|
| Important
Dates - January/February 2005 |
|
January 20 - Inauguration day (holiday
in DC area)
January 30 - Scheduled date of Iraqi elections
February 2 - State of the Union Address
(9pm)
February 7 - Release of Proposed FY06
Budget |
A
time to recall the great words of a great man:
Martin Luther King
 |
We
know what he did for the civil rights movement
in the U.S. But many of us who were not
alive during Martin Luther King's life may
be surprised by what he did for the anti-war
movement -- and by how telling and chilling
his words sound today. Please join us in
remembering this great man; and please read
more of one of his last sermons by clicking
here. |
|
The
Words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Delivered at Riverside
Church, New York City, April 4th, 1967
(excerpt)
I am convinced that if we are to
get on the right side of the world revolution,
we as a nation must undergo a radical
revolution of values. We must rapidly
begin the shift from a thing-oriented
society to a person-oriented society.
When machines and computers, profit motives
and property rights, are considered more
important than people, the giant triplets
of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism
are incapable of being conquered.
A
true revolution of values will lay hand
on the world order and say of war, "This
way of settling differences is not just."
A nation that continues year and year
to spend more money on military defense
than on programs of social uplift is approaching
spiritual death.
America,
the richest and most powerful nation in
the world, can well lead the way in this
revolution of values. There is nothing
except a tragic death wish to prevent
us from reordering our priorities over
the pursuit of war.
|
It's
Official: No Weapons of Mass Destruction
 |
On
January 12, officials announced that the
U.S. "Iraq Survey Group" had
abandoned its long and fruitless hunt
for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
What
began as an effort to topple Saddam Hussein
and uncover WMD has since become a bloody
battle to contain insurgent actions such
as suicide attacks and car bombings.
|
In
the meantime, there is good reason to believe
that other countries -- most notably North Korea
and Iran -- are indeed well on the way to developing
and manufacturing nuclear weapons. But the intelligence
agencies have largely taken their eyes off these
countries since 9/11.
|
"I
felt like we would find weapons of mass
destruction ... like many -- many here
in the United States, many around the
world,'' Bush to ABC's Barbara
Walters, from an interview airing on Friday
[January14]. Bush said "we need to
find out what went wrong in the intelligence
gathering,'' and that the invasion was
"absolutely'' worth it even if there
were no weapons of mass destruction.
House
of Representatives Democratic Leader Rep.
Nancy Pelosi of California retorted,
"Citing the continuing search by the
Iraq Survey Group, President Bush has refused
to concede what has been obvious for months:
the primary justification for the invasion
of Iraq was not supported by fact...
Now
that the search is finished, President Bush
needs to explain to the American people
why he was so wrong, for so long, about
the reasons for war.''
--from
"U.S. Wraps Up Search for Banned
Weapons in Iraq"
by Reuters, in the New York Times,
January 13
Click
here for full article |
Elections
scheduled for January 30, despite surge in sectarian
violence
|
"We
want to make sure that there is as broad
participation as possible in those elections.
I think we all recognize that the election
is not going to be perfect,"
said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
|
The
most salient internal conflict in Iraq is between
the Sunnis and the Shi'ites.
At
this point, it appears that the majority Shi'ites
(60 percent) will dominate the voting.
(The list of candidates was drawn up with the
approval of Shi'ite leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.)
 |
In
response, Sunni insurgents have launched
fresh attacks in recent weeks in the effort
to sabotage the national ballot. Bombings
and assassinations occur on a regular basis.
Last
week, several aides and bodyguards to Shi'ite
leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani were killed
in separate attacks. |
Sunni
leaders say that if many Sunnis regard the elections
as unfair, this will spark more bloodshed and
even civil war.
Some
Sunni Arab politicians have requested that the
elections be delayed, citing the fear that Sunnis
who live in violent areas will be unable to
vote.
For
more, click
here to read "Iraq Poll Fears Deepen
as 2 Sistani Aides Killed," by REUTERS
in The New York Times, January 13,
2005
"War's
'hidden cost' called heavy"
Billions eyed to replenish forces
By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff | January 14, 2005
| Click
here for more.
| The
Pentagon next month plans to ask Congress
for up to $100 billion in supplemental funds
to pay for the ongoing combat in Iraq and
Afghanistan, bringing the total budgeted
so far to well over $200 billion. But military
officers say the administration's estimates
do not include the investment that will
be necessary to fix what they say they fear
is becoming a broken ground force.
