 vUSPA Home Page |
at the
|
 DOP Campaign .Org |
Home Page for The v. U.S. Peace Academy (vUSPA)
Resource Links & Site Search Engine
VusPA Staff
Sections On This Page
Over the entrance of the James George Peterson library, hangs this sign
excerpted From the Course List at Peace Academy of Virtual Education (PAVE):
THE WAR AFTER THE WAR: Praised by Dr. Ed Tick, author of WAR AND THE SOUL and co-director of Soldier’s Heart: The horrible road to war can be traveled far too easily and even against our will. In contrast, the road home is long, difficult, confusing, and tragically unmapped. John Fisher has walked these roads through war's furnace and home with his eyes, heart, mind and spirit wide open. He has examined all that lies in his own conscience and soul. He has peeked into corners of self, healing and society that few examine. He has restlessly searched to understand war's wounding and contribute to its healing. For all these reasons and more, John Fisher's witness should be heard and heeded. With courage, devotion and love, John has transformed himself from veteran into spiritual warrior. In this book, The War After the War, he maps his journey so that others can also find their ways home and to self. Other books authored by John Wesley Fisher: ANGELS IN VIETNAM and NOT WELCOME HOME, both novels. Copies are now available at PronghornPress.com and all on-line bookstores. For more information: JohnWesleyFisher.com
Introducing the James George Peterson Library
at The v. U.S. Peace Academy (vUSPA)
Suggested Courses, Locally Available
Some Publications to Begin With
A Broad Overview of Political Healing and Related References
Links for Awareness in Conscientious Objection
Video via BeforeYouEnlist.Org and Related Resources for Military, Veteran,
& (high level) Diplomatic Organizations For Peace / Against the Iraq War
Suggested Studies & Activities for vUSPA Students;
Including 3 Easy Steps for *documenting intentions* in Conscientious Objection to Military Vocations
Introducing the James George Peterson Library
at The v. U.S. Peace Academy (vUSPA)
If you like what you find here, please help spread the word about the v. U.S. Peace Academy
with your friends, fellow students, and associates.
Suggested Course Offerings
The Peace Academy of Virtual Education in Canada (Box 99, Spirit River, AB, T0H 3G0) "provides a meaningful and personalized learning experience through a distance education format." The School Boards of Peace Wapiti, High Prairie Northlands and Peace River believe in the provision of choice within their educational systems. They believe that alternate educational programming is best offered through a joint cooperative process. These boards have created the Peace Academy of Virtual Education (PAVE) in order to offer students the opportunity of receiving all or part of their educational programming using modern technology.
Peace Academy of Virtual Education (PAVE)
Suggested Course List
Jr High School Text List: http://www.pwsb33.ab.ca/pave/new_page_10.htm
Sr High School Text List: http://www.pwsb33.ab.ca/pave/new_page_11.htm
Social Studies Grade 7
· The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Paterson
· Japan - Its' People and Culture
· The Issues Collection – Multiculturalism (McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited)
· Cultures In Canada - Strength in Diversity
Social Studies Grade 8
· Brazil Land of Contrasts
· Paddle To The Amazon, The Ultimate 12,000 mile Canoe Adventure by Don Starkell (McClelland & Stewart Inc.) ISBN 0-7710-8256-8 (Coles Bookstore)
· Canada Revisited
· A Geography of Canada and the United States
· A Proper Acadian, Mary Alice Downie and George Rawlyk (Kids Can Press) ISBN 0-919964-29-X (Coles Bookstore)
Social Studies Grade 9
· The United States - An Economic Perspective
· Russia Then and Now
· Canada Responding To Change
· Wild Children (novel)
· Lyddie (novel)
Social Studies Grade 10
· Canada Today
· Twentieth Century Canada
Social Studies Grade 11
· World Prospects
· One World
· World History Patterns of Civilization
· Pageant of World History
· World Issues
· World Prospects
Social Studies Grade 12
· Ideologies
· Twentieth Century Viewpoints
· Global Forces of the Twentieth Century
· A Changing World
· History of the Twentieth Century
![Transition3AsOverXformgHeart-[reE]-444px.jpg](images-ced/Transition3AsOverXformgHeart-[reE]-444px.jpg)
"Transition Mandala" and "Patriotism Re-Defined 5b" by Chris Pringer, PolyPsyArts
Beyond War - Nine Week Study Series: This new series is available by calling the Beyond War office at 541-485-0911. This series is designed so that participants have an opportunity to meaningfully internalize the Foundational Ideas of Beyond War, explore four categories of what people and nations can do instead of war, and think through in a supportive environment how each participant wants to respond to the new information presented in the series. Facilitators understand that some people will choose to participate in the Beyond War organization directly (and the series will equip them to do this in a knowledgeable way) and that others will take the information and use it in other settings and organizations. If you are interested in participating in the Study Series or if you would like to facilitate a study series group, please contact the Beyond War office. "Our mission is to explore, develop, and promote effective ideas, methods and actions that will build a world in which conflicts are resolved nonviolently a world beyond war." O'Kelly: "Thanks to Kurt Kutay, the PA now has its first formal course."
