Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox

Albert Einstein is the world-famous physicist. This article was originally published in the first issue of Monthly Review (May 1949). It was subsequently published in May 1998 to commemorate the first issue of MR ‘s fiftieth year. Is it advisable for one who is not an expert on economic and social issues to express views on the subject of socialism? I believe for a number of reasons that it is. Let us first consider the question from the point of view of scientific knowledge. It might appear that there are no essential methodological differences between astronomy and economics: scientists in both fields attempt to discover laws of general acceptability for a circumscribed group of phenomena in order to make the interconnection of these phenomena as clearly understandable as possible. But in reality such methodological differences do exist. The discovery of general laws in the field of economics is made difficult by the circumstance that observed economic phenomena a

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Frivolity Cindy Sheehan It’s been almost eight years since my son, Casey, was killed in Iraq on 04/04/04. The last time we saw him was when he came home for Christmas in 2003. As most people (with functioning hearts) can probably imagine, this time of year is hard for anyone who has buried a child no matter what the cause of death was. When Casey was first killed many well-meaning people told me that “time heals all.” I have discovered that the farther away I get from that horrible day, the less the physical pain of loss is, but the wound never heals, it is just like a chronic condition that one learns to live with. I have had some wonderful experiences in the last past seven years since we Occupied Crawford, Tx, but those experiences are tinged with the fog of loss. Even the profound joy of grandchildren is dampened by the absence of their uncle. The same things that make me happy about the babies also make me sad. Each one carries a piece of their uncle in them and I know he

Your Tax Dollars at Work Resistance   Click here to listen or download, beginning at 2:00 PM San Francisco time.    Today, (November 27th), Cindy brings us a virtual smörgåsbord of principled resisters to a globalized American military empire.  [ Note to self :   some people DO object - and effectively!]  First up are Ruth Benn and Ed Hedemann of the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC).  Ed is the author, and Ruth a co-editor of War Tax Resistance : A Guide to Withholding Your Support From the Military.  Next comes Cheryl LaBash , co-coordinator of the U.S. Cuba Labor Exchange (an association of individuals who act on their belief that the best way to learn about working people around the world is through meeting with them face to face).  Shockingly, they're somehow rather anti imperial propaganda oriented!  Plenty of informative and fascinating discussion follows.  Please check out THESE conversations! 

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Is This Purchase Really Necessary? Cindy Sheehan Even though, I abhor war and believe that, instead of jumping to the Empire’s foregone conclusion, that the solution to every man-made problem is war, at least up until the US’s War OF Terror, the nation, more or less, had a shared sacrifice. During World War II, we still hear about people with the last name of Bush, Kennedy, and Roosevelt, fighting—whether the tales of “heroism” were grossly exaggerated, or not. Even up to Vietnam, the draft was pervasive, even though people like Cheney got deferments and people like Bush got cushy assignments—which he apparently never had to report for. All the wars have a class-based sacrifice attached to them, but never so apparent as now. During the First and Second World Wars, those who weren’t serving in the armed forces, were asked to put the war effort first, before travel and other wasteful activities, but today, we are reminded to “shop.” I am seriously ashamed to be living in the s

ON THE ROAD TO CUBA DAY TWO (THIS WAS MY ONLY OTHER POST FROM CUBA--INTERNET CONNECTION NEARLY NON-EXISTENT) After overnighting in Cancun, I caught the 2:47 PM flight to Havana (which left an hour late—standard operating procedure). The flight was approximately 3/4ths filled and I would guestimate that about 1/3rd of those were from the U.S. As fate is want to have, my row mates were both from the U.S. I was in the window seat and the man on the aisle sat down after me and promptly emitted, into the close atmosphere, an enormous sneeze. At the time, I didn’t know the nationality or language of the man, so I tried, as politely as possible, to gesture that he should cover his mouth when he sneezes to avoid a germ spree, and that’s when I found out that he was a North American. His buddy soon sat himself down in the middle-seat and after we chatted for a few minutes, I asked him if I was going to catch some kind of plague from his comrade, and he assured me that it was “allergies o

In Cuba in 2007 Dear Reader, How are you doing? I am writing this from an airplane speeding towards Mexico City at about 37,000 feet. I am heading towards my favorite place in the entire world, Cuba. Few USAians get to visit Cuba since the US blockade began in 1959, and I feel so fortunate to be on my 3 rd trip down there. My way is being paid by an NGO in Cuba that I have worked with before. Cuba is a tropical island that is free of most of the grit, grime and pollution in the States, but also free of most of the crime in other tropical tourist destinations. I have rarely felt more safe than when I am in Cuba and one of my favorite things to do is sit out on a patio in the evening (after a day of meetings and such) sipping on a Mojito or other cold drink and feel the warm, sweet breeze blow over me. Just a few weeks ago, US President Obama was asked about the possibility of opening up talks with Cuba to help thaw the needless block of ice that has frozen dip

