Organizing & Activism (Also see Nonviolence, Outreach)

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A strategically smart 3-step testimony for legislation to abolish the DP

May 28, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Many times I have testified to Washington State legislative committees.  In 2020 I did this again.  I’m attaching below a slightly longer version of what I said.  This document summarizes a strategically smart three-step process to convince people (legislators, the public, etc.) why it is important to abolish the death penalty — and why abolishing it would not endanger the public. A major obstacle in convincing the public and legislatures to abolish the DP is their fear that it protects our safety.  My third point in this testimony points out that we could abolish it without endangering public safety.  It […]

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Death Penalty 101: Learn the “talking points” about why to abolish it: May 31 on Zoom for just one hour

May 28, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Do you want to repeal the death penalty but don’t know the talking points? Have you gotten involved in the anti-death penalty movement but don’t know the history? This meeting is for you! Come learn about the history of the death penalty and the many arguments against it. There is a midday time and an evening time, both events will have the same content, so pick the time that works best for you to attend this virtual Zoom session. Death Penalty 101 Wednesday, May 31 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM – Register here 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM – Register here Virtual […]

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“Using Lotteries to Create an Open Democracy”

May 25, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

The June 2023 episode of “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” TV series helps us think about democracy more profoundly, more creatively, and more boldly than we are used to doing. Instead of narrowly electing one person or another, how could we devise a more profound kind of democracy in which ALL people have real voices and real power?  How could we eliminate the corruption caused by big businesses, extremely rich people, and political parties?  How could we empower real people instead of being dominated by a political class of overlords? Anyone anywhere can watch this June 2023 program through this blog: WATCH […]

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“We the People vs. Corporate Rule: It’s up to Us” — May 2023 TV program and article about constitutional amendment

May 23, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

The May 2023 episode of “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” TV series makes a solid case for amending the U.S. Constitution in a way that would greatly strengthen democracy and promote fairness and progress for the wide range of issues people care about. For a long time the Supreme Court has given business corporations constitutional rights that our nation’s founders intended only for human beings – and the Supreme Court has allowed Big Money to corrupt our elections. Glen interviewed two well informed guests who are savvy organizers working with the organization Move to Amend.  They explain how we got into this […]

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Right-wing extremism is a serious threat to democracy in the U.S. and many other countries

March 26, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

The right-wing attacks on honest democracy in the U.S. are occurring in other nations too.  They SERIOUSLY THREATEN democracy in the U.S. and elsewhere.  Ordinary people need to organize smart strategies to protect honest democracy, human rights, immigrants, religious minorities, etc. Here are some recent relevant articles:   It can happen here: Lessons from ‘Rise of the Nazis’ on 90th anniversary of Hitler’s coming to power:  https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/2/2149419/-It-can-happen-here-Lessons-from-Rise-of-the-Nazis-on-90th-anniversary-of-Hitler-s-coming-to-power?detail=emaildkre&pm_source=DKRE&pm_medium=email   Right-wing extremists dominate some nations and promote chaos instead of competent governance: John Feffer wrote this article explaining that House Republicans, Euroskeptics, Vladimir Putin, and Jair Bolsonaro are the agents of a […]

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These savvy, practical insights can reach and convince the public about our issues

March 21, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

I’ve been working with some people who want to “nationalize” an industry that has been owned by capitalists for many decades.  Several members of that group pointed out that calling for “nationalizing” it can leave us open to accusations of being “socialists” or “communists.”  They said that INSTEAD we should call for “public ownership,” which sounds more democratic and practical. I agree that it is crucially important to frame this issue with the appealing term “public ownership.” I wrote an article about the overall concept of how to choose our terminology to reach out effectively to the public and bring […]

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What to do about right-wing extremists who deny election results and oppose honest democracy?

March 4, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Decent Americans who want democracy to survive and thrive are deeply concerned about right-wing extremists who deny election results and oppose honest democracy.  These include Donald Trump, Kari Lake, and a great number of Republicans and people more extreme than they are. Actually, people who disagree with us differ in some ways from each other, so let’s not lump them all together and become so frightened that we feel overwhelmed and powerless.  We can devise smart strategies to deal with them. The article here provides some fresh information and insights.  The article is titled, “Forget the Deplorables and Focus on […]

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War hawks promote war with China. We must PREVENT that!

March 4, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Much smart research — and many smart articles — have exposed the hard reality that much of the U.S.’s foreign policy is driven by military weapons manufacturers that profit by promoting our militaristic foreign policy. Also, many politicians promote nationalism and militarism as a way to rally voters to cheer for them.   Now powerful forces are rallying the U.S. to support a war with China — or if not an actual war, at least the steps leading up to war.  They don’t seem to recognize that wars fail to solve problems.  Also, they don’t seem to realize that the […]

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Now the news media are IGNORING the climate crisis, so WE MUST ORGANIZE a big, strategically savvy GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT!

