Military and Foreign Policy Experts Open Letter on US Diplomatic Malpractice

From the Eisenhower Media Network:

Does America inspire the world by the power of its example or the example of its power? Far too often, and despite President Joe Biden’s words during his inaugural address, America’s overmilitarized power and diplomatic malpractice are its examples to the world.

We must change that. To make America truly essential and indispensable, we must not remain the world’s leading arms maker and weapons exporter. We must instead become the world’s greatest and most committed peacemaker and diplomat.

The problem is that America continues to make war, continues being “essential” only as the world’s leading merchant of death, and continues seeking dominance through military supremacy that ends, in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, and earlier in Vietnam, in mass death and colossal folly.

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Celebration of the Life of Daniel Ellsberg: A Memorial From Family and Friends

Daniel Ellsberg died on June 16, 2023 at the age of 92. He was a great hero and a great friend to me. He did more good with his life than anyone I have ever known.

On Sunday, October 22, 2023 his family and close friends put on a public memorial. It was a wonderful ceremony. You can watch it here.  (It is long, 3 hours, make sure you hear the most special last speaker).

I first met Daniel Ellsberg briefly at a rally in 1971. It was nothing more than a handshake, and I was already in awe of his bravery for what he had done by risking life in prison to tell the American people what they didn’t know about the history of the Vietnam War. I attended several rallies during the two years before and during his trial on myriad of charges including violation of the Espionage Act.

On May 11, 1973, I read the news that a judge had dismissed all charges against Dan because of the gross governmental misconduct and illegal evidence gathering against Dan, as well as the Watergate “plumbers” breaking into and stealing records from Dan’s psychiatrist. I cried for joy.

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Dave DeCamp on Russell Brand Show: Ukraine and China

Antiwar.com news editor Dave DeCamp appeared on the Russell Brand Show on Monday (October 9). His segment begins at approximately 41 minutes in and lasts for 45 minutes). It taped prior to the beginning of the Gaza crisis, so the main focus is on Ukraine and China. Very informative!

US Peace Council: Israel, and US Bear Full Responsibility for the Ongoing Bloodshed !

From the U.S. Peace Council:

“We are in a state of war…. The enemy will pay a price like they have never known before,” declared Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, immediately after the beginning of the Hamas forces’ military operation against Israel.

Netanyahu’s words conceal a fundamental historical fact: Israel has been in a state of war against the people of Palestine, whom he now blatantly calls “the enemy,” for the past 75 years. The “enemy” he is referring to are the Palestinian people, who have been enduring 75 years of violent occupation, bombings, mass arrests and imprisonment, torture, assassinations, and exile at the hands of the Israeli State, just because they would refuse to submit to the illegal occupation of their land and the blatant violation of their fundamental human rights by the Israeli occupation forces.

More deceiving is the claim that this was a “surprise” attack by the Palestinians. But looking back at the shameful history of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people in the past seven decades, and its recent offending actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, no rational mind would be “surprised” by the Palestinian reaction.

The historically inevitable bloodshed that has started, and has already taken too many lives, is the Israeli States’ own doing. The State of Israel has no other party to blame for this human catastrophe than itself.

However, this is not where the blame stops. The government of the United States is equally — if not more — responsible for the current tragedy. Decades of unconditional support for the Israeli State’s violations of international law and human rights, tens of billions of dollars’ worth of military aid to Israel with eyes closed to the atrocities and terrorism committed by Israeli military and settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories, and persistent blocking of every effort by the international community to call Israel into account for its illegal actions, all have contributed to this horrendous situation.

We call upon the international community to take every necessary collective action to stop this bloodshed based upon the globally recognized international law and the United Nations Charter.

This bloodshed will not be the last until the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is ended and the human rights of the Palestinian people are recognized and fully realized.