tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45701437942604863812024-03-05T07:02:53.679-08:00Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer BlogJNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-57788528126418121592012-12-10T13:22:00.001-08:002012-12-10T13:22:12.091-08:00Five Things We Need to Know About the “Fiscal Cliff”<br />
<div class="WordSection1">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" height="89" width="640" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Military
Spending, Strategic Deficits, and Other Crimes:
Five Things We Need to Know About the “Fiscal Cliff”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">By Professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADoYhCrl5DraLxn8-xdovVqDAFY5II01-kQtjgcjLKMVO-kg_QxWoLY6LbCWjZXb7egSUyecWRs7E3yTziA9zUGIxTj2B1ufCJihBaVficdZE8pPgyg07HnPWKHD2troou1I2tfqdh4/s1600/JNP+Photo+for+Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADoYhCrl5DraLxn8-xdovVqDAFY5II01-kQtjgcjLKMVO-kg_QxWoLY6LbCWjZXb7egSUyecWRs7E3yTziA9zUGIxTj2B1ufCJihBaVficdZE8pPgyg07HnPWKHD2troou1I2tfqdh4/s1600/JNP+Photo+for+Blog.jpg" height="200" width="166" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“The key fact in
the new development of plutocracy [government controlled by wealth] is that it
will use its own blunder as an excuse for further crimes.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">G.K. Chesterton</span><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
first thing we need to know is that the fiscal cliff is an aspect of a larger
false narrative that focuses on deficits and debt without addressing actual
causes, including both militarism and the role and intent of deficit
politics. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
fiscal cliff has little to do with deficits and everything to do with politics,
particularly a thirty year strategy by Republicans from Reagan on to
intentionally run-up debts and deficits (they call them “strategic deficits”)
in order to gut social programs. Economist Paul Krugman writes that “the
deficit-scold movement was never really about the deficit. Instead, it
was about using deficit fears to shred the social safety net.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/User/My%20Documents/MN%20ASAP/Media%20MN%20ASAP/Blog%20JNP/Blog%2018%20on%20militarism%20and%20the%20fiscal%20cliff.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: auto;" />
</span>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
economist Joseph Stiglitz writes that “the deficit reduction agenda, at least
in the United States,…is an </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">attempt to weaken social protections,
reduce the progressivity in the tax system, and shrink the role and size of
government—all while leaving established interests, like the
military-industrial complex, as little-affected as possible.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/User/My%20Documents/MN%20ASAP/Media%20MN%20ASAP/Blog%20JNP/Blog%2018%20on%20militarism%20and%20the%20fiscal%20cliff.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Second, we hear constantly that there will be dire consequences if
our leaders <i><u>don’t act</u></i> promptly to avoid the fiscal cliff and
sequestration but an even greater threat is that enough Democrats, including
President Obama, <i><u>will act</u></i> based on faulty narratives. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This would allow previous blunders (disastrous wars,
inflated military spending, tax breaks for the wealthy, and other policies
intended to drive up debt and deficits) to serve as pretexts for additional
crimes (cutting Social Security, food stamps, and Medicare). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At present, Social Security contributes nothing to the
deficit and runs a surplus that will allow it to pay all promised benefits through
2038. Even if we do nothing at all
Social Security will be able to pay 81 percent of promised benefits after 2038
into the indefinite future. Full
benefits could be paid indefinitely if we simply raise the amount of income
subjected to the social security tax above its present threshold of $106,800.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The budget implications of
Medicare are more serious</span> but the solution isn’t to <span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">keep seniors out of the system by raising the
eligibility age requirement and pushing them into more expensive private
care. The solution is to allow Medicare
to bargain over drug prices, and to establish a Medicare for all system that
would dramatically reduce health care costs, improve health outcomes, and solve
many of the “budget problems” that are in fact projections based on
continuation of our dysfunctional for profit health care system.. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Third, in order to avoid “solutions” and “compromises” that amount
to future crimes it is necessary that we address the actual causes of present
and longer term budget problems. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Some
of the main causal factors that have led to the fiscal cliff include:
Republican use of strategic deficits; war costs; inflated pentagon spending,
unfair tax policies, corporate subsidies, a broken health-care system,
inequality, and a deep recession caused by Wall Street speculators. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Fourth, although debt and deficit issues are challenging, with
better priorities and better policies it would be relatively easy to resolve
the nation’s short and long term fiscal issues in ways that improve quality of
life. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There are many scenarios that make it clear
that our task is a lot easier than you might think given the doomsday rhetoric
surrounding the fiscal cliff and sequestration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“America Is Not Broke,” a policy paper
from the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), examines a combination of <b><i><u>budget
cuts and revenue increases totaling $824 billion</u></i></b> <b><i><u>a
year</u></i></b>. Addressing what it
calls the “misplaced obsession with our national debt and austerity” the IPS
report identifies savings and revenues of $197 from taxing pollution and
cutting environmentally damaging subsidies, $252 billion in military spending
cuts, and $375 billion in revenues from taxing Wall Street, corporations, and
the wealthy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .75in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“The People’s Budget” from the
Congressional Progressive Caucus eliminates the deficit in ten years by ending
wars, reducing military spending, enacting meaningful health-care reforms, and
implementing fair taxation (</span><a href="http://www.thepeoplesbudget.org/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">www.thepeoplesbudget.org</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Eliminating tax
breaks for the wealthiest Americans would increase revenue by more than $80
billion a year ($800 billion over ten years).
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Congressman Keith Ellison’s bill, HR
6411, (the Inclusive Prosperity Act) would place a small tax on financial
transactions and would raise <b><i><u>$350 billion a year</u></i></b>, with the
added benefit of discouraging damaging speculation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Finally, we can move from deficits and managing austerity to real
policy solutions that build a high quality of life on a fiscally sound
foundation if we dramatically reduce wasteful spending for militarism and
war. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There
are three good reasons to do so. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">First, significant cuts would enhance national security. Second, Jessie James said he robbed banks
because that’s where the money was. In a
similar way, there are hundreds of billions of dollars squandered each year on
reckless, wasteful military spending. A
third reason to cut the military portion of the budget is because military
spending is bad for the economy.
Military spending creates relatively few jobs per billion dollars spent
and military budget cuts have fewer negative economic social impacts than equal
cuts in non-defense programs. Economists
at the University of Massachusetts concluded that $1 billion devoted to
military production creates about 11,000 jobs whereas $1 billion spent on
education creates 29,000 jobs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Economist Jeffrey Sachs offers a brief summary
of the benefits and possibilities of significant cuts to the military budget:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .25in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“We
are squandering trillions of dollars in useless wars, breaking the budget and
the national morale in the process. By
ending these futile wars and redirecting our energies to the core reasons for
conflict—widespread insecurity, extreme poverty, a scramble for resources, and
rising environmental stresses—we will enhance our security at a tiny fraction
of today’s military outlays. By 2015, we
should be able to slash the military budget by at least half, from 5 percent of
GDP to between 2 and 3 percent of GDP, and redirect a part of those savings to
better investments in global stability.”<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/User/My%20Documents/MN%20ASAP/Media%20MN%20ASAP/Blog%20JNP/Blog%2018%20on%20militarism%20and%20the%20fiscal%20cliff.docx#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Minneapolis City Council on Friday
December 7, 2012 passed the Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project
Resolution (</span><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">www.mnasap.org</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">) to shift spending priorities from war and militarization to
meeting essential needs. Join our
efforts by bringing the resolution to your city council or other group. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvsyFkpFe9_C3kz_ZGguUCl9oGmILn6Khb5h1RHEYAh18ZnHIQrKqw2f7Z8puaUrD0KhQuErnXt9DyPq6i4rTUYvgrAwpfepOzs8o5yL0glqdNOjeK3QfufFoT44_LSXLdLAQx4G51tg/s1600/Color+MN+ASAP+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvsyFkpFe9_C3kz_ZGguUCl9oGmILn6Khb5h1RHEYAh18ZnHIQrKqw2f7Z8puaUrD0KhQuErnXt9DyPq6i4rTUYvgrAwpfepOzs8o5yL0glqdNOjeK3QfufFoT44_LSXLdLAQx4G51tg/s1600/Color+MN+ASAP+Logo.jpg" height="318" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="edn1">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/User/My%20Documents/MN%20ASAP/Media%20MN%20ASAP/Blog%20JNP/Blog%2018%20on%20militarism%20and%20the%20fiscal%20cliff.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Paul Krugman, “On Deficit Hawks and Hypocrites,” <i>New York Times, </i>November 12, 2012.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn2">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/User/My%20Documents/MN%20ASAP/Media%20MN%20ASAP/Blog%20JNP/Blog%2018%20on%20militarism%20and%20the%20fiscal%20cliff.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Joseph Stiglitz, “This Budget Would Never Pass<i>,” Slate, </i>December 6, 2010 (emphasis added).<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
</div>
<div id="edn3">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/User/My%20Documents/MN%20ASAP/Media%20MN%20ASAP/Blog%20JNP/Blog%2018%20on%20militarism%20and%20the%20fiscal%20cliff.docx#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Jeffrey D. Sachs, <i>The Price of
Civilization, </i>New York: Random
House, 2011, 188-189.</div>
</div>
</div>
JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-24128321088043642142012-11-06T14:01:00.004-08:002012-11-06T14:01:48.440-08:00Wasteful Pentagon Spending and Costly Wars Hurting Minnesota Communities<br />
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wasteful
Pentagon Spending and Costly Wars Hurting Minnesota Communities</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span class="apple-converted-space">By </span>Professor Jack
Nelson-Pallmeyer and </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #222222;">MN Sen. </span><span style="color: #222222;">Sandy</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #222222;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Pappas</span></span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADoYhCrl5DraLxn8-xdovVqDAFY5II01-kQtjgcjLKMVO-kg_QxWoLY6LbCWjZXb7egSUyecWRs7E3yTziA9zUGIxTj2B1ufCJihBaVficdZE8pPgyg07HnPWKHD2troou1I2tfqdh4/s1600/JNP+Photo+for+Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADoYhCrl5DraLxn8-xdovVqDAFY5II01-kQtjgcjLKMVO-kg_QxWoLY6LbCWjZXb7egSUyecWRs7E3yTziA9zUGIxTj2B1ufCJihBaVficdZE8pPgyg07HnPWKHD2troou1I2tfqdh4/s200/JNP+Photo+for+Blog.jpg" width="166" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKZ3dhaEtP5ZuUEvMmr-6_3DvYc8-V_z5Bdzyxa6UwwkzNd-gMQedIuPLAe__81BnD2ErCNzuPgwqmdUkCyd3LvS-WqzSJfH8KU34oLh2w4TDUPh1Mze_ftjKRy4GUc_U2CmMFYLMAJ8/s1600/Pappas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKZ3dhaEtP5ZuUEvMmr-6_3DvYc8-V_z5Bdzyxa6UwwkzNd-gMQedIuPLAe__81BnD2ErCNzuPgwqmdUkCyd3LvS-WqzSJfH8KU34oLh2w4TDUPh1Mze_ftjKRy4GUc_U2CmMFYLMAJ8/s200/Pappas.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">As a State Senator and University Professor, we see
evidence of a growing list of social problems facing Minnesota communities at a
time when budget constraints impede solutions while federal priorities
privilege wasteful Pentagon spending<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="" name="13a4d8c695f72860__GoBack"></a>and costly wars. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Many Minnesota communities have lain
off teachers, firefighters, police, and other civil servants. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Investments have lagged in roads,
bridges, and basic infrastructure. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Libraries
have cut hours and staff. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Class
sizes have risen in public schools. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Community
programs that serve at-risk youth and the needs of the poor have suffered as
pain from austerity budgets trickles down from the federal government to
states, counties, cities, and neighborhoods. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">We hear repeatedly that more pain is coming as the nation
approaches a “fiscal cliff” that will require more austerity and deeper
cuts. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Largely absent from
this discussion is that many of the negative social consequences of austerity
could be avoided if our nation stopped squandering its treasure on wasteful
Pentagon spending and costly, unnecessary wars. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>It was Republican President Dwight
Eisenhower who warned the nation of dire consequences linked to the rising
power of a “military industrial complex” (MIC). <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>He understood that because of the
“misplaced power” of the MIC our democracy was threatened and that military spending
levels, and even the wars our nation would fight, were now disconnected from
