Progressives opposing Biden’s wars…improve his chances in ‘24

 

Progressives opposing Biden’s wars…improve his chances in ‘24

Some of my progressive comrades are dismayed; indeed horrified by President Biden’s two year war in Ukraine, three month war in Gaza, and brand new war against Yemen. But they either maintain tepid support or remain silent on the most critical issue facing the world today: America’s endless wars needlessly destroying the lives of millions in Europe and the Middle East.

They do this to maintain lockstep support that Joe Biden is doing a fabulous job and deserves re-election against a soulless Republican Party.

They go so far as to vigorously criticize those of us in the peace community calling for an end to these wars which are draining out precious treasure, degrading America’s  moral standing, and maintaining destruction in these countries with no exit strategy. Their most bizarre charge is any criticism of Biden’s wars hurt his re-election chances by pointing out a grievous defect in his character. Peace advocates are even called Trump supporters and MAGA Republicans.

Such charges are nonsense. Calls for Biden pursuing negotiations instead of weapons for Ukraine, demanding ceasefire and end to weapons enabling genocide in Gaza, and ceasing futile missile strikes against Yemen will promote Biden’s re-electing, not endanger it. Millions of younger voters abandoning him over his perpetual war policies could possibly return to the Democratic fold to achieve victory November 5.

Supporting Biden’s re-election while calling for his pivot to peace are not mutually exclusive. They run along parallel lines. If the latter is successful, they will improve Biden’s re-election chances. If Biden fails to heed calls for peace, his quest for victory diminishes daily.   

With friends like Netanyahu, President Biden needs a good war crimes defense lawyer

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With friends like Netanyahu, President Biden needs a good war crimes defense lawyer

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the US Saturday that his 100 day war of genocidal ethnic cleansing of 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza has got ‘MADE IN USA’ stamped all over it.

“This is not just our war – it is also your war. This is the war of the sons of light against the sons of darkness. This is a war against the axis of evil led by Iran and its three proxies: Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.”

Apparently, Netanyahu wants Joe to join him in the dock of potential genocidal ethnic cleansing charges currently being litigated at the International court of Justice.

“No one will stop us, not The Hague, not the axis of evil, and not anyone else,”Netanyahu boasted, knowing that the one man who can stop him, Joe Biden, is all in with billions in weapons to bomb virtually the entire Gaza population from their homes. In addition, Joe publicly supports the ongoing genocide, and gives Netanyahu veto proof protection in the UN Security Council.

After a 52 year political career supporting every senseless US war to the hilt, Biden is fading into oblivion a genocide denier, a genocide enabler. His overextended stay on the public stage is ending with the worst single criminal conduct toward humanity in US history. The best war crimes defense lawyers would be hard pressed to save him from conviction at The Hague should he end up there. But no one can save his soul from the harsh verdict of history.

On war aims, Zelensky is more like Hitler than Churchill

 On war aims, Zelensky is more like Hitler than Churchill

When the Russo Ukraine war began nearly 2 ago, US and NATO leaders heralded Ukraine President Zelensky as the 21st century Churchill. His boyish but strong willed charisma in pushing back against the Russian invasion captivated US and NATO leaders. They saw him as the perfect foil to the evil looking Vladimir Putin who launched the invasion. If Zelensky was the 21st century Churchill, Putin was the new 21stcentury Hitler, snatching the title Saddam Hussein garnered after 911.

But Zelensky is no Churchill, simply a puppet being manipulated by America to weaken Russia by forcing Zelensky to dream of total victory over Russia with endless US weapons but no US troops.

Zelensky quickly caved to US demands that he cancel the impending peace deal in the first two months that would have cost Ukraine no new territory. That decision has cost Ukraine several hundred thousand dead soldiers, millions displaced, a third of its economy vanished, and 20% of eastern Ukraine gone forever.

Every one of the $113 billion in US weapons and other aid is gone with nothing to show but impending defeat. The US and NATO weapons cupboards are now bare with little hope of being replenished any time soon. The US has pivoted to supporting a more winnable Israeli war in Gaza.

But Zelensky stays steadfast that Ukraine will win back all its territory, including Crimea lost 10 years ago, get war crime trials for Putin and company, and reparations of billions in war damage.

He recently reiterated those now delusional plans in a speech before the World Economic Conference in Davos, Switzerland. Even some of Zelensky’s leaders have expressed concern he has lost touch with reality and will not listen to anyone but himself.