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW BEGINNING AT 2PM PACIFIC (OR ANYTIME IN THE ARCHIVES) Today, (November 13th), Cindy presents William (Bill) Thorpe, the surviving son of James Thorpe - and Robert Wheeler, his biographer.  Jim Thorpe was a Sac and Fox Indian who was sent to the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, where he led the football team to victories over some of the nation's best college teams.  From that point, his career was well launched.  In 1912 he participated in the Olympic Games in Stockholm, winning both the decathlon and pentathlon.  King Gustav V of Sweden dubbed him "the world's greatest athlete."  Ironically, Thorpe's Medals and record were stripped by the IOC after they decided he had played baseball during 1909 and 1910 to earn money as a college student.  Afterwards he became a professional athlete - eventually becoming the first President of the National Football League, upon its foundation in 1920.  He died and was bur

CINDY WITH ATTY JOSH KAIZUKA IN COURT On November 3rd, I was arraigned in Sacramento for my arrest at Occupy Sacramento on October 15th. The City of Sacramento refuses to allow Occupy Sacto to remain in Caesar Chávez Park after 11pm, so some of the activists commit civil disobedience on some nights to challenge the law. On the night of Saturday, October 15th, 19 of us decided to stay in the park and we were arrested for, "Refusing to leave the scene of a riot," (it was the most boring and peaceful "riot" I had ever been to) and "Violation curfew." Excuse me? I am 54 years old and don't have a curfew. Anyway--several dozen of us were arraigned on November 3rd and our trials are set for December 13th. I have read that each trial will cost the city about $10,000 per defendant and so far, there are about 80 of us who refused to take the plea agreement (which I am not even sure what it was because we are in for the whole enchilada--we aren't

From OWS to RRC Cindy Sheehan Recent events at Occupy movements, particularly in Oakland, Denver, Atlanta, Portland and Chicago, where hundreds were arrested and some seriously injured—it’s becoming clear that when we in the Robbed Class allow ourselves to be contained in a small, easily attacked geographic location, we open ourselves up for Imperial Abuse and more Police Brutality. As a non-violent movement, we the people do not have the tools or the will to be involved in a war against the Police State. We will lose, especially if we are inclined to confine ourselves to easily surrounded city parks. Remember the tales we were told in grammar school about our great revolutionary leaders who became almost like guerrilla warriors during the war for independence? How they learned how to break the easily attacked ranks and fight like the “Indians?” Can you imagine the people in the countries occupied by the US gathering in local parks and telling US troops thus making it easy to fi

William's Wisdom   Click  here  to listen or download, beginning at 2:00 PM San Francisco time.   Today, (November 6th), Cindy welcomes  William Blum , who is an American author, historian, and critic of United States foreign policy.  He studied accounting in college.  Later he had a low-level computer-related position at the United States Department of State in the mid-1960s.  Initially an anti-communist with dreams of becoming a foreign service officer, he said he became disillusioned by the Vietnam War.  He now lives in Long Beach, New York.  A prolific critic of our militarized world-wide American Empire,  William  - with his impressive Publications list  here  for our edification, brings his perceptive intelligence and most sagacious commentary to us  here , on our Soapbox.   He and Cindy then proceed with the most  wonderful  discussion!

CS: Cindy Sheehan JF: Justin Frank CLICK THIS LINK TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW CS: Welcome back to Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox. I am your host Cindy Sheehan and you are listening at CindySheehansSoapbox.com.   Today my guest is a dear friend of mine, Dr. Justy Frank, or Justin Frank, who practices and teaches psychoanalysis in Washington, DC and is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the George Washington University Medical Center.    A clinician with more than thirty year's experience, Dr. Frank has been a former columnist for Salon.com, DailyBeast.com, and continues to be a frequent contributor to HuffingtonPost.com on topics as diverse as politics, film, and theater.   He employs the principles of applied psychoanalysis to assemble the kind of psychological profile used in his previous best-selling book Bush on the Couch (Regan Books 2004, 5, 7) in his new book Obama on the Couch: Inside the mind of the President, released October 18, 2011 by FreePress/Simon&Schuster he d