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Editor's note: November 11, 2024 We should thank, and be proud of, the pro-Palestinian student protesters who seem to be the main citizens demonstrating a genuine, active conscience. Add to this list Jewish Voice for Peace and we have some role models for those of us who remain silent or even support the ongoing mass murder (genocide) of Palestinians by Zionist Israel. It strikes me as a holocaust against Palestinians -- a modern Nakba that the United Nations is helpless to stop due in part to its fatally flawed Charter. -R. Kotila, PhD
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Have we become soulless?
GAZA TELLS US WHO WE ARE
Caitlin Johnstone
Some days it’s hard to say which is more horrific: the Gaza genocide itself, or the moral decay throughout our society which makes it possible.
I mean, the atrocities in Gaza have a couple million victims. If you add up the populations of the US, Europe, Canada and Australia, you’ve got around a billion people living in a dystopia whose collective conscience is so warped and twisted that they’d allow their governments to support a live-streamed genocide in full view of the entire world. A billion people who are so morally bankrupt that they find it tolerable for such a nightmare to be inflicted upon their fellow human beings right in front of them.
This has been especially pronounced during the heat of a US presidential race, with tens of millions of voters falling all over themselves to cognitively sweep Gaza under the carpet so they can throw their support behind one of the two mainstream candidates who’ve both pledged to support the Zionist state which is perpetrating this genocide. At best they see Israel’s crimes as an annoying side issue which the left keeps disrupting their Kamala parties about, and at worst they support Israel’s actions entirely.
What a pointless, meaningless, soulless way to live. What a betrayal of truth, and of our own humanity. How could anyone possibly find satisfaction in that kind of zombie-like existence? Mindlessly shuffling along to the beat of the status quo, devouring human flesh because it’s more comfortable than the cognitive dissonance which would come with divorcing the power-serving worldview you’ve been indoctrinated from birth into espousing.
I was listening to an interview with a doctor who worked in Gaza during the genocide and he discussed the time many months ago when the IDF forced the evacuation of a hospital and left four premature babies to die in their incubators after assuring the staff they’d be taken care of. Their tiny bodies were found decomposing weeks later after Israeli forces cleared out of the area.
How did that one incident, just by itself, not stop the world? How did it not stop us all in our tracks and force us to re-evaluate everything that led to this point? It wasn’t a secret that those four babies died; it was in the mainstream news. It was right there, right in front of us, and we did nothing.
Such atrocities have been happening on a daily basis for thirteen months now, and still nothing.
We’ve got to live like this. We’ve got to live in this genocidal dystopia, surrounded by shambling sleepwalkers covered in human blood. Our lives here in the west are far, far more comfortable than the lives of people in Gaza, but they are also far less truthful, and far less capable of nourishing the human spirit.
We marinate in lies and psychopathy, watch lies and psychopathy, eat drink sleep and breathe lies and psychopathy. Our minds are full of garbage and our hearts are full of shit, and we are wading around up to our ankles in the blood, sweat and tears of the global south. This festering sore of a civilization is the only soil in which the western-backed genocide in Gaza could take root.
The people in Gaza have to suffer the consequences of who we are and what we have become, but we have to live with who we are and what we have become. We’re killing their babies and leaving them to rot, but we’re the ones who have to live with the corpses of rotting babies in our souls.
One way or another the killing in Gaza will end one day. But the forces within us which gave rise to that butchery will live on long after the sounds of the drones and explosions have ceased.
We will have to live like that. We will have to live knowing that this is who we are. -- Caitlin Johnstone November 4, 2024
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May 22, 2024
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF UNITY IN DIVERSITY
Leopoldo A. Cook A.
Here I propose some ideas that I believe are shared by most organizations that advocate for world peace, environmental sustainability, equity and justice.
Many of the differences in visions that our organizations may have among themselves correspond more to the cyclical, momentary, moment in which the proposal is located, than to substantive differences.
Unity in Diversity is necessary.
There are many organizations with visions of a democratic world. In addition to the proponents of the Constitution for the Federation of the Earth (Earth Constitution, EC), there are many other organizations, such as the First Universal Constitution (PCU), the Earth Constitution, the Humanists, the World Democratic Federalists, the Pentagon of the Peace, the Greens, Ananda Marga / PROUT, the Venus Project, many Buddhists, the Good Living Movement, the Bahai, the Community of World Citizens, the World Citizens Assembly, the World Social Forum, the People's Organization of the Earth, and so many others, that we have a lot in common regarding the global vision.
The Constitution for the Federation of the Earth (Earth Constitution) offers concrete infrastructure support. Many movements, such as the Humanist Movement, Bahai, PROUT, offer the “soul” of the new civilization.
Others offer some social aspects, such as the vision of the Venus Project, and the Self-Sufficient Economic Units of PROUT, which complement the Electoral Districts economically and socially.
We believe that progress can be made in three major phases:
1. Empowerment of favorable conditions that favor a vision of humanity as a single global society. Personal growth. Need for peace, for a sustainable economy with equity. Creation of rapprochement mechanisms between the many organizations that agree on some of these aspects. We are currently advancing in this phase.
2. Federated Democratic World Government, through the ratification of the Constitution for the Federation of the Earth (EC), moving to the First Operational Stage: Promote regional mechanisms of rapprochement, multipolarity, redefinition of the concept of national “sovereignty”, disarmament, successive integrations regional, reaching a Democratic Federated World Government. It is the Universal Free Planetary Republic that proposes the World Constitution for the Federation of the Earth.
3. Long-Term Planetary Vision. As a planned evolution from the previous phase, until reaching a kind of equal, collaborative and supportive multi-ethnic world federation. Unity in Diversity. It is the Universal Human Nation of the Humanist Movement. It is the long-term vision of most movements.
The conditions are in place to accelerate phase 2, with the World Constitution for the Federation of the Earth as the first fundamental step towards civilizational change. It is not enough to have a long-term vision, it is necessary to give it a concrete face in the short and medium term.
Leopoldo A. Cook A.
+58424-273.8997
Vice Presidente América Latina y el Caribe
Constitución Mundial
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February 8. 2024
Global Law and Order Via the Earth Constitution & the UN General Assembly
Roger Kotila DWF NEWS
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The UN Charter's loopholes prevent the UN from the needed intervention to stop the world crimes reported in this issue of DWF NEWS: Genocide, crimes against humanity, stealing Palestinian lands and homes, torture, killing or imprisoning journalists, apartheid and more.
Global law and order may be possible if the UN General Assembly takes what action it can under the Charter, and also begins Charter Review under Article 109. The UNGA should join forces with the World Constitution & Parliament Association whose Earth Constitution is ready to go. It is ready to serve as a guide, model and authority for a "new UN" free of the burden of the undemocratic UN Security Council.
By bringing in the WCPA's Earth Constitution for the Review, the UN General Assembly can become democratic, -- no more a second class citizen at the UN. It can adopt the EC's World Judicial System and Enforcement, free from the Security Council's P-5's veto which has protected the leaders of Bully nations who routinely violate international law.
Below a list of actions that the UN General Assembly can immediately do from journalist Sam Husseini https://husseini.substack.com/p/international-court-of-justice-ruling?
who reported on international lawyer Francis Boyle who believes that the UN General Assembly acting under the Uniting for Peace Resolution (1950) can:
- Suspend Israel from participation in its activities as the General Assembly did to the former criminal apartheid regime in South Africa and to the genocidal Yugoslavia;
- Set up an International Criminal Tribunal for Israel in order to prosecute its highest level civilian and military officials for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide;
- Recommend economic sanctions against Israel to UN Member States;
- Recommend UN Member States sever diplomatic relations with Israel;
- Admit Palestine as a full fledged UN Member State
Global law and order and democracy are absent and a glaring problem for the United Nations which too often is sidelined when it counts the most, unable to intervene when it is clearly needed. Democracy is also absent at the UN. The Earth Constitution provides new structures and authority which can make the UN more relevant, vibrant, and with the potential for justice and to end war itself. - R. Kotila, PhD
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Gaza Children Buried Alive, Buried Alive, Buried Alive (plus 2 other articles)
November 5, 2023
Gaza Children Buried Alive, Buried Alive, Buried Alive
Roger Kotila, PhD
As I obsessively watch the flashes of relentless airstrikes on Gaza ordered by Netanyahu and his generals I can't stop thinking about children trapped underneath the tons of concrete rubble. In horror I imagine these innocent kids buried alive. Buried alive. Buried alive.
When the Israeli Zionist destruction of all things Gazan finally comes to an end and the excitement of death and destruction ebbs to a sickening nausea, then there will likely be demands from a stunned public that Netanyahu and his generals (and President Biden) be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and tried for genocide and "collective punishment" -- a scholarly way of describing mass murder of civilians.
But the ICC and UN interventions for humanitarian purposes and a ceasefire in this Israel-Gaza war have been angrily rejected by Israel who let it be known that it will do militarily to the Palestinians whatever the hell it wants to do, and UN Secretary-General Guterres be damned.
It's another example of why we need to introduce the Earth Constitution movement to the world and the UN General Assembly to serve as a guide, model and authority to form an urgently needed "new UN." War and human rights violation criminals from a Bully nation should not be allowed to, year after year, steal the homes and lands of Palestinians, terrorize them with overwhelming brute force, and do so with impunity. They should not be above the Law, protected by the U.S. who uses its UN Security Council veto power to prevent the UN from applying independent and honest Global Law and Order.
Let Them Eat Cement
Chris Hedges
EXCERPTS
The Biden administration, slavishly doing Israel’s bidding, is fueling the madness. The U.S. was the only country to veto the U.N. Security Council resolution calling for humanitarian pauses to deliver food, medicine, water and fuel to Gaza. It has blocked proposals for a ceasefire. It has proposed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that says Israel has a right to defend itself. The resolution also demands Iran stop exporting arms to “militias and terrorist groups threatening peace and security across the region.”
The U.S. and its Western allies are as morally bankrupt and as complicit in genocide as those who witnessed the Nazi Holocaust of the Jews and did nothing.
Palestinians will be killed not only from the bombs and shells, and eventually, with the ground invasion, bullets and tank shells, but from hunger and epidemics such as cholera. Without water, fuel and medicine and with the breakdown of sanitation, diseases will spread swiftly. The U.N. states that hospitals in Gaza “are on the brink of collapse.” Thousands of patients will die once fuel runs out for hospital generators.
Israel has no intention of lifting the total siege on Gaza. It announced it will increase its airstrikes. It will continue, as it has for the past two weeks, to extinguish the lives of Palestinians and terrorize and starve them into leaving Gaza. TO READ FULL ARTICLE:
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Why We Can't Have World Peace
Roger Kotila Earth Federation News & Views
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August 31, 2023
We can't have world peace as long as the US government's foreign policy is to (militarily) conquer the world. Western think tanks refer to this grandiose wet dream to dominate the world as American "exceptionalism" and US "hegemony."
Every day through word and deed the US overtly (e.g., AUKUS to dominate China), and covertly (CIA with MI6 help), carry out its grandiose plans.
AUKUS is a pretend "defense" alliance between Australia, the UK, and the US with outreach to include Japan and South Korea. However, the alliance is seen by China as a military threat, especially in regard to Taiwan.
Russia and China resist disarmament because they see their countries encircled militarily by US/NATO, and now AUKUS. Weaker nations, especially socialist-leaning governments, see themselves being overthrown secretly by the CIA or by (illegal) US economic warfare (sanctions).
Unlike the Germans under Hitler, the US has a more effective propaganda machine to convince the public that the US is the "good guy" despite all of the factual evidence to the contrary. That the US can't be trusted is widely known by BRICS and the Global South. (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa make up the economic group called BRICS.)
The Pentagon supports the US government's delusions of grandeur with "full spectrum dominance" which means military superiority on land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace. This scheme is super expensive and explains why the US military budget is so absurdly huge.
World peace is impossible as long as the US relies upon war and threats of war. In reality, the so-called "defense" business is in truth the US War Business, with the code phrase "national security" used to manipulate Congress and the public for ever bigger budgets.
An important question for activists: WITHOUT WAR AND THREATS OF WAR WOULD THE US ECONOMY COLLAPSE?
World peace is virtually impossible unless the United Nations transforms from a treaty-based organization to a world constitution that yields a world (federal) government. History shows that treaty agreements can't be trusted. They are unreliable and too easily broken by national self-interest over the world's public interest.
World federalists supporting the EARTH CONSTITUTION (EC) know what is needed to save the world: Either a "new UN" under the EC, or Earth Federation government with a World Parliament under the EC.
Can we imagine a GLOBAL LEADERS PSYCHOTHERAPY SUMMIT conducted by psychologists and world federalists? Key leaders of powerful nations, like the rest of us, at times, can benefit from professional help.
-- Roger Kotila, PhD
Psychologist (ret.)
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June 16, 2023 Subject: My Letter published today in SF Chronicle: "Defund the military"
Friends in the media - The SF Chronicle published this letter today. It calls for more services for the homeless (unhoused), and less money for the U.S. military and its endless wars. I regret not mentioning the EARTH CONSTITUTION as a potential replacement for the outdated UN Charter in order to end wars between nations. -- Dr. Roger Kotila
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR San Francisco Chronicle
JUNE 16, 2023 Defund the military Regarding “S.F. will never solve the crisis on its streets alone. What should California do about it?” (Editorials, SFChronicle.com, June 10): I’m a retired psychologist whose experience includes the days when we had a state mental hospital system. I worked at Camarillo State Hospital, where we treated psychotics, alcoholics and drug addicts. In many cases, the treatment was court-ordered (involuntary) and life-saving. To save more lives, we need a partnership with the state of California but should also seek federal help. We don’t need to waste money on the Pentagon’s F-35 fighter (the plane that can’t fly right), billion-dollar aircraft carriers, nuclear first-strike missiles and endless wars. The war corporations drain the treasury. Why do we need 800 foreign military bases while our homeless (unhoused) citizens and psychiatric causalities remain shamefully underserved? Roger Kotila, Novato, California
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February 2, 2023
Earth Constitution: Only A Democratic World Federal Government Is Realistic
Roger Kotila, Ph.D. -- DWF NEWS
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The Constitution for the Federation of Earth (aka Earth Constitution) is a blueprint to build an emerging democratic world federal government -- an Earth Federation movement led by the World Constitution & Parliament Association (WCPA) to replace the United Nations system stymied with its obsolete and fatally flawed Charter.
World federalists generally agree that world federal government is our only realistic hope to end wars between nations, or to eliminate weapons of mass destruction. Because the United Nations Charter is not a world federal government and is not constitution-based, it has repeatedly failed in its main purpose -- to end war.
For the reasoning to explain that only world government can save our world I recommend "Einstein on Peace" and "The Psychology of Nuclear Disarmament: Only A Democratic World Federal Union is Realistic" (Academic Council on the UN System, Earth Federation NEWS 2/2/21).
If the UN is unable, or unwilling, to transform itself into a democratic world federation, then the WCPA's Earth Federation/Earth Constitution movement must fill the void. Its strategic advantage is that it need not wait for approval from the nation-states, important as they ultimately will be, to build an alternative world organization parallel to, but independent of, the United Nations.
The Earth Federation strategy is far more than an attempt to build a viable democratic world federation. Its Earth Constitution is the heart and soul of a new vision for our world, where idealism is encouraged and supported while the path to good government is concrete and practical.
The Earth Federation's Provisional World Parliament outlaws weapons of mass destruction and war itself. There is a brilliantly designed World Judiciary System with Enforcement powers so that Bully nations whose leaders are responsible for world crimes are no longer above the Law.
Professor Glen Martin, a WCPA leader, declares that the Earth Federation "invites in all and excludes no one." "It recognizes every human being as a citizen, and invites every nation to be a member, with all the rights, privileges, and benefits that apply under the Constitution."
Should social activists just keep doing what they're doing -- networking; reacting to this crisis, then that crisis; protesting this war, then that war; lamenting loudly over poverty and human rights abuses? Isn’t complaining loudly, but with no permanent solution, a "Sisyphean experience"? The Earth Federation/Earth Constitution/World Parliament strategy could change all of that.
We'd all like UN reform to succeed. But if the UN remains with its present failed Charter, then it's just common sense to have a replacement strategy waiting in the wings. Tell the UN General Assembly that the Earth Constitution is ready to go.
Roger Kotila, Ph.D.
Psychologist (ret.)
