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The U.S. has many monuments glorifying veterans and war. We need just as many supporting peace and peace organizers.

December 29, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

A society creates special places and builds statues to express what it values.  The U.S. has many monuments glorifying militarism, so it’s obvious that the U.S. clearly values war. We would be a better society if we were to honor peace — and the courageous peace organizers who have sacrificed much (sometimes their lives) in order to resist war and create a nonviolent world. See this article:  https://beyondnuclearinternational.org/2019/12/08/where-are-the-national-anti-war-monuments/        

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On Christmas Day 1914, British & German soldiers practiced PEACE during World War I

December 24, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Some people know this story, but many people do not. It is indeed possible for soldiers fighting a brutal war to STOP — AND PRACTICE PEACE — even for one day.  On Christmas Day, 1914, British and German soldiers fighting brutal trench warfare during World War I stopped, laid down their weapons, got out of their trenches, and joined together face-to-face to enjoy human solidarity. If they can do it for one day, why can’t we do that EVERY day — and STOP WAR ALTOGETHER?     Read this article:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce   I RECOMMEND THIS SONG VERY HIGHLY!!!  “Christmas in […]

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This smart strategy could help REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE

December 22, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Public opinion polls keep showing OVERWHELMING PUBLIC SUPPORT for several kinds of strong, common-sense laws and policies to reduce gun violence.  The laws propose such remedies as: • Restricting access to high-capacity magazines • Requiring background checks for ammunition sales • Addressing the intersection of alcohol abuse and gun violence • Keeping kids safe from guns where they learn and play • Supporting community-based violence prevention programs All of those are good ways to reduce gun violence.  But all of those focus on THE GUNS THEMSELVES and IGNORE THE LARGER CONTEXT in which the U.S. government PERSISTENTLY SUPPORTS SHOOTING! The […]

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How to achieve peace and true security

December 13, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

People keep worrying about “national security.”  But that is a dead end — and a misleading distraction — unless we understand that MILITARISM ITSELF IS THE PROBLEM and that our nation can be secure ONLY if we help the rest of the world to be secure in more profound ways than mere militarism can accomplish. See the insightful article I wrote at this link: Article on peace and true security            

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A new online course — “War Abolition 101” — begins on January 13, 2020. SIGN UP NOW.

December 8, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

One of the great peace organizations that is not very well known is “World BEYOND War.”  They organize by bringing together to understand and educate other people that WAR IS NOT NECESSARY.  WE CAN INDEED ABOLISH WAR.  They are a global network of volunteers, activists, and allied organizations advocating for actually abolishing the very institution of war.  See much information at www.worldbeyondwar.org.  Sign up for their fascinating e-mail list. Many people do not even know that WE CAN ABOLISH WAR.  But even many peace supporters do not know how to change from the war-making that is embedded into our government, […]

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Neoliberalism dominates our economics and politics. Let’s lift up better moral values and vision to counter neoliberalism!

November 26, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Assumptions and worldviews dominate any society, limit how that society’s people think, and force its public policies in certain directions.  If we do not like the way our society is headed, let’s question the assumptions and worldviews that dominate our society. “Neoliberalism” has been dominating American and Western society for several decades.  “Neoliberalism” is a worldview that assumes economic markets (capitalism, etc.) are the best way to solve public problems.  it rejects the role of strong democracy empowering governments to solve problems.  It promotes the kind of anti-government rhetoric and policies that the U.S. saw with Goldwater, Reagan, and all […]

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After a man who threatened Rep. Ilhan Omar pleaded guilty, she asks for compassion in his sentencing

November 26, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar came to the U.S. at the age of 10 as a refugee from Somalia.  She is Muslim and African.  She is one of the most progressive and humane members of Congress, but Trump and the right wing have been relentlessly attacking her. A man threatened to shoot her to death.  He was convicted of his crime, and she practiced Restorative Justice by asking for compassion when the judge was sentencing him. Read these articles: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/11/19/1900598/-After-a-man-who-threatened-Rep-Ilhan-Omar-pleaded-guilty-she-asks-for-compassion-in-his-sentencing?detail=emaildkre https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/19/rep-ilhan-omar-asks-judge-show-compassion-hateful-man-who-threatened-put-bullet-her?cd-origin=rss&utm_term=AO&utm_campaign=Weekly%20Newsletter&utm_content=email&utm_source=Weekly%20Newsletter&utm_medium=Email        

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Why is “national security” defined ONLY in ways that assume MILITARISM?

October 26, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The term “national security” is almost always ASSUMED to imply the need for more militarism, more fear of people in other countries, more willingness to fight wars, more military weapons, more military spending, and more nuclear weapons. That is a VERY NARROW channeling of our vision and our thinking. Really, our nation is NOT SECURE in many other ways.  Our nation is NOT SECURE when: Many people are poor Many people are homeless Many people lack decent health care Many people feel alienated from society Many people are very angry Many people own guns that endanger themselves, their families and […]

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Chris Hedges wrote about “The Age of Radical Evil”

October 26, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Chris Hedges keeps writing articles that are powerfully insightful and wise. His articles connect the dots across a number of issues. They are very much worth reading. Here is one from October 2019: https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-age-of-radical-evil/          

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Gandhi urged us to ORGANIZE for nonviolence

October 12, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Joan Baez said this: “What Gandhi said was, ‘Let’s take this extraordinary idea and organize it.’ It hadn’t been organized on a massive scale before. He proved that a moral argument is really enough. In fact, only when people are morally steeped in nonviolence to their own satisfaction—that what they believe is correct, when that’s what they’ll do until death—that’s really the only time nonviolence holds. As a tactic, nonviolence will wear out if you don’t really have a moral and spiritual foundation to it.”      

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Several articles about religion, politics, peace, nonviolence, etc.

October 12, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The October 2019 interview on my TV series “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” focuses on how the Religious Right has hijacked Christianity and much of our nation’s government.  I interview three guests who make a strong case for authentic Christianity, which is the opposite of what has become dominant.  Watch the interview and/or read a thorough summary of what we said at this link:  http://parallaxperspectives.org/tv-being-christian-in-america-in-a-time-of-crisis The thorough summary includes much additional information — and links to many articles — beyond what we had time to say during the TV interview. In addition to those resources, I invite you to click the following […]

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“Being Christian in America in a Time of Crisis”

October 6, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The October 2019 episode of “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” takes a fresh look at some of our nation’s social and political issues – especially in light of religious faith.  Many of the public policy issues that our nation is grappling with have been pushed hard from conservative Christian viewpoints, but those are NOT the only voices of Christianity. Moderate, liberal and progressive Christians have insights that differ greatly from the highly publicized views that have gained political power. Our October 2019 interview features three retired Christian ministers sharing faith-based insights and perspectives that are VERY DIFFERENT from those that have been […]

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What bold, positive realities would you want for 4 years from now?

October 6, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

I am always encouraging people to envision and organize bold goals for a significantly better future.  Recently I posted to my blog this article inviting us to do that:  http://parallaxperspectives.org/lets-boldly-create-the-future-we-really-want-2 Now I invite you to take the next step. Please read (or re-read) that blog post and send me your e-mail suggestions for this topic: What bold, good reality would you want for four years from now — October 2023? Instead of feeling constrained by the current conditions that are bogging our nation down and curtailing our imaginations, I invite you to BOLDLY AND CREATIVELY IMAGINE the future you really […]