred toward the beginning of Trump’s inaugural address. Ten officers from the various services lined up behind Trump and remained there long enough for the image of the new president flanked by uniformed military men to be broadcast across the country and internationally. This was no accident, but rather a calculated maneuver devised by Trump and advisers such as Bannon to present an image of a quasi-military government, prepared to crack down on opposition at home and wage war against multiple enemies abroad. The immense growth in the size, power and political influence of the military is not something new or unique to the Trump administration. Rather, as with every other manifestation of the decay of American democracy, with the Trump presidency a protracted process of decline has reached a qualitatively new stage. Twenty-five years of unending war following the dissolution of the Soviet Union have vastly increased the power of the military brass. The consolidation of a professional military has increasingly isolated the armed forces from civilian society, creating a distinct social caste that asserts its independent interests in the affairs of state ever more aggressively. The greater the level of social inequality, the more widespread the alienation of the working masses from the entire political system, the more the ruling financial oligarchy seeks to base itself on the military. Already in the 2000 election, in which the Supreme Court handed the White House to George W. Bush, the loser of the popular vote, by shutting down a vote recount in Florida, Democrat Al Gore agreed to Republican demands that illegal military votes in Florida, mainly for Bush, be counted. Both Bush and Barack Obama set records for the number of speeches they gave to military audiences. With Trump’s chauvinist “America First” government of generals and billionaires, the semi-criminal financial oligarchy bares its teeth and removes the mask of democratic niceties. In the press and among the think tank strategists of the ruling class, the demise of the bedrock constitutional principle of civilian control of the military is being openly discussed and debated. The headlines of articles on the subject that have appeared since Trump’s election include: “Is Civilian Control of the Military in Jeopardy?” (The American Conservative), “The ‘Civilian Control of the Military’ Fallacy” (Defense One), and “Trump is surrounding himself with generals. That’s dangerous” (Washington Post). An article published by Foreign Policy in December by Georgetown University Professor Rosa Brooks argues that civilian control of the military has “become a rule of aesthetics, not ethics, and its invocation is a soothing ritual that makes us feel better without accomplishing anything of value.” The Democratic Party will not oppose the further politicization of the military and militarization of politics. On the contrary, in recent days media outlets aligned with the Democrats have presented the military brass as a democratic check on Trump’s fascistic impulses. The New York Times responded to Trump’s elevation of Bannon to the National Security Council and demotion of the director of national intelligence and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by urging Trump to seek advice in matters of war and peace from “more thoughtful experienced hands” such as Defense Secretary Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dunford. The Atlantic magazine published an article with the headline “Are Trump’s Generals Mounting a Defense of Democratic Institutions?” There is no faction of the ruling class or its political representatives, Democratic or Republican, that will defend democratic rights. The collapse of American democracy, as with democratic institutions all over the world, is the outcome of the mortal crisis of American and world capitalism. It is up to the working class to take the lead in the defense of basic rights through an independent struggle for political power and socialism. Barry Grey _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stuartnlevy at gmail.com Wed Feb 8 18:01:08 2017 From: stuartnlevy at gmail.com (Stuart Levy) Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2017 12:01:08 -0600 Subject: [Peace] NoDAPL protest *today* 4pm Wed, Chase Bank in Champaign Message-ID: <0f87030e-62e9-b2a7-d43b-63d85e49ab2f@gmail.com> NO to Dakota Access Pipeline! Yesterday (2/7) the Army Corps of Engineers announced it will allow construction of Dakota Access Pipeline immediately, without even the legally required 14-day Congressional notice period. Today, groups across the country are protesting. A demonstration is being organized here against Chase Bank and PNC Bank, which are among those banks funding the pipeline project. The event starts at 4pm today (Feb 8th) at Chase Bank at 201 W University Ave in downtown Champaign. RSVP here: https://actionnetwork.org/events/break-the-banks-defund-dapl-cu/ The local organizers are Cailie Kafura of Food and Water Watch and MJ Oviatt of SECS. They write: Join us in targeting two of the banks funding Dakota Access Pipeline that is located both here in Illinois and at Standing Rock. We will be starting our action at 4pm at the Chase Bank on University Avenue and continue on to the PNC Bank on Main Street. We will have at least two folks divesting their personal funds at each bank and anyone is welcome to join this action! Army Corps of Engineers just gave notice to grant DAPL easement and discard the Environmental Impact Statement, thanks to the Trump administration. This is neocolonialism. This is state-sanctioned violence. This is our water. We need everyone. #NoDAPL #BlackSnakeKillers #DefundDAPL -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From galliher at illinois.edu Wed Feb 8 19:17:22 2017 From: galliher at illinois.edu (Carl G. Estabrook) Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2017 13:17:22 -0600 Subject: [Peace] [Peace-discuss] Chilling In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Against this, Trump (and Bannon) are being excoriated by the (bipartisan) political establisnment for daring to tamper with the organization of the of the National Security Council, to which the president’s private army (’special forces’) reports. (“The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Director of National Intelligence sat on the principals committee under Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. President George W. Bush stipulated that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and CIA director (the predecessor to the Director of National Intelligence) 'shall attend where issues pertaining to their responsibilities and expertise are to be discussed' in his 2001 memo. Trump’s memo says this pretty much verbatim. Outrage on this particular change, or rather reversal, is overblown. Despite being regular members under Obama, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff did not attend every principals committee, nor did he under Bush, according to Peter Feaver, a Duke University professor and former adviser to the National Security Council under George W. Bush.” [politifact]) But it’s primarily another stick to beat Trump with. Obama directed more than 70,000 ‘special operations forces’ - American death squads - active in more than 70% of the countries in the world; their activities included ‘rendition’ - kidnapping - torture, and murder. His drone assassinations - called “the most extreme terrorist campaign of modern times” - killed more than 6,000 people, including US citizens and hundreds of children. And in two presidential terms of war-making (the first time that’s ever happened) he attacked eight countries (two more than George Bush). Trump ran against Obama and Clinton’s war-mongering, but the political establishment is working hysterically to cozen or coerce him back into their murderous policies (as the raid in Yemen shows). They may succeed. > On Feb 8, 2017, at 9:20 AM, Debra Schrishuhn via Peace-discuss wrote: > > > Chilling barely begins to describe this article and situation. I invite everyone to attend the workshop at Channing Murray Saturday Feb 11 2-4 pm on building progressive power in the age of Trump. Featured speakers are Urbana Alderman Aaron Ammons and local activist Jared Miller. > > Thanks for sharing, Karen. > > Deb > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Feb 8, 2017, at 7:27 AM, Karen Aram via Peace wrote: > >> In speech at Florida Air Force base >> Trump appeals to the military against the press and the courts >> 8 February 2017 >> In an extraordinary appearance Monday at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, President Donald Trump dispensed with democratic protocol to deliver a political speech. He denounced the press and implicitly suggested the formation of a presidential-military alliance against the courts and the Constitution. >> In his brief remarks, Trump lavished praise on the Central Command and Special Forces Command troops that are based at MacDill. He began by thanking the military for its lopsided vote in his favor in last November’s election. “And I saw those numbers—and you like me and I like you,” he said. >> He continued: “And we’re going to be loading [MacDill] up with beautiful new planes and beautiful new equipment… We’re going to load you up.” He returned to this theme several times, stating at one point, “We will make a historic financial investment in the Armed Forces of the United States…” >> Invoking the specter of “radical Islamic terrorists,” he darkly accused the press of deliberately downplaying the threat. “It’s gotten to the point where it’s not even being reported and, in many cases, the very, very dishonest press doesn’t want to report it. They have their reasons and you understand that.” >> Following this suggestion that the press is aiding and abetting the terrorists, Trump promoted his anti-immigrant measures, without referring to them directly, and implicitly criticized the courts for temporarily blocking his anti-Muslim travel ban. >> “We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism, and we will not allow it to take root in our country… You’ve been seeing what’s been going on over the last few days. We need strong programs so that people that love us and want to love our country and will end up loving our country are allowed in—not people that want to destroy us and destroy our country.” >> The speech followed his tweets denouncing the judge who ruled against his travel ban and blaming any future terror attack on the “court system.” His top political aide, the fascist Stephen Bannon, has meanwhile told the press to “shut up.” >> Trump’s speech comes in the midst of an intense conflict within the state over foreign policy and national security questions, involving not only the travel ban but also new attacks by the Democrats and much of the media for his supposed “softness” toward Russia. >> It also takes place in the context of ongoing demonstrations across the country and internationally in opposition to his racist immigration measures and other antidemocratic policies. >> The MacDill event marks a milestone in the long-term strengthening of the role of the armed forces in US political life and erosion of the constitutional principle of civilian control. Trump has packed his administration with retired generals, including James “Mad Dog” Mattis as secretary of defense, Michael Flynn as national security adviser, and John Kelly as head of the Homeland Security Department. The latter appointment for the first time places a military man at the head of a sprawling apparatus for domestic repression established as the internal component of the “war on terror.” >> These developments follow the sinister incident, which remains unexplained and virtually unreported by the media, that occurred toward the beginning of Trump’s inaugural address. Ten officers from the various services lined up behind Trump and remained there long enough for the image of the new president flanked by uniformed military men to be broadcast across the country and internationally. This was no accident, but rather a calculated maneuver devised by Trump and advisers such as Bannon to present an image of a quasi-military government, prepared to crack down on opposition at home and wage war against multiple enemies abroad. >> The immense growth in the size, power and political influence of the military is not something new or unique to the Trump administration. Rather, as with every other manifestation of the decay of American democracy, with the Trump presidency a protracted process of decline has reached a qualitatively new stage. >> Twenty-five years of unending war following the dissolution of the Soviet Union have vastly increased the power of the military brass. The consolidation of a professional military has increasingly isolated the armed forces from civilian society, creating a distinct social caste that asserts its independent interests in the affairs of state ever more aggressively. >> The greater the level of social inequality, the more widespread the alienation of the working masses from the entire political system, the more the ruling financial oligarchy seeks to base itself on the military. Already in the 2000 election, in which the Supreme Court handed the White House to George W. Bush, the loser of the popular vote, by shutting down a vote recount in Florida, Democrat Al Gore agreed to Republican demands that illegal military votes in Florida, mainly for Bush, be counted. >> Both Bush and Barack Obama set records for the number of speeches they gave to military audiences. With Trump’s chauvinist “America First” government of generals and billionaires, the semi-criminal financial oligarchy bares its teeth and removes the mask of democratic niceties. >> In the press and among the think tank strategists of the ruling class, the demise of the bedrock constitutional principle of civilian control of the military is being openly discussed and debated. >> The headlines of articles on the subject that have appeared since Trump’s election include: “Is Civilian Control of the Military in Jeopardy?” (The American Conservative), “The ‘Civilian Control of the Military’ Fallacy” (Defense One), and “Trump is surrounding himself with generals. That’s dangerous” (Washington Post). An article published by Foreign Policy in December by Georgetown University Professor Rosa Brooks argues that civilian control of the military has “become a rule of aesthetics, not ethics, and its invocation is a soothing ritual that makes us feel better without accomplishing anything of value.” >> The Democratic Party will not oppose the further politicization of the military and militarization of politics. On the contrary, in recent days media outlets aligned with the Democrats have presented the military brass as a democratic check on Trump’s fascistic impulses. The New York Times responded to Trump’s elevation of Bannon to the National Security Council and demotion of the director of national intelligence and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by urging Trump to seek advice in matters of war and peace from “more thoughtful experienced hands” such as Defense Secretary Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dunford. >> The Atlantic magazine published an article with the headline “Are Trump’s Generals Mounting a Defense of Democratic Institutions?” >> There is no faction of the ruling class or its political representatives, Democratic or Republican, that will defend democratic rights. The collapse of American democracy, as with democratic institutions all over the world, is the outcome of the mortal crisis of American and world capitalism. It is up to the working class to take the lead in the defense of basic rights through an independent struggle for political power and socialism. >> Barry Grey -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: trump-intervene.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 117325 bytes Desc: not available URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Thu Feb 9 15:27:29 2017 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2017 09:27:29 -0600 Subject: [Peace] =?utf-8?q?Tom_Perez_Apologizes_for_Telling_Truth=2C_Shows?= =?utf-8?q?_Why_Dems=E2=80=99_Flaws_Urgently_Need_Attention?= Message-ID: Nail this to the church door, so he who runs may read. https://theintercept.com/2017/02/09/tom-perez-apologizes- for-telling-the-truth-showing-why-democrats-flaws-urgently-need-attention/ === Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (202) 448-2898 x1 <(202)%20448-2898> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From deb.pdamerica at gmail.com Thu Feb 9 16:53:31 2017 From: deb.pdamerica at gmail.com (Debra Schrishuhn) Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2017 10:53:31 -0600 Subject: [Peace] =?utf-8?q?Tom_Perez_Apologizes_for_Telling_Truth=2C_Shows?= =?utf-8?q?_Why_Dems=E2=80=99_Flaws_Urgently_Need_Attention?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4FDED3AE-E7F0-4CFA-8B94-AF8AC4C9DF88@gmail.com> Bravo! Spreading it far and wide--thanks Deb Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 9, 2017, at 9:27 AM, Robert Naiman via Peace wrote: > > > Nail this to the church door, so he who runs may read. > > https://theintercept.com/2017/02/09/tom-perez-apologizes-for-telling-the-truth-showing-why-democrats-flaws-urgently-need-attention/ > > === > > Robert Naiman > Policy Director > Just Foreign Policy > www.justforeignpolicy.org > naiman at justforeignpolicy.org > (202) 448-2898 x1 > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stuartnlevy at gmail.com Fri Feb 10 21:12:33 2017 From: stuartnlevy at gmail.com (Stuart Levy) Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2017 15:12:33 -0600 Subject: [Peace] 11am Sat, Crystal Lake Park: Three Spinners - Rally for Refugees and Immigrants In-Reply-To: <9efba37d595197c9f748af57a.1d69a12041.20170210173855.f3a42747e6.3492ab53@mail68.atl91.mcsv.net> References: <9efba37d595197c9f748af57a.1d69a12041.20170210173855.f3a42747e6.3492ab53@mail68.atl91.mcsv.net> Message-ID: <4ebd3159-03ea-2036-4de0-f57626c1fc55@gmail.com> Three Spinners, the group which has been working to welcome Syrian refugees in Champaign-Urbana, is having a rally tomorrow - NO HATE NO FEAR REFUGEES ARE WELCOME HERE Time: 11am - 2pm, Saturday Feb. 11th Place: Large Pavilion in Crystal Lake Park They're also holding a sign-making party *tonight*, Friday Feb. 10th at 7pm, at St. Andrew's Campus Lutheran Center (909 S. Wright, Champaign). Details below. -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: 🚩 Rally for Refugees and Immigrants Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2017 17:39:01 +0000 From: Three Spinners Reply-To: Three Spinners To: Stuart 🚩 Rally for Refugees and Immigrants Providing provides clothing, food, support, language training, and job preparation for refugees families in the U.S. View this email in your browser Three Spinners Inc. Yesterday, in a unanimous decision, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied President Trump’s appeal seeking to reinstate the ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations! While this is great news, as it means resettlement can continue, our work is far from over. The ruling does not address the ethical or transparency concerns involved with “extreme vetting” or modify Trump’s cap of 50,000 refugees, a huge reduction from Obama’s 2017 target of 110,000. Join us tomorrow at the Large Pavilion in Crystal Lake Park to keep this momentum going. Let us continue to support one another through these troubling times by reaffirming our commitment to keep our doors open to people of all faiths, especially those seeking refuge. Due to the amazing responses of attendees, we have incurred quite a bit of fees in hosting this rally, which we are more than happy to do. This event is free to the public, but if you would like to make a donation, it would be a great help! Donations collected will also be used to sponsor families for resettlement. *Donate Now* OTHER WAYS TO HELP We are in need of volunteers to direct parking and assist with cleanup. Contact us via email if you are interested in helping. WHERE TO PARK There are two small lots available off of Park St. and the Champaign County Fairgrounds just across from the park has generously allowed us to make use of their parking lot. Please feel free to use any of these lots.*Do not park in the grass.* We recommend car-pooling or using public transportation. In preparation for the Rally for Refugees and Immigrants, Saint Andrew's Lutheran Campus Center will be hosting a Sign Making Party tonight at 7. Come on out to help make signs -- and join us at the rally on Saturday if you can! Supplies will be available, but feel free to bring your own as well! /Copyright © 2017 Three Spinners Inc., NFP, All rights reserved./ You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website. *Our mailing address is:* Three Spinners Inc., NFP PO Box 8453 Champaign, Il 61826 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From divisek at yahoo.com Sat Feb 11 17:56:19 2017 From: divisek at yahoo.com (Dianna Visek) Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2017 17:56:19 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Peace] Sanctuary Cities receive over $27 billion each year from Federal Gov't. In-Reply-To: <1127179607158.1109057042871.815.0.361114JL.2002@scheduler.constantcontact.com> References: <1127179607158.1109057042871.815.0.361114JL.2002@scheduler.constantcontact.com> Message-ID: <1549468126.3592385.1486835779607@mail.yahoo.com> | | | | | | | | |   | | | | |  "REPORT: Sanctuary Cities receive over $27 billion each year from Federal Gov't." -GREG ABBOTT, Governor of Texas read Abbott's message on Twitter  | | | Highlighted by REAL CLEAR POLITICS -- FORBES: Trending #4 'Most Popular' for the Week Mapping $27 Billion in Federal Funding of America's Sanctuary Cities Read our FORBES column, click here.  | | | | | | NATIONAL NBC NEWS COVERAGE U.S. & World The Day's TOP National & International News WHAT IS A 'SANCTUARY CITY'? by Suzanne Ciechalski Trump's threat to cut off federal funding for sanctuary cities could cost their taxpayers millions Read the NBC NEWS ASSOCIATED PRESS reportCLICK HERE February 11, 2017 | | | On January 25, 2017, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order denying federal funding to sanctuary cities who choose not to comply with federal laws regarding deportation of illegal entrants. However, the politicians, pundits and journalists admitted that the total amount of federal funding was undetermined. Our organization, at OpenTheBooks, was able to identify that number: $26.74 billion (FY2016) flowing into America's 106 Sanctuary Cities | | OpenTheBooks Oversight Report - Federal Funding of America's Sanctuary Cities  Download a free PDF report copy, click here  | | | | We mapped the federal funding into the 106 Sanctuary Cities. Go to our interactive map, click a pin and 'scroll-down' to see the results rendered in the chart below the map. Share the map on your website with copy/paste of the HTML code. | | PROMINENT NATIONAL COVERAGE OF OUR REPORT THIS WEEK: | | | FOX NEWS "We're going to see more": Sanctuary Cities cave in face of Trump's funding threats. by Elizabeth Llorente Read column, click here   REAL CLEAR POLITICS, REAL CLEAR POLICY and REAL CLEAR INVESTIGATIONS highlighted our OpenTheBooks oversight report. Ethan Barton at DAILY CALLER, Tyler Durden at ZERO HEDGE, Paul Bedard at WASHINGTON EXAMINER, Elizabeth Harrington at WASHINGTON FREE BEACON, Josh Siegel at HERITAGE FOUNDATION - DAILY SIGNAL, Austin Yack at NATIONAL REVIEW, Matt Vespa at TOWNHALL, Joseph Smith at AMERICAN THINKER, Peter Huessy at ACCURACY IN MEDIA, DENNIS MICHAEL LYNCH website, and MEGYN KELLY on her personal website. AMARILLO GLOBE-NEWS: Editorial Board  | | | | Please donate to OpenTheBooks today. It's a tax-deductible gift that holds the political class accountable - across America. Help OpenTheBooks today with a donation of $25, $50, $100, $250 or $500, click here. It's Your Money. Join The Transparency Revolution! | | | | | | | Adam Andrzejewski (say: Angie-f-ski)Founder and CEO, OpenTheBooks.com Matthew TyrmandDeputy Director PS. Our video describes how our data and technology can help you stop government waste!  Watch it here. Together, we are a strong team. Please click here to help our mission. | | | | | | | | | | | STAY UP TO DATE WITH OPEN THE BOOKS!   | | | JOIN THE TRANSPARENCY REVOLUTION AT OPENTHEBOOKS.COM | | | | | | | | | | | | | OpenTheBooks.com | American Transparency, 200 S. Frontage Road, Suite 304, Burr Ridge, IL 60527 | | | SafeUnsubscribe™ divisek at yahoo.com | | Forward this email | Update Profile | About our service provider | | Sent by adam at openthebooks.com in collaboration with | | | | | | | Try it free today | | | | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Feb 11 20:12:48 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2017 20:12:48 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Sanctuary Cities receive over $27 billion each year from Federal Gov't. In-Reply-To: <1549468126.3592385.1486835779607@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1127179607158.1109057042871.815.0.361114JL.2002@scheduler.constantcontact.com> <1549468126.3592385.1486835779607@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: One would get the impression from the information provided, that the USG and taxpayers are funding sanctuary cities to be or because they are “sanctuary cities.” The fact that cities designated “sanctuary cities” receive federal funding is unrelated. Most cities whether sanctuary cities or not, receive federal funding for various purposes. If the Trump government does attempt defunding specific cities, because they are designated “sanctuary cities,” they will have to go through Congress, and ultimately it will rest with the individual states. Just as Reagan did in the eighties, the Trump administration, may decide the “threat” not worth following through. On Feb 11, 2017, at 09:56, Dianna Visek via Peace > wrote: [http://files.constantcontact.com/7b973f83201/306fb593-a0a6-4de3-8fb2-187f7360d84f.jpg] "REPORT: Sanctuary Cities receive over $27 billion each year from Federal Gov't." -GREG ABBOTT, Governor of Texas read Abbott's message on Twitter [http://files.constantcontact.com/7b973f83201/4901ab76-6307-4853-b82a-d580d6ae3feb.jpg] Highlighted by REAL CLEAR POLITICS -- FORBES: Trending #4 'Most Popular' for the Week Mapping $27 Billion in Federal Funding of America's Sanctuary Cities Read our FORBES column, click here. [http://files.constantcontact.com/7b973f83201/79e0385f-acd9-44a9-9c44-603d827ab8c4.png] NATIONAL NBC NEWS COVERAGE U.S. & World The Day's TOP National & International News WHAT IS A 'SANCTUARY CITY'? by Suzanne Ciechalski Trump's threat to cut off federal funding for sanctuary cities could cost their taxpayers millions Read the NBC NEWS ASSOCIATED PRESS report CLICK HERE February 11, 2017 On January 25, 2017, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order denying federal funding to sanctuary cities who choose not to comply with federal laws regarding deportation of illegal entrants. However, the politicians, pundits and journalists admitted that the total amount of federal funding was undetermined. Our organization, at OpenTheBooks, was able to identify that number: $26.74 billion (FY2016) flowing into America's 106 Sanctuary Cities [http://files.constantcontact.com/7b973f83201/5a240083-85c5-442c-ac60-78261adaccf0.jpg] OpenTheBooks Oversight Report - Federal Funding of America's Sanctuary Cities Download a free PDF report copy, click here [http://files.constantcontact.com/7b973f83201/218b053b-7413-4c85-8bf6-5f6df8d572f0.jpg] We mapped the federal funding into the 106 Sanctuary Cities. Go to our interactive map, click a pin and 'scroll-down' to see the results rendered in the chart below the map. Share the map on your website with copy/paste of the HTML code. PROMINENT NATIONAL COVERAGE OF OUR REPORT THIS WEEK: [http://files.constantcontact.com/7b973f83201/a6cc6758-4a80-4e03-92e9-2adff569520a.jpg] FOX NEWS "We're going to see more": Sanctuary Cities cave in face of Trump's funding threats. by Elizabeth Llorente Read column, click here REAL CLEAR POLITICS, REAL CLEAR POLICY and REAL CLEAR INVESTIGATIONS highlighted our OpenTheBooks oversight report. Ethan Barton at DAILY CALLER, Tyler Durden at ZERO HEDGE, Paul Bedard at WASHINGTON EXAMINER, Elizabeth Harrington at WASHINGTON FREE BEACON, Josh Siegel at HERITAGE FOUNDATION - DAILY SIGNAL, Austin Yack at NATIONAL REVIEW, Matt Vespa at TOWNHALL, Joseph Smith at AMERICAN THINKER, Peter Huessy at ACCURACY IN MEDIA, DENNIS MICHAEL LYNCH website, and MEGYN KELLY on her personal website. AMARILLO GLOBE-NEWS: Editorial Board Please donate to OpenTheBooks today. It's a tax-deductible gift that holds the political class accountable - across America. Help OpenTheBooks today with a donation of $25, $50, $100, $250 or $500, click here. It's Your Money. Join The Transparency Revolution! [http://files.constantcontact.com/7b973f83201/b7062b4a-f470-4dab-a1d6-7358246a0bc9.jpg] Adam Andrzejewski (say: Angie-f-ski) Founder and CEO, OpenTheBooks.com Matthew Tyrmand Deputy Director PS. Our video describes how our data and technology can help you stop government waste! Watch it here. Together, we are a strong team. Please click here to help our mission. [http://files.constantcontact.com/7b973f83201/2427373c-3bef-4473-b107-152cc597569d.jpg] STAY UP TO DATE WITH OPEN THE BOOKS! [http://files.constantcontact.com/7b973f83201/28cec6a9-55d2-44d5-8bd9-a01e2301007a.jpg][http://files.constantcontact.com/7b973f83201/2feff699-a5da-477a-a9f2-7649b3b4a5d9.jpg] JOIN THE TRANSPARENCY REVOLUTION AT OPENTHEBOOKS.COM OpenTheBooks.com | American Transparency, 200 S. Frontage Road, Suite 304, Burr Ridge, IL 60527 SafeUnsubscribe™ divisek at yahoo.com Forward this email | Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by adam at openthebooks.com in collaboration with [Constant Contact] Try it free today _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From divisek at yahoo.com Sat Feb 11 20:39:23 2017 From: divisek at yahoo.com (Dianna Visek) Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2017 20:39:23 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Peace] Sanctuary Cities receive over $27 billion each year from Federal Gov't. In-Reply-To: References: <1127179607158.1109057042871.815.0.361114JL.2002@scheduler.constantcontact.com> <1549468126.3592385.1486835779607@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1314134887.3620259.1486845563449@mail.yahoo.com> Hi Karen, They're just trying to point out how much money is theoretically at risk if the cities continue to be sanctuary cities. Dianna On Saturday, February 11, 2017 2:13 PM, Karen Aram wrote: One would get the impression from the information provided, that the USG and taxpayers are funding sanctuary cities to be or because they are “sanctuary cities.” The fact that cities designated “sanctuary cities” receive federal funding is unrelated.Most cities whether sanctuary cities or not, receive federal funding for various purposes. If the Trump government does attempt defunding specific cities, because they are designated “sanctuary cities,” they will have to go through Congress, and ultimately it will rest with the individual states.  Just as Reagan did in the eighties, the Trump administration, may decide the “threat” not worth following through.  On Feb 11, 2017, at 09:56, Dianna Visek via Peace wrote: | | | | | | | | | |  "REPORT: Sanctuary Cities receive over $27 billion each year from Federal Gov't." -GREG ABBOTT, Governor of Texas read Abbott's message on Twitter  | | | Highlighted by REAL CLEAR POLITICS -- FORBES: Trending #4 'Most Popular' for the Week Mapping $27 Billion in Federal Funding of America's Sanctuary Cities Read our FORBES column, click here.  | | | | | | NATIONAL NBC NEWS COVERAGE U.S. & World The Day's TOP National & International News WHAT IS A 'SANCTUARY CITY'? by Suzanne Ciechalski Trump's threat to cut off federal funding for sanctuary cities could cost their taxpayers millions Read the NBC NEWS ASSOCIATED PRESS reportCLICK HERE February 11, 2017 | | | On January 25, 2017, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order denying federal funding to sanctuary cities who choose not to comply with federal laws regarding deportation of illegal entrants. However, the politicians, pundits and journalists admitted that the total amount of federal funding was undetermined. Our organization, at OpenTheBooks, was able to identify that number: $26.74 billion (FY2016) flowing into America's 106 Sanctuary Cities | | OpenTheBooks Oversight Report - Federal Funding of America's Sanctuary Cities  Download a free PDF report copy, click here  | | | | We mapped the federal funding into the 106 Sanctuary Cities. Go to our interactive map, click a pin and 'scroll-down' to see the results rendered in the chart below the map. Share the map on your website with copy/paste of the HTML code. | | PROMINENT NATIONAL COVERAGE OF OUR REPORT THIS WEEK: | | | FOX NEWS "We're going to see more": Sanctuary Cities cave in face of Trump's funding threats. by Elizabeth Llorente Read column, click here   REAL CLEAR POLITICS, REAL CLEAR POLICY and REAL CLEAR INVESTIGATIONS highlighted our OpenTheBooks oversight report. Ethan Barton at DAILY CALLER, Tyler Durden at ZERO HEDGE, Paul Bedard at WASHINGTON EXAMINER, Elizabeth Harrington at WASHINGTON FREE BEACON, Josh Siegel at HERITAGE FOUNDATION - DAILY SIGNAL, Austin Yack at NATIONAL REVIEW, Matt Vespa at TOWNHALL, Joseph Smith at AMERICAN THINKER, Peter Huessy at ACCURACY IN MEDIA, DENNIS MICHAEL LYNCH website, and MEGYN KELLY on her personal website. AMARILLO GLOBE-NEWS: Editorial Board  | | | | Please donate to OpenTheBooks today. It's a tax-deductible gift that holds the political class accountable - across America. Help OpenTheBooks today with a donation of $25, $50, $100, $250 or $500, click here. It's Your Money. Join The Transparency Revolution! | | | | | | | Adam Andrzejewski (say: Angie-f-ski)Founder and CEO, OpenTheBooks.com Matthew TyrmandDeputy Director PS. Our video describes how our data and technology can help you stop government waste!  