Co-editor, DWF NEWS
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November 22, 2022
TO OUR READERS: I asked Democratic World Federalist Board member Fritz Pointer if DWF NEWS could share his sister Anita's reaction to "Anyway" by Mother Teresa. Anita, from the famous singing group The Pointer Sisters, definitely gave a "thumbs up" to this powerful message. -- Roger K. (DWF NEWS)
---------- Original Message ----------
From: Anita POINTER
Thank you Fritz, I LOVE THIS POEM Anita,
I think of you every time I read this poem, "Anyway" and I've read it a lot. It's become a kind of philosophy of life for me. It's really a song. Remember that Bob Marley transformed the speech and word of Haile Selassie to the United Nations into the song "War." These words have that kind of potential, but not in my wheelhouse. What a lovely interview, today, with you and Michele
Anyway
People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
~Love them anyway.
If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives.
~Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies.
~Succeed anyway.
The good you do may be forgotten tomorrow.
~Do good anyway.
Honesty and openness make you vulnerable.
~Be honest and open anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight,
~Build anyway.
People you really want to help may attack you if you help them.
~Help them anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt.
~Give the world your best anyway.
~Mother Teresa
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WORLD PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM
Should the UN Investigate 9/11?
Roger Kotila, Ph.D. DWF NEWS 9/15/22
The problem of a deeply corrupt government poses a challenge to honest citizens. When your government is suspected of committing a crime, but refuses to provide an independent investigation, you are stuck. See https://www.ae911truth.org There is no where else to turn. What about the United Nations?
There is an UN Office of Drugs and Crime which states its responsibilities include "accountable criminal justice responses to terrorism." Could UNODC investigate the U.S. government if the evidence points at 9/11 being an "inside job"? (Probably not. The UN, the UNODC, the World Court, and the ICC lack independent enforcement powers.)
This is the situation in the U.S. when the 9/11 Commission Report appeared to be a cover-up as explained and documented by the brilliant Dr. David Ray Griffen ("The 9/11 Commission Report - Omissions and Distortions," 2005).
The September 11, 2001 attack, blamed on the alleged hijackers, became the excuse for the U.S. government's out-of-control "war on terror" with wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. If it is true that 9/11 was an "inside job", then the rogue elements from within the government who launched 9/11, can themselves be considered the real "terrorists."
To this day the government's cover story (narrative) is that "19 Muslim hijackers" did it -- al-Qaeda terrorists directed by Osama bin Laden. The attack's "mastermind" was attributed to Kahlid Sheikh Mohammed, detained at Guantanamo Bay where he was relentlessly tortured (probably to obtain a false confession).
In my personal opinion, the evidence is so overwhelming that the US government's 9/11 narrative is false, that when journalists continue to parrot it, I wince. A highly complex operation conducted by 19 Muslim hijackers? Absurd.
In reality, the degree of complexity of 9/11 points to a highly sophisticated false flag operation, conducted by powerfully corrupt insiders and their allies. A "false flag" means that the blame is directed to others (Muslims), not to the real perpetrators (inside job).
Repeated calls by 9/11 researchers for a new investigation have been ignored. Why? If 9/11 really was an inside job, then a deeply corrupt government would not want to have an objective investigation. Frankly, I feel that the 9/11 Commission Report was like asking a criminal enterprise to investigate itself.
I believe that there is ample justification to argue that there has been heavy censorship on 9/11 truth researchers and onging attempts to discredit them. A BYU (Mormon) professor, for example, who identified nanothermite explosives at the site gets fired.
I'm guessing he was naive about the politics of finding nanothermite evidence...and BYU got scared pressured by the Bush regime, so they fired him. See https://www.ae911truth.org
Another attempt by the government to discredit truth researchers is by claiming they are "crazy," "tin hats," or "conspiracy theorists."
The 9/11 researchers I met are not only not crazy, they are highly intelligent and psychologically healthier than the average person. These folks are strong and smart, and have integrity. See (I'm a clinical psychologist with over 40 years of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders.)
I teach young peace activists that if they are not a conspiracy theorist, they don't understand the situation. As proof I discuss the CIA, Mossad, and similar covert agencies who routinely conspire to assassinate, overthrow governments, etc. In order to overcome this type of corruption in national governments, I believe it is time to establish a "new UN," one modeled after the EARTH CONSTITUTION whose design offers citizens a better judiciary and enforcement system to achieve real justice.
-- Roger Kotila, PhD
Psychologist (ret.)
earthstarradio@aol.com
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DWF Editorial:
ENDING WAR, Obstacles and Solutions
Roger Kotila, Ph.D. 6/23/22
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DWF NEWS publishes articles that we believe illustrate the crises that our current United Nations global governing system is unable to handle adequately. War after war after war. Bully nations out of control and who routinely violate international laws and human rights, essentially mocking the UN and its principles.
Earth Constitution federal government (a "new UN" or Earth Constitution government) could likely have prevented the Ukraine war in the first place. There would be no need for NATO, nuclear weapons, or conventional warfare.
Under a federal geopolitical structure such as provided by the Earth Constitution, the nightmare of war between nations could finally be ended. War prevents a nation from dealing adequately with climate change. Individual human rights could also be better protected.
Modern day slavery, for example, could be investigated and prosecuted worldwide. Finally, world public interest journalists are needed. Democracy requires an adequately informed citizenry. Truth matters.
-- Roger Kotila, Ph.D. ~ DWF NEWS, Democratic World Federalists
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GET THE POINT
Fritz Pointer 5/4/22 Earth Federation News & Views [earthfederation.info]
Full Spectrum Dominance: U.S. Elites’ War to Rule the World
We can date the beginning of the war in Ukraine to October 2002. For, it was on this date that a document published by American oligarchs, the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) the Pentagon, clearly and unambiguously stated America’s Foreign Policy for the 21st century “Full Spectrum Dominance” declared by the Pentagon to rule the world. That is, to dominate (militarily of course) the nations, people and resources of the entire world. Not “Full Spectrum” or global Peace, Diplomacy or Cooperation, but Domination.
America’s oligarchs, the ruling class, made up of the traditional elites that run the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, came up with this insane, maniacal, harebrained, foolish statement of US foreign policy. The list of those who signed the PNAC letter reads like a Who’s Who of the neoconservative 95% white male elite who helped pave the intellectual path to the Iraq nightmare of a combined civilian and combatant death toll of 1.2 million human beings: Elliott Abrams, Richard L. Armitage, William J. Bennett, Jeffrey Bergner, John Bolton, Paula Dobriansky, Francis Fukuyama, Robert Kagan, Zalmay Khalilzad, William Kristol, Richard Perle, Peter W. Rodman, Donald Rumsfeld, William Schneider, Jr., Vin Weber, Paul Wolfowitz, R. James Woolsey, and Robert B. Zoellick. These insane folk along with their equally dim-witted allies, is determined to take control of all the world, to become the greatest empire in history; and pretend it is the result, exclusively, of white “genius” and “ingenuity” and no one else. The 300 years of the brutal enslavement of African people is of no consequence.
Of course, each and every one of the above mentioned individuals, along with Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice for window dressing and a bit of color, is responsible for Crimes against Peace. In other words, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity. The Judgement of the 1946 International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg states: “To initiate a war of aggression is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime.” That is, waging an aggressive war is the original war crime from which all other war crimes spring. No war, no crimes. Americans fought to establish the primacy of crimes against the peace in the planning stages for Nuremberg. The planning and execution of the unprovoked war America launched against Iraq in 2003 is a clear example of crimes against peace, crimes against humanity and against International Law: according to Kofi Anan Secretary-General of the UN, at the time.
After the United States has tried everything in its power to malign, ignore and undermine the International Criminal Court since it came into being in 2002, now the U.S. government is pushing for the ICC to prosecute Russian leaders as war criminals for war crimes in Ukraine. Well, it takes one to know one. Apparently, Washington thinks the ICC is reliable enough to try Russians but not to bring U.S. or Israeli officials to justice.
“Full Spectrum Dominance”! The promulgation of this PNAC doctrine of U.S. foreign policy is the beginning of the war in Ukraine and the U.S. war on the world. Preparation for war is a primary cause of war; and no nation spends more time passionately, enthusiastically, intensely making preparations for war than the USA. In January 2014, U.S. military trainers arrived in Ukraine. In February 2014, Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych was overthrown in a violent CIA backed coup. In May of 2019 the clown (literally his resume) Volodymyr Zelensky was elected president of Ukraine after a false promise of peace. Also, in May 2019, the U.S. Rand Corp. think tank issued a manifesto to destroy Russia. Preparation!
The U.S. engages and activates all major institutions in preparing for and starting wars: Religious, Intellectual, Social, Economic, Political Cultural and Media. Now, due to years of anti-Muslim terror propaganda, anti-Russian and anti-Chinese propaganda, entire populations and nations of the world are regarded as enemies by many American people, seen as vicious, irrational, less-than-human creatures who are undeserving of basic decency, let alone the protection of international law. Who benefits? Raytheon, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Boeing: with exclusive weapons supply contracts with NATO countries.
Yet, dear reader, can you imagine this PNAC Gaggle of Goons noted above and their predecessors (including Barak Obama, Kamala Harris, Lloyd Austin) handling the next global Covid pandemic? Can you imagine the world, the entire globe under the exclusive incompetent and inept leadership of the USA – with a world leader advocating the drinking of Clorox or shining ultra-violent light into some orifice as solutions to this Covid health pandemic, while disparaging and insulting science and scientists? Have mercy! This national “leadership” has cost the U.S. over one million lives and counting – the highest in the industrialized world. What do you think such leadership would mean to the world?
“Full Spectrum Dominance” for what? To provide the world with Healthcare? Housing? Childcare? Eldercare? Better Schools? Public Transportation? Clean Water? An adequate diet? The people of Yemen are experiencing a dose of U.S. /Saudi dominance; and there the children are so hungry they are literally eating their hands. This is the meaning of and will be the result of U.S. domination of the globe. Clearly, at the very least, the U.S. must rethink its foreign policy objectives.
See: Rebecca Gordon, American Nuremberg: The U.S Officials Who Should Stand Trial for Post-9/11 War Crimes, 2016
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Jingoistic Journalism Is No Friend of Ukraine
MEDIA, 18 Apr 2022
Roger Kotila, Ph.D. | Earth Federation News & Views – TRANSCEND Media Service
14 Apr 2022 – Propaganda in favor of a bigger and longer Ukraine war is flooding the airwaves on MSNBC, CNN, Fox News; and in print at the NY Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal. This attempt to manipulate public opinion is so extensive as to exhaust those of us who try to keep track of “what’s really happening.”
You can be sure that the international peace movement for a “new UN” by replacing the obsolete UN Charter with the Constitution for the Federation of Earth (aka Earth Constitution) is never reported by mainstream media which clings to the current geopolitical war system.
Time and time again, in unison, the reporters and pundits tell us that the war over Ukraine is “unprovoked” (a lie), as if Russia had no possible reason to invade Ukraine. They are silent about the US supported Maidan massacre (2014) which caused an illegal regime change. Americans are rarely told that the US violated a promise to Russia not to place NATO on Russia’s border.
U.S. “jingoistic journalists” are one sided, “all in” for the U.S. government’s version of the war. The narrative is designed to keep Ukraine at war as long as possible, and to prepare Americans to accept that their domestic goals for affordable housing, child care, and college will just have to wait. Inflation (which mostly hurts the poor) will have to be tolerated as part of our “sacrifice” to “help” Ukraine defend itself.
JINGOISM is nationalism in the form of aggressive and proactive foreign policy, such as a country’s advocacy for the use of threats or actual force, as opposed to peaceful relations, in efforts to safeguard what it perceives as its national interests. Colloquially, jingoism is excessive bias in judging one’s own country as superior to others – an extreme type of nationalism. Wikipedia
Pity the Ukraine citizenry who will watch their country be destroyed, but cheered on by western media as heroes for “defending” their country down to the last man, woman and child — the price of “victory.”
That Ukraine may serve as a US/CIA puppet is avoided in the Press, as is the accusation that the U.S. ruling oligarchy’s goal is to (literally) conquer the world — including Russia and China. The delusion of American “exceptionalism” to justify Empire is still active.
Years of war over the Ukraine would help weaken Putin/Russia and in theory hasten regime change. A lengthy war is fabulous for America’s War Business, while furthering the U.S. goal of ruling the whole world — by any means necessary.
But democracy requires an adequately informed citizenry in order to make good decisions. If U.S./NATO is in reality often a “bad guy” whose international war crimes (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Palestine, etc.) even exceed that of Russia, the public deserves to know this.
Most Americans don’t have the time to do their homework to judge media’s fairness and accuracy. They don’t know about the CIA’s past “Mighty Wurlitzer” which had reporters and pundits on its payroll as media “assets” who justified U.S. aggression all over the world with its 750 military bases and black sites.
World public interest journalists and peace experts are unlikely to be seen on U.S. jingoistic mainstream media. Noam Chomsky, Glen Martin, Bill Pace, Byron Belitsos, Chris Hedges, Medea Benjamin, and other objective, honest analysts are rarely, to never, allowed on MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, or interviewed by the NY Times or Washington Post.
Unfortunately for the world, the Pentagon funds think tanks that specialize in war while ignoring more worthy think tanks who are experts on what a world peace system would look like to replace the current disastrous war system haunting the world community.
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 Roger Kotila, Ph.D. is a peace activist and a psychologist (ret.) with many years of clinical experience with the California Dept. of Corrections doing psychiatric diagnosis and treatment with inmates. President of Democratic World Federalists he is co-editor of DWF NEWS, and editor of Earth Federation News & Views. He supports a “new UN” under the Earth Constitution. www.earthfederation.info Email: earthstarradio@aol.com
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February 3, 2022
The Need for a "new UN" Couldn't Be More Obvious
Roger Kotila, PhD Earth Federation News & Views
The need for a "new UN" couldn't be more obvious as wars and climate change threaten to bring down nations and the world community itself. Potential war hotspots routinely pop up. Now Ukraine, next Taiwan. Etc. Etc.
Russia seeks a neutral Ukraine while the U.S. wants to eventually install a militarized NATO. Ukraine should not have to choose between the U.S. and Russia. Both together could help Ukraine rid itself of its neo-Nazi infiltration (see this edition of DWF NEWS "Shocking Support by the U.S. of a Neo-Nazi Infested Ukraine"), and help it regain peace and prosperity.
But the outdated UN Security Council, supposedly for peace and security, as usual, is a miserable failure. The P-5 veto keeps Russia and the U.S. in life threatening conflict.
Reporter Irwin Arieff (PassBlue, 2-1-22) observed: "In a Jan. 21 speech to the 193-nation UN General Assembly, Secretary General Guterres, who has his finger on the world’s pulse, warned that a terrifying five-alarm fire was threatening to blaze out of control, with devastating global results."
Arieff adds: "It is also a part of Guterres's job to come up with ideas to get the world back on track and translate these ideas into action. But in this department, his speech was heavy on rhetoric and light on specifics."
OK Mr. Guterres, I have a suggestion: Join with the UN General Assembly to launch a review of the UN Charter (under Article 109-3) using the Earth Constitution as its model and guide to establish a "new UN", one that forms a democratic world federal union.
In this edition of DWF NEWS ("Breaking News from WCPA") we see the outlines of a new global voting system as called for by the Earth Constitution utilizing the advances in Internet capabilities to broaden and expand the representation for the Provisional World Parliament.
The world's 7.9 billion people do not currently get a vote on global affairs at the UN, -- there is no representation for "we, the people." But the Earth Constitution, designed to replace the obsolete UN Charter, changes all of that, starting with a plan for 1000 electoral districts to form either a UN World Parliament or an Earth Federation World Parliament.
These 1000 electoral districts will be part of the foundation for forming the urgently needed democratic world federation. The present United Nations has its hands tied, doing its best despite a Charter which represents a rigged geopolitical system that has allowed the US and its NATO allies to have an estimated 800 military bases around the world. No wonder nations like Russia and China fear encirclement. The US/NATO pattern of wars and threats of war fits in with the US plans for military "full spectrum dominance" and now a nuclear arms race is underway. Oh where, oh where, is the UN?
-- Roger Kotila, PhD
Psychologist (ret.)
President, Democratic World Federalists
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January 24, 2022
Earth Federation News & Views
Breaking News from the World Constitution & Parliament Association (WCPA)
The 15th session of the Provisional World Parliament successfully took place in hybrid mode broadcast from New Delhi, India, December 10-12, 2021. This session of Parliament served as a turning point for the World Constitution & Parliament Association (WCPA) and the Earth Federation Movement: It announced the completion of delineating the 1000 World Electoral Districts begun years ago with the 20 world regions defined in the above map.