"We're
going to be paying for this war for years
to come," Representative Martin T.
Meehan, a Lowell Democrat and member of
the House Armed Services Committee, said
by telephone yesterday from the Middle
East, where he has been touring US military
bases in Iraq. "We are not preparing
for much of the cost." |
What
is the Iraq war costing us?
 |
The
109th Congress will face right off the bat
a major funding demand for military operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan. Predictions for
this "supplemental" spending bill,
money that is above and beyond the $445
billion fiscal year 2005 military budget,
run about $75 billion. This $75
billion is greater than the military budget
of any other country on earth. |
| More
information on the cost of war
Our
friends at National Priorities
Project do a great job of keeping
track of just what it means to be funding
a bloody, expensive war in another country.
Please visit some of these sites for more
information.
For
up to the minute costs, and information
by city and state: www.costofwar.com
Local
Costs of Iraq War Find out
the current cost of the Iraq war for over
200 selected cities and counties.
NPP's
trade-offs Put the cost of
the Iraq War into context.
A
secure America in a secure world
We can construct an intelligent strategy
to combat terrorism. Find out about a
proposed new framework for U.S. security
policy.
A
unified security budget for the United
States Find out how experts
would shift spending between military
operations and non-military security tools.
4-page flier in PDF format.
Paying
the price: the mounting costs of the Iraq
War Read details on the costs
of war to the Iraqi people and the rest
of the world. |
Another
look at the election process
 |
Sectarian
violence is real, and threatens to undermine
the voting process. And yet, there are other
lenses through which to look at the Iraq
election. Writing for "Foreign Policy
in Focus," Mark LeVine
offers a cogent analysis. |
| "Will
Elections Make a Difference in Iraq?"
By Mark LeVine | January 5, 2005
Guiding
American policy in Iraq and the larger
Middle East are several troubling dynamics,
the combination of which have led to 100,000
dead Iraqis, well over 1,000 dead U.S.
soldiers, and counting; not to mention
hundreds of billions of dollars literally
wasted on useless violence...
First
there is the "imperial" and
"crusader" mentality that has
come to dominate American foreign policy
(the words are Condeleeza Rice's and President
Bush's respectively, not mine).
Next
there is the belief among some of the
most important political figures in the
country, not to mention tens of millions
of God-fearing Christian Americans, that
the war in Iraq heralds the coming
of the Apocalypse and is therefore part
of God's plan and beyond criticism
(no matter what the human and economic
costs).
Most
important, fin-de-millennium America
has witnessed the re-branding of Christianity
as a religion of large-scale, divinely
sanctioned violence that is specifically
wed to a hyper-consumerist, market fundamentalism...
Click
here to read the whole article. |
Elections
don't end insurgencies...
|
So
there is one plausible scenario by which
the January elections can speed a peaceful
resolution to the Iraqi conflict: the
elected assembly can set a deadline for
American forces to leave Iraq. Even
a Shi'ite majority government may recognize
that the cost of endless war with the
nationalist resistance is not sustainable.
From
"Iraq Elections: No Silver Bullet,"
by Jeffrey Laurenti
The Century Foundation, 1/11/2005
Click
here to read more. |
 |
INFORMATION
/ ACTION
Iraq
Action Coalition is an online media and
activists' resource center for groups
and activists who are working to end the
war against the people of Iraq.
www.iraqaction.org |
The
Pentagon's share of the pie: Is it possible
to slice it any other way?
In
the next few weeks, the president will submit
his proposals for the FY06 federal budget,
and once again, many of us will be scratching
our heads. How is it that in a time of war,
the government is sending out tax rebate checks
like greeting cards? When the national dialogue
is full of phrases like "homeland security"
and "no child left behind," how
can it be that states and localities are seeing
drastic cuts in federal aid?
 |
And
yet, the Pentagon still manages to ask
for, and receive, the largest slice
of the federal discretionary budget:
well over half the pie goes to the military.
