Thank you, Andrea Dworkin | Mickey Z.

“Only when manhood is dead -- and it will perish when ravaged femininity no longer sustains it -- only then will we know what it is to be free.” (Andrea Dworkin)

As someone who eschewed college and instead embarked on a long journey of dedicated radical self-education, I find it quite illuminating that it took so damn long for me to finally encounter the work of Andrea Dworkin. 

The “Left” often talks of dissidents being marginalized but I easily and naturally happened upon Noam Chomsky, Assata Shakur, Howard Zinn, Guy Debord, Frantz Fanon, Arundhati Roy, Edward Said, Angela Davis, Emma Goldman, Ward Churchill, bell hooks, and far too many others to name here. Meanwhile, I didn’t read Dworkin’s Heartbreak: The Political Memoir of a Feminist Militant until 2015 -- and it just so happens to be the most revolutionary book I’ve ever read. (This is not to say I agree with everything she’s ever written so please don’t pull that tired old straw man from your tired old bag of tricks.)

It’s hardly a coincidence that none of my subversive cohorts ever recommended a feminist pioneer like Dworkin to me during the past decade or two. The more I read of her work and the more I listen to her blunt analysis, the more I comprehend why she's been either erased or demonized -- by the mainstream and right wingers, of course, but also just as vehemently by the denizens of the so-called Left. Regardless of one’s alleged political beliefs, patriarchy still rules the day. 

“The common erotic project of destroying women makes it possible for men to unite into a brotherhood; this project is the only firm and trustworthy groundwork for cooperation among males and all male bonding is based on it.” (Andrea Dworkin)

In a more general sense, it’s illustrative to witness the palpable discomfort caused by my endless evolution. But then again, perhaps friendships based on shared ideology are more often than not doomed.

All that said, please allow me to be clear: I am (at best) a work-in-progress and I deeply lament how long it’s taken me to better understand the foundational power of patriarchy. I think back with profound regret on some of the stances I’ve held, the publications and websites for which I’ve written, the movements I’ve trusted, the opinions I’ve shouted from stages all across the country, the former comrades I’ve defended, and the books I’ve authored (I’d seriously like to edit or erase all 13 of ‘em!). 

I feel shame, but not surrender. I'm fueled by an intense desire to make up for lost time and commit myself more than ever to identifying and rejecting the conditioning that’s shaped/warped me. To tear down, as Miss Andrea exhorts, what needs to be torn down.

I have a long, long way to go and will undoubtedly falter but, regardless, I will continue to do my best to live up to the standards I’ve detailed here and the standards that courageous visionaries like Dworkin have established. I can finally see that since everything females do to resist patriarchy has been pornified, commodified, weaponized, and used against them, the change must begin with us men. 

As I’ve written before, if men want to live up to self-anointed labels like activist, revolutionary, radical, ally, and comrade, the path is clear. We are required to do almost all of the initial work and make (by far) the biggest changes and commitments. If we care about justice and liberation as much as we claim we do, now is the time to look in the mirror, to call ourselves out, to check our egos and our masculinity programming at the door, and to make what appear to be major sacrifices (pro tip: they’re not). We men must name the problem, over and over again, until we stop being the problem and stop passing on the problem to the next generation.

“Men who want to support women in our struggle for freedom and justice should understand that it is not terrifically important to us that they learn to cry; it is important to us that they stop the crimes of violence against us.” (Andrea Dworkin)

Postscript: For anyone seeking to experience the transformative work of Andrea Dworkin, I’d humbly suggest you start with the aforementioned memoir. Also, you’ll find PDFs of all her books here and many audios here. Lastly (for now), this 47-minute documentary is essential viewing (trigger warning for survivors of sexual abuse). 

“If you know what it is that needs to be torn down, tear it down.” (Andrea Dworkin)

Mickey Z. can be found here.

Thank you, Andrea Dworkin by Mickey Z. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://worldnewstrust.com/thank-you-andrea-dworkin-mickey-z.

Liberal Imperialism (SOAPBOX PODCAST 5/8/16)

MAY 8, 2016

Guest: Eric Draitser

Topic: U.S. Imperialism and Elections

ERIC

Eric is the creator of StopImperialism.org and has a very

comprehensive and intelligent analysis of the problems of the world today. Hint: The Republican party isn't the culprit.

Eric's latest article:

Syria, ISIS, and the US-UK Propaganda War

COUNTERPUNCH RADIO WITH ERIC DRAITSER

CLICK FOR SITE

The Mistress of Mayhem by Anthony Freda

Why do people continue to support Hillary Clinton?
Maybe a steady diet of propaganda and lies from Clinton operatives posing as journalists like George Stephanopoulis have warped their perception of reality.

Maybe they are unaware of her well documented record of corruption, lies, failure and mass death.

Maybe they need to be reminded of the following facts:

Hillary enthusiastically promoted the lies that provided the pretexts to the Iraq War and voted for the invasion. She later said she was fooled by George Bush into voting for the 

war. So by her own admission, she is dumber than W. Or, she is a mendacious war criminal who lied about why she sent American kids to die. Take your pick.

