Since all guns are pointed at Iran, it might be enlightening to learn something about that country before it could be reduced to rubble. Pardon the cynicism. . A new film "A Separation" is now playing at the Baywalk theaters. It has excellent reviews. There is also a film on Netflix about the history of Iranian film making which parallels their political history. Very creative people here, amazingly open about life there.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Drones are for "Wimpy Boys"
4 DAYS UNTIL MEDEA BENJAMIN COMES TO ST. PETE!
They’re Not Called ‘Predators’ and ‘Reapers for Nothing
Throughout the last decade, drones have been increasingly used by the U.S. government in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia and have become the signature weapon of the Obama administration. While drones have historically been used for surveillance, drone makers and developers are finding unique ways to turn these unmanned aerial vehicles into ‘Predators’ and ‘Reapers’ of death, responsible for killing as many as thousands, including innocent civilians and children.
Maybe what’s more appalling than America’s love affair with drones is their predominant use in countries with who we are not at war, and the eliminated risk to the lives of U.S. soldiers who perpetuate violence through operating these machines.
Military personnel firing at targets (people) on a computer screen from the comfort of an air-conditioned room in Nevada is not war; it’s murder. What’s more heinous is the propagated belief that American lives are not worth risking, even when indiscriminately killing others.
Learn more about the normalization and use of drones with Medea Benjamin, as she discusses her book"Drone Warfare: Killing By Remote Control".
Medea's talk will take place at The Studio@620, 620 1st Ave, S, St. Petersburg this Wednesday, August 22 at 7:00pm. The evening, sponsored by St. Pete for Peace, will include live music with Jun Bustamante, a raffle and more. Tickets are 7$ in advance, and $10 at the door (no one will be turned away for lack of funds).
Also, join Medea, Vets for Peace, Food Not Bombs, St. Pete for Peace and others the next day for a protest at Raytheon, maker of drones, drone bombs and drone software. WHY PROTEST ATRAYTHEON ?
We will have signs, banners, chants and water, so you just need to bring your energy!
After the protest, we'll all get together for pizza ($2 slices!) and a movie (The Girl in the Cafe) at The L Train, 900 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg! More Information Here.For more information on all these exciting events, visit http://stpeteforpeace.org.
Peace
Throughout the last decade, drones have been increasingly used by the U.S. government in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia and have become the signature weapon of the Obama administration. While drones have historically been used for surveillance, drone makers and developers are finding unique ways to turn these unmanned aerial vehicles into ‘Predators’ and ‘Reapers’ of death, responsible for killing as many as thousands, including innocent civilians and children.
Maybe what’s more appalling than America’s love affair with drones is their predominant use in countries with who we are not at war, and the eliminated risk to the lives of U.S. soldiers who perpetuate violence through operating these machines.
Military personnel firing at targets (people) on a computer screen from the comfort of an air-conditioned room in Nevada is not war; it’s murder. What’s more heinous is the propagated belief that American lives are not worth risking, even when indiscriminately killing others.
Learn more about the normalization and use of drones with Medea Benjamin, as she discusses her book"Drone Warfare: Killing By Remote Control".
Medea's talk will take place at The Studio@620, 620 1st Ave, S, St. Petersburg this Wednesday, August 22 at 7:00pm. The evening, sponsored by St. Pete for Peace, will include live music with Jun Bustamante, a raffle and more. Tickets are 7$ in advance, and $10 at the door (no one will be turned away for lack of funds).
Also, join Medea, Vets for Peace, Food Not Bombs, St. Pete for Peace and others the next day for a protest at Raytheon, maker of drones, drone bombs and drone software. WHY PROTEST ATRAYTHEON ?
We will have signs, banners, chants and water, so you just need to bring your energy!
After the protest, we'll all get together for pizza ($2 slices!) and a movie (The Girl in the Cafe) at The L Train, 900 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg! More Information Here.For more information on all these exciting events, visit http://stpeteforpeace.org.
