International Affairs (Click to see specific nations and regions)

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This new, insightful article explains REALLY WHY George W. Bush started his 2003 Iraq war.

March 26, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Soon after George W. Bush attacked Iraq in March 2003 he landed on an aircraft carrier and spoke of his triumph in front of a huge banner that proclaimed ”Mission Accomplished.” That war actually dragged on for many years, and the U.S.’s bi-partisan war against Iraq and “war against terror” actually provoked terrorism throughout the region and in many other parts of the world.  W’s war was no victory at all! Instead of the “shock and awe” against Iraq creating a decisive, powerful victory for the U.S., the long, bogged-down chaos actually showed how weak and ineffectual the U.S. is. […]

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See Venezuela’s Crisis in the Context of the U.S.’s Foreign Policy

March 22, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

U.S. Foreign Policy Has Serious Implications for Us. Venezuela: Trump and the U.S. government have escalated economic sanctions and military threats against Venezuela, a sovereign democracy. Trump is continuing the bi-partisan U.S. belligerence that has occurred ever since Venezuela elected Hugo Chavez president in 1998. He was re-elected twice and invested Venezuela’s oil wealth to improve nutrition, health, education, and housing before he died in 2013. A few rich people have been hurting the majority poor population. Chavez’s “socialism” angered economic elites, who did not want to lose their economic and political privileges. The U.S. supported the 2002 coup that […]

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URGENT! Tell WA State Senate to pass SJM 8006 to Prevent Nuclear War

March 8, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

We got a WA State Senate committee to pass a resolution calling upon Congress to take a sensible step to prevent nuclear war. But it is stuck in the Senate Rules Committee. We must move SJM 8006 from the Senate Rules Committee to the Senate Floor for a vote by next Wednesday March 13, 2019, so it can move on to the House. PLEASE contact members of the WA State Senate Rules Committee.  Phone numbers are on this list:  http://leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/RULE/Pages/MembersStaff.aspx  Also — if SJM 8006 goes to the Senate Floor, contact your WA state senators.  See their names and contact […]

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Interesting information — and some satire — about Trump’s “Wall”

March 7, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Watch this brilliant, funny, VERY SHORT video about “walls” : https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/2/6/1832784/-New-Mexico-s-new-governor-releases-hilariously-quirky-video-literally-busting-thru-Trump-s-wall?detail=emaildkre   Here is another great 1-minute satirical video about Trump’s “wall emergency” : http://www.markfiore.com/january-march-2019/2019/2/20/its-a-wall-emergency?ss_source=sscampaigns&ss_campaign_id=5c78396f17d9610001979274&ss_email_id=5c784314b6eaa40001713af4&ss_campaign_name=New+Animation%3A+Stormy+Summit+and+A+Wall+Emergency&ss_campaign_sent_date=2019-02-28T20%3A24%3A42Z   Beto O’Rourke’s good video about immigrants and Trump’s insane border wall: Although Beto O’Rourke (from Texas) is not very progressive about some things (e.g., he is very subservient to big business), he has good values related to protecting human rights, and he is eager to reach out to the public on behalf of minorities, immigrants, and other folks whose human rights are in danger.  This 7-minute video is good:  https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/the-border-has-never-been-as-safe-and-secure-as-it-is-now-1442974787669   Trump’s thinking is […]

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NEWS — DANGER — OPPORTUNITY re: Military Draft

March 1, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

A federal judge rules it’s unconstitutional to register ONLY men for the military draft. For a long time before that decision, the federal government had been studying what to do about the draft: — Register women too — Require mandatory “national service” in military or civilian jobs — Abolish the draft altogether. I’ve been following this closely, and there is no indication yet what decision the federal inquiry will propose. Now that a federal judge has ruled it unconstitutional to register only men, this forces the issue into one of the options listed above. See this article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/02/24/military-draft-judge-rules-male-only-registration-unconstitutional/2968872002/   MORE […]

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Good news from Olympia on nuclear weapons!

February 25, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

I’m happy about what we accomplished on Friday February 22, 2019, at a Washington State Senate committee. Our statewide coalition, Washington Against Nuclear Weapons (www.wanwcoalition.org) convinced the State Senate’s Committee on Government, Tribal Relations & Elections to pass our proposal for the Washington State Legislature to call upon Congress to reduce the likelihood of nuclear war. In June 2018 Olympia’s Bob Zeigler suggested that we write and promote such legislation in the form of a “Memorial to Congress” that would make nuclear weapons an issue needing state legislative action and pressuring our state’s congressional delegation to know that the public […]

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TUES FEB 26: Speakers with short film about “Golden Rule” sailboat opposing nuclear weapons

February 25, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The “Golden Rule” is a famous sailboat that has a long history of opposing nuclear weapons. Watch a short film about it and hear speakers. TUESDAY FEBRUARY 26, 7:00 pm at Traditions Café, 5th & Water, downtown Olympia. Jim Woods <jimandvelma1981@gmail.com>, a local member of Veterans for Peace chapter #109, is Olympia’s organizer of this event. See information from Zoe Byrd zoe2byrdz@gmail.com below: The tour starts tomorrow in Chico, so I will be able to get you all of the promo materials on Saturday or Sunday. Along with the screening of “Making Waves,” we will be 2 speakers: myself, Zoe […]

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Urge Congress to keep U.S. in the nuclear INF Treaty, despite Trump’s withdrawal.

