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PAM
Peace
Action Manhattan
Spring 2018
Educate * Organize *
Resist
D.C. Organizers Conference 2018
As we continue the struggle against the forces
of fear, ignorance and darkness, we continue to reach out to others. The consolidation of commercial media, and
the consolidation of money and war power inside our government, cast such a
dark shadow over our consciousness that we must join together to shine a
brighter light for peace, progress and good will among ourselves and into the
world.
The Peace Action National Organizers Conference
in Washington DC this February brought together chapter leaders from around the
country for this purpose. Joining organizers
from at
least ten states were students representing
several of the eighteen PANYS college campus chapters.
Among all our concerns, three issues emerged as
the most salient actions urgently requiring our energetic attention:
1.
Ending U.S. support for the Saudi-led war
on the people of Yemen;
2.
Ending the
policy of first use of nuclear weapons; and
3.
Opposing war
and supporting diplomacy with North Korea.
These arose from the ongoing quest to end all
Middle East wars, eliminate all nuclear weapons, and reduce military spending
by fifty percent, and to better fund responsible social spending.
We lobbied Congress the last day of the
conference, visiting Nadler’s, Schumer’s and Gillibrand’s aides. Schumer is by far the most difficult to reach
under ordinary circumstances, with Gillibrand and Nadler both welcoming Peace
Action’s input. So it was gratifying to
finally get an audience with one of Schumer’s staff, though he withheld
concurrence with many of our policy positions.
Most of our positions are still being swatted
away by our elected officials, though we came closer on the 55-45 Senate vote
to stop bombing the starving Yemenis.
We’ll continue striving for peace. That’s what we are here to do. It’s right.
We promote peace without reservation.
And we know peace will come.
March 1, 2018 PAM Forum
Even though it rained
like cats and dogs, this forum featuring the New York Progressive Action
Network, (NYPAN) was well attended.
NYPAN has 32 groups around New York State who were Bernie Sanders
supporters during the last Presidential election. Arthur Schwartz, Esq., a
famous labor lawyer, explained that each chapter independently pursues its
platform in their community. Schwartz recounted
his early days in high school and noted the anti-Vietnam war movement leaders did
not pursue political offices. Mr. Schwartz said that NYPAN wanted to run
candidates, not necessarily Democrats, but independents. Ting, head of
the Washington Heights NYPAN chapter, presented the NY Health Act legislation
for a NY State single-payer health program. We look forward to NYPAN’s presence
as a new vibrant political force within New York.
Lionelle Hamanaka
Shut down Indian Point!
Sumiteru Taniguchi, a
boy of 16, was delivering mail on his bicycle on the day when the A-bomb was
dropped on Nagasaki. He had severe burns, mostly on his back, for which he
underwent several surgeries. For several months, lying on his stomach, he says
that he begged to be killed. He also says that he cursed all parents, and those
who fought in the war, and those who failed
to oppose the war. Despite more than 70 years of pain due to his
burns, he may be considered one of the more fortunate survivors of WWII. For
decades, until his death on 30 August 2017, he was a prominent opponent of
nuclear weapons. It may be assumed that he never had any blood of innocents on
his hands. He had time to remember and condemn Japanese propaganda telling them
that Japan would win, and that winning was right.
Many people today would
not be forgiving of the people that Mr. Taniguchi condemned, on the basis of
their belief in the divinity of the emperor, the righteousness of Japan, etc.
Do we believe that we could prove our innocence, if an accident or an
attack on Indian Point Energy Center rendered a large area radioactive, and caused
cancer and premature deaths for decades to come?
I grew up in a country
that had no nuclear power plants, and I reached maturity before the Chernobyl
disaster. I never bought into the mixture of religion and ideology that some
Americans were exposed to since childhood (about the U.S. being favored by God,
about the 'American system' being the envy of the world, about nuclear
technology making it possible for humankind to 'colonize space', etc.). Despite
having spent more than 29 years in the U.S., and with genuine compassion for
present and future victims of U.S. policies, I do not believe that adherence to
any set of values can justify the kind of gambles that nuclear weapons and
nuclear energy entail.
Elsewhere, I try to
address some pros and cons of 'progress', or various contending progressive
strategies. In the context of nuclear energy, and our continuing reliance on
fossil fuels, I believe that many people with different viewpoints can agree
that we are causing far too much pollution, wasting too many nonrenewable
resources, working too many hours, and not even creating better social
environments for future generations.
Both nuclear weapons and
nuclear energy were faits accompli; they were not publicly argued for in
advance. Even in some of the countries that adopted nuclear technology, the
decisions were made 'from above'. Whatever 'defense' is offered after the fact
should be evaluated in this context. One argument for Indian Point (IPEC) is
that it provides up to 15 % or more of the energy for New York area, and that
shutting it down would force the prices up. The figures are subject to dispute;
however, it is undeniable that a nuclear disaster in this area would cause far
more harm, in health and in economic terms, than any 'harm' that an immediate
shutdown can cause.
I, for one, do not
believe that it was a good idea to build as much within the New York area in
the first place. I also think that far too much of world's wealth is stored (in
art treasures, etc.) in this area, and far too much of the world's 'economy' is
controlled from here. Many critics of nuclear power rightly point to feasible
energy alternatives. I am not afraid to consider options other than simply
switching between 'providers'. Some of us are ready to use less energy
overall, producing fewer of certain 'goods', working fewer hours, etc. In
other words, our present level of energy use per capita should not be taken for
granted. Also, it would not necessarily be more painful to move more than 20 %
of the people living in this area to other states in the U.S. (and elsewhere),
and do so in peace time, on an unhurried schedule, than to try to evacuate a
far larger number of people in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster!
