Readings 2008--St. Anthony Park Neighbors for Peace

More Readings: 2009-10 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003

Will War Crimes Be Outed? – Jeremy Brecher & Brendan Smith
The incoming administration may want to let sleeping dogs lie, but a growing body of legal opinion holds that Obama will have a duty to investigate war crimes allegations and to prosecute the perpetrators. – The Nation, December 17, 2008
Arabs not ready to embrace Obama or his team – Liz Sly, Chicago Tribune
Many Arabs say their initial hopes for a new era in the Middle East have been tempered by some of his choices for key positions in his administration, and by his statements in support of Israel. – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 26, 2008
Obama’s Iraq Inheritance – Thomas L. Friedman
A decent outcome may still be possible in Iraq, especially with the plan for a 2011 withdrawal of American troops. But Al Qaeda has not been fully defeated in Iraq; suicide bombings are still an almost daily reality. – New York Times, November 29, 2008
Fighting Terrorism Fairly and Effectively – Human Rights Watch
Eleven Recommendations for President-Elect Barack Obama. Download the report. – November 16, 2008
Activists Seek Executive Order Banning Torture – Wolfgang Kerler
Shutting down the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay is just one of a series of measures to reform U.S. counterterrorism practices being urged by the watchdog organisation Human Rights Watch – Inter Press Service, November 17, 2008
Obama Advisers Say No Charges Likely Against Those Who Authorized Torture – Lara Jakes Jordan, The Associated Press
Obama's most ardent supporters are split on whether he should prosecute Bush officials. – truthout.org, November 17, 2008
Publics in Developed Countries Ready to Contribute Funds Necessary to Cut Hunger in Half By 2015 – World Public Opinion
This is one of the key Millennium Development Goals that UN members established in 2000. Majorities of respondents say they are willing to personally pay the amount necessary to meet the goal. – Program on International Policy Attitudes, October 15, 2008
2008 Election: The First Step of a Movement? – Joe Volk
After the 2008 U.S. elections, we can probably agree that the election of an African American to the highest U.S. elected office is a sign that the moral arc of the universe is bending toward justice. – Friends Committee on National Legislation, November 6, 2008
Ten Surprises about Election '08 – Rob Richie
The Electoral College landscape of true swing states in fact shrank this year... Voter turnout was down in nearly a third of states... Partisanship in House races remains very strong... Majority rule is a misnomer ... – Huffington Post, November 6, 2008
Iraq: Did the Surge Work? – George Hunsinger
According to conventional wisdom, it seems that the "surge" in Iraq was a huge success. However, once the Sunnis were left helpless, the Shiite militias came in at night and ethnically cleansed them. – Common Dreams, October 23, 2008
Actions for Restoring America – American Civil Liberties Union
How to begin repairing the damage to freedom in America after Bush– Recommendations for Day 1, the First 100 Days and the First Year. Sign the pledge. – ACLU.org
Sorry, I Can’t Find Your Name – Editorial
One county election official in Mississippi improperly removed more than 8,000 voters from the eligible-voter rolls, including a Republican Congressional candidate. – New York Times, October 22, 2008
Why It's Hard to Change People's Minds – Sean Gonsalves
A new study shows that after being exposed to information contradicting their ideas, most people still cling to their prejudices. – AterNet, October 7, 2008
Florida Primary Recount Reveals Grave Voting Problems One Month Before Presidential Election – Kim Zetter, Wired
Recounts in the battleground of Palm Beach County, Florida, revealed thousands of misplaced ballots and vote tabulation machines that are literally unable to produce the same results twice. – truthout, October 7, 2008
Thousands of Troops Are Deployed on U.S. Streets Ready to Carry Out "Crowd Control" – Naomi Wolf
We saw it in St. Paul during the RNC. Their mission is similar to what they practiced in Iraq, subduing "unruly individuals," and the management of a national emergency. – AlterNet, October 8, 2008
Why the Polls Drive Us Crazy (and Shouldn't) – Joshua Holland
The significance of those head-to-head polls is completely overblown. The reality is that nobody knows what's going to happen in November. It's an unprecedented election in two ways: a black man is vying to become the president of the US; and in the midst of an economic meltdown, voters are feeling an unprecedented degree of pessimism about the direction the country is heading. – AlterNet, September 20, 2008
High Turnout, New Procedures May Mean an Election Day Mess – Mary Pat Flaherty
Faced with a surge in voter registrations leading up to Nov. 4, election officials across the country are bracing for long lines, equipment failures and confusion over polling procedures that could cost thousands the chance to cast a ballot. – Washington Post, September 18, 2008
Vice President Dick Cheney's Incredible and Deadly Lie – John W. Dean
By deceiving a congressional leader, Cheney sent us to war on false pretenses and violated the separation of powers – as well as the criminal law – Find Law, Sept. 19, 2008
Blessed are the peacemakers – Lisa Peterson-de la Cueva
Interviews with three Minnesota women who are using the Republican National Convention as a framework for peace. These are their stories. – Minnesota Women's Press, September 28, 2008
A Sensible Path on Iran – Zbigniew Brzezinski and William Odom
Current U.S. policy toward the regime in Tehran will almost certainly result in an Iran with nuclear weapons. "Sticks" and "carrots," simply intensifies Iran's desire to have its own nuclear arsenal. – Washington Post, May 27, 2008
Nine Reasons to Investigate War Crimes Now – Jeremy Brecher & Brendan Smith
1. World peace cannot be achieved without human rights and accountability. 2. The rule of law is central to our democracy. 3. We must not allow precedents to be set that promote war crimes. More... – The Nation, July 18, 2008
Beyond Worst-Case Scenarios: A New Blueprint for Withdrawing from Iraq – Ali Gharib, IPS News
The report "Quickly, Carefully, and Generously: The Necessary Steps for a Responsible Withdrawal from Iraq", withdrawal-minded experts, analysts and politicians sought to pull all the answers together in one document. Will Congress pay attention? – AlterNet, June 26, 2008.
