Global
It's an honor to be speaking with these panelists and it's great to be back in New York. But I want to ask you one thing about New York, because there's something I heard Senator Hillary Clinton say and I want to know if it's true. Is it true that if you live in New York you have to support this war? Can you live in New York and work for peace?
That's what I thought.
I got up at 2 a.m. this morning in Charlottesville, Va., my town and the town of Thomas Jefferson, the man whose greatest fear for our republic was of elected despotism. Jefferson and Madison and Mason and the others who drafted the most influential Constitution the world has seen, created a system of elections, but devoted much more attention and many more words to creating a system for maintaining our democracy in between elections. They gave this essential power to the House of Representatives, as the branch most subject to popular control, and they called this power impeachment.
That's what I thought.
I got up at 2 a.m. this morning in Charlottesville, Va., my town and the town of Thomas Jefferson, the man whose greatest fear for our republic was of elected despotism. Jefferson and Madison and Mason and the others who drafted the most influential Constitution the world has seen, created a system of elections, but devoted much more attention and many more words to creating a system for maintaining our democracy in between elections. They gave this essential power to the House of Representatives, as the branch most subject to popular control, and they called this power impeachment.
Charles Mercieca, Ph.D.
President, International Association of Educators for World Peace
Dedicated to United Nations Goals of Peace Education,
Environmental Protection, Human Rights & Disarmament
Professor Emeritus, Alabama A&M University
The Romans had a proverb which said: Si vis pacem para pacem, si vis bellum para bellum – If you want peace prepare for peace, if you want war prepare for war. US President Richard Nixon, followed by few other presidents afterwards, reversed this Roman dictum by saying: Si vis pacem, para bellum – If you want peace prepare for war, which has proven to be fully fallacious throughout the 6,000 years of recorded history. Developing strategies for peace is easier said than done.
Four Aspects of Human Behavior
President, International Association of Educators for World Peace
Dedicated to United Nations Goals of Peace Education,
Environmental Protection, Human Rights & Disarmament
Professor Emeritus, Alabama A&M University
The Romans had a proverb which said: Si vis pacem para pacem, si vis bellum para bellum – If you want peace prepare for peace, if you want war prepare for war. US President Richard Nixon, followed by few other presidents afterwards, reversed this Roman dictum by saying: Si vis pacem, para bellum – If you want peace prepare for war, which has proven to be fully fallacious throughout the 6,000 years of recorded history. Developing strategies for peace is easier said than done.
Four Aspects of Human Behavior
Dr. James H. Fetzer, Ph.D. spoke before an audience of about 80 at the main auditorium of the Columbus Metropolitan Library downtown on the afternoon of Saturday February 17, 2007. His presentation was directed at “exposing falsehoods and revealing truths” about the events of September 11, 2001 (911). Fetzer, a professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota in Deluth has a long list of credentials and professional accomplishments. These include the authorship of numerous academic publications in his field of expertise the Philosophy of Science.
Fetzer is more recently renowned as a writer of popular works on assassination and conspiracy. He has authored two books on the assassination of JFK, The Zapruder Hoax, and Murder in Dealey Plaza, and co-authored one book on the purported assassination of the popular senator from Minnesota, Paul Wellstone, American Assassination: The Strange Death Of Senator Paul Wellstone. His book on 911, The 9/11 Conspiracy is scheduled for release at the end of March.
Fetzer is more recently renowned as a writer of popular works on assassination and conspiracy. He has authored two books on the assassination of JFK, The Zapruder Hoax, and Murder in Dealey Plaza, and co-authored one book on the purported assassination of the popular senator from Minnesota, Paul Wellstone, American Assassination: The Strange Death Of Senator Paul Wellstone. His book on 911, The 9/11 Conspiracy is scheduled for release at the end of March.
The old cliche, 'if you've dug yourself into a hole, stop digging,' is pertinent when it comes to the war in Iraq. George Bush and his corporate sponsors who fashioned this war keep digging. Of course they are digging for oil so are unlikely to stop.