The 1000 World Electoral Districts defined by the Constitution for the Federation of Earth (aka Earth Constitution) are ready for action by citizens living within those districts (a comprehensive map is forthcoming). From now on, WCPA will be signing up people as “Global Citizens” qualified to vote in their electoral districts under the authority of the Earth Constitution. People will first sign up as Global Citizens who have endorsed the Constitution, and soon after, will be assigned a secure, on-line voter ID that will allow them to vote in Provisional World Parliament elections.
This process lays the groundwork for not only electing delegates to the next session of the Provisional World Parliament (scheduled for Pondicherry, India, next year). It also lays the framework for an emerging Virtual World Parliament and for the future (secure and documented) voter ratification of the Earth Constitution itself.
We invite all people to sign up as Global Citizens at www.wcpa.global and become active participants in transforming our broken world system into a demilitarized system of peace, justice, sustainability, and freedom under the democratically ratified Constitution for the Federation of Earth.
Dr. Glen T. Martin is President of WCPA and the Provisional World Parliament, and Executive Director of the Earth Constitution Institute. His most recent book is THE EARTH CONSTITUTION SOLUTION Design for a Living Planet.
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December, 2021
The Provisional World Parliament & Earth Constitution Offer Inspiration and Hope
~ Dr. Roger Kotila, Democratic World Federalists DWF NEWS
The ideal of a one world global family is one of the underlying moral and spiritual foundations for the values which will be needed to save the world. The Earth Constitution expresses this high ideal by providing a new, visionary governing structure designed for the benefit of the whole world, not just the few. This 15th Session of the Provisional World Parliament plays a major role for this emerging international movement.
Can 7.6 billion people learn to live together cooperatively, and without war? The 15th Provisional World Parliament under the Constitution for the Federation of Earth (also known as the Earth Constitution) says "yes." We accept the wisdom of India's legendary leader Mahatma Gandhi and the famous physicist Albert Einstein, both of whom concluded that we will need democratic world federal union government to create a safe and peaceful world.
War between nations, civil wars, and the threat of a nuclear nightmare hang over all of us. Heartbreaking crises of grinding poverty are contrasted with vast wealth held by the few. Violations of human rights occur routinely in almost all nations, even those claiming to be "democratic." Perpetual wars, sociopathic rulers, and climate extremes are causing chaos and unwelcome mass migrations.
Very serious defects in the UN Charter
Although the United Nations Organization accomplishes many useful and needed services to the world community, the UN Charter's defects prevent the UN from handling successfully its most important duties -- ending war, eliminating nuclear weapons, protecting universal human rights, and dealing more effectively with climate change.
The need for a democratic World Parliament is part of what is needed, something lacking now in the UN organization which gives only 5 nations voting rights. The UN is undemocratic. There are 188 nations in the UN with second class citizenship, denied a meaningful vote in final decision-making on global affairs.
India, despite being the world's largest democracy with deeply rooted faith in Gandhian nonviolence, is one of the UN members denied voting rights. India, a nation which proclaims “World is One Family” (वसुधैव कुटुंबकम” is being troubled by its neighbors, yet the current UN governing system is not able to resolve the conflict.
Besides India, smaller nations are also denied voting rights at the UN. Only the UN Security Council's Permanent 5 (P-5) nations have final decision-making power with the special advantage of the veto. During the UN’s formation in 1945 the Indian delegation was a key part of those who insisted on a review of the Charter after a ten year period (see Article 109-3). This legally required review has yet to be conducted according to the Center for UN Constitutional Research (CUNCR) based in Brussels.
Why the UN can't do its job
We must remember that even if India were given veto voting power along with the P-5, the UN still could not end war or stop the very dangerous nuclear arms race. There are too many profound problems in the Charter, defects that the Earth Constitution is designed to correct.
Missing in the UN Charter, for example, is enforceable World Law to be applied equally to all nations and their leaders. As a consequence the UN Security Council's P-5 veto power nations (USA, Russia, China, France, UK) and their proxies openly ignore international law knowing they will not be held accountable. It is a prescription for lawless anarchy at the global level resulting in unimaginable suffering of the families who are the innocent victims of the violence around them.
Military invasions, secret operations to overthrow governments, and illegal economic sanctions are openly utilized against other nations. The UN, whose hands are tied by its Charter, are unable to bring peace. World news is consistently so bad that many people feel it is a hopeless situation. They have given up.
But the exciting news is that, believe it or not, a realistic solution is possible. Professor Glen T. Martin's new book The Earth Constitution Solution explains why there is hope, and what must be done.
The changes to achieve peace and security will require our political leaders and the world's citizenry to step forward and support the Earth Constitution and its Provisional World Parliament. They must let the Earth Constitution serve as a living, active symbol to inspire and guide us out of the wilderness.
Rising to world patriot
Achieving world peace and prosperity can become a reality...if only the community of nations and the public embrace the Earth Constitution and its high ideals for humanity.
World patriotism emerges in a morally and spiritually healthy culture where people sincerely care for the well-being of all people, not just those in their particular tribe or nation. The Earth Constitution expresses this ideal while the Provisional World Parliament acts to make it a future reality in our actual lives.
India, equal in size to China, appears to be the best logical possibility for a leadership role by joining forces with the World Constitution & Parliament Association-India to support a movement to persuade the UN General Assembly to launch a Review of the Charter as required under Article 109-3 signed in 1945 in San Francisco, which is why we call it THE SAN FRANCISCO PROMISE.
A Charter review launched by the UN General Assembly will open the door for the Earth Constitution and the exciting prospect for an urgently needed "new UN."
It is a matter of great interest to know the contributions of India in this movement such as Sri Aurobindo's legacy of World Union and the support for the WCPA. Great numbers of visionaries and intellectuals deliberated for decades to draft this new world constitution. The drafting committee had an Indian member and the first signatory is also an Indian.
India has in the past hosted seven PWP's, including the historic second session inaugurated by the then President of India and presided over by the Speaker of the Lower House of the Indian Parliament.
Let us be clear. The UN is unable to stop the current emerging nuclear arms race. The UN is sidelined by its defective Charter and thus helpless when it counts the most, -- for example a world in extreme danger if war breaks out between US/NATO and Russia, or between the USA and China. If war breaks out, India could be dragged into the conflict.
It is in the best interest of India (and all governments) to recognize the need for a "new UN" using the Earth Constitution as its guide and model to replace the obsolete UN Charter.
The current Session of the Provisional World Parliament serves to provide potential future world legislation which would be extremely useful when a ratified Earth Constitution and the World Parliament are activated with the need to work quickly and efficiently to begin to resolve the many global crises.
~ Dr. Roger Kotila
Psychologist & Peace Activist
President, Democratic World Federalists
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The VoiceAmerica Special on “The Earth Constitution and the Great Transition” will be released on The Convergence Friday, October 15.
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What If Socialism (or Communism) Is a Better Deal for Poor People?
Roger Kotila, Ph.D. July 22, 2021, Earth Federation News & Views
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China's outstanding economic successes are the worst thing that has ever happened for American capitalists (who control most of the American government). Their fear is that economies that favor socialism or communism will become attractive to Americans, especially its poor people and the middle classes who would stand to benefit.
The fear of socialism is not shared by the U.S. Defense Dept. which uses a socialist economic model for the U.S. Military. Its soldiers and their families have little to worry about for health care, housing, or schooling -- it is generously covered by the U.S. government.
If socialism is good enough for the Pentagon, why isn't it good enough for Cuba?
America's mainstream media conveniently fails to tell the public that the U.S. government is violating international law and human rights conventions with its policy of "regime change" against socialist and/or communist governments.
The public is told that we are doing this to give the people of these (communist) nations "freedom," "democracy," and "justice." We are told that we are "ending tyranny." We are not told that these nations have voting rights, or that by comparison the US is an oligarchy, not a democracy.
In our July 7, 2021 edition of DWF NEWS, we published an article which accuses the US economic blockade against Cuba as amounting to mass murder. The US embargo year after year has deprived Cubans of medicines, food, and other necessities, and makes it impossible for the country to prosper.
The embargo made Cuba's plight exponentially worse when Covid-19 hit. While some Cubans protested and blamed their own government for Cuba's problems, to be fair, a big part of the current protests in Cuba appears to have been bought and paid for by the CIA.
Year after year the U.S. foreign policy is to crush certain countries with a socialist (or communist) government "by any means necessary." Propaganda campaigns, bribery, economic warfare, assassinations, outright military invasions are the illegal tools routinely used by the U.S. government's deep state against a long list of nations targeted for regime change in Latin America and elsewhere.
Article 14.1.2 in the Earth Constitution assures "freedom of choice of member nations in the Federation of Earth (i.e., a "new UN") to determine their internal political, economic and social systems consistent with the guarantees and protections given under this World Constitution to assure civil liberties and human rights...."
Recently the United Nations General Assembly voted 184 to 2 that the Cuban blockade must end. Shamefully, only the U.S. and Israel voted "no". The suffering and early deaths of innocent citizens caused by the U.S. blockade against Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua is a moral outrage and legally is an international crime. Unfortunately, the UN lacks the tools to protect these countries from such criminal intrusions, a defect which we can correct under Article 109(3) which opens the door to a review of the fatally flawed UN Charter.
To make U.S. international crimes acceptable to American citizens, we are psychologically conditioned from early childhood to be "proud to be an American" and to feel in our hearts that America is the "good guy." We brag that we are "#1" and proclaim our global leadership for democracy and freedom -- a shameless lie; otherwise, why is the U.S. friends with Saudi Arabia and other dictatorships in the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa?
We are indoctrinated to believe that American capitalism is the "best" economic system and that socialism and communism are "bad" -- another shameless lie. In point of fact, and this is this author's personal opinion, a combination of socialism and capitalism is the most sensible economic model. America's vast homeless population, as well as the vast differences of wealth, is clear evidence of an obvious failure of capitalism. Socialism works in those areas (like health care and redistribution of wealth) where capitalism fails.
With a "new United Nations" under the Earth Constitution, capitalism and its ruling elite would no longer have ultimate power. The economic advantages of socialism would be allowed to shine with an equal voice to capitalism. There would be a World Parliament where "we, the people" would have a voice. The poor people of the world, including in the U.S., would have a far better opportunity for a decent, safe, and prosperous life.
Roger Kotila, Ph.D. is a psychologist and the President of Democratic World Federalists. He is the co-editor of DWF NEWS and the editor of Earth Federation News & Views.
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July 7, 2021
U.S. Mass Murder by Economic Warfare Mocks the UN and the Teachings of Jesus
Roger Kotila, PhD Earth Federation News & Views
The United Nations has not been able to protect socialist countries in Latin America from economic warfare by the U.S. At its worst such aggression could be considered to be indirect mass murder -- some say genocide. Cuba and Venezuela have been prime targets.
We learn from a report by Danny Glover (in Resumen, 6/29/21) that the pandemic finds Cuba "facing a shortage of millions of syringes" which are blocked by the US as part of a 60 year US embargo." How many Cubans will die as a result of not being able to get vaccinated for Covid-19?
US economic warfare is being used against over 20 nations in the form of sanctions, blockades, and embargoes, all illegal under international law. In other words, US foreign policy using economic warfare is a crime according to the UN -- as Glover points out, it "indiscriminately targets and harms civilians."
We learn from the Interfaith Task Force on the Americas (Summer, 2021) that the U.S. economic blockade against socialist countries could not be stopped by the UN despite overwhelming votes in the UN General Assembly demanding that the US lift its blockades: "All countries except the US and Israel have voted against the unilateral coercive measures the US imposes on Cuba."
Venezuela, according to the Interfaith Task Force, "faces shortages of food and medicine." "In the period of 2017-2018 alone, some 40,000 deaths were attributed to the sanctions. And that was pre-COVID and before the most devastating sanctions fully took effect."
Mass murder? Genocide? Just imagine what it would be like if your drug store had no medicines, and if your grocery store shelves were empty. The sick and vulnerable are more likely to die.
A request from a Venezuela activist is for the Earth Constitution's Provisional World Parliament (which convenes in India in December 2021) to pass a "Law to punish those responsible for unilateral measures against Venezuela." The UN has not been able to stop the illegal and sadistic economic warfare by the U.S. against Venezuela and Cuba, hence this appeal to a peoples' World Parliament.
The Earth Constitution could be the basis for a "new UN" if the UN General Assembly under Article 109(3) agreed to replace the obsolete and undemocratic UN Charter.
Jesus as a socialist
There are numerous passages in "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth" (The Jefferson Bible, 1820, 2011) which make it clear that US economic aggression against socialist nations is morally wrong and indeed, a sin.
Ironically, while the US likes to see itself as a "Christian" nation, it targets socialist governments in Latin America for regime change, despite the fact that it can be shown that Jesus Christ, although he accepted some aspects of capitalism, in his life style and morals was a socialist. He healed the sick for free. No insurance needed. While preaching and teaching he offered free food to the masses.
The teachings and life of Jesus were highlighted by Thomas Jefferson known for the Declaration of Independence -- but not for slaves. Anyway, he is not so well known for his Thomas Jefferson Bible (1820) which focused specifically on the life and morals of Jesus of Nazareth. Sadly, it is obvious that U.S. Foreign Policy mocks the teachings of Jesus.
I have been reading about how economic warfare can be interpreted as death sentences imposed on innocent men, women and children in Latin American countries. I am struck by how the U.S. targets socialist governments like Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua to be overthrown, and will use a wide variety of criminal actions and dirty tricks.
What I find ironical is that the U.S., which claims to be a Christian nation, attempts to shut down socialist nations despite the fact that Jesus Christ himself, although not opposed to capitalism, lived socialism and taught socialism as the way to gain entry to heaven.
The Jefferson Bible refers to Matthew 25: 31-46: "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:"
"Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:" "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me."
"Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethen, ye have done it unto me." It's time for the U.S. to adopt a new foreign policy -- one that is no longer an international crime and against God.
Roger Kotila, PhD
Psychologist (ret)
co-editor DWF NEWS
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Earth Federation News & Views
April 18, 2021
Is Biden Enabling Ukraine For War With Russia?
Rich Scheck
Apparently unnoticed by the Mainstream Media and the broader public is how the harsh rhetoric and provocative actions of President Biden are enabling Ukraine's boldness via Russia including the threat by President Zelensky to build nuclear weapons. https://antibellum679354512.wordpress.com/2021/04/15/ukrainian-envoy-nato-or-nuclear-weapons/
But Zelensky doesn't need his own nuclear weapons, he can spark a war with Russia which would tempt Biden to bring in NATO which has nukes.
As Mark Gaffney points out, this confrontation has "Biden "leading" the world to the brink of nuclear war over Ukraine!"
Control of the Black Sea is another key issue involved in this crisis and involves the roles of Georgia and Turkey:
Ukraine is obviously part of Russia's sphere of influence. We have our Monroe Doctrine warning other nations away from our region. It is simply self-serving propaganda to decry "Russian aggression" against a country that has deep roots in Kiev and Crimea that go back hundreds of years.
It is hard to put into words the seriousness of such brinkmanship on the part of the West that coupled with similar actions against China demonstrates a level of lust to obtain Pax Americana exceeding any previous Administration.
Biden and his Democratic cohorts seem to be living out the wet dream of the Neocons who surfaced during the term of George W. Bush when they saw the 9/11 attack as an opportunity to achieve their quest for a unipolar moment.
Putin has shown clearly he will not be intimidated by all the huffing and puffing even if his enemies are not bluffing. But all it will take is one overly zealous general or even private to trigger a chain reaction of the kind that launched WWI for push to come to shove for a global conflagration.
With bipartisan support in the Senate to block the US from withdrawing from NATO as President Trump suggested, the true nature of American Imperialism is on full display for all to see how devoted both parties are to implementing their vision for global domination.
Biden appears to be all in for war against Russia with Ukraine as his proxy. Calling Russia an "unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States” is beyond inflammatory and has provoked a strong response from Moscow to the tune of half a million soldiers.
One would think that after two world wars that began in Europe, people would have learned the weakness of our current international system and the failure of leaders from that part of the globe to shape a viable planetary peace.
Our collective silence in the face of such reckless behavior may well doom us to a fate no decent person wants for themselves or their posterity. We can and must do better!
Rich Scheck is a graduate of Harvard Law School and was at one time a part of Nader's Raiders. An independent journalist, he provides a Big Picture view of emerging geopolitics.
