Tag: nonviolence
Why I am a “bleeding-heart liberal”
To be “liberal” is to be “open to new ideas” and “favourable to or respectful of individual rights and freedoms.” Given the above definition, can a true liberal be a promoter or defender of that most ancient flaw of humanity–war? Is such a thing as a “liberal hawk” logical or possible? One of the oldest ideas in all of human civilization is the idea … Read More Why I am a “bleeding-heart liberal”
To Protest Against Brutal White Supremacy, Learn from the Non-Violent Civil Rights Movement
By John Frederick Kaufman Reports from the violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia last Saturday make clear that the “Unite the Right” marchers, many of whom sported and voiced the hallmarks of white supremacy, had come prepared (in some cases armed with semi-automatic firearms) to instigate violence in the quiet college town. But the Charlottesville police report that 80% of all protestors that day were … Read More To Protest Against Brutal White Supremacy, Learn from the Non-Violent Civil Rights Movement
In the Aftermath of Dropping the “MOAB” Bomb on Afghanistan
By John Frederick Kaufman So the United States suddenly felt the need to give our MOAB (“mother of all bombs”)–more officially known as GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast–a try on Thursday in the desert of Eastern Afghanistan. Though the bomb has been around for awhile, neither Presidents George W. Bush nor Barack Obama cared to actually use it because it has a “blast-radius” of a … Read More In the Aftermath of Dropping the “MOAB” Bomb on Afghanistan
Journalists, Democrats Rally Round the Flag of War (and a Flagging President)
American journalists may be the “enemies of the American people,” according to President Trump, but that didn’t stop a whole lot of them from supporting Trump’s order launching 59 Tomahawk missiles at one air base in Syria. The U.S. missile attack was said to be in retaliation for the Syrian army’s use of chemical weapons. Perhaps American journalists are happy to find an enemy … Read More Journalists, Democrats Rally Round the Flag of War (and a Flagging President)
A Statement Against the U.S. Missile Strikes & Escalating War in Syria
By John Frederick Kaufman On the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War I (the war that failed, as all the others have, to “end all wars”), President Donald Trump reportedly ordered the firing of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase known as Al Shayrat. It is the view of The Pacific blog that this action is detrimental to the cause of achieving … Read More A Statement Against the U.S. Missile Strikes & Escalating War in Syria
Phyllis Bennis: “Trump, Syria, and Chemical Weapons: What We Know, What We Don’t, and the Dangers Ahead”
(Post from Common Dreams website) . . . “In the meantime we know another truth: that a US military escalation against Syria (because we must not forget that US Special Forces and US bombers are already fighting there) will not help the victims of this heinous chemical attack, it will not bring the devastating war in Syria to a quicker end, it will … Read More Phyllis Bennis: “Trump, Syria, and Chemical Weapons: What We Know, What We Don’t, and the Dangers Ahead”
A Poem: “Fists and Flags”
By John Frederick Kaufman Fists and Flags “America first!” the president cried and raised his fist to punch the sky while someone punched a fascist in the head: the fist is first of many lies, grip of welcome weaponized. In my hand I hold a pen to strike out the wall-like words that slam but do not move the mind. Truth first is … Read More A Poem: “Fists and Flags”
