Examples of Parallax Views – Page 50 – Glen's Parallax Perspectives

Repeal the military draft law. Here are my responses to government’s questions

August 9, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

A few months ago the federal government invited people to answer these seven questions about the future of the military draft: 1. Is a military draft or draft contingency still a necessary component of U.S. national security? 2. Are modifications to the selective service system needed? 3. How can the United States increase participation in military, national, and public service by individuals with skills critical to address the national security and other public service needs of the nation? 4. What are the barriers to participation in military, national, or public service? 5. Does service have inherent value, and, if so, […]

Senate must publicly expose Trump’s nominees & turn public opinion against Trumpism.

August 9, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Trump keeps nominating horribly corrupt, incompetent and dangerous right-wing nominees for powerful positions in the federal government. Democratic senators simply vote “no” but fail to take stronger actions, so these Democratic senators trap themselves in a simple defensive role. When they do that, Trump is free to keep throwing horribly corrupt, incompetent and dangerous right-wing nominees at us, one after another. Democratic senators must STAND UP for humane values, honesty, and the broad public interest. They must PUBLICLY EXPOSE Trump’s nominees as horribly corrupt, incompetent and dangerous right-wing extremists. They must REACH OUT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC and TURN PUBLIC […]

A court victory for civil resistance vs. nuclear weapons!

July 27, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

On May 12, 2018, Mother’s Day, members of Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action blocked the road leading into the Trident Nuclear Submarine base at Bangor in Kitsap County WA. (They were on the county’s side of the line, not on the federal side.) On Friday July 27 the defendants had their mitigation hearings. Larry Kerschner, a Vietnam veteran who is now a pacifist living in Centralia WA presented his statement to Judge Jeffrey J. Jahns. Larry was pleased and surprised when the judge responded to Larry’s statement by reducing his $68 fine to zero. The judge reduced all the […]

Larry Mosqueda’s insightful article explains the immigration crisis

July 27, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

On July 27, 2018, Larry Mosqueda published at CounterPunch his new article about the current immigration “crisis.” His article corrects the misunderstandings that are widespread throughout the U.S. government, mainstream media, and the general public. He invites us to share it with other people, so I’m sharing it with you through my blog, www.parallaxperspectives.org. You will be able to read it in the August 2018 issue of Works in Progress, Olympia’s progressive monthly newspaper. See a paper copy or www.olywip.org Here is the link to read it at CounterPunch: https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/07/27/on-the-origins-of-the-current-immigration-crisis-at-the-border/

Democracy’s threats are deeper than Russia.

July 27, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Mainstream media and the official Democratic Party want us to think that Russia is the main threat to American democracy. The actual threats are different and much more deep-seated. While Russia clearly did bad things to American democracy during the 2016 election — and before and since — focusing on Russia is a clever distraction promoted by people who want us to ignore the much more serious threats. Trump won in 2016 largely because so many Americans were disgusted with the status quo. Over the years, public opinion polls kept showing increasing numbers of people saying the U.S. is on […]

Stop the Endless Wars. Repeal the 2001 AUMF.

July 27, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

For decades the Cold War allowed our nation’s militarists — and the weapons manufacturing corporations that fund them — to stampede the U.S. media and politicians and public into decades of recklessly wasteful military spending, including several wars and proxy wars and thousands of nuclear weapons. They said that this is Priority #1, so we could not afford bold efforts to end poverty, take care of the environment, or do other crucial work. When the Cold War ended, those same vested interests — our nation’s militarists and the weapons manufacturers — and conservative elements that opposed solving our nation’s social […]

Community Affirmation: Peace, Not Nuclear Weapons

July 27, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

This Community Affirmation was affirmed at the June 1982 International Religious Convocation for the Second United Nations Special Session on Disarmament. It remains timely today. Community Affirmation We who live in the shadow of the mushroom cloud and the dangers of bullets on our streets Today declare our hope in the future. From the diversity of our religious traditions We have come to renew our belief in the holiness of the earth and the sanctity of all life. We declare we are at peace with all people of good will. We need no leader to define […]

Declaration of Independence from Nuclear Weapons

July 27, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

This document was created in 1985 and is still an important and positive alternative to our current crisis. May we all join in! Dozens of persons (including me) signed this document on Fourth of July weekend of 1985 in a ceremony outside the Trident Nuclear Submarine base at Bangor in Kitsap County WA. Ten years later dozens more signed it in a renewal of the original ceremony. MAY WE ALL JOIN TOGETHER IN AFFIRMING IT NOW, decades later! Declaration of Independence from Nuclear Weapons We are people living in the shadow of nuclear annihilation. We recognize that our present way […]

Voters do want prosecutors to be PROGRESSIVE, not “tough-on-crime.”

