Articles by GlenAnderson

About GlenAnderson
Since the late 1960s Glen Anderson has devoted his life to working as a volunteer for peace, nonviolence, social justice, and progressive political issues. He has worked through many existing organizations and started several. Over the years he has worked especially for such wide-ranging goals as making peace with Vietnam, eliminating nuclear weapons, converting from a military economy to a peacetime economy, abolishing the death penalty, promoting nonviolence at all levels throughout society, and helping people organize and strategize for grassroots movements to solve many kinds of problems. He writes, speaks, and conducts training workshops on a wide variety of topics. Since 1987 he has produced and hosted a one-hour cable TV interview program on many kinds of issues. Since 2017 he has blogged at https://parallaxperspectives.org He lives in Lacey near Olympia WA. You can reach him at (360) 491-9093 glen@parallaxperspectives.org
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My response to federal gov’t questions about the military draft

April 22, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Early in 2018 a federal government commission exploring the future of the military draft invited comments.  I submitted the responses shown below through this government website:  http://www.inspire2serve.gov/content/share-your-thoughts The Commission’s website asked these questions.  (My answers are listed below them.) The Commission seeks to learn more about why people serve and why people may choose not to serve, as well as ways to increase the number of Americans in military, national, and public service. The Commission welcomes comments from the public on any aspect of the Commission’s mission, including the following questions: 1. Is a military draft or draft contingency still […]

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To reduce gun violence, even banning guns is not enough. We need PROFOUND NONVIOLENCE.

April 22, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

This article came out some years ago (in 2012), but it is still relevant now. Our demands have been  far too modest. Rabbi Michael Lerner says that even BANNING guns does not go far enough. We need PROFOUND NONVIOLENCE. Banning All Guns is Necessary but NOT Sufficient.  We ALSO need a fundamental transformation of consciousness both inner and social. See the article at this link: https://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/2012/page/3/

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Here is a creative nonviolent way to protest: Women are marrying trees in Mexico.

April 22, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Here is a creative nonviolent way to protest: Women are marrying trees in Mexico. This takes the “tree-hugger” image to a whole new level. They are concerned about illegal logging and deforestation in the state of Oaxaca, so they are doing this to raise public awareness. See the article at this link: https://www.treehugger.com/conservation/why-are-women-marrying-trees-mexico.html

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Trump, politicians, media mislead the public about immigrants

April 22, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Trump’s 2016 political campaign rhetoric and lies about immigrants have continued in subsequent years.  Many other politicians act as if Trump’s lies were true. Mainstream media have failed to correct Trump’s lies, so most Americans seem to believe them. There is NOT a flood of immigrants entering the U.S. from Mexico.  Actually, the numbers dropped 90% from 1.7 million in 2005 to only 170,000 in 2015.  Also, more Mexican people are LEAVING the U.S. and moving to Mexico than vice versa. Most people who are here illegally did NOT come from our southern border.  Most came here on tourist visas, […]

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“Hidden Costs of Local Population Growth”

April 16, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

The May 2018 episode of “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” interviews two very knowledgeable guests who have been working to protect the broad public interest in matters affecting our local community. Typically, local communities assume that they are supposed to grow in population. Local population growth is promoted as good for us, but the promoters avoid disclosing the real costs – the hidden costs – of local population growth. This interview explores the costs of such growth. Although some of our examples come from the greater Olympia area, the principles pertain elsewhere too. The City of Olympia expects 20,000 more people here […]

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NPR supports Trump’s attack on Syria — interviews Pentagon’s big-wigs but NO peace supporters

April 13, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

On Friday April 13, 2018, Trump attacked Syria.  National Public Radio provided special radio coverage for a long period of time.  I listened to it and found it ENTIRELY ONE-SIDED with NO meaningful challenge to its wisdom and NO interviews with any peace supporters or anyone who would provide context.  NPR played Trump’s announcement and interviewed military generals and other Pentagon big-wigs and other hawks. Other sides do exist. See the info I quickly compiled here, based on appeals from the past few days seeking PEACE and urging Congress to take responsibility (as the U.S. Constitution requires) rather than letting […]

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Protecting science from corruption is URGENT and CRUCIAL

April 9, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

A huge number of scientists wrote a powerful statement in 2017 explaining how “Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course.”  They strengthened the statement in 2018 and now 20,000 scientists signed on to this “Warning to Humanity.”  This is yet one more reason why we need honest science to drive public policy.  Read the “Warning to Humanity” article at https://www.ecowatch.com/warning-to-humanity-scientists-2544973158.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=aaad04f9dd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-aaad04f9dd-85369701 Republicans’ partisan bias against science and reality:  https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/29/1752981/-Lies-have-a-conservative-bias-Republicans-up-their-war-on-science?detail=emaildkre The government needs good, honest science in order to devise smart public policy. However, the agencies under Trump have been slashing the numbers of competent scientists, failing to consider […]

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Saturday April 14: Participate in Olympia’s March for Science!