Some may think that it
is unfair to take for granted that disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima are
in the cards for each and every nuclear reactor. Maybe so. Then again, this is
not how one should read the precautionary principle. Undeniably, much progress
was made throughout history by some people who took serious risks. However, we
can make a lot more progress, and in many different directions, if we,
collectively, embrace higher safety standards, and choose never to risk the
likelihood of harm that we cannot compensate for, and/or to clean up
afterwards.
We rely on many other
species to generate our nutrients and our oxygen; we benefit from countless
bacteria to help digest our food, and defend us against pathogens; bacteria
clean up our solid waste… Living among millions of species most of which evolve a lot faster
than us, we must recognize the possibility of benefiting from cautious
withdrawal from certain ecosystems, and be a lot more prepared to learn from
other species.
The opposition to
nuclear energy is a global struggle, and there is need for global collaboration
and oversight. That said, we must recognize the singular risks involved in each
(proposed) site. The Hudson River and its basin are a unique ecosystem that
holds enormous promise despite centuries of human assault. In addition to
depicting nightmare scenarios, we should try to imagine benefits from a
‘humbler’ human existence in this region, choosing to be servants and students
of the flora and the fauna.[To be continued.] --Seyn Laproyen
And Furthermore …
To say that Donald Trump's presidency has brought us
closer than ever to nuclear war is like saying "tomorrow there will
be weather". And the main concern is not even his ridiculous
back-and- forth with North Korea's own mental case – that moronic exercise in
"can-you-top-this" will likely remain just that. No, the even
greater danger likely
lies in the Mueller investigation getting too close for comfort. At that point The Great Diverter could easily employ the ultimate slight-of-hand: a conventional attack on Kim-Young-Un's nuclear sites.
Is he just not the man to do so? One of the (very) few things Trump must
actually be aware of is that no American President has been tossed out of
office in time of war, not electorally, not by impeachment, and certainly not
by the all-too-timely institution of the 25th Amendment (which creates a
process by which a President can be unseated in case of disability to
govern).
And staying in
power, for a narcissistic nincompoop in particular, is all-important. Trump
needs more time to enact his all-evil agenda.
Still, will we knock out ALL the nukes? And can we as a nation live with the
death-toll even if we do? Also, if we don't, how will Kim reply?
Heck, even our weak-kneed Congress is (vaguely) concerned about this perilous conundrum. Over the past few months various bills preventing Trump from single-handedly starting a nuclear confrontation have been discussed. Will any of them be actually be voted upon? Probably not. Would The Son of Drumpf veto them if they ever DO get to his (probably golden) desk? Count on it.
Horrifying as all this is, our country's current condition is even more
troubling than "just" the danger of nuclear confrontation. Because
a man (?) such the Trumpster does not get elected President by happenstance.
No, he's the natural result of a long-growing national malaise -- a
determined drive toward self-destruction, if you will -- which amounts to
much more than just the endless, and often lawless, grab for more and more
wealth by the already-too-wealthy. Other pieces of the profoundly problematic
puzzle are the ego-maniacal concept of "American Exceptionalism"
--the idea that we're always right because, well, we're just better than
everyone else -- which, coupled with the downright fetishizing of anything
military, has led us to a state of pretty much constant warfare. AND to
soldiers being used as sacrificial sideshows to the economic and strategic
interests of the powerful (you know, the persons and entities who REALLY run
this country). AND to the absurd situation where the alleged
"adults in the room" around Trumpsky are a trio of Generals, all of
whom are the proud possessors of military minds AND, at the same time, are
wallowing in a condition of shameful sycophancy to Trump.
There were good reasons why the Founding Fathers opted for civilian -- Presidential -- control over the military. Of course, they never could have foreseen the disaster that's looming over our heads every minute of every day right now. – Tom Kertes |
Now:
The Time For Change
We write upon
the fifteenth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
This February
the U.S. stated it would not contribute ninety billion dollars toward the
rebuilding of Iraq, a country we deliberately destroyed without cause.
We are now in
the eighteenth year of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan.
As Syria and
Yemen collapse under the weight of armed assault, we hear the U.S., Saudi
Arabia and Israel trying to reintroduce the war rhetoric about Iran.
How could
this happen? Is this slow motion train
wreck a nightmare we can awake from? Is
this really our world? It doesn’t have
to be this way
A
consciousness of peace once spread over the globe when soldiers and students,
musicians, artists and writers led a worldwide movement to end war and raise
the consciousness of the human race. Let
it revive. Before, it was popular music,
veterans speaking out, an influx of Eastern culture—especially religion—and
Christianity also—that enlivened the American consciousness.
“At last, the perfect soldier!”
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Now we need to transform the zeitgeist even more than last century. The dark powers controlling media, our government and our economy are also now wielding the biggest, most destructive military power ever.
So now we strive
to stand up, join together, and speak out against greed, aggression and
injustice; and let’s stand up together for peace, freedom and equality.
In 2018, The
Peace Action Forum has brought dynamic speakers presenting the case for peace
in Korea, Yemen, and Syria.
Get involved
and support Peace Action’s efforts to inform the public, demonstrate, and lobby
elected officials to heed the cry for peace and against war.— Florindo Troncelliti
ã Peace Action Manhattan 2018
Journal
edited by: Florindo Troncelliti
Peace Action Manhattan
P.O. Box 10, Planetarium Station
New York, NY 10024
(212) 580-1504
peaceactionmanhattan@gmail.com
Chapter of Peace Action New York State
Peace Action Community Forum
1st Thursday of every month
7:00-9:00 P.M.
Goddard Riverside Community Center
593 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024
Watch Peace News 7:30 P.M. Thursdays
Manhattan Neighborhood Network ch 53
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