Hillary has accepted massive bribes in the form of speaking fees from financial organizations, dictators and corporations.  She is under investigation for misuse of classified
data, an offense for which she believes Snowden should be arrested.
Why don't her supporters care about the tens of thousands she killed in Libya, her creation of a failed Libyan state that is today a major
source of terrorist jihadists, or the Benghazi controversy? Do they know that as Secretary of State she arranged favors for foreign tyrants in exchange for
donations to the Clinton foundation?
Her criminal exploits include Whitewater, Travelgate, Filegate and more. Diana Johnstone’s book, Queen of Chaos,
describes Hillary Clinton as “the top salesperson for the ruling oligarchy.”

Hillary personally waged war on the women who were raped by her husband Bill, in an effort to discredit them.

Hillary helped diminish all of our rights and build a police state by voting for The Patriot Act.

Hillary helped pave the way for the big banks to criminally destroy economies via sanctioned greed and corruption.

Hillary Clinton is a spokesperson for the Wall Street criminals, the military-security complex, and the Israel Lobby.  She will represent their interests, not
those of the American people.

A vote for Hillary is an endorsement of the Iraq War, the police state and systematic corruption.

Sadly, despite her obviously immoral and criminal past, her coronation may be inevitable.

 

Hillary is currently stealing the nomination from Bernie Sanders and no one seems to care enough to point out that she is breaking the law.

http://hubpages.com/politics/Bernie-Saying-the-Hillary-Cheating-is-Disgraceful-is-Not-Enough

The odds are against us, but we still have a chance to stop her by exposing her disastrous legacy.

Her supporters are victims of decades of deception and disinformation designed to manufacture their consent to her agenda of endless war and tyranny.

Perhaps the truth will set them free. 

“It’s not made by great men” by Muhsin Y.

Many left-leaning citizens of the Republic of Turkey who have learnt English are presently sharing the (almost certainly fabricated) story of British Prime Minister David Cameron and puppet Kurdish “leader” Massoud Barzani condemning President Erdoğan in unusually harsh language. The enthusiasm for such a story, real or fake, follows from a generally hegemonic discourse in the Kurdish Liberation Movement (and the HDK/HDP Turkish left which is close to it) of the “one man dictatorship” and “AKP fascism”. This rhetoric has been useful domestically (in Turkey) for the building of fronts against the current ruling party and its charismatic leader. However, internationally it is a problem, and it can become problematic in Turkey, because it represents a misanalysis of the root of the problems in Turkey presently manifested in the AKP government and its leader...

...CLICK HERE TO  READ THE REST

SPEAKING TRUTH TO EMPIRE WITH DAN YASEEN (APRIL EDITION)

On Speaking Truth to Empire Dan Yaseen interviews Murtaza Hussain on Islamophobia. Murtaza is a journalist and political commentator. His work focuses on human rights, foreign policy, and cultural affairs. He is currently an investigative reporter with The Intercept; his articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, Salon, and on other online publications.

https://soundcloud.com/speaking-truth-to-empire/20160420-speaking-truth-to-empire-murtaza-hussain 

411 on Venezuela with guest Eva Golinger (SOAPBOX PODCAST 5/1/16)

May 1, 2016

GUEST: Eva Golinger and Venezuela Strategy Group

(VSG)

TOPIC: Venezuela currently and US meddling there

This week on The Soapbox we present Venezuelan/American author/attorney Eva Golinger and a recent talk she gave about current affairs in Venezuela and the current state of US meddling in those affairs.

Eva

This presentation was part of the monthly conference call for the Venezuela Strategy Group (VSG)

If you'd like more information on the VSG, please contact

Chuck Kauffman of Alliance for Global Justice

Chuck@AFGJ.org

CASEY'S GIFT (Cindy Returns to Cuba) by Cindy Sheehan

CINDY SHEEHAN WITH CASEY'S GIFT IN HOLGUIN, CUBA

When my son Casey was a newly formed solider, fresh out of boot camp, he was stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas.

The first time he came home to visit, he gifted me with a golden necklace which looked like a shamrock and had a small diamond in the center. On the back it said, "For Mom, With Love." I loved it immediately and loved the gesture, but I said, "Casey, you can't afford to spend this much money on me," and I sent it back to the jewelry store in Killeen, Tx and told them to return his money.

Casey came home that Christmas and re-gave me that necklace and said, "Mom, you have to take it, it's paid for now."

After that dear, dear boy was killed in Iraq on April 04, 2004, and I became a noted antiwar activist, I wore the piece all over the world, and found myself fingering it for comfort more than once. In fact, once during a protest in Washington, DC, my sister was holding it for me and it fell from her purse. We were both distraught, but she found it hanging precariously from a subway grate on the sidewalk.

Subsequently, in my travels, I met the families of the "Cuban 5." Briefly, the Cuban 5 were five anti-terrorist campaigners who lived in Florida and infiltrated counter-revolutionary groups there which had caused Cuba much pain and loss of life. The "5" were captured and send to US prisons for long and unjust prison terms.