All the other agencies -- those dealing
with education, environment, housing,
international affairs, veterans' benefits
-- are left scrambling for ever smaller
pieces. |
This
year, there's talk that even the Pentagon
may face cuts; but that talk is largely hollow.
Following are
excerpts from two recent opinion pieces.
The
Pentagon's New Math
Our good friend Lawrence J. Korb
brings his long-term perspective to this question
in a column in The New York Times.
|
The
Pentagon's New Math
By Lawrence J. Korb | Published:
January 11, 2005
BECAUSE
of the cost of the war in Iraq and the
mounting federal deficit, the Office
of Management and Budget has ordered
the Pentagon to make major budget cuts
over the next six years. According to
the Pentagon, these could come to more
than $55 billion and will affect almost
all major weapons programs. Like
most reports about reductions in Pentagon
spending, however, there is less to
it than meets the eye.
First, the overall
size of the Pentagon budget would not
come down very much. A large
amount of the money that is supposedly
being cut is in fact only being transferred
from the Air Force and Navy budgets
to the Army's, which is scheduled to
increase by $5 billion a year...
Second, the
proposed savings will take some time
to translate into actual budget reductions.
For example, in its 2006 budget, which
will be sent to the Congress next month,
the Pentagon plans to cut budget authority
- which includes spending, borrowing
and contractual obligations - by $5.9
billion. But because so much of that
money was scheduled to be spent toward
the end of the decade, the actual reduction
in 2006 alone will be only about $1
billion...
Third, many
of the reductions are not real cuts...
Are there any
alternatives to this shell game?
If the Pentagon were serious about spending,
it could take several concrete steps
now: canceling cold-war-era weapons
systems like the F/A-22 fighter; dropping
all contracts that involve money appropriated
by Congress but which has not yet been
spent; halting the deployment of the
national missile defense system until
it has been adequately tested; and terminating
the much-criticized new contract to
lease 100 refueling planes from Boeing.
We
are facing a real budget crisis - one
brought on by the unwise decision to
cut taxes in the midst of a war. Unfortunately,
the steps that the Pentagon now proposes
will not do much to deal with that crisis,
either in the short or the long term.
|
Click
here
for the full article.
Making
the Cuts, Keeping the Benefits
Cindy Williams is a senior fellow in
the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology.
Making
the Cuts, Keeping the Benefits
By Cindy Williams | Published: January
11, 2005 | The New York Times
IN
an effort to reduce the growth of the
military budget, the Bush administration
is poised to cut back a wide array of
Pentagon programs, from jet fighters
to a missile defense system. Pentagon
leaders say the cuts will save more
than $55 billion over six years.
Whether
these reductions herald the end of the
rapid rise in military spending that
began in 1999, however, is open to question.
While fewer weapons systems
than planned will be purchased during
the next six years, in financial terms,
putting an end to the buildup will require
cutting far more than what is now on
the chopping block. One reason
is that much of the recent rise in spending
has been fueled not by new tanks or
missiles, but by new costs associated
with military personnel - especially
retirees. These costs amount to a permanent
increase in the military budget. Unlike
spending on equipment, they cannot be
canceled or deferred.
|
Click
here
for the full article.
And
what about the Bush plan to privatize Social
Security?
 |
President
Bush and certain members of Congress
have made it clear that privatizing
Social Security is at the top of their
agenda for 2005. The administration
is likely to advocate for Reform Plan
2 from the 2001 Report of the President's
Commission; this plan makes severe cuts
to Social Security benefits. |
Social
Security is a successful insurance program
that protects workers and their families against
the income loss that occurs when a worker
retires, becomes disabled, or dies. Privatization
risks this program’s success and endangers
the many individuals who rely on its funds
for survival.
For
a full roundup on this vital issue, please
click
here.
Drastic
cuts to HUD in the works
The
White House will seek to drastically shrink
the department's $8 billion community branch,
purging dozens of economic development projects,
scrapping a rural housing program and folding
high-profile anti-poverty efforts into the
Labor and Commerce departments. Click
here for full article in the Washington
Post.
Pentagon
Issues New Policies to Prevent Sexual Assault
in the Military
Following sexual assault scandals in Iraq
and at the Air Force Academy, the Pentagon
has issued new policies to prevent these types
of crimes from occurring, to investigate cases
more thoroughly, and to treat victims with
more consideration. Click
here for more information.
