MICHAEL BURNHAM — Westward pioneers halted their wagons in Portland, OR 150 years ago, but today’s politicians and planners aim to make recession- battered Portland the starting point for green-economy trailblazers. Mayor Sam Adams and General Electric Co. executives are forging a first-of-its-kind partnership that will include retrofitting drafty buildings with energy-saving technologies and helping local startups sell their clean-technology products abroad.
Category: July 2010
July 2010 articles
WiliLeaks Releases Afghan War Diary
WILILEAKS — On July 25, 2010 WikiLeaks, the Australian whistleblower website, released a document set called the “Afghan War Diary,†an extraordinary compendium of over 91,000 reports covering the war in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2010.
Libertarian View: 10 Reasons to End the Wars Now
WES BENEDICT — The long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been back in the news recently, and we just had the bizarre spectacle of the Republican National Committee Chairman saying he didn’t like Obama’s war in Afghanistan, while the DNC chastised him for failing to support the troops.
The Impossible Contradictions of Modern War
WINSLOW MYERS — The article in Rolling Stone that ended the meteoric career of General McChrystal shines light on the thought-process not only of one military man, but also on the dysfunctional paradigm now failing in Afghanistan. It is a textbook demonstration of how the mind-set of war itself, the notion of annihilating an enemy and emerging victorious, has become obsolete.
Why We Must Reduce Military Spending
REPS. BARNEY FRANK AND RON PAUL — As members of opposing political parties, we disagree on a number of important issues. But we must not allow honest disagreement over some issues to interfere with our ability to work together when we do agree. By far the single most important of these is our current initiative to include substantial reductions in the projected level of American military spending as part of future deficit reduction efforts.
Micro Air Vehicles – Protecting Your Future?
REMARKABLE VIDEO — Are you familiar with the term “micro air vehicle?†If not, you should be. It’s another of the arsenal of futuristic weapons the U.S. Air Force is developing.
Democrats Forced to Cheat to Fund War
DAVID SWANSON — The Democratic leadership in the House had to resort to an unusual and underhanded tactic to pass war funding last week.
Unanimous Conformity in the Senate Prolongs the Wars
NORMAN SOLOMON —
For the warfare state, it doesn’t get any better than 99 to 0. Every living senator voted to approve Gen. David Petraeus as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Call it the unanimity of lemmings — except the senators and their families aren’t the ones who’ll keep plunging into the sea.
Teachable Moment: Anti- and Pro-War Supporters Lock Horns
WINSLOW MYERS — What an extraordinary civics lesson for the students, faculty, administration, town officials and parents connected with the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School on Cape Cod! Two teachers, Marybeth Verani and Carrie Koscher, stood up at an assembly recognizing six students who were joining the military and held a sign that said “End War.”
Events Calendar Moved to Oregon Progressive Network
OREGON PEACEWORKS — Oregon PeaceWorks’ events calendar has been combined with the calendar offered by Oregon Progressive Network (OPN). Read the details…
“Americans Don’t Flinch† They Duck!
KATHY KELLY & DAN PEARSON — In accepting General McChrystal’s resignation, President Obama said that McChrystal’s departure represented a change in personnel, not a change in policy. “Americans don’t flinch in the face of difficult truths or difficult tasks.†he stated, “We persist and we persevere.†Yet, President Obama and the U.S. people don’t face up to the ugly truth that, in Afghanistan, the U.S. has routinely committed atrocities against innocent civilians.
Keep the Internet Uncensored
KAT BARR — Right now, the Internet is a free, open resource for all Americans. But in backrooms in Washington, Verizon, AT&T, and other telecom companies are lobbying hard to change that.
Time for Oregon to Ban the Bag
NICOLE FORBES– From 500 miles off the Oregon Coast to Japan, the Pacific Ocean is a toxic soup of plastic. The amount of plastic in our oceans has tripled since the 1980s, and it is now six to 40 times more prevalent than plankton, the fundamental food source of our ocean. It’s time to ban plastic bags.
Defazio Urges New Policy in Afghanistan
REP. PETER DEFAZIO — U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, (OR-04) in a speech on the House floor June 24th, urged President Obama to reconsider his policy in Afghanistan in light of the replacement of General McChrystal. Read the speech.
Elise Boulding Dead at 89
MARY LEE MORRISON — Elise Boulding died at 4:40 pm, June 24, 2010 in Needham, MA. Hailed as a “matriarch” of the twentieth century peace research movement, she was sociologist emeritus from Dartmouth College and from the University of Colorado and in on the ground floor in the movements of peace, women’s studies and futures and played pivotal roles in each.