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March 12, 2021
Rising to the Level of Global Citizen
by Bob Hanson (Rossmoor News)
This senior doesn’t remember many of his professors at Washington State University 70 years ago...much less what the profs had to say. However, my sociology instructor named Milton Maxwell is an exception. His description of the process of human maturity blew me away.
He explained that when a child is born, its world of concern is himself and his mother. As the child grows, he or she relates to and empathizes with his or her family. Then the circle grows to encompass one’s school, neighborhood and town. As we mature, we gradually relate to our state and country. For many, that is as far as the process goes. The ultimate maturity is achieved by those who develop a compassion and concern for all of one’s fellow human beings who share planet Earth.
Professor Maxwell didn’t use the term “global citizen,” but I think that is what he had in mind. Donald Trump is a good example of someone who has never reached that final level. His mantra is America First...implying that everyone else is second. Trump believes that foreign relations is a zero-sum game...if we profit, someone else has to lose. Global citizens believe in cooperation and working for “Win-Win” solutions.
Global citizens promote solving problems non-violently. They try to thoughtfully understand others points of view. They affirm that all persons have worth and dignity because all persons participate in the miracle that is human life.
World citizens understand that reason and dialog must be complimented by compassion and kindness.
World citizens are committed to transforming the process of living on the Earth to sustainable, ecologically friendly forms of economics, production, consumption and patterns of living. They are committed to leaving a livable planet to future generations.
A world citizen affirms the principle of solving problems non-violently. As Mahatma Gandhi stated, there are dozens of ways to solve conflicts creatively and intelligently, respecting everyone involved.
World citizens understand that the world is a wonderful manifestation of unity in diversity that must be respected and encouraged. We are all different from each other in race, culture, religion and beliefs, but we must learn to live together and share our beautiful planet. Yes, professor Maxwell...thanks for starting me out on the path to world citizenship.
Dr. Hanson is a Board member of Democratic World Federalists, and the author of THE SAN FRANCISCO PROMISE calling for UN Charter Review under Article 109(3).
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January 6, 2021
THE BEST KEPT SECRET ON SAVING THE WORLD
by Bob Hanson DWF NEWS
I’m betting you have never heard of the World Constitution and Parliament Association. This international movement has been working diligently since 1958 to come up with a better way to run the world. There have been many international meetings held in various countries to develop what is known as the CONSTITUTION FOR THE FEDERATION OF THE EARTH. It was written by the combined efforts and input of hundreds of folks who consider themselves world citizens.
The paper has been modified and improved many times since the first world assembly which was held in Interlaken, Switzerland. The document is based upon six principles: 1) The common Humanity and Dignity of all human beings; 2) Economic democracy and equal opportunity for all persons; 3) Sustainability and ecological health for the planet; 4) Unity in Diversity of all Nations, Communities, Religions, and persons living together in harmony on Earth; 5) Ending War and Reducing violence in Human Affairs; and 6) The rule of democratically Legislated, Enforceable Law for the Earth.
Some of you who are still with me are probably thinking, “but, don’t we already have a United Nations?” Of course we do…and it has been a big improvement over the former world organization, the League of Nations. The U.N. has probably prevented many international conflicts and has done yeoman duty in terms of refugees and humanitarian relief. However, it has failed in the task it was created for in San Francisco in 1945….ending war. The U.N. has failed to live up to its potential for several reasons, most of which are related to the U.S. and other world powers unwillingness to give up a bit of their sovereignty for the common good. The Security Council veto has prevented that organization from acting on many occasions. The International Court of Justice is voluntary, with no means of enforcing its judgments and the General Assembly is undemocratic (India and Monaco each have equal votes), and generally powerless.
The right wing in this country and abroad is paranoid about the U.N., ineffective as it is. To them, world government conjures up thoughts of black helicopters and Hitlerism. They feel that the war system is the natural order of life and we have to be able to fight for our freedom….a dog eat dog world. To the victors go the spoils. If this thinking prevails, it is only a matter of time until a nuclear confrontation lays the earth uninhabitable and humankind’s little experiment will be over.
If the Earth Constitution or something similar were to be adapted, it would be an extension of our present democracy. Functions that affect us locally will still be handled by local governments; state affairs will still be conducted by our state representatives and matters dealing with national issues will still be under the jurisdiction of federal governments. The jurisdiction of the democratic world government will be limited to relations between nations and issues such as global warming which do not recognize national boundaries. Pollution created in China may end up here, or vice-versa.
Article 109-3 of the U.N. charter calls for a charter review after 10 years. This, of course, has never happened because the permanent five (U.S., Russia, France, UK and China) don’t want to give up the veto. Organizations I am involved with are working to mobilize the peace-loving nations of the world to demand charter review. If we are able to make that happen, maybe the U.N. charter will be replaced by the Earth Constitution or something similar and war will become a relic of the past.
Albert Einstein said “There is no salvation for civilization or even the human race, other than the creation of a world government.” Now is the time, before it is too late.
To find out more about the Earth Constitution, go to www.earth-constitution.org.
The present essay is from Dr. Robert F. Hanson's new book "WORKING TO SAVE THE WORLD: Essays on Current Affairs" (Big Hat Press, 2020). Dr. Hanson is a Board member both of Democratic World Federalists (DWF, San Francisco) and the Center for United Nations Constitutional Research (CUNCR, Brussels).
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December 11, 2020
EDITORIAL San Francisco -- America & Terrorism, Soul-searching Time? Has the time for soul-searching arrived for the American people? Are we even capable of soul-searching? If you are judged by the friends you keep, then America is in bad shape.
It may be tempting to ignore the following searing indictment of the American government authored by Caitlin Johnstone. Are we really "terrorists"? Have we lost our moral way? Has America's ambitions for power and empire caused us to become the "bad guy" while lying to ourselves that we are the "good guy"?
Military and political cooperation with the primitive Saudi Arabia dictatorship which brutalizes Yemen is one example, while the disgraceful support by the US Congress of apartheid and occupation of the Palestinians by Israeli Zionists is another.
The United Nations cannot control the wrongdoing of powerful nations like the US who hold veto power at the UN. This defect in the UN Charter gives these privileged nations a free pass when they commit crimes or are complicit in crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The permanent veto privilege at the UN unfairly keeps the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK (P-5) above the law. Charter Review under Article 109(3) using the EARTH CONSTITUTION as its model and guide can help the UN General Assembly establish a "new UN" capable of requiring all nations to be law-abiding. -- R. Kotila, PhD DWF NEWS 12/10/20
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/55997.htm
We Are The Terrorists
By Caitlin Johnstone
December 07, 2020 Information Clearing House
The Trump administration is reportedly close to moving the Houthi rebels in Yemen onto its official list of designated terrorist organizations with the goal of choking them off from money and resources. The head of the UN’s World Food Program along with many other experts caution that this designation will prolong the horrific war which has claimed over a quarter million lives and create an impenetrable barrier of red tape stopping humanitarian aid from getting to the Yemeni people.
The United Nations conservatively estimates that some 233,000 Yemenis have been killed in the war between the Houthis and the US-backed Saudi-led coalition, mostly from what it calls “indirect causes”. Those indirect causes would be disease and starvation resulting from what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls “the worst famine the world has seen for decades”.
When people hear the word “famine” they usually think of mass hunger caused by droughts or other naturally occurring phenomena, but in reality the starvation deaths we are seeing in Yemen (a huge percentage of which are children under the age of five) are caused by something that is no more natural than the starvation deaths you’d see in a medieval siege. They are the result of the Saudi coalition’s use of blockades and its deliberate targeting of farms, fishing boats, marketplaces, food storage sites, and cholera treatment centers with airstrikes aimed at making the Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen so weak and miserable that they break.
In other words, the US and its allies have been helping Saudi Arabia deliberately kill children and other civilians on mass scale in order to achieve a political goal. Which would of course be a perfect example of any standard definition of terrorism.
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1334243698586992641
We are the terrorists. Saudi Arabia, the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, France and every other nation which has facilitated the horrific mass atrocity in Yemen–this tight globe-spanning power alliance is a terrorist organization the likes of which the world has never seen before. The unfathomably savage and bloodthirsty US empire designating the Houthis as a terrorist organization is the least funny joke that has ever been told.
We are the terrorists. I say “we” instead of our governments because if we are honest with ourselves, we as a civilian population are complicit in this slaughter. The horrors in Yemen are without question the worst thing that is happening in the world right now, yet they comprise barely a blip in our social consciousness. The overwhelming majority of us have seen the pictures and videos of starving Yemeni children, thought something along the lines of “Oh a famine, that’s so sad” and gone back to thinking about sports or whatever other insipid nonsense occupies most of our attention.
We are the terrorists. Yes it is true that we have been propagandized into our complicity with this terrorism and if the news media were doing its purported job Yemen would be front and center in our attention, but we are still complicit. We are still participating in it, still living in a society that is woven of the fabric of slaughter and brutality without rising up and using the power of our numbers to force a change. Just because you are unaware that you sleep on a bed of butchered children doesn’t mean you’re not lying in it.
We are the terrorists. But we don’t need to be.
We can begin waking up together. Waking up our friends and neighbors, spreading consciousness of what’s going on, raising awareness of the horrors our governments are perpetrating in Yemen and in other nations in the name of imperialist domination, helping each other see through the veils of propaganda to how much life and how many resources are being spent on inflicting unspeakable acts of terror upon our world instead of benefiting humanity.
The US government could force an end to the horrors in Yemen almost immediately if it really wanted to.
If maintaining unipolar hegemony were suddenly advanced by giving the Houthis victory in Yemen instead of fighting to ensure Washington-aligned rule, the Saudis would withdraw and the war would be over within days. We could make this happen if we could spread enough awareness of the reality of what’s happening in Yemen.
Break the silence on Yemen. Pressure Biden to fulfil his campaign pledge to end the war which was initiated under the Obama-Biden administration. Oppose US imperialism. Weaken public trust in the mass media which refuse to give us a clear picture of what’s going on in the world. Help people realize that their perception of reality is being continually warped and distorted by the powerful.
We end our role in the terrorism of the empire by awakening the citizens of that empire to its acts of terror.
Caitlin's articles are entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking her on Facebook, following her antics on Twitter, checking out her podcast, throwing some money into her hat on Patreon or Paypal, or buying her book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers. https://caitlinjohnstone.com
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October 15, 2020 DWF NEWS
"Why the United Nations Can't Eliminate Nukes"International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons | 26 September
Sculpture depicting St. George slaying the dragon. The dragon is created from fragments of Soviet SS-20 and United States Pershing nuclear missiles.
Photo:UN Photo/Milton Grant
UN International Day for Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (Excerpts from UN Press Release):
"Achieving global nuclear disarmament is one of the oldest goals of the United Nations. It was the subject of the General Assembly’s first resolution in 1946, which established the Atomic Energy Commission (dissolved in 1952), with a mandate to make specific proposals for the control of nuclear energy and the elimination of atomic weapons and all other major weapons adaptable to mass destruction... In 1978, the first Special Session of the General Assembly Devoted to Disarmament further recognized that nuclear disarmament should be the priority objective in the field of disarmament. Every United Nations Secretary-General has actively promoted this goal..."
"Yet, today around 13,400 nuclear weapons remain. Countries possessing such weapons have well-funded, long-term plans to modernize their nuclear arsenals. More than half of the world’s population still live in countries that either have such weapons or are members of nuclear alliances... not one nuclear weapon has been physically destroyed pursuant to a treaty..."
[Copy and paste the following for the full text describing the UN's Day (Sept. 26) for the Total Elimination of Nukes]
https://www.un.org/en/observances/nuclear-weapons-elimination-day
After reading the full text of the UN's September 26th Day for Total Nuclear Disarmament, I wrote the following response which I titled:
"Why the UN Can't Eliminate Nuclear Weapons"
by R. Kotila, PhD
Is the UN's attempt to eliminate nukes A LESSON IN FUTILITY? It may be, unless we can identify nations that will work with us for the needed Charter Review with the Earth Constitution as a potential guide and model for a "new UN." (This strategy is known as THE SAN FRANCISCO PROMISE.)
The UN and peace activists know that nukes are a horrible DANGER. But they are trying to solve the problem by remaining within the current UN geopolitical paradigm. This means relying on persuasion for cooperation between the nations, getting an international legal ban on nukes (which can't be enforced), and signing treaties ("multilateralism") agreeing to disarm and eliminate nukes.
What's wrong with this picture? Treaty agreements (to ban nukes) are like building on quicksand -- they can't be trusted. The UN must face reality and become a world government. Hence, this well-meaning, helpful strategy during the UN 75th should be seen as an interim step -- but not penetrating deeply enough to get the job done.
Here is where Democratic World Federalists (DWF), the Center for UN Constitutional Research (CUNCR), and WCPA-India/Earth Constitution Institute (WCPA-India, ECI) must lead the way. We must convince some of the nations at the UN (those that fear nukes) to join THE SF PROMISE which requires a review of the obsolete UN Charter to open the door to a new Charter. The EARTH CONSTITUTION (earth-constitution.org) can be the guide and model for forming a "new UN".
Frankly, the UN General Assembly should take over decision-making from the UN Security Council (P-5 veto powers) which has shown that it can't do the job. The UNGA could be the House of Nations (see Earth Constitution ) in the initial stage of forming a World Parliament.
The UN Security Council P-5 in my opinion is blocking nuclear disarmament and world peace. This is a bitter truth backed up by its history of failures. I don't think the UNSC can be considered legitimate as it is not representative of the world community,... and the P-5 are the leading weapons dealers in the world.
Violations of international law and UN conventions are routine by the P-5. They reject law and order for themselves. They mock the International Criminal Court. They are above the Law as they hide behind the "sovereignty" granted them in the defective UN Charter.
I believe there is an opportunity to get concerned nations on board with us to make the changes that are needed. It is time for world federalists to quit kicking the can down the road.
Roger Kotila, PhD
Psychologist
(personal opinion)
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September 17, 2020 Earth Federation News & Views
United Nations World System Is Wrong - Weak & Small Nations Suffer
San Francisco - EDITOR'S NOTE: Professor Martin's analysis of the current geopolitical system is invaluable to understand why the UN cannot do its primary job. Wars continue unabated. A nuclear arms race is underway. What is wrong? The following excerpts illustrate the reality at the UN that makes it difficult to impossible for the UN to do what is really needed. For example, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals can't be met. Democratic World Federalists offers a strategy for the UN General Assembly to launch UN Charter Review using the EARTH CONSTITUTION as a model new world charter/constitution to establish a "new UN." -- Roger Kotila, PhD
*EXCERPTS from Dr. Glen T. Martin's Tour de force:
The UN Sustainable Development Goals as World-System Ideology
Glen T. Martin
This essay is dedicated to the loving memory of Swami Agnivesh
(Please note: the views expressed in this essay are my own
and do not necessarily reflect those of the organizations in which I serve.)
Everyone Pretends to See the Emperor’s New Clothes
Since its founding in San Francisco in 1945 and its establishment in New York City as a main UN Center, the United States has dominated what goes on at the UN. The UN pretends to pursue the ideals of peace, justice, and environmental sustainability but only within the conceptual limits provided by its main financial contributor. As long as the organization is supported by the voluntary contributions of its members, then the actual framework for thought and most decision-making will, of course, be one dollar one vote, and the US always has the lion-share of the votes.
5 Not that the UN is otherwise structured democratically. It is not. The Security Council, largely under the domination of the US, controls everything that goes on. In Rogue State: A Guide to the World’s Only Superpower, William Blum constructs his entire Chapter 20 on lists of votes on dozens of issues in the UN General Assembly over a period of years. On any issue that would increase the peace and justice in the world, the vote has been the vast majority of nations versus the US and often Israel (the latter, when not abstaining, always votes the same as the US).
6 For example, the proposal to expand the UN’s approaches to “emphasize the development of nations and individuals as a human right” (120 nations for, the US against). On a “declaration of non-use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states” (110 nations for, the US and Albania against). On holding “negotiations on disarmament and cessation of the nuclear arms race” (111 nations for, the US and Israel against). On affirming a “world charter for the protection of ecology” (111 nations for, the US against). The list goes on and on. The votes mean little, since the General Assembly has no power and any resolution on such matters that comes to the Security Council is vetoed by the US.
7 Former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark details the US manipulation of members of the Security Council to get the go-ahead to militarily attack Iraq after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in January 1991. In order to secure a “Yes” vote from the then members of the Security Council, the US provided Ethiopia and Zaire with new aid packages. It awarded China 114 million dollars in deferred aid from the World Bank, it got Saudi Arabia to provide $4 billion to the then disintegrating Soviet Union. It subjected Malaysia to “enormous pressure.” And it subjected Cuba and Yemen to severe punishment for their ‘no’ votes.