"Paul K Chappell has given us a crucial look at peace and war from the unique perspective of a soldier, and his new ideas show is why peace is both necessary and possible in the 21st Century."
-- Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Paul is currently giving workshops around the country on peace leadership, strategy, and tactics to high schools, colleges, and citizens of all ages who want to become more effective at creating positive change with the skills they need to make a difference in the world.
Paul K. Chappell graduated from West Point in 2002, served in the Army for seven years, was deployed in Baghdad, and left active duty in November 2009 as a Captain. He has authored two books on creating peace, including *The End of War: How Waging Peace Can Save Humanity, Our Planet and Our Future* (Easton Studio Press, LLC ISBN 9781935212119), *Will War Ever End?: A Soldier's Vision of Peace for the 21st Century* (Rvive Books. 2009 ISBN 9781935073024), and is soon to complete his 3rd, *Peaceful Revolution*.
His websites:
* Paul K Chappell .Com * American Unity Project
* Leadership/Upcoming Books * Waging Peace .Org
In this interview (pdf) Paul Chappell discusses a new and more effective strategy for ending war, fixing our economy, combatting terrorism, and providing a secure and prosperous future for America and the world.
You-Tube video's (a series of Seven from Fall 2010), "How We Can Protect America and the World in the 21st Century"
In this seven-part video series, West Point graduate, former army captain, and author Paul Chappell discusses how we can protect America and the world in the 21st Century by answering questions about terrorism, nuclear weapons, war, what security truly means, and how we can solve our national and global problems. This video series explains why we are living during one of the most hopeful eras in human history, and how there is so much we can do to make a difference. This video series was filmed by Robert Barrett Productions.
Paul was nominated for the 2010 NAFRA Peace Award. He lives in Santa Barbara, California, where he is serving and the Peace Leadership Director for the Nuclear Age Foundation.
Lectures on David Korten's "The Great Turning:" How will future generations remember out time? As the time when the climate chaos, peak oil, and an unstable global economy unraveled society? Or as the time of a Great Turning? Also see Korten's many publications listed/linked further below. We consider these among the most indespensible resources for finding solutions to today's world challenges.
Lectures on 'The Fourth Way' - An Indigenous Contribution for Building Sustainable and Harmonious Prosperity in the Americas, hopefully by Phil Lane himself. The document's beginnings trace back to October 2001, when Lane started consulting with indigenous leaders and communities worldwide in a search for solutions to "ending escalating cycles of poverty and violence" that afflict marginalized populations. "All our tribes and nations talked about dialogue, about creating a future," Lane said. Lane also earned a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Washington and a Master's in Curriculum Instruction in Education from National University in San Diego. Additionally, he was awarded an International Fellowship from the Harvard University Business School's International Institute for the Arts. An incredibly industrious mover-and-shaker, he is CEO of United Indians of All Tribes Foundation (UIATF). He is also the winner of the same awards (Windstar, International Award for Freedom and Human Rights) as such luminaries as 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, oceanographer Yacques-Yves Cousteau, the Dali Lama of Tibet and former U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali. Along the way, Lane is an award-winning author and film producer, with credits including the National Public Television series “Images of Indians” with Will Sampson, “Walking With Grandfather,” “The Honor of All: The Story of Alkali Lake” and “Healing the Hurts.” See related study files and articles for *The Fourth Way* in the publications section further below.
