Action Spotlight
Cut Social Security & Veterans' Benefits? Cut the Pentagon Instead!
President Obama has endorsed cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits by using the "chained CPI" to lower the cost-of-living adjustment. The Congressional Budget Office says cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits in this way would save the government $163 billion over ten years. But there are much better ways for the government to save $163 billiion. Email President Obama and Congress >
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September 2010
JFP 9/14: "Palestinian Gandhi" Faces Sentencing for Organizing Protests
Just Foreign Policy News
September 14, 2010
Why Peaceniks Should Care About the Afghanistan Study Group Report
Experts who crafted the Afghanistan Study Group report have a strategy to move Washington towards ending the war. If their recommendations are followed, fewer Americans and Afghans will be killed.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert - naiman/why - peaceniks - should - care_b_712333.html
The report, which is short and accessible, can be found here:
http://www.afghanistanstudygroup.org/
Bacevich: Washington Rules
Andrew Bacevich's book, "Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War," is a call for Americans to reject the Washington consensus for permanent war.
September 24th: JFP "Virtual Brown Bag" with Andrew Bacevich
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/bacevichtalk
Get the book
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/buywashingtonrules
Help Support Our Work
Your donation helps us educate Americans and create opportunities to advocate for a just foreign policy.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate
Summary:
U.S./Top News
JFP 9/13: Foreign Policy Elite Defecting from Afghan War
Just Foreign Policy News
September 13, 2010
Al Jazeera video: What Turks Approved in the Constitutional Referendum
Immunity removed for officers involved in the 1980 coup; rights of workers to organize expanded; military officers can be tried in civilian courts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcYG7vg6tvE
Why Peaceniks Should Care About the Afghanistan Study Group Report
Experts who crafted the Afghanistan Study Group report have a strategy to move Washington towards ending the war. If their recommendations are followed, fewer Americans and Afghans will be killed.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert - naiman/why - peaceniks - should - care_b_712333.html
Bacevich: Washington Rules
Andrew Bacevich's book, "Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War," is a call for Americans to reject the Washington consensus for permanent war.
September 24th: JFP "Virtual Brown Bag" with Andrew Bacevich
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/bacevichtalk
Get the book
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/buywashingtonrules
Help Support Our Work
Your donation helps us educate Americans and create opportunities to advocate for a just foreign policy.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate
Summary:
U.S./Top News
JFP 9/10: Why Peaceniks Should Care About the Afghan Study Group Report
Just Foreign Policy News
September 10, 2010
Why Peaceniks Should Care About the Afghanistan Study Group Report
The inside experts who crafted the Afghanistan Study Group report have a strategy to move Washington towards ending the war. If their recommendations are followed, fewer Americans and Afghans will be killed. It's in the interests of peace for as many Americans as possible to read and digest this short and accessible report, which calls for a negotiated political settlement to end the war.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert - naiman/why - peaceniks - should - care_b_712333.html
AP Video: Angelina Jolie Meets Flood Victims in Pakistan
UNHCR ambassador Angelina Jolie visited northwest Pakistan to meet victims of the flooding. Jolie appealed to the international community to provide aid and help Pakistan recover. The quickest way to donate $10 to UNHCR's relief effort is to text "swat" to 50555 from your cell phone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaY0S09qNFQ
Bacevich: Washington Rules
Andrew Bacevich's book, "Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War," is a call for Americans to reject the Washington consensus for permanent war.
NYT review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/books/review/Bass - t.html
Get the book
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/buywashingtonrules
September 24th: JFP "Virtual Brown Bag" with Andrew Bacevich
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/bacevichtalk
Why Peaceniks Should Care About the Afghanistan Study Group Report
There is a tradition among some peace activists of striking a pose of annoyed indifference to the question of how to get out of an unpopular war. "There are three ways to get out," goes one waggish response. "Air, land, and sea."
This is funny and emotionally satisfying, and also represents a truth for peace activists: ending the war is a first principle, not something contingent on whether a particular means of doing so satisfies someone else's notion of what is practical.
