Staying in Afghanistan is the Wrong Course for the U.S.

December 9, 2013
Staying in Afghanistan is the Wrong Course for the U.S.

DAVID SWANSON - When Barack Obama became president, there were 32,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. He escalated to over 100,000 troops, plus contractors. Now there are 47,000 troops these five years later. Measured in financial cost, or death and destruction, Afghanistan is more President Obama’s war than President Bush’s. Now the...

Raise the Minimum Wage

December 7, 2013
Raise the Minimum Wage

LAWRENCE S. WITTNER - Some 47 million Americans live in poverty, and a key reason is the decline of the minimum wage. First established under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, the nationwide minimum wage was designed to lift millions of American workers out of poverty and to stimulate the economy. Unfortunately, however,...

Climate Change Protest Halts Megaload in E. Oregon

December 5, 2013

GEORGE PLAVEN - Dec. 2, 2013: Climate activists won the night Sunday, effectively stalling the first of three controversial “megaloads” from leaving the Port of Umatilla on schedule. Two protesters were arrested after they locked themselves onto the side and underneath the truck hauling massive equipment to the oil fields in Canada. It took...

Bombing Food Stamps, Feeding Bombs

December 3, 2013
Bombing Food Stamps, Feeding Bombs

JOHN LAFORGE - Beginning Nov. 1, food stamp cutbacks mean $36 per month less for a family of four. Public ‘servants’ like Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan and Democratic former President Bill Clinton point to the failure of poverty programs to end poverty, and then slash those program budgets or abolish them altogether. Meanwhile, the...

Climate Scientists: “We Have to Consume Less”

December 1, 2013
Climate Scientists: “We Have to Consume Less”

KEVIN ANDERSON and ALICE BOWS-LARKIN, interviewed by AMY GOODMAN - A pair of climate scientists are calling for what some may view as a shocking solution to the global warming crisis: a rethinking of the economic order in the United States and other industrialized nations. Kevin Anderson and Alice Bows-Larkin of the influential Tyndall...

Dave Barry’s Holiday Gift Guide

November 29, 2013
Dave Barry’s Holiday Gift Guide

DAVE BARRY - The holidays are a wonderful time of year, but too often, in all the excitement and craziness, we forget the real “reason for the season.” The holidays are not about parties, or decorations, or Frosty the Snowperson. Those things are fun, but they are not the true purpose of the holidays....

Big Brother’s Loyal Sister: How Dianne Feinstein Is Betraying Civil Liberties

November 27, 2013
Big Brother’s Loyal Sister: How Dianne Feinstein Is Betraying Civil Liberties

NORMAN SOLOMON - Ever since the first big revelations about the National Security Agency five months ago, Dianne Feinstein has been in overdrive to defend the surveillance state. As chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, she generates an abundance of fog, weasel words, anti-whistleblower slander and bogus notions of reform -- while methodically stabbing...

Oregon Reps Oppose Fast Track Trade Negotiations

November 25, 2013

THE LINCOLN COUNTY DISPATCH - Wednesday, 13 November 2013 14:26: Fair trade advocates praised the release of a letter today voicing congressional opposition to fast track, a policy-making process that allows trade pacts to circumvent ordinary congressional review, amendment and debate procedures. Three quarters of the House Democratic caucus—including Oregon congressional representatives Kurt Schrader...

Fukushima Situation Now Critical – Global Environment Threatened

November 23, 2013
Fukushima Situation Now Critical – Global Environment Threatened

HARVEY WASSERMAN - Four climate scientists have made a public statement claiming nuclear power is an answer to global warming. Before they proceed, they should visit Fukushima, where the Tokyo Electric Power Company has moved definitively toward bringing down the some 1300 hot fuel rods from a pool at Unit Four. Which makes this...

School of Assassins Faces Protest and Congressional De-Funding

November 21, 2013
School of Assassins Faces Protest and Congressional De-Funding

JOHN LAFORGE - The U.S. Army School of the Americas in Ft. Benning, Georgia is a notorious training operation for Latin American officers and soldiers. It’s associated with some of the worst dictatorships and human rights violators in the hemisphere. Over the past 20 years, the grassroots School of Americas Watch (SOA Watch) has...

STARBASE: Selling the Military to Your Child

November 19, 2013
STARBASE: Selling the Military to Your Child

ERIN NIEMELA - I am a parent of a an elementary school student in Portland, Ore., and early this week I discovered our school is participating in the STARBASE program. STARBASE is a Department of Defense initiative offering science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) training to at-risk public school students. . . .While some...

