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Nuclear Weapons

Glenn Greenwald Explains How the Law Is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful

Submitted by sgl on Thu, 05/24/2012 - 11:16am
Glenn Greenwald

Harry Kreisler talks with writer Glenn Greenwald.  He analyzes the relationship between principle, power, and law and describes the erosion of the rule of law in the United States.  Highlighting the degree to which the legal system frees the powerful from accountability while harshly treating the powerless, Greenwald describes the origins of the current system, its repudiation of American ideals, and the mechanisms, which sustain it.  He then analyzes the media's abdication of its role as a watchdog. He concludes with a survey of the record of the Obama administration in fulfilling its mandate and argues for an alternative politic.
Source: How the Law Is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful with Glenn Greenwald (Conversations with History)


Gareth Porter

Scott Horton Interviews Gareth Porter

Gareth Porter, investigative historian and journalist discusses Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey’s warning to Israel’s government that the U.S. will not be dragged into war with Iran by a unilateral Israeli attack. He comments on Mossad’s general agreement with the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate on Iran that there is no evidence Iran has decided to pursue a nuclear weapons program.
Source: Scott Horton Interviews Gareth Porter



Play Program or Download(below the fold)

Science Friday: The Top Secret Pictures of Hiroshima They Didn't Want You to See | Fukushima, and other Bad Nuclear News

Submitted by Tjadendevries on Fri, 08/05/2011 - 12:48pm


Hiroshima: The Lost Photographs

    One rainy night eight years ago, in Watertown, Massachusetts, a man was taking his dog for a walk. On the curb, in front of a neighbor’s house, he spotted a pile of trash: old mattresses, cardboard boxes, a few broken lamps. Amidst the garbage he caught sight of a battered suitcase. He bent down, turned the case on its side and popped the clasps.

"No more Hiroshimas, No more Nagasakis"

"No more Hiroshimas, No more Nagasakis"

Please attend a special 25th anniversary August Peace Event at
the Secretary of State Auditorium,
1500 11th Street, Sacramento.
Free admission, donations welcome.

Sunday, August 7th
3 pm: doors open for browsing displays;
4-6 pm: program featuring
hibakusha Jack Dairiki;
the story of "Sadako and the Thousand Cranes" performed by the Crane Culture Theater;
music, poetry, and more in this inspirational family program.

King George III Won: Happy Fourth of July!

Submitted by billl on Thu, 06/30/2011 - 10:45am

King George III Won: Happy Fourth of July!
By David Swanson
http://warisacrime.org/node/58333

The Declaration of Independence is best remembered as a declaration of war, a war declared on the grounds that we wanted our own flag. The sheer stupidity and anachronism of the idea serves to discourage any thoughts about why Canada didn't need a bloody war, whether the U.S. war benefitted people outside the new aristocracy to whom power was transferred, what bothered Frederick Douglas so much about a day celebrating "independence," or what the Declaration of Independence actually said.

When you read the Declaration of Independence, it turns out to be an indictment of King George III for various abuses of power. And those abuses of power look fairly similar to abuses of power we happily permit U.S. presidents to engage in today, either as regards the people of this nation or the people of territories and nations that our military occupies today in a manner uncomfortably resembling Britain's rule over the 13 colonies.

Or perhaps I should say, a large portion of us take turns being happy or outraged depending on the political party with which the current president is identified.

The Worst Bill Ever in Congress

Submitted by billl on Tue, 05/24/2011 - 2:36pm

Yet, more reasons why we need to contact our Congressmembers and tell them to vote NO on the "Defense Authorization" bill (HR 1750).

Call you Congressmember toll free: Call 1-888-231-9276 and ask for Doris Matsui (or whomever your Congressperson may be).

The Worst Bill Ever in Congress
http://warisacrime.org/node/57943

The "Defense Authorization" bill now before Congress, HR 1750, is arguably the worst bill ever considered likely to pass into law. It includes $118 billion for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, wars a majority of Americans wants ended. But that's not why it's the worst bill ever.

