In the 1960s, anti-war music, rock music, and folk music transformed culture and helped bring an end to the Vietnam War. Nowadays, there seems to be too little popular music about social justice and peace. The costs of war are largely hidden from people. Films cover war mostly as entertainment. Soldiers are treated as heroes […]
Military Spending
Rep. Adam Smith on nuclear arms control and how to lobby Congress
Rep. Adam Smith spoke at a meeting of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about arms control, nuclear arms non-proliferation, and President Trump’s withdrawal from international treaties. Smith said we need to modernize our nuclear weapons, but we should not intend to use them tactically, as some people do Perhaps one leg of the […]
WA Dems pass a resolution calling for lower military spending
At the state party meeting in Pasco last weekend, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee passed a resolution calling for Rep. Adam Smith, Chair of the House Armed Services Committee, to work to lower military spending. The resolution’s THEREFORE clause reads: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, call on […]
Speech to Adam Smith, for the 41st LD Dems meeting in Issaquah on Feb 20, 2019
Thank you, Representative Smith, for writing your statement, for attending this meeting, and for your efforts. We are honored by your presence. The United States has killed millions of people and wasted trillions of dollars in corrupt, misbegotten, disastrous wars and proxy wars. These wars have propped up brutal regimes and have led to immense […]
Rep. Adam Smith issues statement in response to a resolution on military spending, will attend 41st LD Dem meeting
In response to the resolution to Rep. Adam Smith about military spending, the congressman has issued the statement below and will attend the meeting of the 41st LD Democrats in Issaquah at 7PM on Feb 20 (at the King County Library Service Center, 960 Newport Way, in Issaquah). See agenda and other docs here. Statement […]
Book review: How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything
How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything: Tales from the Pentagon by Rosa Brooks is a wonderfully-written, informative book about the bloated military, its mission creep, and the under-funding of other parts of the government such as the State Department. The book comes with hearty recommendations from General James Mattis, General Stanley McChrystal, […]
Deceptive anti-government article in the Seattle P-I
The Seattle P-I often publishes click-bait photo essays, which ask the user to click through a series of Getty images to read short summaries. The photo essays hardly count as “articles”. The first page is a rewording of some source article. The reader spends most of her time clicking through the pretty photos. I suppose […]
All our reps but McDermott voted to fund the Syrian rebels
Reps DelBene, Kilmer, Larsen, Heck and Smith voted Yea on the McKeon Amendment that funds the arming of Syrian rebels. “The amendment would authorize the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to train and equip appropriately vetted elements of the Syrian opposition and other appropriately vetted Syrian groups or individuals.” (source). […]
Plutocracy is comin, to the USA
New, alternative lyrics for Leonard Cohen’s “Democracy is coming, to the USA” (see videos below) Lyrics © Donald A. Smith D G D It’s coming from corruption that’s profane D A D From Grover Norquist’s government-hating brain G It’s coming from the spiel G_sus G That makes your head reel D G D when you […]