actual defense needs. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>War
and wasteful Pentagon spending were becoming sources of money, power and
influence, not a means to security. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">On Wednesday October 10<sup>th</sup>, the St. Paul City
Council unanimously approved RES 12-1859, a resolution calling on “the
Minnesota Congressional Delegation to support shifting federal funding
priorities from military operations to meeting the essential needs of our local
communities.” </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvsyFkpFe9_C3kz_ZGguUCl9oGmILn6Khb5h1RHEYAh18ZnHIQrKqw2f7Z8puaUrD0KhQuErnXt9DyPq6i4rTUYvgrAwpfepOzs8o5yL0glqdNOjeK3QfufFoT44_LSXLdLAQx4G51tg/s1600/Color+MN+ASAP+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvsyFkpFe9_C3kz_ZGguUCl9oGmILn6Khb5h1RHEYAh18ZnHIQrKqw2f7Z8puaUrD0KhQuErnXt9DyPq6i4rTUYvgrAwpfepOzs8o5yL0glqdNOjeK3QfufFoT44_LSXLdLAQx4G51tg/s200/Color+MN+ASAP+Logo.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #222222;">The body of the resolution noted that Minnesota taxpayers
spent nearly $5 billion to fund the Iraq and Afghan wars in 2011 alone,
bringing total Minnesota taxpayer spending for these wars to more than $38.5
billion. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>In addition to
these costly wars, wasteful Pentagon spending grew dramatically in recent
years. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Minnesota taxpayers
spent more than $16 billion in 2012 for our share of the base Pentagon budget,
a budget that increased from $290.5 billion to $526 billion between 2000 and
2011. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>The St. Paul City Council
noted the local impact of these priorities: <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>“the Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) program will likely see significant reductions in 2012…due to federal
spending reductions.” <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>These
cuts would result in less spending on “capital projects, public service
programs, property maintenance and program
administration…” </span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">The resolution defends support for veterans while
lamenting that Congress currently devotes 59 cents of every dollar of
discretionary spending for military purposes (the budget for veterans is
separate). <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>We concur fully
with the City Council’s request to shift priorities and with its assessment
that “military spending impacts the nation’s economic recovery and national
debt issues” and that the nation “desperately needs to better balance its
approach to national security to include the economic, social, and
environmental needs of our communities, state, and nation.” </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #222222;">Senator Sandy<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="il"><span style="background: #FFFFCC;">Pappas</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(65-DFL)
is Vice President of the Women Legislators' Lobby, a Program of Women's Action
for New Directors (WAND). Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is Associate Professor
of Justice and Peace Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and a
co-founder of the Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project (MN ASAP). </span></i><i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #222222;">To volunteer with MN ASAP, email us at minnesotaasap@gmail.com and visit our website at www.mnasap.org </span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: large;"><b>Video of the MN ASAP Outreach to Minnesota City Councils</b></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lJynSVwyypE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sH-0tHUx1_o6YzbTFSKORzTg76a_zQfho2HZ4pW0E75nhI1L0jmmsCk1k0AOXvSWLvaNYUrPEWDkvy7FijP-b49PFHZ2s2Tkrdh5eyycs136HRW6KraYlpnVBdr0E9TgEH069yVkKBk/s1600/Council+Chambers+after+vote+passing+announcement.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sH-0tHUx1_o6YzbTFSKORzTg76a_zQfho2HZ4pW0E75nhI1L0jmmsCk1k0AOXvSWLvaNYUrPEWDkvy7FijP-b49PFHZ2s2Tkrdh5eyycs136HRW6KraYlpnVBdr0E9TgEH069yVkKBk/s640/Council+Chambers+after+vote+passing+announcement.bmp" width="624" /></a></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-63647600221207560132012-09-10T13:16:00.000-07:002012-09-10T13:26:54.809-07:00Don’t Forget to Remember: Amnesia about War Costs is Costly<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_G3X1-yL5px_knOIGwIomqEwBYMq8m33fX2AeheXifrYjJ0KjJ0plssJKMh10Ohyzb9SeqgTtopzg64mD7DxCLB82fZleyNjOXvPU8w1wieg90td6P6SlYm520XC9MAT_PNls2S67aA/s1600/Banner.++National+Resolutions+Week+Military+Spending.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_G3X1-yL5px_knOIGwIomqEwBYMq8m33fX2AeheXifrYjJ0KjJ0plssJKMh10Ohyzb9SeqgTtopzg64mD7DxCLB82fZleyNjOXvPU8w1wieg90td6P6SlYm520XC9MAT_PNls2S67aA/s640/Banner.++National+Resolutions+Week+Military+Spending.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Jack
Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">September 10,
2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADoYhCrl5DraLxn8-xdovVqDAFY5II01-kQtjgcjLKMVO-kg_QxWoLY6LbCWjZXb7egSUyecWRs7E3yTziA9zUGIxTj2B1ufCJihBaVficdZE8pPgyg07HnPWKHD2troou1I2tfqdh4/s1600/JNP+Photo+for+Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADoYhCrl5DraLxn8-xdovVqDAFY5II01-kQtjgcjLKMVO-kg_QxWoLY6LbCWjZXb7egSUyecWRs7E3yTziA9zUGIxTj2B1ufCJihBaVficdZE8pPgyg07HnPWKHD2troou1I2tfqdh4/s200/JNP+Photo+for+Blog.jpg" width="166" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Don’t Forget to Remember: </span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Amnesia about War Costs is Costly<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Americans
like to think of the United States as a uniquely blessed and noble nation. Chants of “USA, USA” or “We’re # 1” are
commonplace at international sporting events, party conventions, or impromptu
celebrations following the killing of arch-villains like Osama bin Laden and
Saddam Hussein. And yet when we measure
and compare important social welfare indicators of the United States to that of
other developed countries it turns out we aren’t number 1. In fact our nation does very poorly relative
to others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The United States has </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">higher incidences of mental
illness, drug and alcohol addiction, and gender inequality; greater anxiety,
fear, and stress; lower life expectancy; higher rates of infant mortality,
child poverty, and incidences of obesity; greater social stratification and
concentrations of poverty; poorer educational performance and lower literacy
rates; more teenage births, violent crime, and homicides; poorer health
outcomes and higher costs; higher imprisonment rates, prison population, and
more punitive prison practices; less generosity, including fewer funds for
foreign aid; and, lower social mobility.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The United States does rank high in two
categories that explain its poor showing above:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">It is among the most unequal of all developed countries in terms of
distribution of income and wealth (equity is closely associated with positive
social outcomes and inequality with poor outcomes); and, it spends almost as
much money on militarism and war (“national security”) as the rest of the world
combined.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Consider the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->In 2012, Congress devoted 59 cents of every dollar
of federal discretionary spending to military purposes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The cumulative budget shortfalls of 48 states in
2011 totaled $130 billion, $40 billion less than the U.S. spent that same year
on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The United States will spend more on the war in
Afghanistan in 2013 than the entire U.S. budget for food stamps.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Many small towns, cities and rural communities
in Minnesota and elsewhere have laid off police, firefighters, and teachers,
and slashed essential services in response to cuts in state aid and/or federal
cuts to Community Development Block Grants.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Minnesota taxpayer spending for war far exceeds
the state’s budget deficits with Minnesotans having spent nearly $5 billion to
fund the Iraq and Afghan wars in 2011 alone, bringing total Minnesota taxpayer
spending for these wars to nearly $40 billion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->In addition to these costly wars Minnesota tax
payers are spending more than $16 billion in 2012 for our share of the base
Pentagon budget, a budget that increased from $290.5 billion to $526 billion
between 2000 and 2011. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">We would do well to remember Martin
Luther King’s prophetic warning that “a nation that continues year after year
to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is
approaching spiritual death;” and President Eisenhower’s insights that </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">“every gun that is made,
every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a
theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not
clothed. The world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the
genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children…” </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Election years are dominated by
competing claims about which political party or candidate is most responsible
for the nation’s economic problems and competing promises about solutions.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Claims and counterclaims are echoed by the
mainstream media and through an endless stream of misleading ads.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">These ads are financed by millions of dollars
from “Super PACs” and from nonprofit “social welfare” organizations that can
spend unlimited funds without disclosing the identities of donors. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">This corporate-driven, money-constricted system
means our democracy is sick.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">It has
infected both major parties with illnesses that are crippling.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">In fact, if U.S. democracy were a patient
then it would be fair to say it is in critical condition, on life-support, with
no guarantees of return to health.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The fact that we have a money-driven political
system doesn’t mean that there are no meaningful differences between the two
major parties.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">What is surprising,
however, is how little attention is being directed at the bipartisan support
for the militarization of federal budget priorities and war spending that hurts
the economy and undermines the social fabric of our nation.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">As we arrive at the 11</span><sup style="text-indent: 0.25in;">th</sup><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> anniversary of
the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, it is clear that our nation desperately
needs to better balance its approach to national security to include the
economic, social, and environmental needs of our communities, state, and
nation.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">If we are to do so we will need
to see connections between federal spending priorities that privilege war and unmet
needs in our local communities.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In October the
Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project (</span><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">www.mnasap.org</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">) is partnering
with other groups throughout the country to call attention to the high costs of
militarization. We are encouraging
individuals and local groups to bring a simple resolution before local city
councils (or to start a resolutions process).
In Minnesota what we are asking is simple: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Therefore be it resolved that we, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381" name="_GoBack"></a><u>(insert name of city council here)</u> call on Senators
Klobuchar and Franken, and Representatives Walz, Kline, Paulsen, McCollum,
Ellison, Bachmann, Peterson and Cravaack as well as President Barack Obama, to
shift federal funding priorities from war and the interests of the few, to meeting
the essential needs of us all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
information on how you can be part of this city council resolutions campaign
visit </span></b><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">www.mnasap.org</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> or </span></b><a href="http://newprioritiesnetwork.org/"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">http://newprioritiesnetwork.org/</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s640/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrsDXGusZVTGoCa-u10I8PcMQFtfrGOF0-UzD0TqRV2C6Kv4S4B62pCPHuJIz23bhUlni58dyy03DgLWOwrtkm1mRo3MrqHmg8hDxn1LBLVFvyX47yFwVyMUrLe0_6wFV2S1uZ7CHmEY/s1600/MNASAP+LOGO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrsDXGusZVTGoCa-u10I8PcMQFtfrGOF0-UzD0TqRV2C6Kv4S4B62pCPHuJIz23bhUlni58dyy03DgLWOwrtkm1mRo3MrqHmg8hDxn1LBLVFvyX47yFwVyMUrLe0_6wFV2S1uZ7CHmEY/s320/MNASAP+LOGO.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-13245073156563319392012-07-16T11:35:00.002-07:002012-07-16T11:35:21.345-07:00Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog # 16:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8IqV4wrdj5Bn04JmB2cBYEhnycEGdCN8StsXXc-cJcb59DH_h4vrJirvdc8SEa07HRiXvmKxJQM7e6CNnw0nv3MWskpl-xriLlAAMpsMpz2KxHkw3p2SjSreYtMz-wXdjsDMRe2UgVY/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8IqV4wrdj5Bn04JmB2cBYEhnycEGdCN8StsXXc-cJcb59DH_h4vrJirvdc8SEa07HRiXvmKxJQM7e6CNnw0nv3MWskpl-xriLlAAMpsMpz2KxHkw3p2SjSreYtMz-wXdjsDMRe2UgVY/s400/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog #
16:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADoYhCrl5DraLxn8-xdovVqDAFY5II01-kQtjgcjLKMVO-kg_QxWoLY6LbCWjZXb7egSUyecWRs7E3yTziA9zUGIxTj2B1ufCJihBaVficdZE8pPgyg07HnPWKHD2troou1I2tfqdh4/s1600/JNP+Photo+for+Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADoYhCrl5DraLxn8-xdovVqDAFY5II01-kQtjgcjLKMVO-kg_QxWoLY6LbCWjZXb7egSUyecWRs7E3yTziA9zUGIxTj2B1ufCJihBaVficdZE8pPgyg07HnPWKHD2troou1I2tfqdh4/s200/JNP+Photo+for+Blog.jpg" width="166" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>What Taxpayers in Our Cities
and Scranton Pennsylvania Need to Know about Budget Crises, Layoffs and
Military Spending<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scranton
Pennsylvania got a lot of attention last week and it wasn’t a <i>Saturday Night Live </i>skit lampooning vice
president Biden that accounts for its recent notoriety. No, this time it was Scranton’s mayor Chris
Doherty’s decision to resolve the city’s budget crisis by cutting the pay of
city workers to that of minimum wage workers.