8 Yemen’s ambassador was told this would be “the most expensive ‘no’ vote you ever cast” and immediately a $70 million US aid package to Yemen was cancelled (1994, 153-55). Of course, the invasion went ahead in spite of these ‘no’ votes. The US maintains a global empire and the UN functions as an integral part of that empire. The richest nation not only uses the leverage of its monetary contribution to the UN to control that organization. It also buys, bullies, and blackmails its way to domination within the UN.
9 For the majority of the world’s small and weak nations, it is bad enough to have a US Embassy watching every political and economic decision of their government and promoting neo-colonial domination in their midst. But that tragedy compounds if they are unlucky enough to be hosting a US military base. Chalmers Johnson, in Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic details the 725 known military bases that exist outside the US, spread out in countries around the world. The very existence of these bases gives the US another place from which to monitor local movements that might be advocating change or social justice and from which to launch assassinations, coups, or threats against local governments who fail to toe the US ideological line claiming that a “free market” means these countries must open their resources to penetration by US foreign capital.
[*We will continue to publish other excerpts from this unusually important analysis that highlights critical problems about the current UN World System. To read full essay: www.oneworldrenaissance/glens-blog]
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August 29, 2020 Will U.S. Foreign Policy Continue to Support Violent Aggression?
[SAN FRANCISCO -- FAIR'S analysis (see article below) of the Biden/Harris approach to U.S. foreign policy suggests that the U.S. government under the Democrats will remain guilty of using direct (military force) and indirect (economic sanctions) violence as a main foreign policy tool to make nations submit.
FAIR warns us to look out for key words like a "muscular" or "robust" foreign policy. By contrast, Earth Constitution activists seek a "new UN" where the foreign policy of all nations is nonviolent, cooperative, and caring. Instead of "enemies" or "adversaries," we become a global family. To accomplish this goal, and to once and for all put an end to the War Business, the nations must Federate.
The Earth Constitution shows the way. We must transform or replace the obsolete UN Charter. The Bully nations will not give up their lust for wars and profits, or their underlying paranoia of each other, until the UN General Assembly steps into the action using the Earth Constitution as its leader to create a urgently needed "new UN". -- Roger Kotila, PhD - Editor, Earth Federation News & Views www.earthfederation.info ]
https://fair.org/home/muscular-foreign-policy-media-codeword-for-violence-abroad/
‘Muscular’ Foreign Policy: Media Codeword for Violence Abroad
ALAN MACLEOD 8/28/2020
The Washington Post's Josh Rogin (8/13/20) writes that "Biden and Harris, if they are elected, will have a chance to prove that Democratic muscular liberalism is still the right approach."
Writing in the Washington Post , pro-war columnist Josh Rogin appeared relieved that Joe Biden picked Kamala Harris as his running mate for November—as opposed to a progressive like Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders, who would have called for cutting military budgets, fewer US interventions and the withdrawal of troops stationed abroad. Biden and Harris, he explained, will together pursue a “robust” foreign policy agenda.
Harris is described approvingly by one source as “pragmatic” (another media codeword—FAIR.org, 8/21/19), and together, Rogin notes, she and Biden can prove that “muscular liberalism is still the right approach.” What that actually means in practice, he is a little vague on, though he does suggest that will entail “aggressively” “confronting” nuclear powers Russia and China.
“Muscular,” along with similar words like “robust,” are commonly used in political reporting, especially with regards to foreign policy. They are inherently positive descriptions, conveying strength and confidence, their opposites being “weak,” “feeble” or “decrepit.” It is obvious which have the better connotations. This is a real problem, because all too regularly the words are used as euphemisms to sugarcoat inflicting violence around the world.
Often the consequences of such a policy are not stated, as when CBS News (6/17/16) reported that John Kerry recommended “a more muscular US role in Syria,” or when a guest on the Rachel Maddow Show (6/18/14) described former Vice President Dick Cheney as wishing for a more “muscular policy” for the US in Iraq. Thus, when CBS’s Face the Nation (3/23/18) aired a segment entitled, “Trump Surrounding Himself With ‘More Muscular’ Foreign Policy Team,” a naif or a foreigner might be forgiven for thinking Jesse Ventura or Arnold Schwarzenegger was advising the president. And when the BBC (12/18/17) reported on the US’s “muscular engagement” with the world, they were not describing a new workout plan.
CBS (3/23/18) described Trump's hiring hyper-interventionist John Bolton as signaling a "more muscular" foreign policy team.
Sometimes, however, journalists made explicit what such a foreign policy would consist of. The New York Times (5/14/15), for instance, described Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio as offering “a robust and muscular foreign policy,” including the end of normalization with Cuba, a hike in military spending and reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act.
The Times is a repeat offender in whitewashing the Florida senator’s often disturbing policies; in 2019 it described his advocacy for further sanctions and military intervention in Venezuela as “muscular policy tools” (New York Times, 1/29/19). By this time, the sanctions had already killed an estimated 40,000 people and would go on to kill over 100,000. What about blocking the import of medicines is “muscular”? “Sociopathic” might be a better adjective. Support for regime change in Venezuela is bipartisan, however, with Bloomberg’s Eli Lake (8/3/20) recently noting that support for a “democratic transition” there would be more “steadfast” under a Biden administration.
The result of “muscular” and “robust” policies can also be seen all over the Middle East. In 2017, Trump reversed his earlier promise to pull US troops out of Afghanistan, instead announcing his own surge, having just dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb in human history on the country. The Washington Post (8/21/17) described his decision as “muscular but vague.” On Syria, the New York Times (4/21/17) pondered whether a more or less muscular approach would bring better results. And when Trump ordered B-52 bombers to Iran’s doorstep, CBS anchor Margaret Brennan (5/12/19) asked a guest what he thought of the president’s “muscular response” to Iranian provocation.
Or you can also read about Saudi Arabia’s muscular foreign policy in Yemen (LA Times, 4/20/15, 8/11/19; BBC, 4/21/15), thought to have killed hundreds of thousands of people. Likewise, on one of the many recent occasions when Israel bombed Gaza, the Washington Post (3/26/19) noted that some Israeli politicians were calling for an even more “muscular response”—combining the “muscular” media trope with the convention that the US and its allies never initiate violence themselves, but only ever “respond” to enemy provocation (FAIR.org, 6/6/19, 8/21/20).
So reflexive is this media whitewashing of state violence that it is even applied to official enemies. For instance, in an article explaining the rise of Russian president Vladimir Putin, CNN (8/8/19) wrote: “What explained Putin's surge in popularity over those crucial early months? One factor was clear: Putin's muscular response to domestic terrorism.” That “muscular response,” CNN explicitly stated, included when “Russian forces leveled the [Chechen] rebel capital of Grozny,” which is thought to have killed around 9,000 people.
The word is also sometimes used in reference to domestic programs as well, but generally only when involving oppressing the powerless. In 2012, Fox News (1/10/12) reported that immigration activists were unhappy with President Barack Obama’s “muscular deportation policy” (which saw more people deported than ever before). Likewise, in the wake of masked federal agents abducting people off Portland’s streets, the New Yorker (7/24/20) worried about the “ever more muscular immigration-enforcement presence in US life.”
"Weak" is used in corporate media as a synonym for "diplomatic" (Fox Business, 8/18/20).
While advocating wholesale violence is “robust” or “muscular” in media speak, opposing it is inherently “weak” and worthy of condemnation. A case in point is Bernie Sanders, whose “weak foreign policy,” according to Business Insider (3/15/20), was a serious black mark against him. Examples of his weakness, it noted, include “an obvious commitment to rejoin the Iran deal” and ending Saudi attacks on Yemen.
More scandalous, apparently, were his “controversial comments” on Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba, comments that amounted to not endorsing US regime change efforts against sovereign nations. This, for Business Insider columnist and former US diplomat Brett Bruen, made him a unserious presidential candidate.
And while Rogin and the WaPo might have described Biden as robust on foreign policy, Trump did not see it that way; the president this month telling Fox Business (8/18/20) his opponent was “weak” on the issue. The reason? Biden would pursue a diplomatic solution with Iran, like Obama did.
There is nothing inherently strong about destroying or terrorizing other nations, and nothing weak about opposing it. But our hawkish corporate media continue to present it as such, therefore subtly manufacturing consent for continued conflicts around the world. The next time you hear someone on corporate media praising a “muscular,” or “robust” foreign policy, be on the alert: They might be trying to sell you another war.
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June 1, 2020
Excerpt: 5/31/20 (TIME magazine)
EMERGENCY SPECIAL SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
M. Gorbachev writes:
"The overriding goal must be human security: providing food, water and a clean environment and
caring for people’s health. To achieve it, we need to develop strategies, make preparations, plan and
create reserves. But all efforts will fail if governments continue to waste money by fueling the arms race."
"I’ll never tire of repeating: we need to demilitarize world affairs, international politics and political
thinking."
"To address this at the highest international level, I am calling on world leaders to convene an emergency special session of the U.N. General Assembly, to be held as soon as the situation is stabilized. It should be about nothing less than revising the entire global agenda. Specifically, I call upon them to cut military spending by 10% to 15%. This is the least they should do now, as a first step toward a new consciousness, a new civilization."
Gorbachev, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is a past President of the former Soviet Union.
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March 6, 2020 Earth Federation News & Views
GET THE POINT
by Fritz Pointer
Nuremberg and Media
Who knew? I certainly didn’t know that journalists were among those prosecuted for War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity during the Nuremberg Trials post WWII. It intrigued me even further to read that my namesake, Fritzsche (nickname, Fritz) that is, Hans Fritzsche was one of those defendants. The Nuremberg prosecution argued: “By virtue of its functions, the German Press Division (think ABC, NBC, FOX, CNN, NPR, MSNBC, CBS, NY Times, Washington Post) became an important and unique instrument of the Nazi (think Project For the New American Century - PNAC) conspirators, not only in dominating the minds and psychology of Germans, but also as an instrument of foreign policy and psychological warfare against other nations.”
The indictment of, Fritz, not me, the German media chief, for war crimes, is certainly different from America today, when “Whistleblowers” those exposing war crimes are indicted and prosecuted. The indictment against Julian Assange is having a chilling effect on American journalism as it has been practiced for generations. It is aimed straight at the heart of the First Amendment.
The charges focus on receiving and publishing classified material from a government source. That is something journalists do all the time. This is what the First Amendment is designed to protect: the ability of publishers to provide the public with the truth. Of course, an Administration that considers the press an ‘enemy of the people’ would launch this attack. In attacking the media, it is attacking the people.
The truth is that a revengeful U.S. government was exposed with clear evidence of committing war crimes, meddling in other nations’ internal affairs and spying on adversaries, allies and citizens alike and in response imprisoning and charging the journalist who exposed these crimes. This speaks with tremendous force to the role of the US media owners in today’s world affairs.
American Propaganda Brings Memories of Nazi Germany
Today, billionaire controlled media propaganda is clearly a factor in preparing and conducting acts of aggression: by “Manufacturing Consent” by “Perception Management,” and by using Media Folks (journalists) who are CIA Assets (Operation Mockingbird), the American people are encouraged to accept obediently the criminal behavior of America’s endless regime change wars. We would all do well to read Dr. Brian Covert author of “Played by the Mighty Wurlitzer: The Press, the CIA, and the Subversion of Truth,” which is the sixth chapter within Censored 2017.
The television networks and leading newspapers are the prime sources of information for tens of millions of people in the U.S. However, these so-called “public” media are in the hands of giant firms, controlled by fabulously wealthy individuals who will stop at nothing to defend their profits and property. The bodies, the corpses of thousands, or, if necessary, millions of Iraqis, Syrians, Yemenis, Sudanese, Iranians, Palestinians and others are a small price to pay, as far as the media billionaires are concerned, for achieving American military and economic domination of the globe.
Today, the basic method of American propagandistic activity, as in Nazi Germany, is in the false presentation of facts (e.g. Mexican immigrants are rapists, drug dealers and criminals), the dissemination of provocative lies (e.g. America is a white man’s country) and the systematic deception of public opinion (Americans want endless wars for national security) are as necessary to the US for the realization of its plans for military and economic global domination, as are the production of military equipment and the drafting of military plans.
Without deliberately spreading lies and rumors, attacking freedom of the press and of speech and arresting journalists it would not be possible for American endless war to pursue its stated goal of “full-spectrum global domination” and to put in practice the war crimes and crimes against humanity of which it is guilty. In this U.S. propaganda system, it is the daily press and television that are the most important weapons and are all as guilty of war crimes as Hans Fritzsche and the propaganda work he did for the Nazis.
The Constitution for the Federation of Earth available and recommended as a viable and useful document for United Nations Charter Review states: Article 12 “Bill of Rights for the Citizens of Earth” 12.3: “Freedom of thought and conscience, speech, press, writing, communication, expression, publication, broadcasting, telecasting, and cinema, except as an overt part of or incitement to violence, armed riot or insurrection.” And, 13.3 states: “Full access to information and to the accumulated knowledge of the human race.”
Today, the role of the American press in habituating the American people to the suffering of other peoples and, even, urging war crimes, like extrajudicial murder and assassinations of a country’s leader; it is possible that many Americans would never have participated in or tolerated the atrocities being committed throughout the Middle East, had they not been conditioned, inured, goaded, manipulated by constant media propaganda and lies. The media’s very success in manipulating public opinion is one of the strongest proofs of its culpability in the commission of war crimes.
Fritz Pointer is a retired professor of English and African American Studies. He is the Vice President of Democratic World Federalists (www.dwfed.org). He has published numerous scholarly and creative works and articles such as “African Oral Epic Poetry: Praising the Deeds of a Mythic Hero” (2013). The older brother of the internationally known singing group, The Pointer Sisters, he has co-authored a just released book “Fairytale: the Pointer Sisters’ Family History.” Prof. Pointer’s main interests include combating racism, advancing human rights, ending war, eliminating nuclear weapons, and nonviolent solutions to global problems. fhpointer@comcast.net
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February 24, 2020
Subject: Free Journalist Julian Assange -- Imprisoned for Exposing US War Crimes
Editor's note: The United Nations should intervene in the case of journalist Julian Assange, imprisoned for exposing US war crimes. But the UN is helpless, prevented from intervening in a country's internal matters. The problem is that the UN Charter grants "sovereignty" even if a country's government is corrupt or rogue, and is violating basic rights (such as freedom of the Press). Ending the criminal abuse of national sovereignty will require replacing the flawed UN Charter. Democratic World Federalists is seeking a formal Charter Review by the UN General Assembly which could open the door to replace the obsolete Charter with the EARTH CONSTITUTION. - R. Kotila, PhD Earth Federation News & Views
Free Journalist Julian Assange -- Imprisoned for Exposing US War Crimes
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February 4, 2020
Earth Federation News & Views -- Editor's note: Here's a senior citizen's view from an upscale retirement community in California. Dr. Hanson writes: "...in general we have it pretty good." ...or do we?
THE BEST OF TIMES…THE WORST OF TIMES
by Bob Hanson
As we enter a new decade, it’s hard to know whether we should be grateful for the good life we enjoy or fearful of the days ahead.
Most of us here in the U.S. go to bed with full stomachs each night, enjoy a standard of living that was unheard of for the masses in previous generations and have sufficient savings to tide us through the remainder of our days. Our life expectancy is far greater than any other humans have ever enjoyed and we live in relatively peaceful times. We have never experienced war and bloodshed first hand.
We have the means to travel to distant lands, instant communications with friends and relatives anywhere in the world, great entertainment in our living rooms and little fear of violence. Our cars are more dependable than ever; Our food has more variety and availability; we live in large, comfortable dwellings…and in general have it pretty good.
HOWEVER: Many of us wonder if the good times are here to stay? We don’t spend much time thinking about the possibility of a nuclear holocaust, like we did back in the 1960s, but maybe we should. There are still thousands of nuclear warheads aimed our way. It would be pretty easy to stumble into World War III by accident or miscalculation. Lawrence Livermore Labs would certainly be a prime target and you know where that would leave us. Our president is currently playing “chicken” with the leaders of Iran. This could easily escalate and draw in Russia. Why do we continue to allow our president to have a finger on the nuclear button?
