War Budget Gone Bad

2006-12-12T16:19:00.000-08:00

Some countries invest in job training, substance abuse treatment, national healthcare, and literacy programs--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"It is finer to bring one noble human being into the world and rear it well...than to kill ten thousand."--Olive Schreiner

See: US Has the Most Prisoners in the World, CommonDreams.org, 12.11.06
See: PrisonSucks.com
See: Critical Resistance
See: The Prison Industrial Complex, The Atlantic, 12.98
Image: Web capture.

2006-12-12T15:57:00.000-08:00

Some countries invest in effective transportation alternatives to pollution-spewing, energy-draining, and life-sucking automobiles--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The great error of nearly all studies of war...has been to consider war as an episode in foreign policies, when it is an act of interior politics."--Simone Weil
See: National Association of Railroad Passengers
See: That's Right: 23 Lanes of Traffic, CommonDreams.org
See: Bike Commuting
See: Bikes Not Bombs
Image: FreeFoto.com

2006-12-07T15:50:00.000-08:00

Some countries have leading industries creating needed and useful products--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"War against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it."--George Orwell

See: U.S. Predicts Bumper Year in Arms Sales, CommonDreams.org, 12.05.06
See: Action Atlas: U.S. Arms Sales, Mother Jones
Image: Web capture.

2006-12-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

Some countries provide education on safe sex, pregnancy prevention, and sexually transmitted disease--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it."--Noam Chomsky

See: Bush's Other Losing War: AIDS, TomPaine.com, 12.01.06
See: More wisdom on sexuality from the U.S. government, Mark Morford, San Francisco Chronicle, 11.29.06
See: Few Americans favor abstinence-only sex ed, MSNBC, 11.07.06
Image: Web capture.

2006-11-28T15:38:00.000-08:00

Some countries invest in international economic development to foster trade and peace--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Our country is now geared to an arms economy bred in an artificually induced psychosis of war hysteria and an incessant propaganda of fear."--General Douglas MacArthur"

See: Best Minds Join Iraqi Exodus, Middle East Times, 11.15.06
See: The other failure in Iraq: The Economy, TruthOut.org
See: Civilian death toll reaches new high, UN says, International Herald Tribune, 11.22.06
Image: Web capture.

2006-11-28T12:53:00.000-08:00

Some countries have an objective free press that challenges official assertions--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"All governments lie."--I.F. Stone

See: Washington Post Equals White House Propaganda, Crooks & Liars, 11.28.06
See: Some US media decide to call Iraq strife a 'civil war', Agence France Presse, 11.28.06
See: Does the Media Have It Right on the War?, Michael Schwartz, TomDispatch.com, 03.28.06
Image: Web capture.

2006-11-23T12:40:00.000-08:00

Some countries honor treaty agreements--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"This war did not spring up on our land, this war was brought upon us by the children of the Great Father who came to take our land without a price, and who, in our land, do a great many evil things. This war has come from robbery--from the stealing of our land."--Spotted Tail

See: Indigenous Peoples' Resistance to Economic Globalization, Democracy Now!, 11.23.06
See: Native Groups Mourn on Thanksgiving Day, CommonDreams.org, 11.21.01
See: Why I Hate Thanksgiving, Dan Cohen, CounterPunch, 11.25.04
See: Who Says Racism is Unfashionable?, Velorution Gauchiste
Image: Web capture.

2006-11-14T11:31:00.000-08:00

Some countries provide wholesome food for everyone regardless of paycheck size--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war."--John Adams

See: Dark secrets of Whole Foods, Slate, 03.17.06
See: Welcome to Whole-Mart, CommonDreams, 05.02.06
See: Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy
Image: Web capture.

2006-11-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

Some countries export useful products to the world--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot."--Thomas Paine

See: Foreign Sales by U.S. Arms Makers Doubled in a Year, New York Times, 11.11.06
See: Military Industrial Complex
Image: Web capture.

2006-11-13T11:34:00.000-08:00

Some countries spend more money building schools than prisons--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other."--James Madison

See: PrisonSucks.com
See: Critical Resistance
See: The Prison Industrial Complex, The Atlantic, 12.98
Image: Web capture.

