Iraq Veterans Against the War: You Are Not Alone

In early March 2008, members of Iraq Veterans Against the War marched from Constitution Center to Valley Forge. They marched to bring attention to their Winter Soldier event which took place a couple of weeks later, but also to send a message to active duty and veterans of the occupation in Iraq. This video contains that message.  If you are a soldier currently serving in Iraq you can assert your right to free speech, visit An Appeal for Redress to get the information you need.

This video is worth watching to the end - straight talk from active duty soldiers and vets about their reasons for opposing the war.

Iraq Toll

Those who died in Iraq from Apr 27 to May 3:

Pvt William Dix  32  Culver City CA

Pvt Adam Marion  26  Mount Airy NC

Sgt Marcus Mathes  26  Zephyrhills FL

Spc David McCormick  26  Fresno CA

Sgt Mark Stone  22  Buchanan Dam TX

Sgt Bryan Bolander  26  Bakersfield CA

Sgt Clay Craig  22  Mesquite TX

Sgt Chad Caldwell  24  Spokane WA

Sgt Lawrence Ezell  30  Portland TX

Cap Andrew Pearson  32  Billings MT

Spc Ronald Tucker  21  Fountain CO

Spc Jeffrey Nichols  21  Granite Shoals TX

Pvt Corey Hicks  22  Glendale AZ

35 were seriously wounded.

81 were returned to occupation.

550 Iraqi sisters and brothers were killed.

Cf:   www.icasualties.org

Religious Zealots in the Election

With all the fury over Rev. Wright’s comments I thought I would share a post of one of McCain’s supporters.  Here, he has a lot to say about the Cathloic faith.  May have something to do with the Pope rejecting the Iraqi occupation as illegal.  I’m no friend to any specific faith - I have faith in none and all of them at the same time.  Just being fair!

Poetry of Protest

Iraq Toll

April has been the mist deadly month for U.S. troops since September.

Those who died in Iraq in recent weeks and went unreported:

Sgt Michael Lilly  23  Boise ID

Sgt Jeremiah McNeal  23  Norfolk VA

Cap Ulises Burgos Cruz  29  Puerto Rico

Spc Matthew Morris  23  Cedar Park TX

Pvt Shane Penley  19  Sauk Village IL

Col Stephen Scott  54  New Market AL

Maj Stuart Wolfer  36  Colorado Springs FL

Sgt Emanuel Pickett  34  Teachey NC

Spc Jason Kazarick  30  Oakmont PA

Maj Mark Rosenberg  32  Miami Lakes FL

Sgt Jeffrey Hartley  25  Hempstead TX

Sgt Richard Vaughn  22  San Diego CA

Spc Jeremiah Hughes  26  Jacksonville FL

Sgt Timothy Smith  25  So Lake Tahoe CA

Sgt Anthony Capra  31  Hanford CA

Sgt Shaun Tousha  30  Hull TX

Cpl Dean Opicka  29  Waukesha WI

Air Adrian Campos  22  El Paso TX

Cpl Jordan Haerter  19  Sag Harbor NY

PO Cherie Morton  40  Bakersfield CA

Ltn Matthew Vandergrift  28  Littleton CO

Pvt Ronald Harrison  25  Morris Plains NJ

Spc Stephen Christofferson  20  Cudahy WI

Sgt Adam Kohlhaas  26  Perryville MO

Sgt Guadalupe Ramirez  26  Mohave Valley AZ

Cpl Jonathan Yale  21  Burkeville VA

Ltn Timothy Cunningham  26  College Station TX

Pvt John Bishop  22  Gaylord MI

Sgt Ronald Blystone  34  Springfield MO

Sgt Shaun Whitehead  24  Commerce GA

426 Iraqi sisters and brothers were killed.

Cf:  www.icasualties.org

Stimulate Peaceful Alternatives to a War Economy.

This week the Federal government set into motion the first phase of their economic stimulus package. That’s right, Uncle Sam is sending you about $600 with the hope you will go on a spending spree at Target and re-inflate our bloated war economy for another couple of months.

For many Americans $600 will barely cover the price of basic necessities for a week; but, Bush and his crony administration have no idea what this ‘economic crisis’ has meant for everyday working people. Just paying to get to work everyday has become an increasing struggle for all of us. As the price of fuel globally continues to rise so too will the price of food, shipping, and public transportation.

Like his father before him George Bush Junior and his Administration are out of touch with the needs of the American public. None of the multi-million dollar bureaucrats in Washington understand what it’s like to go to a store and choose between formula and prescription medications. If they did they would know how to maintain a proper budget that funds human needs and not unnecessary military bloat.