On the other hand, peace activists can't be satisfied with being right; they also are morally compelled to try to be effective. And part of being effective is giving consideration to, and seeking to publicize, arguments are likely to end the war sooner rather than later. It's not likely, for example, that discussing ways in which the war might be useful for the long-term maintenance of the "capitalist world system" will turn the Washington debate against war in the short run. If, on the other hand, central to the official story is a claim that the war is a war against Al Qaeda, but senior U.S. officials publicly concede that there is no significant Al Qaeda presence today in Afghanistan, that is certainly a fact worth knowing and spreading.
JFP 9/9: Kabul Bank Crisis Sours Afghans on US; CA's Prop 19 Could Free Mexico from Drug War
Just Foreign Policy News
September 9, 2010
International Days of Action Against the War in Afghanistan, October 7-10
Peace groups around the world have called for local actions marking the ninth anniversary of the US invasion.
http://www.endafghanistanwar.com/
Juan Cole: US TV Failure to Report on Pakistani Flood Threatens Americans' Security
Juan Cole reviews US TV coverage of the flood disaster in Pakistan and finds it sorely wanting.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/archive/175292/
Bacevich: Washington Rules
Andrew Bacevich's book, "Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War," is a call for Americans to reject the Washington consensus for permanent war.
NYT review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/books/review/Bass-t.html
Get the book
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/buywashingtonrules
September 24th: JFP "Virtual Brown Bag" with Andrew Bacevich
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/bacevichtalk
Help Support Our Work
Your donation helps us educate Americans and create opportunities to advocate for a just foreign policy.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate
Summary:
U.S./Top News
JFP 9/8: vanden Heuvel on Afg Study Group; US Actors Back Israeli Boycott of Ariel
Just Foreign Policy News
September 8, 2010
October 2: One Nation for Peace
On October 2, peace voices from across the country will be converging in Washington, as part of the One Nation Working Together mobilization, to call for the wars to end.
Here is a spreadsheet that lists local organizing groups:
http://bit.ly/bUlUbD
No group yet in your community? Help getting started can be found at the "Peace Table"
http://bit.ly/buThrE
Jewish Voice for Peace: Support Israeli Artists Who Say NO to Normalizing Settlements
Jewish Voice for Peace is organizing a campaign of support for Israeli actors who have refused to perform at Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The campaign has picked up support from many prominent US actors, writers, and directors, including Wallace Shawn, Cynthia Nixon, Theodore Bikel, Eve Ensler, and Ed Asner (see Ha'aretz article, #8 below.) A fuller list of signatories is here:
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/campaigns/making-history-support-israeli-artists-who-say-no-normalizing-settlements-4
Bacevich: Washington Rules
Andrew Bacevich's book, "Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War," is a call for Americans to reject the Washington consensus for permanent war.
NYT review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/books/review/Bass-t.html
Get the book
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/buywashingtonrules
September 24th: JFP "Virtual Brown Bag" with Andrew Bacevich
JFP 9/7: US withholds drug war funds from Mexico over human rights
Just Foreign Policy News
September 7, 2010
"A New Way Forward: Rethinking U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan"
Report of the "Afghanistan Study Group" initiated by Steve Clemons and directed by Matthew Hoh.
http://www.afghanistanstudygroup.org/
AP editor: 'Combat in Iraq is not over, and we should not uncritically repeat suggestions that it is'
AP standards editor Tom Kent cautions reporters not to parrot "combat is over."
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45&aid=190064
Reuters Video: Afghans protest Koran burning
Protesters stage an anti-U.S. rally in Kabul after an American church says it will burn the Holy Koran on the September 11 anniversary.
http://www.reuters.com/news/video/story?videoId=152558173&videoChannel=1
Beverly Bell: For Partners in Health, Good Health Means Justice and Rights
Beverly Bell interviews Loune Viaud of Partners in Health's Haiti program.
http://www.truth-out.org/for-partners-health-good-health-means-justice-and-rights62702
Bacevich: Washington Rules
Andrew Bacevich's book, "Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War," is a call for Americans to reject the Washington consensus for permanent war.