Watch it here. Together, we are a strong team. Please click here to help our mission. | | | | | | | | | | | STAY UP TO DATE WITH OPEN THE BOOKS!   | | | JOIN THE TRANSPARENCY REVOLUTION AT OPENTHEBOOKS.COM | | | | | | | | | | | | | OpenTheBooks.com | American Transparency, 200 S. Frontage Road, Suite 304, Burr Ridge, IL 60527 | | | SafeUnsubscribe™ divisek at yahoo.com | | Forward this email | Update Profile | About our service provider | | Sent by adam at openthebooks.com in collaboration with | | | | | | | Try it free today | | | | | | | _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sun Feb 12 14:11:43 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2017 14:11:43 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Data on the travel ban. Message-ID: Samuel Payne February 10 at 10:01pm I complied some lists: Only one country is specifically mentioned in Donald Trump's executive order (known widely as the #MuslimBan): Syria Here's a list of all the 'travel ban' countries (the other 6 are included by referencing language from previous Obama legislation): Syria, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and Libya Here's another list from The Council on Foreign Relations of countries that the US admits to dropping bombs on in 2016: Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Afghanistan, Pakistan Here's a list of countries whose citizens attacked the US on 9/11: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates The country with which the administration of Barack Obama authorized the largest arms deal in the history of the world: Saudi Arabia Here's a list of Muslim majority countries NOT included in the travel ban: Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cocos Islands, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mayotte, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Quatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Western Sahara. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ivanpromotes at gmail.com Mon Feb 13 03:31:29 2017 From: ivanpromotes at gmail.com (Ivan R) Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2017 21:31:29 -0600 Subject: [Peace] add2List... Message-ID: Please add the following name to the Peace_List and other activist sites you may find appropriate: jtimmer111 at gmail dot com. Jennifer tells me she needs direction in her activities re current events.... Thanks for being always present~i van -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Tue Feb 14 18:09:58 2017 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2017 12:09:58 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Call Durbin/Duckworth TODAY: Tell them to Reject Land Thief David Friedman Message-ID: David Friedman is not just your average, everyday extremist who supports the settlers. He personally participated in the theft of private Palestinian land. I had no trouble getting in to Duckworth's office. I could not get into Durbin's office, so I called the Chicago office and got through right away. 312.353.4952 When I reach a human, I like to emphasize the "thief" angle. But you can do as you like. :) Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (202) 448-2898 x1 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Lara Friedman, Americans for Peace Now Date: Tue, Feb 14, 2017 at 11:58 AM Subject: Call Your Senators TODAY: Tell them to Reject Trump's Dangerous Choice for Ambassador to Israel To: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org [image: Americans for Peace Now] Dear Robert, David Friedman is a friend of the settlement movement who backs unlimited settlement expansion, has accused President Obama of being an anti-Semite and says that liberal Zionists are "worse than kapos." *Time is short and your Senators need to hear from you TODAY*. If you don’t know who your Senators are, you can look them up here . Then call the US Capitol switchboard – (202) 224-3121- and ask to be connected to each of your Senator’s offices. Tell the person who answers the phone in each office: [image: David Friedman] - I am a constituent and I care about Israel and Israeli-Palestinian peace. - That is why I strongly oppose Donald Trump's choice to be the next US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, and urge Senator XXX to reject him. - Mr. Friedman poses a threat to longstanding US policies in the Middle East that have been supported by Democratic and Republican presidents alike. - He is hostile to the two-state solution - the only way to ensure Israel’s future as the democratic homeland of the Jewish people. - He is a friend of the settlement movement and an avid supporter of further settlement expansion. - The contempt Mr. Friedman has shown toward liberal American Jews - labeling them worse than Nazi collaborators - makes him a horrible choice to be our representative in Israel. - I urge Senator XXX to reject Mr. Friedman's nomination to be the next US ambassador to Israel. *P.S. Please forward this to your friends and urge them to call*. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From susanroseparenti at gmail.com Thu Feb 16 22:03:46 2017 From: susanroseparenti at gmail.com (Susan Parenti) Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2017 16:03:46 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Opportunities for Compassion - Gesundheit Winter/Spring Newsletter Message-ID: In these times... We need to get together and help each other be more compassionate. [image: The Gesundheit! Institute] Gesundheit medic unit in a Syrian refugee camp. When Refugees are denied refuge, we want to know what to do. *We need to get together and help each other be more compassionate; Here are some opportunities to practice compassion, empathy, care.* [image: On the land] Desire and Design, Caring and Clowning *May 28 - June 18, 2017 | Hillsboro West Virginia * A 3 week session held at the Gesundheit Institute in West Virginia, drawing on insights and practices from experimental composition, story-telling, systems theory, care theory and clowning... in an era when caring becomes an act of resistance. Register Now [image: Humanism Video] Construct Your Humansim! *June 11 - July 2, 2017 | Urbana Illinois* Join us for three weeks in Urbana Illinois at Patch Adams and SusanParenti’s home, where we’ll offer teaching presentations, play workshops, community living and clowning—all centered around your creating an action plan to support and protect your humanism. Open to all members of the caring fields! *See this brief video above*, inviting you to ‘Construct Your Humanism’! Learn More Alternative Spring Break to Guatemala City! *March 18-25th, 2017 | Guatemala City, Guatemala* *Join us on our 12th annual Alternative Spring Break, and our 10th visit to Guatemala City to be with the beautiful people of Guatemala and our wonderful friends of the clown group Fabrica de Sonrisas (Smile Makers). Each day we are invited to play, explore, dream, and learn. NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED! Come have fun with Gesundheit. * Learn More & Register! [image: On the land] The Laughing Body: the Art of Care *August 20 - 27 , 2017 | Hillsboro, WV* We invite you to spend a week dedicated to reflection, play and to rediscover the joyful and creative potential of our body and of our inner Nature (our soul), while basking in the wonderful outdoors of the Gesundheit Institute in beautiful West Virginia. It’s a week dedicated to the art of care, as a way to better understand ourselves, discover our body, explore Nature, and reflect on the different facets of care. *It’s an invitation to rediscover our inner and outer Laughing Body.* Learn More & Register! [image: Humanism Video] Art of Care: a week volunteering at the Gesundheit! Institute *August 11 – 18, 2017 | Hillsboro, WV* Join us in the work/play of health-enhancing, community-centered joyful service during this week, as part of Gesundheit’s Rural Volunteer Program! An ongoing experiment in the therapeutic role of a caring community. This week is also an opportunity to explore the Art of Care through the tools of humanitarian clowning. *We are looking for students, volunteers, gardeners, builder and maintenance volunteers, from ages 18 to 30.* Learn More & Register! 10 Positive News Stories from Patch *Hello my friends!Lots of people have been calling me and telling me how sad, mad, or angry they feel about the political discussion lately. We would like to share 10 positive stories that happened this past week. #Patch* Check out Patchs News Links! Gesundheit! Book by Patch Adams Buy Now Buy Now en Español Gift Shop Give a thoughtful gift and support a great cause at the same time! Check out our offerings of books & movies, & don't forget to check back soon for clown noses! Start Shopping All Proceeds go to the Gesundheit! Institute. Clownin' Kabul Movie directed by Enzo Balestrieri & Stefan Moser Buy Now Questions? *Contact Us, We're Happy to Help! * Can't Get Away? *Learn how to be a Gesundheit Fun-Raiser at home! * Whatever else a fun-raiser is, it’s fun. And as Patch says, “There are numerous studies demonstrating the health-giving effects of humor, but not one showing benefits from seriousness.” Like Tweet Patch Adams MD & Gesundheit Institute P.O. Box 307, Urbana, IL 61803 © Copyright 2016 Gesundheit! Institute "Friendship is the Best Medicine!" -Patch Adams Remove my name from all future email correspondence *Address postal inquiries to:* Gesundheit Institute PO BOX 307 Urbana, IL 61801 *Powered By* [image: eTapestry] * www.widabi.com * Web, inspired Design, Advertising, Brand identity -- *Susan Parenti* *Educational Coordinator * *The School for Designing a Society *www.designingasociety.net *Like us on Facebook !* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Thu Feb 16 23:42:23 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2017 23:42:23 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Fwd: Check out this story on Foreign Policy References: Message-ID: > > The United States Used Depleted Uranium in Syria - http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/02/14/the-united-states-used-depleted-uranium-in-syria/ From galliher at illinois.edu Fri Feb 17 00:15:09 2017 From: galliher at illinois.edu (Carl G. Estabrook) Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2017 18:15:09 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Trump attacks the war party In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: The political establishmentarians who have dominated all US administrations for 40 years has killed millions of people around the world. They are now terrified that the new administration will not continue their war policies and so are working desperately to bring it down. Now the (semi-)neoliberal White House is challenging the neocon CIA, the center of the war party: >. "If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well / It were done quickly…" —CGE -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Fri Feb 17 12:26:33 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2017 12:26:33 +0000 Subject: [Peace] From the WSWS.ORG, Trumps press conference reveals frightening conflict..... Message-ID: * Print * Leaflet * Feedback * Share » The Trump press conference: A ferocious conflict within the ruling elite 17 February 2017 The news conference given by Donald Trump Thursday afternoon was extraordinary and unprecedented. The event took on a surreal character as, for more than 75 minutes, the US president traded insults with journalists and otherwise engaged in a bitter battle with his nemeses in the media. It is not comparable to anything seen before in modern American history, even at the height of the Watergate crisis. In witnessing such a spectacle, it is always necessary to uncover the rational content, the underlying political dynamic. In this case, the press conference gave expression to a vicious conflict within the American ruling class over foreign policy as the United States hurtles toward war. The news conference was initially called to announce Trump’s new pick for labor secretary, but this took up only one minute of the event. Trump began with a litany of achievements and actions he has taken since his inauguration, which was largely directed at the ruling elite in an appeal for support. The stock market has “hit record numbers,” corporate regulations are being eliminated, immigrants are being targeted for deportation, and Trump has ordered a “massive rebuilding” of the US military, among other right-wing measures. However, from the media, channeling the US intelligence apparatus, questions focused almost exclusively on the ties of the Trump administration to Russia and the circumstances behind the forced resignation earlier this week of Trump’s national security advisor, Michael Flynn, over his pre-inauguration telelphone conversation with the Russian ambassador. Trump responded with a diatribe in which the media served as a stand-in for his real opponents in the US ruling elite, comprising the bulk of the permanent military-intelligence apparatus that really runs the government, regardless of which party controls the White House or majorities in Congress. He repeatedly denounced what he called “illegal leaks” to the media from sources within the intelligence agencies. It was remarkable that when Trump directly denounced the media as a mouthpiece for the intelligence agencies, there was no attempt to rebut him. Everyone knows it is true. Likewise, when he flatly denied any contact between his campaign and Russian intelligence agencies, not a single reporter could cite evidence to the contrary. In the course of the press conference, Trump blurted out a number of astonishing comments that point to the extreme dangers facing the entire world. Responding to questions about what he would do about a Russian ship conducting surveillance operations in international waters off the coast of Connecticut—the same type of operations US warships conduct on a much larger scale off the coasts of Russia and China—Trump said, “The greatest thing I could do is shoot that ship that’s 30 miles off shore right out of the water. Everyone in this country’s going to say ‘oh, it’s so great.’” He continued, “If I was just brutal on Russia right now, just brutal, people would say, you would say, ‘Oh, isn’t that wonderful.’” Trump pointed out the implications of such a clash, given that Russia and the United States have the two largest nuclear arsenals in the world. “We’re a very powerful nuclear country and so are they,” he said. “I have been briefed. And I can tell you one thing about a briefing that we’re allowed to say because anybody that ever read the most basic book can say it: a nuclear holocaust would be like no other.” In other words, there are ongoing discussions, at the highest levels of the American government, about a potential nuclear war with Russia, for which preparations are well advanced. When challenged by one reporter on why there was no response by the US government to a series of what he called “provocations” by Russia—largely consisting of incidents provoked by US and NATO war maneuvers along Russia’s borders—Trump replied, “I’m not going to tell you anything about what response I do. I don’t talk about military response.” He expanded on this theme, declaring that he would not talk about military operations in Iraq, North Korea, Iran or anywhere else. “You know why? Because they shouldn’t know. And eventually, you guys are going to get tired of asking that question.” Such conflicts within the ruling elite over foreign policy are usually fought out behind the scenes, as with discontent within the military-intelligence apparatus over Obama’s retreat from a direct military intervention in Syria in 2013, when he failed to enforce his so-called “red line” against the government of Bashar al-Assad. This time, however, the conflict has exploded into the open. Aside from the specific form that the debate within the US state apparatus has taken, it is an expression of an underlying crisis of the entire capitalist order. Twenty-five years of unending war are metastasizing, with extreme rapidity, into a major conflict involving large nation-states. National security journals are full of articles in which there is open discussion about war with Russia, in which the question is not if, but when and how. Trump, on the other hand, has focused his attention on China. In either case, the consequences are incalculable. What was perhaps most striking is how remote the entire press conference was from the sentiments and concerns of the vast majority of the American population. There was virtually no questioning at the press conference about Trump’s war against immigrant workers or the nationwide day of protest by immigrants and their supporters that was taking place at the same time. Those participating in the mass protests that have erupted since Trump’s inauguration are not motivated by a desire to launch a war with Russia, but by hatred of Trump’s authoritarian, anti-democratic policies and the oligarchic government that he has set up. Trump’s critics in the Democratic Party and media, however, are responding to powerful sections of the US ruling elite who welcome Trump’s ultra-reactionary domestic policies—tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, deregulation of corporations, attacks on democratic rights, persecution of immigrants—but regard his posture of seeking better relations with Russia as intolerable. The Democrats have responded with passive handwringing while Trump has assembled his cabinet of billionaires, ex-generals and right-wing fanatics, and issued a series of reactionary and unconstitutional executive orders. But when given the opportunity to attack Trump as soft on Russia, they engage in savage witch-hunting that recalls nothing so much as McCarthyism. There is no faction with the American ruling class that is opposed to imperialist war. In the struggle to prevent war, it is up to the working class to intervene independently, opposing both factions in the US ruling elite, both Trump and the line-up of the CIA, the media and the Democratic Party. Patrick Martin -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Feb 18 15:48:11 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2017 15:48:11 +0000 Subject: [Peace] The US usage of Depleted Uranium Message-ID: Roger, In your, per usual, support for the US corporate war machine, you have inundated this Peace List and me with information disputing the use of depleted uranium by the US military. You have maligned Lauren Moret if not on this list but in emails to Press TV Bccing me, as well as comments in reference to David Rokke a former member of AWARE, for what purpose I don’t know. Anything I post to this website represents me, not other members of AWARE, as we are not a homogenous group other than our opposition to war. As I said, if you can come up with evidence, other than your own opinion, worthy though it maybe given your military background and knowledge of weaponry, to refute the article in Foreign Policy in respect to the use of DU in Syria in 2015, I welcome it. However, you should be contacting and communicating with CENTCOMs’ Maj. Josh Jacques who is quoted in the Foreign Policy article, before inundating us with information that deviates from the topic and acts as a distraction. Repeated below from “Foreign Policy” the essence of the article: "U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Maj. Josh Jacques told Airways and Foreign Policy that 5,265 armor-piercing 30 mm rounds containing depleted uranium (DU) were shot from Air Force A-10 fixed-wing aircraft on Nov. 16 and Nov. 22, 2015, destroying about 350 vehicles* in the country’s eastern desert." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Feb 18 18:48:45 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2017 18:48:45 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Interview with former US Secretary of Defense Wm. Perry Message-ID: In a symbolic warning about how close the world stands to suffering a nuclear catastrophe, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has moved the Doomsday Clock closer to midnight. The existential threat now poses a greater danger to humanity than at any time since the height of the Cold War. The standoff between Russia the US, the world’s biggest nuclear powers, as well as regional conflicts and the threat of terrorists getting their hands on nuclear material, can all lead to disastrous consequences. With global politics growing more unstable, are nuclear arms still the strongest deterrent to global war, or are they the biggest menace to the security of the world? And, with a new president in the White House, how will America’s nuclear arms policy evolve? We ask former US Secretary of Defense Dr. William Perry. Follow @SophieCo_RT Sophie Shevardnadze: Former US Secretary of Defense, William Perry, welcome to the show, great to have you with us. Mr. Perry, I remember, ten years ago at the Munich security conference, President Putin warned of growing global instability - wars in the Middle East, NATO expansion and a nuclear arms race. This was a decade ago - why have things got only worse during this time? William Perry: I think, both the US and Russia have found themselves engaged in a war of words. Rhetoric has been increasingly belligerent, and also, military buildups and threats of military buildups. I think that has put us on a dangerous path, and I'm hoping that President Trump and President Putin will be able to find a way of getting us out on a safer path, relevant to the security of both of our countries. SS: President Trump has called for the expansion of America’s nuclear capabilities on one occasion, on another he’s called for reducing nukes ‘very substantially’ - so which is it going to be? WP: I think, we won’t really know what President Trump is going to do on defense issues, on security issues, until he submits his first defense budget in a few months. Then we will see whether he’s willing to spend additional funds for defense, which will compete, of course, with other pressures of the economy - and particular, what he will do relevant to the nuclear weapons. I think, on the nuclear weapons, he has said he’s going to maintain strong military, but that very much depends on what Russia is doing on nuclear weapons. There’s a possibility for both Russia and the US to increase spending on nuclear weapons, which seems in the direction we’re heading now. Not only that will be costly for both countries, but also dangerous for both countries. There’s a distinct possibility that President Trump and President Putin can decide in the interest of both our nations to decrease the emphasis and decrease the spending on nuclear weapons. That not only will allow both countries to improve their economy, but I think, more importantly, it will lower the danger for both counties. SS: You keep warning people that the chance of a nuclear crisis is greater now than it was when you were Clinton’s Defense Minister. But false alarms happened then, too, and it didn't lead to nuclear war - what is different now? WP: What is different now is that, besides the danger of a nuclear war, there’s a danger of either US or Russia miscalculating or blundering into nuclear war. Quite clear to me that neither country wants a nuclear war and will deliberately start a nuclear war. The danger now is the same as the danger in the Cold War, that we will blunder into a nuclear war, as we almost did, for example, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. But beyond those dangers, which are like the dangers of the Cold War, there are new dangers: one of them is a possibility of nuclear terrorism and of course, the nuclear bomb set up by a terror group could go off in Moscow or in Washington or in New York or in Saint-Petersburg - so that danger’s new, it didn't exist during the Cold War. Beyond that, there’s a danger of regional nuclear war, for example, between India and Pakistan. So, there are new dangers that didn’t exist during the Cold War. So, the danger of some kind of nuclear catastrophe is greater than it was during the Cold War. We can do many things to reduce those dangers, but what’s really important is for the United States and Russia to understand that these nuclear dangers are a danger to both of our countries and find a way of working together to lower the dangers. SS: According to an Associated Press report, the personnel who man America's nukes are poorly trained and have to use retro tech to run the systems - including 8-inch floppy disks. Why neglect maintaining their nuclear deterrent? WP: I think those accounts are exaggerated, but I am concerned that both in the United States and Russia that the people who have been manning nuclear sites for many-many years now don’t have the motivation or perhaps even skills to do it properly - so, that’s one of the reasons for finding a way of lowering the dangers.. Particular, I put a great emphasis on a danger of our ground-based missiles, ICBMs, intercontinental ballistic missile because they are the danger of an accidental war starting - that is, if either Russian alert system or American alert system makes a mistake and falsely indicates an attack on the way. then there’s an emphasis on either President to make a rapid decision to launch his ICBMs before the other side’s ICBMs will land, and of course, if his alert system is wrong, if there’s a false alarm - then that President would’ve accidentally started a nuclear war. Now, this is not some academic possibility - there’s been at least 2 false alarms in Russia that I know about, and at least 3 false alarms that I know about in the US. That’s a very serious consideration. This is not likely to happen, it’s low probability, but it’s a low probability of an outcome that will be truly catastrophic. SS: Now, you’ve mentioned nuclear terrorism. After last year’s terror attacks in Brussels there were reports that terrorists are trying to infiltrate Belgium's nuclear facilities. Belgium is also one of the European locations for American tactical nukes - with the growing threat in Europe, are American nukes becoming a potential target? Are they sufficiently secured? WP: I believe the danger of nuclear terror attack does not come from terror group getting either American nuclear weapons or Russian nuclear weapons, because security for both of them is very-very good. The danger is that the terror group could get the fissile material, the fuel, highly enriched uranium, and if they could get that, if they could buy it or steal it - and this is not as well protected as weapons are - then, they could themselves make a crude, improvised nuclear bomb. Crude, but still quite effective. It then can be delivered in a missile, it could be delivered in a delivery truck, and if they could do that, then there’s a danger of nuclear bomb going off in Moscow or in Washington. So, United States and Russia have this common danger, this common threat and we should be working together to do everything we can to lower the danger of a terror group getting either bomb or even a fissile material from which you can make a bomb. SS: So you don’t see a danger in a terrorist group infiltrating a nuclear facility? WP: I could never say that’s impossible, but I’d say that’s a much lower danger than the danger of terror group getting the fissile material. That means that we should focus on the risk that is the greatest, and that, to me, is the greatest risk we’re facing today from a terror groups. SS: A Pentagon advisory board proposed building smaller nuclear weapons for ‘limited use’ - but are the smaller yields and better targeting also making nukes more tempting to use? Even to use first, not just in retaliation? WP: I am totally opposed to any emphasis on so-called “tactical nuclear weapons”, I think that’s very dangerous. Either in Russia or in the US, the thought that because the yield is lower that the danger of a nuclear war is lower - is, I think, invalid. Once one side uses a nuclear weapon, even if it is a so-called “tactical” nuclear weapon, there’s no guarantee that we will not escalate into a general nuclear war. So, to me, it is very dangerous assumption to believe that you could use lower yield nuclear weapons without escalating into a general nuclear war. By the way, the so-called lower yield nuclear weapon is still many kilotonnes - so, we’re still talking about an explosion with devastating consequences. So, in sum, I am opposed to tactical nuclear weapons, and I’m very doubtful that the use of a tactical nuclear weapons will not, in fact, escalate into a general nuclear war. SS: Now, you’ve mentioned India and Pakistan - what would be the consequences of a regional nuclear war? WP: We have to define “limited” very carefully, because both India and Pakistan have more than a 100 nuclear weapons, perhaps 200, and if they use even half of their arsenals against each other, on the cities - there will be tens of millions of casualties in India and Pakistan. So, it will be a really catastrophic event. Beyond that, the dirt and the fumes from the fire in these cities will go to the atmosphere and change the composition of the atmosphere, probably lowering the temperatures around the planet, for one or two degree. That, in turn, could cause widespread crop failure and so the effect would not only be profound on India and Pakistan, but actually, unlimited nuclear war of that magnitude could affect people all over the planet. SS: Both Democrats and Republicans alike are vehement about keeping up the confrontation with Russia, despite Trump’s conciliatory mood. Sometimes this stance goes a bit off key - like when Congresswoman Maxine Waters scolded Putin for invading Korea. How knowledgeable are the people who make decisions on these policies, can they be trusted to steer it the right way? WP: We have to trust our leaders: they are our leaders and they are going to be for years to come. On one hopeful note, I believe, is that President Trump says very explicitly - he wants to have a dialogue with President Putin. I think that would be very positive, if that happens. In my judgement there are many issues between the US and Russia which would be very difficult to resolve, but the issues of nuclear weapons... We should be able to discuss and come up with actions that are mutually beneficial. The danger of a nuclear terror group is to both countries, nuclear bomb can go off in either Moscow or Washington. The danger of nuclear proliferation is for both countries. So we should be able to find it possible to work together to reduce the dangers to both of us, even though that we cannot work on issues that we disagree, we've ought to be able to work together on issues on which we agree, and President Trump has made it very clear that he would like to do that, and so I think there's possible opening here after years of no constructive dialogue between the US and Russia on nuclear issues - and now, it's a possibility that we will have that dialogue. I, very much, look forward to that. SS: Trump’s proposed easing of sanctions for good deals with President Putin - like a nuclear arms reduction treaty. Will he be strong enough to overcome the opposition from his own administration to “making deals” with Putin? WP: I don't have any ability to forecast what negotiation tactics that President Trump might use with President Putin. The extent to which sanctions, for example, would be on the table? I believe, from what I hear and understand that President Trump will be willing to put everything on the table and so there's the possibility of a new beginning, a new opening in negotiations which could be constructive for both countries. Both President Putin and President Trump will be wanting to advance the cause of each of their own nations, but in the case of nuclear dangers, it is a mutual interest between the US and Russia to lower those dangers. So, there's an area, where, I think there's every possibility of being able to lower dangers. I must say, though, that for success in this area, the two leaders have to be able to do what I would call "separate the variables" - that is, have to be able to separate out issues on which they cannot agree, which is basic disagreement, from the issues that they do have common interests and can agree - so not let the issues where they disagree get in a way of coming to agreements on the areas where they agree. SS: What makes you think this piecemeal approach to diplomacy will work? WP: I'm not sure it will work, but I said, 'can work', and we can hope that the two leaders will find a way of making it work. Even if we cannot agree on Ukraine, even if we cannot agree on Syria - we ought to be able to agree on nuclear dangers to both of us, to both of our countries. We ought to be able to agree on taking actions and steps to lower those dangers. Those are in the interest of both countries, there's no conflict there. They don't have to be able to agree on everything to agree on something, and particularly to agree on something that's very important to both of us. SS: Today thousands of NATO troops are amassed close to Russia’s border - in the biggest military buildup since the Cold War, already spurring an arms race - is anybody realistically planning to go to war with Russia? And if not - because I don't think anyone is - what’s the point of this military buildup? What's your take? WP: I'm very clear that NATO has no plans or intentions of going to war with Russia. That's the last thing anybody in NATO wants. The purpose of the troops there are for better or for worse - the purpose of the troops there is to deter Russia from taking any military action against the