To be fair to the mayor he was caught between a rock and a hard
place. City coffers were near empty, state
law wouldn’t let him declare bankruptcy, and his own city council refused to
raise taxes to raise sufficient revenues.
As it turned out a judge also ruled against him declaring that he could
not unilaterally abrogate municipal contracts.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are some
interesting facts that may be of interest to Scranton taxpayers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The
immediate budget crunch that led to the crisis was triggered by Scranton’s
projected budget gap of $16.8 million for 2012.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->This
sum is significantly <i>less </i>than the
$19.3 million that Scranton taxpayers contributed for their share of Afghan war
expenses in 2012. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Since
2001 taxpayers from Scranton have paid more than $234.5 million for the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These figures are
just for the off-budget wars and do not include Scranton taxpayer contributions
to the base Pentagon budget that has nearly doubled since the collapse of the
Soviet Union. Citizens of Scranton paid
more than $96 million towards the base Pentagon budget in 2012 (nearly 6 times
the amount of their city’s budget shortfall).
Put another way, if in 2012 Scranton taxpayers had contributed to U.S.
war/defense spending at Cold War levels they would be facing a 2012 <i>budget surplus of approximately $50.5
million</i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scranton Pennsylvania is us.
A recent article in the <i>Star
Tribune </i>(“Cities and counties cut jobs by thousands” 7-1-2012) reported how
throughout Minnesota budget cuts are forcing layoffs and reducing public
services. It’s time for Minnesotans to
unite around an agenda to challenge reckless military spending priorities that
undermine our nation’s security and the health of our communities. MNasap is helping to organize a month long
campaign in October to bring resolutions to mayors, city councils, and school
boards calling for a shift in priorities away from military spending to meeting
essential needs. Join our efforts at <a href="http://www.mnasap.org/">www.mnasap.org</a>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvsyFkpFe9_C3kz_ZGguUCl9oGmILn6Khb5h1RHEYAh18ZnHIQrKqw2f7Z8puaUrD0KhQuErnXt9DyPq6i4rTUYvgrAwpfepOzs8o5yL0glqdNOjeK3QfufFoT44_LSXLdLAQx4G51tg/s1600/Color+MN+ASAP+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvsyFkpFe9_C3kz_ZGguUCl9oGmILn6Khb5h1RHEYAh18ZnHIQrKqw2f7Z8puaUrD0KhQuErnXt9DyPq6i4rTUYvgrAwpfepOzs8o5yL0glqdNOjeK3QfufFoT44_LSXLdLAQx4G51tg/s200/Color+MN+ASAP+Logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-84155517483274029772012-06-18T12:28:00.001-07:002012-06-18T12:28:30.420-07:00Militarization, MNASAP, Move to Amend, and the Common Good<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s400/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog #
14:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADoYhCrl5DraLxn8-xdovVqDAFY5II01-kQtjgcjLKMVO-kg_QxWoLY6LbCWjZXb7egSUyecWRs7E3yTziA9zUGIxTj2B1ufCJihBaVficdZE8pPgyg07HnPWKHD2troou1I2tfqdh4/s1600/JNP+Photo+for+Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADoYhCrl5DraLxn8-xdovVqDAFY5II01-kQtjgcjLKMVO-kg_QxWoLY6LbCWjZXb7egSUyecWRs7E3yTziA9zUGIxTj2B1ufCJihBaVficdZE8pPgyg07HnPWKHD2troou1I2tfqdh4/s200/JNP+Photo+for+Blog.jpg" width="166" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Militarization, MNASAP, Move
to Amend, and the Common Good </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">There is growing awareness among concerned citizens that
standing between us and solutions to the many economic, ecological, social and
political problems we face is a dysfunctional political system dominated by
corporate interests, money, and power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><a href="http://www.movetoamend.org/">“Move to Amend”</a> is a national campaign seeking constitutional changes to
deny personhood rights to corporations and to reject the notion that money is a
form of free speech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is encouraging
that city councils in Duluth, <a href="http://stpaul.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=37&clip_id=2310&meta_id=170058">St. Paul</a>, and Minneapolis have recently <a href="http://stpaul.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=37&clip_id=2310&meta_id=170058">passed resolutions</a> in support of this campaign. Contact representatives to thank them
for recognizing and acting on the need to deny corporate personhood and to end
the fiction that money symbolizes “free speech” rather than the end of
democracy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In today’s blog I call attention to one aspect of
money-driven distorted politics that can and must be addressed as part of our
efforts to revitalize politics by removing the corrosive influence of
money:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the
military-industrial-congressional complex.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">President Dwight
Eisenhower’s last speech as president was dedicated to warning the nation about
the disastrous rise of misplaced power in the military industrial complex (MIC).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eisenhower’s warnings were two-fold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Defense spending levels and even the wars our
nation would fight were disconnected from actual security needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were driven instead by the profit and
power interests of the MIC who benefited from militarization and war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also understood that our democracy was in
grave peril because of the money and power interests of the military itself,
defense contractors, and members of congress-- eager for cash and with bases
and plants in their districts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Eisenhower’s fears about the
“unwarranted influence” of the military industrial complex overlap precisely
with the concerns about corporate-money-driven politics at the heart of the
move to amend campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consider these
facts:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Last year the so-called defense Industry spent $131 million
lobbying Congress and devoted nearly $23 million to congressional
campaigns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Lockheed Martin led the way—spending $15 million on lobbying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This must be considered a great investment as
Lockheed received more than $40 billion in defense contracts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Defense contractors like Lockheed Martin along with the oil
companies worked tirelessly to promote war with Iraq.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The top ten recipients of U.S. government contracts are all defense
industries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This year the U.S. Congress devoted 59 cents of every dollar
it appropriated (Congress controls the discretionary budget) to war or national
security.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Next year the U.S. government will spend more on the war in
Afghanistan than it does to fund the entire U.S. food stamp program that serves
146 million Americans.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Since the Supreme Court’s Citizen’s United decision there are
front groups for defense contractors such as “The Coalition for the Common
Defense” working tirelessly on behalf of industry to prevent cuts in military
spending.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Our
concerns about corporate interests and wealthy donors dominating public
policies and distorting federal spending priorities must extend to the disastrous
influence of the MIC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consider how military-industrial-complex-determined
spending priorities impact citizens of Minnesota, and taxpayers in Minneapolis
and St. Paul in particular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At a time
when governance at the local, city, county, state and national levels is being reduced
to managing austerity:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Minnesota taxpayers have spent more than $38.5 billion for
our share of the Iraq and Afghan wars, including $2.5 billion this year alone.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Minneapolis taxpayers have spent nearly $2.3 billion to fund
these wars, including $205.8 million in 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">St. Paul taxpayers have spent more than $1.6 billion to fund
these wars, including $151.5 million in 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">These
figures don’t include Minnesota taxpayer contributions (about $16 billion a
year) for the base Department of Defense (DOD) budget that has more than
doubled since the collapse of the Soviet Union.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Imagine this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we were to fund
the DOD at Cold War levels, and stop hemorrhaging our lives and wealth in foreign
occupations then the St. Paul City Council could have an additional <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">half a billion a year</i> to devote to the
well-being of its citizens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As
we seek to reclaim our democracy by ending corporate domination of our
political system, let us not forget to address the elephant in the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Join our efforts to bring the MNASAP
resolution (</span><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.mnasap.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">) before civic
groups, mayors, city councils, and others calling for a shift in priorities
away from funding war in order to address pressing needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvsyFkpFe9_C3kz_ZGguUCl9oGmILn6Khb5h1RHEYAh18ZnHIQrKqw2f7Z8puaUrD0KhQuErnXt9DyPq6i4rTUYvgrAwpfepOzs8o5yL0glqdNOjeK3QfufFoT44_LSXLdLAQx4G51tg/s1600/Color+MN+ASAP+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvsyFkpFe9_C3kz_ZGguUCl9oGmILn6Khb5h1RHEYAh18ZnHIQrKqw2f7Z8puaUrD0KhQuErnXt9DyPq6i4rTUYvgrAwpfepOzs8o5yL0glqdNOjeK3QfufFoT44_LSXLdLAQx4G51tg/s200/Color+MN+ASAP+Logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-6019473642669329062012-06-04T09:54:00.002-07:002012-06-04T10:05:17.510-07:00The Three Most Dangerous Words a Soldier Can Hear: “Support Our Troops”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s640/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog #
14:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Memorial Day Reflection </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADoYhCrl5DraLxn8-xdovVqDAFY5II01-kQtjgcjLKMVO-kg_QxWoLY6LbCWjZXb7egSUyecWRs7E3yTziA9zUGIxTj2B1ufCJihBaVficdZE8pPgyg07HnPWKHD2troou1I2tfqdh4/s1600/JNP+Photo+for+Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADoYhCrl5DraLxn8-xdovVqDAFY5II01-kQtjgcjLKMVO-kg_QxWoLY6LbCWjZXb7egSUyecWRs7E3yTziA9zUGIxTj2B1ufCJihBaVficdZE8pPgyg07HnPWKHD2troou1I2tfqdh4/s200/JNP+Photo+for+Blog.jpg" width="166" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Three Most
Dangerous Words a Soldier Can Hear:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Support
Our Troops”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">By Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer and J. Michael Orange<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">If truth is the
first casualty of war then soldiers are the second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The phrase “support our troops” is dangerous
in a militarized society because it is used to stifle legitimate dissent and
mobilize public support for unjust wars, criminal presidents, and war
profiteers who benefit from war at the expense of soldiers and civilians
alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The
Iraq war, with little fanfare and less self-reflection, ended officially in December
2011, but costs and casualties will continue rising for generations to
come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wall Street Journal</i> article estimated a $4 trillion price tag.</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly 4,500 U.S. soldiers died in Iraq and
many of the 32,000 wounded will need a lifetime of care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than 600,000 U.S. veterans of the Iraq
and Afghanistan wars qualify for disability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They and many others face economic hardships and physical and emotional
traumas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Veterans are disproportionately
homeless, and the unemployment rate among young vets is 30 percent and
rising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Hidden in these
tragic figures is war’s dirty secret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
historian and former U.S. Army Colonel Andrew Bacevich clearly states, “War is
a source of enormous wealth and power [that delivers] profit, power, and
privilege to a long list of beneficiaries.”</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">
These beneficiaries find it expedient and surprisingly easy to sell war and
militarized priorities to a reluctant public using deception, fear, and
patriotism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Two
foundational myths further undergirded Militarized America:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>American exceptionalism and belief in the usefulness
of military power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As retired Lt.
Colonel William Astore writes:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We
wage war because ... we’ve come to believe that American wars can bring good to
others.... Most Americans are not only convinced we have the best troops, the
best training, and the most advanced weapons, but also the purest motives....