Get the book
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/buywashingtonrules
September 24th: JFP "Virtual Brown Bag" with Andrew Bacevich
JFP 9/3: US officials mull US taxpayer bailout of Kabul Bank
Just Foreign Policy News
September 3, 2010
CBPP graph showing how wars fit in to projected deficits
A paper by Center on Budget and Policy Priorities includes a graph that shows the relative contribution of the wars to projected budget deficits.
The graph indicates the following ranking:
1. Bush tax cuts
2. Economic downturn (order of the first two is reversed in the short term)
3. Wars
4. Stimulus
5. Bank bailouts
CBPP writes: "Together with the economic downturn, the Bush tax cuts and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq explain virtually the entire deficit over the next ten years."
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3036
Iraq/Afghanistan: A Promise Kept, a Promise Deferred
As a candidate, President Obama said he wanted to end the mindset that leads to war. A key feature of that mindset is the belief Washington can and should determine who may participate in the governments of the broader Middle East. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. officials are still working to exclude from power people who are opposed to U.S. control over their governments or a long-term U.S. military presence. This is a recipe for permanent war. Lebanon, where the U.S. accepts the participation in power of people opposed to U.S. control, shows it is not an immutable fact that the U.S. must pursue this permanent war policy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/iraqafghanistan-a-promise_b_702172.html
Bacevich: Washington Rules
Andrew Bacevich's book, "Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War," is a call for Americans to reject the Washington consensus for permanent war.
Get the book
JFP 9/2: NATO airstrike kills Afghan campaign workers
Just Foreign Policy News
September 2, 2010
Video: Angelina Jolie - Pakistan needs our help
UN ambassador Angelina Jolie launches a new appeal to help those affected by the floods in Pakistan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baUp7jmMNcY
The quickest way to donate $10 to UNHCR's relief effort is to text "swat" to 50555 from your cell phone. If you want to donate more, you can do it here:
http://www.unhcr.org/emergency/pakistanfloods/global_landing.html
Iraq/Afghanistan: A Promise Kept, a Promise Deferred
As a candidate, President Obama said he wanted to end the mindset that leads to war. A key feature of that mindset is the belief Washington can and should determine who may participate in the governments of the broader Middle East. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. officials are still working to exclude from power people who are opposed to U.S. control over their governments or a long-term U.S. military presence. This is a recipe for permanent war. Lebanon, where the U.S. accepts the participation in power of people opposed to U.S. control, shows it is not an immutable fact that the U.S. must pursue this permanent war policy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/iraqafghanistan-a-promise_b_702172.html
Bacevich: Washington Rules
Andrew Bacevich's book, "Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War," is a call for Americans to reject the Washington consensus for permanent war.
Get the book
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/buywashingtonrules
JFP 9/1: Iraq/Afghanistan: A Promise Kept, a Promise Deferred
Just Foreign Policy News
September 1, 2010
Iraq/Afghanistan: A Promise Kept, a Promise Deferred
As a candidate, President Obama said he didn't just want to end the war; he wanted to end the mindset that leads to war. While he is drawing down from Iraq, he has done little to keep the promise of ending the mindset that leads to war. A major component of the mindset that leads to war is the belief that Washington can and should determine who may participate in the governments of the broader Middle East. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. officials are still working to exclude from power people who are opposed to U.S. control over their governments or a long-term U.S. military presence. This policy is a recipe for permanent war. The example of Lebanon, where the U.S. acquiesces to the participation in power of people who are opposed to U.S. control, shows that it is not an immutable fact of nature that the U.S. must continue to pursue this permanent war policy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/iraqafghanistan-a-promise_b_702172.html
Should the Senate Fund "Enduring" U.S. Military Bases in Afghanistan?
The Pentagon is planning military construction for years of U.S. combat in Afghanistan. The Senate could refuse to fund; in 2008, Congress rejected a similar Pentagon request for "long term" military construction in Iraq. Urge your senators to oppose construction of long-term U.S. bases in Afghanistan.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/afghanistanbases
"Even If We're Peasants, We Deserve to Live Too": Tèt Kole on the Needs of Haitian Farmers