Baltic nations, for example. Have Russia not intended to do that, those troops don't need to be there. In fact, as far as NATO is concerned, they'd rather not have to deploy the troops there. So, one of the thing - besides coming to the agreement on nuclear issues, that possibility that President Putin and President Trump have - it also will be very good to talk about what they can do, to lower the tensions in the Baltics, and, in particular, have both Russian troops move away from the border and have NATO troops move back. That would be, I think, beneficial for the security of both countries, if they get agreed to do that. SS: But Moscow, you know, Moscow has said time and time again that it finds plans to put a missile defense system in Europe unacceptable, and that it will deploy more missiles in response, take other retaliatory steps - why are Western leaders so eager to push this system through even though they know perfectly well it will only lead to more tension and escalation in Europe? WP: I must say that I, myself, believe it was a mistake for the US to deploy the ballistic missile defense systems in Eastern Europe. I do not believe that the systems we have deployed there in any significant way threatens the Russian nuclear deterrence. It is much too small and the Russian nuclear deterrence force is much too large. But I can see, and I know talking to many Russian colleagues, I can see that that deployment is a concern to Russia. That, again, seems to me as something President Putin and President Trump ought to be able to discuss. The idea of the United States backing away from, reducing at least, the emphasize on the ballistic missile defense system in Europe, or, maybe, make some sort of assurances about not building up that capability in way that would threaten Russia - if we can come to some kind of agreement like that, that would also be a benefit to our securities. I do not know whether President Putin and Trump are going to discuss that issue. It seems to me as an issue open for discussion and one which is a possibility for making some agreements that could improve the securities of both of our countries. SS: But, you know, the thing is that, unfortunately, the Russians and the Chinese, they don't buy when Washington says that missile defense 'is not aimed' at them. I mean, how can the US convince Russia or China that it doesn't have hostile intent, if that's true? WP: It's very difficult to convince another side of your intent. On the other hand, it's very straightforward to determine the capabilities, and it is quite clear that the ballistic missile defense system deployed in Europe has virtually no capabilities against the Russian nuclear deterrent. The Russian nuclear deterrent is too large, too powerful, to widely dispersed geographically to be significantly affected by it. I do understand the Russians consider it an affront to put that kind of a defense system too close to their borders. But, in fact, the technical people in Russia as well as the technical people in the US understand that Russian nuclear deterrence is far too big and far too capable to be significantly affected by this defense system. SS: Trump took some heat after he called NATO ‘obsolete’ - but he’s specified it’s because the alliance is not fighting terrorism. While countering Russia in the Baltics is aimed at a hypothetical threat, the growing threat of ISIS, terrorism in Europe and the US are real. In response to Trump’s criticism, NATO members are already promising to up their defense spending - will Trump be able to breath new life into the alliance, make it focus on a threat other than Russia? WP: I cannot forecast what Trump's actions on NATO will be based on what he has said so far. There's a real possibility, though, of improving the capabilities of NATO relative to very real and very significant terrorist threat. And that, to me, seems what the direction of the improvements should be. SS: General Mattis nicknamed ‘Mad Dog’ is a fan of ‘continued American engagement in the world’, while Donald Trump really is not - how do you see that contradiction playing out? WP: In the US, of course, the President has the final say on national security decisions, but he is profoundly influenced by his Secretary of Defense recommendations, and I know General Mattis very well, he's an intelligent, temperate, thoughtful person. He, I think, will be a strong and stabilizing influence in the Defense Department. By the way, the term "Mad Dog" is something he himself is very unhappy with, and that does not in any way actually describe the person, who is really quite temperate and intelligent. I think that General Mattis, Secretary Mattis, will be a positive and a constructive and a tempering influence on President Trump. He will offer sound advice, which, I think, will be in the direction of more security and more stability in the world. SS: I want to talk a bit about Iran's nuclear deal. This deal with Iran was Obama’s top success. The Trump Administration imposed new economic sanctions on Iran, the President has repeatedly criticised the Iran nuclear deal and wants it renegotiated. It’s a multilateral agreement, it took years to negotiate - will Trump be able to rewrite it? What happens if the US drops the deal altogether? WP: I do not believe that dropping the Iran deal is a good idea. I do not believe we can re-negotiate Iran deal. It's a multilateral negotiations, it took the action of many countries, including the United States and Russia, countries in Europe, China, to get that agreement. So, re-negotiating this, I think, is quite unrealistic. Dropping the agreement, I think, would be a very big mistake. I would hope that President Trump, as he studies that problem, will come to more temperate view on how to deal with the Iran nuclear agreement. General Mattis has recommended to him that we not drop the nuclear Iran deal, and I hope that recommendation will, in fact, prevail, as we go forward. SS: Dr. Perry, thank you very much for this lovely interview. We were talking to Dr. William Perry, former US Defense Secretary, discussing America's military posture under President Trump and the dangers nuclear weapons pose in today's world. That's it for this edition of SophieCo, I'll see you next time. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From davegreen84 at yahoo.com Sat Feb 18 19:44:50 2017 From: davegreen84 at yahoo.com (David Green) Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2017 19:44:50 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Peace] Interview with former US Secretary of Defense Wm. Perry In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1091207185.313561.1487447090720@mail.yahoo.com> William Perry was Jimmy Carter's Secretary of Defense, and if I recall correctly he was discussed in Andrew Cockburn's Killchain. It would be interesting to know his relationship with Brezezinski in that historical context re Afghanistan etc. A Cal Tech product, he was the technocrat's technocrat for sure. In any event, it appears that he (like Carter) has become a relatively sensible voice in the current context. On Saturday, February 18, 2017 12:49 PM, Karen Aram via Peace wrote: In a symbolic warning about how close the world stands to suffering a nuclear catastrophe, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has moved the Doomsday Clock closer to midnight. The existential threat now poses a greater danger to humanity than at any time since the height of the Cold War. The standoff between Russia the US, the world’s biggest nuclear powers, as well as regional conflicts and the threat of terrorists getting their hands on nuclear material, can all lead to disastrous consequences. With global politics growing more unstable, are nuclear arms still the strongest deterrent to global war, or are they the biggest menace to the security of the world? And, with a new president in the White House, how will America’s nuclear arms policy evolve? We ask former US Secretary of Defense Dr. William Perry.Follow @SophieCo_RT Sophie Shevardnadze: Former US Secretary of Defense, William Perry, welcome to the show, great to have you with us. Mr. Perry,  I remember, ten years ago at the Munich security conference, President Putin warned of growing global instability - wars in the Middle East, NATO expansion and a nuclear arms race. This was a decade ago - why have things got only worse during this time? William Perry: I think, both the US and Russia have found themselves engaged in a war of words. Rhetoric has been increasingly belligerent, and also, military buildups and threats of military buildups. I think that has put us on a dangerous path, and I'm hoping that President Trump and President Putin will be able to find a way of getting us out on a safer path, relevant to the security of both of our countries.SS:   President Trump has called for the expansion of America’s nuclear capabilities on one occasion, on another he’s called for reducing nukes ‘very substantially’ - so which is it going to be?WP:  I think, we won’t really know what President Trump is going to do on defense issues, on security issues, until he submits his first defense budget in a few months. Then we will see whether he’s willing to spend additional funds for defense, which will compete, of course, with other pressures of the economy - and particular, what he will do relevant to the nuclear weapons. I think, on the nuclear weapons, he has said he’s going to maintain strong military, but that very much depends on what Russia is doing on nuclear weapons. There’s a possibility for both Russia and the US to increase spending on nuclear weapons, which seems in the direction we’re heading now. Not only that will be costly for both countries, but also dangerous for both countries. There’s a distinct possibility that President Trump and President Putin can decide in the interest of both our nations to decrease the emphasis and decrease the spending on nuclear weapons. That not only will allow both countries to improve their economy, but I think, more importantly, it will lower the danger for both counties.SS:    You keep warning people that the chance of a nuclear crisis is greater now than it was when you were Clinton’s Defense Minister. But false alarms happened then, too, and it didn't lead to nuclear war - what is different now?WP:  What is different now is that, besides the danger of a nuclear war, there’s a danger of either US or Russia miscalculating or blundering into nuclear war. Quite clear to me that neither country wants a nuclear war and will deliberately start a nuclear war. The danger now is the same as the danger in the Cold War, that we will blunder into a nuclear war, as we almost did, for example, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. But beyond those dangers, which are like the dangers of the Cold War, there are new dangers: one of them is a possibility of nuclear terrorism and of course, the nuclear bomb set up by a terror group could go off in Moscow or in Washington or in New York or in Saint-Petersburg - so that danger’s new, it didn't exist during the Cold War. Beyond that, there’s a danger of regional nuclear war, for example, between India and Pakistan. So, there are new dangers that didn’t exist during the Cold War. So, the danger of some kind of nuclear catastrophe is greater than it was during the Cold War. We can do many things to reduce those dangers, but what’s really important is for the United States and Russia to understand that these nuclear dangers are a danger to both of our countries and find a way of working together to lower the dangers.SS:   According to an Associated Press report, the personnel who man America's nukes are poorly trained and have to use retro tech to run the systems - including 8-inch floppy disks. Why neglect maintaining their nuclear deterrent?WP: I think those accounts are exaggerated, but I am concerned that both in the United States and Russia that the people who have been manning nuclear sites for many-many years now don’t have the motivation or perhaps even skills to do it properly - so, that’s one of the reasons for finding a way of lowering the dangers.. Particular, I put a great emphasis on a danger of our ground-based missiles, ICBMs, intercontinental ballistic missile because they are the danger of an accidental war starting - that is, if either Russian alert system or American alert system makes a mistake and falsely indicates an attack on the way. then there’s an emphasis on either President to make a rapid decision to launch his ICBMs before the other side’s ICBMs will land, and of course, if his alert system is wrong, if there’s a false alarm - then that President would’ve accidentally started a nuclear war. Now, this is not some academic possibility - there’s been at least 2 false alarms in Russia that I know about, and at least 3 false alarms that I know about in the US. That’s a very serious consideration. This is not likely to happen, it’s low probability, but it’s a low probability of an outcome that will be truly catastrophic.SS:   Now, you’ve mentioned nuclear terrorism. After last year’s terror attacks in Brussels there were reports that terrorists are trying to infiltrate Belgium's nuclear facilities. Belgium is also one of the European locations for American tactical nukes - with the growing threat in Europe, are American nukes becoming a potential target? Are they sufficiently secured?WP: I believe the danger of nuclear terror attack does not come from terror group getting either American nuclear weapons or Russian nuclear weapons, because security for both of them is very-very good. The danger is that the terror group could get the fissile material, the fuel, highly enriched uranium, and if they could get that, if they could buy it or steal it - and this is not as well protected as weapons are - then, they could themselves make a crude, improvised nuclear bomb. Crude, but still quite effective. It then can be delivered in a missile, it could be delivered in a delivery truck, and if they could do that, then there’s a danger of nuclear bomb going off in Moscow or in Washington. So, United States and Russia have this common danger, this common threat and we should be working together to do everything we can to lower the danger of a terror group getting either bomb or even a fissile material from which you can make a bomb.SS:  So you don’t see a danger in a terrorist group infiltrating a nuclear facility?WP: I could never say that’s impossible, but I’d say that’s a much lower danger than the danger of terror group getting the fissile material. That means that we should focus on the risk that is the greatest, and that, to me, is the greatest risk we’re facing today from a terror groups.SS:  A Pentagon advisory board proposed building smaller nuclear weapons for ‘limited use’ - but are the smaller yields and better targeting also making nukes more tempting to use? Even to use first, not just in retaliation?WP: I am totally opposed to any emphasis on so-called “tactical nuclear weapons”, I think that’s very dangerous. Either in Russia or in the US, the thought that because the yield is lower that the danger of a nuclear war is lower - is, I think, invalid. Once one side uses a nuclear weapon, even if it is a so-called “tactical” nuclear weapon, there’s no guarantee that we will not escalate into a general nuclear war. So, to me, it is very dangerous assumption to believe that you could use lower yield nuclear weapons without escalating into a general nuclear war. By the way, the so-called lower yield nuclear weapon is still many kilotonnes - so, we’re still talking about an explosion with devastating consequences. So, in sum, I am opposed to tactical nuclear weapons, and I’m very doubtful that the use of a tactical nuclear weapons will not, in fact, escalate into a general nuclear war.SS:  Now, you’ve mentioned India and Pakistan - what would be the consequences of a regional nuclear war?WP: We have to define “limited” very carefully, because both India and Pakistan have more than a 100 nuclear weapons, perhaps 200, and if they use even half of their arsenals against each other,  on the cities - there will be tens of millions of casualties in India and Pakistan. So, it will be a really catastrophic event. Beyond that, the dirt and the fumes from the fire in these cities will go to the atmosphere and change the composition of the atmosphere, probably lowering the temperatures around the planet, for one or two degree. That, in turn, could cause widespread crop failure and so the effect would not only be profound on India and Pakistan, but actually, unlimited nuclear war of that magnitude could affect people all over the planet.SS:  Both Democrats and Republicans alike are vehement about keeping up the confrontation with Russia, despite Trump’s conciliatory mood. Sometimes this stance goes a bit off key - like when Congresswoman Maxine Waters scolded Putin for invading Korea. How knowledgeable are the people who make decisions on these policies, can they be trusted to steer it the right way?WP: We have to trust our leaders: they are our leaders and they are going to be for years to come. On one hopeful note, I believe, is that President Trump says very explicitly - he wants to have a dialogue with President Putin. I think that would be very positive, if that happens. In my judgement there are many issues between the US and Russia which would be very difficult to resolve, but the issues of nuclear weapons... We should be able to discuss and come up with actions that are mutually beneficial. The danger of a nuclear terror group is to both countries, nuclear bomb can go off in either Moscow or Washington. The danger of nuclear proliferation is for both countries. So we should be able to find it possible to work together to reduce the dangers to both of us, even though that we cannot work on issues that we disagree, we've ought to be able to work together on issues on which we agree, and President Trump has made it very clear that he would like to do that, and so I think there's possible opening here after years of no constructive dialogue between the US and Russia on nuclear issues - and now, it's a possibility that we will have that dialogue. I, very much, look forward to that.SS:  Trump’s proposed easing of sanctions for good deals with President Putin - like a nuclear arms reduction treaty. Will he be strong enough to overcome the opposition from his own administration to “making deals” with Putin?WP: I don't have any ability to forecast what negotiation tactics that President Trump might use with President Putin. The extent to which sanctions, for example, would be on the table? I believe, from what I hear and understand that President Trump will be willing to put everything on the table and so there's the possibility of a new beginning, a new opening in negotiations which could be constructive for both countries. Both President Putin and President Trump will be wanting to advance the cause of each of their own nations, but in the case of nuclear dangers, it is a mutual interest between the US and Russia to lower those dangers. So, there's an area, where, I think there's every possibility of being able to lower dangers. I must say, though, that for success in this area, the two leaders have to be able to do what I would call "separate the variables" - that is, have to be able to separate out issues on which they cannot agree, which is basic disagreement, from the issues that they do have common interests and can agree - so not let the issues where they disagree get in a way of coming to agreements on the areas where they agree.SS:  What makes you think this piecemeal approach to diplomacy will work?WP: I'm not sure it will work, but I said, 'can work', and we can hope that the two leaders will find a way of making it work. Even if we cannot agree on Ukraine, even if we cannot agree on Syria - we ought to be able to agree on nuclear dangers to both of us, to both of our countries. We ought to be able to agree on taking actions and steps to lower those dangers. Those are in the interest of both countries, there's no conflict there. They don't have to be able to agree on everything to agree on something, and particularly to agree on something that's very important to both of us.SS:  Today thousands of NATO troops are amassed close to Russia’s border - in the biggest military buildup since the Cold War, already spurring an arms race - is anybody realistically planning to go to war with Russia? And if not - because I don't think anyone is - what’s the point of this military buildup? What's your take?WP: I'm very clear that NATO has no plans or intentions of going to war with Russia. That's the last thing anybody in NATO wants. The purpose of the troops there are for better or for worse - the purpose of the troops there is to deter Russia from taking any military action against the Baltic nations, for example. Have Russia not intended to do that, those troops don't need to be there. In fact, as far as NATO is concerned, they'd rather not have to deploy the troops there. So, one of the thing - besides coming to the agreement on nuclear issues, that possibility that President Putin and President Trump have - it also will be very good to talk about what they can do, to lower the tensions in the Baltics, and, in particular, have both Russian troops move away from the border and have NATO troops move back. That would be, I think, beneficial for the security of both countries, if they get agreed to do that.SS:  But Moscow, you know, Moscow has said time and time again that it finds plans to put a missile defense system in Europe unacceptable, and that it will deploy more missiles in response, take other retaliatory steps - why are Western leaders so eager to push this system through even though they know perfectly well it will only lead to more tension and escalation in Europe?WP: I must say that I, myself, believe it was a mistake for the US to deploy the ballistic missile defense systems in Eastern Europe. I do not believe that the systems we have deployed there in any significant way threatens the Russian nuclear deterrence. It is much too small and the Russian nuclear deterrence force is much too large. But I can see, and I know talking to many Russian colleagues, I can see that that deployment is a concern to Russia. That, again, seems to me as something President Putin and President Trump ought to be able to discuss. The idea of the United States backing away from, reducing at least, the emphasize on the ballistic missile defense system in Europe, or, maybe, make some sort of assurances about not building up that capability in way that would threaten Russia - if we can come to some kind of agreement like that, that would also be a benefit to our securities. I do not know whether President Putin and Trump are going to discuss that issue. It seems to me as an issue open for discussion and one which is a possibility for making some agreements that could improve the securities of both of our countries.SS:  But, you know, the thing is that, unfortunately, the Russians and the Chinese, they don't buy when Washington says that missile defense 'is not aimed' at them. I mean, how can the US convince Russia or China that it doesn't have hostile intent, if that's true?WP: It's very difficult to convince another side of your intent. On the other hand, it's very straightforward to determine the capabilities, and it is quite clear that the ballistic missile defense system deployed in Europe has virtually no capabilities against the Russian nuclear deterrent. The Russian nuclear deterrent is too large, too powerful, to widely dispersed geographically to be significantly affected by it. I do understand the Russians consider it an affront to put that kind of a defense system too close to their borders. But, in fact, the technical people in Russia as well as the technical people in the US understand that Russian nuclear deterrence is far too big and far too capable to be significantly affected by this defense system.SS:  Trump took some heat after he called NATO ‘obsolete’ - but he’s specified it’s because the alliance is not fighting terrorism. While countering Russia in the Baltics is aimed at a hypothetical threat, the growing threat of ISIS, terrorism in Europe and the US are real.  In response to Trump’s criticism, NATO members are already promising to up their defense spending - will Trump be able to breath new life into the alliance, make it focus on a threat other than Russia?WP: I cannot forecast what Trump's actions on NATO will be based on what he has said so far. There's a real possibility, though, of improving the capabilities of NATO relative to very real and very significant terrorist threat. And that, to me, seems what the direction of the improvements should be.SS:  General Mattis nicknamed ‘Mad Dog’ is a fan of ‘continued American engagement in the world’, while Donald Trump really is not - how do you see that contradiction playing out?WP: In the US, of course, the President has the final say on national security decisions, but he is profoundly influenced by his Secretary of Defense recommendations, and I know General Mattis very well, he's an intelligent, temperate, thoughtful person. He, I think, will be a strong and stabilizing influence in the Defense Department. By the way, the term "Mad Dog" is something he himself is very unhappy with, and that does not in any way actually describe the person, who is really quite temperate and intelligent. I think that General Mattis, Secretary Mattis, will be a positive and a constructive and a tempering influence on President Trump. He will offer sound advice, which, I think, will be in the direction of more security and more stability in the world.SS:  I want to talk a bit about Iran's nuclear deal. This deal with Iran was Obama’s top success. The Trump Administration imposed new economic sanctions on Iran, the President has repeatedly criticised the Iran nuclear deal and wants it renegotiated. It’s a multilateral agreement, it took years to negotiate - will Trump be able to rewrite it? What happens if the US drops the deal altogether?WP: I do not believe that dropping the Iran deal is a good idea. I do not believe we can re-negotiate Iran deal. It's a multilateral negotiations, it took the action of many countries, including the United States and Russia, countries in Europe, China, to get that agreement. So, re-negotiating this, I think, is quite unrealistic. Dropping the agreement, I think, would be a very big mistake. I would hope that President Trump, as he studies that problem, will come to more temperate view on how to deal with the Iran nuclear agreement. General Mattis has recommended to him that we not drop the nuclear Iran deal, and I hope that recommendation will, in fact, prevail, as we go forward.SS:  Dr. Perry, thank you very much for this lovely interview. We were talking to Dr. William Perry, former US Defense Secretary, discussing America's military posture under President Trump and the dangers nuclear weapons pose in today's world. That's it for this edition of SophieCo, I'll see you next time. _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Feb 18 21:36:13 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2017 21:36:13 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Interview with former US Secretary of Defense Wm. Perry In-Reply-To: <1091207185.313561.1487447090720@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1091207185.313561.1487447090720@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Wm. Perry was Clinton’s Secretary for Defense, an engineer, and a former military man, he is now very concerned over the use of tactical or “small” weapons we are developing, as well as the potential for nuclear war as a result of an “accident.” The threat of terrorists getting their hands on nuclear material to create their own nuclear bombs is also a concern. He is hopeful that President Trump with the advice of Gen. Mattis will develop a dialog with Russia to prevent a catastrophe from happening. I recommend everyone read this interview in its entirety or view it on RT with SophieCo.RT. where our many former government leaders now have a voice, warning the world of the very real dangers facing us today. On Feb 18, 2017, at 11:44, David Green > wrote: William Perry was Jimmy Carter's Secretary of Defense, and if I recall correctly he was discussed in Andrew Cockburn's Killchain. It would be interesting to know his relationship with Brezezinski in that historical context re Afghanistan etc. A Cal Tech product, he was the technocrat's technocrat for sure. In any event, it appears that he (like Carter) has become a relatively sensible voice in the current context. On Saturday, February 18, 2017 12:49 PM, Karen Aram via Peace > wrote: In a symbolic warning about how close the world stands to suffering a nuclear catastrophe, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has moved the Doomsday Clock closer to midnight. The existential threat now poses a greater danger to humanity than at any time since the height of the Cold War. The standoff between Russia the US, the world’s biggest nuclear powers, as well as regional conflicts and the threat of terrorists getting their hands on nuclear material, can all lead to disastrous consequences. With global politics growing more unstable, are nuclear arms still the strongest deterrent to global war, or are they the biggest menace to the security of the world? And, with a new president in the White House, how will America’s nuclear arms policy evolve? We ask former US Secretary of Defense Dr. William Perry. Follow @SophieCo_RT Sophie Shevardnadze: Former US Secretary of Defense, William Perry, welcome to the show, great to have you with us. Mr. Perry, I remember, ten years ago at the Munich security conference, President Putin warned of growing global instability - wars in the Middle East, NATO expansion and a nuclear arms race. This was a decade ago - why have things got only worse during this time? William Perry: I think, both the US and Russia have found themselves engaged in a war of words. Rhetoric has been increasingly belligerent, and also, military buildups and threats of military buildups. I think that has put us on a dangerous path, and I'm hoping that President Trump and President Putin will be able to find a way of getting us out on a safer path, relevant to the security of both of our countries. SS: President Trump has called for the expansion of America’s nuclear capabilities on one occasion, on another he’s called for reducing nukes ‘very substantially’ - so which is it going to be? WP: I think, we won’t really know what President Trump is going to do on defense issues, on security issues, until he submits his first defense budget in a few months. Then we will see whether he’s willing to spend additional funds for defense, which will compete, of course, with other pressures of the economy - and particular, what he will do relevant to the nuclear weapons. I think, on the nuclear weapons, he has said he’s going to maintain strong military, but that very much depends on what Russia is doing on nuclear weapons. There’s a possibility for both Russia and the US to increase spending on nuclear weapons, which seems in the direction we’re heading now. Not only that will be costly for both countries, but also dangerous for both countries. There’s a distinct possibility that President Trump and President Putin can decide in the interest of both our nations to decrease the emphasis and decrease the spending on nuclear weapons. That not only will allow both countries to improve their economy, but I think, more importantly, it will lower the danger for both counties. SS: You keep warning people that the chance of a nuclear crisis is greater now than it was when you were Clinton’s Defense Minister. But false alarms happened then, too, and it didn't lead to nuclear war - what is different now? WP: What is different now is that, besides the danger of a nuclear war, there’s a danger of either US or Russia miscalculating or blundering into nuclear war. Quite clear to me that neither country wants a nuclear war and will deliberately start a nuclear war. The danger now is the same as the danger in the Cold War, that we will blunder into a nuclear war, as we almost did, for example, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. But beyond those dangers, which are like the dangers of the Cold War, there are new dangers: one of them is a possibility of nuclear terrorism and of course, the nuclear bomb set up by a terror group could go off in Moscow or in Washington or in New York or in Saint-Petersburg - so that danger’s new, it didn't exist during the Cold War. Beyond that, there’s a danger of regional nuclear war, for example, between India and Pakistan. So, there are new dangers that didn’t exist during the Cold War. So, the danger of some kind of nuclear catastrophe is greater than it was during the Cold War. We can do many things to reduce those dangers, but what’s really important is for the United States and Russia to understand that these nuclear dangers are a danger to both of our countries and find a way of working together to lower the dangers. SS: According to an Associated Press report, the personnel who man America's nukes are poorly trained and have to use retro tech to run the systems - including 8-inch floppy disks. Why neglect maintaining their nuclear deterrent? WP: I think those accounts are exaggerated, but I am concerned that both in the United States and Russia that the people who have been manning nuclear sites for many-many years now don’t have the motivation or perhaps even skills to do it properly - so, that’s one of the reasons for finding a way of lowering the dangers.. Particular, I put a great emphasis on a danger of our ground-based missiles, ICBMs, intercontinental ballistic missile because they are the danger of an accidental war starting - that is, if