Marianne, I am with you on this matter and have been my entire life. In fact, as a child, I received a personal letter from President Dwight D. Eisenhower since I wrote a prayer to protect him and he replied. I treasure his letter and his wisdom too!
Please let readers know your view of the U.S. Institute of Peace founded in 1984 that's federally funded. Does it lack the right perspective for the common good? I am not familiar with it but you may know. Just your brief synopsis would suffice!
Finally, I was aghast about the sum of money passed for defense as well!
The insatiable permanent war paradigm is a subset of the insatiable greed which uses 'The Corporation' as justification for everything. Turn corporations into co-ops, turn government into functional, turn fear into love. Hmmm. Somehow all connected...
Remember the Quakers! Friends Committee on National Legislation reopened the Friends Place on Capitol Hill. "Promoting Civic Engagement" for students, nonprofits and activist groups.
If I have one frustration it is the frustration that so few of us are unaware—or even care—that the entire world is so dangerously close to us losing our freedom. Thank you, Marianne, for continuing to drum this home to us. Hopefully, eventually, before it's too late, we will change course and follow a road of peace and charity.
Let's not hesitate to use the word empire. I have no problem with having a military to protect the homeland from foreign invaders, but I am strongly opposed to 800 foreingn military bases, regime change wars, clandestine military actions by the CIA, and killing people with economic sanctions. I love this country but we are the greatest threat to peace in the world, and the bottom line is always corporate profits plus cheap access to resources. We could cut the military budget by 70% and end up being safer than we are now. The short video on Twitter is a gem.
Clarity , truth, honesty and honour. Sadly, no wonder you weren't on the ballot in 2020. Keep at it, Maryanne. May your words be the drops of water that erode the stony hearts and let in the light.
Marianne, so glad you are continuing to speak on this life and death (literally!) issue. Looking forward to your podcast with Andrew Cockburn. In the meantime, as reported by CNN in today’s news:
“Five of the world's largest nuclear powers pledged on Monday [January 3] to work together toward ‘a world without nuclear weapons’ in a rare statement of unity amid rising East-West tensions. ‘A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought,’ said the joint statement, which was issued simultaneously by the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France.”
So why are we building those B-51 Raiders and why has a $778 billion Defense budget - more than even the Pentagon requested - passed? Let’s keep asking this question!
It's like a group of creatures. The defense complex, the politicians who support it, a media that enables it, the businesses that profit from it. The majority doesn't benefit from the way it operates, to say the least, and I think the absurdity of it all is a lot more understood than it ever used to be. The majority still isn't engaged, which is what it would take, but the combined effect of these so-called creatures is that democracy is weak. Not completely lifeless, but weak. To solve the problem would take an unstoppable movement that continuously grows in number and intensity.
"We must inform ourselves intellectually, and devote ourselves spiritually to the transformation of the world."
This accurately describes the two-pronged attack on our problem that is needed. On the "inform ourselves" side, a good deal of background information on the war profiteers' pervasive power is at https://warprofiteerstory.blogspot.com
On the "devote ourselves spiritually" side, it's worth keeping in mind that fighting injustice is a spiritual task.
There's a component that needs to be regularly present and determined to be strong for people to feel it's worth putting time and money to bring people together to talk about peace, and that is trust. If trust was felt more by the people in the workplace, with government, with healthcare providers, in a place of prayer, and with suppliers if you are a business owner then peace doesn't sound so far off in the distance or unattainable. The presence of trust is so dim around the world people think putting money on war makes more sense and practical. With a lack of trust people are always expecting and ready for conflict and oppositions.
Thank you Marianne for continuing to inform and inspire.
Marianne, I am with you on this matter and have been my entire life. In fact, as a child, I received a personal letter from President Dwight D. Eisenhower since I wrote a prayer to protect him and he replied. I treasure his letter and his wisdom too!
Please let readers know your view of the U.S. Institute of Peace founded in 1984 that's federally funded. Does it lack the right perspective for the common good? I am not familiar with it but you may know. Just your brief synopsis would suffice!
Finally, I was aghast about the sum of money passed for defense as well!
"All minds on deck"!
Joan
The insatiable permanent war paradigm is a subset of the insatiable greed which uses 'The Corporation' as justification for everything. Turn corporations into co-ops, turn government into functional, turn fear into love. Hmmm. Somehow all connected...
Remember the Quakers! Friends Committee on National Legislation reopened the Friends Place on Capitol Hill. "Promoting Civic Engagement" for students, nonprofits and activist groups.
If I have one frustration it is the frustration that so few of us are unaware—or even care—that the entire world is so dangerously close to us losing our freedom. Thank you, Marianne, for continuing to drum this home to us. Hopefully, eventually, before it's too late, we will change course and follow a road of peace and charity.
thank you for your tireless work marianne
Let's not hesitate to use the word empire. I have no problem with having a military to protect the homeland from foreign invaders, but I am strongly opposed to 800 foreingn military bases, regime change wars, clandestine military actions by the CIA, and killing people with economic sanctions. I love this country but we are the greatest threat to peace in the world, and the bottom line is always corporate profits plus cheap access to resources. We could cut the military budget by 70% and end up being safer than we are now. The short video on Twitter is a gem.
Clarity , truth, honesty and honour. Sadly, no wonder you weren't on the ballot in 2020. Keep at it, Maryanne. May your words be the drops of water that erode the stony hearts and let in the light.
Marianne, so glad you are continuing to speak on this life and death (literally!) issue. Looking forward to your podcast with Andrew Cockburn. In the meantime, as reported by CNN in today’s news:
“Five of the world's largest nuclear powers pledged on Monday [January 3] to work together toward ‘a world without nuclear weapons’ in a rare statement of unity amid rising East-West tensions. ‘A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought,’ said the joint statement, which was issued simultaneously by the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France.”
So why are we building those B-51 Raiders and why has a $778 billion Defense budget - more than even the Pentagon requested - passed? Let’s keep asking this question!
It's like a group of creatures. The defense complex, the politicians who support it, a media that enables it, the businesses that profit from it. The majority doesn't benefit from the way it operates, to say the least, and I think the absurdity of it all is a lot more understood than it ever used to be. The majority still isn't engaged, which is what it would take, but the combined effect of these so-called creatures is that democracy is weak. Not completely lifeless, but weak. To solve the problem would take an unstoppable movement that continuously grows in number and intensity.
Marianne, Marianne! The Department of Peace, staffed by millions of co-creators
"We must inform ourselves intellectually, and devote ourselves spiritually to the transformation of the world."
This accurately describes the two-pronged attack on our problem that is needed. On the "inform ourselves" side, a good deal of background information on the war profiteers' pervasive power is at https://warprofiteerstory.blogspot.com
On the "devote ourselves spiritually" side, it's worth keeping in mind that fighting injustice is a spiritual task.
There's a component that needs to be regularly present and determined to be strong for people to feel it's worth putting time and money to bring people together to talk about peace, and that is trust. If trust was felt more by the people in the workplace, with government, with healthcare providers, in a place of prayer, and with suppliers if you are a business owner then peace doesn't sound so far off in the distance or unattainable. The presence of trust is so dim around the world people think putting money on war makes more sense and practical. With a lack of trust people are always expecting and ready for conflict and oppositions.