[O]ur warriors ... are seen as gift-givers and freedom-bringers, not as
death-dealers and resource-exploiters. Our illusions about the military
we “support” serve as catalyst for, and apology for, the persistent war making
we condone.</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[3]</span></span></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We must
confront many serious problems that can’t be addressed through military
means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are solutions—but no
military solutions—to inequality, unemployment, rising health care costs, debt,
climate change, poverty, and terrorism and yet we devote 58 cents of every
dollar appropriated by the U.S. Congress to militarism and war (see </span></span><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.mnasap.org</span></span></a><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In the arsenal
of propaganda, the phrase “support our troops” is among the most potent of
lies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Superficial signs of veneration of
the troops bombard us constantly even as soldiers themselves are chewed up,
spit out, and abandoned to joblessness and despair. Similarly, the oft-uttered
phrase “thank you for your service” is frequently a source of cheap grace for
people who can’t be bothered to examine the actual causes of war, the deadly
consequences of U.S. foreign policies, or the relationship between war and our
domestic problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Those of us who want to thank soldiers should be willing to
say “thank you for your <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sacrifice.</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are the one percent who took an oath to
defend the Constitution; an oath that demands tremendous sacrifice from them
and from those who care for them. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Although it should trigger our outrage, it should not
surprise us that about 30% of veterans of the Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan
conflicts develop long-term debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder.</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[4]</span></sup></span></sup></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">
Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts between the ages of 20-24 are
between two and four times as likely to commit suicide as their civilian peers.</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[5]</span></sup></span></sup></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> As
you read this, reflect for a moment on the 31 veterans who today, like every average
day for too many years, will try to kill themselves, and for the 18 veterans
who will succeed.</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[6]</span></sup></span></sup></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Over
the past few years, more soldiers have died by their own hands than on our two
main battlefields.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We believe the violence of suicide is linked to moral
injuries they received fighting illegitimate wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and
Afghanistan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many, the most toxic
wounds are from witnessing or causing harm to civilians. According to the
International Red Cross, “Civilians have borne the brunt of modern warfare,
with ten civilians dying for every soldier in wars fought since the mid-20th
century</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">....</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">”</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[7]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">While a mere
afterthought for most Americans, soldiers know of the immeasurable cost of war to
Iraqis:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a country destroyed, hundreds of
thousands dead,<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title=""><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[8]</span></span></span></a></span>
millions displaced, sectarian violence unleashed, corruption rampant. The experience
creates a psychic poison, whether a soldier pulled the trigger or experienced
the savagery of war from an air-conditioned office. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Those who want to support our troops should work to bring
them home. We can no longer </span><span style="color: black;">make our soldiers </span>protectors
of our denial about the profound and far-reaching impacts of war. We can no
longer sweep their <span style="color: black;">anguish and the shame of our
immoral wars under the carpet of heroism, adulation, and propaganda. </span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1pt 4pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: currentColor; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jack
Nelson-Pallmeyer is Associate Professor of Justice and Peace Studies at the
University of St. Thomas and the author of 13 books including <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.maryknollsocietymall.org/description.cfm?ISBN=978-1-57075-957-4">Authentic Hope: It’s the End of the World asWe Know It but Soft Landings Are Possible</a> </i>(Orbis Books, March 2012).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is also a founder of the <a href="http://www.mnasap.org/">Minnesota ArmsSpending Alternatives Project</a> that seeks to challenge the culture of war and to
shift spending priorities away from war to meeting essential human needs (</span><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.mnasap.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a Marine in Vietnam, <span class="il">Michael</span> Orange
experienced combat in numerous search-and-destroy missions and patrols during
his tour of duty (1969-70). In 2001, he published a memoir of his
experiences, <i>Fire in the Hole: A Mortarman in Vietnam</i>. <span class="il">Michael</span>
teaches a class on the history of the Vietnam War at venues including the
University of Minnesota's Compleat Scholar Program.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvsyFkpFe9_C3kz_ZGguUCl9oGmILn6Khb5h1RHEYAh18ZnHIQrKqw2f7Z8puaUrD0KhQuErnXt9DyPq6i4rTUYvgrAwpfepOzs8o5yL0glqdNOjeK3QfufFoT44_LSXLdLAQx4G51tg/s1600/Color+MN+ASAP+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvsyFkpFe9_C3kz_ZGguUCl9oGmILn6Khb5h1RHEYAh18ZnHIQrKqw2f7Z8puaUrD0KhQuErnXt9DyPq6i4rTUYvgrAwpfepOzs8o5yL0glqdNOjeK3QfufFoT44_LSXLdLAQx4G51tg/s200/Color+MN+ASAP+Logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[1]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wall Street Journal, </i>Market Watch,
December 15, 2011.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[2]</span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Andrew Bacevich, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Washington Rules, </i>New York: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt and Company,
2010, 228.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn3" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[3]</span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> “Hope and Change Fade, but
War Endures,” by William J. Astore<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">,
TomDispatch.com</i>, July 8, 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn4" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[4]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Ira Katz, “Re: Suicides,” e-mail to Michael J, Kussman,
Undersecretary of Health, Veterans Administration, December 15, 2007,
Plaintiff’s Exhibit P-1283, United States District Court for Northern
California, Case # C 07 3758.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn5" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[5]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> CBS News, 2007. </span></span><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/13/cbsnews_investigates/main3498625.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/13/cbsnews_investigates/main3498625.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody</span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn6" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[6]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> Source: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Army Times</i>,
U.S. Army, 4/22/10. </span></span><a href="http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/04/military_veterans_suicide_042210w/"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/04/military_veterans_suicide_042210w/</span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn7" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[7]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;"> Sabrina Tavernise and Andrew W. Lehren,</span> “</span></span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/world/middleeast/23casualties.html?_r=2"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">A Grim Portrait of
Civilian Deaths in Iraq</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New York Times</i> 22-10-2010.</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">
</span></span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/world/middleeast/23casualties.html?_r=3"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/world/middleeast/23casualties.html?_r=3</span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">. January 2008 - Update on Iraqi Casualty Data. “Further
survey work undertaken by Opinion Research Business, in association with its
research partner, IIACSS, confirms our earlier estimate that over 1,000,000
Iraqi citizens have died as a result of the conflict, which started in 2003.”
See: </span></span><a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/PrintArticle.php?articleId=7950"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">http://www.globalresearch.ca/PrintArticle.php?articleId=7950</span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn8" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[8]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="color: black;">January 2008 - Update on Iraqi Casualty Data.
“Further survey work undertaken by Opinion Research Business, in association
with its research partner, IIACSS, confirms our earlier estimate that over
1,000,000 Iraqi citizens have died as a result of the conflict, which started
in 2003.” See: </span></span></span><a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/PrintArticle.php?articleId=7950"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">http://www.globalresearch.ca/PrintArticle.php?articleId=7950</span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">.</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-36575933849558506432012-05-07T12:03:00.005-07:002012-05-07T12:03:51.278-07:00Selling War Is Easy: Challenging the Culture of War<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="45" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s320/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog #
13 May 7, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Selling War Is Easy:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Challenging the Culture of War<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: red;"> Note: This blog will now appear on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month.</span> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In my April 9<sup>th</sup> blog (#11--Making Sense of Recent
Polls Showing Most Americans Want to End the Afghan War Part 1:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why This is Good but not Great News) I cited
encouraging poll numbers indicating that more than 70% of Americans now oppose
the U.S. war in Afghanistan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said this
was good but not great news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good
news aspect is that the political climate is right to help people connect the
dots between so many unmet needs at home and the squandering of wealth and
lives on senseless wars and inflated military spending that further undermines
authentic U.S. security.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The not so good news is that unless we truly challenge and
transform the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">culture of war</i> it is
likely that there will be a next time in which our leaders once again
manipulate a gullible public to support unjustifiable but profitable wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this blog post I summarize briefly the
recipe U.S. leaders have used to sell war for many decades as described by
Norman Solomon in the documentary <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">War
Made Easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>As we examine this recipe
we can see that the public opposition to the U.S. war in Afghanistan fits into
a rather predictable pattern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is this
pattern we need to understand and break if we are to avoid future wars.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Basic Recipe for Selling Wars<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The actual reasons
and costs for war/conflict are withheld from the public by presidents and other
key policy makers who decide on the desirability of war and then develop a plan
to convince the public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are common
story lines or narratives used to sell war, and common dynamics as support for
war gradually erodes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They include:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The use of lies, deception and propaganda by leaders who exaggerate
threats, dangers, and fears.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Portraying the struggle in simplistic terms of good versus evil.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The selective use of history which leaves out or distorts core
events and perspectives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Promoting the myth that the United States desires peace and uses
force reluctantly and only after all other avenues have failed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tearing at our heart strings to convince us that violence and war
are the means to help others and to achieve peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pure motives justify killing and portraying
war as the means to peace is a prescription for perpetual war.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The media serves as an echo chamber repeating the lies, myths,
distortions and propaganda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Media coverage is dominated by official sources to which we are
held hostage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The experts cited by
the media are overwhelming proponents of war, including the use of retired
generals recommended by the Pentagon to serve as consultants leading up to
and during the war.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The news media choose a side—the side of our government—in support
of the war and the mission of the media becomes to help the war effort. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Pro-war perspectives are objective and championed; anti-war perspectives
are biased and ignored or ridiculed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“Support the troops” is used to silence criticism of the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I<span style="color: black;">t is used to
stifle legitimate dissent and to mobilize public support for unjust wars,
criminal presidents, and war profiteers who benefit from war at the
expense of soldiers and civilians alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The focus of war coverage and propaganda involves a
near w</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">orship of the
technologies of war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Death by
hi-tech weapons is sanitized while suicide bombers and IEDs (Improvised
Explosive Devices) are condemned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The question of moral equivalency is never raised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As the war goes badly, the war spinners promote narratives that
ending the war would result in unspeakable disasters while ignoring the
disaster of war itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who
want to end the war are cast as cowards, those who want to cut and run
rather than stay and triumph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those
who led the country into war through lies and deception continue to cast
opponents as dangerous, unpatriotic, unsupportive of the troops, and selfish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As the war goes badly, the media continue to serve as echo chambers
for those who deceived the country into war and those who benefit from its
continuation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The little criticism
that is allowed is framed in terms of whether or not we have stumbled into
a quagmire. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The basic injustice of
the war is never addressed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Posing the problem in terms of a quagmire keeps the reference point
on us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may now be trapped in a
difficult situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This keeps the
focus off of any fundamental reassessment of the disaster we have
wrought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>War is still not covered
through the lens of its victims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Leaders and pundits still avoid accountability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, posing the problem as a
quagmire allows supporters of the war to try new warfare strategies to
prove the quagmire naysayers wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We can win if we escalate or try plan a, b or z.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact that the war was wrong and likely
illegal under international law is not probed nor are the actual reasons
for the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The public is usually swept in by the drums of war—convinced by the
deception and lies of leaders and by the echo effect of the media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, however, the people turn
against war, especially if they discover that they were deceived as to the
danger or actual reason for the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The public turns against the war long before the media which ignore
public dissatisfaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The media remain
bound to the views of leaders much longer than the people themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We can see the
early stages of this recipe as we look at the promotion of war with Iran.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our deep challenge and opportunity is to
challenge the culture of war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please
join the Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project (</span><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.mnasap.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">) and bring our resolution to
groups in your area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s1600/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s320/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" width="320" /></a></div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-75349994699630963352012-04-16T11:01:00.000-07:002012-04-16T11:01:26.988-07:00Tax Day Numbers to Motivate Action for Peace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s400/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Times New Roman";
}@font-face {
font-family: "Arial";
}@font-face {