March 4, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Does the climate crisis still exist?  Has it gone away? It is NOT in the news now. In order to solve the climate crisis, WE MUST MAKE IT A HOT ISSUE AGAIN!!!  WE MUST ORGANIZE A SAVVY GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT to expose the problems and propose solutions!!!   Page 62 of the February-March 2023 issue of The Progressive Magazine (www.progressive.org) reported this: “Only one independent news source, Truthout, reported on a Media Matters for America study that found that morning TV shows gave almost as much air-time to Bezos’s 2021 space launch as they did to all climate crisis news in […]

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Slash the Military-Industrial Complex. Cutting the Pentagon Budget in Half Would Finally Force the Generals to Think

February 28, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Here’s an interesting article about this:  https://www.juancole.com/2023/02/military-industrial-generals.html   A new book says Eisenhower was right:  The US military budget is ‘a theft from those who hunger.’  The book also provides information about protesting for peace.  See this:  https://wagingnonviolence.org/cnv/2023/02/eisenhower-was-right-us-military-budget-book-review-trillion-dollar-silencer-joan-roelofs/   A new effort in the U.S. House would reduce wasteful Pentagon spending and redirect funds to critical basic needs. The first few short paragraphs of the article I linked below say this: Today Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Mark Pocan (D-WI) reintroduced the People Over Pentagon Act, which would cut $100 billion in defense spending and reallocate the funds to human […]

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To solve political-social-economic problems, we must organize PEOPLE-POWER grassroots movements

February 28, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Several years ago, a guest on one of my TV programs said that only 5% of democracy is about voting, while 95% of democracy is about organizing grassroots movements.  I agree. People who have official power (politicians, big businesses, etc.) want ordinary people to feel powerless and get out of the way, so they themselves can make all of the important decisions. Alice Walker said, “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” If ordinary people actually did recognize our power — and our huge potential to organize strategically from the grassroots […]

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TV + online: “Smart Strategies to Organize for Peace and No Nuclear Weapons”

February 23, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

The March 2023 program on “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” TV series provides fresh insights and smart strategies to help us achieve peace in the world and abolish nuclear weapons worldwide. In this TV program, I address these main points: Point #1.    The U.S. has been provoking nuclear weapons since the 1940s. Point #2.    Nuclear weapons exist in the overall context of U.S. foreign policy.  To achieve peace, we must debunk the MISTAKEN ASSUMPTIONS that have trapped us in endless wars and the suicide of nuclear weapons. To get out of those traps, we must think clearly and creatively – and de-militarize […]

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Strategically smart messages toward abolishing the death penalty

February 4, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Building a movement to abolish the death penalty – both through changing public opinion and then through passing legislation – requires strategically smart messaging. Below I’m attaching something I wrote that uses 3 smart steps to help people recognize that the status quo is broken and to decide we can abolish the death penalty without sacrificing public safety: Fact #1:  The death penalty does not deliver what it promises. Fact #2:  The death penalty makes existing problems worse and it causes more problems. Fact #3:  We can let go of the death penalty and still be safe.   I wrote […]

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House Republicans use the phony-baloney “debt ceiling” to hold the U.S. hostage and cut programs we really need

February 4, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Mainstream news media keep giving credibility to Republican propaganda about the “debt ceiling.” The “debt ceiling” is NOT in the Constitution.  It is simply a law that could be repealed, but Democrats keep failing to take that necessary action.  Congress has routinely increased it — including in every year of the Trump regime — but when Republican Newt Gingrich had power in the House and when Democrats Obama and Biden have been President, Republicans act like terrorists and hold our nation hostage and threaten to shut down our government because they want to cut spending for programs we really need, […]

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Here is what a REAL “Christian nation” would look like

February 4, 2023 GlenAnderson 0

Right-wing Christians and most Republicans keep saying they want the U.S. to be a “Christian nation.” But they do NOT want it to be the kind of society that Jesus was actually promoting. Jesus NEVER objected to abortion or homosexuality or immigration. What Jesus REALLY kept teaching and practicing are ethical, humane, loving, compassionate actions: Feed the hungry Heal the sick Welcome the stranger (and the foreigner and other ethnic groups) with equal human dignity as ourselves Instead of attacking LGBTQ persons or persons who want abortions, Jesus REPEATEDLY LAMBASTED: Rich people who failed to share with the poor Self-righteous […]