This bill also includes $553 billion for other military waste. That's enough money to save and improve a lot of lives if it weren't being dumped into the war machine. But that's not why this is the worst bill ever.

The bill limits the President’s ability to implement the New START agreement unless there is full funding for the nuclear weapons complex, bars the retirement of nuclear weapons until two new nuclear facilities are completed, and bars further nuclear weapons reductions below New START levels unless approved by Congress. But that's not why this is the worst bill ever.

The bill invests heavily in a National Missile "Defense" system based in California and Alaska.

This bill revives a second engine for the F-35 that the Pentagon has no use for.

This bill bars any transfer of prisoners from Guantanamo.

But none of that is why this is the worst bill ever.

"Atomic Mom" screening + Q&A w/director

"Atomic Mom"
screening sponsored by the Women Democrats of Sacramento County
at Sacramento Teacher’s Association Office
5300 Elvas Ave, Sacramento
Monday, March 21, 7 pm
Q & A with Director M.T. Silvia will follow the film presentation.

Atomic Mom is a documentary about two women, both mothers, who have very different experiences of the atom bomb. One is the Director's mother, Pauline Silvia, who was a biologist in the Navy in the early 1950's and was sent to the Nevada Test Site. Pauline witnessed several detonations with little or no protection. One of the few women scientists on an elite team of researchers, after decades of silence, Pauline reveals some of the grim and dark secrets of the U.S. atomic testing program. The other woman, Emiko Okada, is a Hiroshima survivor who was eight years old when the bomb was dropped. Her twelve-year-old sister was never found. After many years of her own silence, Ms. Okada gives testimony of her experience as a peace activist committed to education and disarmament. Knowing the work that Pauline did, Ms. Okada folded origami peace cranes as a gift for Pauline. This exchange is much more than an olive branch with a beautifully potent message of peace.

"Gate - Return to Trinity" w/ Martin Sheen screening

Date: February 20, 2011 (Sunday)
English language version - 1:00 PM followed by Q&A discussion with the director Matt Taylor
Location: Grand 1215 J Street Sacramento, CA 95814

The Epic “Return to Trinity” was filmed as major documentary-drama in July 2005 that was released as a powerful documentary movie in July 2008 in Japan. Narrated by Nanako Matsushima, with exclusive dramatic footage of the 1600 mile walk across the desert and over Mountains ending with the powerful silent ceremony at the Trinity Site, this movie follows a parallel humanitarian mission of peace. The story follows several Zen Monks on their path to unifying the world by closing a 60 year circle of fear and opening a new circle that will empower future generations with the ability to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons. In 25 days, they travel 1600 miles and through 250 communities in order to spread a message of peace to the world.

Fallujah: City of No Children

Submitted by Tjadendevries on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 7:50pm


Fallujah: City of No Children

Bill Wilson
Scottish Left Review

    The horror of the effects of depleted uranium deserve to be heard in Scotland, argues Bill Wilson

    It was recently reported that doctors had advised women in Fallujah not to give birth. There are many medical reasons for infertility which might shatter the dreams of a young woman. It is not difficult to imagine how heartbreaking it must be for a woman who is advised that she can never bear children. But for the young women of an entire city - tens of thousands of them - to be advised not to give birth, how can one imagine such collective pain? But perhaps it does not matter - one life is a tragedy, a million a statistic? Certainly this episode attracted limited press attention. Media Lens highlighted an interesting contrast with the attention directed at the lady who chucked a cat into a bin - one cat confined for a few hours was a tragedy.