By the end of his term we will have handed over $4 trillion dollars over to the Pentagon for contracts with Boeing, Halliburton, and Booze Allen. Read the Peace Action e-Newsletter on military spending and find out where your tax dollars are headed.

A recent Associated Press poll showed 45% of the recipients plan to pay bills and 32% plan to either invest it or add it to their savings with 4% planning to give it to their favorite charities.

We’re continuing our work to combat wasteful military spending by asking those of you I that 4% to stimulate the opposition – Peace Action. You can be a part of the change you want to see; dedicate that blood money Bush is sending to something practical and positive, dedicate it to Peace Action.

Iraq Toll

Some of those who died in Iraq from Apr 13 to 19:

Cpl Richard Nelson  23  Racine WI

Spc Arturo Cruz  23  Clearwater FL

Sgt Joseph Richard III  27  Lafayette LA

Sgt Jason Brown  29  Magnolia TX

Sgt Benjamin Brosh  22  Colorado Springs CO

Spc Lance Eakes  25  Apex NC

576 Iraqi sisters and brothers were killed.

The icasualties website is still truncated.

Bush’s Plans for the DOE will hurt the U.S. Economy

Today I saw two awkward stories in the news on nuclear weapons. In a Washington Post story scientists at Livermore bemoaned “budget cuts by Congress and the Bush administration {which} have reduced their ability to carry out scientific research needed to ensure the reliability of the nation’s nuclear arsenal in future years.” Another story took a similar, positive, stance on the development of new nuclear weapons; claiming that by not proliferating nuclear weapons we lose valuable jobs and scientific progress. SPEAK OUT, HERE.

Also today: the Bush administration announced the U.S. plan to combat global warming; by not reducing our countries carbon footprint until 2025.

Let’s deconstruct the news shall we?

• I’ve answered the reliability questions many times in this blog so I will refrain from doing so again. Simply to say, our nuclear stockpile has been thoroughly tested for its ability to decimate other countries on command.
• Especially, given our ‘commitment’ to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty why increase the production of nuclear weapons at home while admonishing other countries for their nuclear programs? It’s another example of our National hubris preventing productive diplomacy and scientific innovation.
• In this economic crisis we cannot afford to lose hundreds of jobs provided by nuclear factories to scientists and labor workers alike. Those who may lose their jobs with a decrease in U.S. nuclear production can and should be trained in market-ready, earth-friendly energy science.

We really should follow our own example: The U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (full disclosure: I worked at CRDF as an Intern in 2006) is a NGO founded by Congressional mandate (Nunn-Luger) to fund non-weapons scientific projects by former nuclear weapons scientists in the Former Soviet Union and Western Asia. CRDF also works on nuclear clean-up and creating market-ready energy technologies with emerging scientists from this area. The intention is to clean up and stop production of nuclear materials while stimulating the local economy with non-weapon related technology. GENUIS!

If we implemented a similar program for U.S. weapons scientists and factory workers - a program to promote innovation in earth friendly energy – we could really accomplish a lot. In fact, we already are accomplishing a lot in Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and dozens of other countries where new, innovative and earth friendly energy alternatives are being conceived and put into production. Bush could learn a lot from the programs set up by his colleagues in Congress decades ago; invest in the technology of the future, not the past.

The U.S. must take significant steps to reduce our carbon foot with innovative and economically feasible alternatives to oil. It is imperative we invest our resources into the production of THIS type of technology – not nuclear weaponry. Shifting our budget priorities from nuclear weapons to earth friendly energy technology innovation is an important step toward preserving this world for our children. You can speak out to the Department of Energy about new nuclear weapons by clicking here.

Iraq Toll

Some of those who died in Iraq from Apr 13 to 19

Sgt Jesse Ault  28  Dublin VA

Spc Jacob Fairbanks  22  St Paul MN

Spc William Allmon  25  Ardmore OK

More than 434 Iraqis sisters and brothers were killed.

The icasualties website was maliciously attacked this

week and it has not been restored as yet.

Iraq Toll

Those who died in Iraq from March 30 to Apr 5:

Pvt Charles Jankowski  24  Panama City FL

Major William Hall  38  Seattle WA

Sgt Jevon Jordan  32  Norfolk VA

Sgt Terrence Gilmore  38  Baton Rouge LA

Sgt Dayne Dhanoolal  26  Brooklyn NY

Sgt Travis Griffin  27  Dover DE

75 were seriously wounded and maimed.

57 were returned to occupation.

428 Iraqi brothers and sisters were killed.

Cf:   www.icasualties.org