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Rolla Peace News February 2, 2016 |
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================================= Dear Friends:In this newsletter is: 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THIS WEEK, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016 2. THE GOOD NEWS 3. OUR NEW VIETNAM 4. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) More On Poisoning the Water b) Zika Virus c) Iowa Caucus
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We vigil for peace in front of the Rolla Post Office THIS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016, (and all subsequent Thursdays until peace is established) from Noon to 1:00 PM. Please try to join us. The temperature is predicted to be in the 40s. If you do not feel comfortable standing with us in front of the Post Office, please consider driving by and showing your support for our message by honking your horn and flashing a peace sign. 2. THE GOOD NEWS While Bernie Sanders didn't actually win in Iowa, he came within a fraction of a percentage point of doing so, and proved that he is a viable candidate. What this means in terms of the election varies depending on whether the analysis is being done by a supporter of Hillary, or of Bernie. There has been so much written already about the Iowa caucus that I don't feel the need to add to it. But it does show that a vote for Bernie will not be wasted. I hope he wins! 3. OUR NEW VIETNAM Ira Chernus draws so many parallels between the Vietnam war and the current “war” against the Islamic State, that one wonders why, given that most politicians and “leaders” now admit that Vietnam was a mistake and a disaster, there isn't a huge popular movement to get troops, weapons, advisers and drones out of the Middle East. Well, one reason might be OIL. But aside from that, there are even more reasons to get out of the conflict. Among them is the fact that there are no clearcut sides, as there were in Vietnam. There are so many factions in so many different countries and regions, all of which seem to be fighting each other in different configurations, while our “allies” in many cases are helping IS, while our “enemies” are fighting them. The media has painted a picture that has very little relation to reality, implying that we need to destroy ISIS before they come and murder us all in our beds. That just isn't going to happen. They don't, and never will, have the capability to invade the United States. By our military interventions, we are helping them to recruit people who, were they not radicalized by seeing their friends, neighbors and families destroyed by our bombs, would most likely prefer to stay out of the conflict. Their attacks on people in the Western countries are designed to get us to retaliate, thereby drawing more people to their cause. The average American does not think this way, as evidenced by what we hear from the small number of people who stop by our weekly vigil with negative feedback (or, more often, hurl epithets from their vehicles in passing). These folks all seem to think that the bogeyman is coming to get us — and that's what the media wants us to think, so that their owners can profit from endless war, and control the people by fear. Fortunately, people are gradually waking up to the hoax that is being perpetrated by the media, the politicians, and the profiteers. We can help this process by tactfully pointing out what is true and what is hype. This article has some good talking points. 4. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) More On Poisoning the Water b) Zika Virus c) Iowa Caucus MORE ON POISONING THE WATER I've written a few snippets on how Michigan governor Rick Snyder and his cronies deliberately poisoned the water supply of Flint, Michigan; and I've called it what it is: Domestic Terrorism. So let's assume that Rick Snyder and his cronies have been convicted of domestic terrorism and it's now sentencing time. Here's my suggestion: As a part of their sentence they should be made to go door to door covering the entire city and deliver bottled water, which they must buy with their own money, and look every single resident of Flint in the eye and apologize for poisoning their water, especially the young children who have sustained irreversible developmental and neurological damage. ZIKA VIRUS The World Health Organization is calling the outbreak of microcephaly, a birth defect in which babies are born with small underdeveloped brains an International Emergency. 3,700 cases have been diagnosed in Brazil alone. This epidemic is thought to be linked to the zika virus, which is carried by mosquitoes. Deforestation, along with global warming and human overpopulation have allowed mosquitoes to increase their number, voracity and range. This epidemic could easily spread North into the United States. Aysha Ahktar puts this in perspective and links emerging diseases like zika to our maltreatment and overuse of animals for food, skins and entertainment. Actually, we humans are living on borrowed time. AIDS, SARS, Ebola and other emergent diseases have been brought somewhat under control, at least for now; but its only a matter of time before some new emergent disease rages completely out of control. “Lethal Gift of Livestock,” chapter 11 of Jared Diamond's “Guns, Germs and Steel” provides an historical overview of this important subject. IOWA CAUCUS According to the latest results, Bernie Sanders came within 0.3% of Hillary Clinton in the Iowa Caucus winning 21 delegates to Clinton's 23. Caucuses are different than primaries and tend to favor establishment candidates over challengers. Charges of voter fraud have been leveled against the Clinton camp. Watch the video here. This is no way to elect a president. I sure hope Bernie becomes our next president, as I don't think our country can survive another four years with a corporate-friendly, pro-war democrat in the White House without becoming a failed state. ================== Rolla Peace News is distributed by email once a week on Tuesday evenings (except on rare occasions) and is posted on the web at http://tomsager.org (click on Grassroots Rolla: top of rightmost column).If you don't wish to get notices of peace events in the Rolla area, let me know and I'll take you off this list. If you want to be added to this list, let me know. Wage peace, Helen helenm (at) fidnet.com ### |