2006-11-11T10:44:00.001-08:00

Some countries provide a home for everyone--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket."--General Smedley Butler

See: Veterans for Peace
See: Veterans Against The Iraq War
See: Create Peace at Home
Image: Web capture.

2006-11-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

Some countries have balanced budgets--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"All wars are fought for money."--Socrates

See: The Bush Budget Deficit Death Spiral, CommonDreams.org, 10.22.04
See: After the New Economy: The Binge and the Hangover That Won't Go Away
See: The Boom and The Bubble: The US in the World Economy
Planet of Slums
Image: Web capture.

2006-11-07T13:58:00.000-08:00

Some countries honor their neighbors' sovereignty, promote human rights, encourage democracy, and respect international law--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist."--Dom Helder Camara

See: Ortega’s Likely Return Seen As a Blow to US Policy, CommonDreams.org, 11.07.06
See: In Nicaragua, a Chavez Wave?, CounterPunch.org, 11.07.06
See: 11th Hour Election Meddling by the US: Targeting Nicaraguans' Stomachs, CounterPunch.org, 10.31.06
See: The Forging Of The American Empire: From the Revolution to Vietnam
See: Chomsky: Rogue States
Image: Web capture. Sandinista supporters celebrating the election of Daniel Ortega as president of Nicaragua.

2006-11-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

Some countries have principled, consistent, and democratic governments--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws."--Tacitus

See: Saddam's Unindicted Co-Conspirator: Donald Rumsfeld, Norman Solomon, 11.06.06
See: The Saddam in Rumsfeld’s Closet, ZNet.org, 08.02.02
See: Video of 1983 Meeting Between Rumsfeld and Saddam Hussein, YouTube.com
See: Shaking Hands with Saddam Hussein, National Security Archive
See: Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War
See: WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception
Image: Web capture, Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam Hussein in December, 1983, just 18 months after the Dujail massacre--the primary charge resulting in Hussein's conviction for crimes against humanity--and five years before the Halabja poison gas attack.

2006-11-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

Some countries have free, open, and honest elections--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"It's not the people who vote that count, it's the people who count the votes."--attributed to Joseph Stalin

See: 'Hacking' Casts Doubts on Electronic Voting, CommonDreams.org, 11.01.06
See: Election 2006: Campaign Spending Hits New Heights, NPR, 10.21.06
See: US election ads trawl the gutter, AFP, 10.27.06
See: Greg Palast, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
See: Noam Chomsky, Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy
Image: Web capture.

2006-10-31T16:04:00.000-08:00

Some countries provide college scholarships, job training and career opportunities for young people--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Our children are not born to hate, they are raised to hate."--Thomas della Peruta

See: October Ends: Deadly Month Is Finally Over, NPR, 10.31.06
See: Kerry, White House spar over comment on Iraq
See: Myths of Military Opportunity
See: Veterans Return From Iraq Disabled and Homeless, DemocracyNOW!, 12.13.04
See: Study Details Mental Health of War Veterans
Image: Web capture

2006-10-30T11:25:00.000-08:00

Some countries have a free press--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government."--Hugo Black, Supreme Court Justice

Josh Wolf Blog: The Revolution Will Be Televised
Jail Time For Journalists: The Government Crackdown on Reporters, Democracy Now!, 09.15.06
Image: Steve Rhodes, photo of independent journalist Josh Wolf.

2006-10-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

Some countries fund necessary and valuable youth programs without forcing children to sell cookies, sell raffle tickets, hold bake sales, or wash cars--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious."--General Smedley Butler
See: Pentagon Holds Bake Sale, The Onion
Image: Web capture. Kids should play and be kids, not impressed as sales agents for corporate baking interests.