To make a long story short, after my first trip to Cuba, at the beginning of 2007, I fell in love with the country and its beautiful and strong people. Surprise! It wasn't the evil land of hopelessness and deprivation I had been (mis)taught about my entire life. I became very involved in the "Free the Cuban 5" movement and in November of 2011, I went to Holguin, Cuba to participate in an international conference: I met people there from Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Sweden and all over Latin America.

There, I spoke at a rally and march on November 19th (which is my other son, Andy's birthday) and, there in the front row, were the mothers of Fernando Gonzales and Antonio Guerrero and other various family members of the 5. I often feel ashamed of the United States and it's murderous callous way, but the imprisonment of the Cuban 5 and what it did to their families and the almost complete ignorance of the case in the states was especially frustrating to me at that moment.

Magali, Cindy, and Mirtha

When I was speaking at the rally, I removed my "most precious" possession (the necklace Casey gave me) and called Fernando's mother, Magali Llort and Antonio's mother, Mirtha Rodriguez to the platform. I presented them with the necklace my son had given me as a pledge to them that I would do everything I could to help their sons return to Cuba to be with their families and community. We were all in tears and Mirtha and Magali pledged to me that when their sons (and the others) returned to Cuba, I would get my necklace back.

So for the next two years, I did work hard: among other events, I went to Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic), Sweden, Canada, (back to Cuba), and Washington, DC. I spoke to activists and legislators; I protested in front of US Embassies and consulates; I wrote articles and had many shows devoted to The 5 on Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox.

The Cuban 5 were arrested in September of 1998, and two of them finished their sentences in 2011 and the beginning of 2014, respectively; and the other three had varying degrees of time (up to 60 years) left to serve.

I awakened on the morning of December 17, 2014, to joyfully discover that in a prisoner trade, the other three had been released back to Cuba. It was one of the best Christmas presents I have received since my son was killed. Of course, I wasn't the only one around the world who felt that way.

As to the thawing of Cuban/American relations, I remain skeptical of US intentions, but if there ever were a people who have felt the oppression of the US and undermining of its revolution, it is certainly the Cuban people. However, as promised, I am returning to my home away from home this next week to receive my necklace back on Mother's Day and to celebrate with my Cuban family. 

Love never dies. The families of the Cuban 5 never gave up on their quest for justice, and I will never give up on my family's drive to see US war criminals held accountable. This is not about hate, it's about the love we have for our sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters. It's about the love we have for each other!

It has taken over two years for me to return for my necklace, because I have been taking care of my sister who has stage 4 breast cancer. We are now at a point where it is possible for me to travel to Cuba, but very expensive to do so.

The Cuban Friendship Society is hosting me in Cuba, but my travel to and from Miami is an expense that is hard for me to afford at present. Donations to Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox have tanked in this election year, and I am my sister's financial caregiver, also.

I will provide photos and reports about my trip.

If you can donate to Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox at this time, I would certainly appreciate it!

¡Muchas gracias!

 CLICK IMAGE TO DONATE

What If 'They' Silenced Bernie Sanders? | Mickey Z.

    By Marc Nozell from Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA (bernie-sanders-franklin-nh-20150802-DSC02607) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons 

Mickey Z. -- World News Trust

April 26, 2016

There's no shortage of righteous outrage on the Left (sic).

Plenty of marches and manifestos to go along with the myriad calls to “occupy” this or “take back” that. Toss in the occasional fighting words and the intermittent flirtation with property damage and the left typically does just enough to accomplish nothing except get itself effectively demonized by the mainstream (thus making it that much easier for the Blue Bloc of law enforcement to get away with virtually anything at the next big protest). 

So, here's my question: What would those who identify as leftists do if one of their high profile icons were openly removed from the scene? For the sake of argument, let's say the U.S. government (or one of its proxies) -- with the full support of the corporate media -- overtly silenced Bernie Sanders for his “political revolution” and recent anti-Wall Street rhetoric.

(Let me clarify something before you before you pollute the comments section to rant about #FeelTheBern. I'm neither endorsing nor condemning Sanders; I'm simply recognizing his current mythical status. In a society as heavily conditioned as ours, Bernie might as well be Che fuckin' Guevara. In other words, choosing the nation's best-known “revolutionary” as a target would equate to nothing less than the government declaring war on “dissidents” of all stripes.)

So, what would the American left wing do if Sanders were deported like, for example, Emma Goldman? What if he was denied a fair trial and imprisoned like, say, Mumia Abu-Jamal? What if he was publicly executed even in the face of massive protests, e.g. Sacco and Vanzetti, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Tookie Williams, or Ken Saro Wiwa? How about a straight-out hit job along the lines of Fred Hampton?

