Month: November 2023

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Israel and Palestine — Background and Context

November 30, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

The December 2023 TV program in the “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” series provides important background and context for the crisis of violence in Israel and Palestine that is going on at the end of 2023. The American people are alarmed by the news, but very few people understand the background and context in which the current violence arose.  If we understand that, we can urge our government to take actions that are smarter and more humane than what our government is doing now. This TV program opposes violence on all sides.  We oppose war crimes.  We need a ceasefire to stop […]

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Biden violates 2020 campaign promises by BUILDING TRUMP’S WALL, despite 26 laws

November 28, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Biden said border walls do not work, but he is waiving 26 laws to build more of Trump’s Wall. These two articles were posted October 5, 2023: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/biden-border-wall_n_651f5354e4b091a3dc26bf23?email_hash=d82661dbaf9d922be74896a49d247c55ffc55d54   and https://truthout.org/articles/biden-administration-waives-26-laws-to-speed-construction-on-trumps-border-wall/?utm_source=Truthout&utm_campaign=e340eb2861-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_3_20_2023_13_41_COPY_05&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbb541a1db-e340eb2861-652572905&mc_cid=e340eb2861&mc_eid=d635d5c1bf   Also, in order to continue building Trump’s Wall, Biden waived these two laws among the 26:  the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act .  Biden took his cruel action without seeking any input from local communities. His Department of Homeland Security is FAST-TRACKING the border wall construction and VIOLATING TREATIES.  Biden’s wall will go through a […]

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Death penalty: Recent PROGRESS toward abolishing it

November 28, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

2021 was the 21st consecutive year of Death Row population decline:  https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/new-resource-bureau-of-justice-statistics-reports-2021-showed-21st-consecutive-year-of-death-row-population-decline   Virginia’s abolition of the death penalty seems so secure now that the abolitionist organization is shutting down. More than two years ago both bodies of Virginia’s legislature voted to abolish it, and the governor signed the abolition bill into law.  The November 2023 election continued a comfortable majority of abolitionists in both bodies.  The abolitionist organization feels so secure that the death penalty is gone that they are shutting down.   POLL: For the First Time, More Americans Believe the Death Penalty Is Applied Unfairly in the […]

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Our national culture values and worships the OPPOSITE of Nonviolence

November 24, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

We need to recognize that our national culture is trapped in myths, values, beliefs, and an educational system that are the OPPOSITE of Nonviolence. In the 1760s and 1770s, nonviolent resistance was already winning independence for the 13 colonies before the Revolutionary War started killing British troops and thereby gave England a reason to violently wage war against the colonies.  Gene Sharp’s research showed that we would have achieved independence sooner if we had continued nonviolent resistance instead of resorting to war. We have worshiped the military ever since, even though the U.S. has not won a war since World […]

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Puns related to religion

November 24, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

I wanted to be a Gregorian monk, but I never got the chants.     Pope:  There’s an image of Jesus in the margarine! Dalai Lama:  I can’t believe it’s not Buddha!     They say the Sistine Chapel has the best ceiling.  I don’t know if it’s the best, but it’s certainly up there.     My friend didn’t pay his exorcist, so he got repossessed.     First two wise men:  “We bring you gold and frankincense. Third wise man:  “But wait — there’s myrrh.”          

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Nuclear weapons are illegal in two ways

November 24, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Nuclear weapons are illegal in two ways: (1)   The Geneva Accords (to which the U.S. is a party) specify that during any war, although international law allows targeting and killing combatants, nations are prohibited from using weapons that do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.  Using nuclear weapons would certainly violate international law.  Also, I remember that in 1996 the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion stating that while merely possessing nuclear weapons is not illegal, actually using them would be illegal. (2)  Thus far, 69 nations (but none of the 9 nations owning nuclear weapons) have ratified […]

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Fresh, smart insights into grassroots organizing — and some related information

November 23, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Lawsuits Have Become the Weapon of Choice Against Activists:  Legal intimidation suits known as “SLAPPs” are becoming the norm for private corporations and governments trying to silence those who speak out on matters of public interest:  https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/slapp-legal-intimidation-activists/   Lessons from Gramsci for social movements today:  The savvy brothers Mark Engler and Paul Engler posted this on August 1, 2023.  They say from Gramsci’s political thinking and practical strategizing come a set of ideas that arguably have only grown more salient with time:  https://wagingnonviolence.org/2023/08/gramsci-lessons-for-social-movements-today/   “Death Anxiety and Social Change” — This 5-page resource from the Ernest Becker Foundation provides smart, […]