How Science Is Telling Us All To Revolt

November 17, 2013
How Science Is Telling Us All To Revolt

NAOMI KLEIN - In December 2012, a pink-haired complex systems researcher named Brad Werner made his way through the throng of 24,000 earth and space scientists at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, held annually in San Francisco. . . . But it was Werner’s own session that was attracting much of...

Unsung Hero Was a Whistleblower of Yesteryear

November 15, 2013
Unsung Hero Was a Whistleblower of Yesteryear

ROGER WILLIAMS - Without remembering — without telling and retelling America's complete history, including the important role of whistleblowers -- we Americans, all of us, become cultural and ethical amputees.

Absence of Global Climate Agreement Threatens Promising Carbon Reduction Scheme

November 13, 2013

SUSANNA TWIDALE - Investors and the panel overseeing the U.N.’s carbon market for developing countries have called on delegates at next month’s climate meeting in Warsaw to rescue the ailing scheme, which the U.N. estimates has provided $315 billion in funding to low-carbon projects to date.

How Disarmament Activists Saved the World from Nuclear War

November 11, 2013
How Disarmament Activists Saved the World from Nuclear War

LAWRENCE WITTNER - The conventional explanation for nuclear restraint by the relatively small number of nations possessing nuclear weapons is that the danger posed by these weapons has “deterred” nations from waging nuclear war and, overall, has created a situation of nuclear safety. But something is missing from the conventional explanation. The missing ingredient...

Congressional Oversight Means Overlooking the NSA

November 9, 2013
Congressional Oversight Means Overlooking the NSA

CONGRESSMAN ALAN GRAYSON (D, FL) - Members of Congress do not trust that the House Intelligence Committee is providing the necessary oversight. On the contrary, "oversight" has become "overlook." Despite being a member of Congress possessing security clearance, I've learned far more about government spying on me and my fellow citizens from reading media...

Obama Approves Raising Permissible Levels of Nuclear Radiation in Drinking Water

November 7, 2013

PUBLIC EMPLOYEES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY - The White House has given final approval for dramatically raising permissible radioactive levels in drinking water and soil following “radiological incidents,” such as nuclear power-plant accidents and dirty bombs. The final version, slated for Federal Register publication, is a win for the nuclear industry which seeks what its...

Military Expert: Some Pentagon Spending Actually Harms Our National Security

November 5, 2013
Military Expert: Some Pentagon Spending Actually Harms Our National Security

LT. GENERAL ROBERT GARD (Ret.) - Instead of engaging in political gamesmanship to raise the debt ceiling or enacting periodic government shutdowns, we should be focused on eliminating waste and allocating government expenditures more efficiently. Unnecessary defense spending that detracts from security instead of improving it is at the top of the list.

Google: Doing Evil with ALEC

November 3, 2013
Google: Doing Evil with ALEC

NORMAN SOLOMON - Google Inc. is now aligned with the notorious ALEC. Quietly, Google has joined ALEC -- the American Legislative Exchange Council -- the shadowy corporate alliance that pushes odious laws through state legislatures.

Why Water Issues Demand Conversion to Renewable Energy

November 1, 2013
Why Water Issues Demand Conversion to Renewable Energy

GRANT SMITH - In surveying the energy landscape, there’s an emerging, inevitable trend. Old coal and nuclear plants are being decommissioned while new ones are extremely difficult to keep within estimated construction budgets. Moreover, the next nail in the coffin for these passé technologies is water. The water/energy nexus, as it...

Why Snowden’s Passport Matters

October 30, 2013
Why Snowden’s Passport Matters

NORMAN SOLOMON - When the State Department revoked Edward Snowden’s passport four months ago, the move was a reprisal from a surveillance-and-warfare state that operates largely in the shadows. Top officials in Washington were furious. Snowden had suddenly exposed what couldn’t stand the light of day, blowing the cover of the world’s Biggest Brother.

Today Peabody Would Lose Money on Coal Exports

October 28, 2013
Today Peabody Would Lose Money on Coal Exports

CLARK WILLIAMS-DERRY - On Oct. 22, 2013, Sightline released a new report: Peabody Energy, Gateway Pacific, and the Asian Coal Bubble. The report shows that at today’s prices, there’s no way for Peabody to make money shipping coal to Asia. Peabody’s strategy is now to hope that the Asian coal bubble re-inflates—which is an...

Frequently Asked Questions about Chelsea (Bradley) Manning

October 26, 2013
Frequently Asked Questions about Chelsea (Bradley) Manning

EDITOR'S NOTE - Now that the trial is over and the case finished let's not drop the ball and forget about Bradley Manning (who has changed his name to Chelsea and identified as a woman). She was courageous and did an honorable act. Lead attorney David Coombs explains how we can all show some...

Is Stable Climate a Thing of the Past?