Bush’s
New Cabinet Would Include Four Women
President Bush's new Cabinet will include at
least four women, if his nominees are approved
by the US Senate. Click
here for full information.
National
WAND Speakers' Bureau available to you!
WAND
is eager to help educate citizens about our
perspective on vital national issues; and
specifically to help everyone understand the
federal budget and how it affects all of us.
The
new WAND Speakers' Bureau features experienced
and informed women across the country who
are ready to lead sessions on matters of import.
Almost anywhere, almost anytime, to almost
any kind of audience.
To
book a speaker, contact Tanya Wallace-Hargro,
WAND Field Director, at 404-524-5999 / twhargro@wand.org.
The
danger of nuclear terrorism is growing rather
than decreasing
 |
WAND's
good friend Lawrence J. Korb is a senior
fellow at the Center for American Progress
and was assistant secretary of defense
from 1981 to 1985 in the Reagan Administration.
Korb is a tireless and incisive observer
of defense budgeting, who brings his long-term
perspective to what's happening in the
Bush Administration. His wife, Lane Stone,
serves on the WAND Board of Directors. |
|
Bush
failing at nuclear security
By Lawrence J. Korb | January 2, 2005
| The Boston Globe
IN
THE RECENT presidential campaign, President
Bush and Senator John Kerry disagreed
on most foreign policy issues. However,
both agreed in their second debate that
the single gravest national security threat
facing the United States is the prospect
of a weapon of mass destruction (particularly
a nuclear weapon) falling into the hands
of a terrorist. As evidence of
their success, the Bush administration
cites several achievements -- but each
of these achievements are revealed to
be marginal victories at best when examined
more carefully.
First,
the administration applauds itself for
negotiating the Group of Eight Global
Partnership against the spread of weapons
of mass destruction. Under this
arrangement, the United States has agreed
to spend $10 billion over the next 10
years to safeguard and dismantle weapons
of mass destruction and related materials
in the former Soviet Union, while the
other seven members agreed to raise another
$10 billion. However, what they
don't mention is that this agreement does
not obligate the United States to spend
any funds beyond what it has already spent
annually since the end of the Cold War...
The
second accomplishment that the Bush administration
touts is its establishment of the Proliferation
Security Initiative. Under this
program, more than 15 nations will work
together to board ships believed to be
transporting weapons of mass destruction.
Yet,
the administration fails to note that
it has undermined the legitimacy of the
Proliferation Security Initiative by refusing
to ratify the United Nations Convention
on the Law of the Sea. This treaty
-- negotiated more than 20 years ago --
has been ratified by 145 nations, including
the other members of the Proliferation
Security Initiative (who insist that it
provides the only legitimate international
framework for the initiative)...
Finally,
the administration speaks frequently of
its support for the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative
Threat Reduction Program, which assists
the states of the former Soviet Union
in safeguarding and dismantling their
enormous stockpiles of weapons of mass
destruction, delivery systems, and related
materials. However, the Bush administration
actually requested a decrease in funding
in fiscal 2005 for the three major threat
reduction programs in the State, Energy,
and Defense budgets...
If
the president means what he said in the
second debate about the gravity of this
threat, he must change his policies immediately.
If not, the consequences of an attack
on the United States or its interests
by a group armed with a weapon of mass
destruction will be catastrophic.
|
Click
here for the full article.
On
the other hand...
WAND
is here because there are those who continue
to work relentlessly toward developing, manufacturing,
and stockpiling new, more usable, nuclear weapons.
One of the loudest voices in this effort is
Frank J. Gaffney Jr., president of the Center
for Security Policy and a columnist for The
Washington Times.
He
recently wrote a piece about Republican Congressman
Ohio Rep. David Hobson title "Hobson's
choices."
|
All by himself,
Mr. Hobson managed to scuttle three critical
aspects of the Bush plan to preserve the
nation's nuclear deterrent. In so doing,
he defied not only the will of the majority
of the House but the Senate as well, as
expressed in a number of hotly contested
votes...