PTSD: Integrating Approaches & Paradigms, Mediating Politics -- Suggested Class and/or Topic for Discussion:
Voices in Wartime Education Project via Mentor The Soul .Com. Soldier's Heart, a project of International Humanities Center, is dedicated to our veterans' successful return. Dr. Edward Tick, author of the groundbreaking book
War and the Soul and founder of Soldier's Heart, is a practicing psychotherapist specializing in veterans with PTSD. Soldier's Heart promotes and guides community-based efforts to heal the effects of war on those who served, their families and communities.
A Voices in Wartime Education Project program has been created at Bellevue Community College. Available via Tools for Learning Page: using Voices of Wartime Education Project materials, including their documentary film on DVD; Newsletters; See related publications on Sanctuary/*Mentoring the Soul* below
Soldier's Heart is a grass-roots healing project for at-risk veterans and their families based on War and the Soul. The term Soldier's Heart was coined in the time of the Civil War to describe Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Our goal is to prepare families and communities to support troops returning from Iraq and also continue support for all other vets. Specifically, Soldier's Heart focuses on creating a national network of community-based services for a healthier and more successful reintegration of our nation's veterans when they return home. Dr. Tick will be conducting seminars for training professionals and clergy on the unique needs of soldiers who have experienced combat. Our staff will be available to educate communities on how to start support services for veterans and families in their own hometowns. Soldier's Heart also sponsors a mentor program for seasoned veterans to mentor new returnees. "Please contact us for a complete list of services available for returning veterans or to start a support group in your area: info@mentorthesoul.com
A Warrior’s Journey Home
By John Wesley Fisher
An autographed copy is available at: JohnWesleyFisher.com
Murrells Inlet, SC
843-651-1086
Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) are available to speak to youth groups, classrooms, etc. To schedule, please contact Michael Cuzzort at 504-427-0938, michaelcuzzort@hotmail.com. See blog at www.ivawdeployed.org. They arrived at Fort Lewis on the bus January 4 2007, camping outside the base gates at "Camp Resistance", to support Lt. Watada at his court-martial for refusing to fight in the illegal war in Iraq.
The Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA)
The University For Personal And Global Peace
Some Publications to Begin With
Periodicals From Peace Organizations
The U.S. Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan, federal institution created by Congress to promote the prevention, management, and peaceful resolution of international conflict.
To subscribe to the USIP Newsletter, E-mail to: pingme-feed@list.usip.org
Send administrative queries to pingme-request@list.usip.org
Some Suggested Books and Articles
[Book Titles are noted by the asterisk (*)]
--- Re-Thinking America's Role in History ---
*The Great Turning - From Empire to Earth Community,* *When Corporations Rule the World,* and *The Post-Corporate World: Life After capitalism,* by David Korten (www.davidkorten.org). Presentations by Korten drawn from these published books include a paper titled "Renewing the American Experiment." This and other papers, including "What to Do Now That the War Has Started" are available at www.developmentforum.net, as well as the Linkset for 'Making War Obsolete: "From Empire to Community" at Yes Magazine. Korten is President of the People-Centered Development Forum, board chair of the Positive Futures Network (http://www.fourthfreedom.org/), and publisher of YES! magazine (www.yesmagazine.org). You might also enjoy the transcript of Korten's keynote address at the 2002 EARTH CHARTER COMMUNITY SUMMIT
*SHARING ARMS* by Al Drinkwine -- About the Book: Is violence an addiction? Al shares insights into his family, military and work experiences, and life in general, as a way to illustrate the potential for violence. Sharing Arms provides insights into various aspects of society which need addressing, as Drinkwine provides a Twelve Steps program to address them as a pathway out of violent life styles. The workbook is designed for educational use in group settings. The *SHARING ARMS TWELVE STEP WORKBOOK* is also intended for use in youth and adult detention facilities as a means to withdraw from violent life styles. BIO: Al Drinkwine is married and has raised three children. During his military experiences he observed how the U.S. military was converting itself from a defensive to an offensive force. Following his resignation from the Department of Defense he obtained a position involved in the behavioral modification of potentially violent youth. Combining all these experiences, he chose to address the violence he experienced and provide an alternative life style for those who choose nonviolence.