font-family: "Calibri";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.ListParagraph, li.ListParagraph, div.ListParagraph { margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; line-height: 115%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style>
<br />
<div align="center" class="ListParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Jack
Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog # 12.<span> </span>April 16,
2012</b></div>
<div align="center" class="ListParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Tax Day Numbers
to Motivate Action for Peace</b></div>
<div align="center" class="ListParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="ListParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ListParagraph">
<b>Taxes are due tomorrow.<span> </span>I like paying taxes because I feel that taxes are a way of
pooling resources to support the common good.<span> </span>I dislike present spending priorities and the erosion of
progressivity in our tax code.<span> </span></b></div>
<div class="ListParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="ListParagraph">
<b>There is no question that we will have a better
society and better chance of solving pressing problems when we have a fairer
tax system and better spending priorities that privilege essential needs over
militarization and war.<span> </span></b></div>
<div class="ListParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="ListParagraph">
<b>At a time when governance has been reduced to
managing austerity and choosing which social services to cut, we would do well
to remember a few basic numbers:</b></div>
<div class="ListParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1in;">
<b>Minnesota shut down state
government over a two-year budget shortfall of $5 billion.<span> </span></b></div>
<div class="ListParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1in;">
<b>Minnesota taxpayers have
paid more than $38 billion for our share of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.<span> </span>Taxpayers in Winona have spent more
than $133 million for their share.</b></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1in;">
<b>The U.S. Congress devotes
$.58 of every dollar they appropriate to war-related spending, and this doesn’t
include Veterans benefits.</b></div>
<div class="ListParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="ListParagraph">
<b>Excessive U.S. military spending undermines rather
than enhances security.<span> </span></b></div>
<div class="ListParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="ListParagraph">
<b>Check out our resolution calling for redirection of
spending priorities at </b></div>
<div class="ListParagraph">
<b><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/">www.mnasap.org</a>.</b></div>
<div class="ListParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Note:<span> </span><b><u>Making Sense of Recent Polls Showing Most Americans
Want to End the Afghan War Part Part 2:<span>
</span>Why Selling War is Easy and Belated Disillusionment a Problem</u> will
be addressed next Monday, April 23.</b></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s1600/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s320/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrsDXGusZVTGoCa-u10I8PcMQFtfrGOF0-UzD0TqRV2C6Kv4S4B62pCPHuJIz23bhUlni58dyy03DgLWOwrtkm1mRo3MrqHmg8hDxn1LBLVFvyX47yFwVyMUrLe0_6wFV2S1uZ7CHmEY/s1600/MNASAP+LOGO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrsDXGusZVTGoCa-u10I8PcMQFtfrGOF0-UzD0TqRV2C6Kv4S4B62pCPHuJIz23bhUlni58dyy03DgLWOwrtkm1mRo3MrqHmg8hDxn1LBLVFvyX47yFwVyMUrLe0_6wFV2S1uZ7CHmEY/s320/MNASAP+LOGO.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-77222381933225279082012-04-09T08:22:00.000-07:002012-04-09T08:22:23.201-07:00Making Sense of Recent Polls Showing Most Americans Want to End the Afghan War Part Part 1: Why This is Good but not Great News<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="45" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s320/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog # 11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>April 9, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Making
Sense of Recent Polls Showing Most Americans Want to End the Afghan War Part
Part 1:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why This is Good but not Great
News</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Recent
polls indicate that most U.S. citizens want to end the U.S. war in Afghanistan,
the longest war in our nation’s history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For example, a CNN/ORC poll conducted towards the end of March, 2012
showed that 72% oppose the U.S. War in Afghanistan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Other polls show similar results--</span><a href="http://www.pollingreport.com/afghan.htm"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">http://www.pollingreport.com/afghan.htm</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The
fact that the public is turning against the war is good but not great
news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The
good news aspects to the poll numbers showing growing public dissatisfaction
with the war in Afghanistan are these:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Frustration with the war creates a
“discourse climate” in which it is possible to discuss pressing economic,
social and ecological problems that are of concern to many Americans.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As frustration with the human and
financial costs of the war rise along with unmet social needs at home, this
“discourse climate” should allow discussion with neighbors far and wide about how
one key to solving our problems is to decrease significantly spending for war
and so-called defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The
“not great” aspect of the news that most Americans want to end the Afghan war is
that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">disillusionment with unjust American
wars is part of a predictable cycle that is likely to repeat itself</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unless we challenge and change the culture
of war.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Next
Monday’s blog (April 16) will describe why and how it has been relatively easy
for our nation’s leaders to sell us unnecessary wars that feed the profits of
powerful groups while undermining the nation’s security.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our real challenge, and the great opportunity
we have in the present moment, is to prevent the predictable cycle from
repeating itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best ways of doing
so involve understanding how this cycle works, and breaking that cycle by
building a culture of peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the
fundamental goal of the Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project (</span><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.mnasap.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visit our website and join our efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s1600/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s320/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrsDXGusZVTGoCa-u10I8PcMQFtfrGOF0-UzD0TqRV2C6Kv4S4B62pCPHuJIz23bhUlni58dyy03DgLWOwrtkm1mRo3MrqHmg8hDxn1LBLVFvyX47yFwVyMUrLe0_6wFV2S1uZ7CHmEY/s1600/MNASAP+LOGO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrsDXGusZVTGoCa-u10I8PcMQFtfrGOF0-UzD0TqRV2C6Kv4S4B62pCPHuJIz23bhUlni58dyy03DgLWOwrtkm1mRo3MrqHmg8hDxn1LBLVFvyX47yFwVyMUrLe0_6wFV2S1uZ7CHmEY/s320/MNASAP+LOGO.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-76940965887902682432012-04-02T08:52:00.004-07:002012-04-05T14:46:25.717-07:00Neil Young, Jackson Browne, and the Insights of Andrew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s400/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog #
10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>April 2, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Neil Young, Jackson Browne, and the Insights of Andrew Bacevich<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I learned to play a few guitar chords in college
and I’ve plunked away here and there ever since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve often found meaning and inspiration in protest
music that arises and galvanizes opposition to destructive U.S. wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I was a college student in May, 1970 when National Guard
troops opened fire on students protesting at Kent State, killing four and
wounding many more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neil Young’s song “Ohio”
rang out across the country along with our protests (</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRX4R9cYeDQ"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRX4R9cYeDQ</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">).
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,<br />
We're finally on our own.<br />
This summer I hear the drumming,<br />
Four dead in Ohio.</span></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Gotta get down to it<br />
Soldiers are gunning us down<br />
Should have been done long ago.<br />
What if you knew her<br />
And found her dead on the ground<br />
How can you run when you know?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrsDXGusZVTGoCa-u10I8PcMQFtfrGOF0-UzD0TqRV2C6Kv4S4B62pCPHuJIz23bhUlni58dyy03DgLWOwrtkm1mRo3MrqHmg8hDxn1LBLVFvyX47yFwVyMUrLe0_6wFV2S1uZ7CHmEY/s1600/MNASAP+LOGO.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrsDXGusZVTGoCa-u10I8PcMQFtfrGOF0-UzD0TqRV2C6Kv4S4B62pCPHuJIz23bhUlni58dyy03DgLWOwrtkm1mRo3MrqHmg8hDxn1LBLVFvyX47yFwVyMUrLe0_6wFV2S1uZ7CHmEY/s200/MNASAP+LOGO.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br />
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We couldn’t run or turn a blind I and so we
protested on and off campus and eventually our efforts helped end a disastrous
war.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br /><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">My wife Sara and I lived in
Central America during a part of the 1980s as the United States government backed
death squads and repressive governments throughout the region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Lives in the Balance,” a song by Jackson
Browne released in 1986 on an album of the same name spoke and speaks to me to
this day (</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo3q4-wICCc&feature=related"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo3q4-wICCc&feature=related</span></a>).
<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br /><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial;">You might ask what it takes to remember<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial;">When you know that you've seen it before</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Where a government lies to a people</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And a country is drifting to war<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And there's a shadow on the faces</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Of the men who send the guns</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial;">To the wars that are fought in places</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Where their business interest runs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As we try to navigate the spectacle of another
election cycle, think of Browne’s words:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br /><br />
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">They sell us the president the same way<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">They sell us our clothes and our cars<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">They sell us everything from youth to religion<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The same time they sell us our wars<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I want to know who the men in the shadows are<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I want to hear somebody asking them why<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">They can be counted on to tell us who our enemies are<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But they're never the ones to fight or to die.<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></pre>
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And there are lives in the balance<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There are people under fire<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There are children at the cannons<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And there is blood on the wire.<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<pre style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></pre>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<pre><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This brings me to Andrew Bacevich, retired career officer and professor of international relations at Boston University.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He writes that we are fighting senseless wars because they are a source of enormous wealth and profits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Washington lives by a set of rules that promote the United States as an exceptional nation that must project power internationally through countless military interventions and spend enormous sums of money in excess of actual defense needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The long list of beneficiaries of these Washington rules make Eisenhower’s warning concerning the distorted power of a military industrial complex seem quaint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He writes:<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<pre><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></pre>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">“The Washington rules deliver
profit, power, and privilege to a long list of beneficiaries:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>elected and appointed officials, corporate
executives and corporate lobbyists, admirals and generals, functionaries
staffing the national security apparatus, media personalities, and policy
intellectuals from universities and research organizations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each year the Pentagon expends hundreds of
billions of dollars to raise and support U.S. military forces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This money lubricates American politics,
filling campaign coffers and providing a source of largesse—jobs and
contracts—for distribution to constituents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It provides lucrative “second careers” for retired U.S. military
officers hired by weapons manufacturers or by consulting firms appropriately
known as “Beltway Bandits.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It funds the
activities of think tanks that relentlessly advocate for policies guaranteed to
fend off challenges to established conventions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Military industrial complex” no longer suffices to describe the
congeries of interests profiting from and committed to preserving the national
security status quo.</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[1]</span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<pre><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’m not sure if there is a song that captures the horror and senselessness of present wars and the need to work tirelessly for peace in our present context but a good place to start might be with James Blunt’s song “No Bravery” (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbFr8mc9rj4"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbFr8mc9rj4</span></a>). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please join our efforts at the Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project (www.mnasap.org).
<o:p></o:p></span></pre>
<br />
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[1]</span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Washington Rules, </i>p. 228.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s1600/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s320/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrsDXGusZVTGoCa-u10I8PcMQFtfrGOF0-UzD0TqRV2C6Kv4S4B62pCPHuJIz23bhUlni58dyy03DgLWOwrtkm1mRo3MrqHmg8hDxn1LBLVFvyX47yFwVyMUrLe0_6wFV2S1uZ7CHmEY/s1600/MNASAP+LOGO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrsDXGusZVTGoCa-u10I8PcMQFtfrGOF0-UzD0TqRV2C6Kv4S4B62pCPHuJIz23bhUlni58dyy03DgLWOwrtkm1mRo3MrqHmg8hDxn1LBLVFvyX47yFwVyMUrLe0_6wFV2S1uZ7CHmEY/s320/MNASAP+LOGO.png" width="320" /></a></div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-52195532659408260392012-03-20T10:43:00.002-07:002012-03-20T10:43:25.507-07:00Weather, War, and Climate Chaos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s400/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jack
Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog # 9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>March 20,
2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Weather, War, and
Climate Chaos<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A
friend of mine suggested recently that we need to begin using the language of
“climate chaos” rather than talking about global warming or climate
change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were standing in shorts and t-shirts in 80
degree heat in March—very nice on many levels—but the frightening implications
of what is happening to the climate are anything but pleasant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star
Tribune </i>on Sunday (3-18-2012) carried an article warning that business as
usual will likely result in irreversible momentum which culminates in the
melting of the Greenland ice sheet which would raise sea levels by 23
feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Climate
scientists speak about a planetary emergency and our politicians speak about
“drill baby drill” and the “benefits” of the Keystone XL pipeline while
continuing to fund unnecessary wars and feed a military industrial complex that
is out of control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I’m
constantly harping on these facts:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 38.25pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">There are solutions to the pressing problems we face;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 38.25pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">There are no military solutions to the problems we face; and,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 38.25pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is little chance of
finding real solutions until we acknowledge the previous point and build
alternatives to the culture of war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The
Military Arms Spending Alternatives Project (</span><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.mnasap.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">)
is a vehicle to call attention to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">insanity
</i>of present spending priorities that favor militarization and war and to the
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">opportunities </i>to addressing pressing
economic, social, and ecological needs if we shift our priorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lester Brown of Earth Policy Institute is a
strong advocate for shifting resources from militarization to addressing
climate change and other pressing ecological issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Brown lays out an “Eradicating Poverty
Initiative” that meets the following basic social goals worldwide:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>universal primary education; adult literacy;
school lunch programs, and assistance to preschool children and pregnant women
in the 44 poorest countries; reproductive health and family planning; and
universal health care. These goals could be met by shifting less than 10% of U.S.
