Madison Institute Newsletter
|
||
 . . . The military adventure we are pursuing with such heat and
skill and ferocity against a broken people is an abominable crime against humanity.
The war marks our purpose to kill where we have despaired of healing, to violate and
conquer because we are bankrupt of the resources to assuage and unite.-Daniel Berrigan, SJ, in Consequences: Truth and... 1967 |
||
This is a disturbing time. Our leaders refuse to be accountable. There seems to be little opportunity for redress of grievances. If people do not seek major changes in their government, a thoroughly corporate fascist state will be the reality. The mission of the Institute is to provide a progressive environment in which we can examine issues of concern in this age of extreme politics, which includes little democracy or possibilities for effective dissent. The last Madison Institute for Peace and Progressivism (MIPP) meeting was held on October 16 at Half Moon Books. The subject was antiwar activism and in particular, some interesting points raised by Ralph Nader, Norman Solomon and Alexander Cockburn. Nader insists that a viable antiwar movement must put intense pressure on Congressional representatives, press for impeachment of Bush and Cheney, and expose the terrible suffering of the Iraqi people. Solomon writes that a "warfare state has penetrated our very being" as a nation, and that people have been "numbed" into accepting an unjust (and even "deranged" ) foreign policy. And Cockburn raises the question of supporting Iraqi resistance, while deriding how antiwar activists seem to be subsumed by the Democrats. All point to perilous times and an uphill climb for those who are against this illegal American war. * * * * * * * |
||
Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasy believes in the inherent power of the President to act contrary to the law, if he thinks he has the constitutional authority to do so: the imperial presidency at work. Just like the divine right of Kings--Bush IS the law. A further disregard for the rule of law leads to private
military contractors like Blackwater being able to murder and terrorize with impunity. See
Jeremy Scahill in "Making a Killing: Why Iraq Wants Blackwater Out" in The
Nation and his new book, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful
Mercenary Army. We've privatized and corporatized warmaking. And no one holds these
private soldiers responsible for their crimes. What's happened to the rule of law? * * * * Ira and I attended two panel discussions the week of October 22nd. The first was organized by "Our Voices Together," a network of people trying to respond to terrorism by "building a safer, more compassionate world." It was held at SUNYIT and included Cynthia Banas, (from Vernon, NY) a veteran antiwar activist and a very impressive woman. The second was at SU, part of remembrance week for SU students killed in the Lockerbie crash. Both panels featured William Banks, head of the Syracuse University Maxwell school of counterterrorism program (INSCT). As noted in the last newsletter, the INSCT joins Syracuse University, the US defense department, and an Israeli right-wing think tank/security business (which is housed in a university) in an unholy alliance to change the laws away from protecting civilians, and toward protecting aggressive governments like the US and Israel. Ira spoke to Banks about his role in the program, and was met by responses one would expect from a politician or bureaucrat protecting his monied donors, rather than a professor interested in ideas. Syracuse Chancellor Nancy Cantor, in the last SU Magazine, makes it clear that she has tremendous pride in the counterterrorism program -- she wants to "re-examine the [Hague] Rules in light of the new realities of the 21st century." The university has become the eager partner of an oppressive, corporate-led government and society.
We will continue to challenge the ideas behind institutes like Maxwell's INSCT. John published Ira's review of Mearsheimer and Walt's book, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, in the November/December Book Source Magazine. A longer version of the review can be found at the PalestineChronicle.com. Ira explores their idea that Israel's advocacy was a necessary condition for our invasion of Iraq. He does agree with the authors that Israel should not have a special relationship with the US, but only one like its other allies, because the economic and political support we give Israel has become a liability. This certainly applies to our support of their occupation and expansion of Jewish settlement into Palestine, and other policies considered illegal and immoral by the rest of the international community. All of these issues need more exploring! |
I love it! My former Congressman -- when we lived in Massachusetts -- John Olver, is showing his contempt for democracy. I once received a major league nondirectional from him when I expressed my concern over the misdeeds of President Clinton. Ralph Nader reports that Olver attended a town meeting in July which overwhelmingly agreed that Bush and Cheney need to be impeached for domestic and foreign crimes, and that Olver should sign on to efforts to do so, particularly Congressman Dennis Kucinich's bill to impeach Cheney. But Olver feels it would be too distracting and would muddy the election waters. And lastly, he told an extremely frustrated constituent that he'd have to prove to Olver that "impeachment will not be counterproductive"! What does it take? * * * * Bruce and Ira participated in an antiwar rally in Utica on August 28. They were impressed by the largely positive response of onlookers. About 75 people attended.
On September
29th, Syracuse had a great turnout of 3,000 for a peace rally, including vets from Ft.
Drum. It ended with a panel featuring Scott Ritter, which Bruce and Ira also
saw. The indomitable Ritter continues to speak out against this insane war, and the
possible next one against Iran.
|
|
Coming Events
|
||
Volume 1, Number 2