either Russian alert system or American alert system makes a mistake and falsely indicates an attack on the way. then there’s an emphasis on either President to make a rapid decision to launch his ICBMs before the other side’s ICBMs will land, and of course, if his alert system is wrong, if there’s a false alarm - then that President would’ve accidentally started a nuclear war. Now, this is not some academic possibility - there’s been at least 2 false alarms in Russia that I know about, and at least 3 false alarms that I know about in the US. That’s a very serious consideration. This is not likely to happen, it’s low probability, but it’s a low probability of an outcome that will be truly catastrophic. SS: Now, you’ve mentioned nuclear terrorism. After last year’s terror attacks in Brussels there were reports that terrorists are trying to infiltrate Belgium's nuclear facilities. Belgium is also one of the European locations for American tactical nukes - with the growing threat in Europe, are American nukes becoming a potential target? Are they sufficiently secured? WP: I believe the danger of nuclear terror attack does not come from terror group getting either American nuclear weapons or Russian nuclear weapons, because security for both of them is very-very good. The danger is that the terror group could get the fissile material, the fuel, highly enriched uranium, and if they could get that, if they could buy it or steal it - and this is not as well protected as weapons are - then, they could themselves make a crude, improvised nuclear bomb. Crude, but still quite effective. It then can be delivered in a missile, it could be delivered in a delivery truck, and if they could do that, then there’s a danger of nuclear bomb going off in Moscow or in Washington. So, United States and Russia have this common danger, this common threat and we should be working together to do everything we can to lower the danger of a terror group getting either bomb or even a fissile material from which you can make a bomb. SS: So you don’t see a danger in a terrorist group infiltrating a nuclear facility? WP: I could never say that’s impossible, but I’d say that’s a much lower danger than the danger of terror group getting the fissile material. That means that we should focus on the risk that is the greatest, and that, to me, is the greatest risk we’re facing today from a terror groups. SS: A Pentagon advisory board proposed building smaller nuclear weapons for ‘limited use’ - but are the smaller yields and better targeting also making nukes more tempting to use? Even to use first, not just in retaliation? WP: I am totally opposed to any emphasis on so-called “tactical nuclear weapons”, I think that’s very dangerous. Either in Russia or in the US, the thought that because the yield is lower that the danger of a nuclear war is lower - is, I think, invalid. Once one side uses a nuclear weapon, even if it is a so-called “tactical” nuclear weapon, there’s no guarantee that we will not escalate into a general nuclear war. So, to me, it is very dangerous assumption to believe that you could use lower yield nuclear weapons without escalating into a general nuclear war. By the way, the so-called lower yield nuclear weapon is still many kilotonnes - so, we’re still talking about an explosion with devastating consequences. So, in sum, I am opposed to tactical nuclear weapons, and I’m very doubtful that the use of a tactical nuclear weapons will not, in fact, escalate into a general nuclear war. SS: Now, you’ve mentioned India and Pakistan - what would be the consequences of a regional nuclear war? WP: We have to define “limited” very carefully, because both India and Pakistan have more than a 100 nuclear weapons, perhaps 200, and if they use even half of their arsenals against each other, on the cities - there will be tens of millions of casualties in India and Pakistan. So, it will be a really catastrophic event. Beyond that, the dirt and the fumes from the fire in these cities will go to the atmosphere and change the composition of the atmosphere, probably lowering the temperatures around the planet, for one or two degree. That, in turn, could cause widespread crop failure and so the effect would not only be profound on India and Pakistan, but actually, unlimited nuclear war of that magnitude could affect people all over the planet. SS: Both Democrats and Republicans alike are vehement about keeping up the confrontation with Russia, despite Trump’s conciliatory mood. Sometimes this stance goes a bit off key - like when Congresswoman Maxine Waters scolded Putin for invading Korea. How knowledgeable are the people who make decisions on these policies, can they be trusted to steer it the right way? WP: We have to trust our leaders: they are our leaders and they are going to be for years to come. On one hopeful note, I believe, is that President Trump says very explicitly - he wants to have a dialogue with President Putin. I think that would be very positive, if that happens. In my judgement there are many issues between the US and Russia which would be very difficult to resolve, but the issues of nuclear weapons... We should be able to discuss and come up with actions that are mutually beneficial. The danger of a nuclear terror group is to both countries, nuclear bomb can go off in either Moscow or Washington. The danger of nuclear proliferation is for both countries. So we should be able to find it possible to work together to reduce the dangers to both of us, even though that we cannot work on issues that we disagree, we've ought to be able to work together on issues on which we agree, and President Trump has made it very clear that he would like to do that, and so I think there's possible opening here after years of no constructive dialogue between the US and Russia on nuclear issues - and now, it's a possibility that we will have that dialogue. I, very much, look forward to that. SS: Trump’s proposed easing of sanctions for good deals with President Putin - like a nuclear arms reduction treaty. Will he be strong enough to overcome the opposition from his own administration to “making deals” with Putin? WP: I don't have any ability to forecast what negotiation tactics that President Trump might use with President Putin. The extent to which sanctions, for example, would be on the table? I believe, from what I hear and understand that President Trump will be willing to put everything on the table and so there's the possibility of a new beginning, a new opening in negotiations which could be constructive for both countries. Both President Putin and President Trump will be wanting to advance the cause of each of their own nations, but in the case of nuclear dangers, it is a mutual interest between the US and Russia to lower those dangers. So, there's an area, where, I think there's every possibility of being able to lower dangers. I must say, though, that for success in this area, the two leaders have to be able to do what I would call "separate the variables" - that is, have to be able to separate out issues on which they cannot agree, which is basic disagreement, from the issues that they do have common interests and can agree - so not let the issues where they disagree get in a way of coming to agreements on the areas where they agree. SS: What makes you think this piecemeal approach to diplomacy will work? WP: I'm not sure it will work, but I said, 'can work', and we can hope that the two leaders will find a way of making it work. Even if we cannot agree on Ukraine, even if we cannot agree on Syria - we ought to be able to agree on nuclear dangers to both of us, to both of our countries. We ought to be able to agree on taking actions and steps to lower those dangers. Those are in the interest of both countries, there's no conflict there. They don't have to be able to agree on everything to agree on something, and particularly to agree on something that's very important to both of us. SS: Today thousands of NATO troops are amassed close to Russia’s border - in the biggest military buildup since the Cold War, already spurring an arms race - is anybody realistically planning to go to war with Russia? And if not - because I don't think anyone is - what’s the point of this military buildup? What's your take? WP: I'm very clear that NATO has no plans or intentions of going to war with Russia. That's the last thing anybody in NATO wants. The purpose of the troops there are for better or for worse - the purpose of the troops there is to deter Russia from taking any military action against the Baltic nations, for example. Have Russia not intended to do that, those troops don't need to be there. In fact, as far as NATO is concerned, they'd rather not have to deploy the troops there. So, one of the thing - besides coming to the agreement on nuclear issues, that possibility that President Putin and President Trump have - it also will be very good to talk about what they can do, to lower the tensions in the Baltics, and, in particular, have both Russian troops move away from the border and have NATO troops move back. That would be, I think, beneficial for the security of both countries, if they get agreed to do that. SS: But Moscow, you know, Moscow has said time and time again that it finds plans to put a missile defense system in Europe unacceptable, and that it will deploy more missiles in response, take other retaliatory steps - why are Western leaders so eager to push this system through even though they know perfectly well it will only lead to more tension and escalation in Europe? WP: I must say that I, myself, believe it was a mistake for the US to deploy the ballistic missile defense systems in Eastern Europe. I do not believe that the systems we have deployed there in any significant way threatens the Russian nuclear deterrence. It is much too small and the Russian nuclear deterrence force is much too large. But I can see, and I know talking to many Russian colleagues, I can see that that deployment is a concern to Russia. That, again, seems to me as something President Putin and President Trump ought to be able to discuss. The idea of the United States backing away from, reducing at least, the emphasize on the ballistic missile defense system in Europe, or, maybe, make some sort of assurances about not building up that capability in way that would threaten Russia - if we can come to some kind of agreement like that, that would also be a benefit to our securities. I do not know whether President Putin and Trump are going to discuss that issue. It seems to me as an issue open for discussion and one which is a possibility for making some agreements that could improve the securities of both of our countries. SS: But, you know, the thing is that, unfortunately, the Russians and the Chinese, they don't buy when Washington says that missile defense 'is not aimed' at them. I mean, how can the US convince Russia or China that it doesn't have hostile intent, if that's true? WP: It's very difficult to convince another side of your intent. On the other hand, it's very straightforward to determine the capabilities, and it is quite clear that the ballistic missile defense system deployed in Europe has virtually no capabilities against the Russian nuclear deterrent. The Russian nuclear deterrent is too large, too powerful, to widely dispersed geographically to be significantly affected by it. I do understand the Russians consider it an affront to put that kind of a defense system too close to their borders. But, in fact, the technical people in Russia as well as the technical people in the US understand that Russian nuclear deterrence is far too big and far too capable to be significantly affected by this defense system. SS: Trump took some heat after he called NATO ‘obsolete’ - but he’s specified it’s because the alliance is not fighting terrorism. While countering Russia in the Baltics is aimed at a hypothetical threat, the growing threat of ISIS, terrorism in Europe and the US are real. In response to Trump’s criticism, NATO members are already promising to up their defense spending - will Trump be able to breath new life into the alliance, make it focus on a threat other than Russia? WP: I cannot forecast what Trump's actions on NATO will be based on what he has said so far. There's a real possibility, though, of improving the capabilities of NATO relative to very real and very significant terrorist threat. And that, to me, seems what the direction of the improvements should be. SS: General Mattis nicknamed ‘Mad Dog’ is a fan of ‘continued American engagement in the world’, while Donald Trump really is not - how do you see that contradiction playing out? WP: In the US, of course, the President has the final say on national security decisions, but he is profoundly influenced by his Secretary of Defense recommendations, and I know General Mattis very well, he's an intelligent, temperate, thoughtful person. He, I think, will be a strong and stabilizing influence in the Defense Department. By the way, the term "Mad Dog" is something he himself is very unhappy with, and that does not in any way actually describe the person, who is really quite temperate and intelligent. I think that General Mattis, Secretary Mattis, will be a positive and a constructive and a tempering influence on President Trump. He will offer sound advice, which, I think, will be in the direction of more security and more stability in the world. SS: I want to talk a bit about Iran's nuclear deal. This deal with Iran was Obama’s top success. The Trump Administration imposed new economic sanctions on Iran, the President has repeatedly criticised the Iran nuclear deal and wants it renegotiated. It’s a multilateral agreement, it took years to negotiate - will Trump be able to rewrite it? What happens if the US drops the deal altogether? WP: I do not believe that dropping the Iran deal is a good idea. I do not believe we can re-negotiate Iran deal. It's a multilateral negotiations, it took the action of many countries, including the United States and Russia, countries in Europe, China, to get that agreement. So, re-negotiating this, I think, is quite unrealistic. Dropping the agreement, I think, would be a very big mistake. I would hope that President Trump, as he studies that problem, will come to more temperate view on how to deal with the Iran nuclear agreement. General Mattis has recommended to him that we not drop the nuclear Iran deal, and I hope that recommendation will, in fact, prevail, as we go forward. SS: Dr. Perry, thank you very much for this lovely interview. We were talking to Dr. William Perry, former US Defense Secretary, discussing America's military posture under President Trump and the dangers nuclear weapons pose in today's world. That's it for this edition of SophieCo, I'll see you next time. _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From brussel at illinois.edu Sat Feb 18 22:12:00 2017 From: brussel at illinois.edu (Brussel, Morton K) Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2017 22:12:00 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Interview with former US Secretary of Defense Wm. Perry In-Reply-To: References: <1091207185.313561.1487447090720@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: The fundmental purpose of the neocon segment of the U.S. government is to weaken Russia (and China), knowing that militarily—in non-nuclear terms—“we"—U.S. and NATO" are far superior militarily and economically. We can push the envelope against Russia as we have been doing with proxy conflicts. There is a great danger there. For example, in Ukraine a conflagration would weaken Russia without affecting U.S. or NATO much militarily. How much would Russia be willing to take on this front? How would it consider responding? Against a far stronger military US-NATO structure, would it consider nuclear weapons? A similar scenario could be present in Syria, or analogous arguments could be applied to the far east area. Wm. Perry does not discuss these aspects of our new cold war. On Feb 18, 2017, at 3:36 PM, Karen Aram via Peace > wrote: Wm. Perry was Clinton’s Secretary for Defense, an engineer, and a former military man, he is now very concerned over the use of tactical or “small” weapons we are developing, as well as the potential for nuclear war as a result of an “accident.” The threat of terrorists getting their hands on nuclear material to create their own nuclear bombs is also a concern. He is hopeful that President Trump with the advice of Gen. Mattis will develop a dialog with Russia to prevent a catastrophe from happening. I recommend everyone read this interview in its entirety or view it on RT with SophieCo.RT. where our many former government leaders now have a voice, warning the world of the very real dangers facing us today. On Feb 18, 2017, at 11:44, David Green > wrote: William Perry was Jimmy Carter's Secretary of Defense, and if I recall correctly he was discussed in Andrew Cockburn's Killchain. It would be interesting to know his relationship with Brezezinski in that historical context re Afghanistan etc. A Cal Tech product, he was the technocrat's technocrat for sure. In any event, it appears that he (like Carter) has become a relatively sensible voice in the current context. On Saturday, February 18, 2017 12:49 PM, Karen Aram via Peace > wrote: In a symbolic warning about how close the world stands to suffering a nuclear catastrophe, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has moved the Doomsday Clock closer to midnight. The existential threat now poses a greater danger to humanity than at any time since the height of the Cold War. The standoff between Russia the US, the world’s biggest nuclear powers, as well as regional conflicts and the threat of terrorists getting their hands on nuclear material, can all lead to disastrous consequences. With global politics growing more unstable, are nuclear arms still the strongest deterrent to global war, or are they the biggest menace to the security of the world? And, with a new president in the White House, how will America’s nuclear arms policy evolve? We ask former US Secretary of Defense Dr. William Perry. Follow @SophieCo_RT Sophie Shevardnadze: Former US Secretary of Defense, William Perry, welcome to the show, great to have you with us. Mr. Perry, I remember, ten years ago at the Munich security conference, President Putin warned of growing global instability - wars in the Middle East, NATO expansion and a nuclear arms race. This was a decade ago - why have things got only worse during this time? William Perry: I think, both the US and Russia have found themselves engaged in a war of words. Rhetoric has been increasingly belligerent, and also, military buildups and threats of military buildups. I think that has put us on a dangerous path, and I'm hoping that President Trump and President Putin will be able to find a way of getting us out on a safer path, relevant to the security of both of our countries. SS: President Trump has called for the expansion of America’s nuclear capabilities on one occasion, on another he’s called for reducing nukes ‘very substantially’ - so which is it going to be? WP: I think, we won’t really know what President Trump is going to do on defense issues, on security issues, until he submits his first defense budget in a few months. Then we will see whether he’s willing to spend additional funds for defense, which will compete, of course, with other pressures of the economy - and particular, what he will do relevant to the nuclear weapons. I think, on the nuclear weapons, he has said he’s going to maintain strong military, but that very much depends on what Russia is doing on nuclear weapons. There’s a possibility for both Russia and the US to increase spending on nuclear weapons, which seems in the direction we’re heading now. Not only that will be costly for both countries, but also dangerous for both countries. There’s a distinct possibility that President Trump and President Putin can decide in the interest of both our nations to decrease the emphasis and decrease the spending on nuclear weapons. That not only will allow both countries to improve their economy, but I think, more importantly, it will lower the danger for both counties. SS: You keep warning people that the chance of a nuclear crisis is greater now than it was when you were Clinton’s Defense Minister. But false alarms happened then, too, and it didn't lead to nuclear war - what is different now? WP: What is different now is that, besides the danger of a nuclear war, there’s a danger of either US or Russia miscalculating or blundering into nuclear war. Quite clear to me that neither country wants a nuclear war and will deliberately start a nuclear war. The danger now is the same as the danger in the Cold War, that we will blunder into a nuclear war, as we almost did, for example, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. But beyond those dangers, which are like the dangers of the Cold War, there are new dangers: one of them is a possibility of nuclear terrorism and of course, the nuclear bomb set up by a terror group could go off in Moscow or in Washington or in New York or in Saint-Petersburg - so that danger’s new, it didn't exist during the Cold War. Beyond that, there’s a danger of regional nuclear war, for example, between India and Pakistan. So, there are new dangers that didn’t exist during the Cold War. So, the danger of some kind of nuclear catastrophe is greater than it was during the Cold War. We can do many things to reduce those dangers, but what’s really important is for the United States and Russia to understand that these nuclear dangers are a danger to both of our countries and find a way of working together to lower the dangers. SS: According to an Associated Press report, the personnel who man America's nukes are poorly trained and have to use retro tech to run the systems - including 8-inch floppy disks. Why neglect maintaining their nuclear deterrent? WP: I think those accounts are exaggerated, but I am concerned that both in the United States and Russia that the people who have been manning nuclear sites for many-many years now don’t have the motivation or perhaps even skills to do it properly - so, that’s one of the reasons for finding a way of lowering the dangers.. Particular, I put a great emphasis on a danger of our ground-based missiles, ICBMs, intercontinental ballistic missile because they are the danger of an accidental war starting - that is, if either Russian alert system or American alert system makes a mistake and falsely indicates an attack on the way. then there’s an emphasis on either President to make a rapid decision to launch his ICBMs before the other side’s ICBMs will land, and of course, if his alert system is wrong, if there’s a false alarm - then that President would’ve accidentally started a nuclear war. Now, this is not some academic possibility - there’s been at least 2 false alarms in Russia that I know about, and at least 3 false alarms that I know about in the US. That’s a very serious consideration. This is not likely to happen, it’s low probability, but it’s a low probability of an outcome that will be truly catastrophic. SS: Now, you’ve mentioned nuclear terrorism. After last year’s terror attacks in Brussels there were reports that terrorists are trying to infiltrate Belgium's nuclear facilities. Belgium is also one of the European locations for American tactical nukes - with the growing threat in Europe, are American nukes becoming a potential target? Are they sufficiently secured? WP: I believe the danger of nuclear terror attack does not come from terror group getting either American nuclear weapons or Russian nuclear weapons, because security for both of them is very-very good. The danger is that the terror group could get the fissile material, the fuel, highly enriched uranium, and if they could get that, if they could buy it or steal it - and this is not as well protected as weapons are - then, they could themselves make a crude, improvised nuclear bomb. Crude, but still quite effective. It then can be delivered in a missile, it could be delivered in a delivery truck, and if they could do that, then there’s a danger of nuclear bomb going off in Moscow or in Washington. So, United States and Russia have this common danger, this common threat and we should be working together to do everything we can to lower the danger of a terror group getting either bomb or even a fissile material from which you can make a bomb. SS: So you don’t see a danger in a terrorist group infiltrating a nuclear facility? WP: I could never say that’s impossible, but I’d say that’s a much lower danger than the danger of terror group getting the fissile material. That means that we should focus on the risk that is the greatest, and that, to me, is the greatest risk we’re facing today from a terror groups. SS: A Pentagon advisory board proposed building smaller nuclear weapons for ‘limited use’ - but are the smaller yields and better targeting also making nukes more tempting to use? Even to use first, not just in retaliation? WP: I am totally opposed to any emphasis on so-called “tactical nuclear weapons”, I think that’s very dangerous. Either in Russia or in the US, the thought that because the yield is lower that the danger of a nuclear war is lower - is, I think, invalid. Once one side uses a nuclear weapon, even if it is a so-called “tactical” nuclear weapon, there’s no guarantee that we will not escalate into a general nuclear war. So, to me, it is very dangerous assumption to believe that you could use lower yield nuclear weapons without escalating into a general nuclear war. By the way, the so-called lower yield nuclear weapon is still many kilotonnes - so, we’re still talking about an explosion with devastating consequences. So, in sum, I am opposed to tactical nuclear weapons, and I’m very doubtful that the use of a tactical nuclear weapons will not, in fact, escalate into a general nuclear war. SS: Now, you’ve mentioned India and Pakistan - what would be the consequences of a regional nuclear war? WP: We have to define “limited” very carefully, because both India and Pakistan have more than a 100 nuclear weapons, perhaps 200, and if they use even half of their arsenals against each other, on the cities - there will be tens of millions of casualties in India and Pakistan. So, it will be a really catastrophic event. Beyond that, the dirt and the fumes from the fire in these cities will go to the atmosphere and change the composition of the atmosphere, probably lowering the temperatures around the planet, for one or two degree. That, in turn, could cause widespread crop failure and so the effect would not only be profound on India and Pakistan, but actually, unlimited nuclear war of that magnitude could affect people all over the planet. SS: Both Democrats and Republicans alike are vehement about keeping up the confrontation with Russia, despite Trump’s conciliatory mood. Sometimes this stance goes a bit off key - like when Congresswoman Maxine Waters scolded Putin for invading Korea. How knowledgeable are the people who make decisions on these policies, can they be trusted to steer it the right way? WP: We have to trust our leaders: they are our leaders and they are going to be for years to come. On one hopeful note, I believe, is that President Trump says very explicitly - he wants to have a dialogue with President Putin. I think that would be very positive, if that happens. In my judgement there are many issues between the US and Russia which would be very difficult to resolve, but the issues of nuclear weapons... We should be able to discuss and come up with actions that are mutually beneficial. The danger of a nuclear terror group is to both countries, nuclear bomb can go off in either Moscow or Washington. The danger of nuclear proliferation is for both countries. So we should be able to find it possible to work together to reduce the dangers to both of us, even though that we cannot work on issues that we disagree, we've ought to be able to work together on issues on which we agree, and President Trump has made it very clear that he would like to do that, and so I think there's possible opening here after years of no constructive dialogue between the US and Russia on nuclear issues - and now, it's a possibility that we will have that dialogue. I, very much, look forward to that. SS: Trump’s proposed easing of sanctions for good deals with President Putin - like a nuclear arms reduction treaty. Will he be strong enough to overcome the opposition from his own administration to “making deals” with Putin? WP: I don't have any ability to forecast what negotiation tactics that President Trump might use with President Putin. The extent to which sanctions, for example, would be on the table? I believe, from what I hear and understand that President Trump will be willing to put everything on the table and so there's the possibility of a new beginning, a new opening in negotiations which could be constructive for both countries. Both President Putin and President Trump will be wanting to advance the cause of each of their own nations, but in the case of nuclear dangers, it is a mutual interest between the US and Russia to lower those dangers. So, there's an area, where, I think there's every possibility of being able to lower dangers. I must say, though, that for success in this area, the two leaders have to be able to do what I would call "separate the variables" - that is, have to be able to separate out issues on which they cannot agree, which is basic disagreement, from the issues that they do have common interests and can agree - so not let the issues where they disagree get in a way of coming to agreements on the areas where they agree. SS: What makes you think this piecemeal approach to diplomacy will work? WP: I'm not sure it will work, but I said, 'can work', and we can hope that the two leaders will find a way of making it work. Even if we cannot agree on Ukraine, even if we cannot agree on Syria - we ought to be able to agree on nuclear dangers to both of us, to both of our countries. We ought to be able to agree on taking actions and steps to lower those dangers. Those are in the interest of both countries, there's no conflict there. They don't have to be able to agree on everything to agree on something, and particularly to agree on something that's very important to both of us. SS: Today thousands of NATO troops are amassed close to Russia’s border - in the biggest military buildup since the Cold War, already spurring an arms race - is anybody realistically planning to go to war with Russia? And if not - because I don't think anyone is - what’s the point of this military buildup? What's your take? WP: I'm very clear that NATO has no plans or intentions of going to war with Russia. That's the last thing anybody in NATO wants. The purpose of the troops there are for better or for worse - the purpose of the troops there is to deter Russia from taking any military action against the Baltic nations, for example. Have Russia not intended to do that, those troops don't need to be there. In fact, as far as NATO is concerned, they'd rather not have to deploy the troops there. So, one of the thing - besides coming to the agreement on nuclear issues, that possibility that President Putin and President Trump have - it also will be very good to talk about what they can do, to lower the tensions in the Baltics, and, in particular, have both Russian troops move away from the border and have NATO troops move back. That would be, I think, beneficial for the security of both countries, if they get agreed to do that. SS: But Moscow, you know, Moscow has said time and time again that it finds plans to put a missile defense system in Europe unacceptable, and that it will deploy more missiles in response, take other retaliatory steps - why are Western leaders so eager to push this system through even though they know perfectly well it will only lead to more tension and escalation in Europe? WP: I must say that I, myself, believe it was a mistake for the US to deploy the ballistic missile defense systems in Eastern Europe. I do not believe that the systems we have deployed there in any significant way threatens the Russian nuclear deterrence. It is much too small and the Russian nuclear deterrence force is much too large. But I can see, and I know talking to many Russian colleagues, I can see that that deployment is a concern to Russia. That, again, seems to me as something President Putin and President Trump ought to be able to discuss. The idea of the United States backing away from, reducing at least, the emphasize on the ballistic missile defense system in Europe, or, maybe, make some sort of assurances about not building up that capability in way that would threaten Russia - if we can come to some kind of agreement like that, that would also be a benefit to our securities. I do not know whether President Putin and Trump are going to discuss that issue. It seems to me as an issue open for discussion and one which is a possibility for making some agreements that could improve the securities of both of our countries. SS: But, you know, the thing is that, unfortunately, the Russians and the Chinese, they don't buy when Washington says that missile defense 'is not aimed' at them. I mean, how can the US convince Russia or China that it doesn't have hostile intent, if that's true? WP: It's very difficult to convince another side of your intent. On the other hand, it's very straightforward to determine the capabilities, and it is quite clear that the ballistic missile defense system deployed in Europe has virtually no capabilities against the Russian nuclear deterrent. The Russian nuclear deterrent is too large, too powerful, to widely dispersed geographically to be significantly affected by it. I do understand the Russians consider it an affront to put that kind of a defense system too