Pick your poison; it doesn't matter how he's silenced. The question remains: What if the U.S. government (or one of its proxies) transparently eliminated Bernie Sanders for his recent political rhetoric? Would we see anything more than a flood of tweets, memes, hashtags, articles, blog posts, t-shirts, celebrity photo ops, and symbolic profile photo switches? Would the reaction go beyond asking the state for permission to “shut shit down” and agreeing beforehand how many of those protestors will consent to be arrested? Would we dare risk more than holding handwritten signs in Zuccotti Park or crowdfunding yet another “peoples’” newspaper?

If not, emboldened by the ease with which Bernie’s eradication was achieved, the government might then toss a few more high profile “dissidents” into prison for treason. More protests, more outrage, more symbolic arrests, more hashtags. Undaunted, Corporate America pulls its advertising dollars from “liberal” TV shows and forces all of them off the air. In response, 500 new trending hashtags emerge and the "Free Comedy Central" website registers nearly three million hits a day until it’s mysteriously hacked and removed. Hell, considering how little they have to fear, why wouldn’t the 1% next go all out and straight-up invade Cuba to get their hands on Assata?

Marveling at the sheer lack of resistance, the powers-that-be move on to declare Black Lives Matter to be a domestic terror threat and the color-coded alerts would go haywire as they initiate mass arrests of alleged terrorists, culminating in the bombing of several suspected safe houses, leaving dozens dead. (Not possible, you say? Ask the folks at MOVE.)

We know the general public would say the same thing they say every time a new "security precaution" is instituted: "If it makes us safer, I'm all for it." But… how do you think lefty activists (sic) and thinkers (sic) would react? Could/would they do anything to stop this long-predicted onslaught?

This is not a facetious question, an accusation, or an ill-advised attempt at satire. I'm genuinely curious: What do you think purported radicals, progressives, liberals, anarchists, socialists, communists, revolutionaries, and all such fellow travelers would do if the U.S. government (or one of its proxies) -- with the full support of the corporate media -- silenced Bernie Sanders for his recent political rhetoric?

Mickey Z. can be found here.

What If 'They' Silenced Bernie Sanders? by Mickey Z. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://worldnewstrust.com/what-if-they-silenced-bernie-sanders-mickey-z.

Obama Bows to Mass Murdering Tyrants by Anthony Freda

The Saudis are taking a much needed break from beheading dissidents, homosexuals and adulterers to

greet Obama this week.

“The American people send their greetings, and we are very grateful for your hospitality,”

Said Obama to his criminal hosts.

Obama will no doubt reassure the tyrannical regime that he will continue to arm them with the weapons they need to perpetuate mass slaughter in the region.

Arms sales in general — and specifically to Saudi Arabia — have been a consistent element of Obama’s tenure.

“Many Americans would be surprised to learn that his administration has brokered more arms deals than any administration of the past 70 years, Republican or Democratic,” said William Hartung, a senior adviser to Secure Assistance Monitor, a progressive group that tracks arms sales.

My Last Thoughts On The 2016 Election (as if it actually matters) | Mickey Z.

MSM spotlights Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. By DonkeyHotey Flickr/(CC BY-SA 2.0). Nightly News Coverage in 2015: Trump 234 mins, Clinton, 113 mins, Sanders 10 mins - Sag / Daily Kos. This caricature of Donald Trump was adapted from Creative Commons licensed images from Gage Skidmore's flickr photostream. This caricature of Hillary Clinton was adapted from a photo in the public domain from the East Asia and Pacific Media's Flickr photostream. The body was adapted from a photo in the public domain from the U.S. Department of State's Flickr photostream. This caricature of Bernie Sanders was adapted from a Creative Commons licensed photo by Nick Solari available via Wikimedia.

Mickey Z. -- World News Trust

“I am documenting our collective self-annihilation. I am not writing to change your mind.” (Cory Morningstar)

I’d like to preface this article with a little story about Sept. 11. Not September 11, 2001. I mean Sept. 11, 1973. 

On that date, the U.S. government (with corporate assistance) funded and sponsored a military coup in the South American nation of Chile. The democratically elected president, Salvador Allende, was overthrown and they claimed he committed suicide… with a machine gun. In his place, the Land of the Free™ propped up a dictator, General Augusto Pinochet. Not surprisingly, under Pinochet, human rights violations in Chile skyrocketed. Surprisingly, someone within the Home of the Brave™ power structure talked about it.

David Popper, U.S. ambassador to Chile at the time, asked the U.S. State Department about the atrocities. The Secretary of State in the mid-70s was none other than Henry Kissinger. His response was short and sweet: “Tell Popper to cut out the political science lectures.”

Now, I may not have anything approaching a college degree, but I have taken one political science class in my life. I get it. So, in a rare case of synchronicity with the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Dr. Kissinger, I promise there will be no political science lectures herein. 

In fact, I’m finally done with that “political” nonsense forever. So here goes. My last thoughts on Election 2016 (as if my thoughts ever mattered in the first place).

The Donald

For the past two decades, my presidential election-related writing could be summed up in one of my favorite phrases: The primary difference between Democrats and Republicans is that they tell different lies to get elected. 