'The Fourth Way' - An Indigenous Contribution for Building Sustainable and Harmonious Prosperity in the Americas: In the January 2007 COVER STORY for Colors NW Magazine, The Fourth Way Phil Lane Jr's vision for harmony, prosperity (at UIATF site), Alex Valdes writes, "For nearly four decades, Phil Lane Jr. has traveled along a spiritual path, one that now leads him to undertake the most challenging and ambitious endeavor of his life, and one that might just help save the human race, and the planet, from near-certain destruction. 'The Fourth Way' draws upon the Reunion of the Condor and the Eagle – the Indigenous peoples of South and North America and the Caribbean – to end war, environmental destruction and socioeconomic injustice, and give us a greater defense against terrorism than Homeland Security could ever hope to accomplish. ...With all that's unfolded since 9/11, a growing concern by many people on Mother Earth is, ‘how are we going to secure ourselves from terrorism and violence?'” asked Lane at his offices overlooking the Puget Sound. “We have to address those socioeconomic conditions that greatly contribute to terrorism. But arrogance and not understanding the incredible strength, spiritual wisdom, power and potentiality of what‘s unfolding in Latin America because of concerns in other places in the world, is leading us to one of the greatest security crises that we could ever experience." The PDF "Stage 1" document is available via United Indians of All Tribes. Related articles include "The Fourth Way: An Indigenous Contribution To The War On Terrorism" (word doc), and the following from Rick Levine: "'The Fourth Way' (Part I) by Daybreak Star's Phil Lane delivers international document outlining new world path" and "'The Fourth Way' (Part II) - Men With a Vision and a Plan".
See related info in LOCAL TRAININGS above
Books at Orion Online (referring to the next four books listed)
*Patriotism and the American Land* by Richard Nelson, Barry Lopez, and Terry Tempest Williams
*On Discourse, Dissent, Patriotism* by Wendell Berry
*In the Presence of Fear: Three Essays for a Changed World* by Wendell Berry
*The Idea of a Local Economy* by Wendell Berry
"The Failure of War," is a Related article by Wendell Berry, An essay first published in YES Magazine.
Modern Day Exemplar for Peace Activism
Please read the statement on the murder of Rachel Corrie - killed by an Israeli bulldozer on March 16, 2003, as she was attempting to stop the destruction of a Palestinian home in Rafah - at Veterans For Peace .Org. She is honored at the Great Hall Of The Peacemakers of the v. U.S. Peace Academy (just one of many memorials and dedications to this modern day heroine).
*Addicted To War - Why The U.S. Can't Kick Militarism*
by Joel Andreas at www.addictedtowar.com. The San Francisco Board of Education has voted unanimously to make ADDICTED To WAR a supplemental text book to be used by history teachers in the district. Someone has complained about this happening. This is the reason for this segment on the show. Please forward this email to friends and consider calling or emailing Fox in support of ADDICTED To WAR being used in high schools across the United States. To order send $9 (which includes postage) to Frank Dorrel, P.O. Box 3261 Culver City, Calif. 90231-3261, email: Frank Dorrel or call 310-838-8131
The Western Tradition - History of the Western World by Eugene Weber - This absorbing survey of more than 2,000 years of Western civilization will give students an educational foundation that will serve them though college and beyond. In this encyclopedic series, illustrated with over 2,700 images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, historian Eugene Weber guides your class through centuries of politics, literature, economics, industry, agriculture, art philosophy, and the daily lives of ordinary people. From ancient Egypt through the cold war, The Western Tradition will give students a deep and abiding understanding of Western history. Grade Levels: 9-12; Length: 52/30-Minute Programs. At PBS, Education: a) Web Resources - A video instructional series on Western civilization for college and high school classrooms and adult learners; 52 half-hour video programs and coordinated books, ISBN: 1-55946-006-7; b) Instructional Resources Home: [PBS is only one source of many on the web; simply put Eugene Weber Western Tradition in the search engine!]