And then there is climate change. It isn’t going to ravish the planet in hours the way a nuclear exchange would, but the long term effects could be nearly as damaging to life here on earth. Because the changes are and will be relatively slow, we may not fully realize the gravity of the situation. Our children and grand children are ahead of us on this realization, because they understand the science better and have more to lose. I’m not a religious person, but I pray that we wake up to the danger before it is too late. Let’s not be like the frog in the pot of slowly warming water…waiting too long to take action. What can we do?
Lots! Insulate our houses; require solar panels on all new housing; buy electric cars; push our legislators to put a large tax on carbon; develop new ideas for renewable energy (such as tidal power, deep thermal power, wave energy, etc.)
Finally, as the ultimate answer to both the climate problem and the nuclear weapons problem, we need to strengthen and democratize the United Nations so that it can effectively address these problems with enforceable world law. Our leaders promised the world in 1945 that the U.N. charter would be reviewed in 10 years. This has not happened. A volunteer organization based in San Francisco, the Democratic World Federalists, is calling for the UN General Assembly to review the outdated charter. It will take a “new U.N.” to give us a chance to avoid endless wars and prevent a climate catastrophe.
[Dr. Bob Hanson writes opinion pieces for the Rossmoor News in California, USA, including such provocative columns as "Who Would Jesus Bomb?" and "Do We Live In A Democracy?" He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for United Nations Constitutional Research based in Brussels and Democratic World Federalists in San Francisco.]
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December 11, 2019
GET THE POINT
by Fritz Pointer Earth Federation News & Views
The United States Congress and World Federation
World federation, world government and law are not “new” or “fringe” ideas but quite mainstream
“Of all our studies, History” says Malcolm X “is best qualified to reward our research.” So, when we look at the continuous, systemic narrative of past ideas and concepts related to World Federalism, World Government and World Law their relevance and appeal to today is clearly evident.
As early as 1949, the U.S. House of Representatives debated its Concurrent Resolution 64; in 1950 the U.S. Senate debated its Concurrent Resolution 56 calling for the United States to pursue a foreign policy dedicated to strengthening the United Nations with the eventual goal of building it into a world federation. The full text of the House Concurrent Resolution 64:
Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring, that it is the sense of the Congress that it should be a fundamental objective of the foreign policy of the United States to support and strengthen the United Nations and to seek its development into a world federation, open to all nations, with defined and limited powers adequate to preserve peace and prevent aggression through the enactment, interpretation, and enforcement of world law.
Why are the America people, certainly the majority, not aware of this? Why is the idea of world federation, world government, or world law not mentioned in high school Government and Civics classes? It should be well known. The House resolution had 111 co-sponsors. The Senate’s had 21, with broad support from both Republicans and Democrats. The co-sponsors included John F. Kennedy, who was then serving as a Democratic Representative from Massachusetts’ 11th district and Gerald Ford, Republican, who was representing Michigan’s 5th congressional district. In other words, world federation, world government and law are not “new” or “fringe” ideas but quite mainstream.
In fact, the paragon mainstream journalist, Walter Cronkite, makes the following observation: “It seems to many of us that if we are to avoid the eventual catastrophic world conflict, we must strengthen the United Nations as a first step towards a world government patterned after our own government.”
We Democratic World Federalists believe that world peace can be realized only by the creation of a world government. We call for the US Congress to support DWF’s demand for the UN General Assembly to open a review of the fatally flawed UN Charter combined with an evaluation of the Earth Constitution as a model world federal constitution better suited for a “new UN” given the tools it needs to end war and eliminate the danger of a global nuclear nightmare.
Fritz Pointer is a retired professor of English and African American Studies. He is the Vice President of Democratic World Federalists. He has published numerous scholarly and creative works and articles such as "African Oral Epic Poetry: Praising the Deeds of a Mythic Hero" (2013). The older brother of the internationally known singing group, The Pointer Sisters, he has co-authored a soon to be released book "Fairytale: the Pointer Sisters' Family History." Prof. Pointer's main interests include combating racism, advancing human rights, ending war, eliminating nuclear weapons, and nonviolent solutions to global problems.
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August 24, 2019
Earth Federation News & Views - THE LAST STRAW - an environmental tale
Earth Constitution Article 1.5: "To protect the environment and the ecological fabric of life from all sources of damage...." Article 4.23: "...administer and supervise the development and conservation of the oceans and the sea beds of Earth..." Article 13.9: "Protection of the natural environment which is the common heritage of humanity against pollution, ecological disruption or damage which could imperil life or lower the quality of life." [The Earth Constitution is the first "green" constitution ever drafted, designed to do what the UN Charter has been unable to do, -- protect the environment from politicians like Donald Trump.]
THE LAST STRAW
by Rees & Jolley
“Liberal paper straws don’t work. STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP and buy your pack of recyclable straws today”-- shop.donaldjtrump.com
In the past several weeks, the Trump reelection committee has sold approximately $800,000 worth of plastic straws (“$15 for a package of 10”). Never mind that plastic straws -- like all plastics -- add to the enormous contamination of the environment and that they are particularly harmful to birds and sea creatures. The majority of the 200 to 300 million straws used each day by Americans “end up in our oceans, polluting the water and killing marine life,” some of which, like sea turtles, suffer slow agonizing deaths from ingesting them.
In a typical unsympathetic response, Trump said, “You know, it's interesting about plastic straws: so, you have a little straw, but what about the plates, the wrappers, and everything else that are much bigger and they're made of the same material? Everybody focuses on the straws. There's a lot of other things to focus on.
Yes, like the all-out war he has been waging on the environment almost from the first day of his administration.
Taking away environmental protections
That includes canceling, reversing or rolling back nearly all of the environmental protections enacted during the Obama and earlier administrations, including cutting carbon emissions, regulating pollution from sewage plants, protecting rivers and oceans from pollution, limiting methane and coal production emissions, banning the use of hydro-fluorocarbons (ultra-potent greenhouse gases), establishing stricter automobile efficiency standards, and ending or restricting drilling in the Arctic and on federally-protected national monuments. Trump seems personally threatened by every step Obama took to protect the environment. In doing so, has taken on the mantle of Dr. No, or more accurately, Dr. Death. Yes, there are a lot of other things to focus on besides straws, but Trump focuses on none of them.
Plastic straws may be a small part of plastic contamination, but they are difficult to recycle, and therefore make their way into rivers and oceans more easily. Rather than dissolve or biodegrade, they break down into what is known as “microplastics,” which makes them much easier for animals to ingest. StrawlessOcean.org estimates that by midcentury “99% of all sea bird species will have ingested plastic, causing a dramatic increase in mortality.”
Indifference to suffering
Trump’s indifference to the suffering of animals – seemingly exceeded only by his indifference to the suffering of human beings -- lacks any empathy whatsoever. Whether it’s damage to the planet or the national debt, his response likely comes out the same: “I don’t care. I won’t be here.”
The Trump reelection committee promotes its straws as “BPA free” and “reusable and recyclable,” but new evidence suggests that “BPA-replacement chemicals may be just as harmful" as regular plastic, and who believes that people who don’t seem to give a damn about environmental protections are actually going to care enough to reuse and recycle?
Consider the irony of the Make America Great Again Committee raising money to re-elect Trump by selling plastic straws so that if he is re-elected he can wreak more havoc not only on America but on the entire planet. Perhaps using paper straws is a liberal idea, but it is linked to the more liberal idea of saving this small, fragile planet, and with it humankind.
National Geographic warns, “For Animals, plastic is turning the ocean Into a minefield.” Lest we forget, we too are animals and our history shows that what we sow in terms of nature and the environment, we will reap." Ultimately, our indifference to something as small and seemingly insignificant as plastic straws, could be the last straw.
Bob Rees teaches religion at Graduate Theological Union; Clifton Jolley is president of Advent Communications.
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Nukes and Misdirected "Manhood" In Washington, D.C.
OPEN LETTER TO THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE U.S. CONGRESS
POSITION PAPER
May 1, 2019
Kathleen Barry, Ph.D. and Roger Kotila, Ph.D.
How can it be that Washington, D.C. expands its security policies in exactly the wrong direction, one that literally endangers America, our families, and the world? Do we really want to trust our safety and that of our children to "modernized" nuclear missiles and to more plutonium pits, the triggers for nuclear bombs?
"In examining how one U.S. president after another took the military into unnecessary wars, historian Alexander DeConde in his study of Presidential Machismo found that presidential power over the military allowed leaders to test and prove their virility.”
VIRILITY?
In "Unmaking War, Remaking Men" Dr. Kathleen Barry describes how many men suffer from "core masculinity," meaning, these men psychologically experience the possession of nuclear weapons and a large military force as increasing their (unconscious) sense of manhood!
Remember Dr. Helen Caldicott’s book "Missile Envy"? Does "We are #1!" and "Make America Great Again'" sound familiar? President Trump has vastly increased the already bloated military budget. We are now in a dangerous nuclear arms race.
We turn to the new members of Congress bringing a progressive agenda and the opportunity to convince doubters that progressive goals (e.g., the Green New Deal) are feasible and practical. But in presenting these issues to Congress, progressives face a history of narrow-minded resistance and racist intransigence primarily from older white men, many of whom disregard the peoples of color who their bombs land on and even reject the scientific warnings about climate change.
TAKE NOTE: "Core masculinity” renders it difficult for mostly older white males to envisage a more enlightened means of safety and security. Their sense of manhood is too unconsciously intertwined with myths of white superiority, sexism and a need to be “strong.”
The "masculinity of war" with its emphasis on violent power results in exaggerated Pentagon budgets that diminish resources for universal health care, child care and free education. These rights are given a lower priority and derided as "entitlements,” as if the military and nuclear weapons are the only “valid” expenditures.
The Pentagon's war-making budget contains increases for nuclear missiles, more plutonium pits, and the failing F-35. Congress supports the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) program underway to "modernize" its 1,650 strategic nuclear warheads. Euphemistically labeled a nuclear “Life Extension Program” at a cost of $1.7 trillion over the next 30 years, it is more aptly seen as a LIFE EXTINCTION PROGRAM.
Does anyone really believe that the U.S. military doctrine of nuclear deterrence will be successful for the next 30 years? Can this dangerously misguided macho assumption be rejected before it is too late?
Traditional masculinity reinforced by blindly accepted patriotism reduces empathy in our leaders in Congress. They become ever more unfeeling as they routinely accept ever larger budgets for war-making… and try not to think about the harm they are doing killing in faraway lands and at home depriving millions of Americans in need of health care, child care, affordable educations, food and shelter.
REMEMBER: Behind every issue be it health care, child care, education or climate change lurks the question of a sudden nuclear nightmare, and of course, war itself. Men’s ability to annihilate their own families seen worldwide in domestic violence, makes it psychologically feasible for them to take down not only their own kin, but the whole global family.
The most serious danger for national security occurs when a psychopath becomes a national leader as in the case of Donald Trump where the nation's foreign policy is based upon militarism, racism, and jingoism. Unfortunately for us, President Trump, a malignant narcissist, also fits the psychopathic profile. Such a person cannot be trusted due to lack of conscience, lack of empathy for others, and lust for power over others by any means necessary.
Psychopaths are prone to lie, cheat, steal, and kill. There is an attraction to sadism (eg, torture) and "winning" by any means necessary. This personality type is predatory by nature, but often able to appear "normal" in social situations, and indeed can come off as intelligent and charming to his admirers and followers.
Psychopathic leaders will reject proposals that might actually create a peaceful and healthy world. They will look down upon the United Nations, reject world federal union such as a "new UN" under the Earth Constitution, and refuse to disarm the weapons of mass destruction -- creating paranoia and the very nuclear arms race now underway with Russia and China.
It is time for the new members of Congress to make a crisis intervention before it is too late by withdrawing and replacing the Pentagon's LIFE EXTINCTION PROGRAM. We urgently need a new, safer vision for security. The theory of nuclear deterrence is too risky, and militarism as US foreign policy is literally a dead end. It is an ideal time to look for wiser approaches.
The Green New Deal should be developed but in the context of a progressive foreign policy that aims for a new governing structure for the United Nations – world union now must be taken seriously. We must look at the UN in a new, respectful way. The UN needs a modern Charter, one which gives the UN the tools it needs to be truly effective.
Kathleen Barry, Ph.D. sociologist, is the author of “Unmaking War, Remaking Men” (2011) and other books including "Female Sexual Slavery" (1983) and "Prostitution of Sexuality: The Global Exploitation of Women" (1995). Her work launched a global movement against sex trafficking which treats men buying prostitution as violence against women.
Roger Kotila, Ph.D. psychologist (ret.), has a special interest in the Antisocial Personality Disorder with twenty years of clinical experience with the California Dept. of Corrections doing psychiatric diagnosis and treatment with criminals. Dr. Kotila is an advocate for a "new UN" under the Earth Constitution, and the President of the Democratic World Federalists based in San Francisco.
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March 12, 2019
EARTH FEDERALIST WINDOW to "The Least of These": Jesus and Earth Stewardship [scroll down to article]
There is an important moral and spiritual dimension to the issue of climate change as brought out in "The Least of These": Jesus and Earth Stewardship by Dr. Bob Rees and Clifton Jolley. Quoting scripture, they contend that Jesus Christ himself would direct us to take responsible action to the crisis of climate change. Importantly, they also bring to our attention the destructive impact on the less fortunate among us, as well as to future generations if we do not take urgent corrective action.
The Constitution for the Federation of Earth (aka Earth Constitution) drafted by the World Constitution & Parliament Association is the first "green constitution" ever drafted. Its Preamble states: "Aware that man's abuse of science and technology has brought Humanity to the brink of disaster through the production of horrendous weaponry of mass destruction and to the brink of ecological and social catastrophe;"...
The Earth Constitution includes the Earth Stewardship that Rees and Jolley believe Jesus would demand. Article 1.5 directs Earth Federation government (i.e. a "new UN")... "To protect the environment and ecological fabric of life from all sources of damage, and to control technological innovations whose effects transcend national boundaries, for the purpose of keeping Earth a safe, healthy and happy home for humanity." -- R. Kotila, Ph.D.
“The Least of These”: Jesus and Earth Stewardship
Robert Rees and Clifton Jolley March 12, 2019
“The age of climate panic is here.” —David Wallace-Wells
Climate scientists are not crazy prophets of doom; they are a collective of urgent voice crying in the wilderness, warning of the inevitable catastrophes that already have been unleashed by melting glaciers, mega-cyclones and hurricanes and rising temperatures. As a recent article in the Guardian reports, “The world’s leading climate scientists have warned there is only a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C, beyond which even half a degree will significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.” David Wallace-Wells, author of the soon-to-be-released bookThe Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming,” warns that complacency is our gravest risk, that we will not act when clearly it is time to panic…which time is now!
A couple millennia ago, Jesus Christ sounded a similar (although, in its way, more expansive) call to action. In the twenty-fifth chapter of the Gospel According to St. Matthew, Jesus gives the ultimate challenge to his followers: they are to consider those whom they see as most in need--the naked, hungry, thirsty, homeless, and imprisoned; “the least, the lost and the lonely”--as if they were Jesus himself. He is saying that we should consider those who increasingly will suffer disease, destruction, and death if we fail to act to save the earth for future generations--as if they were Jesus himself--from the fire, floods and other devastations scientists predict as inevitable results of our folly. Jesus’ imperative should compel us to do all we can—so that our children’s and grandchildren’s generations can inherit a livable planet.
Compare the urgency expressed by The Guardian, Wallace-Wells, and Jesus to our present federal government, which is not simply indifferent to the fate of future generations, but hostile to any conversation involving climate change. Responding to his own government’s National Climate Assessment of impending climate catastrophes, President Trump said he “doesn’t believe” it. His attitude toward climate change mirrors that toward the growing national debt. When warned that our present $21 trillion national debt could balloon even higher, Trump responded, “Yeah, but I won’t be here.”
What a rebuke of Jesus’ teaching. As Francisco Goldman says, “The great metaphor at the heart of the Gospel According to Saint Matthew is that those who suffer and those who show love for those who suffer are joined through suffering and grace to Jesus Christ.”
One assumes such empathic love includes not just those who now suffer but those who increasingly will suffer as a result of our indifference to the fate of the planet we are blessed to inhabit and which we seem intent on degrading and destroying. We tend to forget that the earth does not belong to us, but rather is a gift from a loving God. As the 24th Psalm says, “The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
Our imaginations should allow us to project two possible scenarios as far as the fate of the earth—and therefore our own fate--is concerned. One is to continue on our present disastrous course, and the other is to act with great urgency to reverse the degradation we have set in motion—if it isn’t already too late. According to the Washington Post, “We may have irreversibly destabilized the great ice sheet[s] of West [and East] Antarctica” which together would cause a rise in sea levels of more than twenty feet.”[i] What we may have already unleashed portends a slow motion flood of biblical proportions.