July 27, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

In almost every state, the voters elect their local prosecuting attorneys. For many years prosecutors were elected and re-elected by being “tough-on-crime,” and public opinion seemed to support “lock-em-up-and-throw-away-the-key” policies. Mainstream media kept reinforcing that stereotype, and both of the big political parties bought into it. We were very stuck. But finally people are paying attention to the RESEARCH that PROVES those “tough-on-crime” laws and policies DO NOT WORK. Also, voters want to replace those with fair and just reforms. Besides being seriously biased by race and economic class, they are grossly unjust and they waste taxpayers’ money. Now the […]

Many individuals add up to strong “people-power!”

July 25, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

I enjoy sharing with people a story I heard about 40 years ago. We need to internalize this story’s message, let it inspire us to persist in organizing nonviolent grassroots movements for peace, human rights, the climate, and so forth — and share this story with other people. Here is the story: Two birds were enjoying a conversation while perched on a branch. One of them mentioned that each individual snowflake weighs practically nothing. A snowflake can land on a branch, and the branch does not move at all. Another snowflake can land without the branch noticing it. And another […]

Norway’s Prime Minister rebuffed Trump’s stupid immigration statement

July 21, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

In January 2018 when Trump referred to Haiti and African countries as “shithole” countries, he said he’d be OK with having immigrants come from [white countries such as] Norway. Immediately Norway’s Prime Minister rebuffed Trump’s racist ignorance by saying more people are going from the U.S. to Norway than from there to here. Here is an article about that: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/24/1735614/-A-quick-message-from-Norway-s-Prime-Minister?detail=emaildkre Trump pretends to like Norway. Wouldn’t he be surprised to find out what Norway really has? A peaceful foreign policy! Health care for everyone! High taxes for rich people and corporations! A huge social safety net! A truly humane and […]

Freedom of Religion Does NOT Give Permission to Hurt Other People

July 21, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

In 1993 the U.S. Congress — with broad support by congressional members of both big political parties and much grassroots support across the political spectrum — passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to explicitly protect people’s free exercise of religion. This is especially important for religious minorities. Example #1: Suppose your employer expects you to work on your holy day. The RFRA supports your effort to exchange that work day for a different day. Example #2: Suppose your religion expects you to wear something special on your head or grow your beard out, but your employer or some law […]

Avoid the anti-Russia hype that promotes a new Cold War.

July 17, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Both of the big political parties — Republicans and Democrats – are stuck in their own agendas. Neither of the big party really supports peace. Each wants confrontation with Russia for different reasons. Ordinary people must resist the anti-Russia hype and a new Cold War.The American people must assert that we want peace, not a new Cold War. Norman Solomon’s article at this link shows smart insights: https://www.truthdig.com/articles/climb-down-from-the-summit-of-hostile-propaganda/

Smart insights to distinguish “conflict” from “abuse.”

July 17, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Someone sent me an e-mail expressing support for “Conflict is Not Abuse” from Sarah Schulman. I searched for information about the book and found this very insightful article. It offers smart, practical and compassionate ways out of the traps that many people — especially progressives — get into regarding how we deal with social justice issues at an interpersonal level. Rather than try to summarize her helpful insights here, I encourage you to read this information about her book: https://www.thestranger.com/books/2017/01/10/24792575/sarah-schulmans-conflict-is-not-abuse-is-a-guide-to-keeping-the-peace

Obama ALSO broke up immigrant families and deported many. Democrats failed to object.

July 17, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Nowadays Democrats and decent people strongly object to Trump’s cruelty in breaking up immigrant families and deporting many family members. Actually, Obama did that too — in record numbers much higher than George W. Bush had done — but Democrats did not object when a Democratic president did. People nowadays are right to criticize the Trump regime for its extreme cruelty. In order to be credible, we must also criticize Obama and the Democrats for their cruelty too. Let’s stand firm on the principles of human rights, and let the partisan chips fall where they may. Pages 48-49 of the […]