Kids Make History: A New Look at America's Story by Susan Buckley, Elspeth Leacock, and Randy Jones (Hardcover - Oct 30, 2006), Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; $11.56 Used & new from $7.56 (Amazon)
Journeys for Freedom: A New Look at America's Story by Susan Buckley, Elspeth Leacock, and Rodica Prato (Hardcover - Nov 4, 2006); $11.56 Used & new from $7.56 (Amazon)
Places in Time: A New Atlas of American History by Susan Buckley, Elspeth Leacock, and Randy Jones (Hardcover - Mar 26, 2001); new: $15.00; Used & new from $2.86
Journeys in Time: A New Atlas of American History by Susan Buckley, Elspeth Leacock, and Rodica Prato (Paperback - Jun 23, 2003); new: $6.95 Used & new from $1.94; Other Editions: Hardcover, School & Library Binding
Books Written by Members of Veterans For Peace
include *Full Spectrum Disorder- the Military in the New Century* by Stan Goff (a 25 year veteran of the Special Forces), and *Medic* by Ben Sherman, our own VFP92 member from Mercer Island, WA. Stan Goff addresses the situation in Haiti (as related to Feb-March 2004, at http://www.haitiaction.org/.
General Smedley D. Butler who rose through the ranks to become a Major General in the United States Marine Core, and who was twice awarded with the Medal of Honor, gave a famous speech in 1933 wherein he states, "I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time. Now I am sure of it. Like all the members of the military profession, I never had a thought of my own until I left the service. My mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of higher-ups. This is typical with everyone in the military service." He details many beneficiaries of war and other aspects in his book, *War is a Racket* [ISBN 0-9640119-3-X] by Crises Press, 1995, available through Veterans For Peace .Org. General Butler's distinguished 33-year career included numerous medals, frequently cited for outstanding "personal bravery" and said to be "forever accomplishing the impossible," and became known as "one of the most popular officers in the corps." But his career was also marked by controversy. As a patriot and nationalist, he "fervently opposed actions which might lead to American military involvement abroad."
"Because of Iraq" by Gen. Wesley Clark: " Because of Iraq Osama bin Laden is still a threat. Because of Iraq our military is spread too thin. Because of Iraq there are more terrorists in the world. Because of Iraq America is less secure. So if you see commercials telling you to be afraid of terrorism Remember, It's because of Iraq. Vote Vets - http://www.votevets.org/" Fall '06
A Veteran Remembers, By Howard Zinn, 11/12/06 at Information clearing House --- "Let's go back to the beginning of Veterans Day. It used to be Armistice Day, because at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, World War I came to an end."
America 101 - Bill Moyers on education and economics - Bill Moyers is president of the Schumann Center for Media and Democracy and a veteran journalist. He delivered these remarks in San Diego on October 27 to the Council of Great City Schools , an organization of the nation's largest urban public school systems. November 1, 2006 by [TomPaine.com]
War and the Soul by Edward Tick via Mentor The Soul .Com: The New England Journal of Medicine reports that 16 percent (one in eight) of returning Iraq veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Such vets typically can't hold jobs. They are incapable of intimacy, creative work, and self-realization. Some can't leave the house because they are afraid they will kill or be killed.
The key to healing, says psychotherapist Ed Tick, is in how we understand PTSD. In war's overwhelming violence the true self flees and can become lost for life. He redefines PTSD as an identity disorder with radical implications for therapy. First, Tick establishes the traditional context of war in mythology and religion. Then he describes PTSD as an identity issue and a soul wound. Finally, he presents ways to nurture a positive identity based in compassion and forgiveness.
