Bleak News from Iraq

I can't imagine the psychological trauma that those who are living this conflict on the ground, living in Iraq, are experiencing. The US is unjustified in its military occupation of Iraq. And the occupation is breeding terrorism. The "surge" - or escalation of military hostilities - is only serving to increase the death toll and casualties for ordinary Iraqis.

The US owes Iraq reparations. But I don't think the current military (or the current government) is capable of delivering on that debt. It's a nasty crux. But there is hope. By holding prominent Bush Administration accountable for this wrongful military action, the US can send a clear message that it is serious about seeking justice - that it is serious about making amends for the wrongs of the invasion and occupation.

Truth-Tellers
by William S. Lind
link
As good news continues to flow from the "surge" – some of it true, some of it false and all of it spun – it is easy to forget the bottom line. The bottom line is whether or not we are beginning to see the re-emergence of a state in Iraq. Three recent news stories throw some light on that question, and it is not a favorable light.

The first, by Steven Hurst of the AP, ran in the August 26 Cleveland Plain Dealer under the title, "Sectarian violence in Iraq nearly double '06 level." Relying on the AP's own figures, the story reported that:

* Iraq is suffering about double the number of war-related deaths throughout the country compared with last year – an average daily toll of 33 in 2006 and 62 so far this year.

* Nearly 1,000 more people have been killed in violence across Iraq in the first eight months of this year than in all of 2006…

* Baghdad has gone from representing 76 percent of all civilian and police war-related deaths in Iraq in January to 52 percent in July, bringing it back to the same spot it was roughly a year ago.

The News is What is Not in the News

One of the biggest news stories these days is everything that doesn't make the mainstream news headlines. The threats to ecological systems and the environment in general; The massive and unwarranted disparity in wealth between the rich and poor; The mindless enabling of a wasteful military industrial complex that seems to be bent on sowing the seeds of destruction, etc.

We hear stories of corruption occasionally, but these stories are not linked to each other. The overall patterns of corruption and abuse of power are not clarified and held up for public scrutiny. It's the job of the press to connect the dots.

One way to clean up the problems in our political system would be to provide mandatory and full public funding for elections. This would eliminate the unfair advantage of candidates who are more friendly with the financial-elite than with the public at large.

A photo to share (in contrast):

Ana

No End in Sight Preview

What has gone wrong in Iraq?

Truth and Justice Will Prevail

I've been thinking about all of the horrible things happening in the world recently. The Bush Administration's trampling of civil liberties and human rights. The demonization of certain ethnic populations, the name-calling - labeling the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as 'terroristic.' It's down-right scary and disturbing.

And on top of all the oppressive political violence you can add the environmental problems we face. And the American Media just doesn't want to give it the time of day. Predictions are for a significant rise in sea-level over the next 100 years. Many species are suffering declines in population. More and more species go extinct every day. Humanity is tossing the natural environment out of balance. And the consequences could be quite severe. One bright side to this phenomenon is that our own actions will likely result in the limitation of future success - as the natural environment, upon which humanity depends, systematically becomes less and less able to accommodate humanity's wants and needs...

But, I think that ultimately, truth and justice and peace, and what is good will prevail.

Let's go forward into tomorrow and all tomorrow's with inspiration in our hearts, as well as inspiration to share with others, to keep fighting the good fight - to keep the goal of a better world, of better selves, better families, better neighborhoods, better relationships...alive and high in our hearts.

A photo to share:

War Made Easy, with Norman Solomon

More information: warmadeeasythemovie.org

Orange Orchid

I had a good time taking pictures at the Capitol Campus Conservatory, here in Olympia Washington. It's a greenhouse, and it has some amazing and beautiful plants. I posted a few of the pictures that I took on my flickr account.

Working for Peace

Working for peace in the future is to work for peace in the present moment.
– Thich Nhat Hahn

Evolution Toward Nonviolence

I just finished reading the most recent Notebook, "Files in Amber," by Lewis H. Lapham, from Harper's Magazine. In it, he talked about the idea that humanity is evolving away from the violence of war.

He quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson, and I think it bears repeating: "it is the ignorant and childish part of mankind that is the fighting part."

I am not sure that I like the condescending tone of "childish." Fighting may be immature. But I don't think that approaching someone with the judgment that he is childish would suit me. Even to approach someone with the accusation of ignorance can be disabling toward future understanding. However, I do agree with the sentiment - that fighting is often due to ignorance, and certainly misunderstanding.

Anyway, I also whole heartedly agree with Lapham's conclusion that there are better ways to resolve our differences than by waging wars!

Let's look to each other, our fellow humans, and resolve not to hurt each other!

This photo is from the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite National Park, California.

Impeachment Basics from Phil Burk

[edit 8/18:] In a nutshell, there are a few arguments for impeachment. One is war fraud; deliberate deception about the threat to US security from Iraq. Two is warrantless wiretaps, and three is condoning torture.

For example, in the case of leading the nation to war under false pretenses. Burk describes two possibilities. One is that Bush et al. genuinely believed that Iraq had WMD and threatened the peace and security of the US. Possibility two is that Bush et al. never really believed that, but used the notion of a WMD threat from Iraq (coupled with the fear generated by 9/11) to market and promote the invasion of Iraq.

Unfortunately for the Bush Administration, the evidence suggests possibility two. It seems that there was a clandestine effort to invade Iraq for several years - even before the Bush Administration secured the office of the executive. It is also readily obvious that Bush and (especially) Cheney took advantage of the post-9/11 climate to promote an invasion of Iraq based on the faulty connection between Saddam Hussein and terrorism.

There was no terrorism in Iraq prior to the unilateral decision of the USA to invade. There was certainly no connection between Iraq or Hussein and Bin Laden's "al Qaeada."

But there was oil in Iraq, and there was also all of the Bush Administration cronies who stand to benefit from the exploitation of the Iraqi oil resource. There were also all of the Bush Administration cronies who stood to benefit from years of increased military spending.

It is clear that leading the USA into an unnecessary, unethical, unjust, immoral and (most likely) illegal military action was the wrong thing to do.

Let's make it so our elected officials have consequences for making the wrong decisions. Please, push for impeachment. Contact your representative today.