I had that line polished and ready to shine again… but along came Donald Trump. This time around, there finally is a greater evil component, but my radical “friends” are far too programmed and/or sexist to recognize it.

The media-fueled rise of Trumpism has re-emboldened misogynists, racists, and white supremacists all across God’s Country™. To view this phenomenon as some form of low brow entertainment spectacle is to expose one’s lack of historical context. For some Americans to flippantly talk of moving to Canada is a betrayal to all those without the resources to leave or fight back or earn justice. 

To trot out the classic “it can’t happen here” is to ignore that it’s already happened here many times and, in some cases, never stopped happening.

(I say “Trumpism” because this mindset transcends any one man or one party. However, Trump is precisely the kind of charismatic demagogue who can effectively mainstream and normalize such an agenda.)

Saint Bernard

Obviously, I appreciate any electoral effort with the goal of blocking Trump and Trumpism. If that means some of you will vote for Bernie Sanders, hey... someone's gotta be president for the next four years!

However, the way the "left" has gone from "strategic voting" to straight-up hive mind worship is even worse than the Obamatrons of 2008. It's as if all other forms of dissent are suspended so every ounce of energy can be focused on genuflecting before another establishment politician.

#FeelTheBern is swooned over for his accent and sexualized in fake Tinder accounts. He's believed to have the power to conjure wildlife to his podiums. His love of drones and military interventions is somehow an acceptable part of a "revolution." He's even emancipated his flock from any accountability for their open misogyny. Bernie Sanders is literally (and often) compared with Jesus! (socialist Jew, blah-blah-blah)

Just when you think the Left (sic) couldn't sink any lower, they’ve flocked to yet another savior who brings them the added “benefit” of being not-Hillary. 

I remember well the last time my radical “friends” flocked to a savior who wasn’t Hillary Clinton. I call it The Year of Hope & Change™. Even the most cursory view of the past eight years provokes the snarky question: How’s that working out for you? 

To borrow from Steve McQueen in The Magnificent Seven: “It's like that fella back home who fell off a ten-story building. As he was falling, people on each floor kept hearing him say, ‘So far, so good.’”

With friends like this… 

The activist (sic) scene loved me when I used my writing skills to relentlessly promote their causes (with virtually no financial compensation). They packed venues when I’d passionately and eloquently stand up and give voice to their dreams (for even less remuneration).

It took me long enough but I finally can see how ideological friendships are doomed by definition, especially for someone like me who never stops questioning, evolving, and changing. I very much relate to these thoughts from Alicen Grey: 

• Belief-based friendships are volatile. Unless you have other things in common with a person, or they’re mature enough to engage in critical discourse, they’ll probably turn on you as soon as you start challenging the shared worldview. After all, it is the foundation of your relationship. And a shaky foundation crumbles the entire house.
• Belief-based friendships are echo-chambers. They don’t allow challenges or growth or evolution. There tends to be an unspoken pressure to keep your questions to yourself, which leads to suppression and denial of the self.
• Even if your friends are tolerant/accepting when you change to a different worldview, it might still feel uncomfortable to bring up the topic.

Considering how quickly and comfortably many of my “friends” switched gears from solidarity and even adulation to hurling slander and threats of physical violence, why would I ever again want to associate with any activist (sic) hive mind -- especially when they’re all dripping in overt misogyny? (Answer: I don’t.)

As for the election blah-blah-blah, I’m done. Obviously, my opinion means less than nothing and has only bred contempt, so there’s no rational reason to continue speaking about this topic. Instead I’ll use my closing thoughts to issue a warning: Ignore Trump and Trumpism at your own peril.

Mickey Z. can be found here.

• Created

  Monday, 18 April 2016
• Last modified

  Monday, 18 April 2016

 

 

Hell no, we won't pay! (SOAPBOX PODCAST 4/17/16)

Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox

April 17, 2016

GUESTS:  Members of National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC.org)

TOPIC: War Tax Resistance

Today, on The Soapbox, we replay a show about how and why some people refuse to pay income taxes to pay for Empire.