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Links to a few funny short videos

November 23, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Funny 3-minute music video about Exxon’s mania for continuing to hurt the climate:  https://www.thenation.com/article/environment/just-cant-stop/   Randy Rainbow’s short satirical singing interview with Trump after Trump’s indictment:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ues8ycOxXKM   Groucho Marx’s 1-minute imitation of Senator Mitch McConnell starts at about 3:55 and runs for nearly a minute:  https://www.freegreatmovies.com/Free-Movie/Horse-Feathers/4135 (This is from the Marx Brothers’ film “Horse Feathers.”)   The anti-vax truck convoy gets hilariously trolled by one slow-moving bicyclist:  https://www.yahoo.com/news/people-convoy-gets-hilariously-trolled-153021181.html   Trump “Crime after Crime” parody:  https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=trump+true+colors&docid=608022675720765869&mid=9CF7BE242AE8EC30D1C89CF7BE242AE8EC30D1C8&view=detail&FORM=VIRE   Another parody about Trump:  https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+trump+parody+songs&docid=607991545880645158&mid=98BD5062A579455ECFCE98BD5062A579455ECFCE&view=detail&FORM=VIRE                    

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Israel’s war against Palestinian people VIOLATES and SERIOUSLY HURTS the Jewish faith!

November 23, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

One of the many reasons why I oppose the Israeli government’s war against Palestinian people is that Israel’s government is actually HURTING the Jewish faith by VIOLATING some of its core ethical values: The First Commandment says we must have no other gods besides the one true God.   But Israel’s government violates that commandment by worshiping the false idol of nationalism and the false idol of military violence.  I wish they would put their faith in God instead of military weapons. Other commandments prohibit coveting anything that belongs to our neighbors. But Israel’s government is breaking that commandment by coveting […]

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Time for a Transnational Uprising Against a Reckless Escalation of the Arms Race?

November 22, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Norman Solomon is a very savvy writer about important issues.  In the article I’m linking below, he summarizes some important points in the past four decades of nuclear weapons.  He points out some progress that was made before – and the backward steps taken after that previous progress.  He says nuclear war is becoming more likely now.  He calls for people in the U.S. and other nations to build a stronger movement against nuclear weapons. November 21, 2023 Time for a Transnational Uprising Against a Reckless Escalation of the Arms Race? The specter of omnicide looms. https://www.thenation.com/article/world/nuclear-war-arms-race-russia-china/ Norman Solomon   […]

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Support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)

November 22, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

On October 30, 2023, the Olympia City Council passed a resolution supporting the TPNW.   Thanks to Bob Zeigler, Mark Fleming and others who had a hand in this.  City Council member Clark Gilman strongly promoted this. TPNW Resolution     Please SHARE and ENDORSE this interfaith statement for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW): Olympia’s Joanne Dufour will be going to New York and attending the upcoming meeting at the United Nations of nations that have ratified the TPNW.  She encourages us to share this interfaith statement and get faith communities (local and larger) to endorse it.  […]

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UN Report Details Rampant US Human Rights Violations at Home and Abroad

November 22, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

The U.S.’s people, government, and mainstream media like to think that the U.S. is the world’s greatest beacon of liberty — and the world’s greatest champion of human rights.  The facts prove otherwise.   See this article published November 9, 2023: UN Report Details Rampant US Human Rights Violations at Home and Abroad Two-thirds of U.S. breaches of the civil and political rights covenant involve racial discrimination. https://truthout.org/articles/un-report-details-rampant-us-human-rights-violations-at-home-and-abroad/?mc_cid=e95b7e2b5b&mc_eid=d635d5c1bf   Also see this information posted Oct. 24, 2023, by the Center for Constitutional Rights: The U.S. is NEGLIGENT in protecting human rights in the U.S.:  https://ccrjustice.org/us-government-and-compliance-iccpr   The Center for Constitutional […]