Come one, come all, ye Republican protester – Laura Yuen
The Republican National Convention in St. Paul has attracted the interest of protest groups across the country. The factions range from anti-war coalitions to conspiracy theorists who believe the U.S government had a role in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. – Minnesota Public Radio, June 25, 2008
That Chain E-mail Your Friend Sent to You Is (Likely) Bogus. Seriously. – Lori Robertson, FactCheck.org
If there was ever a case where readers should apply a guilty-until-proven-innocent standard, this is it. With these e-mails, outright cynicism is justified. Assume all such messages are wrong, and you'll be right most of the time. – Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, March 18, 2008
The Truth About Veteran Suicides – Aaron Glantz
Eighteen American war veterans kill themselves every day. One thousand former soldiers receiving care from the Department of Veterans Affairs attempt suicide every month. More veterans are committing suicide than are dying in combat overseas. – Foreign Policy In Focus (FPIF), May 9, 2008
Medical Ethics and Torture – Dr. Steven Miles
Dr. Miles' sermon prepared for St. Joan of Arc's Catholic Church in Minneapolis. The Bishops did not permit him to speak because he'd come out pro-choice on abortion in the past. But, as was pointed out, torture causes abortions. – St. Joan of Arc, May 4, 2008
The New Geopolitics of Energy – Michael T. Klare
Envision the global combat environment of the emerging world, one where the struggle is over vital resources, rather than ideology or balance-of-power politics. – The Nation, May 1, 2008
From-the-top tragedy while we were out shopping – Leonard Pitts
Abu Ghraib shocked the world. Where did these young soldiers get the idea that the rules were suspended? From the top. – Oakland Tribune, Apr 13, 2008
Oil for War – Robert Bryce
After invading one of the most petroleum-rich countries on earth, the U.S. military is running on empty. – The American Conservative, March 10, 2008
Rapid Withdrawal Is Only Solution – William E. Odom, LT General, USA, Ret.
Testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Iraq: "I implore you to reject these fallacious excuses for prolonging the commitment of US forces to war in Iraq." – Information Clearing House, April 2, 2008
What will they really do about Iraq? – Mark Benjamin
McCain, Clinton and Obama have all made broad pronouncements about how they'd handle the war as president. But how do their plans hold up under scrutiny? – Salon.com, May, 2008
What Have We Learned, If Anything? – Tony Judt
We put the twentieth century behind us and strode boldly into its successor swaddled in self-serving half-truths: the triumph of the West, the end of History, the unipolar American moment, the ineluctable march of globalization and the free market. – The New York Review of Books, May 1, 2008
The Audacity of Government – Ira Glass, This American Life
Stories of the Bush Administration, its unique style of asserting presidential authority, and its quest to redefine the limits of presidential power. – American Public Radio, March 28, 2008
A country whose people rule – Mickey Edwards
Reminded of the public's disapproval of the war in Iraq, now five years old, the vice president shrugged off that fact (and thus, the people themselves) with a one-word answer: "So?" – StartTribune, March 29, 2008
American Public Says Government Leaders Should Pay Attention to Polls – Program on International Policy Attitudes, University of Maryland
In sharp contrast to Vice President Cheney, a new poll finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans that the public should generally have more influence over government leaders than it does. – WorldPublicOpinion.org, March 21, 2008
Coming home – Kendall Anderson
Minnesota female veterans face unique challenges. Nearly 1/3 of a nationwide sample of female veterans seeking V.A. health care said they experienced rape or attempted rape during their service. – Minnesota Women's Press, March 18, 2008
Election Guide 2008 – New York Times
Compare the three presidential candidates' positions and statements on Iraq, Iran, and more. – 2007 - 2008
A Permanent Presence? Dangers of a Long-Term U.S. Security Commitment to Iraq – Council for a Livable World
On November 26, 2007, President George Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki released a "Declaration of Principles for a Long-Term Relationship of Cooperation and Friendship between the Republic of Iraq and the United States of America." – January-February 2008
The FBI Deputizes Business – Matthew Rothschild
More than 23,000 representatives of private industry are working quietly with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. This rapidly growing group, called InfraGard, receive secret warnings of terrorist threats before the public does — and, at least once, before elected officials. In return, they provide information to the government, which alarms the ACLU. – The Progressive, March 2008
Foreign Policy and the President's Irrelevance – George Friedman
What the candidates are saying after the passion is boiled away, and what they are likely to do if they become president. – Stratfor, February 5, 2008
Truth or Terrorism? The Real Story Behind Five Years of High Alerts –Tim Dickinson
"Sometimes we disagreed with the intelligence assessment. There were times when some people in the administration were really aggressive about raising the threat level, and we said, 'For that?!'" – Rolling Stone, February 7, 2008
Going Bankrupt – Chalmers Johnson on TomDispatch.com
The neoconservatives in the White House and the Pentagon failed to address how to finance the imperialist wars and global domination. Now the debt crisis is the greatest threat to the American republic. – CommonDreams.org, January 23, 2008
Six Years of Guantanamo: Enough Is Enough! – Andy Worthington
Six years ago, on Jan. 11, 2002, the first of 778 prisoners -- referred to as "detainees" and identified only by numbers -- arrived at a hastily erected prison in the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where, ever since, they have been subjected to a disturbingly lawless experiment. – AlterNet, January 11, 2008