National War Tax Resisters Press Release and Tax Day Actions

War Tax Refuser Cindy Sheehan with two others in Austin Texas

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: April 11, 2016 Contact: Ruth Benn, Coordinator National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee 800-269-7464 (718-768-3420) or nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org Tax Day Actions Include Protests and Refusal to Pay Individuals Divest From the Pentagon and Invest in People From traditional Tax Day, April 15, 2016, through the final day to file in Maine and Massachusetts on April 19, hundreds of people in communities across the United States will take public action to call for a change federal budget priorities away from military spending and to human and environmental needs. Individually and in groups, many of these concerned activists will divest from the Pentagon by refusing to pay some or all of their federal income taxes, which help to pay for war. Anne Barron, an urban farmer in San Diego, California, says, “San Diego is a very militarized city, with a number of large war contractors and military bases, but I have found people here are very responsive to the idea of peacemaking instead of bombs.” At a press conference in San Diego on Friday, April 15, Ms. Barron will announce her redirection of taxes to human rights groups in conjunction with an announcement of grants from a group of individuals who pool their resisted federal tax dollars into the Southern California War Tax Alternative Fund. Similar announcements of tax redirection take place in Eugene, Oregon, New York City, and Asheville, North Carolina. Other groups and individuals will hold public rallies, vigils, and leafleting at post offices, IRS offices, federal buildings, and town squares to bring attention to the harmful effects of military spending. A list of Tax Day events in the U.S., with links to similar actions around the world, can be found at http://nwtrcc.org/programs-events/tax-day/action-calendar-2016. Refusing to pay taxes for war is an act of civil disobedience with a long tradition in the U.S. The most famous instance was Henry David Thoreau’s refusal to pay the $1.50 poll tax levied to help fund the Mexican War, which earned him an equally famous night in jail. Some people resist by living below a taxable income or by no paying a small part of the income taxes they owe. Others refuse to any of their income taxes to the federal government despite the risk of IRS sanctions. “I am psychologically unable to write a check to maim and kill,” says Kathy Labriola, a counselor and nurse who lives in the Bay Area of California. Public protests will take place at the Raytheon Missile Systems plant near Tucson, Arizona; at the post office in downtown Colorado Springs; at Federal Plaza in Chicago; at post offices across Maine; at the Army Reserve base in Milwaukee; and at the headquarters of the IRS in Washington, DC, among other locations. The full list with dates and times is at http://nwtrcc.org/programs-events/tax-day/action-calendar-2016. The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) is a coalition of local, regional and national groups providing information and support to people who are conscientious objectors to paying taxes for war. In 2016 actions are promoted under the slogan “divest from the Pentagon, invest in people.” NWTRCC has coordinated tax day actions since 1982 and has partnered with the Global Days of Action on Military Spending since 2011. War tax resisters are available for interviews. Please contact NWTRCC, 1-800-269-7464, nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org, for contacts in your area. - 30 – Additional resources: Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes, War Resisters League pie chart, https://www.warresisters.org/resources/wrl-pie-chart-flyers-where-your-income-tax-money-really-goes Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/milex Global Day of Action on Military Spending, http://demilitarize.org/ ---------------------------------- Ruth Benn, Coordinator National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee PO Box 150553 Brooklyn, NY 11215 718-768-3420 or 800-269-7464 http://nwtrcc.org Twitter ~ Facebook Group ~ Facebook Page ~ Pinterest ~ YouTube ~ Vimeo Click here to Reply or Forward 7.17 GB (47%) of 15 GB used Manage Terms - Privacy Last account activity: 29 minutes ago Details

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Who, What, When, Where, and Why? War Crime Report by Cindy Sheehan

Who, What, When, Where, and Why
War Crime Report

Cindy Sheehan


Who: The US War Machine: the diabolical Bush Regime at the controls

What: Imperial war for profit based on manufactured evidence and nationalist propaganda.

When: (This incarnation) March 2003 to present.

Where: Iraq

Why: Because the US War Machine needs perpetual war for perpetual profit and to subjugate the people of the world and suck the life out of those in the US.

Every good crime report or newspaper article needs to answer these five questions and this is a war crime report.

Twelve years ago at the writing of this piece, my son Casey, a soldier in the Imperial Army was killed in Iraq. April 4th, 2004 was a terrible day for my family, but our tears were like a drop in the ocean compared to what millions in Iraq have suffered, really for several decades, under the gunsights of US war profiteers.

The US war against the people of Iraq was a major conspiracy to commit mass murder. There have been many exposés of the lies and mass-marketing propaganda which led to the 2003 Shock and Awe invasion. Once the initial felony was committed, many other war crimes were piled on. Since preemptive wars of aggression are an international crime, all subsequent actions fall into that category also. However, ironically, like all US wars before and after, the only criminals held accountable are those at the bottom of the blood drenched food chain.

I fear, being in the midst of another US electoral quagmire of propaganda and distraction, that the fact that active violence is still happening in Iraq (and so many other places) is being ignored or forgotten. The stain of the Bush Regime is fading into the Memory Hole and Bill Clinton is still struttin’ his war jackal self around in support of his wife’s criminal aspirations. Few blink an eye at this injustice, while some of us still blink at it through our tears.

Not one of the candidates of either wing of the War Party are saying that the people of Iraq deserve justice and reparations (of course, they aren’t—most are complicit in the crimes). In fact, when Obama was vying to be the Big Boss of the US Crime Mob, he said that justice for all the crimes of the previous murder regime would not be prosecuted because we had to “look forward.” Remember that? I wonder how many more USAians have gone to prison in the last seven years not knowing that he Boss said that we were now “looking forward?” I just know not one of those people who have been incarcerated were members of the Bush Crime Mob. When will a sitting Crime Boss ever seek accountability from his predecessor when he/she will be looking for the same professional courtesy from future Bosses?

I miss Casey so much, especially around holidays, his birthday and the beginning of April which brings allergy season and emotional agony to me. This heartbreak is compounded by the fact that I know that each and every day more mothers and families will unnecessarily feel the same unending anguish.