April 9, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

11:00 a.m. at Washington State Capitol steps. Hear a few brief speakers. 11:45 Proceed down Capitol Way, turn left (decision pending on whether to turn left on Legion Way or 5th Ave), and enter Heritage Park. Visit informational booths until 2:00 p.m.. • Stop the denialism and corruption that interfere with honest science and good public policy. • Demand that public officials respect honest science and enact evidence-based public policies. • Human beings and our natural environment need this! Background and more information: • The head of the U.S.’s Environmental Protection Agency does not “believe” in climate change and works […]

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How to understand Trump’s current rants about “caravans” of immigrants coming to the U.S.

April 7, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

The Quixote Center (www.quixote.org) has done great solidarity work with Central America for decades.  They put into context the ranting of Trump in early April 2018. Trump is feeling increased pressure about his many scandals, etc., so he is trying to divert scrutiny of his own bad behavior and that of his appointees by demonizing “The Other” and trying to get Americans to fear “The Other” and support Trump’s claim that militarizing the US’s southern border and violating the human rights of undocumented immigrants here will protect us. This article deserves to be read by many people: https://quixote.org/trump-unhinged/ A great […]

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A minister, a priest and a rabbi walked into a bar …

April 5, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

You’ve heard jokes that start with this line:  “A minister, a priest and a rabbi walked into a bar ….” How about this? They walked in and asked the customers whether they wanted to make their own decisions about which religious bodies (if any) to financially support, or whether they wanted Big Government to take their tax dollars and — instead of funding public schools that treat everyone fairly — spend their tax dollars to fund schools owned and operated by religions they did not agree with, so those religions could indoctrinate school children in their religious dogmas. Of course, […]

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John Bolton will push Trump into war(s) and more violent foreign policy

April 1, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Trump’s main criterion for appointing people is their loyalty to him.  He has been firing people who have tried to moderate Trump’s extremism and recklessness.  In March 2018 he appointed an extremely dangerous person — John Bolton — who has been wrong on a great many issues over the years and who shamelessly lied in order to help Dick Cheney and George W. Bush start their horrible war against Iraq in 2003. John Bolton will pollute Trump’s mind even further and delude Trump into thinking that he is getting smart advice from an expert, when really Trump will be  getting […]

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Trump wants to start WAR against Iran. Here are some info resources.

April 1, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Trump’s recent actions show he is gearing up to START A WAR against Iran. Appointing John Bolton to be Trump’s national security advisor has alarmed a great many people. Bolton is an extremely dangerous person who pushes for more wars. His lies helped George W. Bush start his horrible war against Iraq. I will be posting information to my blog – http://www.parallaxperspectives.org – so you can learn more. My blog has a section on Iran. You might want to read several items there, including this recent post: http://parallaxperspectives.org/prevent-trumps-war-against-iran You can also watch my interview with two Iranian-Americans at the time […]

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Stop gun violence! –> Stop nuclear weapons!

March 24, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Stop gun violence — Stop nuclear weapons The link immediately above says this: Guns are designed to kill one person or dozens.  Nuclear weapons are designed to kill millions or hundreds of millions. Guns and nuclear weapons are rooted in similar problems: • Anger and fear cause someone to shoot a gun – and also to build and launch nuclear weapons. • A temporary impulse can shoot a gun – or start a nuclear war. • Big business corporations build guns and nuclear weapons for profits. • Manufacturers of guns and nuclear weapons bribe and lobby Congress to continue building […]

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“Voter-Owned Elections: Replace Special Interests’ Big-Money Financing.” This is necessary in order to really solve our nation’s health care crisis.

March 23, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

The Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation’s November 2009 TV program is still timely now! It focuses on how big money has corrupted our elections, so we need to empower voters to replace the “special interests” that fund our elections. As a case study about this, we pay special attention to our grossly inadequate health care system. Universal Single-Payer would be a much better alternative to our current system, but insurance and pharmaceutical companies pay big money to political candidates in order to prevent the government from replacing our current bad system with a great alternative. To watch the interview with two […]