military spending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Brown also describes “earth restoration
goals” including reforesting the earth, protecting topsoil on cropland,
restoring rangelands, stabilizing water tables, restoring fisheries, and
protecting biological diversity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
cumulative cost of eradicating poverty and restoring ecological balance is about
$178 billion a year, a cost which could be borne by many nations or by the
United States that alone spends more than a $trillion each year on
“security.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The $178 billion figure is
also less than the annual subsidies worldwide for fossil fuels (estimated to be
$210 billion).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brown writes:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It is hard to find words to convey the
gravity of our situation and the momentous nature of the decision we are about
to make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can we convey the urgency
of this moment in history?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will tomorrow
be too late?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do enough of us care deeply
enough to turn the tide now?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will
someone one day erect a tombstone for our civilization?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, what will it read?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It cannot say we did not understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It cannot say we did not have the resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do have the resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can only say we were too slow to respond
to the forces undermining our civilization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Time ran out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The key for the United States, Brown notes, is
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">peace conversion</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wind turbines “can be mass-produced on
assembly lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, the slack in the
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place>
auto industry is sufficient to produce a million wind turbines per year.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Assembly-line production of wind turbines at
‘wartime’ speed,” Brown says, “would quickly lower urban air pollution, carbon
emissions, and the prospect of oil wars.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Brown says that using plug-in hybrids, wind power, and efficient
construction materials would enable the U.S. to reduce oil consumption by 85%
in ten years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also says that using
existing technologies we should be able to cut world carbon emissions in half
by 2015<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s time to stop rearranging furniture on
the Titanic and do what needs to be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Please join our efforts at mnasap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s1600/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s320/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrsDXGusZVTGoCa-u10I8PcMQFtfrGOF0-UzD0TqRV2C6Kv4S4B62pCPHuJIz23bhUlni58dyy03DgLWOwrtkm1mRo3MrqHmg8hDxn1LBLVFvyX47yFwVyMUrLe0_6wFV2S1uZ7CHmEY/s1600/MNASAP+LOGO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrsDXGusZVTGoCa-u10I8PcMQFtfrGOF0-UzD0TqRV2C6Kv4S4B62pCPHuJIz23bhUlni58dyy03DgLWOwrtkm1mRo3MrqHmg8hDxn1LBLVFvyX47yFwVyMUrLe0_6wFV2S1uZ7CHmEY/s320/MNASAP+LOGO.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-16493954425395774242012-03-06T14:34:00.003-08:002012-03-06T14:34:21.868-08:00Why is the United States often hated throughout the Muslim World?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s400/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jack
Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog # 8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>March 5, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Why
is the United States often hated throughout the Muslim World?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This
past weekend I led workshops at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum held at Augsburg
College and the Humphrey Institute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
were very well attended (I think in part because my topic focused on
controversial issues that are rarely addressed in public forums where business
people and social justice people gather in the same room with a common
concern:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>peace.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">My
topic was “The Price of Peace and the Costs of War:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How War and Wall Street Hijack Our Future and
What We Can Do about It.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will share
more of my thoughts from this forum in a future blog but today I want to share
a few thoughts based on my encounters with a number of students at the Humphrey
Institute from Pakistan who appreciated my remarks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One referred to me as an “ambassador of
sanity.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All were concerned that the
U.S. people seem clueless about the nature and impact of U.S. foreign policies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like me, they are alarmed by American
exceptionalism that fosters arrogant U.S. foreign policies that foment hatred
of the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As
our nation’s “leaders” (with help from a complicit media) sell fear of Iran as
a reason for another destructive military engagement, I thought we would do
well to consider that the United States is hated in much of the Muslim world,
not because of our goodness or our values or the others depravity, but because
of our policies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Consider
these paragraphs from my new book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Authentic
Hope:<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">President Bush told the nation on September
11, 2001 that “America was targeted for attack because we’re the brightest
beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This explanation is a classic example of how
the myth of American exceptionalism places platitudes above security.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The preferred American story,” John Esposito
writes, is that the terrorists “own history, backwardness, poverty and cultural
resentment cause terrorism—so that we do not even have to listen to what they
say are their actual grievances.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
our policies, not our ideals, that make us targets of international
terrorism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An unclassified study
published by the Pentagon-appointed Defense Science Board on September 23, 2004
stated: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Muslims do not ‘hate our freedom,’ but rather our policies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The overwhelming majority voice their
objections to what they see as one-sided support in favor of Israel and against
Palestinian rights, and the longstanding, even, increasing support for what
Muslims collectively see as tyrannies, most notably Egypt, Saudi Arabia,
Jordan, Pakistan, and the Gulf States.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>It
went on to say, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Thus, when American
public diplomacy talks about bringing democracy to Islamic societies, this is
seen as no more than self-serving hypocrisy.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The
Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project (</span><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.mnasap.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">)
is working to change U.S. spending priorities away from militarization and war
to meeting essential needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
necessarily involves challenging American exceptionalism and promoting a more
modest foreign policy divorced from arrogance and double standards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Join our efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s1600/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s320/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-30252472708881946472012-02-27T11:06:00.000-08:002012-02-27T11:08:51.811-08:00The United States, Nukes, and Double Standards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8IqV4wrdj5Bn04JmB2cBYEhnycEGdCN8StsXXc-cJcb59DH_h4vrJirvdc8SEa07HRiXvmKxJQM7e6CNnw0nv3MWskpl-xriLlAAMpsMpz2KxHkw3p2SjSreYtMz-wXdjsDMRe2UgVY/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8IqV4wrdj5Bn04JmB2cBYEhnycEGdCN8StsXXc-cJcb59DH_h4vrJirvdc8SEa07HRiXvmKxJQM7e6CNnw0nv3MWskpl-xriLlAAMpsMpz2KxHkw3p2SjSreYtMz-wXdjsDMRe2UgVY/s400/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Jack
Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog # 7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>February 27,
2012</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The United States, Nukes, and Double
Standards:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">What Every American Needs to Know to Stop a
Senseless War with Iran<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">You’ve probably noticed that gasoline prices have been
spiking in direct line with bellicose rhetoric about whether or when the United
States or Israel will attack Iran, purportedly to prevent Iran from developing
a nuclear weapon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These price rises are
another war tax, or in this case, a pre-war tax that hurts strapped families
and the U.S. economy already battered by excessive military spending and the
endless costs of senseless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This could be a very long post but instead I will stick
to the basics and address three important questions and their relevance for a
much-needed conversation about U.S. double standards and Iran.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Question # 1:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What rights and responsibilities do nations
have that sign the</b> N<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">uclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>(Both the United States and
Iran have signed the treaty).</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has three components
that place responsibilities on nuclear and non-nuclear states:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nations that have nuclear weapons <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">agree to share the benefits of nuclear
technology for peaceful purposes such as energy development and health while pursuing
nuclear disarmament and the elimination of their nuclear arsenals.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In exchange for # 1 the non-nuclear states
agree not to develop nuclear weapons.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">All
nations have the right to develop and use nuclear technology for peaceful
purposes.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Two things stand out about the current conflict between
the United States and Iran in light of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, it is clear that the
United States (which recently committed $80 billion to modernize its nuclear
arsenal) is clearly not in compliance with its obligations under the
treaty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, the evidence available
so far indicates that Iran is in compliance with its obligations under the
treaty, although there are concerns that its enrichment of uranium could exceed
requirements for nuclear energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Question # 2:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why might a nation like Iran be interested in
having a few nuclear weapons and why would this be of concern to U.S. leaders
who are oblivious to U.S. obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In my just-released book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Authentic Hope:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the End of
the World as We Know It but Soft Landings are Possible, </i>I describe how the
architects of the Iraq war viewed U.S. nuclear strategic superiority as one key
to permanent global domination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
expressed four points concerning nuclear weapons:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">They
acknowledged that U.S. adversaries seek nuclear weapons in order to deter the
United States from invading or destroying them through conventional warfare.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">They
saw this as an effective strategy that could place dangerous limits on “the
exercise of American power abroad.”</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">They
advocated for U.S. policies to remove governments from power that had or sought
such a deterrent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">In
a classic case of double standards, they sought to develop and deploy a new
generation of useable nukes. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Incoherent
Empire, </i>Michael Mann writes:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“These
are not offensive weapons” and “they cannot possibly threaten the US.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason for nuclear weapons proliferation
in the global South is because “they produce a big deterrence pay-off at
relatively low cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Above all, they
seem to protect a state against American imperialism.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The United States is actively seeking to destabilize
Iran.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It recently approved a $60 billion
arms deal to Iran’s key adversary, Saudi Arabia, and it offers uncritical
support to Israel, a nation with an estimated 200 nuclear weapons (Israel
refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seen through an Iranian lens the prospect of
having a few nukes to deter U.S. aggression (and/or an Israeli attack) may seem
like a reasonable strategy. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Question # 3:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is it okay for the United States to
maintain many thousands of nuclear weapons and to remain silent about Israel’s
nuclear arsenal while threatening war with Iran?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s not!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s1600/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s400/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-70542118815241022742012-02-20T13:12:00.000-08:002012-02-20T13:13:54.203-08:00Where was the Media?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsPBs5GvigQ0oYt9P_2wttwqB4IDtIceWKA5e9LZauy8InZZ6Sha7j4PGcjXIQwuQe0xcBbzTUVMcX0mohOj2o0A8AGoBD15FPfquxjUydSdwISDZYI4RwC0h4dF0-KQVk4biThkIlf8/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsPBs5GvigQ0oYt9P_2wttwqB4IDtIceWKA5e9LZauy8InZZ6Sha7j4PGcjXIQwuQe0xcBbzTUVMcX0mohOj2o0A8AGoBD15FPfquxjUydSdwISDZYI4RwC0h4dF0-KQVk4biThkIlf8/s400/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Jack
Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog # 6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>February 20,
2012</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Where was the media?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We had a wonderful event on
Valentine’s Day in front of the Minneapolis Government Center to call attention
to the costs and consequences of war spending and militarized priorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great music, colorful posters, prancing
roosters, certificates of achievement for a few good kissers who held lips
together for 60 seconds—the time it takes the U.S. military to spend $2.3
million, and well-documented, useful information not well known because it is
rarely talked about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the area press
was invited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None came.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they were too busy parroting
administration lies about Iran’s existential threat to the civilized world or
maybe they were covering issues like unsolved crimes and potholes as if these
community issues have nothing to do with militarized priorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This week’s blog reprints a letter
to the editor to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Tribune</i>
written by my wife Sara.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Oh guess
what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn’t print her letter
either.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Late in
December our house, like thousands others in Minneapolis last year, was
burglarized by a thief who used a crow bar to ruin our door frame and enter our
home. Thousands of dollars' worth of items were stolen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On February 14th the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Tribune</i> reported that these types of crimes are on the
increase, and indicated that our burglary, like the vast majority of these
burglaries, simply will not be solved, because there is not enough money in the
police's budget to solve these crimes. On February 15th the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Tribune</i> reported that the
neighborhood where we live (East Seward) has the poorest pavement conditions,
and, due to lack of funding, the pavement will not be fixed anytime soon.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">On
February 15th the Star Tribune failed to report on an event held in downtown
Minneapolis on February 14th, called "Make Out, Not War", sponsored
by the Minnesota Arms Spending Alternative Project (or Minnesota ASAP), which
pointed out that we Minnesotan tax payers aren’t “making out” very well given
present militarized priorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Minnesotans spent nearly $5 billion to fund the Iraq and Afghan wars in
2011 alone and we will spend more than $16 billion in 2012 for our share of the
base Pentagon budget, a budget that increased from $290.5 billion to $526
billion between 2000 and 2011. Indeed, 58 cents of every dollar of
discretionary spending authorized by Congress is spent for military purposes.
