VA

Ann Wright, David Swanson, and Body of War in Lynchburg, Va.

davidswanson — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:39:11 -0500

WHAT: Ann Wright and David Swanson speaking prior to screening of "Body of War," Phil Donahue's documentary about a veteran of the occupation of Iraq

WHERE: Starlight Cafe
511 5th ST.
Lynchburg, VA 24504

WHEN: 7 p.m., Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Copies of Wright's book, "DISSENT: Voices of Conscience: Government Insiders Speak Out Against the War in Iraq," will be available for purchase.
http://www.voicesofconscience.com

During the run-up to war in Iraq, Army Colonel (Ret.) and diplomat Ann Wright resigned her State Department post. She was one among dozens of government insiders and active-duty military personnel who leaked documents, spoke out, resigned, or refused to deploy in protest of government actions they felt were illegal. In "Dissent: Voices of Conscience," Ann Wright and Susan Dixon tell the stories of these men and women, who risked careers, reputations, and even freedom out of loyalty to the Constitution and the rule of law.

Video about Wright's book:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2Ei6SmAEwEU

David Swanson holds a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, with jobs including press secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, media coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as communications coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Swanson is Co-Founder of AfterDowningStreet.org and Washington Director of Democrats.com, a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, the Backbone Campaign, and Voters for Peace, and a member of the legislative working group of United for Peace and Justice.
http://davidswanson.org

Body of War is an intimate and transformational feature documentary about the true face of war today. Meet Tomas Young, 25 years old, paralyzed from a bullet to his spine - wounded after serving in Iraq for less than a week. Body of War is Tomas' coming home story as he evolves into a new person, coming to terms with his disability and finding his own unique and passionate voice against the war. The film is produced and directed by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, and features two original songs by Eddie Vedder. Body of War is a naked and honest portrayal of what it's like inside the body, heart and soul of this extraordinary and heroic young man.
http://www.bodyofwar.com

Blue Virginia

davidswanson — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:35:20 -0500

By David Swanson

Virginia and the rest of the old South always voted for Democrats for president when the Democratic party stood for racism, and for Republicans when the Republican party stood for racism, until tonight. Virginia just voted for a Democrat for president, while the Republican party still carries the banner of racism. In fact, the Republican candidates played up their racism more this year than in other recent elections. In addition, the Democratic candidate was black. It's a new South.

Virginia is now a blue state, as is Florida, and at the time I wrote this it looked likely that North Carolina would be too. Other new blue states are: Ohio, Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada. Other undecided states that used to be red are: Indiana, Missouri, Montana, and Alaska. It's a whole new map.

Of course, nothing is that black and white. Barack Obama's father was black and his mother white, so we call him black. When 51 percent of a state votes for a party, we apply that label to the state. Virginia voted 52 to 48 for Obama, and at the same time voted 64 to 35 for Mark Warner for Senate. Warner is a Democrat, but a white one. According to exit polls, only 41 percent of white Virginians backed Obama, and 20 percent of whites said race was a factor in their decision to back McCain. Meanwhile 40 percent of blacks said that race was a factor in their decision to back Obama, which 91 percent of blacks did. What put Obama over in Virginia was not the end of racism, but the end of support for George W. Bush, whom 72 percent of voters said they disapproved of. At the time I wrote this, North Carolina was too close to call for president, but had elected a white Democratic senator by a margin of 53 to 44 percent. And 71 percent of North Carolina voters said they disapproved of George W. Bush.

Here in Virginia's Fifth District we've long been misrepresented by one of Congress's most aggressive racists, Virgil Goode. Tonight I was present for the victory speech of his Democratic challenger, Tom Perriello. But the vote was so close that Goode may challenge the outcome. At best, I guess we should say that Virginia is purple. Like the nation as a whole, Virginia pulled off an election in which the presidential outcome matched the exit polls and the popular vote and did not have to be decided by lawyers. But there were 863 polling place problems reported to Election Protection, and many voters in the Fifth District voted on DRE machines, which means that no recount of their votes will be possible.

Obama has an even more militarist and corporatist platform than Bill Clinton, and yet the past eight years have made Obama seem like, and be, a dramatic change for the better. We should celebrate, and the world will join us in celebrating, the defeat of the party of Bush and Cheney. And yet we cannot celebrate having allowed them to remain in office for eight full years. We need to push now to impeach them and to prosecute them for their crimes. Restoring the rule of law to the White House in that way will have a bigger impact on the behavior of future presidents than any election. While unity and bipartisanship sound pleasant, they should not become justifications for lawlessness.