October 24, 2013
Is Stable Climate a Thing of the Past?

DORSI DIAZ - The climate is indeed changing - and rapidly. So fast that it's startling even climate scientists and blowing previous "computer modelings" out the window.

Unclean at Any Speed

October 22, 2013
Unclean at Any Speed

OZZIE ZEHNER - Electric cars don’t solve the automobile’s environmental problems. Note: Although we at The PeaceWorker are electric vehicle fans, this article raises many good questions that EV buffs need to consider. We run it in the interests of fairness and useful dialogue.

Fight Back – Know What They Don’t Want You to Know

October 20, 2013
Fight Back – Know What They Don’t Want You to Know

LAURA POITRAS - The detention of David Miranda -- partner of the Guardian journalist involved in the NSA revelations -- and the destruction of hard drives in the British newspaper's basement reveal one thing: Governments do not want their citizens to be informed when it comes to the topic of surveillance.

U.S. Still Preparing for Nuclear War

October 18, 2013
U.S. Still Preparing for Nuclear War

LAWRENCE S. WITTNER - Nearly a quarter century after the disappearance of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the U.S. government is still getting ready for nuclear war.

Clinging to Mass Violence

October 16, 2013
Clinging to Mass Violence

LAWRENCE S. WITTNER - Is the human race determined to snuff itself out through mass violence? There are many signs that it is.

Supreme Court Will Hear Case About Guns and Domestic Violence

October 14, 2013
Supreme Court Will Hear Case About Guns and Domestic Violence

LAURA FINLEY - The Supreme Court has now agreed to hear a case involving whether persons convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors should be prohibited from possessing guns.

Why Energy Producers Need to Pay Heed to Global Warming

October 12, 2013
Why Energy Producers Need to Pay Heed to Global Warming

JEFFREY RUBIN - Global temperatures are the hottest since the last ice age and the planet is only getting warmer. . . . A warming planet clearly holds profound consequences for us all, but one group that should by paying particular attention are the world's energy producers.

The NSA Deserves Permanent Shutdown

October 10, 2013
The NSA Deserves Permanent Shutdown

NORMAN SOLOMON - At the top of the federal government, even a brief shutdown of “core NSA operations” is unthinkable. But at the grassroots, a permanent shutdown of the NSA should be more than thinkable; we should strive to make it achievable. And since "Total Information Awareness," in the form of content storage at...

Occupy’s Legacy Still Being Revealed in Portland

October 8, 2013
Occupy’s Legacy Still Being Revealed in Portland

HELEN JUNG - Fifty people arrested during Occupy Portland protests two years ago are entitled to jury trials even though prosecutors downgraded the misdemeanor charges to violations with no threat of a jail sentence, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

What on Earth Are Nuclear Weapons For?

October 6, 2013
What on Earth Are Nuclear Weapons For?

WINSLOW MYERS - Eric Schlosser’s hair-raising new book about actual and potential accidents with nuclear weapons, “Command and Control,” sharpens the dialogue, such as it is, between the anti-nuclear peace movement and nuclear strategists who maintain that these weapons still enhance the security of nations.

New Simplicity Offers a Key to Happiness

October 4, 2013
New Simplicity Offers a Key to Happiness

CECILE ANDREWS - Simplicity is about much more than “cutting back.” It’s “the examined life,” asking ourselves what’s important and what matters. Reflecting on these questions, we discover that social ties foster social cohesion, community and the common good.

Nez Perce Refuse to Allow Oil Processing Equipment to Cross Their Land

October 2, 2013
Nez Perce Refuse to Allow Oil Processing Equipment to Cross Their Land

KIRK JOHNSON - The Nez Perce Indians, who have called the empty spaces and rushing rivers of Lapwai, Idaho, home for thousands of years, were drawn into the national brawl over the future of energy last month when they tried to stop a giant load of oil-processing equipment from coming through their lands.

Occupy Everything – Lessons Not Too Late for the Learning

September 30, 2013
Occupy Everything – Lessons Not Too Late for the Learning

DAVID SWANSON - When the Occupy Movement lost its presence on television and therefore in real spaces that are never quite as real as television, it left a positive lasting impact, difficult as yet to measure fully, but observable in many areas.

Climate, Keystone and the Problem of Fossil Fuel Demand

September 28, 2013
Climate, Keystone and the Problem of Fossil Fuel Demand

KURT COBB - If reducing consumption of fossil fuels is the goal, what we actually need to do is strike at demand. The simplest and most effective way to do this is to levy high and rising taxes on fossil-fuel-based energy. The Europeans have done this for a long time, and their per capita...