Instead of Churchill, Zelensky appears to be channeling Adolph Hitler in the closing days of WWII when he was moving around imaginary armies in his head to prevent the inevitable defeat.

And as delusional as Zelensky, President Biden continues to cheer him on to complete victory.

IL Senators Duckworth, Durbin vote to continue weaponizing Israel’s genocide in Gaza

 IL Senators Duckworth, Durbin vote to continue weaponizing Israel’s genocide in Gaza

My Illinois Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin had their chance to make a dent in Israel’s ongoing 102 day genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. They voted to continue it.

Senator Bernie Sanders offered a mild resolution calling on the State Department to determine if the billions in US 2,000 lb. bombs and other weapons Israel uses to make Gaza uninhabitable are committing human rights violations there. Under the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act, US weapons aid would be frozen if such violations are found occurring.

Tragically for the 2.3 million Palestinians being systematically bombed, starved, denied medicine and functioning hospitals, neither Duckworth nor Durbin saw the need to even investigate cutting off US support for the worst people-made humanitarian catastrophe this century.

Both are in lockstep support of President Biden’s mad descent into cruelty, death and destruction of the most neglected and marginalized people on earth. Their support of US enabling genocide is a contemptible stain on their governmental resume. If not corrected, it will forever haunt their moral legacy as well.

Open your eyes to genocide in Gaza, Congressman Casten

 Open your eyes to genocide in Gaza, Congressman Casten

In Congressman Casten’s worldview, foreign policy, foreign wars including genocide in Gaza, are topics that dare not speak their name in Illinois’ 6th District.

Go to Congressman Sean Casten’s website, casten.house.gov. You will find virtually no mention of the ongoing genocide in Gaza; a genocide that Casten backs with his lockstep support of President Biden’s fueling Israel’s genocidal ethnic cleansing there.

Foreign policy, including US foreign wars do not appear on his website. The closest Casten comes on his issues link is ‘Veteran’s Affairs.’

There is one press release on Gaza. Fifty-one days ago Casten praised the humanitarian pause in the genocide to obtain a partial hostage release and humanitarian aid to Palestinians. Casten ended with “It is my hope that parties on both sides may build on these tentative first steps to come together and work to secure a durable, region-wide peace.”

Somehow Casten missed that the Israeli side has bombed to rubble over 100,000 buildings using US two thousand pounders that Casten approves his president sending to complete the genocidal ethnic cleansing of Palestinians there. Over 2,000,000 Palestinians are homeless. He ignores the US supported cutoff of nearly all food, water, medicine and functioning hospitals destroying hundreds daily.

When pressed by the 6th District bases West Suburban Peace Coalition and other district residents, Casten refuses all entreaties to call for ceasefire to end the genocide. He claims the situation is complicated with many facts to consider.

Congressman Casten should consider following the genocide hearings against Israel and by implication, the US at the International Court of Justice. His moral compass may become activated, causing him to join with 64 other congresspersons, including local Democratic colleagues Jonathon Jackson, Jesus Garcia and Delia Ramirez, in calling for immediate, full and enduring ceasefire in Gaza.

The 2,300,000 Palestinians in Gaza cannot wait another second for their release from the worst genocide in this century, occurring before our eyes. Open your eyes to this genocide Congressman and speak up. Saving your moral standing in the 6th District cannot wait another second as well.

Rev. King sadly disparaged for his opposition to Vietnam War

 Rev. King sadly disparaged for his opposition to Vietnam War

On Rev. Martin Luther King Day I always reflect on the last year of his life he kicked off with his "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break the Silence" at New York's Riverside Church, April 4, 1967, ahead of a massive anti war rally eleven days later. 

A college senior at the time, I had engaged in both civil rights and antiwar advocacy, and was thrilled King was linking them together. I even made the April 15th rally my one antiwar foray out of Chicago.

Though he long opposed the war privately as a cruel and senseless waste of resources needed to uplift US society, King was reluctant to go public at a time mainstream US political culture still largely supported it. But as King said so well: "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."

Alas, King's trepidation was realized as political leaders including President Johnson, major media outlets like the Washington Post and Life Magazine, union officials and even previously sympathetic whites distanced themselves from King's righteous attack against America's self destructive war against the imaginary communist bogyman.

A year to the day later King was gunned down; his anti-Vietnam War opposition largely relegated to a footnote in his magnificent life's journey. But it should not be as America still fails to heed his warning that the perpetual wars of this century in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Ukraine, Gaza are continuing our inexorable road to spiritual death.