By now almost every citizen recognizes that Iraq was not an imminent threat to the United States even if it had had weapons of mass destruction. We toppled a brutal dictator, but of all the brutal dictators in the world why did we choose this one? We are certainly not rushing into Africa to depose their brutal dictators, stop the genocide, and thrust democracies upon their nations at the point of a gun. Although the war has created terrorists, they were not present in substantial numbers in Iraq at its onset. And now, George Bush threatens to widen the war to include Iran and Syria.
If we did not make this 'pre-emptive' strike against Iraq primarily over weapons of mass destruction, or to unseat Saddam, or to fight terrorists, or to create a democracy, why are we shedding American blood there?
It is about oil, 'black gold.'
By now almost every citizen recognizes that Iraq was not an imminent threat to the United States even if it had had weapons of mass destruction. We toppled a brutal dictator, but of all the brutal dictators in the world why did we choose this one? We are certainly not rushing into Africa to depose their brutal dictators, stop the genocide, and thrust democracies upon their nations at the point of a gun. Although the war has created terrorists, they were not present in substantial numbers in Iraq at its onset. And now, George Bush threatens to widen the war to include Iran and Syria.
If we did not make this 'pre-emptive' strike against Iraq primarily over weapons of mass destruction, or to unseat Saddam, or to fight terrorists, or to create a democracy, why are we shedding American blood there?
It is about oil, 'black gold.'
"I thought about what death is, what a loss is. A sharp pain that lessens with time, but can never quite heal over. A scar." - Maya Lin, speaking of her initial vision of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall
The most frequently visited and heart-tearing monument in Washington D.C. is nearing its 25th birthday, its place at the core of American life growing stronger with each passing year. This fact belies the early critics, who called it communist- (or Jane Fonda)-inspired, a black gash of shame, a public urinal, and howled in outrage that it was designed by . . . well, an Asian-American woman (but of course the term many people used was left over from the war, and much uglier).
More importantly, however, the Wall, which was meant to heal a national wound, not glorify a military adventure, signaled - as the critics instinctively understood - a new public attitude toward war, or perhaps more accurately, a public manifestation, at long last, of an ancient yearning for peace.
The most frequently visited and heart-tearing monument in Washington D.C. is nearing its 25th birthday, its place at the core of American life growing stronger with each passing year. This fact belies the early critics, who called it communist- (or Jane Fonda)-inspired, a black gash of shame, a public urinal, and howled in outrage that it was designed by . . . well, an Asian-American woman (but of course the term many people used was left over from the war, and much uglier).
More importantly, however, the Wall, which was meant to heal a national wound, not glorify a military adventure, signaled - as the critics instinctively understood - a new public attitude toward war, or perhaps more accurately, a public manifestation, at long last, of an ancient yearning for peace.
TOLEDO, OHIO Former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, was the guest of honor at Thursday’s Junior League event, Toledo After Hours, held downtown at the historic Valentine Theater. I had read about his upcoming visit in the Hispanic newspaper La Prensa and asked my editor for some cash to cover fuel expenses. He lured me to a deserted parking lot and tried to run me over with his PT Cruiser. Failing to kill me, he forked over $60 and sped away. My hillbilly logistics team, one V Mann, agreed to drive us to Toledo in his van but backed out of the trip at the last minute after getting his beard inextricably tangled in his banjo, so I was forced to borrow my roommate’s Escort Wagon to make the trek on my own.
Agency Accused of Refusing to Enforce Law
CORNUCOPIA, WI: In a letter today, The Cornucopia Institute informed the USDA of their intention to file a complaint in federal district court accusing the agency of ignoring the organic regulations, and the intent of Congress, by their failure to enforce the law.
The impending lawsuit is just the latest salvo in a seven-year-long dispute between organic family farmers and the USDA. "A wide cross section of the organic industry has repeatedly petitioned the USDA to crack down on an increasing number of industrial-scale factory-farms that are producing ‘organic’ milk,” said Mark Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst at the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute.
At the center of the controversy are two major agribusiness corporations, Dean Foods and Aurora Dairy. Dean's Horizon brand and private-label milk produced by Aurora (marketed by Safeway, Wild Oats, Trader Joe's, and Wal-Mart, among others) have gained a dominant market share, estimated to be as high as 70%, by ramping up production on feedlot dairies milking as many as 2000 to 10,000 cows.
Education Guide Training Set for March. Stratford Ecological Center are looking for dedicated volunteers for Spring Education Guides to lead a small groups of children on adventures around our farm and nature preserve. Christa Hein, Education Director, will take you through the steps of becoming a Stratford Ed Guide. This is a two-part training.
Part I - March 1st OR 2nd (9:00am-1:00pm)
Part II - March 8th OR 9th (9:00am-1:00pm)
We are looking for 30-40 volunteers for Ed Guides on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings. No experience necessary. Contact Jane at 740-363-2548 or SECVolunteer@aol.com
Location: Stratford Ecological Center, 3083 Liberty Road, Delaware, OH 43015 (located just south of Delaware, OH, west of the junction of State Routes 23 and 315.
Part I - March 1st OR 2nd (9:00am-1:00pm)
Part II - March 8th OR 9th (9:00am-1:00pm)
We are looking for 30-40 volunteers for Ed Guides on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings. No experience necessary. Contact Jane at 740-363-2548 or SECVolunteer@aol.com
Location: Stratford Ecological Center, 3083 Liberty Road, Delaware, OH 43015 (located just south of Delaware, OH, west of the junction of State Routes 23 and 315.
The G8-Summit is to be held in Heiligendamm, Germany from June 6th to June 8th 2007. The high costs for security measurements are bringing the hosting state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania to the brink of bankruptcy. Massive protests are expected to accompany the summit.
For about thirty years now, the heads of the eight leading industrial nations, France, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Japan, Canada, Russia and the United States are meeting annually at the so called G8-Summit to discuss economic, as well as global issues, such as terrorism and climate change.
The meetings are informal, thus meaning, no contracts are signed. Instead, declarations of intend are adopted. Yet, the economic and political resolutions passed effect not only summit members, but the rest of the world. Especially the recent discussions on development issues had an impact with disastrous consequences for third world countries.
For about thirty years now, the heads of the eight leading industrial nations, France, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Japan, Canada, Russia and the United States are meeting annually at the so called G8-Summit to discuss economic, as well as global issues, such as terrorism and climate change.
The meetings are informal, thus meaning, no contracts are signed. Instead, declarations of intend are adopted. Yet, the economic and political resolutions passed effect not only summit members, but the rest of the world. Especially the recent discussions on development issues had an impact with disastrous consequences for third world countries.
The Makkah agreement, signed between rival Palestinian groups, Hamas and Fatah on February 8, under the auspices of the Saudi leadership, was welcomed by thousands of cheering Palestinians throughout the occupied territories, and seen as the closing of a chapter of a bloody and tumultuous period of their history.
Officially, although more subtly, there is an equal eagerness to bring a halt to an oppressive command of economic and diplomatic sanctions that have rendered most Palestinians unemployed and living well below the poverty line.
In fact, almost all Palestinians want to remember, if they must, the bloody clashes that claimed the lives of over 90 people since December as a distant memory, a bitter deviation from a norm of unity and national cohesion, according to which they want their struggle to be remembered.
Officially, although more subtly, there is an equal eagerness to bring a halt to an oppressive command of economic and diplomatic sanctions that have rendered most Palestinians unemployed and living well below the poverty line.
In fact, almost all Palestinians want to remember, if they must, the bloody clashes that claimed the lives of over 90 people since December as a distant memory, a bitter deviation from a norm of unity and national cohesion, according to which they want their struggle to be remembered.