War and the Soul will change the way we think about war, for veterans and for all those who love and want to help them. It shows how to make the wounded soul whole again. When this work is achieved, PTSD vanishes and the veteran can truly return home. Sanctuary/Soldier's Heart, PO Box 8564, Albany, NY 12208.
Soldier's Heart Fall Newsletter 2011
The Voices in Wartime Anthology via Mentor The Soul .Com's Education Project comprises poetry, essays inspired by the feature-length documentary film, Voices in Wartime, and narratives based on interviews conducted for the film. The 240 pages of this anthology feature active-duty soldiers, veterans, torture victims, war correspondents, families of the disappeared and the dead, poets, peace activists—the compelling responses of unique, individual human beings to the experience of war. Writers include Iraq vets Brian Turner and Jose Diaz, veteran war correspondent Chris Hedges, psychologist Jonathan Shay, Colombian poet Antonietta Villamil, West Point Superintendent General William Lennox, Seattle poet Emily Warn.
Beyond Wartime also part of the Voices in Wartime Education Project and via Mentor The Soul .Com is a 20-minute documentary film about people who are working to heal the wounds of war in Iraq, Israel/Palestine, and the US. The film can be used to engage people from across the political spectrum in thoughtful discussion about theconsequences of war and how to heal war's trauma.
More Links for beginning an understanding of and approaches to PTSD on many levels (personal, professional, vocational, etc) are available via Mentor The Soul .Com's Links and Recommended Reading. "Please contact us for a complete list of services available for returning veterans or to start a support group in your area: info@mentorthesoul.com"
See related info in LOCAL TRAININGS above -->
American History Related References:
AlterNet: History Lessons and Lesions
Article at Global Research. Is this an accurate representation of the events following WWII? Says O'Kelly McCluskey: "I.F. STONE told us the truth about Korea !"
"THE COURTS ALLOW CORPORATIONS TO STEAL:
Before 1886, most states had laws that prevented corporations from meddling in politics... And, they teach in law school [that] in 1886 the U.S. Supreme Court changed all that ... [however] the Supreme Court ruled no such thing [as] "corporations are persons" [since the supposed ruling] was a fiction created by the Court's reporter. He simply wrote it into the headnote of the decision. In fact, it contradicts what the Court itself said. And we've found in the National Archives a note in the hand of the Supreme Court Chief Justice of the time to the court's reporter saying, explicitly, that the Court had not ruled on corporate personhood in the Santa Clara case. Nonetheless, corporations have claimed the human rights the Founders fought and often died to bequeath to living, breathing humans. And, using those rights, [corporations have] usurped our government to the point where our domestic policies are now based on what's best for the corporations with the largest campaign contributions, and our foreign policy has become a necessary extension of that..." --Thom Hartmann in "The Dinosaur War - To Protect Corporate Profits" Published on Friday, October 11, 2002 by CommonDreams.org.
*We The People - A Call to Take Back America*
For a "jolt of illumination" on the current realities and how they came about, [ISBN 1-882109-38-4] is illustrated in easy-to-grasp comic book form by Neil Cohn, and gives much of the history of how corporations have been able to take over the political process in America. Says David Korten (ref'd below), "Clear and compelling. Democracy is at risk. Hartmann tells us why We the People can reclaim democracy... tells us how..." Says actress Janeane Garofalo, "Thom Hartmann's message for everyone (especially the overstressed and uninformed)... Read this book for a jolt of illumination!" Thom Hartmann: "America faces its greatest threat since the Civil War. The worst fears of the Founders are being realized, as powerful corporate interests have taken over our culture and representative government. We the People now face a fundamental choice: take back our country ... or do nothing, and become victims of tyranny and empire." Available via Coreway .Com. More details also through Google Search
Reclaim Democracy .Org is dedicated to restoring democratic authority over corporations, reviving grassroots democracy, and establishing appropriate limits to the realm of corporate influence. 'We strive to work pro-actively for systemic change, rather than react to the agendas of corporate and moneyed interests.' See Their "About Us" page.