No responsible Christian contends that Christ will come to rescue us from the consequences of our folly. In fact, it seems clear that Christ intends for us to read Matthew 25 not just in terms of the past and present, but also the future. In this sense, he asks us to imagine those who will suffer from famine, pestilence and disease because of our inaction.
Some scientists fear that humans are in danger of becoming the sixth extinction in the history of the world.
Earth is the moral imperative of our own and future generations.
Robert. A Rees, Ph.D. teaches religion at Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, Calif.
Cliffton Jolley is President of Advent Communications
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February 1, 2019 [Who is the Real Threat to World Peace?]
Friends,
The following article ("Who is the Real Threat to World Peace.......?" by Hans Stehling (pen name) caught my attention.
While the US prepares for nuclear war with its nuclear LIFE EXTINCTION PROGRAM (that is, "nuclear modernization" which the Pentagon calls its Life Extension Program), Israel poses a parallel threat to the entire Middle East with it (undeclared) nuclear weapons.
Israel's possession of nuclear weapons may explain why this Zionist government feels safe to bomb Syria and Iran without fear of military retaliation to Israel itself?
If Iran must be nuke free, why not Israel? Why the silence about this danger in mainstream media?
-- R. Kotila, PhD (Earth Federation News & Views)
Who Is the Real Threat to World Peace: Nuclear Israel with Its 400 WMD or Non- Nuclear Iran?
https://www.globalresearch.ca/who-is-the-real-threat-to-world-peace-nuclear-israel-with-its-400-wmd-or-non-nuclear-iran/5667054
U.S. intelligence officials confirmed to the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Tuesday, that Iran was not developing nuclear weapons in violation of the 2015 nuclear agreement, and furthermore had no strategic plans to do so.
This report from the US intelligence community indicate that Israel’s Netanyahu and his American cohort, Donald Trump, have deliberately misinformed the world regarding Iranian nuclear capability. The state of Israel, which is estimated to have in excess of more than 400 undeclared nuclear warheads must be compared to Iran which is not a nuclear weapon state. Who, therefore, is the threat to world peace?
Under the influence of the Israeli Prime Minister and ignoring the emphatic advice from the UN Security Council and the European Union, US President Trump last year pulled out of an international nuclear deal with Iran, put in place under his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama. Trump then re-imposed sanctions on Tehran causing massive economic and political destabilisation throughout the Middle East in addition to dismay from the European and other signatories to the nuclear deal.
It is crystal clear where the truth lies, and it is certainly not in Tel Aviv nor in the Trump White House. Now is surely the time for Europe to strengthen cooperation with the geographically important state of Iran, both economically and politically, whilst cutting ties and trade with Israel. It is vital that the West recognises who are its future friends and strategic partners.
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Note to readers: please click the share buttons above. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.
Hans Stehling (pen name) is an analyst based in the UK. He is a frequent contributor to Global Research.
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January 13, 2019 Donald Trump, Chuck Schumer, and the Logic of Mobsters
Editorial: The U.S. has for years lied to its citizens about "American values." Portrayed as a loving, caring country for freedom and democracy, it turns out that the U.S. has too often secretly behaved like a cold-blooded mobster, while pretending to Americans that we are the "good guy." Too many politicians and jingoistic right wingers give America and Christianity a bad name. Unlike Jesus who taught we are all God's children, these narrow-minded, selfish bigots don't give a damn about Latin Americans, our global family, or the world community. -- Dr. R. Kotila, Earth Federation News & Views. [See excerpts below from the REAL NEWS network which illustrate how politicians and Presidents from both political parties bring shame to America.]
https://therealnews.com/stories/what-donald-trump-chuck-schumer-and-tony-soprano-have-in-common
What Donald Trump, Chuck Schumer, and Tony Soprano Have in Common
January 9, 2019 the REAL NEWS network
Excerpts: (Paul Jay interview with Gerald Horne)
On Tuesday night, Donald Trump delivered an address to the nation, preempting time on the major television networks and all of the cable news channels. There was a lot of speculation during the day that he was going to announce a national emergency, and use that as a cover for funding his wall without Congressional support. Well, he didn’t call for a national emergency. In fact, he more or less said the same things he’s been saying, well, since his election campaign. The message barely changed tonight, which I think may have been somewhat disappointing for some of his followers that were expecting something rather dramatic. But I think he did say one thing that is revealing into the soul of Donald Trump. But Into the soul of the whole class Donald Trump represents. Here’s a clip from the speech.
DONALD TRUMP: Some have suggested a barrier is immoral. Then why do wealthy politicians build walls, fences, and gates around their homes? They don’t build walls because they hate the people on the outside, but because they love the people on the inside.
PAUL JAY: That’s the speech, I think, one could have heard from another New Yorker, a few years ago. I’m loyal to my family; I believe and love my family. Everyone else is expendable. And of course, the New Yorker I’m talking about is Tony Soprano. That is the logic of the mafia: That you’re loyal to your own, and you don’t care much–you may not hate the others outside the wall. After all, it’s only business; it’s not personal, to quote Tony Soprano. But this is the logic of mobsters.
Well, another politician spoke after Donald Trump: Chuck Schumer. Here’s a clip from Schumer’s speech.
CHUCK SCHUMER: The symbol of America should be the Statue of Liberty, not a 30 foot wall.
PAUL JAY: Well, let’s remember Chuck Schumer together with President Obama deported something like two million people. In fact, President Obama’s nickname was ‘deporter in chief.’ But let’s talk about the roots of why there is so much migration, particularly, these days, from Central America–‘these days’ meaning the last few decades. Because it’s been a bipartisan affair, this mobster mentality that we’re loyal to ourselves and don’t care about others. Interesting enough in a nation that pretends to be one with American values, which are often called Christian values, which would one think has something to do with the values of Jesus, but certainly is not care about yourself and don’t give a damn about anybody else.
But it’s been a rather bipartisan effort, both Democrats and Republicans, to pillage and plunder Central America and prop up oligarchies, tiny handfuls of families in Central American countries that use the most vicious, dictatorial methods to suppress resistance. Supported, as I say, by both Republican and Democratic regimes, or governments.
GERALD HORNE: Well, I think it’s fair to say that there has been a bipartisan crusade over the past half century to make sure there has not been a redistribution of the wealth in Central America, which obviously has created a large class of poor people who see no alternative but to head north.
PAUL JAY: The solution to the refugee crisis, the migration crisis from Central America, it seems to me is rather obvious. It’s even been talked about during the Obama administration, it has been talked about in Congress, but they don’t do anything about it, which is actual–they don’t use the word ‘reparations.’ But reparations to Central America for the destructive and criminal violation of international law. The way the United States interfered in the internal affairs of Central American countries propped up these dictatorships in the favor of U.S. corporations. If they’re serious about wanting to stop this refugee migration crisis, then there should be reparations paid to these countries. They should stop propping up these right wing governments. In fact, what they’ve done is the opposite, of course. Wherever there’s been a progressive breakthrough in Latin America the United States does everything it can to undermine and bring down governments that are actually somewhat more–that are social democrat by European terms, or even American terms. And a lot of the governments that the Americans and the CIA have brought down wouldn’t have been that far from the policies of Bernie Sanders. But that’s considered beyond the pale for American policy in Latin America.
GERALD HORNE: Well, your words actually reflect the recent remarks of the newly installed president of Mexico. I’m speaking of Lopez Obrador, AMLO, who suggested quite recently that if there are those in Washington who were sincerely interested in halting or stopping or curbing the migration flow northward, that they would be involved in more serious and productive investment in Central America. Particularly in the northern triangle that I just made reference to, where the borders of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala meet. And what’s interesting, to go a step further, is that AMLO said that if he could not receive a fair hearing for this reasonable proposal in Washington, that he would go abroad to seek investment opportunities for the Northern Triangle, speaking of China, for example. Speaking of other countries.
And I think that that’s the kind of approach that we need. That is to say, we need to talk just as talk in Washington nowadays about so-called Green New Deal. We need an old-fashioned New Deal for Central America. That is to say, government-directed investment to create employment opportunities at reasonable wages. That’s what’s needed right now for Central America.
PAUL JAY: All right. Thanks very much for joining us, Gerald.
GERALD HORNE: Thank you for inviting me.
PAUL JAY: And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.
STOP
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December 21, 2018
Can't We Remember Our Better Angels?
Clifton Jolley and Robert Rees
“Walls work.” - Donald Trump
“I was a stranger and you took me in." - Jesus
Having celebrated Thanksgiving and continuing to be thankful for Christmas and Chanukah, it’s easy to be distracted by Cyber Monday gift getting and the lights on Union Square. It’s simpler to forget that 5,000 refugees (and counting) camp at our southern border. We may even choose to cheer ourselves that the daily 50 to 100 refugees being processed seems a reasonable number, given the risks to public safety posed by so many women and children. Besides, how is it possible to manage 5,000 people suffering in make-shift shelters?
The answer is in our mixed history of either welcoming or standing guard against the immigrants who have built our cities and railroads, our bridges and buildings, who have dug our root vegetables and picked our apples and plums.
The answer is Ellis Island that for three quarters of a century—from the late 19th century through 1954—was the main port of entry for immigrants to America. Challenged by similar dangers—Communists from Russia and Eastern Europe, anarchists from the factories of Western Europe, polygamists from the Near East—the government created an ingenious set of questions to filter the terrorists from the refugees. They asked, “Are you a Communist?” “Are you an anarchist?” “How many wives do you have?”
Fewer than 2% were turned away. Most immigrants were processed and admitted in less than two hours, an average of more than 2,500 and as many as 5,000 were processed. A day. A “caravan” (if you insist) of poor, weary, and huddled masses—much like the 5,000 currently huddling in Tijuana—seeking, as had refugees before them, the “golden door” of freedom the Statue of Liberty once claimed to light.
But that was before Donald Trump became president, promoting his dark, nationalist obsession that walls are better than doors.
It’s tempting to blame our ignorant l’enfant terrible president. But Trump is merely the most recent evolution of nativist bigots who have captured and enlarged on popular fears of “the other.” The Chinese Exclusion Act, the Alien Contract Labor Law, the institution of literacy tests: all were designed to put out the light, to close the door…this time outside San Diego, prohibiting Hispanics fleeing anarchy and tyranny and poverty and worse. The dark underbelly of American immigration policy is that we were most willing to receive immigrants who were white Western Europeans. (No Hispanics. Few Muslims. Perhaps too many Jews...but according to Trump, we need accountants and money lenders.)
Although Ellis Island processed its last immigrant in 1954, its demise began in 1921 with the nationalist Quota Laws, underscored in 1924 by passage of the National Origins Act, which was an early version of Trump’s effort to forbid Hispanics and Muslims, establishing a percentage system to preserve the majority the "old immigrants” from Northern and Western Europe.
In other words, people who look like Donald Trump. Except that an increasing number of Americans do not, and the recent mid-terms suggest the pendulum of power is swinging away from Trumpian tribalism.
But pendulums tend to swing slow, and the immigrants camped in Tijuana can’t wait on the evolution of our cultural appreciation and the growing power of those who once were minorities.
And besides: It’s Christmas. The light of Chanukah burns brightly, however limited the oil. Can’t we remember our better angels, when it was possible to process thousands rather than dozens of those seeking refuge in a land of such plenty as we have been blessed?
Clifton Jolley is President of Advent Communications
Robert Rees teaches religion at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley
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Earth Federation News & Views
Media & Academic Censorship Betrays the World Public Interest
December 11, 2018
WORLD PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM requires serious journalists to expose those who would try to shut down media and academic freedom. I have chosen 4 articles that illustrate how the world public is being deprived of important information necessary for democracy to function properly.
I think of journalist Julian Assange whose "crime" is that he exposed the truth about criminal behaviors by American VIP's. I think of the panic from Israeli Zionists whenever the facts about Israeli crimes against the Palestinians are revealed to the public. And I think of the ongoing propaganda machine operated by elements of the U.S. government which is euphemistically called "perception management." - R. Kotila, PhD Editor -Earth Federation News & Views
12/7/18 THE PERSECUTION OF JULIAN ASSANGE: WIKILEAKS EDITOR SAYS MEDIA IS GIVING THE U.S. COVER TO EXTRADITE HIM | OPINION by KRISTINN HRAFNSSON in Newsweek
https://www.newsweek.com/julian-assange-wikileaks-editor-us-extradite-opinion-1249871
"What do these stories have in common? They all give the U.K. and Ecuador political cover to arrest Assange and for the U.S. to extradite him. Any journalists worth their salt should be investigating who is involved in these plots." ...See the article at the site listed above.
"One way that the Israeli right wing gets away with these atrocities is to use techniques of blackballing, smearing, and propaganda to marginalize any voices they don’t like. Jewish American mainstream organizations like the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco secretly have created web sites and techniques for getting people fired or blocking their career advancement if they aren’t on board with Israeli colonization of the Palestinian West Bank. Canary Mission is even now targeting our undergraduate students, hoping to blight their lives for taking a stand for justice. I do not believe it is too much to say that Canary Mission is evil. " ...See the article shown below.
The Bottomless Dishonesty of CNN on Palestine and Marc Lamont Hill Firing
By Juan Cole, Informed Comment
03 December 18
EXCERPTS:
 NN has fired contributor Marc Lamont Hill for a speech he gave on Palestinian rights at the UN. The speech can be found here.
You can protest this outrageous firing at this petition site.
And here is a link to his book, Nobody: Casualties of America’s War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond, which everyone should buy and read.
CNN would have been under special pressure to fire Hill because he is a prominent African-American intellectual with a following in his own community, and the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs (the propaganda arm of the Likud government) is worried about the boycott and sanctions movement spreading among American minorities who might sympathize with the oppressed Palestinians.
In his speech, Hill carefully explained all the ways in which Israeli Apartheid practices (my word, not his) devastate the basic human rights of the 5 million Palestinians living under Occupation. Not only are the 20 percent of Israeli citizens who are of Palestinian heritage second class citizens (and, increasingly, third class citizens), but those kept under the jackboot of the Israeli military in the Palestinian West Bank and in Gaza are kept stateless and without even the right to have rights.
These crimes, epochal and unparalleled in our own time, are being committed by Binyamin Netanyahu and his henchmen in plain sight, violating every principle of agreed-upon international law in the post-1945 period. (I say unparalleled because I know of no other government on earth in the 21st century deliberately keeping millions of persons stateless and depriving them of citizenship. Some countries give minorities a citizenship many of the latter do not want, but they still do have a passport and property rights). Israel occupied the Palestinian West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1967 and refuses to relinquish them or grant citizenship to the inhabitants, ensuring they remain in the twilight zone of statelessness. They are by far the largest stateless population in the world, (Undocumented migrants are not stateless since they have citizenship in their home country). The Nazis made Jews stateless as a prelude to the Holocaust.
One way that the Israeli right wing gets away with these atrocities is to use techniques of blackballing, smearing, and propaganda to marginalize any voices they don’t like. Jewish American mainstream organizations like the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco secretly have created web sites and techniques for getting people fired or blocking their career advancement if they aren’t on board with Israeli colonization of the Palestinian West Bank. Canary Mission is even now targeting our undergraduate students, hoping to blight their lives for taking a stand for justice. I do not believe it is too much to say that Canary Mission is evil. (To read full article click on site listed below.)
https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/53705-the-bottomless-dishonesty-of-cnn-on-palestine-and-marc-lamont-hill-firing
University of Sydney Professor Tim Anderson Suspended for “Criticism of War Propaganda against Syria, Iraq and Palestine”
(To read article click on the following site:) https://www.globalresearch.ca/university-of-sydney-professor-tim-anderson-suspended-for-criticism-of-war-propaganda-against-syria-iraq-and-palestine/5662229
Mainstream Media Assaults on Freedom of Speech. “The Truth” is No Longer “Important”
Global Research, December 07, 2018
Excerpts: "Friel and Falk focused on the New York Times due to the newspaper’s importance. The authors point out that in 70 Times editorials on Iraq – from September 11, 2001 to March 20, 2003 – the words “international law” and “UN Charter” were never mentioned. The “truth” did not seem terribly “important” as the Times stood idly by in the destruction of Iraq.