The
Bush 2002 Nuclear Program Review was a
notable exception to this dismal malign
neglect. It proposed a balance of nuclear
and conventional strike force modernization
(and long-overdue upgrading of the related
industrial base), reductions in strategic
arms and missile defenses. If
put into effect, the U.S. will retain
into the future the robust offensive nuclear
and defensive capabilities appropriate
to our times. |
Click
here if you really want to read more.
Bush's
Cabinet: A Guide to the Nominees
 |
Bush
has nine open cabinet seats to fill during
his second term. The cabinet members
will play crucial roles in forming and
implementing policies over the next four
years. |
We
urge you to find out more: an online guide features
information about the nominees and their records,
the status of their confirmations in the Senate,
and activism opportunities. Click
here for a full guide and links
to more information.
From
military leaders to grassroots: A broad coalition
joins to speak out against torture
As
you probably know, the Senate is currently considering
Alberto Gonzales to replace John Ashcroft as
Attorney General. Gonzales has come
under heavy criticism for shaping the administration's
position on the treatment of prisoners. His
legal memos were used to craft methods of interrogation
that led to prisoner abuse and torture in Iraq
and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He also laid the legal
background for holding prisoners indefinitely
without charging them or allowing them access
to an attorney, even if they are U.S. citizens
located in the continental United States.
| 
|
Renounce
torture
Gonzales
nomination under fire from
many sides
Take
Action! Join coalition of groups and
individuals in questioning Gonzales' role
in opening the door to torture in Iraq. |
And
the world is shaken up
It's
hard to think about what this means to us in
the U.S. Surely it's a time to take a fresh
look at our foreign policy and disaster relief
efforts.
Several
analysts have weighed in recently, offering
different perspectives on an event that will
eventually take hundreds of thousands of lives.
Quo
Vadis: From Crisis, Opportunity
Patrick C. Doherty | January 06, 2005
The Indian Ocean tsunami has spurred a debate
about the "generosity" of the U.S. as
measured by its foreign aid expenditures. Doherty
argues that we should abandon the notion that
our response to catastrophes like the tsunami
are merely a matter of charity. To the contrary,
the security of the U.S. is inextricably linked
to the welfare of people in the developing world.
With this assumption, Doherty lays out a plan
for a strategic response to the tsunami.
U.S.
Isn't "Stingy," It's Strategic
By Tom Barry | January 7, 2005
Uncle Sam is not Ebenezer Scrooge. The U.S. government
is the world’s largest foreign aid donor,
contributing economic assistance to more than
150 countries. The U.S. is also the largest national
source of humanitarian and emergency relief aid.
Before President Bush took office in 2001, the
U.S. government was providing foreign nations
with nearly as much development aid and humanitarian
assistance as did France, Germany, and Great Britain
combined.
Tsunami
relief effort will not solve problem of terrorism
Battle for hearts and minds will take more than
disaster relief
Cynthia
Tucker | Universal Press Syndicate
"Like most other Americans, I'm a sucker
for tsunami-relief photos of U.S. troops tending
to wounded children, feeding dazed refugees or
rescuing water-logged survivors. Those can-do
soldiers, sailors and Marines do us all proud.
"But I'm not naive enough to believe that
U.S. generosity toward Muslims in the relief
effort will mitigate the anti-American rage
that burns white-hot in so many Muslim countries.
That rage has been stoked for decades, and only
decades worth of savvy U.S. diplomacy, supported
by the shrewd use of military force, will cool
the fires that forge terrorists."
For additional events, visit the Moving Ideas
website: click
here.
Inauguration
Day: January 20
Is it really the best time to dress in black tie?
Since
the new year began with what may be the most
devastating natural disaster ever, it's prompted
many of us -- here at WAND and in the U.S. in
general -- to count our blessings, open our
wallets, and grieve.
This
type of generosity and empathy knows no political
affiliation. It's part of the human condition.
It's heartening to see people rise above the
usual lines of divide: race, religion, ethnicity,
political party.
 |
It's
also heartening to hear many voices questioning
the wisdom of going ahead with lavish inauguration
galas. Even in red-hearted Texas,
billionaire Mark Cuban has a suggested that
Bush ancel the inauguration parties and
donate the money saved - some $40 million
- to the tsunami victims. |
Below
is an excerpt from an opinion piece; and a guide
to some resources about counter-inaugural events.
|
Increase
Aid to Tsunami Victims
Cancel the Inauguration Parties
By DAVID KRIEGER | January 7, 2005 | CounterPunch
Click
here for the whole article
...There
is a very big party, or series of parties,
scheduled for January 20th for the second
inauguration of George W. Bush as president
of the United States. Some $40 million
in private funds is being raised for this
gala inauguration. The upper price for
tickets is $250,000 each and includes
lunch with the President and Vice President.