Justice Department Mounts New Attack on Press Freedom

September 26, 2013
Justice Department Mounts New Attack on Press Freedom

NORMAN SOLOMON - There’s something profoundly despicable about a Justice Department that would brazenly violate the First and Fourth Amendments while spying on journalists, then claim to be reassessing such policies after an avalanche of criticism -- and then proceed, as it did this week, to gloat that those policies made possible a long...

Private Gain to the Few Trumps Public Good for the Many

September 24, 2013
Private Gain to the Few Trumps Public Good for the Many

ROBERT REICH - Why the decline of public institutions? The slide . . . started more than three decades ago with so-called "tax revolts" by a middle class whose earnings had stopped advancing even though the economy continued to grow. Most families still wanted good public services and institutions but could no longer afford...

Poll: Small Business Owners Support Progressive Policies

September 22, 2013
Poll: Small Business Owners Support Progressive Policies

STEPHEN MICHAEL - On August 19, 2013, the Main Street Alliance of Oregon released their most recent report, Voices of Main Street, which challenges conventional perceptions of rural small business owners’ thoughts on key policy issues. It details responding business owners’ views on economic, tax, immigration and health care issues facing Oregon and the...

U.S. Plans Nuclear Missile Tests Around International Day of Peace and UN High-Level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament

September 20, 2013

NUCLEAR AGE PEACE FOUNDATION - Two dates this month have special significance to those who want to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons: the International Day of Peace (September 21) and the UN High-Level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament (September 26). Instead of honoring the significance of these dates and working in good faith...

Something in the Air: Lead Poisoning from Aircraft Fuel

September 18, 2013
Something in the Air: Lead Poisoning from Aircraft Fuel

MICHAEL BEHAR - The health risks of leaded gasoline are a thing of the past, right? Wrong. While jets and turboprops run on kerosene-based fuels, the majority of general aviation aircraft are piston-powered and consume aviation gasoline, or avgas. Populations close to “general aviation” airports (a term that covers nearly all types of flight...

Health Co-Ops Pave the Way for Change in Oregon

September 16, 2013
Health Co-Ops Pave the Way for Change in Oregon

CHRIS THOMAS - In less than two months, Oregonians who need to shop for health coverage will be able to find and compare plans in the new health insurance marketplace, called Cover Oregon.

New Waste Slashing Energy Legislation Promises Savings, Jobs

September 14, 2013

AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT ECONOMY (ACEEE) - Proposed bipartisan energy efficiency legislation has the potential to save the nation billions while creating domestic jobs and reducing energy waste, according to a new analysis released today by ACEEE.

The Real Culprit in Syria: Climate Change

September 12, 2013
The Real Culprit in Syria: Climate Change

WILLIAM R. POLK - Underlying the political situation in Syria is an economic and ecological disaster resulting from climate change. As more and more people competed for scarce jobs, food and other resources, they became desperate and their desperation led inexorably to war. Military support for neither side of the conflict will address its...

Obama Has Many Options For Dealing with the Syrian Situation

September 10, 2013
Obama Has Many Options For Dealing with the Syrian Situation

PATRICK T. HILLER - The red line was crossed; let’s fire a shot across the bow. It sounds so easy, so clean, so surgical. Splash! A harmless shot landing in the water to make the enemy compliant. Since the American public – and for that matter the entire world – is rightfully doubtful of...

Israeli Activists Replace Threatening Military Signs with Messages of Peace and Resistance

September 8, 2013
Israeli Activists Replace Threatening Military Signs with Messages of Peace and Resistance

HAGGAI MATAR - For several years now, all roads branching off of major Israeli-controlled West Bank highways and taking drivers towards Palestinian villages and cities, have been dominated by the presence of red trilingual warning signs. . . . On Saturday, July 13, 2013, a group of Israeli women went on a road trip...

New Poll Suggests Climate Change Action Strategy

September 6, 2013

A report from ecoAmerica outlines how public opinion trends around climate change in the U.S. have moved from being a niche issue to the mainstream.

New Material May Make Solar Power “Dirt Cheap”

September 4, 2013
New Material May Make Solar Power “Dirt Cheap”

KEVIN BULLIS - A new type of solar cell, made from a material that is dramatically cheaper to obtain and use than silicon, could generate as much power as today’s commodity solar cells.

Opposition to Iraq War May Save Syria

September 2, 2013
Opposition to Iraq War May Save Syria

DAVID SWANSON - Evidence of "weapons of mass destruction" is "no slam dunk," U.S. officials are saying this time around, reversing the claim made about Iraq by then-CIA director George Tenet. Opposition to a U.S.-led attack on Syria is growing rapidly in Europe and the United States, drawing its strength from public awareness that...