Such was the barrage of propaganda directed at the American public that 69% believed Saddam Hussein was “personally involved” in the September 11 attacks. That is a significant achievement in manipulation. The poll results must have been news to the Iraqi dictator himself, a forgotten one-time American ally.
Why Hussein would take it upon himself to orchestrate a surprise attack on the United States, of all nations, is anyone’s guess. Perhaps if he had a death wish but as later events proved he was not the suicidal type.
The Times was not alone in its position of selling the Iraq war to the American people, as television networks from Fox News to CBS and CNN were overwhelmingly pro-war. Fox News, owned by Rupert Murdoch – who strongly backed the illegal conflict – placed a permanent US flag in the corner of the screen. Fox employees were compelled to describe the invasion as “Operation Iraqi Freedom”, with hundreds of thousands of Iraqis later being killed.
The pattern continues into other illegitimate interventions as the liberal Guardian newspaper championed the demolition of Libya in 2011, with editorials imploring, “The quicker Muammar Gaddafi falls, the better.” The Guardian encouraged NATO “to tip the military balance further against Gaddafi”, while later that year summarising that “it has turned out, so far, reasonably well” – by that point thousands had been killed." (To read full article click on site listed below.)
https://www.globalresearch.ca/mainstream-media-assaults-on-freedom-of-speech-the-truth-is-no-longer-important/5662140
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October 9, 2018
Re: A Movement of Movements, Let the Earth Constitution Be Our Leader
Roger Kotila (a response to Janet's email shown below)
I agree with Janet and Chuck on the need to bring us together towards a MoM (Movement of Movements). Unfortunately the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) need to be adjusted to include a demand for a "new UN," one given the tools it needs to succeed. SDG is an inadequate basis to create a powerful MoM.
The needed changes to establish an MoM are not included in the SDG plan. SDG will not end wars -- one of the key global problems. Militarism and nuclear weapons could destroy the world as we know it. There would be little worthwhile left to "sustain." To add to this problem, the military is a leading polluter of the environment. Lastly, war takes away the resources which could end povery worldwide. MoM must have a means to end militarism.
MoM using the Earth Constitution as our leader
The World Constitution & Parliament Association addresses these fatal flaws at the international level, including of course, the U.S. for a MoM, conducting a series of Provisional World Parliaments under the Earth Constitution -- the first green constitution ever drafted and a model governing structure for a "new UN" or, if you prefer, for an Earth Federation.
I've pointed out repeatedly that the "Constitution for the Federation of Earth" (aka Earth Constitution) provides an ideal "leader" for a worldwide combined movement with peace, anti-war, environmental, and human rights groups, as well as for the majority of nations suffering under the foot of the P-5 Veto nations at the UN who just happen to be the world's largest weapons' dealers and warmongers... along with their favorite allies and proxies (eg, Israel; ISIS; Saudi Arabia; Columbia, Ukraine, etc.).
Chuck, like myself, are world federalists/world citizens. Short of forming a democratic world federal union government -- a "new UN", we will fail to end these damned wars, eliminate threats of a nuclear nightmare, fail to provide adequate protection for human rights, and lack a better response to climate change.
And not to worry, for in the proposed "new UN," there will be no "world president" or "world dictator." No Trump to bully everybody else. The proposed constitutional replacement for the obsolete UN Charter uses a Parliamentary model, not a Presidential paradigm, hence avoiding the danger of authoritarian rule. A World Parliament gives "we, the people" a real voice in global affairs, something lacking in the current undemocratic UN geopolitical system.
The world community wants a global peace system, not the current geopolitical war system.
Watch for the Democratic World Federalists campaign demanding UN Charter Review -- we are calling it THE SAN FRANCISCO PROMISE. The defective Charter is why the leaders of Bully nations who commit world crimes are (literally) above the law. The P-5 veto protects the leaders of these nations and their allies from criminal prosecution. It's a free pass to break international law routinely and not worry about the ICC.
Roger Kotila earthfederation.info
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Janet wrote (10/9/18): (See Roger Kotila's response above to Janet's call for a MoM.)
Re Chuck's "FIRST: Bring together the leaders of various movements (peace, environment, social/economic justice/human rights) to brainstorm a national strategy for activating a unified coalition (movement of movements - MoM) for funding and achieving the 17 SDGs ASAP!"
Forging a unified peace-antiwar-justice-environment coalition is what I tried to advocate as a focal purpose of our Peace Congress. The initial tepid response trailed off. If we couldn't have done something like this, we could've started what Chuck advocates. But it seems nobody's really interested enough to get it off the ground.
Thanks, Michael, for your post about climate change.
Janet STOP
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September 1, 2018
ROLE MODEL
Dr. Bob Hanson
We all need a role model, hero, or mentor. I have had several very important ones in my life. One of them died recently, a woman named Mary Harris. Mary passed-on just 49 days short of her 101st birthday. I served with Mary on the board of the Democratic World Federalists. She attended meetings regularly up until the last few weeks of her long life. Living at her beach home in Pacifica, she climbed up 160 stairs every time she went anywhere and relied on public transportation and friends for rides.
No-mores
Mary was contemptuous of war, and called it simply another form of mass murder. At 97, she wrote: “Some say Some-mores are a delicious campfire treat. I present here a truly delectable idea: No-Mores. No-more bombs; No-more war; No-more torture; No-more invading countries for their resources; No-more making enemies; No-more killing for land; No-more crude oil pipelines; No-more fracking; No-more “solving problems” by hating, killing or revenge; No-more excuses for global violence; No-more massacres; No-more mass incarcerations; No-more starvation; No-more homelessness; No-more prejudice; No-more racism, sexism, or ageism; No-more ghettos; No-more extrajudicial killings; No-more “all options are on the table.”
American exceptionalism, but not in a good way
Like many of us, Mary considered herself a global citizen. She would have bristled at the idea that the United States is an “exceptional” nation…the view held by many right-wingers that implies that America doesn’t need to comply with any global rules.
Unfortunately, our country is in many ways an exceptional nation – but not in a good way. Compared with other industrialized countries we enjoy the greatest income inequality, the highest poverty rate, the worst child well-being, the lowest social mobility, the highest infant mortality, the most people without health care, the highest obesity rate, the highest carbon emissions, the highest anti-depressant use, the worst gender inequality, the highest incarceration rate, the worst murder rate and highest military spending.
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter a $1.5 trillion dud
Expanding on this last point: Today over half of the nation’s discretionary spending is going to the Pentagon. We are spending more on arms than we did at the height of the Cold War, when adjusted for inflation. We spend as much on the military as the next 12-15 countries combined. This while the administration and Congress maintain there isn’t money to solve the homeless crisis, end poverty, or repair the nation’s crumbling infrastructure.
One example of wasteful spending is the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Over the course of its life, the program is projected to cost $1.5 trillion. This program is not only unnecessary, but the planes have failed test after test; it is now questionable whether they will ever be “combat-ready.”
Stay afraid, America, stay very afraid
The military-industrial-congressional-big media complex manages to keep military spending at astronomical levels by freezing the American public in a state of fear. For decades it was fear of Communism. When this wound down, it became a fear of terrorists. Now we see a fear of Islam and/or Russia. President Eisenhower put it very well in his farewell speech to the American people: “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. This world in arms is not spending our money without high cost. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.”
Mary’s spirit lives on…
Mary is gone, but not forgotten. Each day I ask myself what I can do to contribute to her dream…a world without war. I know that what I can contribute is miniscule in the big picture, but if enough of us do something to bring lasting peace on Earth maybe it will happen. Please support World Beyond War, Code Pink, the American Friends, Democratic World Federalists, Peace Action and other groups devoted to the cause. -- by Dr. Bob Hanson doctoroutdoors@comcast.net
[First published 8/29/18 in Dr. Hanson's "Progressive View" column in the Rossmoor News, California.]
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[Editor's note: This is an abridged version of Professor Glen T. Martin's "Human Beings Face Extinction: We need to act now." Subtitles have been introduced by the editor to highlight certain key points.]
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The global climate is unraveling at rates far beyond the predictions of scientists. The studies are so common by this date, and the scientific evidence so pervasive going back at least half a century, that there is no need to cite sources about this fact. The oceans are dying, the fisheries are becoming exhausted. The forests are dying. They are devastated through human overuse, logging, wildfires, acid rain, and rapidly changing climate conditions.
Agricultural lands are drying up and losing productivity, the land, water, and air are polluted. Artificial human-made chemical compounds are found in the tissues of every living creature on Earth, with unknown synergistic effects. The oceans are rising, displacing millions of coastal dwellers and submerging prime agricultural lands.
The habitats for animals and life in general are disappearing, and many species go extinct daily. The polar caps are melting, irrevocably altering the planet’s climate. Rainfall is irregular, with periodic droughts alternating with devastating floods. ....
At the same time, the global human population unsustainability continues to increase. ... ...Noam Chomsky declares: “Survival of Organized Human Life Is at Risk Due to Climate Change and Nuclear Weapons.”
UN Charter's untouchable sacred cow prevents global citizenship
Meanwhile, the nations of the world focus on “sovereignty,” militarism, national independence, trade wars, and unsustainable capitalist development. “Sovereign independence” is written into the UN charter in multiple ways and continues to function as an untouchable sacred cow, preventing the development of global citizenship everywhere on Earth. Each nation inculcates loyalty into its citizens and criminalizes any non-government sponsored relationships with foreign officials, which they label “disloyalty” and “treason.” Trillions of dollars are poured down the toilet of militarism that are needed to protect and restore the planetary environment.
Few people seem to care
Nuclear weapons are refined and made “combat ready,” and countries like North Korea correctly understand that without the nuclear deterrent, they would suffer the same destruction as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya. For the imperial system led by the U.S. and its NATO allies continues to work for a global hegemony to counter the growing influence of Russia and China, politically and economically, without concern for human rights, dignity, or the welfare and livelihood of many millions who appear of less worthiness to live because they are “not us.” Books such as Nuclear Madness by Helen Caldicott or The Doomsday Machine by Daniel Ellsberg regularly appear detailing the many times that the near use of these weapons has brought humanity close to extinction, but few seem to care. Our fragmentation, hate, fear, and need for “enemies” is so much greater than our desire for a future for our children or the planet.
Shock alert: It's a war system, stupid!
Our planetary system is inherently a war system requiring enemies and producing vast profits for the industries that supply and encourage this system. As climate and military disasters around the world increase so do the profits of the system of “disaster capitalism” described by Naomi Klein in her 2007 book The Shock Doctrine the Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Meanwhile the big banks and masters of the global monetary systems continue to dominate unsustainable global economics, running the world as a debt system from which they derive not only vast profits but vast political power, as Ellen Brown showed in detail in her 2007 book The Web of Debt.
Is the ruling class "insane" or simply criminal?
A Google search reveals a number of articles by different authors who have declared that the ruling class is “insane.” Indeed, if bringing the entire planet to ruin in the service of ones personal greed for wealth and power is insane, then this label is appropriate, although I prefer the term “criminal,” since the majority of the ruling class of the world are simply criminals who control the mass media, the politicians, and the UN in the service of their criminal enterprises that are bringing humankind to extinction.
In the US, the majority of both Democrats and Republicans in the Washington, DC, government are criminals in this sense, serving both themselves and the ruling class. Many so-called liberals in the US are working to remove Trump as President, and to “take back our country.” But the truth is they never had “their country.” The ruling class has always had it, and human extinction advanced perhaps just as rapidly under Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, or Barack Obama. The mass media, the war system, and the “sovereign nation” propaganda keep the people of the US asleep no matter who is president. Whomever fills that office can do little because the system itself defeats rationality, recognition of our common planetary humanity, and the changes necessary for survival.
Refusing to become world citizens is a death sentence
Trump is a symptom and not a cause. People refuse to actualize what Karl Marx called our species-being. They refuse to become world citizens in any real sense of this word. They cling to their sovereign borders and delude themselves that somehow extinction can be avoided if the peoples of some 193 different, militarized sovereign nations all care about the environment, recycle, and “dispose” of the trash properly. Rather than living in what I call a “boundary-less world,” they insist on their puerile boundaries and identities, even as this exacerbates the rush to total climate collapse and human extinction. To cling to a tiny, exclusive identity that divides one from others who are “not me” becomes more important than the survival of the human race.
Mass media a main source for immature ideologies
It has often been pointed out that the mass media keep ordinary people distracted, immature, and unable to think clearly. The mass media are designed for this purpose. For more sophisticated ordinary people, there are sources like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post, which frame the immature ideologies in a more erudite manner to satisfy the egoism of the “educated” middle classes. But the entire world system is immature and structurally inculcates immaturity into the peoples of Earth.
Misguided loyalties to outdated systems
The system of sovereign nation-states is nearly four centuries old, often said to have begun formally at the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, developed at a time when people were riding horses and fighting with swords. The system of capitalism is just as old, developed at a time when the Earth seemed to have inexhaustible resources, was able to receive unlimited wastes from human industries, and the population of the world was a fraction of what it is today. These systems structurally condition people into loyalty to their puerile national identities and into a capitalism that has no concern for the environment or human dignity, but only for egoistically pursued private profit. “Freedom” becomes promoting egoistic self-interest regardless of the social or environmental consequences.
The world seen from space, or from an airplane, has no borders. ...
Bigotry and hate start here
People everywhere need to think: “I am an American,” not a Russian or Chinese. “I am of a certain skin color, not like those of red, yellow, brown or black complexions.” “I am a Republican, not a Democrat.” “I am a Christian, not a Hindu or a Moslem.” And it is the same everywhere else, national loyalty requires these identifications, as does so-called religious belief. In India, people go crazy over their Hindu identity, or their Moslem identity, or their caste status.
"Borderless" means we are One humanity
A borderless world does not mean that we abolish all practical administrative distinctions such as electoral districts or jurisdictions for local, regional, or national governments. A borderless world means that people have realized their species-being and become one in their common humanity and dignity. This is the world as seen by the great teachers of human kind such as Jesus Christ, Jiddu Krishnamurti, the 14th Dalai Lama, Mahatma Gandhi, or Martin Luther King, Jr. Despite their great differences, all these leaders lived from their fundamental humanity.
...Today, these identities are tearing the world apart because they mirror the structural (political and economic) fragmentation of the world into sovereign nation-states and the capitalist egoistic drive for power and profit.
We can "jump-start" a world peace and justice systemWe do not need to wait for humanity in general to grow up and embrace the holism of planet Earth, our planetary biosphere, and the human race. ...We can ratify the “Earth Constitution” and place the common good of the planet, its citizens, and its living creatures at the heart of a global public authority that can reign in and control the egoism and nihilism of both the politicians and the capitalists. ... The Constitution for the Federation of Earth ( www.earth-constitution.org) is already completed and ready for ratification. It places what is common and universal (the common good of the Earth and its citizens) above the nations and the corporations as the single most legitimate source of governmental authority.
World Parliament
The Earth Federation will establish a democratic World Parliament with authority over both global corporations and so-called “sovereign” nation-states. For the first time in history, our common human dignity will be the basis of the global public authority, not fear, enemies, war, greed, and exploitation. There is no other way to end environmental and human destruction by the corporations as well as war and terrorism by the nation-states.
Earth Constitution and the universal good
The Earth Constitution establishes global democracy predicated on what is common and universal and empowers an Earth Federation Government to conform both economics and politics to the universal common good. Article One defines that universal common good as ending war, protecting universal human rights, addressing poverty and inequality, and protecting and restoring the planetary environment. Law enforcement is assured through civilian police who must themselves obey the law. There is no military. Here we have the only true source of legitimate government authority: the common good of the Earth and its citizens: a global peace system, justice system, and sustainability system.
... If we actualize our species-being, then we are open to love, concern, and identification with all, including the Earth’s many other living species. We no longer need to cling to an identity that excludes the others (whomever they happen to be). Some 200 years ago, the philosopher Lessing wrote to the Christians and Jews of Europe: “if only I had found one among you for whom it was enough to be called a human being!” My newest book,
Global Democracy and Human Self-Transcendence, develops these ideas in some detail.
The Constitution for the Federation of Earth structurally establishes a planetary democratic government ... All persons become World Citizens first, responsible for their planetary home and future generations. Their primary identity becomes our common humanity. We need to ratify this Constitution if we want to avoid the rapidly approaching fate of planetary extinction of the human race.
It is time for humanity to grow up and face responsibility for ourselves and our precious planet. It is time we ended the global war system and converted to a peace, justice, and sustainability system. It is time we united our planetary home in a global democracy under the Earth Constitution.
-- Professor Glen T. Martin
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