    This year the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health published a study, "Cancer, Infant Mortality and Birth Sex-Ratio in Fallujah, Iraq 2005 - 2009" by Chris Busby, Malak Hamdan and Entesar Ariabi. The report concludes "results confirm the reported increases in cancer and infant mortality which are alarmingly high. The remarkable reduction in the sex ratio in the cohort born one year after the fighting in [Falluja] 2004 identifies that year as the time of the environmental contamination." It was this increase in the incidence of child cancer and deformities which resulted in women being advised not to give birth. Fallujah is not the only city witnessing skyrocketing rates of child cancer. "The rapidly soaring child cancer rate in the southern Iraqi province of Basra has prompted the officials in the country to open the country's first specialist cancer hospital for children in the province's capital. [...] Since 1993, Basra province has witnessed a sharp rise in the incidence of childhood cancer. 'Leukemia (a type of blood cancer) among children under 15 has increased by about four times,' said Dr. Janan Hasan of the hospital inaugurated on Thursday in the southern port city of Basra."

"Atomic Mom" screening at the Crest

"Atomic Mom"
at the Sacramento Film and Music Festival Winterfest,
Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street, Sacramento.
Monday, January 17 - 3:30 pm
Tickets & Film Festival schedule: http://www.sacfilm.com/schedule.html

Atomic Mom is a documentary about two women, both mothers, who have very different experiences of the atom bomb. One is the Director's mother, Pauline Silvia, who was a biologist in the Navy in the early 1950's and was sent to the Nevada Test Site. Pauline witnessed several detonations with little or no protection. One of the few women scientists on an elite team of researchers, after decades of silence, Pauline reveals some of the grim and dark secrets of the U.S. atomic testing program. The other woman, Emiko Okada, is a Hiroshima survivor who was eight years old when the bomb was dropped. Her twelve-year-old sister was never found. After many years of her own silence, Ms. Okada gives testimony of her experience as a peace activist committed to education and disarmament. Knowing the work that Pauline did, Ms. Okada folded origami peace cranes as a gift for Pauline. This exchange is much more than an olive branch with a beautifully potent message of peace. Tickets are $10. Q & A with Director M.T. Silvia will follow the film presentation.

August Peace Event: Countdown to Zero‏

Sacramento's August Peace Event invites you to see

COUNTDOWN TO ZERO

FREE on opening night, Fri., Aug. 6, at 5 PM or 7:30 PM

at The Crest, 1013 K St., Downtown Sac.

The Crest will validate parking in the 10th Street garage.

With thanks to Participant Media for underwriting these tickets.

To reserve your seat, go to www.augustpeaceevent.eventbrite.com.

[IOr call (916) 482-3018 with your name, phone number, and showtime choice.]

APE intends to honor requests in the order received.

COUNTDOWN TO ZERO traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs: nine nations possess nuclear weapons capabilities with others racing to join them, with the world held in a delicate balance that could be shattered by an act of terrorism, failed diplomacy, or a simple accident. Written and directed by acclaimed documentarian Lucy Walker (Devil’s Playground, Blindsight), the film features an array of important international statesmen, including Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf and Tony Blair. Countdown to Zero makes a compelling case for worldwide nuclear disarmament, an issue more topical than ever with the Obama administration working to revive this goal today. The film was produced by Academy Award® winner and 2009 nominee Lawrence Bender (Inglourious Basterds, An Inconvenient Truth) and developed, financed and executive produced by Participant Media, together with World Security Institute.

If you can’t join us on Aug. 6, COUNTDOWN TO ZERO will run until Aug. 12.

The Grand Chessboard: The Axis of Evil Closes in on Iran's Nuclear Sites, while the G20 stamps on our Civil Rights

Submitted by Tjadendevries on Thu, 10/08/2009 - 6:34pm

Related: Senate Passes $636 Billion Military Bill"

ABC News: Is the U.S. Preparing to Bomb Iran?