I recently gave an interview to RT Arabic (LINK in Arabic) and I was asked if I would join the mothers of Iraq in seeking justice. The short answer is “Hell, yes!” I have received a few emails since then of people from Iraq who are suffering such unspeakable loss as we search for that elusive accountability moment for the deaths of our children and other loved ones.

If you have any ideas, or connections, please email me at:
CindySheehansSoapbox@gmail.com

The Devil's Chessboard (Part One and Two) (SOAPBOX PODCAST 4/10/16)

APRIL 10, 2016

PART ONE

PART TWO

 



GUEST: David Talbot

TOPIC: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government

 CLICK TO ORDER, OR FOR MORE INFORMATION

FROM AMAZON:

An explosive, headline-making portrait of Allen Dulles, the man who transformed the CIA into the most powerful—and secretive—colossus in Washington, from the founder of Salon.com and author of the New York Times bestseller Brothers.

America’s greatest untold story: the United States’ rise to world dominance under the guile of Allen Welsh Dulles, the longest-serving director of the CIA. Drawing on revelatory new materials—including newly discovered U.S. government documents, U.S. and European intelligence sources, the personal correspondence and journals of Allen Dulles’s wife and mistress, and exclusive interviews with the children of prominent CIA officials—Talbot reveals the underside of one of America’s most powerful and influential figures.

Dulles’s decade as the director of the CIA—which he used to further his public and private agendas—were dark times in American politics. Calling himself “the secretary of state of unfriendly countries,” Dulles saw himself as above the elected law, manipulating and subverting American presidents in the pursuit of his personal interests and those of the wealthy elite he counted as his friends and clients—colluding with Nazi-controlled cartels, German war criminals, and Mafiosi in the process. Targeting foreign leaders for assassination and overthrowing nationalist governments not in line with his political aims, Dulles employed those same tactics to further his goals at home, Talbot charges, offering shocking new evidence in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

An exposé of American power that is as disturbing as it is timely, The Devil’s Chessboard is a provocative and gripping story of the rise of the national security state—and the battle for America’s soul.

  

Does anyone really need another 'political' article? | Mickey Z.

Mickey Z. -- World News Trust

April 9, 20116

“I am documenting our collective self-annihilation. I am not writing to change your mind.” (Cory Morningstar)

I deeply relate to my friend Cory’s quote above -- but to take things further: I often wonder why any of us even bothers with the documenting. This line of thought reminded me of an e-mail I received in 2006 from a man who’d been following my work for quite some time.

“Reading your writing makes me think that expressing your opinions is what helps,” he began, “but I now wonder if it actually does any good.” He states his belief that, yes, the pen is mightier than the sword, but quickly conceded that the pen “takes a lot longer to be effective.”

His e-mail wrapped up: “In a world full of inequalities, I see your writing as an attempt to combat this situation but I wonder what provides the motivation in the face of such daunting odds. I might have it all wrong and that is not what motivates you at all in which case I'd be interested in what does.”

To be blunt, part of what motivates me to document these days is that I very much need the money I’m paid to write such articles. This is not to say I take this work lightly (never do and never will) but it is to say that, given the chance, I might stop writing “political” articles for a while.

Such a break might enable me to gain a valuable new perspective on the issues I write about but in a more immediate sense, it’d also provide me with a much-needed reprieve from the childish name-calling, passive-aggressive stalking, vile slander, and promises of violence (including death threats) I endure due to my endless questioning and evolution. (FYI: Such responses rarely come from outside radical (sic) or activist (sic) circles but rather, almost always from those whom I once called comrade or even friend.)

Trust me, if I could somehow delude myself that my work ever truly mattered and made even a tiny bit of difference, I might at least perceive all the abuse as “worth it.” But if all I’m doing is “documenting our collective self-annihilation” to an ever-dwindling and progressively less receptive (even hostile) audience, well… you know the rest.

So here we are:

The stakes have never been higher.

Accordingly, the distractions have never been louder.

Does anyone really need another “political” article?

Mickey Z. can be found here. 

Does anyone really need another “political” article? by Mickey Z. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Hillary: ISIS Recruiter in Chief by Anthony Freda

Hillary promoted the lies that provided the pretexts to the Iraq War and she made impassioned speeches imploring her fellow Democrats (who controlled the Senate at the time) to vote for the war.

https://www.facebook.com/747419318721729/videos/761269684003359/?__mref=message_bubble

The chaos and mass death of Muslims caused by her war no doubt lead to the destabilization and anti-Americanism required to empower Isis.

Does anyone believe her pathetic excuse to white-wash her war crimes by saying she fell for the cartoonish Neocon propaganda sold to the general public by a corrupt media?

Let's say it's true that she "got it wrong". The fact that she was so easily deceived by the warmongers should disqualify her from high office.

By spearheading the US/Nato lead overthrow of Libya, she oversaw the arming, training and funding of terror groups aligned with Al Qeda and Isis.