The Democrats, come January, will hold the White House and sizable majorities in the House and Senate, including a filibuster-proof 60 seats or very close to it in the Senate. (And Republican senators from states with Democratic governors could be given cabinet positions, and the District of Columbia could be given one or more senators.) The Republican party may be on the way out of existence. The question is what we can make of the Democrats, what we can persuade them to do. If they are truly democrats with a small d, they will have a lot to accomplish and almost no excuses not to do so.

They can begin with the positive steps advocated by Obama during his campaign:
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/37327 We can build on those advances by insisting on more decisive measures to shift our resources from war to peace and green energy. We can start now by lobbying the president elect to hire and appoint as his staff and administration individuals who represent change we can believe in.

Why I Voted for Obama

davidswanson — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:22:31 -0400

By David Swanson

Having spent the past several years trying to end wars and militarism, I have just voted for a presidential candidate who seems intent on expanding them.

Having won the Democratic primary largely on the strength of his extremely limited and inconsistent opposition to the war on Iraq, Senator Barack Obama chose as his running mate Senator Joe Biden, a man who had led efforts in the U.S. Senate to support the invasion. Obama's staff have told reporters that he is inclined to keep Robert Gates on as Secretary of War (or "Defense") -- exactly the same plan proposed by Senator John McCain's campaign. Obama has said he'd like Colin Powell to be a part of his administration, and repeatedly announced that his cabinet will include Republicans. Obama has approached Congressman Rahm Emanuel about becoming his chief of staff.

As much as any other move, hiring Emanuel would guarantee a war-minded White House. Not only has Emanuel funded pro-war candidates and recruited opponents for pro-peace candidates, but he orchestrated the pro-war strategy of the 110th Congress. In January 2007, as the new Congress took office with the clearest anti-war mandate in national history, Emanuel spoke to the Washington Post, which reported:

"For the rest of the year, Emanuel says, the leadership hopes to stress energy independence (with fuel-saving efficiency standards for appliances and cars) and a move toward better health care for children. And here's what Emanuel doesn't want to do: fall into the political trap of chasing overambitious or potentially unpopular measures. Ask about universal health care, and he shakes his head... Reform of Social Security and other entitlements? Too big, too woolly, too risky... The country is angry, and it will only get more so as the problems in Iraq deepen. Don't look to Emanuel's Democrats for solutions on Iraq. It's Bush's war, and as it splinters the structure of GOP power, the Democrats are waiting to pick up the pieces."

For two full years, Emanuel's Democrats pretended that ending the war on Iraq would require passing legislation, when in truth they could have simply stopped funding it. Their pretense that legislation was needed, allowed them to blame the war on Republican senators' filibuster power. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and 1,186 American soldiers, thus far, have paid with their lives for that decision. Iraq has been used as a staging ground for attacks on Pakistan and Syria and proxy attacks on Iran. If Emanuel smells electoral advantage in spilling more blood, more blood will be spilled. Obama's commitment to de-escalation in Iraq is questionable, and his commitment to complete withdrawal nonexistent. He has supported the sort of attacks we've now seen on Pakistan and Syria. He just told Rachel Maddow on MSNBC that he wants more troops in Afghanistan and wants them there for a long, long time. Three times in three debates McCain proposed cutting military spending and Obama avoided the topic. Obama has proposed significantly enlarging the largest army the world has ever seen. Obama has refused to forswear the use of aggressive war or even first-strike nuclear attacks, or to uphold the rule of law. He claims that Bush and Cheney have not committed any crimes that he is aware of.

So why did I vote for this man?

My first reason is that, as hideous as the above description is, as outrageous as it may be that our nation has drifted so far into imperialism that the candidate described above counts as the people's opposition leader, the only other candidate who might become president next year is significantly worse, and his running mate (who might easily become president) is worse still. McCain and Governor Sarah Palin support racism, religious bigotry, xenophobia, aggressive war, torture, and absolutely no respect for the rule of law or democracy. Some of their lies about Obama depict him as something I wish he were, such as a socialist. Others baselessly accuse him of treason and terrorism, or lie about his religion and background in order to breed both general bigotry and hatred of Obama in particular. What would it say to the world, to our nation, and to future voters to allow such tactics to prevail? The McCain campaign has openly sought to suppress voting, and we have already seen strong indications of fraud from electronic voting machines. I dread the damage that would be done if such tactics were permitted, once again, to win out. While Obama is a politician willing to countenance murderous policies if he thinks they are needed to win, McPalin's loyalty is to militarism even if it costs them votes. This means that we might be able to persuade Obama of the electoral advantage of peaceful policies, while McCain would take pride even in imperialistic policies that proved disastrous on their own terms, and I'm not sure the world can survive much more of that. Obama is also far superior to McCain on a wide range of other issues, including the right to build a labor movement, which might help us in the future.

My second reason is that I live in Virginia. Virginia is a swing state, now predicted to probably vote for a Democratic presidential candidate for the first time since the 1964 landslide for Lyndon Johnson. I don't approve of the electoral college system, and I want it eliminated, but I can't pretend I'm not voting within it this year. Every electoral vote from Virginia will go to Obama or McCain and nobody else. It's always possible to argue that one vote doesn't matter, just as it's possible to argue that even in a safe state every vote matters. But my vote matters more in Virginia this year, and this is the first time in my lifetime that I've lived in a state where anybody had any doubt about the presidential election outcome. Of course, to make my vote matter more, I am encouraging my fellow Virginians to do the same. While it can be argued that Virginia is now solidly for Obama, that could change or be fraudulently altered, and the single best way to prevent that is for everyone to turn out and vote. It can also be argued that Virginia is no longer even needed, that Obama has this thing wrapped up without Virginia, but the impact of backing a Democrat for president would be very beneficial to politics within the state of Virginia regardless.

(A note to Virginians: In Virginia, up through the Saturday before the election, you can vote "absentee" in person. Unlike some states, in Virginia you have to have an excuse, but there is a long list of possible excuses on the form. I didn't think I had any of the excuses, but they told me that having a 2-year-old at home counted and could be filled in under the work-or-vacation excuse. There is an option to vote early with no excuse if you vote for only the presidential race; I strongly advise against that, because the House and Senate races need your vote as much as the presidential (well, at least some of the House races, since Virginia's senate race is a blow out). Where I voted, they asked if I wanted to vote on paper or on a machine. Of course, I voted on paper, which can be recounted by hand if need be and if requested by a candidate. Had I waited until election day, I would only have had the option of voting on a completely unverifiable machine, an option that a majority of early voters were -- rather disconcertingly -- choosing where I went to vote.)

My third reason for voting for Obama is that I want a landslide. I want Obama to win overwhelmingly. I want the Republican Party put out of business. If you want to build a new party, what better breakthrough could you ask for than eliminating the Republican Party? That process will be well underway if the Democrats win the House and Senate seats that optimists predict, and if the presidential election is a popular and electoral landslide. I want that landslide understood as a landslide for peace and against Republican war mongering. It can be understood as such despite Obama's own support for war, because most Americans are unaware of that. In the simplest terms, McCain has been labeled the war candidate and Obama the peace candidate. We can better seize on that and compel Obama to actually be a peace president if he wins overwhelmingly. I understand that Bush claimed a mandate on the basis of the narrowest conceivable (and not even true) victory, but his supporters control the media. To claim a mandate, Obama needs a landslide. And if the Democrats take large majorities in both houses, including 60 or more senate seats (possibly including one or two independents caucusing with the Democrats), then Emanuel's excuse strategy evaporates. If the majority of Americans demand something, the Democrats will have to either deliver or admit to not being democrats with a small d. If Obama does not win a landslide over McCain, I will be ashamed to show my face abroad; I want this as a message to the world.

The fourth and most important reason I voted for Obama is that I consider voting a very, very small part of my duty as a citizen in a democratic republic. What our government does during the next two or four or eight years is largely a function of what we do, not just of whom we elect. It is important that we have Obama who can conceivably be moved toward peace rather than McCain who cannot, but in taking three minutes away from fulltime lobbying and pressuring and educating and reporting in order to vote for Obama I am not glorifying his entire platform and worldview as my own. I am simply stating that I would rather see him in the White House than McCain. I would also rather see the seat of power moved from the White House back to Capitol Hill, where the Constitution put it, and I will work toward that end. I also think that the question of whether we prosecute Bush and Cheney for their crimes will determine far more than any election the behavior of future presidents. Get out there and vote, but remember how easy it is to do things that are fare more important on the other 729 days every two years.

How and Why I Just Voted

davidswanson — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:10:39 -0400

By David Swanson

Having spent the past several years trying to end wars and militarism, I have just voted for a presidential candidate who seems intent on expanding them.

So why did I vote for this man?

See the Warrior

davidswanson — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:01:37 -0400

By David Swanson

I know this play is powerful from reading the script, so I can only imagine and look forward to how moving it will be to see it performed live. "The Warrior" by Jack Gilhooley is a play performed by two women, one on-stage and one off. The woman off-stage is a documentary film maker asking questions. The woman on-stage is a veteran of both the 1991 Persian Gulf War and two tours during the current occupation of Iraq. The script brilliantly portrays a story focused on the damage her absence has done to her family, but shaded at all times by the damage war has done to her mental health.

I can't recommend seeing this play more highly. But don't take my word for it. The CITY PAPER in Washington, DC, called it "probably the best piece about Iraq" to date. "The Warrior" opened at the Capital Fringe Theater Festival this past July and was a selection of the international theater festival, FringeNYC, in August.

On Saturday, November 8th, anyone in the DC area will have an opportunity to see the play performed and to join in a discussion afterwards about post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The performance will be directed by Kevin Murray, and feature Marietta Hedges and Mary Lechter in a Theater of the First Amendment production.

"Marietta Hedges is quite remarkable. She gives an extremely passionate performance," the CITY PAPER says.

"The Warrior" is returning for one night only, Saturday, November 8th, at George Mason University.

Following her performance as "The Warrior," Marietta Hedges will be joined onstage for "The Warrior" TALKback!

The panel discussion will include Iraq War veterans Amy Baxter and Adam Kokesh, GMU Conflict Resolutions department professor Dr. Carlos Sluzki, and will be moderated by David Swanson of AfterDowningStreet.org.

"The Warrior" TALKback! ONE NIGHT ONLY, Saturday, November 8 at 8 PM at George Mason University.

For tickets ($15): 888-945-2468 or
http://www.tickets.com or
http://www.theaterofthefirstamendment.org

Here are directions to George Mason University:
http://www.gmu.edu/welcome/Directions-to-GMU.html

Here are details on the venue for this event:
The Center for the Arts is located on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University, six miles west of Beltway exit 54, at the intersection of Braddock Rd. and Route 123. Your most convenient parking option is the Visitor Parking Deck, located directly adjacent to the Concert Hall. For a nominal fee, the covered parking deck offers a walkway to the Concert Hall, TheaterSpace and Harris Theater. Free parking is available in Lot K (across the pond from the Concert Hall) when a performance is going on at the Center for the Arts.

Castaway Voters: Felons in Virginia

davidswanson — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:06:24 -0400

Sarah Palin Supporters' Strange World

davidswanson — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:22:58 -0400

Media Criticism of Hate Speech Long Overdue

davidswanson — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:26:15 -0400

By David Swanson

I get the impression that a great many people are upset by all the news about McCain-Palin supporters who believe Obama is an Arab, a Muslim, a terrorist, and a baby killer. I find it the most encouraging thing that's happened in eight years.

Why? Because these sorts of lies and fear-mongering are nothing new. What's new is that the U.S. corporate media is covering them. The most unaccountable, antidemocratic communications cartel outside of China has decided to cover in a major way a story it has brushed aside since September 12, 2001.

Of course, we understand why. The victim of these particular lies is a corporate-friendly senator who appears likely to be elected president of the United States. On top of that he isn't actually a Muslim or a foreigner, so you can still be bigoted and defend him on the basis of those boring old leftwing things: facts. But the media's willingness to cover the hate speech and to point out the connections between hateful speech and hateful actions makes Obama more likely to win the election and makes us all safer, wiser, and better informed.

It's not that the media has never covered hateful, racist, and bigoted speech before, but it hasn't done so in a major way with front page stories and saturation chatter on the blab shows. In fact, a lot of U.S. newspapers recently mailed their subscribers a disc called "Obsession" that promoted fear and hatred of Muslims. A couple of columnists mentioned that fact, but it was not made into a STORY, into something that everybody has to have an opinion on and reiterate so many times that people actually hear it. And it's not that the media has never before pointed out contradictions between a candidate's advertisements or flyers and that same candidate's comments, but it hasn't done so in a BIG way. In fact, McCain has been advertising himself as a crusader against corporate power for many months without a peep of hysterical laughter from the recipients of all that advertising money.

This is different. Now we've got talking heads actually thinking through the problem on the air, wondering whether McCain can control the Frankenstein monster he's created out of his racist, ill-informed supporters. Some outlets are focusing on McCain's rebuking of his overly open and honest followers, but even there the reporters are supporting the rebuking. Other outlets are focusing on the cold-blooded electoral calculation: if too many "moderates" are scared off by bloodthirsty loonies, will McCain be able to win? But even there the reporters are supporting the idea that those who do not hate dark-skinned foreigners are on the side of sanity and acceptability. When Joe Klein thinks you've crossed the line, there's nobody in the corporate media with lower standards who could jump up in defense of the McCain-Palin lynch mobs. Even David Frum agrees.

But where was all this interest when we started locking up and deporting people seven years ago, or when every new grotesque truth has slipped out through the bars of Guantanamo's animal cages, or when we slaughtered over a million human beings in Iraq? Can we expand this discussion beyond the slandering of one politician to address the entire idea of racist and religious hatred? Can we move this to the point that it makes no sense to defend someone against the charge of being an Arab by asserting that, on the contrary, he's a decent family man?

Some friends and I are interested in trying, and we'll start at Sarah Palin's rally in Richmond, Virginia, on Monday. If you'd like to come, just go here and print out as many tickets as you feel like. But whatever you do, don't give any tickets out to the wrong sort of people. You know the ones I mean: people who don't want to kill Obama and people who do but talk about it too much.

Vincent Bugliosi's Lock-Bush-Up Tour

davidswanson — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:11:42 -0400

He's coming to Virginia next. Why not set up a tour in your state too?

Vincent Bugliosi in Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Prosecutor of Charles Manson
Author of Bestsellers including "Helter Skelter" and his latest:
"The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder"

WHAT: Vincent Bugliosi to Speak and Take Questions from Audience

WHEN AND WHERE:

Richmond: Monday, October 13, 2008, 7:00 p.m., The Camel, 1621 Broad Street, Richmond, 804-347-7945, www.thecamel.org

Norfolk: Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 7:30 p.m., NARO Cinema, 1507 Colley Avenue, Norfolk, 757-625-6275, www.narocinema.com

Charlottesville: Thursday, October 16, 7:00 p.m., Albemarle Co. Office Building, 401 McIntire Road, Charlottesville, 434-961-6278, www.charlottesvillepeace.org

Washington, D.C.: Friday, October 17, 6:00 p.m., David A. Clark School of Law, 4200 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, DC, Building 38, 2nd Floor, R.S.V.P. -202-274-7341, Virginia@washingtonpeacecenter.net, www.washingtonpeacecenter.net

In his new book, "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder," Vincent Bugliosi makes a devastating, well documented case that President George W. Bush is guilty of the murder of U.S. soldiers as a result of the lies he told to justify the invasion of Iraq, and can be prosecuted by any state attorney general or county prosecutor.

As a Los Angeles prosecutor, Bugliosi represented the state in 106 major cases and won 105, including each of his 21 murder cases. Since his first book, "Helter Skelter," he's been one of the top true crime writers with three number one best sellers and numerous awards.

In his best known case, Bugliosi convicted Charles Manson of murder even though Manson was not present at two of the crime scenes when the victims were murdered.

Bugliosi's argument is simple. Bush wanted a war with Iraq. He had to show that a preemptive invasion of Iraq was justified. To do this Iraq had to be an imminent threat to the United States. There were two major problems. Bush couldn't prove any connection between Saddam Hussein and 9/11. More importantly, Bush's own 2002 classified intelligence estimate found that Saddam was not an imminent threat to the United States. Bush simply reversed the findings of the National Intelligence Estimate of 2002, and sent men and women off to fight a fraudulent and unnecessary war, knowing full well that some of them would come home in boxes.

More on how to lock Bush up:
http://convictbushcheney.org

Vincent Bugliosi - Prosecuting George W. Bush for Murder

rva4peace — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:36:00 -0400

Start: 10/13/2008 - 7:00pm

End: 10/13/2008 - 9:30pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT-5

≡ VINCENT BUGLIOSI to speak in RICHMOND, VA ≡

Author of The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder

Famed Charles Manson prosecutor and 3-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, Vincent Bugliosi has written the most powerful, explosive, and thought-provoking book of his storied career. As a prosecutor who is dedicated to seeking justice, Bugliosi, in his inimitable style, delivers a non-partisan argument, free from party lines and instead based upon hard facts and pure objectivity.

Despite a virtual press blackout, Vincent Bugliosi’s book has became a national best seller and is fast becoming a cult favorite among outraged Constitution-loving, Bill of Rights adherents, Declaration of Independence followers, Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Greens and Independent Americans alike.

October 13th at 7PM

The Camel, 1621 W Broad St.

Cost: $5

(The Camel will be serving from its full menu before, during and after the event www.thecamel.org)

Event Contact: Mary Genthner-Canter, (804) 347-7945

Press Contact: Ilene Proctor, (310) 271 5857, proctor@artnet.net