close to their borders. But, in fact, the technical people in Russia as well as the technical people in the US understand that Russian nuclear deterrence is far too big and far too capable to be significantly affected by this defense system. SS: Trump took some heat after he called NATO ‘obsolete’ - but he’s specified it’s because the alliance is not fighting terrorism. While countering Russia in the Baltics is aimed at a hypothetical threat, the growing threat of ISIS, terrorism in Europe and the US are real. In response to Trump’s criticism, NATO members are already promising to up their defense spending - will Trump be able to breath new life into the alliance, make it focus on a threat other than Russia? WP: I cannot forecast what Trump's actions on NATO will be based on what he has said so far. There's a real possibility, though, of improving the capabilities of NATO relative to very real and very significant terrorist threat. And that, to me, seems what the direction of the improvements should be. SS: General Mattis nicknamed ‘Mad Dog’ is a fan of ‘continued American engagement in the world’, while Donald Trump really is not - how do you see that contradiction playing out? WP: In the US, of course, the President has the final say on national security decisions, but he is profoundly influenced by his Secretary of Defense recommendations, and I know General Mattis very well, he's an intelligent, temperate, thoughtful person. He, I think, will be a strong and stabilizing influence in the Defense Department. By the way, the term "Mad Dog" is something he himself is very unhappy with, and that does not in any way actually describe the person, who is really quite temperate and intelligent. I think that General Mattis, Secretary Mattis, will be a positive and a constructive and a tempering influence on President Trump. He will offer sound advice, which, I think, will be in the direction of more security and more stability in the world. SS: I want to talk a bit about Iran's nuclear deal. This deal with Iran was Obama’s top success. The Trump Administration imposed new economic sanctions on Iran, the President has repeatedly criticised the Iran nuclear deal and wants it renegotiated. It’s a multilateral agreement, it took years to negotiate - will Trump be able to rewrite it? What happens if the US drops the deal altogether? WP: I do not believe that dropping the Iran deal is a good idea. I do not believe we can re-negotiate Iran deal. It's a multilateral negotiations, it took the action of many countries, including the United States and Russia, countries in Europe, China, to get that agreement. So, re-negotiating this, I think, is quite unrealistic. Dropping the agreement, I think, would be a very big mistake. I would hope that President Trump, as he studies that problem, will come to more temperate view on how to deal with the Iran nuclear agreement. General Mattis has recommended to him that we not drop the nuclear Iran deal, and I hope that recommendation will, in fact, prevail, as we go forward. SS: Dr. Perry, thank you very much for this lovely interview. We were talking to Dr. William Perry, former US Defense Secretary, discussing America's military posture under President Trump and the dangers nuclear weapons pose in today's world. That's it for this edition of SophieCo, I'll see you next time. _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Feb 18 23:34:19 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2017 23:34:19 +0000 Subject: [Peace] More on depleted uranium Message-ID: At the risk of irritating Roger further, I found this on the Anti-War.com website in relation to the article from Foreign Policy. Numerous studies have found that depleted uranium is particularly harmful when the dust is inhaled by the victim. A University of Southern Maine study discovered that: …DU damages DNA in human lung cells. The team, led by John Pierce Wise, exposed cultures of the cells to uranium compounds at different concentrations. The compounds caused breaks in the chromosomes within cells and stopped them from growing and dividing healthily. ‘These data suggest that exposure to particulate DU may pose a significant [DNA damage] risk and could possibly result in lung cancer,’ the team wrote in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology. We should remember that the United States is engaged in military activities in Syria in violation of international and US law. There is no Congressional authorization for US military action against ISIS in Syria and the United Nations has not authorized military force in violation of Syria’s sovereignty either. The innocent citizens of Syria will be forced to endure increased risks of cancer, birth defects, and other disease related to exposure to radioactive materials. Depleted uranium is the byproduct of the enrichment of uranium to fuel nuclear power plants and has a half-life in the hundreds of millions of years. Damage to Syrian territory will thus continue long after anyone involved in current hostilities is dead. Daniel McAdams is director of the The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity. Reprinted from The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jbw292002 at gmail.com Sun Feb 19 00:03:56 2017 From: jbw292002 at gmail.com (John W.) Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2017 18:03:56 -0600 Subject: [Peace] More on depleted uranium In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Who is Roger, and why is he irritated? I'm pretty sure that many of our own soldiers have been exposed to depleted uranium in our various middle eastern military "adventures". John Wason On Sat, Feb 18, 2017 at 5:34 PM, Karen Aram via Peace < peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: At the risk of irritating Roger further, I found this on the Anti-War.com > website in relation to the article from Foreign > Policy. > > Numerous studies have found that depleted uranium is particularly harmful > when the dust is inhaled by the victim. A University of Southern Maine > study discovered > > that: > > *…DU damages DNA in human lung cells. The team, led by John Pierce Wise, > exposed cultures of the cells to uranium compounds at different > concentrations.* > > *The compounds caused breaks in the chromosomes within cells and stopped > them from growing and dividing healthily. ‘These data suggest that exposure > to particulate DU may pose a significant [DNA damage] risk and could > possibly result in lung cancer,’ the team wrote in the journal Chemical > Research in Toxicology.* > > We should remember that the United States is engaged in military > activities in Syria in violation of international and US law. There is no > Congressional authorization for US military action against ISIS in Syria > and the United Nations has not authorized military force in violation of > Syria’s sovereignty either. > > The innocent citizens of Syria will be forced to endure increased risks of > cancer, birth defects, and other disease related to exposure to radioactive > materials. Depleted uranium is the byproduct of the enrichment of uranium > to fuel nuclear power plants and has a half-life in the hundreds of > millions of years. Damage to Syrian territory will thus continue long after > anyone involved in current hostilities is dead. > > *Daniel McAdams is director of the The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & > Prosperity . Reprinted from The Ron Paul > Institute for Peace & Prosperity.* > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sun Feb 19 21:16:49 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2017 21:16:49 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Counterpunch article explaining all in relation to Flynn's resignation Message-ID: Its over, we are now headed for WW3. Trump’s ego had him thinking he could beat the Deep State or the Permanent National Security State. Silly, narcissistic man, any good intentions he may have had in relation to foreign policy, that of bringing peace to the world, now down the drain. One thing I had not considered was: "the taking on of Russia and Iran, in order to weaken China. I was hoping that the attempts to merely drive a wedge between China and Russia while just weakening Iran would require more time, and given Russia and China saw through that thinly veiled strategy, it wouldn’t work. See:"Trump’s opponents within the ruling class insist that US foreign policy must target Russia with the aim of weakening the Putin regime or overthrowing it. This is deemed a prerequisite for taking on the challenge posed by China.” So, we’re back to the Obama/Hillary Administration plans for perpetual war. FEBRUARY 17, 2017 Blood in the Water: the Trump Revolution Ends in a Whimper by MIKE WHITNEY * * * * Email * * [http://uziiw38pmyg1ai60732c4011.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/dropzone/2015/07/print-sp.png] The Flynn fiasco is not about national security advisor Michael Flynn’s conversations with the Russian ambassador. It’s much deeper than that. It’s about Russia. It’s about Putin. It’s about the explosive rise of China and the world’s biggest free trade zone that will eventually stretch from Lisbon to Vladivostok. It’s about the one country in the world that is obstructing Washington’s plan for global domination. (Russia) And, it’s about the future; which country will be the key player in the world’s most prosperous and populous region, Asia. That’s what’s at stake, and that’s what the Flynn controversy is really all about. Many readers are familiar with the expression “pivot to Asia”, but do they know what it means? It means the United States has embarked on an ambitious plan to extend its military grip and market power over the Eurasian landmass thus securing its position as the world’s only superpower into the next century. The pivot is Washington’s top strategic priority. As Hillary Clinton said in 2011: “Harnessing Asia’s growth and dynamism is central to American economic and strategic interests… Open markets in Asia provide the United States with unprecedented opportunities for investment, trade, and access to cutting-edge technology…..American firms (need) to tap into the vast and growing consumer base of Asia… The region already generates more than half of global output and nearly half of global trade…. we are looking for opportunities to do even more business in Asia…and our investment opportunities in Asia’s dynamic markets.”(“America’s Pacific Century”, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton”, Foreign Policy Magazine, 2011) In other words, it’s pivot or bust. Those are the only two options. Naturally, ruling elites in the US have chosen the former over the latter, which means they are committed to a strategy that will inevitably pit the US against a nuclear-armed adversary, Russia. Trump’s National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, wanted to normalize relations with Russia. He rejected the flagrantly hostile approach of the US foreign policy establishment. That’s why he had to be removed. And, that’s why he’s been so viciously attacked in the media and why the threadbare story about his contacts with the Russian ambassador were used to force his resignation. This isn’t about the law and it isn’t about the truth. It’s about bare-knuckle geopolitics and global hegemony. Flynn got in the way of the pivot, so Flynn had to be eliminated. End of story. Here’s a clip from an article by Robert Parry: “Flynn’s real “offense” appears to be that he favors détente with Russia rather than escalation of a new and dangerous Cold War. Trump’s idea of a rapprochement with Moscow – and a search for areas of cooperation and compromise – has been driving Official Washington’s foreign policy establishment crazy for months and the neocons, in particular, have been determined to block it. Though Flynn has pandered to elements of the neocon movement with his own hysterical denunciations of Iran and Islam in general, he emerged as a key architect for Trump’s plans to seek a constructive relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Meanwhile, the neocons and their liberal-interventionist sidekicks have invested heavily in making Putin the all-purpose bête noire to justify a major investment in new military hardware and in pricy propaganda operations.” (“Trump Caves on Flynn’s resignation“, Consortium News) US foreign policy is not developed willy-nilly. It emerges as the consensus view of various competing factions within the permanent national security state. And, although there are notable differences between the rival factions (either hardline or dovish) there appears to be unanimity on the question of Russia. There is virtually no constituency within the political leadership of either of the two major parties (or their puppetmaster supporters in the deep state) for improving relations with Russia. None. Russia is blocking Washington’s eastward expansion, therefore, Russia must be defeated. Here’s more from the World Socialist Web Site: “US imperialism seeks to counter its declining world economic position by exploiting its unchallenged global military dominance. It sees as the principal roadblocks to its hegemonic aims the growing economic and military power of China and the still-considerable strength of Russia, possessor of the world’s second-largest nuclear arsenal, the largest reserves of oil and gas, and a critical geographical position at the center of the Eurasian land mass. Trump’s opponents within the ruling class insist that US foreign policy must target Russia with the aim of weakening the Putin regime or overthrowing it. This is deemed a prerequisite for taking on the challenge posed by China. Numerous Washington think tanks have developed scenarios for military conflicts with Russian forces in the Middle East, in Ukraine, in the Baltic States and in cyberspace. The national security elite is not prepared to accept a shift in orientation away from the policy of direct confrontation with Russia along the lines proposed by Trump, who would like for the present to lower tensions with Russia in order to focus first on China.” (“Behind the Flynn resignation and Trump crisis: A bitter conflict over imperialist policy“, WSWS) Foreign policy elites believe the US and its NATO allies can engage Russia in a shooting war without it expanding into a regional conflict and without an escalation into a nuclear conflagration. It’s a risky calculation but, nevertheless, it is the rationale behind the persistent build up of troops and weaponry on Russia’s western perimeter. Take a look at this from the Independent: “Thousands of Nato troops have amassed close to the border with Russia as part of the largest build-up of Western troops neighbouring Moscow’s sphere of influence since the Cold War…Tanks and heavy armoured vehicles, plus Bradley fighting vehicles and Paladin howitzers, are also in situ and British Typhoon jets from RAF Conningsby will be deployed to Romania this summer to contribute to Nato’s Southern Air Policing mission… Kremlin officials claim the build-up is the largest since the Second World War.” (“The map that shows how many Nato troops are deployed along Russia’s border“, The Independent) Saber-rattling and belligerence have cleared the way for another world war. Washington thinks the conflict can be contained, but we’re nor so sure. The inexperienced Trump– who naively believed that the president sets his own foreign policy–has now learned that that’s not the case. The Flynn slap-down, followed by blistering attacks in the media and threats of impeachment, have left Trump shaken to the core. As a result, he has done a speedy about-face and swung into damage control-mode. On Tuesday, he tried to extend the olive branch by tweeting that “Crimea was taken by Russia” and by offering to replace Flynn with a trusted insider who will not veer from the script prepared by the foreign policy establishment. Check out this blurb on the Foreign Policy magazine website on Wednesday: “President Donald Trump offered the job of national security advisor to retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward on Monday night…If, as expected, Harward accepts the job today, he is likely to bring in his own team, from deputy on down, with a focus on national security types with some experience under their belts… Harward also would work well with Defense Secretary James Mattis. When Mattis was chief of Central Command, Harward was his deputy. Mattis trusted him enough to put him in charge of planning for war with Iran. Mattis has urged Harward to take the NSA job. If Harward becomes NSA, Mattis would emerge from the Flynn mess in a uniquely powerful position: He would have two of his former deputies at the table in some meetings. The other one is John Kelly, now secretary for Homeland Security, who was his number two when Mattis commanded a Marine division early in the invasion of Iraq in 2003.” (“A Mattis protégé poised to take the helm of Trump’s NSC,” Foreign Policy) In other words, Trump is relinquishing control over foreign policy and returning it to trusted insiders who will comply with pre-set elitist guidelines. Trump’s sudden metamorphosis was apparent in another story that appeared in Wednesday’s news, this time related to Rex Tillerson and General Joseph Dunford. Here’s a clip from CNN: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford meet face to face with their Russian counterparts Thursday, as the Trump administration evaluates the future direction of US-Russian relations….But even as Tillerson’s plane was taking off in Washington, the Pentagon announced the meeting between Dunford and his Russian counterpart Valeriy Gerasimov, which will take place Thursday in Baku, Azerbaijan…. “The military leaders will discuss a variety of issues including the current state of U.S.-Russian military relations …Trump’s envoys have been expressing positions more keeping with previous US policies. … Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, indicated the US would maintain sanctions on Russia for annexing Crimea in 2014. She condemned what she called the “Russian occupation” of the Ukrainian territory… The US has deployed thousands of troops and tanks to Poland and Romania in recent weeks, while other NATO allies have sent troops to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. “There is a common message from the President, from his security team, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, that they stay strongly committed to NATO,” he added. Let’s summarize: The sanctions will remain, the tanks are on the border, the commitment to NATO has been reinforced, and Dunford is going to explain Washington’s strategic objectives to his Russian counterpart in clear, unambiguous language. There will be no room for Tillerson, who is on friendly terms with Putin, to change the existing policy or to normalize relations; Dunford, Haley, and Defense Secretary James Mattis will make sure of that. As for Trump, it’s clear by the Crimea tweet, the sacking of Flynn and the (prospective) appointment of Harward, that he’s running scared and is doing everything in his power to get out of the hole he’s dug for himself. There’s no way of knowing whether he’ll be allowed to carry on as before or if he’ll be forced to throw other allies, like Bannon or Conway, under the bus. I would expect the purge to continue and to eventually include Trump himself. But that’s just a guess. The hope that Trump would bring an element of sanity to US foreign policy has now been extinguished. The so called “Trump Revolution” has fizzled out before it ever began. In contrast, the military buildup along Russia’s western flank continues apace. Join the debate on Facebook MIKE WHITNEY lives in Washington state. He is a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion (AK Press). Hopeless is also available in a Kindle edition. He can be reached at fergiewhitney at msn.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sun Feb 19 21:25:51 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2017 21:25:51 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Fwd: [Peace-discuss] Counterpunch article explaining all in relation to Flynn's resignation References: Message-ID: Its over, we are now headed for WW3. Trump’s ego had him thinking he could beat the Deep State or the Permanent National Security State. Silly, narcissistic man, any good intentions he may have had in relation to foreign policy, that of bringing peace to the world, now down the drain. One thing I had not considered was: “the taking on of Russia and Iran, in order to weaken Russia or overthrow Putin, thus weakening China. I was hoping that the attempts to merely drive a wedge between China and Russia while just going after Iran would require more time, and given Russia and China saw through that thinly veiled strategy, it wouldn’t work. See: "Trump’s opponents within the ruling class insist that US foreign policy must target Russia with the aim of weakening the Putin regime or overthrowing it. This is deemed a prerequisite for taking on the challenge posed by China.” So, we’re back to the Obama/Hillary Administration plans for perpetual war. FEBRUARY 17, 2017 Blood in the Water: the Trump Revolution Ends in a Whimper by MIKE WHITNEY * * * * Email * * [http://uziiw38pmyg1ai60732c4011.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/dropzone/2015/07/print-sp.png] The Flynn fiasco is not about national security advisor Michael Flynn’s conversations with the Russian ambassador. It’s much deeper than that. It’s about Russia. It’s about Putin. It’s about the explosive rise of China and the world’s biggest free trade zone that will eventually stretch from Lisbon to Vladivostok. It’s about the one country in the world that is obstructing Washington’s plan for global domination. (Russia) And, it’s about the future; which country will be the key player in the world’s most prosperous and populous region, Asia. That’s what’s at stake, and that’s what the Flynn controversy is really all about. Many readers are familiar with the expression “pivot to Asia”, but do they know what it means? It means the United States has embarked on an ambitious plan to extend its military grip and market power over the Eurasian landmass thus securing its position as the world’s only superpower into the next century. The pivot is Washington’s top strategic priority. As Hillary Clinton said in 2011: “Harnessing Asia’s growth and dynamism is central to American economic and strategic interests… Open markets in Asia provide the United States with unprecedented opportunities for investment, trade, and access to cutting-edge technology…..American firms (need) to tap into the vast and growing consumer base of Asia… The region already generates more than half of global output and nearly half of global trade…. we are looking for opportunities to do even more business in Asia…and our investment opportunities in Asia’s dynamic markets.”(“America’s Pacific Century”, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton”, Foreign Policy Magazine, 2011) In other words, it’s pivot or bust. Those are the only two options. Naturally, ruling elites in the US have chosen the former over the latter, which means they are committed to a strategy that will inevitably pit the US against a nuclear-armed adversary, Russia. Trump’s National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, wanted to normalize relations with Russia. He rejected the flagrantly hostile approach of the US foreign policy establishment. That’s why he had to be removed. And, that’s why he’s been so viciously attacked in the media and why the threadbare story about his contacts with the Russian ambassador were used to force his resignation. This isn’t about the law and it isn’t about the truth. It’s about bare-knuckle geopolitics and global hegemony. Flynn got in the way of the pivot, so Flynn had to be eliminated. End of story. Here’s a clip from an article by Robert Parry: “Flynn’s real “offense” appears to be that he favors détente with Russia rather than escalation of a new and dangerous Cold War. Trump’s idea of a rapprochement with Moscow – and a search for areas of cooperation and compromise – has been driving Official Washington’s foreign policy establishment crazy for months and the neocons, in particular, have been determined to block it. Though Flynn has pandered to elements of the neocon movement with his own hysterical denunciations of Iran and Islam in general, he emerged as a key architect for Trump’s plans to seek a constructive relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Meanwhile, the neocons and their liberal-interventionist sidekicks have invested heavily in making Putin the all-purpose bête noire to justify a major investment in new military hardware and in pricy propaganda operations.” (“Trump Caves on Flynn’s resignation“, Consortium News) US foreign policy is not developed willy-nilly. It emerges as the consensus view of various competing factions within the permanent national security state. And, although there are notable differences between the rival factions (either hardline or dovish) there appears to be unanimity on the question of Russia. There is virtually no constituency within the political leadership of either of the two major parties (or their puppetmaster supporters in the deep state) for improving relations with Russia. None. Russia is blocking Washington’s eastward expansion, therefore, Russia must be defeated. Here’s more from the World Socialist Web Site: “US imperialism seeks to counter its declining world economic position by exploiting its unchallenged global military dominance. It sees as the principal roadblocks to its hegemonic aims the growing economic and military power of China and the still-considerable strength of Russia, possessor of the world’s second-largest nuclear arsenal, the largest reserves of oil and gas, and a critical geographical position at the center of the Eurasian land mass. Trump’s opponents within the ruling class insist that US foreign policy must target Russia with the aim of weakening the Putin regime or overthrowing it. This is deemed a prerequisite for taking on the challenge posed by China. Numerous Washington think tanks have developed scenarios for military conflicts with Russian forces in the Middle East, in Ukraine, in the Baltic States and in cyberspace. The national security elite is not prepared to accept a shift in orientation away from the policy of direct confrontation with Russia along the lines proposed by Trump, who would like for the present to lower tensions with Russia in order to focus first on China.” (“Behind the Flynn resignation and Trump crisis: A bitter conflict over imperialist policy“, WSWS) Foreign policy elites believe the US and its NATO allies can engage Russia in a shooting war without it expanding into a regional conflict and without an escalation into a nuclear conflagration. It’s a risky calculation but, nevertheless, it is the rationale behind the persistent build up of troops and weaponry on Russia’s western perimeter. Take a look at this from the Independent: “Thousands of Nato troops have amassed close to the border with Russia as part of the largest build-up of Western troops neighbouring Moscow’s sphere of influence since the Cold War…Tanks and heavy armoured vehicles, plus Bradley fighting vehicles and Paladin howitzers, are also in situ and British Typhoon jets from RAF Conningsby will be deployed to Romania this summer to contribute to Nato’s Southern Air Policing mission… Kremlin officials claim the build-up is the largest since the Second World War.” (“The map that shows how many Nato troops are deployed along Russia’s border“, The Independent) Saber-rattling and belligerence have cleared the way for another world war. Washington thinks the conflict can be contained, but we’re nor so sure. The inexperienced Trump– who naively believed that the president sets his own foreign policy–has now learned that that’s not the case. The Flynn slap-down, followed by blistering attacks in the media and threats of impeachment, have left Trump shaken to the core. As a result, he has done a speedy about-face and swung into damage control-mode. On Tuesday, he tried to extend the olive branch by tweeting that “Crimea was taken by Russia” and by offering to replace Flynn with a trusted insider who will not veer from the script prepared by the foreign policy establishment. Check out this blurb on the Foreign Policy magazine website on Wednesday: “President Donald Trump offered the job of national security advisor to retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward on Monday night…If, as expected, Harward accepts the job today, he is likely to bring in his own team, from deputy on down, with a focus on national security types with some experience under their belts… Harward also would work well with Defense Secretary James Mattis. When Mattis was chief of Central Command, Harward was his deputy. Mattis trusted him enough to put him in charge of planning for war with Iran. Mattis has urged Harward to take the NSA job. If Harward becomes NSA, Mattis would emerge from the Flynn mess in a uniquely powerful position: He would have two of his former deputies at the table in some meetings. The other one is John Kelly, now secretary for Homeland Security, who was his number two when Mattis commanded a Marine division early in the invasion of Iraq in 2003.” (“A Mattis protégé poised to take the helm of Trump’s NSC,” Foreign Policy) In other words, Trump is relinquishing control over foreign policy and returning it to trusted insiders who will comply with pre-set elitist guidelines. Trump’s sudden metamorphosis was apparent in another story that appeared in Wednesday’s news, this time related to Rex Tillerson and General Joseph Dunford. Here’s a clip from CNN: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford meet face to face with their Russian counterparts Thursday, as the Trump administration evaluates the future direction of US-Russian relations….But even as Tillerson’s plane was taking off in Washington, the Pentagon announced the meeting between Dunford and his Russian counterpart Valeriy Gerasimov, which will take place Thursday in Baku, Azerbaijan…. “The military leaders will discuss a variety of issues including the current state of U.S.-Russian military relations …Trump’s envoys have been expressing positions more keeping with previous US policies. … Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, indicated the US would maintain sanctions on Russia for annexing Crimea in 2014. She condemned what she called the “Russian occupation” of the Ukrainian territory… The US has deployed thousands of troops and tanks to Poland and Romania in recent weeks, while other NATO allies have sent troops to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. “There is a common message from the President, from his security team, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, that they stay strongly committed to NATO,” he added. Let’s summarize: The sanctions will remain, the tanks are on the border, the commitment to NATO has been reinforced, and Dunford is going to explain Washington’s strategic objectives to his Russian counterpart in clear, unambiguous language. There will be no room for Tillerson, who is on friendly terms with Putin, to change the existing policy or to normalize relations; Dunford, Haley, and Defense Secretary James Mattis will make sure of that. As for Trump, it’s clear by the Crimea tweet, the sacking of Flynn and the (prospective) appointment of Harward, that he’s running scared and is doing everything in his power to get out of the hole he’s dug for himself. There’s no way of knowing whether he’ll be allowed to carry on as before or if he’ll be forced to throw other allies, like Bannon or Conway, under the bus. I would expect the purge to continue and to eventually include Trump himself. But that’s just a guess. The hope that Trump would bring an element of sanity to US foreign policy has now been extinguished. The so called “Trump Revolution” has fizzled out before it ever began. In contrast, the military buildup along Russia’s western flank continues apace. Join the debate on Facebook MIKE WHITNEY lives in Washington state. He is a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion (AK Press). Hopeless is also available in a Kindle edition. He can be reached at fergiewhitney at msn.com. _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stuartnlevy at gmail.com Tue Feb 21 12:35:45 2017 From: stuartnlevy at gmail.com (Stuart Levy) Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2017 06:35:45 -0600 Subject: [Peace] 7pm Feb 28th - Black History Month with Muslim American Society-UC Message-ID: <1ba3c684-b7ad-a24b-24f0-c491c6ec5e0b@gmail.com> Muslim American Society Urbana-Champaign's 4th Annual Black History Month celebration *Black Lives Matter* *Inspiring Movement for Social Justice* ** **When: *7:00PM, Tuesday, Feb. 28th* Where: Room 100, Gregory Hall, U of Illinois campus, 810 S. Wright St, Urbana Speakers include * *Prof. Evelyn Reynolds* Associate Professor at Parkland College, and Founder of the Black Lives Matter Champaign chapter * *Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans* Executive Director, American Learning Institute for Islam And the MAS fourth annual community service and social justice award will be presented to *Dr. Rebecca Ginsburg,* associate professor and director of the *Education Justice Project *The public is welcome! Pizza and snacks will be served. Cosponsors include: Muslim Students Association UIUC; Education Justice Project; Black Lives Matter Champaign-Urbana; Parkland Social Justice Club; Umma UIUC; the public i; First Followers; Build Programs Not Jails; AWARE; Central Illinois Industrial Workers of the World; and others. For more information: activism at masurbana-Champaign.org or: www.masuc.