If we were to change our priorities as a nation from war-making to
community-building, just think of the possibilities!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sara Nelson-Pallmeyer<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Join our
efforts at </span><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.mnasap.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkV_bORNNLrJubqPehU2LQvewfWm02ZK8mnwtxgTftdxP6V1fRgVo0aKHUZqg3lUam7QjexQPuD4pZJETDRIQ7vMmLSPPmtz7vqzYBZf-ohdSMHbRKCev6sb60wKG9N-V8cl3kQfbhjSw/s1600/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkV_bORNNLrJubqPehU2LQvewfWm02ZK8mnwtxgTftdxP6V1fRgVo0aKHUZqg3lUam7QjexQPuD4pZJETDRIQ7vMmLSPPmtz7vqzYBZf-ohdSMHbRKCev6sb60wKG9N-V8cl3kQfbhjSw/s320/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6q6MeJbcvCgE2WaHZ2Ih5QK-Gn2g_ha1FbosF1LP01KBDZBWxlmegNlXXimORPMeRvEK3IhnKv1tROrzZzyxXwZN0meXJe4jgzNrR_ShX2x5KMd6kWXbro6uO-Aw22boBQxAFfJ8zz2k/s1600/MNASAP+LOGO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6q6MeJbcvCgE2WaHZ2Ih5QK-Gn2g_ha1FbosF1LP01KBDZBWxlmegNlXXimORPMeRvEK3IhnKv1tROrzZzyxXwZN0meXJe4jgzNrR_ShX2x5KMd6kWXbro6uO-Aw22boBQxAFfJ8zz2k/s320/MNASAP+LOGO.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-61593914228633008932012-02-13T17:06:00.000-08:002012-02-13T17:06:57.838-08:00Valentine’s Day Greeting: $2,283,105.02 a minute<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPr8FxOOR3i_eyPYF2paQfOQXHfLfF8Rc1TotTcNutZ8TRRZrpuguNU7LBaiOj-aJwtOusdB7d7r72TuFGxTT2yPBnvIV5CmhEXW2fIMAyHPIAhUvoGz5noQoXC_LoejdAUCeN9sSPVw/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPr8FxOOR3i_eyPYF2paQfOQXHfLfF8Rc1TotTcNutZ8TRRZrpuguNU7LBaiOj-aJwtOusdB7d7r72TuFGxTT2yPBnvIV5CmhEXW2fIMAyHPIAhUvoGz5noQoXC_LoejdAUCeN9sSPVw/s400/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="WordSection1">
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Jack
Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog # 5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>February 13,
2012</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Valentine’s
Day Greeting:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$2,283,105.02 a minute</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">$1.2 trillion a year<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">$2,283,105.02 per minute<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Today’s blog is short on words but thought
provoking nonetheless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to
Chris Hellman of the National Priorities Project the United States spends
approximately $1.2 trillion a year on military-related expenditures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By my calculation that means U.S. taxpayers
spend $2,283,105.02 per minute to feed a military industrial complex that
undermines national security and the health of our communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Tomorrow, on Valentine’s Day, in
Minneapolis at the government plaza we will be holding a vigil/rally from noon
to 1 called “Make Out, Not War.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
state, counties, cities, and communities are not making out well given present
militarized budget priorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Minnesota
taxpayers have spent more than $37.5 billion for the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Minneapolis taxpayers, this
year alone, will spend more than $188 million to fund the war in
Afghanistan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives
Project (</span><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.mnasap.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">) is seeking to
build a grassroots state-wide movement to shift federal spending priorities
away from militarism and war to meeting essential needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of what our communities and state could
look like if we diverted money wasted on war and invested instead in education,
health, clean energy, libraries, public parks and transit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The really good news is that many of our
nation’s problems can be solved if we have<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>better priorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are
solutions but not military solutions to the problems we face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to challenge a war culture that
thrives on fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the United States has no special calling or
moral authority, no economic capacity, no military means, and no security need
to continue wasting its resources, finances, and lives on senseless wars and
unneeded weapons systems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">JNP</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Here is the description
from Chris Hellman of what is included in “military-related spending.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">U.S.
Military Spending: How Much Do We Really Spend?</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In Fiscal Year 2011 the Obama Administration requested $579 billion
dollars for the Pentagon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when you
look at total spending related to the military, the Pentagon's official budget
request represents only the tip of the iceberg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Billions of dollars are contained in other federal programs that are
spent as a direct result of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region></st1:place> supporting and maintaining a huge
military.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">NOTE: Some totals may not add due to rounding or differences in accounting
methods.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">TOTAL SECURITY-RELATED SPENDING:</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> $1,164.5
billion, or roughly <b>$1.2 TRILLION</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Here’s how it breaks down….<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Official Pentagon Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2011
</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Department of Defense </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">(Mandatory
and Discretionary) (Function 051) – $553.0 Billion<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoHeader" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Department of Energy</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> (and other) funding
for defense activities (Mandatory and Discretionary) (Functions 053/054) –
$26.4 Billion [$18.8B is DoE]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Total National Defense (Function 050) Base Budget –
$579.4 Billion<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Fiscal Year 2011 “Overseas Contingency Operations”</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> – $ 159.3
Billion<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Total
Department of Defense –</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> $ 738.7
BILLION<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Other Defense-related Spending</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In addition, the military creates other federal obligations funded in
the annual budget. These are:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 0in .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Homeland
Security – $53.4 billion in mandatory and discretionary spending.</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> The
Administration requested a total of $72.5 billion for Homeland Security in
FY’11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of this $19.1 billion is funded
through the defense budget, while the remaining $53.4 billion is funded through
various other federal accounts, including the Department of Homeland Security
($37.1 billion), Department of Health and Human Services ($4.5 billion), and
the Department of Justice ($4.3 billion).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 0in .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Intelligence
– $80.1 billion in discretionary spending</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> . NOTE: It is an
assumption that all intelligence spending is discretionary, as only the topline
number for intelligence is released, without any details on the actual funding
by program.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 0in .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">FOREIGN
ASSISTANCE<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 0in .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Foreign
Military Aid – $5.473 Billion</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> in discretionary spending. <b>[Function
150]</b></span></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 0in .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">International
Peacekeeping – $2.182 Billion</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> in discretionary spending. <b>[Function
150]</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 0in .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Non-Proliferation,
Antiterrorism, Demining and Related Activities – $0.758 Billion</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> in
discretionary spending. <b>[Function 150]</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 0in .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Veterans
Benefits – </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">$50.5 billion for hospital and medical care, taken
from the non-military portion of the discretionary budget; and $63.8 billion
for disability pensions and the G.I. education program from the mandatory
budget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These obligations are owed to
those who served honorably in past years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><b>Total: $114.3 billion [Function 700]</b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 0in .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Military
Retirees – $51.9 billion</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> for retired military personnel, funded in the
mandatory budget. <b>[Function 602]<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 0in .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Retired
Civilian DoD Employees</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– </b>There
is no precise figure for this. Total Federal Civilian Employee Retirement <b>[Function
600]</b> funding is $73.4 billion. Assuming that the proportion of DoD retirees
is roughly the same as that of current DoD employees to the total federal
workforce (26% in Fiscal Year 2011), this is about $19.1 billion. Again, this <b>$19.1
billion</b> comes from the mandatory budget.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 0in .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Interest
Payments</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> on the
National Debt attributable to past military spending<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> –</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Net interest payments in Fiscal Year 2011 are
projected at $250.7 billion, 39%* of which are directly attributable to prior
national defense spending included in the official National Defense budget
(Function 050).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This percentage is
conservative since it does not include past borrowing for any of the other
accounts shown here – such as veterans’ programs -- which would increase the
ratio considerably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even using this
conservative methodology, this figure adds <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">$97.8<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> billion</span></b> to annual defense-related
spending, included in the mandatory budget.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">January 2011</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">National Priorities Project</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">243 King Street, Suite 109</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Northampton, MA<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>01060</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">(413) 584-9556</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">www.nationalpriorities.org</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">www.facebook.com/nationalpriorities</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">www.twitter.com/natpriorities</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicA6LZe3fwK5xld8fqBIOy34e1RCTwN-ypIupZGb022isdEWZHZfo7eif5nLVdmue9PLoCU2H-BvJpOgnN2v5nbFZO7Nh51Yo8Y-hTwB0OmVvLt0Tmhtm-qGeb_Vpj8ff6h1Zgt36fWcM/s1600/MONW+graphic+noon+until+one+pm+feb+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicA6LZe3fwK5xld8fqBIOy34e1RCTwN-ypIupZGb022isdEWZHZfo7eif5nLVdmue9PLoCU2H-BvJpOgnN2v5nbFZO7Nh51Yo8Y-hTwB0OmVvLt0Tmhtm-qGeb_Vpj8ff6h1Zgt36fWcM/s320/MONW+graphic+noon+until+one+pm+feb+14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-77133834937554444792012-02-06T10:10:00.000-08:002012-02-06T10:10:04.591-08:00Economist Jeffrey Sachs Calls for 50% Reduction in Military Spending by 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtI2LN3Q4tOOdLPiKMxgqNjBaKI0IWfQpLUJgV0kT9hZ4FKQEhOt74p_ERWYRH_1fUw1wojzm-7gvIbDW7LZVNFHeI9cdnzyoHknETgHfEDjtzWxho2N4BNqtxWOpKxfZsn2X9zNnFKQU/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtI2LN3Q4tOOdLPiKMxgqNjBaKI0IWfQpLUJgV0kT9hZ4FKQEhOt74p_ERWYRH_1fUw1wojzm-7gvIbDW7LZVNFHeI9cdnzyoHknETgHfEDjtzWxho2N4BNqtxWOpKxfZsn2X9zNnFKQU/s400/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jack
Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog # 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>February 6,
2012</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Economist
Jeffrey Sachs Calls for 50% Reduction in Military Spending by 2015<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of the frustrating things about
economic discourse in the mainstream media is how seldom the issue of excessive
military spending comes up when economists and pundits discuss the causes of
our nation’s economic crisis and social decline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somehow the fact that Congress devotes $.59
of every tax dollar it appropriates to military priorities and war isn’t
newsworthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Economic and social
well-being is somehow unrelated to militarized spending priorities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One reason for this reluctance to
criticize is that military spending does profoundly impact jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many economists fear that military spending
cuts in the short term could add to joblessness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same fear probably helps explain why
economists rarely speak out about the folly of war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only is war “</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">a
source of enormous wealth and power,”<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[i]</span></span></span></span></span></a> as
Andrew Bacevich writes, but bringing U.S. troops home from failed wars adds to
the pool of workers seeking work in a poor economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The unemployment rate of young vets is 30%
and rising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The fact that military spending is a
very poor job creator and that Peace Conversion—shifting resources from
military spending to production of goods and services we need—would create far
more jobs per billion dollars spent is rarely acknowledged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so we have the </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Obama administration approving a $60 billion weapons
sale to Saudi Arabia, including $30 billion in fighter jets built by Boeing
with claims that the arms package will generate 50,000 jobs in 44 states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Senator Claire McCaskill (Democratic Senator
from Missouri and a member of the Armed Services Committee) promoted the sale
in this way:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The F-15 is a world class
aircraft built by hardworking folks right here in St. Louis,” she said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I am thrilled for all of the skilled men and
women on the F-15 line that this important, big order that I have stood
side-by-side with them in working to secure is finally happening.”<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It doesn’t much matter that Saudi Arabia has one of the
world’s worst human rights records or that this sale encourages a regional arms
race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sale is good for U.S.
jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Enter economist Jeffrey Sachs with refreshing candor
about the need for different foreign policies, reduced military spending, and
improved priorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Sachs says that the key to resolving the nation’s
economic crisis and debt woes, adequate funding of U.S. infrastructure needs,
and helping the world’s poor is to slash and redirect U.S. military spending. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He writes in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the Price of Civilization: <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“We are squandering trillions of dollars in useless
wars, breaking the budget and the national morale in the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By ending these futile wars and redirecting
our energies to the core reasons for conflict—widespread insecurity, extreme
poverty, a scramble for resources, and rising environmental stresses—we will
enhance our security at a tiny fraction of today’s military outlays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 2015, we should be able to slash the military
budget by at least half…”<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Military spending will be around $738 billion in
fiscal year 2012, not including another $250 billion or so for homeland
security, intelligence gathering, veteran’s benefits, and other
military-related outlays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The total
budget directly or indirectly attributable to the military is thus a staggering
$1 trillion of so per year….Ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, closing
many of the hundreds of military bases around the world established since World
War II, and cancelling some of the high-cost and dubious weapons systems would
allow massive savings of $300 billion or more from the bloated Pentagon
budget.”<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_edn4" name="_ednref4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[iv]</span></span></span></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Please join our grassroots initiative to redirect
spending priorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visit <a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="color: blue;">www.mnasap.org</span></a> to find out how you can
help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also join us on Valentine’s Day,
February 14, at the government plaza in downtown Minneapolis (352 South 5th
Street) from noon to 1pm for a rally, “Make Out, Not War.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69wFj4BlRk3wTOoySQnftqkbAAQQYSj_2UdilS7ihd2FVS5KkcRLw27lyW_Httsb2J5GTENPN1-U-CY7s5HiHmPMwn9nLoC19B4hl5Jm9KtE-0ildGRj68n9XcQOLkvi5nlPLDc-4Ykg/s1600/MONW+graphic+noon+until+one+pm+feb+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69wFj4BlRk3wTOoySQnftqkbAAQQYSj_2UdilS7ihd2FVS5KkcRLw27lyW_Httsb2J5GTENPN1-U-CY7s5HiHmPMwn9nLoC19B4hl5Jm9KtE-0ildGRj68n9XcQOLkvi5nlPLDc-4Ykg/s320/MONW+graphic+noon+until+one+pm+feb+14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br clear="all" />
<br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<br />
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[i]</span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> “Prisoners of
War:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bob Woodward and All the
President’s Men (2010 Edition),” by Andrew Bacevich, TomDispatch.com, September
27, 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> See “Arms
Dealer Obama Will Win by Default,” by Robert Scheer, TruthDig.com, January 5,
2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> Jeffrey D.