By murdering countless innocent Muslims with drone bombings in seven countries, she helped create new generations of terror and the most extreme expressions of Islamic fanaticism.

(According to Peace Prize winner Malala)

There is no one running for president with more innocent Muslim blood on her hands than our loving matriarch.

And Isis knows it.

War Pig by Anthony Freda

One of the chicken hawks who lied to the world about why the Iraq War was launched, Dick Cheney, has no regrets about the debacle and says invading Iraq was "absolutely the right thing to do."

In polls, 88% of Americans disagree with him.

A Million dead, and the only weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq were bombs like the ones dropped on apartment buildings in Baghdad during the U.S. "Shock and Awe" campaign of death and destruction.

The region has been so destabilized that terror groups now control large areas, many armed with U.S. provided training, weapons and funding, and the war continues. Mission-not-accomplished.

Anti-American sentiment is more prevalent than it was before the invasion and we are still waiting for the candy and flowers Dick promised us the Iraqi people would shower upon us for bombing them.

Of course, Dick is now free to boast about his failures and crimes against humanity, 

confident the complacency of the American people and the corruption of the establishment will keep him from ever receiving justice.

Groups armed by the CIA ... (post by Anthony Freda)

are fighting groups armed by the Pentagon.

Syrian militias armed by different parts of the U.S. war machine have begun to fight each other on the plains between the besieged city of Aleppo and the Turkish border, highlighting how little control U.S. intelligence officers and military planners have over the groups they have financed and trained in the bitter five-year-old [US-created] civil war. The fighting has intensified over the last two months, as CIA-armed units and 

 

Pentagon-armed ones have repeatedly shot at each other while maneuvering through contested territory on the northern outskirts of Aleppo, U.S. officials and rebel leaders have confirmed. In mid-February, a CIA-armed militia called Fursan al Haq, or Knights of Righteousness, was run out of the town of Marea, about 20 miles north of Aleppo, by Pentagon-backed Syrian Democratic Forces moving in from Kurdish-controlled areas to the east.

Make sure you pay your taxes!!

Saving Hillary’s Life | Mickey Z.

Hillary Clinton. Photo by Joe Crimmings. Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Mickey Z. -- World News Trust

April 5, 2016

There's a disturbing dynamic that occurs on every Manhattan street corner, every minute of every day. Watch the typical New York City pedestrian as they reach the curb at a red light and you get a pretty good idea what it's like to deal with an overcrowded, rancorous metropolitan area on a daily basis: No one waits on the sidewalk. 

Even if a thousand cars are racing by, practically every single New Yorker insists on stepping a few feet out into the street while waiting for the light to change. They'll even go as far as squeezing themselves past other impatient street-crossers just to get to the front of the programmed pack. 

We’re so hyped up, so overstressed, so conditioned to do everything at warp speed that we can't even endure waiting 30 seconds for a damn traffic light. We'll risk death by stepping off the curb in order to get a head start on our “competition” when the light turns green. 

With this in mind, I’d like to re-visit an old thought experiment of mine (and please spare me the “this could never happen” retorts): Let's say I'm on such a corner as a pedestrian pushes past me -- too harried to realize that she’s stepping directly into the path of an onrushing SUV. I reach out, grab hold of her jacket, and yank her back to safety… only to realize it was none other than Democratic frontrunner for the White House, Hillary Rodham Clinton. 

I wonder: How might that make me feel? 

Initially, I'd likely be relieved and gratified to have saved a fellow earthling’s life -- even if that earthling is responsible, in part, for innumerable deaths (with perhaps, many more on the way). Given a few minutes to digest the scenario, I might begin to feel conflicted. What if I would've known in advance it was Hillary whose life was in danger? Would I have risked bodily harm to save her? 

Hillary Clinton, in my estimation, has been an oppressive and violent force for decades: part of the much larger culture of phallocentric, relentless necrophilia. To save her life (or the life of any other major political/corporate player) is to doom countless others to more misery and death. 

If I didn't react swiftly to pull Hillary to safety, surely her passing would cause sadness. Friends and family would mourn. People close to her and her many supporters would understandably be devastated, heartbroken. However, HRC’s efforts over the years have spread global sorrow and mourning on a far greater scale. Has she, I wonder, ever considered the myriad family and friends whose lives have been shattered thanks to the political machine she’s served so well? 

It's not fantasy to assume that, across the planet, some folks may celebrate when a high-ranking member of the U.S. military-industrial complex passes on. 

Still, of course, we can’t forget: they’re almost all replaceable. There's always another commissar ready to step in and keep things running… with or without Hillary. Thus, even those most victimized by American imperialism and interventionism would theoretically not even notice the change. So, again: 

Q. If I knew in advance it was Hillary Clinton whose life was in danger on that NYC street corner, would I have risked potential bodily harm to save her? 

A. Yes, I would. 

Q. What would you do?

A. 

Mickey Z. can be found here. 

Saving Hillary’s Life by Mickey Z. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://worldnewstrust.com/saving-hillary-s-life-mickey-z.