Peace
Friday, August 17, 2012
Suicide Rates Soar
Soaring Army Suicide Rates Hit Another New Record in July
Military Blames It On Troops 'Spending More Time at Home'
by Jason Ditz, August 16, 2012
There are plenty of metrics in the assorted US wars that just seem to get worse and worse, but none is more glaring than this: in July, the US Army lost 38 people to suicides, the highest number for a single month in history.
Grim figures about increasing suicide rates have been coming for years, and each time the military has sought a new excuse, recently trying to blame the problem on “drug abuse” and insisting the wars have very little to do with it.
Today’s figures came with another new excuse, and one perhaps even more galling than the efforts to make it nothing about the war. Army analyst Bruce Shahbaz suggested the troops are killing themselves because they’re not being sent to war as much anymore.
“With the draw-down of troops from combat, soldiers are spending more time at home and the emotional adjustments have become a struggle,” the argument goes. Interestingly the figures are dramatically higher than pre-2001, when the bulk of the military was spending virtually all of its time at home.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Speak up!
This week Congress will debate and vote on a bill -- the so-called "Defense Appropriations Act" -- that will make us less safe by dumping over $600 billion into preparations for war. Combined with military spending in other departments, this is 57% of all federal discretionary spending.
Let Congress know we oppose this bloated spending.
Included in the bill is $88 billion for continued war right now in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pretending those wars are over doesn't stop the flow of funds -- which are needed for such domestic human needs as education, healthcare, and clean energy.
Tell Congress to make its priorities match ours, not Lockheed Martin's.
Moving our representatives toward decent spending priorities is a long-term project. But should they pass this bill, we can at least force them to begin some military cuts. We can insist that they keep the bipartisan ban on military sponsorships of NASCAR and other sporting events -- and vote for amendments being proposed by Rep. Barbara Lee to:
Let Congress know we oppose this bloated spending.
Included in the bill is $88 billion for continued war right now in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pretending those wars are over doesn't stop the flow of funds -- which are needed for such domestic human needs as education, healthcare, and clean energy.
Tell Congress to make its priorities match ours, not Lockheed Martin's.
Moving our representatives toward decent spending priorities is a long-term project. But should they pass this bill, we can at least force them to begin some military cuts. We can insist that they keep the bipartisan ban on military sponsorships of NASCAR and other sporting events -- and vote for amendments being proposed by Rep. Barbara Lee to:
- cut military spending on Afghanistan except to fund withdrawal;
- cut military spending to that of the next 14 nations combined (from our current level which equals that of all nations combined);
- cut military spending to 2008 level, unless the Pentagon produces auditable books;
- cut military spending to comply with last year's Budget Control Act.
Tell your Representative to support these amendments, and that you'll be watching.
You’ll remember that Barbara Lee was the only member of Congress who voted against the Sept 14, 2001, blank check to George Bush for endless military adventure known as the “2001 Authorization to Use Military Force.”
Please forward to everyone you know this recent comment from Rep. John Lewis, the legendary civil rights activist:
"War is obsolete. It cannot be used as a tool of our foreign policy. It's barbaric. ... If I had to do it all over again, I would have voted with Barbara Lee. It was raw courage on her part. So, because of that, I don’t vote for funding for war. I vote against preparation for the military. I will never again go down that road."
P.P.S. RootsAction is an independent online force endorsed by Jim Hightower, Barbara Ehrenreich, Cornel West, Daniel Ellsberg, Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Klein, Bill Fletcher Jr., Laura Flanders, former U.S. Senator James Abourezk, Coleen Rowley, and many others.
Background:
Democracy Now: Rep. John Lewis, Civil Rights Icon
Linda Bilmes (Boston Globe): Afghanistan Is Missing From the Campaign
Democracy Now: Rep. John Lewis, Civil Rights Icon
Linda Bilmes (Boston Globe): Afghanistan Is Missing From the Campaign
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