Security for the events will also cost
millions.
While
still in the midst of the devastating
tragedy in South Asia, not to mention
the 150,000 American troops in combat
in Iraq, it seems terribly wrong to move
forward with such a gala public celebration.
Americans should refrain from
national partying while the verdict is
still out on what more can be done to
aid the millions of victims of the tsunami
disaster. There is precedent
for this in the fourth inaugural of Franklin
Delano Roosevelt, whose January 1945 inauguration
during World War II was described as "simple
and austere with no fanfare or formal
celebration following the event."
There was also no parade due to gas rationing.
Tragedies
such as the one that has been unfolding
in South Asia remind us that we are all
part of the human family. When one part
of the family suffers, we all share in
the pain. |
Or,
you can make your own party on January 20
Mainstream
press on protests:
ABC News: "A
week of inauguration protests planned"
Counter-Inaugural
2005
A coalition of social, political, and religious
activists have come together to protest the coronation
of George W. Bush. We invite you and all your
friends and family to join hundreds of thousands
in the streets of Washington, DC.
 |
"Not
One Damn Dime Day"
On
"Not One Damn Dime Day" those
who oppose what is happening in our name
in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national
boycott of all forms of consumer spending.
|
During "Not One Damn Dime Day"
please don't spend money. The object
is simple. Remind the people in power that the
war in Iraq is immoral and illegal; that they
are responsible for starting it and that it is
their responsibility to stop it.
"Not One Damn Dime Day" is to
remind them, too, that they work for the people
of the United States of America, not for the international
corporations and K Street lobbyists who represent
the corporations and funnel cash into American
politics. "Not One Damn Dime Day"
is about supporting the troops. The politicians
put the troops in harm's way. Now 1,200 brave
young Americans and (some estimate) 100,000 Iraqis
have died. The politicians owe our troops a plan
-- a way to come home.
Click
here for more information.
Global
Day of Protest on the Two-Year Anniversary of
the Iraq War (3/19-20)
 |
March
19-20 marks the two-year anniversary of
the U.S. bombing and invasion of Iraq. There’s
a new urgency and a stronger determination
within the global antiwar movement to bring
the troops home now. |
Sponsored
by United for Peace and Justice, supporters
of peace and justice in every corner of the
country are called to organize local protests
against the war on Saturday, March 19. To gain
local support, list your activity on the UFPJ
calendar at www.unitedforpeace.org
State
of the Union Address (2/2)
President
George W. Bush will report on the status of the
country, addressing his legislative proposals
for the upcoming year.
Wednesday, February 2, 9 PM
IDEAS,
VISIONS, RESOURCES FOR A BETTER
WORLD |
The
Reality of Nuclear War CD with Dr. Helen Caldicott
The Nuclear Policy
Research Institute still has some CDs of Helen
Caldicott reading from her latest book, The
New Nuclear Danger: George W. Bush’s Military-Industrial
Complex, with an introduction and conclusion
by Peter Coyote. To
order call 202-822-9800 or online at www.nuclearpolicy.org
 |
Don't
forget about our online shopping resource
Online
shopping is great for more than one reason:
you can actually donate while
you shop!
If you go through iGive.com,
WAND Education Fund gets a percentage
of every purchase! And it offers plenty
of great vendors: from Barnes and Noble
to Staples, to Land's End, and more! Click
here for full information. |
For
additional job listings: www.movingideas.org/jobs/
|
Civil Rights Memorial
Center Education Director, Southern
Poverty Law Center
The Center seeks a Civil Rights Memorial
Center Education Director to oversee day-to-day
operation of the Center and to design
and implement appropriate activities for
school groups and other visitors.
How
to Apply:
Send letter of interest and resume to:
Southern Poverty Law Center
ATTN: Human Resources
400 Washington Ave.
Montgomery, AL 36104
|
|