DoD Contracts for Oct. 2, 2009

    McDonnell Douglas Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri was awarded a $51,900,000 contract to provide Massive Ordnance Penetrator Integration on B-2 test aircraft. At this time $32,150,000 has been obligated. 708 ARSG/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida is the contracting Activity. (FA8681-09-C-0280,P00002)

Massive Ordnance Penetrator Integration = Bunker Busters

Pepe Escobar: It's Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran Time


Connecting the Dots: The Axis of Evil Closes in on Iran's Nuclear Sites, while the G20 stamps on our Civil Rights

    In the great global chess match, the Axis of Evil exchanges pieces with Russia towards a check-mate on Iran, while Afghanistan is set to be the proving ground of an open-ended military strategy.

    The G20 crowns itself queen of the global economy, as our civil liberties are pawned off the board for the illusion of security.

    If the audience is the human masses, they seem blithely disinterested in the high-stakes moves on the board and only vaguely aware that beneath the board itself Mother Nature is shaking the table, rattling the Earth and making waves.

    September was yet another episode in the slow motion collision of humanity's tragic history and reality.

PSR Annual Dinner

Physicians for Social Responsibility Annual Dinner with keynote speaker Mark Hertsgaard who will speak about key issues to be discussed at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

Sunday, Oct 18, 5:30pm
CSUS Alumni Center, 6000 J St., Sac. FMI: info@sacpsr.org, 916-955-6333, $60/$30; talk only is $20 ($10 student).

You are invited to the annual dinner of the Sacramento chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility on Sunday, October 18 at the California State University, Sacramento Alumni Center at 6000 J STreet. The doors will open at 5:30 pm and dinner will begin at 6 pm. Our keynote speaker will be journalist Mark Hertsgaard whose talk is titled "On the way to Copenhagen." Mr. Hertsgaard will talk about the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, now regarded as among the most important international gatherings ever held. The conference will attempt to reach a global agreement to halt and reverse global warming quickly enough to avoid catastrophic amounts of climate change. In the talk Mr. Hertsgaard will draw some parallels (and distinctions) between climate change and nuclear weapons as global threats.

Gates: Iran "Not Close" to Nuclear Weapon

Submitted by billl on Mon, 03/02/2009 - 12:46pm

Please read this before you believe the warmongers' claims that Iran is close to building a nuclear weapon.

Gates: Iran "Not Close" to Nuclear Weapon
Sunday 01 March 2009 - by: Deborah Zabarenko, Reuters

Washington - Iran is not close to having a nuclear weapon, which gives the United States and others time to try to persuade Tehran to abandon its suspected atomic arms program, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Sunday.

"They're not close to a stockpile, they're not close to a weapon at this point, and so there is some time," Gates said on NBC television's "Meet The Press."

Gates' comments followed a televised interview with Adm. Mike Mullen, head of the U.S. military Joint Chiefs of Staff, who told CNN's "State of the Union" that he believed Iran has enough fissile material to make a nuclear bomb.

"We think they do, quite frankly," Mullen said.

Hibakusha (è¢Ãâ€ÅÃ

Submitted by Tjadendevries on Wed, 11/12/2008 - 3:48pm

[Related - Final Inspection and because it also shouldn't be forgotten - the raid on Pearl Harbor ...]

[Hibakusha is the Japanese term for the survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]


Hiroshima: The Lost Photographs

    One rainy night eight years ago, in Watertown, Massachusetts, a man was taking his dog for a walk. On the curb, in front of a neighbor’s house, he spotted a pile of trash: old mattresses, cardboard boxes, a few broken lamps. Amidst the garbage he caught sight of a battered suitcase. He bent down, turned the case on its side and popped the clasps.

    He was surprised to discover that the suitcase was full of black-and-white photographs. He was even more astonished by their subject matter: devastated buildings, twisted girders, broken bridges — snapshots from an annihilated city. He quickly closed the case and made his way back home.

    At the kitchen table, he looked through the photographs again and confirmed what he had suspected. He was looking at something he had never seen before: the effects of the first use of the Atomic bomb. The man was looking at Hiroshima.