NOTE: A Seattle Chapter of Reclaim Democracy is in formation at the time of this editing (early Sept. '04). In the meantime you may email O'Kelly McCluskey
*The Elite Consensus - When Corporations Wield the Constitution*
is by George Draffan of Program on (POCLAD). POCLAD's work provides a framework and historical analysis of the Constitution and the role it has played in the political struggle between "We the People" and corporations. The Elite Consensus is the latest addition to the POCLAD body of publications. POCLAD's "Rethinking the Corporation/Rethinking Democracy" retreats are incubating nation-wide citizen efforts to curb the “corporate usurpation of citizen rights”. Pete Seeger says, “The first step in solving a problem is learning more about the problem, and how and why it grew. POCLAD is giving us U.S. history like it's not usually taught in schools. Hooray!”
Publication(s) are available via The Apex Press, PO Box 337, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520. Judi Rizzi - 1-800-316-APEX [2739], 914-271-6500 ••• POCLAD, PO Box 246, South Yarmouth, MA 02664-0246. Tel: 508.398.1145. POCLAD Contacts: Mary Zepernick – S. Yarmouth [above] Mike Ferner – Toldeo: tel. 419-729-3205 and Carolyn Toll Oppenheim-MA: Tel. 413-540-0145.
A Related article by Thom Hartmann, "The Dinosaur War - To Protect Corporate Profits" is at http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1011-05.htm
Tom Hayden on "The Long War": Sign up for Tom's Free Online School of Activism "Long-time antiwar activist Tom Hayden ...taught the first of four sessions in his School of Activism. Tom describes this series as a 'workshop on the long war and our future.' He explained that the long war is projected to last fifty to eighty years ... 'a sequence of wars in the context of the long war.” He said that we must end the long war ["a war against Muslims in many countries"]. He said that it does not make us safer, that the wars are 'strangling our ability to invest in our domestic priorities,' and could lead the country to being pushed ...'into a deeper national security state.' [That] 'The long war … requires a long peace movement.' When speaking of local peace activists that he has met, across the country, he says that we 'may not be so visible these days, but I know that you're not going anywhere, and neither am I. You are the heart and soul of the peace and justice movement.' [Feb 2011]
*The Greatest Sedition is Silence*
by Scott Ritter, the ex-marine who led 14 inspection missions in Iraq. Related article at http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/122903B.shtml
*The Power Elite*
by Charles W. Mills - A psycho-social map and history of power in the U.S. (related ref's at Christopher's Political Page)
*Before and After US Foreign Policy...* and *Calling the Shots, How Washington Dominates the UN*
by Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies
*Secrets, a Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers*
by Daniel Ellsberg. At www.ellsberg.net there is a link to a chapter from this book.
*There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road but Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos*
by Jim Hightower, radio commentator and organizer of Rolling Thunder .Org
*Stupid White Men*
by Michael Moore, creator of the box-office hit, "Fareignheit 911"
A Broad Overview:
Current Relationships between War, Greed,
Economic Manipulation, AND Hope for Our Healing
Many scholars dedicated to peace consider war as an addiction or disease. The means to healing addictions are available, although their application may not be simple or easy. Addictions are extremely tenacious HABITS created to fill a PERCEIVED NEED that has been experienced as OTHERWISE UN-MET due to one or more elements of a bad start in life. These elements usually include ignorance and faulty perception regarding THE HEALTHY WAYS TO MEET THE NEED, either of which is often enforced by pain, manipulation, and/or faulty role modeling. Conditions leading to lack of access to resources commonly contribute to, or "feed," the addiction. Part of that ignorance includes the knowledge of the amount of money that the governments of the world SPENT ON MILITARY ARMAMENTS -$900+ billion/year, half of that is by the US, while the AMOUNT OF MONEY NEEDED TO PROVIDE FOR EVERY PERSON ON THE PLANET including food, clothing, housing, education, health, basic and social infrastructure, etc - $40 billion/year [both in 2000] !!!
The questions may thus arise: "What are we actually fighting about? Why don't we just share and trade? Are we insane?" "Addiction" may be a mild descriptor, indeed.