February 6, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Trump has actually — and stupidly and recklessly — decided to withdraw from a treaty that Reagan and Gorbachev signed in 1987 to reduce the likelihood of nuclear war.  The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty reduced the dangerous nuclear confrontation in Europe. See information here:  https://thebulletin.org/2019/02/trump-makes-it-official-the-united-states-will-pull-out-of-the-inf-treaty/?utm_source=Bulletin%20Newsletter&utm_medium=iContact%20email&utm_campaign=INFwithdrawal_February2 I posted to my blog some information about this already.  See this link:  http://parallaxperspectives.org/trump-provokes-new-nuclear-arms-race-and-war-by-pulling-out-of-the-1987-inf-treaty-that-reagan-gorbachev-signed   Now Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) has introduced S.312, which is described as “a bill to prevent a nuclear arms race resulting from weakened international restrictions on the proliferation of intermediate- and shorter-range missiles, and for other purposes.”  It would ill […]

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The U.S. should NEVER start a nuclear war! Urge Congress to support the “No First Use” legislation. HOUSE: H.R. 669 and H.R. 921. SENATE: S. 200 and S. 272.

February 6, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The U.S. Constitution EXPLICITLY REQUIRES that ONLY Congress can declare war.  However, since 1945 presidents have claimed the de facto power to start the most horribly destructive war possible WITHOUT the congressional approval that the Constitution REQUIRES. Furthermore, Congress has been VIOLATING THE CONSTITUTION since 1945 by allowing that unconstitutional power to persist. We must restore the Constitution – especially now during the Trump era. Two “No First Use” bills were introduced in the previous congressional session, and they have been reintroduced now with the same bill numbers.  PLEASE URGE CONGRESS TO SUPPORT S. 200 and H.R. 669.  These are […]

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Trump will start a war against Iran UNLESS we STOP him!

February 4, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Trump has been laying out the steps for starting a war against Iran: He has  been lying about Iran. He pulled out from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), which had been working well. He hired John Bolton to be his National Security Advisor.  For many years Bolton has vigorously urged war against Iran. He hired John Pompeo, an anti-Iran hawk, to be his Secretary of State. He ordered the Pentagon to develop plans for a war against Iran. He is subservient to Israel and Saudi Arabia, both of which want a war against Iran. Congress has failed to take strong […]

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Urge Congress to pass “No First Use” legislation to restrict nuclear war

January 30, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

SUPPORT the “No First Use” bills. S.200 and H.R. 669 are companions. Senator Markey and Rep. Lieu introduced Senate and House legislation that would limit Trump’s (or any subsequent president’s) ability to launch nuclear weapons. Their legislation would prohibit any U.S. President from launching a nuclear first strike without a declaration of war by Congress. The U.S. Constitution explicitly states that only Congress can declare war, but since 1945 presidents have claimed the de facto power to start the most horribly destructive war possible without any congressional approval, and Congress has allowed that unconstitutional power to persist. We must restore […]

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Why the U.S. House must push for VERY BOLD changes, not merely bi-partisan deals

January 25, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Moderates want House Democrats to settle for bi-partisan deals with the Republican-dominated Senate. If the House Democrats do that, they will be rebuffing the voters who gave them a mandate for VERY BOLD changes. They also will FAIL TO IDENTIFY how progressive Democrats are much better than conservative Republicans. Even if the Senate fails to pass VERY BOLD House legislation, the points will be made, and 2020’s voters will see who is really on their side, vs. who is on the side of the oppressors. https://www.thenation.com/article/democrats-congress-fundamental-reforms/?link_id=7&can_id=1d662460c0abb8939c5044c82927552b&source=email-pledge-update-for-bold-reforms-naacp-protest-yemen-vote-populism-wins-roma&email_referrer=email_468235&email_subject=pledge-update-for-bold-reforms-naacp-protest-yemen-vote-populism-wins-roma

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Trump is trying to overthrow Venezuela’s democracy!

January 25, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Trump is continuing the century-long and bi-partisan attempts of the U.S. government to oppose honest democracy and human rights in Latin America.  Now Trump is trying to overthrow Venezuela’s democracy! Trump has unilaterally declared a coup to overthrow Venezuela’s democracy.  Trump is recognizing the head of Venezuela’s opposition as “interim president.”  Trump’s example means WE – or ANY NATION – could simply ignore Trump and RECOGNIZE NANCY PELOSI AS THE PRESIDENT of the U.S. READ THIS SHORT ARTICLE:  https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/01/23/fears-us-backed-coup-motion-trump-recognizes-venezuela-opposition-lawmaker-interim?cd-origin=rss&utm_term=Fears%20of%20US-Backed%20%27Coup%27%20in%20Motion%20as%20Trump%20Recognizes%20Venezuela%20Opposition%20Lawmaker%20as%20%27Interim%20President%27&utm_campaign=A%20US-Backed%20Coup%20in%20Venezuela%20%7C%20News%20%2526%20Views&utm_content=email&utm_source=Daily%20Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&cm_mmc=Act-On%20Software-_-email-_-A%20US-Backed%20Coup%20in%20Venezuela%20%7C%20News%20%2526%20Views-_-Fears%20of%20US-Backed%20%27Coup%27%20in%20Motion%20as%20Trump%20Recognizes%20Venezuela%20Opposition%20Lawmaker%20as%20%27Interim%20President%27 SIGN THIS PETITION – and phone your U.S. Senate and House members:  https://afgj.salsalabs.org/opposeusregimechangeeffortsinvenezuela/index.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=e451c469-44eb-4427-8c6a-2cffd45cd00c   More than 70 scholars join Noam Chomsky […]