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Wed Feb 22 03:41:36 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2017 03:41:36 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Fwd: My letter last week to the News-Gazette, in relation to Sanctuary Cities. References: <20170216172604.F0CD226153@web-2.prod.news-gazette.com> Message-ID: > For those in fear of Sanctuary Cities being defunded, as has been pointed out, the President must go through Congress, and it then goes to the States. It was a threat made by the Reagan Administration in the eighties. > > For those concerned we are breaking “Federal Laws” by being Sanctuary Cities, it needs to be recognized that our Federal Government has been breaking its own laws for decades. Whether our interventions conducted as false flags seeking regime change or by dropping bombs, sanctions that starve, or occupation in the name of “freedom." We are therefore responsible for the thousands of lives lost and destroyed, in at least seven nations. Those same seven nations for whom we now have a ban on their nationals. > > For those who are undocumented, the real fear is what is happening now with the first ICE raids under Trump, arresting nearly 700 immigrants in five days across the nation. A quarter of those arrested had no criminal records. > > The Obama administration was responsible for the deportation of 2.7 million immigrants, more than any previous administration, and rejected numerous appeals to grant a blanket pardon to shield both DREAMERS and legal permanent residents from deportation. > > Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals the (DACA) program, was provided for those who were brought to the United States as children and granted a two-year, renewable reprieve from deportation under the (DACA) program. > > The Trump administration is now in possession of the fingerprints and addresses of all 750,000 DREAMERS. Up to 8 million people are potential targets for deportation under Trumps January executive orders. > > According to Zaina Green of the World Socialist Website, "David Ward, Director of the National Association of Former Border Patrol Agents, speaking on FOX and Friends Monday, said that last weeks ICE raids were “probably planned months ago under the Obama administration, but now being launched under the Trump administration.” > > Since the Holocaust, the question has been asked, “how could it happen, a round up of neighbors being deported often with little notice or concern?” No one is suggesting that the current deportations taking place of the undocumented, is comparable to sending people off to concentration camps or gas chambers, but sending people over borders to the unknown, is nonetheless cruel. The US interred American citizens during WW2, because they were ethnically Japanese, a shameful incident along with so many others, whether genocide of native Americans or slavery and barbarism against of African Americans, is this going to be another blot on our record? > > They may not have been successful, but at least the Netherlands made the attempt at an organized, coordinated effort to save the “Jews within their nation,” and they will be forever remembered “as having at least tried.” > > Urbana as a Sanctuary City, will be remembered as having at least “tried." Hopefully we will be successful, where other cities may not be so well remembered. > > > > > > This email is automatically generated - please do not reply to this email. > > - The News-Gazette From Kmedina67 at gmail.com Wed Feb 22 03:46:34 2017 From: Kmedina67 at gmail.com (Karen Medina) Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2017 21:46:34 -0600 (CST) Subject: [Peace] Obituary for Dave Harley Message-ID: <20170222034634.DECD126157@web-1.prod.news-gazette.com> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From davegreen84 at yahoo.com Wed Feb 22 04:16:40 2017 From: davegreen84 at yahoo.com (David Green) Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2017 04:16:40 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Peace] Obituary for Dave Harley In-Reply-To: <20170222034634.DECD126157@web-1.prod.news-gazette.com> References: <20170222034634.DECD126157@web-1.prod.news-gazette.com> Message-ID: <2131549987.3159718.1487737000595@mail.yahoo.com> David Harley was a steady, thoughtful, balanced, compassionate, and peaceful presence in my (our) lives, including during the more active AWARE years. His perspectives on Iran were particularly valuable. Up until a month ago or less, I think, I regularly saw him at Piato's in Lincoln Square. Just last Friday, when I walked through, I expected to see him and noticed his absence. 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{font-size:x-small;}#yiv0560881469 .yiv0560881469print-title {}#yiv0560881469 .yiv0560881469print-submitted {font-size:small;}#yiv0560881469 .yiv0560881469print-created {font-size:small;}#yiv0560881469 .yiv0560881469print-taxonomy {text-align:right;}#yiv0560881469 .yiv0560881469print-taxonomy li {display:inline;}#yiv0560881469 .yiv0560881469print-content {}#yiv0560881469 .yiv0560881469print-hr {border:0;height:1px;width:100%;color:#9E9E9E;background-color:#9E9E9E;}#yiv0560881469 .yiv0560881469print-message {border:medium dotted blue;padding:1em;}#yiv0560881469 .yiv0560881469print-source_url {font-size:small;}#yiv0560881469 .yiv0560881469print-links {font-size:small;}#yiv0560881469 .yiv0560881469print-footer {text-align:center;} Message from sender: Dear peace, Our dear friend Dave Harley passed away February 12, 2017. Many lively discussions shall be long remembered. - karen medina Published on News-Gazette.com (http://www.news-gazette.com) Home > David Harley David Harley URBANA – David Harley passed away peacefully on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in his home in Urbana. Source URL: http://www.news-gazette.com/obituaries/2017-02-21/david-harley.html _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace On Tuesday, February 21, 2017 9:47 PM, Karen Medina via Peace wrote: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From galliher at illinois.edu Wed Feb 22 04:18:59 2017 From: galliher at illinois.edu (Carl G. Estabrook) Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2017 22:18:59 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Obituary for Dave Harley In-Reply-To: <20170222034634.DECD126157@web-1.prod.news-gazette.com> References: <20170222034634.DECD126157@web-1.prod.news-gazette.com> Message-ID: Requiescat in pace. He was the occasion of some of the most vigorous conversations at AWARE meetings. > On Feb 21, 2017, at 9:46 PM, Karen Medina via Peace wrote: > > Message from sender: > > Dear peace, > > Our dear friend Dave Harley passed away February 12, 2017. > > Many lively discussions shall be long remembered. > > - karen medina > > > Published on News-Gazette.com (http://www.news-gazette.com) > > Home > David Harley > David Harley > > URBANA – David Harley passed away peacefully on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in his home in Urbana. > > > Source URL: http://www.news-gazette.com/obituaries/2017-02-21/david-harley.html > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace From brussel at illinois.edu Wed Feb 22 05:08:15 2017 From: brussel at illinois.edu (Brussel, Morton K) Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2017 05:08:15 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Obituary for Dave Harley In-Reply-To: <2131549987.3159718.1487737000595@mail.yahoo.com> References: <20170222034634.DECD126157@web-1.prod.news-gazette.com> <2131549987.3159718.1487737000595@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <8C3D1227-231B-4068-AFB2-753C3B7AC64F@illinois.edu> Very well said, David. I saw David Harley recently at Piato's sitting alone, and I asked him how he was. He said “OK" , but he suffered from Parkinson’s disease and did not look well. He missed his wife. He was a good sensitive man. On Feb 21, 2017, at 10:16 PM, David Green via Peace > wrote: David Harley was a steady, thoughtful, balanced, compassionate, and peaceful presence in my (our) lives, including during the more active AWARE years. His perspectives on Iran were particularly valuable. Up until a month ago or less, I think, I regularly saw him at Piato's in Lincoln Square. Just last Friday, when I walked through, I expected to see him and noticed his absence. Message from sender: Dear peace, Our dear friend Dave Harley passed away February 12, 2017. Many lively discussions shall be long remembered. - karen medina [News-Gazette.com] Published on News-Gazette.com (http://www.news-gazette.com) Home > David Harley ________________________________ David Harley URBANA – David Harley passed away peacefully on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in his home in Urbana. [American Flag] ________________________________ Source URL: http://www.news-gazette.com/obituaries/2017-02-21/david-harley.html _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace On Tuesday, February 21, 2017 9:47 PM, Karen Medina via Peace > wrote: _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From r-szoke at illinois.edu Wed Feb 22 05:44:12 2017 From: r-szoke at illinois.edu (Szoke, Ron) Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2017 05:44:12 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Obituary for Dave Harley In-Reply-To: <8C3D1227-231B-4068-AFB2-753C3B7AC64F@illinois.edu> References: <20170222034634.DECD126157@web-1.prod.news-gazette.com> <2131549987.3159718.1487737000595@mail.yahoo.com> <8C3D1227-231B-4068-AFB2-753C3B7AC64F@illinois.edu> Message-ID: I too saw & conversed with David several times in the past few months at Piato, esp. about Wisconsin politics, the decline of the LaFollette movement & the old Progressive party. His wife had Alzheimer’s & was in a special home. Surprised to see the obit in the newspaper. ~~ Ron Szoke On Feb 21, 2017, at 11:08 PM, Brussel, Morton K via Peace > wrote: Very well said, David. I saw David Harley recently at Piato's sitting alone, and I asked him how he was. He said “OK" , but he suffered from Parkinson’s disease and did not look well. He missed his wife. He was a good sensitive man. On Feb 21, 2017, at 10:16 PM, David Green via Peace > wrote: David Harley was a steady, thoughtful, balanced, compassionate, and peaceful presence in my (our) lives, including during the more active AWARE years. His perspectives on Iran were particularly valuable. Up until a month ago or less, I think, I regularly saw him at Piato's in Lincoln Square. Just last Friday, when I walked through, I expected to see him and noticed his absence. Message from sender: Dear peace, Our dear friend Dave Harley passed away February 12, 2017. Many lively discussions shall be long remembered. - karen medina [News-Gazette.com] Published on News-Gazette.com (http://www.news-gazette.com) Home > David Harley ________________________________ David Harley URBANA – David Harley passed away peacefully on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in his home in Urbana. [American Flag] ________________________________ Source URL: http://www.news-gazette.com/obituaries/2017-02-21/david-harley.html _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace On Tuesday, February 21, 2017 9:47 PM, Karen Medina via Peace > wrote: _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Wed Feb 22 12:47:20 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2017 12:47:20 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Obituary for Dave Harley In-Reply-To: References: <20170222034634.DECD126157@web-1.prod.news-gazette.com> <2131549987.3159718.1487737000595@mail.yahoo.com> <8C3D1227-231B-4068-AFB2-753C3B7AC64F@illinois.edu> Message-ID: I have notes on January 8th in respect to one of the “best AWARE meetings ever,” It was because David Harley joined our table and the lively discussion was one of the most informative, enjoyable I can recall. He was clearly suffering the loss of his wife who passed away recently, and I noticed his hand shook quite a bit, when holding his glass, but he and Carl, two historians discussing historical events was a jewel to behold. On Feb 21, 2017, at 21:44, Szoke, Ron via Peace > wrote: I too saw & conversed with David several times in the past few months at Piato, esp. about Wisconsin politics, the decline of the LaFollette movement & the old Progressive party. His wife had Alzheimer’s & was in a special home. Surprised to see the obit in the newspaper. ~~ Ron Szoke On Feb 21, 2017, at 11:08 PM, Brussel, Morton K via Peace > wrote: Very well said, David. I saw David Harley recently at Piato's sitting alone, and I asked him how he was. He said “OK" , but he suffered from Parkinson’s disease and did not look well. He missed his wife. He was a good sensitive man. On Feb 21, 2017, at 10:16 PM, David Green via Peace > wrote: David Harley was a steady, thoughtful, balanced, compassionate, and peaceful presence in my (our) lives, including during the more active AWARE years. His perspectives on Iran were particularly valuable. Up until a month ago or less, I think, I regularly saw him at Piato's in Lincoln Square. Just last Friday, when I walked through, I expected to see him and noticed his absence. Message from sender: Dear peace, Our dear friend Dave Harley passed away February 12, 2017. Many lively discussions shall be long remembered. - karen medina [News-Gazette.com] Published on News-Gazette.com (http://www.news-gazette.com) Home > David Harley ________________________________ David Harley URBANA – David Harley passed away peacefully on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in his home in Urbana. [American Flag] ________________________________ Source URL: http://www.news-gazette.com/obituaries/2017-02-21/david-harley.html _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace On Tuesday, February 21, 2017 9:47 PM, Karen Medina via Peace > wrote: _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Fri Feb 24 18:59:37 2017 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2017 12:59:37 -0600 Subject: [Peace] CODEPINK: Where does the New York Times stand on Yemen? Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: CODEPINK Date: Fri, Feb 24, 2017 at 12:01 PM Subject: Where does the New York Times stand on Yemen? To: Robert Naiman [image: CODEPINK] [image: Nyt_yemen.png] Dear Robert, Every ten minutes a child in Yemen is dying from malnutrition and a lack of medical care, both the results of the ongoing war. And now Saudi Arabia, which has been involved in Yemen's internal conflict for the past two years, may be getting a green light from Donald Trump to attack the and close the critical port of Hodeidah, blocking most of Yemen's food imports and plunging the entire nation into famine. "Donald Trump’s Shift On Yemen Risks Plunging The Country Into Famine ," the Huffington Post reports. "Yemen war causing world's worst food crisis ," Vatican Radio reports. "'Time running out': 1.4 million children could die from famine in Africa & Yemen, says UNICEF ," RT reports. The American people need to hear this story but the most prominent US newspaper, The New York Times', is ignoring the crisis. A search shows only wire stories and no regular New York Times article. Press NYT editors for prominent coverage of the UN's famine warning for Yemen by signing and sharing our petition . The only way to stop the famine is to stop the war. The only way to stop the war is for the United States to stop weapon sales to Saudi Arabia and to stop facilitating the Saudi bombing. But first, we need to expose how horrific a situation US bombs and support are creating. Tell the New York Times to do its job. *For the people of Yemen, * Ann, Ariel, Jodie, Mariana, Mark, Medea, Nancy, Paki, Paula, Samira, and Tali *PS*. Don't forget to order one of our Refugees Welcome T-shirts or "I Heart " posters, or you can print your own "I Heart" sign for your friends, family, neighbors and local businesses. [image: Donate Now] [image: CODEPINK] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Feb 25 13:32:17 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2017 13:32:17 +0000 Subject: [Peace] This is something we should all be protesting, and soon, very soon. Message-ID: Pentagon prepares for bigger, bloodier war in Iraq and Syria By Bill Van Auken 25 February 2017 The Pentagon has prepared recommendations to be submitted to President Donald Trump at the beginning of next week for a major escalation of the US military intervention in Iraq and Syria. According to unnamed US officials cited Friday by the Wall Street Journal, the proposal is expected to include “sending additional troops to Iraq and Syria” and “loosening battlefield restrictions” to “ease rules designed to minimize civilian casualties.” The new battle plans stem from an executive order signed by Trump on January 28 giving the Pentagon 30 days to a deliver a “preliminary draft of the Plan to defeat ISIS [Islamic State] in Iraq and Syria.” According to independent estimates, as many as 8,000 civilians have already died in air strikes carried out by US and allied warplanes against targets in both Syria and Iraq, even as the Pentagon routinely denies the vast majority of reported deaths of unarmed men, women and children resulting from US bombings. The new policy to be rolled out next week, which the Journal reports is aimed at “increasing the number and rate of operations,” will inevitably entail a horrific intensification of this bloodletting. Speaking before the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Thursday, the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Joseph Dunford, said that the Pentagon would be presenting Trump with a “political-military plan” to deal not only with ISIS in Iraq and Syria, but to “advance our long-term interests in the region.” Referring to the intense contradictions besetting the US intervention in the region, which has relied on the use of Kurdish militias as proxy ground troops in Syria, even as Washington’s NATO ally, Turkey, has intervened to militarily counter their influence, Dunford insisted that Washington “can’t be paralyzed by tough choices.” Pointing to the regional scope of the planned US military escalation, Dunford echoed earlier bellicose rhetoric from the administration against Iran, listing it alongside Russia, China, North Korea and “transnational violent extremism” as the major targets of the US military. The US military commander stated that “the major export of Iran is actually malign influence across the region.” He said that the US military buildup against Iran was designed to “make sure we have freedom of navigation through the Straits of Hormuz, and that we deter conflict and crisis in the region, and that we advance our interest to include our interest in dealing with violent extremism of all forms.” All of these alleged aims are pretexts for continuous US provocations aimed at countering Iran’s regional influence and furthering the drive for US hegemony in the Middle East. In relation to Iraq, Dunford signaled US intentions to maintain a US military occupation long after the campaign against ISIS is completed. He referred to a “dialog about a long-term commitment to grow the capacity, maintain the capacity of the Iraqi security forces,” adding that Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Abadi had spoken of “the international community continuing to support defense capacity building.” Dunford’s comments echoed those of Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis during a trip earlier this week to Baghdad. While disavowing Trump’s crude comments last month—“We’re not in Iraq to seize anybody’s oil,” Mattis said—he also suggested that plans are being developed for a permanent US military presence in the country. “The Iraqi people, the Iraqi military and the Iraqi political leadership recognizes what they’re up against and the value of the coalition and the partnership in particular with the United States,” Mattis told reporters Monday. “I imagine we’ll be in this fight for a while and we’ll stand by each other.” Currently, Washington has more than 5,000 US troops in Iraq and another 500 Special Forces troops operating inside Syria. These forces are backed by tens of thousands of military contractors as well as other military units that are rotated in and out of the region. The plan to be presented next week will likely involve the deployment of thousands more US combat forces. Trump has repeatedly indicated his support for establishing “safe zones” in Syria, an intervention that would require large numbers of US soldiers backed by air power to seize and control swathes of Syrian territory. It would also entail threats of military confrontation with Russian warplanes operating in support of the Syrian government. As the Pentagon prepares its plans for military escalation in the region, US ground forces have reportedly entered Mosul, operating on the front lines with Iraqi forces in the bloody offensive to retake Iraq’s second-largest city from ISIS. American Special Forces “advisers” joined Iraqi troops Thursday in the first incursion into western Mosul, with the retaking of the Mosul International Airport as well as a nearby military base. The operation was conducted with close air support from US warplanes. The airport and the base, located in the southern part of western Mosul, are to be used as the launching pad for a major assault into the most densely populated area of the city, where an estimated three quarters of a million civilians are trapped with no means of escape. The International Rescue Committee warned that this stage of the offensive would represent the “most dangerous phase” for civilians. “This will be a terrifying moment for the 750,000 people still in the west of the city, and there is a real danger that the battle will be raging around them for weeks and possibly months to come,” said Jason Kajer, the Iraq acting country director for the humanitarian group. Referring to the increasingly desperate plight of civilians in western Mosul, the International Committee of the Red Cross’s field coordinator in Erbil, Dany Merhy, said: “Supply routes have been cut from that side of the city and people have been facing shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine. We can only imagine the state people will be in.” As in previous US-backed offensives against Fallujah and Ramadi, Mosul faces the prospect of being reduced to rubble. It is in this city where the proposed changes in the “rules of engagement” will find their first expression in the elevated slaughter of Iraqi civilians. WSWS.ORG -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Feb 25 15:04:18 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2017 15:04:18 +0000 Subject: [Peace] One of the best articles I've read in respect to current issues, and solutions.. By Gus Woods in The Public I Message-ID: ← Fighting Mass Incarceration Under Trump: New Strategies, New Alliance Orange Crush: The Rise of Tactical Teams in Prison → The Extremes of Struggle at the Monster’s Heart: The Black Working Class and Socioeconomic Realities under Obama’s Neoliberalism Posted on February 2017 by Augustus Wood “International capitalism cannot be destroyed without the extremes of struggle. The entire colonial world is watching the blacks inside the U.S…We are on the inside. We are the only ones who can get at the monster’s heart…” — George L. Jackson [http://publici.ucimc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/George-Jackson-150x150.jpg]The African-American working class lives in a perpetual state of crisis as our material and social conditions continue to deteriorate to their lowest points in our history. As Black Studies scholar-activist Sundiata Cha-Jua argues, this “New Nadir” is the result of the holistic nature of racial oppression: it operates at an institutional, individual, and cultural scale. All three levels, expanded through neoliberal capital accumulation, consistently produce living standards that negate basic human needs. Our Current Moment As of January 2017, the black labor force participation rate stands at 62.4%; thus, over 1/3 of the African-American population eligible to work is unemployed or no longer actively seeking employment. The wage gap between blacks and whites has widened to 26.7%, its worst rate in four decades. Over 25% of African Americans live in concentrated poverty (neighborhoods or tracts where 40% or more of the residents fall below the federal poverty threshold of $24,000 a year for a family of four), while many other blacks that average between $25,000 and $35,000 a year attempt to survive under similar economic constraints. The 2007-2008 housing bubble resulted in black household net worth decreasing between 53% and 61%, with future generations facing very little chance of recovery. As public education embraces for-profit policies through charter school expansion, tuition inflation, and slashing programs, working-class people continue to be priced out of education unless they obtain devastating debt. Socially sanctioned anti-black violence occurs at a higher frequency than lynchings during the first Nadir in the 1890s. Working-class black people and those that have fallen out of the class structure (lumpenproletariat) continue to be disproportionately surveilled, incarcerated, and murdered by state and private forces. We comprise 40% of the U.S. carceral state and over 33% of the civilians killed by police. This is where we are at the current moment. Reactionary Robots: The Function of Liberal Reformism Unfortunately, liberal reformists and pseudo-leftists promote identity politics to subdue criticisms of this apartheid structure. As a result, the dominant narrative of struggle in the United States follows five consistent strands: 1) devoid of criticism of the political economy, 2) hierarchal in approach to oppressed groups, 3) opposed to militant resistance tactics (urban rebellion, labor strikes, armed self-defense), 4) possesses no legitimate ties to international working class struggles against war and imperialism, and 5) is dedicated solely to electoral politics, symbolic protests, and capital investment as the solutions to social ills. As scholar Adolph Reed Jr. argues, identity politics is inherently counterproductive to revolutionary principles, because it disguises objectively right-wing, neoliberal ideology with superficially “progressive” politics centered on social constructs like race, gender, and sexuality, rather than on material conditions and structuralism. This is not a condemnation of current movements for social equality; instead, I argue that liberal interpretations of the social realities of the oppressed actively suppress the role of the structure (i.e. capital accumulation) in creating and maintaining these social constructs. Race, gender, and sexual discrimination must be analyzed in a genuine intersectional manner, as inextricably linked to the material conditions of which they are constituted. Liberal reformists also exonerate Barack Obama’s neoliberal agenda by propagandizing him as a symbolic icon for being the first black president. Although the United States has acted as the heart for neoliberal imperialism for decades, Obama played a pivotal role in expanding this dominance in the financialization of the global economy and the transoceanic exploitation and destruction of black and brown communities. As writer Joseph Kishore argues, Obama’s legacy is war and repression. He swelled George W. Bush’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to grotesque levels, unleashed bombing in Libya, bloodied Syria, supported Saudi Arabia’s invasion of Yemen, and issued drone strikes that killed over 3,000 people, with 80% of the murdered being untargeted civilians. Obama’s military forces were deployed in 138 nations, or 70% of the world! Obama’s legacy must also include his contradictory stance on democratic rights. He often spoke favorably for democracy, but also stated that he had the authority to assassinate anyone, including U.S. citizens, without due process. He publicly criticized torture, but rewarded Bush torture proponents with positions in his regime. He prosecuted and imprisoned more whistleblowers than all other administrations combined, including Edward Snowden, who exposed the unconstitutional NSA spying program. Obama recognized racial problems in policing, yet he expanded police militarization, upheld police brutality in court, and publicly demonized black rebels and activists as “criminals” for the 2015 Baltimore Rebellion. Lastly, Obama deepened class warfare through policies that extended both the power of the capitalist class and hardships for the working class. Following the Great Recession, Obama refused to assist struggling homeowners; instead, he restored the wealth of the financial aristocracy by bailing out banks and corporations. Over his presidency, Obama oversaw a rise in aggregate corporate profits from $671 billion at the end of 2008 to $1.63 trillion in 2016 and in the wealth of the 400 richest Americans from $1.57 trillion to $2.4 trillion. Concurrently, the Obama administration replaced 95% of livable-wage, skilled, working-class jobs lost during the Recession with semi-skilled, part-time jobs. This results in workers falling out of the proletarian class and swelling the sub-working class, where wages are not enough to match rising costs of living. Finally, Obama’s Affordable Care Act provided substandard health services that people could not afford, shifted costs to individuals, and secured higher profits for insurance companies. Consequently, these policies, alongside the Democratic Party’s alienation of black and white working class voters, and white supremacist Stephen K. Bannon’s populist, economic nationalism discourse, contributed heavily to the presidential election of fascist Donald Trump. The Extremes of Struggle The black masses at the heart of this monster must transition towards “the extremes of struggle.” In this new moment unseen in history, it is imperative that we develop a concise, working-class perspective and socialist principles to oppose not only Trump, but the system that produced him, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama. We must treat the Trump regime not as an evil aberration in an otherwise democratic society, but instead as the outcome of widening socioeconomic inequality and repression under decades of Democrat and Republican rule. To transform the system, we must link anti-discrimination activism to the fight for equal living standards and the fight against exploitation, war, poverty, and state-sponsored violence. At the intellectual level, it is our responsibility to write and teach political education that emphasizes a critique of structure, capital accumulation, and the social constructs that protect capital. At the grassroots level, we must develop agency-laden institutions: spaces in the community that house organizational and cultural resources for collective action. Local leaders must utilize these institutions to train residents for survival programs, such as meal services, carpools, community banking, amenities-sharing programs, freedom schools, and self-defense. Within these workspaces, kinship networks develop between individuals, resulting in a natural inclination to build collectivity and generate ideas of self-emancipation. Our pressing task is to abandon liberal reformist demands for recognition within the current system. We can no longer organize alongside factions like the Democratic Party whose interests clash directly with our interests. We must invest our time and resources in alternative political organizations and media that publicize our actual material realities. As Frantz Fanon stated, we, the masses, have to truly believe that everything depends on us, because there is no famous individual that will take responsibility; the ultimate goal is complete self-determination for us all. This entry was posted in African American, African Americans, Labor/Economics. Bookmark the permalink. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Feb 25 15:04:18 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2017 15:04:18 +0000 Subject: [Peace] One of the best articles I've read in respect to current issues, and solutions.. By Gus Woods in The Public I Message-ID: ← Fighting Mass Incarceration Under Trump: New Strategies, New Alliance Orange Crush: The Rise of Tactical Teams in Prison → The Extremes of Struggle at the Monster’s Heart: The Black Working Class and Socioeconomic Realities under Obama’s Neoliberalism Posted on February 2017 by Augustus Wood “International capitalism cannot be destroyed without the extremes of struggle. The entire colonial world is watching the blacks inside the U.S…We are on the inside. We are the only ones who can get at the monster’s heart…” — George L. Jackson [http://publici.ucimc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/George-Jackson-150x150.jpg]The African-American working class lives in a perpetual state of crisis as our material and social conditions continue to deteriorate to their lowest points in our history. As Black Studies scholar-activist Sundiata Cha-Jua argues, this “New Nadir” is the result of the holistic nature of racial oppression: it operates at an institutional, individual, and cultural scale. All three levels, expanded through neoliberal capital accumulation, consistently produce living standards that negate basic human needs. Our Current Moment As of January 2017, the black labor force participation rate stands at 62.4%; thus, over 1/3 of the African-American population eligible to work is unemployed or no longer actively seeking employment. The wage gap between blacks and whites has widened to 26.7%, its worst rate in four decades. Over 25% of African Americans live in concentrated poverty (neighborhoods or tracts where 40% or more of the residents fall below the federal poverty threshold of $24,000 a year for a family of four), while many other blacks that average between $25,000 and $35,000 a year attempt to survive under similar economic constraints. The 2007-2008 housing bubble resulted in black household net worth decreasing between 53% and 61%, with future generations facing very little chance of recovery. As public education embraces for-profit policies through charter school expansion, tuition inflation, and slashing programs, working-class people continue to be priced out of education unless they obtain devastating debt. Socially sanctioned anti-black violence occurs at a higher frequency than lynchings during the first Nadir in the 1890s. Working-class black people and those that have fallen out of the class structure (lumpenproletariat) continue to be disproportionately surveilled, incarcerated, and murdered by state and private forces. We comprise 40% of the U.S. carceral state and over 33% of the civilians killed by police. This is where we are at the current moment. Reactionary Robots: The Function of Liberal Reformism Unfortunately, liberal reformists and pseudo-leftists promote identity politics to subdue criticisms of this apartheid structure. As a result, the dominant narrative of struggle in the United States follows five consistent strands: 1) devoid of criticism of the political economy, 2) hierarchal in approach to oppressed groups, 3) opposed to militant resistance tactics (urban rebellion, labor strikes, armed self-defense), 4) possesses no legitimate ties to international working class struggles against war and imperialism, and 5) is dedicated solely to electoral politics, symbolic protests, and capital investment as the solutions to social ills. As scholar Adolph Reed Jr. argues, identity politics is inherently counterproductive to revolutionary principles, because it disguises objectively right-wing, neoliberal ideology with superficially “progressive” politics centered on social constructs like race, gender, and sexuality, rather than on material conditions and structuralism. This is not a condemnation of current movements for social equality; instead, I argue that liberal interpretations of the social realities of the oppressed actively suppress the role of the structure (i.e. capital accumulation) in creating and maintaining these social constructs. Race, gender, and sexual discrimination must be analyzed in a genuine intersectional manner, as inextricably linked to the material conditions of which they are constituted. Liberal reformists also exonerate Barack Obama’s neoliberal agenda by propagandizing him as a symbolic icon for being the first black president. Although the United States has acted as the heart for neoliberal imperialism for decades, Obama played a pivotal role in expanding this dominance in the financialization of the global economy and the transoceanic exploitation and destruction of black and brown communities. As writer Joseph Kishore argues, Obama’s legacy is war and repression. He swelled George W. Bush’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to grotesque levels, unleashed bombing in Libya, bloodied Syria, supported Saudi Arabia’s invasion of Yemen, and issued drone strikes that killed over 3,000 people, with 80% of the murdered being untargeted civilians. Obama’s military forces were deployed in 138 nations, or 70% of the world! Obama’s legacy must also include his contradictory stance on democratic rights. He often spoke favorably for democracy, but also stated that he had the authority to assassinate anyone, including U.S. citizens, without due process. He publicly criticized torture, but rewarded Bush torture proponents with positions in his regime. He prosecuted and imprisoned more whistleblowers than all other administrations combined, including Edward Snowden, who exposed the unconstitutional NSA spying program. Obama recognized racial problems in policing, yet he expanded police militarization, upheld police brutality in court, and publicly demonized black rebels and activists as “criminals” for the 2015 Baltimore Rebellion. Lastly, Obama deepened class warfare through policies that extended both the power of the capitalist class and hardships for the working class. Following the Great Recession, Obama refused to assist struggling homeowners; instead, he restored the wealth of the financial aristocracy by bailing out banks and corporations. Over his presidency, Obama oversaw a rise in aggregate corporate profits from $671 billion at the end of 2008 to $1.63 trillion in 2016 and in the wealth of the 400 richest Americans from $1.57 trillion to $2.4 trillion. Concurrently, the Obama administration replaced 95% of livable-wage, skilled, working-class jobs lost during the Recession with semi-skilled, part-time jobs. This results in workers falling out of the proletarian class and swelling the sub-working class, where wages are not enough to match rising costs of living. Finally, Obama’s Affordable Care Act provided substandard health services that people could not afford, shifted costs to individuals, and secured higher profits for insurance companies. Consequently, these policies, alongside the Democratic Party’s alienation of black and white working class voters, and white supremacist Stephen K. Bannon’s populist, economic nationalism discourse, contributed heavily to the presidential election of fascist Donald Trump. The Extremes of Struggle The black masses at the heart of this monster must transition towards “the extremes of struggle.” In this new moment unseen in history, it is imperative that we develop a concise, working-class perspective and socialist principles to oppose not only Trump, but the system that produced him, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama. We must treat the Trump regime not as an evil aberration in an otherwise democratic society, but instead as the outcome of widening socioeconomic inequality and repression under decades of Democrat and Republican rule. To transform the system, we must link anti-discrimination activism to the fight for equal living standards and the fight against exploitation, war, poverty, and state-sponsored violence. At the intellectual level, it is our responsibility to write and teach political education that emphasizes a critique of structure, capital accumulation, and the social constructs that protect capital. At the grassroots level, we must develop agency-laden institutions: spaces in the community that house organizational and cultural resources for collective action. Local leaders must utilize these institutions to train residents for survival programs, such as meal services, carpools, community banking, amenities-sharing programs, freedom schools, and self-defense. Within these workspaces, kinship networks develop between individuals, resulting in a natural inclination to build collectivity and generate ideas of self-emancipation. Our pressing task is to abandon liberal reformist demands for recognition within the current system. We can no longer organize alongside factions like the Democratic Party whose interests clash directly with our interests. We must invest our time and resources in alternative political organizations and media that publicize our actual material realities. As Frantz Fanon stated, we, the masses, have to truly believe that everything depends on us, because there is no famous individual that will take responsibility; the ultimate goal is complete self-determination for us all. This entry was posted in African American, African Americans, Labor/Economics. Bookmark the permalink. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From galliher at illinois.edu Sat Feb 25 15:34:24 2017 From: galliher at illinois.edu (Carl G. Estabrook) Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2017 09:34:24 -0600 Subject: [Peace] [Peace-discuss] This is something we should all be protesting, and soon, very soon. In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Encourage the president to go to the beach instead. "We’ve spent trillions of dollars overseas while allowing our own infrastructure to fall into total disrepair and decay. In the Middle East, we’ve spent as of four weeks ago $6 trillion. Think of it. And, by the way, the Middle East is in much worse shape than it was 15 years ago. If our Presidents would have gone to the beach for 15 years, we would be in much better shape than we are right now…” --Donald Trump at CPAC, 24 February 2017 —CGE > On Feb 25, 2017, at 9:27 AM, Boyle, Francis A via Peace-discuss wrote: > > Well at least Trump was honest about it: We are there to steal their oil. Unlike Bush Sr, Clinton, Bush Jr and Obama who all lied about it. fab. > > Francis A. Boyle > Law Building > 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave. > Champaign IL 61820 USA > 217-333-7954 (phone) > 217-244-1478 (fax) > (personal comments only) > > From: Peace [mailto:peace-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Karen Aram via Peace > Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2017 7:32 AM > To: Peace-discuss List ; Peace > Subject: [Peace] This is something we should all be protesting, and soon, very soon. > > Pentagon prepares for bigger, bloodier war in Iraq and Syria > By Bill Van Auken > 25 February 2017 > The Pentagon has prepared recommendations to be submitted to President Donald Trump at the beginning of next week for a major escalation of the US military intervention in Iraq and Syria. > According to unnamed US officials cited Friday by the Wall Street Journal, the proposal is expected to include “sending additional troops to Iraq and Syria” and “loosening battlefield restrictions” to “ease rules designed to minimize civilian casualties.” > The new battle plans stem from an executive order signed by Trump on January 28 giving the Pentagon 30 days to a deliver a “preliminary draft of the Plan to defeat ISIS [Islamic State] in Iraq and Syria.” > According to independent estimates, as many as 8,000 civilians have already died in air strikes carried out by US and allied warplanes against targets in both Syria and Iraq, even as the Pentagon routinely denies the vast majority of reported deaths of unarmed men, women and children resulting from US bombings. The new policy to be rolled out next week, which the Journal reports is aimed at “increasing the number and rate of operations,” will inevitably entail a horrific intensification of this bloodletting. > Speaking before the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Thursday, the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Joseph Dunford, said that the Pentagon would be presenting Trump with a “political-military plan” to deal not only with ISIS in Iraq and Syria, but to “advance our long-term interests in the region.” > Referring to the intense contradictions besetting the US intervention in the region, which has relied on the use of Kurdish militias as proxy ground troops in Syria, even as Washington’s NATO ally, Turkey, has intervened to militarily counter their influence, Dunford insisted that Washington “can’t be paralyzed by tough choices.” > Pointing to the regional scope of the planned US military escalation, Dunford echoed earlier bellicose rhetoric from the administration against Iran, listing it alongside Russia, China, North Korea and “transnational violent extremism” as the major targets of the US military. > The US military commander stated that “the major export of Iran is actually malign influence across the region.” He said that the US military buildup against Iran was designed to “make sure we have freedom of navigation through the Straits of Hormuz, and that we deter conflict and crisis in the region, and that we advance our interest to include our interest in dealing with violent extremism of all forms.” All of these alleged aims are pretexts for continuous US provocations aimed at countering Iran’s regional influence and furthering the drive for US hegemony in the Middle East. > In relation to Iraq, Dunford signaled US intentions to maintain a US military occupation long after the campaign against ISIS is completed. He referred to a “dialog about a long-term commitment to grow the capacity, maintain the capacity of the Iraqi security forces,” adding that Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Abadi had spoken of “the international community continuing to support defense capacity building.” > Dunford’s comments echoed those of Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis during a trip earlier this week to Baghdad. While disavowing Trump’s crude comments last month—“We’re not in Iraq to seize anybody’s oil,” Mattis said—he also suggested that plans are being developed for a permanent US military presence in the country. > “The Iraqi people, the Iraqi military and the Iraqi political leadership recognizes what they’re up against and the value of the coalition and the partnership in particular with the United States,” Mattis told reporters Monday. “I imagine we’ll be in this fight for a while and we’ll stand by each other.” > Currently, Washington has more than 5,000 US troops in Iraq and another 500 Special Forces troops operating inside Syria. These forces are backed by tens of thousands of military contractors as well as other military units that are rotated in and out of the region. The plan to be presented next week will likely involve the deployment of thousands more US combat forces. > Trump has repeatedly indicated his support for establishing “safe zones” in Syria, an intervention that would require large numbers of US soldiers backed by air power to seize and control swathes of Syrian territory. It would also entail threats of military confrontation with Russian warplanes operating in support of the Syrian government. > As the Pentagon prepares its plans for military escalation in the region, US ground forces have reportedly entered Mosul, operating on the front lines with Iraqi forces in the bloody offensive to retake Iraq’s second-largest city from ISIS. American Special Forces “advisers” joined Iraqi troops Thursday in the first incursion into western Mosul, with the retaking of the Mosul International Airport as well as a nearby military base. The operation was conducted with close air support from US warplanes. > The airport and the base, located in the southern part of western Mosul, are to be used as the launching pad for a major assault into the most densely populated area of the city, where an estimated three quarters of a million civilians are trapped with no means of escape. > The International Rescue Committee warned that this stage of the offensive would represent the “most dangerous phase” for civilians. > “This will be a terrifying moment for the 750,000 people still in the west of the city, and there is a real danger that the battle will be raging around them for weeks and possibly months to come,” said Jason Kajer, the Iraq acting country director for the humanitarian group. > Referring to the increasingly desperate plight of civilians in western Mosul, the International Committee of the Red Cross’s field coordinator in Erbil, Dany Merhy, said: “Supply routes have been cut from that side of the city and people have been facing shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine. We can only imagine the state people will be in.” > As in previous US-backed offensives against Fallujah and Ramadi, Mosul faces the prospect of being reduced to rubble. It is in this city where the proposed changes in the “rules of engagement” will find their first expression in the elevated slaughter of Iraqi civilians. > > WSWS.ORG > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Feb 25 16:09:40 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2017 16:09:40 +0000 Subject: [Peace] This is something we should all be protesting, and soon, very soon. In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Yes, we do have to give Trump credit for his honesty in relation to US foreign policy, that being, to control and steal their resources. No nonsense that we are “saving” people by bombing, and killing them. On Feb 25, 2017, at 07:27, Boyle, Francis A > wrote: Well at least Trump was honest about it: We are there to steal their oil. Unlike Bush Sr, Clinton, Bush Jr and Obama who all lied about it. fab. Francis A. Boyle Law Building 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Champaign IL 61820 USA 217-333-7954 (phone) 217-244-1478 (fax) (personal comments only) From: Peace [mailto:peace-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Karen Aram via Peace Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2017 7:32 AM To: Peace-discuss List >; Peace > Subject: [Peace] This is something we should all be protesting, and soon, very soon. Pentagon prepares for bigger, bloodier war in Iraq and Syria By Bill Van Auken 25 February 2017 The Pentagon has prepared recommendations to be submitted to President Donald Trump at the beginning of next week for a major escalation of the US military intervention in Iraq and Syria. According to unnamed US officials cited Friday by the Wall Street Journal, the proposal is expected to include “sending additional troops to Iraq and Syria” and “loosening battlefield restrictions” to “ease rules designed to minimize civilian casualties.” The new battle plans stem from an executive order signed by Trump on January 28 giving the Pentagon 30 days to a deliver a “preliminary draft of the Plan to defeat ISIS [Islamic State] in Iraq and Syria.” According to independent estimates, as many as 8,000 civilians have already died in air strikes carried out by US and allied warplanes against targets in both Syria and Iraq, even as the Pentagon routinely denies the vast majority of reported deaths of unarmed men, women and children resulting from US bombings. The new policy to be rolled out next week, which the Journal reports is aimed at “increasing the number and rate of operations,” will inevitably entail a horrific intensification of this bloodletting. Speaking before the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Thursday, the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Joseph Dunford, said that the Pentagon would be presenting Trump with a “political-military plan” to deal not only with ISIS in Iraq and Syria, but to “advance our long-term interests in the region.” Referring to the intense contradictions besetting the US intervention in the region, which has relied on the use of Kurdish militias as proxy ground troops in Syria, even as Washington’s NATO ally, Turkey, has intervened to militarily counter their influence, Dunford insisted that Washington “can’t be paralyzed by tough choices.” Pointing to the regional scope of the planned US military escalation, Dunford echoed earlier bellicose rhetoric from the administration against Iran, listing it alongside Russia, China, North Korea and “transnational violent extremism” as the major targets of the US military. The US military commander stated that “the major export of Iran is actually malign influence across the region.” He said that the US military buildup against Iran was designed to “make sure we have freedom of navigation through the Straits of Hormuz, and that we deter conflict and crisis in the region, and that we advance our interest to include our interest in dealing with violent extremism of all forms.” All of these alleged aims are pretexts for continuous US provocations aimed at countering Iran’s regional influence and furthering the drive for US hegemony in the Middle East. In relation to Iraq, Dunford signaled US intentions to maintain a US military occupation long after the campaign against ISIS is completed. He referred to a “dialog about a long-term commitment to grow the capacity, maintain the capacity of the Iraqi security forces,” adding that Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Abadi had spoken of “the international community continuing to support defense capacity building.” Dunford’s comments echoed those of Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis during a trip earlier this week to Baghdad. While disavowing Trump’s crude comments last month—“We’re not in Iraq to seize anybody’s oil,” Mattis said—he also suggested that plans are being developed for a permanent US military presence in the country. “The Iraqi people, the Iraqi military and the Iraqi political leadership recognizes what they’re up against and the value of the coalition and the partnership in particular with the United States,” Mattis told reporters Monday. “I imagine we’ll be in this fight for a while and we’ll stand by each other.” Currently, Washington has more than 5,000 US troops in Iraq and another 500 Special Forces troops operating inside Syria. These forces are backed by tens of thousands of military contractors as well as other military units that are rotated in and out of the region. The plan to be presented next week will likely involve the deployment of thousands more US combat forces. Trump has repeatedly indicated his support for establishing “safe zones” in Syria, an intervention that would require large numbers of US soldiers backed by air power to seize and control swathes of Syrian territory. It would also entail threats of military confrontation with Russian warplanes operating in support of the Syrian government. As the Pentagon prepares its plans for military escalation in the region, US ground forces have reportedly entered Mosul, operating on the front lines with Iraqi forces in the bloody offensive to retake Iraq’s second-largest city from ISIS. American Special Forces “advisers” joined Iraqi troops Thursday in the first incursion into western Mosul, with the retaking of the Mosul International Airport as well as a nearby military base. The operation was conducted with close air support from US warplanes. The airport and the base, located in the southern part of western Mosul, are to be used as the launching pad for a major assault into the most densely populated area of the city, where an estimated three quarters of a million civilians are trapped with no means of escape. The International Rescue Committee warned that this stage of the offensive would represent the “most dangerous phase” for civilians. “This will be a terrifying moment for the 750,000 people still in the west of the city, and there is a real danger that the battle will be raging around them for weeks and possibly months to come,” said Jason Kajer, the Iraq acting country director for the humanitarian group. Referring to the increasingly desperate plight of civilians in western Mosul, the International Committee of the Red Cross’s field coordinator in Erbil, Dany Merhy, said: “Supply routes have been cut from that side of the city and people have been facing shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine. We can only imagine the state people will be in.” As in previous US-backed offensives against Fallujah and Ramadi, Mosul faces the prospect of being reduced to rubble. It is in this city where the proposed changes in the “rules of engagement” will find their first expression in the elevated slaughter of Iraqi civilians. WSWS.ORG -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Feb 25 16:13:13 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2017 16:13:13 +0000 Subject: [Peace] [Peace-discuss] This is something we should all be protesting, and soon, very soon. In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Our flyer, for next Saturday’s demo? > On Feb 25, 2017, at 07:34, Carl G. Estabrook wrote: > > Encourage the president to go to the beach instead. > > "We’ve spent trillions of dollars overseas while allowing our own infrastructure to fall into total disrepair and decay. In the Middle East, we’ve spent as of four weeks ago $6 trillion. Think of it. And, by the way, the Middle East is in much worse shape than it was 15 years ago. If our Presidents would have gone to the beach for 15 years, we would be in much better shape than we are right now…” --Donald Trump at CPAC, 24 February 2017 > > —CGE > > >> On Feb 25, 2017, at 9:27 AM, Boyle, Francis A via Peace-discuss wrote: >> >> Well at least Trump was honest about it: We are there to steal their oil. Unlike Bush Sr, Clinton, Bush Jr and Obama who all lied about it. fab. >> >> Francis A. Boyle >> Law Building >> 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave. >> Champaign IL 61820 USA >> 217-333-7954 (phone) >> 217-244-1478 (fax) >> (personal comments only) >> >> From: Peace [mailto:peace-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Karen Aram via Peace >> Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2017 7:32 AM >> To: Peace-discuss List ; Peace >> Subject: [Peace] This is something we should all be protesting, and soon, very soon. >> >> Pentagon prepares for bigger, bloodier war in Iraq and Syria >> By Bill Van Auken >> 25 February 2017 >> The Pentagon has prepared recommendations to be submitted to President Donald Trump at the beginning of next week for a major escalation of the US military intervention in Iraq and Syria. >> According to unnamed US officials cited Friday by the Wall Street Journal, the proposal is expected to include “sending additional troops to Iraq and Syria” and “loosening battlefield restrictions” to “ease rules designed to minimize civilian casualties.” >> The new battle plans stem from an executive order signed by Trump on January 28 giving the Pentagon 30 days to a deliver a “preliminary draft of the Plan to defeat ISIS [Islamic State] in Iraq and Syria.” >> According to independent estimates, as many as 8,000 civilians have already died in air strikes carried out by US and allied warplanes against targets in both Syria and Iraq, even as the Pentagon routinely denies the vast majority of reported deaths of unarmed men, women and children resulting from US bombings. The new policy to be rolled out next week, which the Journal reports is aimed at “increasing the number and rate of operations,” will inevitably entail a horrific intensification of this bloodletting. >> Speaking before the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Thursday, the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Joseph Dunford, said that the Pentagon would be presenting Trump with a “political-military plan” to deal not only with ISIS in Iraq and Syria, but to “advance our long-term interests in the region.” >> Referring to the intense contradictions besetting the US intervention in the region, which has relied on the use of Kurdish militias as proxy ground troops in Syria, even as Washington’s NATO ally, Turkey, has intervened to militarily counter their influence, Dunford insisted that Washington “can’t be paralyzed by tough choices.” >> Pointing to the regional scope of the planned US military escalation, Dunford echoed earlier bellicose rhetoric from the administration against Iran, listing it alongside Russia, China, North Korea and “transnational violent extremism” as the major targets of the US military. >> The US military commander stated that “the major export of Iran is actually malign influence across the region.” He said that the US military buildup against Iran was designed to “make sure we have freedom of navigation through the Straits of Hormuz, and that we deter conflict and crisis in the region, and that we advance our interest to include our interest in dealing with violent extremism of all forms.” All of these alleged aims are pretexts for continuous US provocations aimed at countering Iran’s regional influence and furthering the drive for US hegemony in the Middle East. >> In relation to Iraq, Dunford signaled US intentions to maintain a US military occupation long after the campaign against ISIS is completed. He referred to a “dialog about a long-term commitment to grow the capacity, maintain the capacity of the Iraqi security forces,” adding that Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Abadi had spoken of “the international community continuing to support defense capacity building.” >> Dunford’s comments echoed those of Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis during a trip earlier this week to Baghdad. While disavowing Trump’s crude comments last month—“We’re not in Iraq to seize anybody’s oil,” Mattis said—he also suggested that plans are being developed for a permanent US military presence in the country. >> “The Iraqi people, the Iraqi military and the Iraqi political leadership recognizes what they’re up against and the value of the coalition and the partnership in particular with the United States,” Mattis told reporters Monday. “I imagine we’ll be in this fight for a while and we’ll stand by each other.” >> Currently, Washington has more than 5,000 US troops in Iraq and another 500 Special Forces troops operating inside Syria. These forces are backed by tens of thousands of military contractors as well as other military units that are rotated in and out of the region. The plan to be presented next week will likely involve the deployment of thousands more US combat forces. >> Trump has repeatedly indicated his support for establishing “safe zones” in Syria, an intervention that would require large numbers of US soldiers backed by air power to seize and control swathes of Syrian territory. It would also entail threats of military confrontation with Russian warplanes operating in support of the Syrian government. >> As the Pentagon prepares its plans for military escalation in the region, US ground forces have reportedly entered Mosul, operating on the front lines with Iraqi forces in the bloody offensive to retake Iraq’s second-largest city from ISIS. American Special Forces “advisers” joined Iraqi troops Thursday in the first incursion into western Mosul, with the retaking of the Mosul International Airport as well as a nearby military base. The operation was conducted with close air support from US warplanes. >> The airport and the base, located in the southern part of western Mosul, are to be used as the launching pad for a major assault into the most densely populated area of the city, where an estimated three quarters of a million civilians are trapped with no means of escape. >> The International Rescue Committee warned that this stage of the offensive would represent the “most dangerous phase” for civilians. >> “This will be a terrifying moment for the 750,000 people still in the west of the city, and there is a real danger that the battle will be raging around them for weeks and possibly months to come,” said Jason Kajer, the Iraq acting country director for the humanitarian group. >> Referring to the increasingly desperate plight of civilians in western Mosul, the International Committee of the Red Cross’s field coordinator in Erbil, Dany Merhy, said: “Supply routes have been cut from that side of the city and people have been facing shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine. We can only imagine the state people will be in.” >> As in previous US-backed offensives against Fallujah and Ramadi, Mosul faces the prospect of being reduced to rubble. It is in this city where the proposed changes in the “rules of engagement” will find their first expression in the elevated slaughter of Iraqi civilians. >> >> WSWS.ORG >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace-discuss mailing list >> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Feb 25 17:03:57 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2017 17:03:57 +0000 Subject: [Peace] An excellent 30 minute program on RT's Crosstalk Message-ID: https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/378475-pro-war-intolerant-liberalism/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Feb 25 19:40:29 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2017 19:40:29 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Trumps "going to the beach comment" Message-ID: Bruce Fein 8 hrs · "Further proof that the multi-trillion dollar military industrial counterterrorism complex controls President Donald Trump. At CPAC, Trump derided our spending $6 trillion in the Middle East to put it in "much worse shape" than it was 15 years ago. “If our presidents would have gone to the beach for 15 years, we would be in much better shape than we are right now, that I can tell you." "But Trump is bettering the folly of his predecessors that he correctly denounced. He is doing more of the same--more troops, more spending, creating more enemies daily by indiscriminate killings, supporting radical Islamic nations like Saudi Arabia, and fiercely refusing to articulate a definition of victory beyond the disastrous body-count yardstick of Vietnam. What Trump is doing in the Middle East is what General Westmoreland asked for after the Tet Offensive that brought NVA tanks into our Embassy compound: an escalation of tactics with no strategy and proven over long years to be as calamitous as General Custer's at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Indeed, South Vietnam sported a model democracy compared with the antediluvian, despotic regimes with which we are snugly allied in the Middle East. " "Depend upon it. President Trump will get his General Westmoreland Waterloo by playing puppet of the multi-trillion dollar military industrial counterterrorism complex. He insists that he is putting American citizens first, and that he is representing the United States, not the globe. Then why is he treating American soldiers like cannon fodder in the Middle East in the name of policing the entire world while sneering at American invincible self-defense featuring 100 percent of our rank-and-file soldiers deployed in the United States to protect their friends and families and given pay increases from the staggering savings derived starving the parasitic multi-trillion dollar military industrial counterterrorism complex dragon?” -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stuartnlevy at gmail.com Sat Feb 25 22:59:44 2017 From: stuartnlevy at gmail.com (Stuart Levy) Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2017 16:59:44 -0600 Subject: [Peace] 7pm Feb 28th, Gregory Hall, UIUC - Black History Month with Muslim American Society-UC In-Reply-To: <1ba3c684-b7ad-a24b-24f0-c491c6ec5e0b@gmail.com> References: <1ba3c684-b7ad-a24b-24f0-c491c6ec5e0b@gmail.com> Message-ID: <3528eb09-f1c6-8962-d8ef-14a23b180742@gmail.com> Muslim American Society Urbana-Champaign's 4th Annual Black History Month celebration (AWARE is a co-sponsor) *Black Lives Matter* *Inspiring Movement for Social Justice* ** **When: *7:00PM, Tuesday, Feb. 28th* Where: Room 100, Gregory Hall, U of Illinois campus, 810 S. Wright St, Urbana Speakers include * *Prof. Evelyn Reynolds* Associate Professor at Parkland College, and Founder of the Black Lives Matter Champaign chapter * *Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans* Executive Director, American Learning Institute for Islam And the MAS fourth annual community service and social justice award will be presented to *Dr. Rebecca Ginsburg,* associate professor and director of the *Education Justice Project *The public is welcome! Pizza and snacks will be served. Cosponsors include: Muslim Students Association UIUC; Education Justice Project; Black Lives Matter Champaign-Urbana; Parkland Social Justice Club; Umma UIUC; the public i; First Followers; Build Programs Not Jails; AWARE; Students for Justice in Palestine UIUC; U of I Divest. For more information: activism at masurbana-Champaign.org or: www.masuc.org Flyer below! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: poster.jpeg Type: image/jpeg Size: 485951 bytes Desc: not available URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Mon Feb 27 01:37:27 2017 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2017 19:37:27 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Tuesday Urbana Mayoral Election: Voting Info Message-ID: On Tuesday, there's an election for Mayor of Urbana. Technically, it's "only" the Democratic Primary, but if the recent past is predictive, whoever wins the primary will be the next Mayor of Urbana, so all indications are that it is effectively the election for Mayor. Illinois is an open primary state, which means that anybody can vote in any primary they want. You don't have to see yourself as an X to vote in the X primary. Indeed, according to the News-Gazette, a bunch of Republicans are voting in the Democratic Primary. This is where the effective input is. This is where the people who want to have effective input are congregating. Here are the websites for the three candidates: Mayor Laurel Prussing Evelyn Burnett Underwood Dianne Marlin The County Clerk's voter info page is here . The info for early voting at the County Clerk's office on Monday is here . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From divisek at yahoo.com Mon Feb 27 01:53:42 2017 From: divisek at yahoo.com (Dianna Visek) Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2017 01:53:42 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Peace] Fw: info on Urbana's mayoral race In-Reply-To: <628810970.1348569.1488050580984@mail.yahoo.com> References: <274325057.3499934.1487859875076.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <274325057.3499934.1487859875076@mail.yahoo.com> <1007519753.3505421.1487861359878@mail.yahoo.com> <628810970.1348569.1488050580984@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <696893390.2019719.1488160422375@mail.yahoo.com> On Thursday, February 23, 2017 8:49 AM, 'William Brown' via wuna-list wrote: Here's the link to Dr. Underwood's website:http://evelynburnettunderwoodformayor.com/home Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android On Thu, Feb 23, 2017 at 8:24 AM, 'William Brown' via wuna-list wrote: Hi WUNA, I know we don't want to have political discussions on the list, so I'm just forwarding links to additional information about the choices in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, since Charlie Smyth already provided the link to his endorsement for the Mayor. http://urbanabill.blogspot.com/2017/02/diane-marlin-for-mayor.html http://erictheelder.blogspot.com/2017/02/i-am-supporting-diane-marlin-for-mayor.html http://charliesmyth.org/ Here are the candidate websites:http://www.dianemarlinformayor.com/ http://www.laurelprussing.com/ I couldn't find a website for Dr Underwood, but here is a News-Gazette profile:http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2016-11-25/taking-new-challenge.html Early voting information:https://www.champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/early_voting.php Thanks,Bill Brown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Mon Feb 27 14:03:00 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2017 14:03:00 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Fwd: fliers for Racial Taboo - March 12 - McKinley Foundation References: Message-ID: Begin forwarded message: From: Amy Felty > Subject: Fwd: fliers for Racial Taboo - March 12 - McKinley Foundation -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: full page flier-poster.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 2718320 bytes Desc: full page flier-poster.pdf URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Mon Feb 27 17:42:57 2017 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2017 11:42:57 -0600 Subject: [Peace] WaPo: Hundreds of thousands of Yemeni children are nearing starvation Message-ID: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/hundreds- of-thousands-of-yemeni-children-are-nearing-starvatio n/2017/02/23/f01ead8a-f850-11e6-aa1e-5f735ee31334_story.html Hundreds of thousands of Yemeni children are nearing starvation By Sudarsan Raghavan February 24 CAIRO — Hundreds of thousands of Yemeni children languishing in refugee camps and remote villages are nearing starvation. Families who fled airstrikes are being forced to return to war-shattered homes, risking their lives again. The United Nations and other humanitarian groups are describing alarming scenes in the Middle East’s poorest country as a humanitarian crisis and conflict deepen after nearly two years of war. In recent weeks, clashes between rebels known as Houthis and forces loyal to the U.S.-backed government have intensified, especially along the western coast of the country. Airstrikes near a major port in the city of Hodeida — the main entry point for food, medicine and humanitarian aid into northern Yemen — have slowed the delivery of supplies and exacerbated the misery. Almost a half million children are severely acutely malnourished , a nearly 200 percent increase since 2014, the United Nations Children’s Fund said this week. The United Nations described Yemen, along with Somalia and northern Nigeria, as “on the brink of famine,” and declared that famine has already gripped parts of South Sudan. In Yemen, more than 7.3 million people are in need of urgent food assistance. More than 1 million Yemenis have returned to their homes even as fighting still rages in many of those areas, the U.N. refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration reported. “I am deeply concerned with the escalation of conflict and militarization of Yemen’s Western Coast,” Jamie McGoldrick, the top U.N. humanitarian official for Yemen, said in a rare, impassioned plea for assistance this week. “It is coming at a great cost to civilians.” Yemen’s growing crisis is likely to pose new challenges for the Trump administration as it seeks to neutralize a potent al-Qaeda branch known as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The group took advantage of the chaos that followed Yemen’s Arab Spring revolts to seize large swaths of territory and has expanded its reach since then. The group’s strength was evident as its militants engaged in a fierce firefight with U.S. forces that staged a raid on a remote village controlled by al-Qaeda in Bayda province last month. By the end of the assault , a Navy SEAL was dead and three other American troops were wounded. The Trump administration hailed its first counterterrorism operation as a victory, but regional analysts said it could help build support for AQAP, which is better funded and equipped than at any point in its history. AQAP and a nascent Islamic State affiliate in Yemen “are now actively exploiting the changing political environment and governance vacuums to recruit new members and stage new attacks and are laying the foundation for terrorist networks that may last for years,” U.N. investigators wrote in a report released last month. The desperation among ordinary Yemenis is growing. The lack of employment and basic services are forcing hundreds of thousands to return to their homes, according to a report by UNHCR and IOM released this week. “It’s a testament to how catastrophic the situation in Yemen has become, that those displaced by the conflict are now returning home because life in the areas to which they had fled for safety is just as abysmal as in the areas from which they fled,” Ayman Gharaibeh, UNCHR’s Yemen representative, said in a statement. Many of the displaced have returned to homes in Aden, where AQAP and the Islamic State routinely stage suicide bombings, and to Taiz, a key front line of the war where snipers and shelling regularly kill civilians on the streets. U.N. humanitarian officials say that at least 10,000 people have been killed since the war began in March 2015. “Over 17 million people are currently unable to adequately feed themselves and are frequently forced to skip meals — women and girls eat the least and last,” McGoldrick said. “Seven million Yemenis do not know where their next meal will come from and are ever closer to starvation.” There are now signs that the food insecurity will worsen. Airstrikes by a U.S.-backed, Saudi-led regional coalition that is supporting the Yemeni government have destroyed or damaged roads and bridges across Hodeidah province. Unexploded rockets, McGoldrick added, have landed inside the port, further reducing imports and the number of ships willing to come to Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition, which is enforcing a blockade that is restricting food imports, has told humanitarian agencies to redirect shipments to the smaller port in Aden, he said. That means vital food and medicine will need to be trucked from Aden, in the south, through war zones to reach the millions at risk of starvation in the north. Meanwhile, food and fuel prices are rising, and hundreds of thousands of government employees have not been paid in months. McGoldrick called on Yemen’s warring factions and “those that have influence over the parties” to ensure that food quickly enters the country. “The best means to prevent famine in Yemen is for weapons to fall silent across the country and for the parties to the conflict to return to the negotiating table,” he said. === Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (202) 448-2898 x1 <(202)%20448-2898> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Mon Feb 27 20:44:38 2017 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2017 14:44:38 -0600 Subject: [Peace] JFP alert: Demand UN Security Council Save Yemeni Children From Starvation Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Just Foreign Policy Date: Mon, Feb 27, 2017 at 2:34 PM Subject: Demand UN Security Council Save Yemeni Children From Starvation To: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org [image: Just Foreign Policy] Dear Robert, *Demand the UN Security Council stop Saudi Arabia from starving hundreds of thousands of Yemeni children to death. * *Take Action * "*Hundreds of thousands of Yemeni children* languishing in refugee camps and remote villages are *nearing starvation*," the *Washington Post* reports . Airstrikes near the port of *Hodeida* - *main entry point for food, medicine and humanitarian aid into northern Yemen* - have slowed the delivery of supplies. Half a million children are severely acutely malnourished. The UN says Yemen is “*on the brink of famine*.” *U.S.-backed Saudi airstrikes have destroyed roads and bridges across Hodeida province*. Unexploded rockets have landed inside the port, further reducing imports and the number of ships willing to come to Yemen. *The Saudis are enforcing a blockade that is restricting food imports*, and have told humanitarian agencies to redirect shipments to Aden. *That would mean vital food and medicine would need to be trucked from Aden through war zones to reach the millions at risk of starvation in the north.* [1] To save hundreds of thousands of Yemeni children from starvation, someone must stop the U.S.-backed Saudi attacks on Hodeida. Sadly, so far *Washington has turned a deaf ear* to the cries of Yemeni children. But *any member of the UN Security Council* can demand a meeting to discuss action to save Yemeni children from starvation. Of the fifteen current members of the Security Council, [2] Bolivia and Russia are the most independent of the U.S.-Saudi alliance that is pushing Yemen into famine. *A vigorous Security Council debate would put pressure on the U.S. to stop supporting the Saudi assault on Hodeida.* *Urge Bolivia and Russia to demand the UN Security Council save hundreds of thousands of Yemeni children from starvation by signing our petition at MoveOn . * Thanks for all you do to help make U.S. foreign policy more just, Robert Naiman, Avram Reisman, and Sarah Burns Just Foreign Policy *If you think our work is important, support us with a $17 donation.* http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate References: 1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/hundreds- of-thousands-of-yemeni-children-are-nearing-starvatio n/2017/02/23/f01ead8a-f850-11e6-aa1e-5f735ee31334_story.html 2. http://www.un.org/en/sc/members/ [image: Please support our work. Donate for a Just Foreign Policy] © 2016 Just Foreign Policy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Tue Feb 28 13:43:07 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2017 13:43:07 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Yemen In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Francis, Count me in, and let me know where we go from here, what to do, etc.t PS I’m a big fan of Vanessa Beeley On Feb 28, 2017, at 05:08, Boyle, Francis A > wrote: Sure Vanessa. Go right ahead. And keep up the good work. Fab. Francis A. Boyle Law Building 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Champaign IL 61820 USA 217-333-7954 (phone) 217-244-1478 (fax) (personal comments only) From: vanessa beeley [mailto:vanessab7717 at gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2017 3:22 AM To: Boyle, Francis A > Cc: Peace Discuss >; Peace at lists.chambana.net; Peace-discuss List >; Robert Naiman >; Karen Aram >; David Green >; C. G. Estabrook >; Carla Ortiz >; Mohammad Alwazir > Subject: Re: Yemen Great idea! I am in. I am attending [I hope] an IHRC meeting in Lebanon on 24/25 March, where I will be speaking up for the Houthis as it is pretty much organised by Hadi's illegitimate government. Would be great if I can put forward a recommendation? Also adding Mohammad Al Wazir of www.arwarights.org and Carla Ortiz to this email list. V x On Tue, Feb 28, 2017 at 4:15 AM, Boyle, Francis A > wrote: Ok. MoveOn (ie., Soros) have their Campaign to pressure UN Security Council Members to convene a meeting of the Security Council over the US/UK/Saudi et al. genocide against Yemen and in particular the Houthis. But the United Nations Secretary General can also convene a UN Security Council meeting under UN Charter article 99: “The Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.” So why don’t we start a campaign to pressure the new UN Secretary General to deal with the US/UK/Saudi genocide against the Yemenis and in particular the Houthis under UN Charter article 99 and by reference to the obligation under Article I of the 1948 Genocide Convention to “prevent” the genocide against the Yemenis and in particular the Houthis. Fab. Francis A. Boyle Law Building 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Champaign IL 61820 USA 217-333-7954 (phone) 217-244-1478 (fax) (personal comments only) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Tue Feb 28 15:19:15 2017 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:19:15 +0000 Subject: [Peace] Yemen In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I will leave it to those who have experience drafting appeals of this nature. On Feb 28, 2017, at 06:05, Boyle, Francis A > wrote: Ok Karen. Maybe you and Vanessa and Bob and others can put together a Draft Appeal for circulation on the internet. I am teaching all day today until 6pm. But I could review it later tonight or tomorrow for sure. Then we put it out. And Vanessa you already have my comments on genocide that you can use if you wish. But I got to go Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It’s off to work I go! Shoveling Carl Schmitt’s Shit At the Illinois Nazis Law School Fab. Ed Norton Professor of Law Fab. Francis A. Boyle Law Building 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Champaign IL 61820 USA 217-333-7954 (phone) 217-244-1478 (fax) (personal comments only) From: Karen Aram [mailto:karenaram at hotmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2017 7:43 AM To: Boyle, Francis A > Cc: vanessa beeley >; Peace Discuss >; Peace at lists.chambana.net; Peace-discuss List >; Robert Naiman >; David Green >; C. G. Estabrook >; Carla Ortiz >; Mohammad Alwazir > Subject: Re: Yemen Francis, Count me in, and let me know where we go from here, what to do, etc.t PS I’m a big fan of Vanessa Beeley On Feb 28, 2017, at 05:08, Boyle, Francis A > wrote: Sure Vanessa. Go right ahead. And keep up the good work. Fab. Francis A. Boyle Law Building 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Champaign IL 61820 USA 217-333-7954 (phone) 217-244-1478 (fax) (personal comments only) From: vanessa beeley [mailto:vanessab7717 at gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2017 3:22 AM To: Boyle, Francis A > Cc: Peace Discuss >; Peace at lists.chambana.net; Peace-discuss List >; Robert Naiman >; Karen Aram >; David Green >; C. G. Estabrook >; Carla Ortiz >; Mohammad Alwazir > Subject: Re: Yemen Great idea! I am in. I am attending [I hope] an IHRC meeting in Lebanon on 24/25 March, where I will be speaking up for the Houthis as it is pretty much organised by Hadi's illegitimate government. Would be great if I can put forward a recommendation? Also adding Mohammad Al Wazir of www.arwarights.org and Carla Ortiz to this email list. V x On Tue, Feb 28, 2017 at 4:15 AM, Boyle, Francis A > wrote: Ok. MoveOn (ie., Soros) have their Campaign to pressure UN Security Council Members to convene a meeting of the Security Council over the US/UK/Saudi et al. genocide against Yemen and in particular the Houthis. But the United Nations Secretary General can also convene a UN Security Council meeting under UN Charter article 99: “The Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.” So why don’t we start a campaign to pressure the new UN Secretary General to deal with the US/UK/Saudi genocide against the Yemenis and in particular the Houthis under UN Charter article 99 and by reference to the obligation under Article I of the 1948 Genocide Convention to “prevent” the genocide against the Yemenis and in particular the Houthis. Fab. Francis A. Boyle Law Building 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Champaign IL 61820 USA 217-333-7954 (phone) 217-244-1478 (fax) (personal comments only) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Tue Feb 28 16:28:56 2017 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2017 10:28:56 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Our Revolution: Reelect Laurel Prussing TODAY for Urbana Mayor Message-ID: Ruth Wyman adds: === To all Democrats who live in Urbana. Please remember to vote in the Democratic primary today. The polls are open from 6 am to 7 pm. If you are not sure where to go to vote, you can find your polling place here: https://www.champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/voter_information.php As of Thursday, more than 25 % of the early votes cast or absentee ballots requested were from voters who had voted in one or both of the last two republican primaries -- but the only issue on the ballot is the Democratic Primary for Urbana mayor! With such a strong showing of Republicans trying to influence the Democratic primary for Urbana mayor, it is vital that all Democrats get out to vote this Tuesday! === ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Our Revolution Date: Mon, Feb 27, 2017 at 6:21 PM Subject: Reelect Laurel Prussing TOMORROW for Urbana Mayor To: Robert Naiman The mayor's election is TOMORROW [image: Our Revolution] It’s time to make a plan to vote. *The mayor's election is TOMORROW, and our endorsed candidate Laurel Prussing is up for reelection. * Laurel was the first woman ever elected mayor of Urbana in 2005, and her lifelong advocacy on behalf of the public only increased upon entering the mayor’s office. Laurel serves on numerous board, commission and association appointments and collaborates with the Governor and Legislature to improve education and law enforcement training standards in Illinois. Thanks to her leadership on the city council, Urbana reaffirmed its status as a Sanctuary City, and with her financial acumen the city maintained its commitment to putting more than $300,000 into social service agencies. She hired a statistician to help study racial disparities in traffic stops and put two more police officers on the beat to address the recent spike in violent crime. With experience at the precinct, county, state and non-profit levels, and her Ph.D studies in public finance at the University of Illinois, Laurel’s tireless work ethic continues to serve Urbana well. Laurel’s accomplishments belong to everyone in Urbana and the greater Champaign County. Her greatest work has been to engage with community and grassroots organizations, hearing your concerns and acting on them with policy. Let’s build on the progress we’ve made together. *Laurel needs you to show up TOMORROW and cast your vote to keep her in the mayor's office. * We hope that you will stand with us when you cast your ballot tomorrow so Laurel can continue doing what she does best - working for us to bring about the change we need. In solidarity, The Team at Our Revolution PAID FOR BY OUR REVOLUTION 603 2ND ST, NE WASHINGTON, DC, 20002 Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. Our Revolution is a 501(c)(4) organization. Donations to Our Revolution are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes. All donations are made to support Our Revolution’s general mission and are not designated for any specific activity. 603 2nd St NE, Washington, DC 20002 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From susanroseparenti at gmail.com Tue Feb 28 16:40:59 2017 From: susanroseparenti at gmail.com (Susan Parenti) Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2017 10:40:59 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Our Revolution: Reelect Laurel Prussing TODAY for Urbana Mayor In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <91814C8D-9C82-4158-AF06-4EE7FF5A4756@gmail.com> Yes, our household is going to vote, and to vote for Prussing. Can you help us figure out the referendum on privatizing the nursing home—is it worded so that we vote ‘no’ or ‘yes’? susan parenti > On Feb 28, 2017, at 10:28 AM, Robert Naiman via Peace wrote: > > Ruth Wyman adds: > > === > > To all Democrats who live in Urbana. Please remember to vote in the Democratic primary today. The polls are open from 6 am to 7 pm. > > If you are not sure where to go to vote, you can find your polling place here: > > https://www.champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/voter_information.php > As of Thursday, more than 25 % of the early votes cast or absentee ballots requested were from voters who had voted in one or both of the last two republican primaries -- but the only issue on the ballot is the Democratic Primary for Urbana mayor! > > With such a strong showing of Republicans trying to influence the Democratic primary for Urbana mayor, it is vital that all Democrats get out to vote this Tuesday! > > === > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Our Revolution > > Date: Mon, Feb 27, 2017 at 6:21 PM > Subject: Reelect Laurel Prussing TOMORROW for Urbana Mayor > To: Robert Naiman > > > > > It’s time to make a plan to vote. > > The mayor's election is TOMORROW, and our endorsed candidate Laurel Prussing is up for reelection. Laurel was the first woman ever elected mayor of Urbana in 2005, and her lifelong advocacy on behalf of the public only increased upon entering the mayor’s office. > > Laurel serves on numerous board, commission and association appointments and collaborates with the Governor and Legislature to improve education and law enforcement training standards in Illinois. Thanks to her leadership on the city council, Urbana reaffirmed its status as a Sanctuary City, and with her financial acumen the city maintained its commitment to putting more than $300,000 into social service agencies. She hired a statistician to help study racial disparities in traffic stops and put two more police officers on the beat to address the recent spike in violent crime. With experience at the precinct, county, state and non-profit levels, and her Ph.D studies in public finance at the University of Illinois, Laurel’s tireless work ethic continues to serve Urbana well. > > Laurel’s accomplishments belong to everyone in Urbana and the greater Champaign County. Her greatest work has been to engage with community and grassroots organizations, hearing your concerns and acting on them with policy. Let’s build on the progress we’ve made together. > > Laurel needs you to show up TOMORROW and cast your vote to keep her in the mayor's office. > > We hope that you will stand with us when you cast your ballot tomorrow so Laurel can continue doing what she does best - working for us to bring about the change we need. > > In solidarity, > > The Team at Our Revolution > > PAID FOR BY OUR REVOLUTION > 603 2ND ST, NE > WASHINGTON, DC, 20002 > > Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. Our Revolution is a 501(c)(4) organization. Donations to Our Revolution are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes. All donations are made to support Our Revolution’s general mission and are not designated for any specific activity. > 603 2nd St NE, Washington, DC 20002 > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Tue Feb 28 16:53:09 2017 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2017 10:53:09 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Our Revolution: Reelect Laurel Prussing TODAY for Urbana Mayor In-Reply-To: <91814C8D-9C82-4158-AF06-4EE7FF5A4756@gmail.com> References: <91814C8D-9C82-4158-AF06-4EE7FF5A4756@gmail.com> Message-ID: The main thing about the referenda about our nursing home you need to know for today is: it's not on the ballot today. It's on the ballot April 4. Having said that: on April 4, there will be two questions on the ballot. One question will be: do you support a property tax increase to support our county nursing home. There, supporters of our county nursing home are asking people to vote YES. The second question will be: do you support selling or disposing of our Nursing Home. On that question, supporters of our Nursing Home are asking people to vote NO. Also, on March 22, Champaign County Democrats will be voting on whether to endorse the referenda campaign to save our Nursing Home. Our petition to the CC Dems on that is here: @ChampaignCoDems: Vote to Save Our County Nursing Home http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/champaigncodems-vote?r_by=1135580 Finally, this is a website for the save-our-county-nursing-home campaign, where you can get yard signs, more info, etc.: https://www.facebook.com/ChampaignCountyCARE Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (202) 448-2898 x1 On Tue, Feb 28, 2017 at 10:40 AM, Susan Parenti wrote: > Yes, our household is going to vote, and to vote for Prussing. > > Can you help us figure out the referendum on privatizing the nursing > home—is it worded so that we vote ‘no’ or ‘yes’? > susan parenti > > On Feb 28, 2017, at 10:28 AM, Robert Naiman via Peace < > peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > Ruth Wyman adds: > > === > > To all Democrats who live in Urbana. Please remember to vote in the > Democratic primary today. The polls are open from 6 am to 7 pm. > > If you are not sure where to go to vote, you can find your polling place > here: > > https://www.champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/voter_information.php > > As of Thursday, more than 25 % of the early votes cast or absentee > ballots requested were from voters who had voted in one or both of the last > two republican primaries -- but the only issue on the ballot is the > Democratic Primary for Urbana mayor! > > With such a strong showing of Republicans trying to influence the > Democratic primary for Urbana mayor, it is vital that all Democrats get out > to vote this Tuesday! > > === > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Our Revolution > Date: Mon, Feb 27, 2017 at 6:21 PM > Subject: Reelect Laurel Prussing TOMORROW for Urbana Mayor > To: Robert Naiman > > > The mayor's election is TOMORROW [image: Our Revolution] > It’s time to make a plan to vote. > > *The mayor's election is TOMORROW, and our endorsed candidate Laurel > Prussing is up for reelection. > * > Laurel was the first woman ever elected mayor of Urbana in 2005, and her > lifelong advocacy on behalf of the public only increased upon entering the > mayor’s office. > > Laurel serves on numerous board, commission and association appointments > and collaborates with the Governor and Legislature to improve education and > law enforcement training standards in Illinois. Thanks to her leadership on > the city council, Urbana reaffirmed its status as a Sanctuary City, and > with her financial acumen the city maintained its commitment to putting > more than $300,000 into social service agencies. She hired a statistician > to help study racial disparities in traffic stops and put two more police > officers on the beat to address the recent spike in violent crime. With > experience at the precinct, county, state and non-profit levels, and her > Ph.D studies in public finance at the University of Illinois, Laurel’s > tireless work ethic continues to serve Urbana well. > > Laurel’s accomplishments belong to everyone in Urbana and the greater > Champaign County. Her greatest work has been to engage with community and > grassroots organizations, hearing your concerns and acting on them with > policy. Let’s build on the progress we’ve made together. > > *Laurel needs you to show up TOMORROW and cast your vote to keep her in > the mayor's office. > * > > We hope that you will stand with us when you cast your ballot tomorrow so > Laurel can continue doing what she does best - working for us to bring > about the change we need. > > In solidarity, > > > The Team at Our Revolution > > PAID FOR BY OUR REVOLUTION > 603 2ND ST, NE > WASHINGTON, DC, 20002 > > Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. Our Revolution is > a 501(c)(4) organization. Donations to Our Revolution are not deductible as > charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes. All donations are > made to support Our Revolution’s general mission and are not designated for > any specific activity. > > 603 2nd St NE, Washington, DC 20002 > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From niloofar.peace at gmail.com Tue Feb 28 19:40:08 2017 From: niloofar.peace at gmail.com (Niloofar Shambayati) Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2017 13:40:08 -0600 Subject: [Peace] Fwd: Niloofar, I'm saving you a seat... In-Reply-To: <77b1de392fbf42b199f49a1e415fb1d9@anera.org> References: <77b1de392fbf42b199f49a1e415fb1d9@anera.org> Message-ID: Please spread the word to family and friends living in Chicago Land: A fundraising event for Syrian and Palestinian Refugees. Thanks! ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Hani Almadhoun, ANERA Join ANERA and Ahmed Ahmed for an evening of laughter. If you can't see the message below, use this link to view it on our website. [image: Events-Header-Template.png] [image: Ahmed Ahmed comedy Chicago] It is my pleasure to personally invite you to *ANERA’s benefit comedy night* to support our work with refugees in Palestine and Lebanon. Renowned *Egyptian-American comedian Ahmed Ahmed *will bring his hilarious stand-up show to Chicago for a night of both comedy and conscience. Even in the darkest of times, humor has a remarkable capacity to shed light on our common humanity. In times of political uncertainty, many ask themselves: *What can I do to make a difference? One thing you can do is come and laugh with us. *Though this event will be lighthearted fun, we remain serious and committed to the marginalized communities that we serve. Your support and generosity enables us to continue this work. Can we count on you? Best, [image: hani png] Hani Almadhoun, Director of Donor Development ------------------------------ *Comedy Night with Ahmed Ahmed* Proceeds will benefit Palestinian & Syrian refugees *Saturday, March 4* 7:00 - 9:00 pm *Al-Nahda Cultural Center* 10555 Southwest Hwy Worth, IL 60482 *Tickets* $25 in advance | $30 at the door *Space is limited!* [image: purchase tickets button] See the event on Facebook [image: Gaza Boy ANERA flag] *About ANERA* ANERA has been helping Palestinian families, poor communities and refugees in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon since 1968. *Learn more* 1111 14th St. NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20005 ANERA'S CFC NUMBER: 12076. © 2016 ANERA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Donate | Unsubcribe | Email to a friend [image: Twitter] [image: Facebook] [image: Youtube] [image: instagram icon] [image: linked in icon] [image: Google + Icon] [image: Donate to ANERA] [image: powered by Blackbaud] nonprofit software -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: