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Several insights into NONVIOLENCE are inspirational and practical.

April 25, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

“Nonviolence offers many ways to create permanent, long-term positive changes that would enable us to rebuild social institutions on a more humane and sustainable basis. . . . Each of us, whatever our station in life or relation to activism, can carry out his grand ‘experiment with truth’ according to our own capacities and the situation we confront.”  Michael Nagler wrote this.  He writes a lot of good materials about nonviolence.  Although Amazon lists many of his books, I encourage people to buy them from locally owned bookstores:  https://www.amazon.com/Michael-N.-Nagler/e/B001JS2SXE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1548914216&sr=1-1&eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=c837e75d-37a4-4438-9de5-33bd77f131eb&pldnSite=1   “Revolutionary change does not come as one cataclysmic moment (beware […]

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June 17-21, 2019: Learn how to mediate disputes.

April 25, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County (the DRC at 360-956-1155 www.mediatethurston.org) offers TRAINING IN HOW TO MEDIATE DISPUTES. I highly recommend this 40-hour Professional Mediation Training during one week in June (17th through 21st), 2019.  It runs Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  It can help you strengthen your relationships at home, at work, and beyond.  The insights are practical in our daily lives.  I encourage people to take this training even if you do not think you’d want to be one of the DRC’s volunteer mediators. This fun and highly interactive 40-hour training will acquaint […]

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Do not let assumptions about “human nature” interfere with the bold social and political reforms we are working toward.

April 25, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Sometimes when we work to significantly improve our society or our politics, people will try to inhibit our efforts by saying, “You can’t change human nature.” They assume that “human nature” is fixed and impervious to improvement. Actually, history has proven otherwise. People have indeed made radical progressive changes, and we can accomplish more. We do not need to “change human nature.” If we change our society so it will function better, people will change for the better too. So, for example, instead of assuming that “human nature” causes people to be greedy, let’s change our economic system and our […]

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Washington State’s tax regressive system is grossly unjust. The poor pay too much. The rich pay too little.

April 25, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

For decades Washington State has had THE VERY WORST tax system in the U.S.  It is horribly REGRESSIVE.  This means that poor people pay a high percentage of their income and rich people pay a low percentage. About 50 years ago I read a historian’s book chapter explaining how it was that Washington State has always opposed an income tax and supported a sales tax, while Oregon (our neighbor to the south) had a history of the exact opposite.  I don’t remember the historical reasons now, but the legacy continues to hurt Washington State and especially our poor and working […]

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PREVENT Trump from starting a stupid, counter-productive war against Iran.

April 23, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

If you disagree with somebody, the proper way to resolve the conflict is to TALK and use DIPLOMACY and perhaps use a MEDIATOR. The U.S. government sometimes — and especially Trump nowadays — chooses military violence instead. That only backfires. The U.S. keeps bogging itself down in unwinnable wars in many places. These wars waste our tax dollars, which we should be spending for useful purposes. These wars kill and injure many people in other countries. These wars turn world opinion against us. These wars subvert human rights and constitutional rights.   Trump has been trying to start a war […]

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We need an “Animal Society for the Humane Treatment of People.”

April 23, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Various non-profit organizations bring people together to urge the humane treatment of animals. We also need to REVERSE that.   We need an “Animal Society for the Humane Treatment of People.”   Animals don’t discriminate. A dog will sniff any dog’s butt, regardless of what color the dog’s fur, whether it’s short-haired or fluffy, etc. Dogs and other animals should teach people how to treat other people humanely.      

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Powerfully inspiring video (only 7 1/2 minutes) about the Green New Deal — by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

April 23, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Many of my friends urged me to watch this powerfully inspiring short video. Finally I watched it. Now I’m sharing it with you and hope it will “go viral.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/04/17/we-can-be-whatever-we-have-courage-see-new-video-aoc-envisions-greennewdeal-future The Green New Deal would protect our nation far more effectively than militarism does.  The Green New Deal is a proactive way to deal realistically with the serious threats of climate disruption, unemployment, deteriorating infrastructure, depressed local communities, etc.  We should slash the Pentagon budget and generously fund the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal has great power to inspire, educate, motivate, and employ many young people along with […]

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Replace the Electoral College with nationwide Popular Vote

April 23, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Trump is President even though more people voted for his opponent. This has happened several times in U.S. history because the Electoral College — not the total number of votes cast — decides who will be President. When the U.S. Constitution was framed, many compromises were allowed in order to get the various states to adopt it.  One of the compromises is the Electoral College.  It is very UNDEMOCRATIC because it gives states with small populations much more relative power than populous states.  The Electoral College gives each state the number of votes that is the total of its U.S. […]

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Nonviolent resistance is being used effectively in Algeria.

April 22, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Mainstream media do a bad job of covering international news.  Hardly anybody in the U.S. knows that a campaign of nonviolent resistance has toppled a long-standing autocrat in Algeria. The article at the link below affirms the effective use of principled nonviolence in bringing down an oppressor. The Algerian people are using proven strategies and methods of nonviolent action. See many positive examples in this article! https://www.juancole.com/2019/04/algerians-nonviolent-resistance.html      

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Here’s how charter schools are scamming the U.S. government and ripping off taxpayers

April 22, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Conservatives keep wanting to “privatize” everything so businesses can make a lot of money by providing services that governments have been doing.  The experience has been that “privatized” services end up costing more and providing worse service.  Also, governments are accountable to voters, but businesses are not accountable. This is true in our nation’s educational system too.  Vouchers and “charter schools” are vigorously promoted not only because they support capitalism instead of democracy, but also because they allow religious schools to grab taxpayers’ money without having to be fair to the students.  Some of these privately owned schools skim off […]

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Death penalty cases at U.S. Supreme Court: Information and insights

April 22, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The death penalty is wrong in so many ways, but the conservative Republicans who dominate the U.S. Supreme Court have trouble recognizing the problems.  Although they claim to be “pro-life,” they keep supporting death. This article provides interesting information and insights: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/04/13/1850008/-Death-At-The-Court?detail=emaildkcs        

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“Ranked-Choice Voting Strengthens Democracy”

April 19, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The May 2019 interview on “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” series (see below for info about watching it through your computer or TCTV channel 22) promotes an increasingly popular reform to satisfy voters and improve our elections. To watch the interview, CLICK THIS LINK. To read a thorough summary of what we said in the interview and see links for more information, CLICK THIS LINK.   HERE IS A VERY BRIEF SUMMARY: Everybody knows that our nation’s electoral system is broken in many ways. The problems prevent us from having an honest, vibrant democracy. But a number of remedies do exist. The […]

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Sign petition to reject Trump’s horribly unqualified right-wing nominee Stephen Moore from serving on Federal Reserve Board.

April 13, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

During 2015 and 2016 Trump had campaigned with a promise to hire only “the best people.”  Instead, he has hired and appointed a whole slew of extreme right-wingers who are grossly unqualified, horribly corrupt, and/or maliciously cruel. In early April 2019 good political observers and non-profit organizations alerted us that Trump has nominated to the Governing Board of the Federal Reserve an appallingly horrible right-winger named Stephen Moore. CREDO Action (www.credoaction.com) reported:  “The seven members of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors oversee the central banking system and U.S. monetary policy. If you are not sure exactly what they do, […]