Sachs, The Price of Civilization:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Reawakiening American Virtue and Prosperity, New York:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Random House, 2011, 187-188.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn4" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ednref4" name="_edn4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[iv]</span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> Ibid, 204.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-78518126721902326782012-01-30T19:15:00.000-08:002012-01-30T19:15:45.678-08:00Militarism: a Sign of Weakness, not Strength<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WEn8ILcakoauscRq61uzHjdZaac8wMj40b8i58s8YuonybQZC2bFYY5DRyysHDidQJTIBrTLH2bn2dyWyZIy1DFAvt-Q3zfhZMUsWufDnkN_q3E56jTZOixv-lAp33sPnCmCTsneluI/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WEn8ILcakoauscRq61uzHjdZaac8wMj40b8i58s8YuonybQZC2bFYY5DRyysHDidQJTIBrTLH2bn2dyWyZIy1DFAvt-Q3zfhZMUsWufDnkN_q3E56jTZOixv-lAp33sPnCmCTsneluI/s400/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog #
3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>January 30, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Militarism:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a Sign of Weakness,
not Strength<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">U.S. leaders have for many decades committed the United
States to being the world’s overwhelmingly dominant military power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is relatively easy for them to move
seamlessly from the presumption that military power equals strength to the
equally problematic assertion that military power is useful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not surprisingly, U.S. arrogance increases
along with military budgets and military ambition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was certainly true in the case of Iraq.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Following the terror attacks of 9-11, Bush administration
officials with support from key Republicans and Democrats in Congress seized
the opportunity to implement a preplanned strategy for global domination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They called it “America’s grand strategy”
whereby the U.S. would unleash its military power to manage global affairs and
set the stage for permanent U.S. domination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A September, 2000 report from the Project for the New
American Century stated that “[p]reserving the desirable strategic situation in
which the United States now finds itself requires a globally preeminent
military capability both today and in the future.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The U.S. military needed additional resources
to “fight and decisively win multiple, simultaneous major theater wars,”
“perform the ‘constabulary’ duties associated with shaping the security
environment in critical regions,” “maintain nuclear strategic superiority,”
“develop and deploy global missile defenses,” and, “insure the long-term
superiority of U.S. conventional forces.”<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With sufficient funds it would be
possible “to maintain the United States as the ‘arsenal of democracy’ for the
21<sup>st</sup> century.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Ron Suskind, a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wall
Street Journal </i>reporter, captured a moment that crystallized the arrogance
of U.S. leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly before the U.S.
invasion of Iraq, he met with a high level official in the Bush administration
(widely believed to be Karl Rove).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Suskind shared his view that the invasion would likely have disastrous
consequences for both Iraq and the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He describes the response he received this
way:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The aide said that guys like me
were “in what we call the reality-based community,” which he defined as people
who “believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible
reality. ... That’s not the way the world really works anymore,” he continued.
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We’re an empire now, and when we act, we
create our own reality. </i>And while you’re studying that reality—judiciously,
as you will—we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study
too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors…and you, all
of you, will be left to just study what we do.”</span></div>
<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Unfortunately,
few Americans had or have heard of the French historian Emmanuel Todd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Writing just months after the U.S. invasion
of Iraq he described how the economic foundations of the U.S. Empire were crumbling
and how U.S. military power was essentially useless or counterproductive<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">For the United States, like the Soviet Union, Todd wrote,
the “expansion of military activity” was seen “as a sign of increasing power
when in fact it serves to mask a decline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“America no longer has the
economic and financial resources to back up its foreign policy
objectives…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Huge trade deficits with
the rest of the world signal that “financially speaking America has become the
planet’s glorious beggar.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has become
the chief “predator of the globalized economy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Its “dramatic militarization” has made it “a superpower that is
economically dependent but also politically useless.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This America, Todd wrote, “militaristic, agitated,
uncertain, anxious country projecting its own disorder around the globe—is
hardly the ‘indispensable nation’ it claims to be and is certainly not what the
rest of the world really needs now.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
United States was working hard “to maintain the illusory fiction of the world
as a dangerous place in need of America’s protection.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The exaggeration of the Iraqi threat…” he
said, “will be remembered as only the first act in America’s dramatic staging of
nonexistent global dangers that the United States will rush to save us
from.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This folly would inevitably
“provoke a radical weakening of its position in the world in the near future.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project (</span><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.mnasap.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">) recognizes that excessive
militarization is accelerating the pace of U.S. internal economic and social
decline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shifting priorities will allow
us to transition to being a good global partner and enable us to address
pressing economic, environmental, and social needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Note:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All quotes
are from my forthcoming book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Authentic
Hope:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the End of the World as We
Know it but Soft Landings are Possible </i>which will be available from Orbis
Books in March.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-20316612408158094192012-01-23T12:02:00.000-08:002012-01-23T12:02:43.927-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aAtRHjJc7FyRSwMgAQIG3DM-gyG89a2GxN_SL8ExeMyiuCP9OBY_W9hX0EdujSRAgEXngU1MlY2nhyTD1c3KTVMyy0KtvRtfO2XUVZl85KaVsXFqYoEqXzmo8kXmG3UQWfMkRFu2wDw/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aAtRHjJc7FyRSwMgAQIG3DM-gyG89a2GxN_SL8ExeMyiuCP9OBY_W9hX0EdujSRAgEXngU1MlY2nhyTD1c3KTVMyy0KtvRtfO2XUVZl85KaVsXFqYoEqXzmo8kXmG3UQWfMkRFu2wDw/s640/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog # 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>January 23, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Challenging Core Assumptions of the U.S. War
Culture<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Militarism is truly
a bipartisan affair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it comes to
military spending levels or funding for war it doesn’t much matter which
political party controls the House, Senate, or Presidency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute 2010 report shows the United
States accounted for 46.5 percent of global military spending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>China was second with 6.6 percent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The United States could have reduced military
spending by 70 percent and still been the world’s military spending leader.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Congress controls the discretionary budget of
the country and it typically appropriates about 58 cents of every dollar for
military-related purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">One
explanation as to why many Americans support </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">U.S.
military spending levels that are dramatically higher than that of other
nations is that Americans steeped in a war culture broadly share three
assumptions:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Assumption # 1:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">High military spending levels are
necessary to defend our country and to enhance national security.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Assumption # 2:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">America is an exceptional nation
with special rights and responsibilities and U.S. foreign policies and military
spending levels are driven largely by motives that are unselfish and just.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Retired Lt. Colonel William Astore is
critical of this view but his words put this assumption into words:<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“We wage war because we
think we’re good at it -- and because, at a gut level, we’ve come to believe
that American wars can bring good to others (hence our feel-good names for
them, like Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most Americans are not only convinced we have
the best troops, the best training, and the most advanced weapons, but also the
purest motives. Unlike the bad guys and the barbarians out there in the
global marketplace of death, our warriors and war fighters are seen as
gift-givers and freedom-bringers, not as death-dealers and
resource-exploiters. Our illusions about the military we ‘support’ serve
as catalyst for, and apology for, the persistent war-making we condone.”</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Assumption # 3:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Military
spending is good for the economy because it creates jobs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In my view, none of
these assumptions is correct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will
address each in blog entries the next several weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Note:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please spread the word to your networks about
the event MNASAP is organizing on February 14—Valentine’s Day—called “Make Out,
Not War.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check out details at
mnasap.org.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAXOslBoeOzPSXMrJzl1PqA55JIXSpvejFeXbSgf7koH4yKSdhrwD0mm3NLv5A9H2B84dnJ8MojhaqjHNj1pGXVO5ycVmkjBOkOdTW-yuFWf6Zy_9O-K3vhSRFCfKoBP_yKHtPNgLs3Q/s1600/MONW+graphic+noon+until+one+pm+feb+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAXOslBoeOzPSXMrJzl1PqA55JIXSpvejFeXbSgf7koH4yKSdhrwD0mm3NLv5A9H2B84dnJ8MojhaqjHNj1pGXVO5ycVmkjBOkOdTW-yuFWf6Zy_9O-K3vhSRFCfKoBP_yKHtPNgLs3Q/s320/MONW+graphic+noon+until+one+pm+feb+14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute 2010 Yearbook. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> “Hope and
Change Fade, but War Endures,” by William J. Astore, TomDispatch.com, July 8,
20</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">10.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFluxDT4IXWaLb_Y44MZ48M9hOXb1woC6G8kaZhSyQ2I5KiMIqGfCn9UOc-gLaQ7zER19xOhYNrGjQHAmkE2bgYooqbt-jNf9XvK_WSxmMypnvRq87g2kOBG07qPVg5fZNk488XBZP1jM/s1600/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFluxDT4IXWaLb_Y44MZ48M9hOXb1woC6G8kaZhSyQ2I5KiMIqGfCn9UOc-gLaQ7zER19xOhYNrGjQHAmkE2bgYooqbt-jNf9XvK_WSxmMypnvRq87g2kOBG07qPVg5fZNk488XBZP1jM/s400/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570143794260486381.post-32163851785027786632012-01-16T08:04:00.000-08:002012-01-16T08:17:54.963-08:00Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog #1. January 15, 2012<br />
<div class="WordSection1">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s1600/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63yOexmOkAdvkNiBl1T6HusGICsj4x-9y7QSKCv-K92cspzC3VWY8MY18beyCavbTA78sq8E8GZz48rDjEjOHCu8O6qu4-Wy7ZC_R26_ZNxqHJpY58MGLib4M0SU9h189alz2rGeBxFE/s400/MN+ASAP+banner.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer Blog #1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>January 15, 2012<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Militarism, Martin (Luther King) and Me<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Martin Luther King and I share a birthday and a commitment to
nonviolence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each year on the 15 of
January I return to his 1967 speech “Beyond Vietnam:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Time to Break the Silence” to find
inspiration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In one of the greatest
speeches ever given by an American, King noted that there comes a time “when
silence is betrayal.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He described how
the hopes of the poor were shattered and broken because “of a society gone mad on
war.”<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></b>He warned “that America would never invest the necessary funds” to
end poverty “so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and
skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>King noted that in Vietnam we once again had
fallen “victim to the deadly Western arrogance that has poisoned the
international atmosphere for so long”, that Americans could only be seen “as
strange liberators,” and that our nation had become “the greatest purveyor of
violence in the world.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He called for “a
radical revolution in values” and noted that a “nation that continues year
after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social
uplift is approaching spiritual death.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He warned that “Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within
the American spirit, and if we ignore this sobering reality we will find
ourselves” organizing against other wars “for the next generation.”</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[1]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsMb_yxjJyf-OUoFYhzocX8B2xf4GY2wchxtR2fvNHQ-OGtXQZAwLqVG5U47ntKIKq6JasBnvfSjoMQ0PylR263Xm76oKyadUYRVQdnsKtg1Eg0a9RsLsar9blmU04ABWNnxezRdiWe4/s1600/MLK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsMb_yxjJyf-OUoFYhzocX8B2xf4GY2wchxtR2fvNHQ-OGtXQZAwLqVG5U47ntKIKq6JasBnvfSjoMQ0PylR263Xm76oKyadUYRVQdnsKtg1Eg0a9RsLsar9blmU04ABWNnxezRdiWe4/s200/MLK.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">King’s insights,
warnings, instincts and call to action are as relevant today as they were in
1967.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is time for us to unleash our
imaginations and envision what the quality of life could be in our state if we
had redirected the more than $37 billion Minnesota tax payers have spent on the
Iraq and Afghan wars into meeting essential needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is time to end our silence about the many
costs attributed to a national war culture that feeds militarism and war at the
expense of a healthy society and world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have no doubt that King would strongly support the goals of the Minnesota arms
spending alternatives project (</span><a href="http://www.mnasap.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.MNASAP.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please join our efforts.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4570143794260486381#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">[1]</span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> “Beyond
Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” by Martin Luther King Junior, delivered on
April 4, 21967 at a meeting of Clergy and Laity Concerned at Riverside Church
in New York City. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s1600/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zCgHLmf6QZ6eAeg29HoY1r6LJKupgVwbSLb4rp97DRXDwte54Y1tYdZjigczEhrVsPLeTMJ3wxJIE4wRfqzyiw-DiyxaLT56aaIJPbR4mKXVflR10eLfi6KQqeV9NKRmircxWl2UuKs/s640/Blog+JNP+MN+ASAP.png" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>JNPBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412725056977152660noreply@blogger.com3