War Is A Crime

 The Afghanistan War documentary by Ken Burns III may someday be set for release in Spring 2074.

Or maybe not. The peace movement in the U.S. made Vietnam, rather than Korea, a topic for Burns. The peace movement is struggling to make people in the United States aware that the war on Afghanistan even exists, much less that it is entering its 17th year — making it something that people who still don’t recognize Native Americans as full humans call “the longest U.S. war.”

If there ever is such a PBS account of Vietghanistan, it will no doubt steer clear of the illegality, the lasting read more

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) — listen to my radio show with one of ICAN’s leaders two years ago here.

It’s conceivable that some Americans will now learn, because of this award, about the new treaty that bans the possession of nuclear weapons.

This treaty has been years in the works. This past summer 122 nations agreed on the language of it, including these words:

Each State Party undertakes never under read more

Official: Trump expected to decertify Iran nuclear deal, the President says ‘we must put an end to Iran’s continued aggression and nuclear ambitions. They have not lived up to the spirit of their agreement’ – Reuters

By decertifying Iran’s compliance but staying in the accord Trump’s Iran gambit keeps `worst deal ever’ intact, sources say – Bloomberg

Tillerson’s secret plan to keep US in Iran deal – CNNPolitics

H.R. McMaster hints he’s not behind Trump on decertifying Iran deal – CNNPolitics

Republicans not unified on killing Iran nuke deal – newsmax.com

More than 180 Dems, led by Jewish lawmaker and early opponent of Iran nuclear deal Deutch, sign letter pushing Trump to re-certify it – TheHill

Cotton says decertifying Iran isn’t necessarily the same as leaving the deal, Congress would act after Trump’s decision to lay out key requirements of a revised Iran agreement – Bloomberg

Sen. Cotton thinks ‘military strikes’ against Iran are ‘credible’ option, en route to speak to Trump calls for pushing Iran, China and Russia out of the negotiating room – ThinkProgress

A read more

This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

We tend to think of them as separate and distinct wars: the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq.  Yet it’s not hard to trace the ways in which America’s knee-jerk overreaction to the terrorist attack of 9/11 and the “preemptive” invasion of Iraq that followed in 2003 destabilized read more

Yes, of course, every day that Congress goes on refusing to ban guns is more blood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. It’s immoral, disgraceful, embarrassing, and in large part a function of financial corruption. But it’s also in part a government operating within a culture of violence — albeit one that the same government plays a huge role in creating.

U.S. movies, tv shows, video games, music, news, and schools are uniquely and increasingly violent. Primates’ chief form of behavior is read more

This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

I first “met” Noam Chomsky in 1969 by reading these words of his about the My Lai massacre:

“And now there is Song My — ‘Pinkville.’  More than two decades of indoctrination and counterrevolutionary interventions have created the possibility of a name like ‘Pinkville’ — and the acts that may be done in a place so named.  Orville and Jonathan Schell read more

On Oct 2, 2017, 20 of us gave 4-minute TED talks in Charlottesville and I won, allowing me to give a TED talk at the upcoming November 3, 2017, event at Charlottesville’s Paramount Theater. This was my 4-minute talk on “Why End War.” #TedXCville

Video by Wes Swanson.

Thank you to everyone who voted for me.

I wish all the great speakers could have won.

VIDEO (and transcript): Schumer: GOP using ‘fake numbers’ for tax plan, completely focused on wealthy and powerful – RealClearPolitics

VIDEO (and transcript): Sanders: Republican tax plan ‘massive transfer of wealth’ to the rich – RealClearPolitics

VIDEO (and transcript): Mnuchin: No tax cuts for wealthy, benefits for middle class, $1 trillion cut in deficit – RealClearPolitics

VIDEO (and transcript): Mulvaney: Too early to judge Trump tax plan. We’re working with Congress the details – RealClearPolitics

Republican senator Rand Paul criticizes Trump tax plan, his message could signal difficulties for tax reform in the Senate – Reuters

Tax reform through the Republican-controlled Congress already faces some stumbling blocks: Bob Corker, GOP lawmakers voice debt concerns – Business Insider

Meadows: I won’t rule out raising taxes on wealthy to partially pay for tax cuts – Breitbart

Senate Republicans release their budget blueprint for the upcoming fiscal year, paving the way for a tax overhaul without Democratic buy-in – POLITICO

Trump’s tax fight could look a lot like the war over healthcare, The president’s framework leaves all the details up to the same Republicans who failed disastrously to destroy Obamacare – VICE

Donald read more

“Peace” clubs in U.S. schools are likely to teach that a local bully is afraid and in need of help. They are much less likely to teach that about entities involved in the actual subject of peace (meaning the absence of war), such as — to take the example momentarily most prominent in U.S. propaganda — North Korea.

“Ignorance about the Korean war,” writes Blaine Harden, “has . . . led to the cartoonish ahistorical understanding many Americans still have of contemporary North Korea. read more