As regards origins of the war-addiction, one of the most commonly held causes of the disease is simple greed and selfishness, thence blindness from too much power and beauracracy, to the point of willingness to kill for the materials or resources sought. Heads of state getting citizens to go along with them might be another story. In modern times, our "more civilized" world society has developed incredibly sophisticated means of manipulation. These means have served the more "successfully greedy" people -thence politically powerful by influence of money lobbying. This has been done sufficiently enough, that they don't create actual war - at least for a time. And yet THE ECONOMIC MANIPULATION OF THE THIRD WORLD IN PARTICULAR, AS WELL AS OF CERTAIN OF OUR OWN POPULATIONS, IS A SLOW-KILLING WAR IN ITSELF.
Hence the suggested reading materials here that have to do with corporate abuse and related healing, including the healing of our society which has benefited from, and thereby has become a large contributor to, this deadly, even genocidal addiction. These references help us to understand how the addiction was formed, how preventative measures against such abuses were stripped from our laws. *The Fourth Way* studies help us understand the origins of poverty. These most valuable resources teach us how we may heal this addiction so that we stop not only the economic warfare, but the military warfare that stems from it. After all, THE WORLDS RESOURCES ARE MORE THAN PLENTIFUL ENOUGH TO PROVIDE FOR HEALTHY WAYS TO MEET ALL OUR NEEDS, and we know there are workable means to share, trade, and otherwise distribute them where and as needed.
As for the other causes of war-addiction disease, currently the most prevalent in the West would seem to be the lust for (more) power. The Project for a New American Century brandishes it's manifesto with apparent pride - in it's self acknowledged rationale of the ends ("Armageddon/Rapture" or just world domination - in order to protect the righteous [reichteous?], of course) justifying *whatever* means (references below).
Related (and more specific) References:
"The Fraudulent War": This pdf book by Richard W. Behan of Lopez Island provides a great summary of how we got into the Iraq War as well as Afghanistan, and includes some of the more recently revealed Iraq Oil shenanigans. Is possibly a little slow (for some) to substantiate the facts of the story, but an intriguing, illustrated presentation keeps it interesting in the meantime. "This presentation is deliberately not copyrighted: it may be reproduced and circulated without restriction." The detailed pdf file with illustrated slideshow presentation, is available via *http* (opens file in your browser), or by ftp (downloads the 5.5 mb file). A smaller digested article (150kb Word Doc) by Behan is "The So-Called War On Terror" (downloads by ftp).
The Blueprint For The Creation Of A 'Global Pax Americana': uncovered by the Sunday Herald (details next paragraph), was drawn up for Dick Cheney (now vice-president), Donald Rumsfeld (former defence secretary), Paul Wolfowitz (Rumsfeld's deputy), George W Bush's younger brother Jeb and Lewis Libby (Cheney's chief of staff), among others. The document, put out in September 2000 by the neo-conservative think-tank Project for the New American Century (PNAC), and entitled "Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategies, Forces And Resources For A New Century," was a grand re-write of a 46-page document, "Draft Defense Planning Guidance," conceived in 1992, during the first Bush Administration. The 90 page 2000 version was apparently available at New American Century .Org (http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqmiddleeast.htm) but is reported no longer available there. It was downloaded before it's disappearance however, and IS available (at various sites including here) via pdf for the browser or by ftp (downloads the .85 mb file)
"It's Empire Versus Democracy": The orchestrated call for empire was "out of the closet," according to conservative columnist Charles Krauthamer
"History Repeats Itself Clear and Present Danger, Analysis of CPD and PNAC" by Cyndi Crizer: Of special interest here might be a comparative analysis between four different groups that arose within the US government and had the purpose of influencing foreign policy in this country, incl. Committee on the Present Danger (CPD) and Project for a New American Century (PNAC): .
Still Want Your Vote
to Count ?
VOTE WITH
YOUR DOLLAR !
Use These Resources for Economic Activism As Needed
www.WarEconomy.Org
Check out Veterans for Peace's online store for more materials. http://www.vfpstore.org/
of PAGE
of PAGE