2006-10-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Some countries regulate energy companies, tax fuel to fund research and encourage conservation, and pursue sustainable transportation alternatives--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"A man who says that no patriot should attack the war until it is over...is saying no good son should warn his mother of a cliff until she has fallen."--G. K. Chesterton

See: Exxon profits rise to $10.49B in 3Q
See: Exxpose Exxon
See: Freedom From Oil
See: Bike Commuting Tips Blog
Image: Web capture

2006-10-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

Some countries prioritize science, research, and medicine instead of superstition--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter."--Winston Churchill

See: Michael J. Fox, Parkinson’s and Stem Cells, New York Times, 10.25.06
See: Religious Right Hijacks Stem Cell Debate, CommonDreams.org
Image: YouTube.com

2006-10-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

Some countries encourage environmental concern--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"You cannot be on one hand dedicated to peace and on the other dedicated to violence. Those two things are irreconcilable."--Condoleeza Rice

See: Californians Against Waste
See: Fast Food Nation: The Movie
Image: Web capture

2006-10-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

Some countries provide full scholarship support for all students--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."--Friedrich Nietzsche

See: FreeHigherEd.org
Image: Web capture

2006-10-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

Some countries act to prevent gun violence--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Statism needs war; a free country does not. Statism survives by looting; a free country survives by producing."--Ayn Rand

See: Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence
Image: G.B. Trudeau, Doonesbury.com

2006-10-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

Some countries encourage alternative modes of transportation--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Bicycling: A quiet statement against oil wars"--Committee for Full Enjoyment

See: City CarShare || Flexcar || Zipcar || Live Car-Free || Bike Commuting
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
Bikes Not Bombs
Image: Paul Dorn

2006-10-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

Some countries encourage tolerance, fight bigotry, and protect equal rights for everyone--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it."--Thomas Jefferson

See: California appeals court upholds ban on gay marriage
See: The case for gay marriage, The Economist, 02.26.04
See: Equality California
See: Marriage Equality USA
Image: Web capture

2006-10-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

Some countries make efforts to reduce pet overpopulation, minimize unnecessary suffering, and stop animal cruelty--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Man is the only animal that is cruel. It kills just for the sake of it."--Mark Twain

See: Stop Puppy Mills, Humane Society of the United States
See: Get the facts on Puppy Mills
See: Prisoners of Greed
See: PuppyMill Rescue
Image: Web capture

2006-10-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

Some countries don't live in constant fear of their neighbors--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Lead this people into war and they'll forget there ever was such a thing as tolerance. To fight you must be brutal and ruthless and the spirit of ruthlessness will enter into the very fiber of our national life, infecting Congress, the courts, the policeman on the beat, the man in the street."--Woodrow Wilson

See: Bush signs bill paying for new border fence, Reuters, 10.04.06
See: Mexico asks Bush to veto border fence bill, Reuters, 10.02.06
See: Life and Death on the Border, Socialist Worker
See: “Berlin Wall” Across U.S.-Mexico Border Will Destroy Endangered Species
See: Wildlife and Border Policy
Image: Web capture

2006-10-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

Some countries value intelligence, taste, and good sense--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice"--Baruch Spinoza

See: The Anti-SUV Portal
See: Blather: SUV's Basically Suck
See: DumbCelebs.com: Ashton Kutcher's New Truck
Image: Web capture ("International CXT: It doesn't just command attention; it demands it." Huh? What genius wrote that lame ad copy. I tried my hand: "If you're stupid enough to buy the International CXT, we'll throw in the complimentary 'moron' tattoo!" Of course, nobody would buy this without tax subsidies and lax CAFE standards; smart policy that.)

2006-10-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

Some countries provide a home for everyone--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The very existence of armaments and great armies psychologically accustoms us to accept the philosophy of militarism. They inevitably increase fear and hate in the world."--Norman Thomas
Image: Paul Dorn

2006-10-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

Some countries provide free or low-cost prescription drugs to everyone--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"It's more humane to cure your enemies than to kill them."--Hugh Mann
See: "U.S. to Allow Canadian Drug Imports", Los Angeles Times, 10.04.06
See: The Great Medicare Fraud, Counterpunch.org
Image: Web capture

2006-10-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

Some countries get clean, open public toilets--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter."--Mark Twain

Image: Paul Dorn. Yes, this is a repeated theme, but the lack of clean public toilets really "pisses" me off (pun intended).

2006-10-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

Some countries accomplish necessary social tasks with well-paid public employees instead of relying on well-intentioned volunteers--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other."--James Madison

See: Bay Area volunteers turn out to pull weeds, pick up trash, San Francisco Chronicle, 10.01.06
See: Is State-Sanctioned Volunteerism a Step Toward Patriotism or Slavery?
See: Presidents Urge a Fictitious Volunteerism on America
See: The Truth About the Red Cross
See: Citizenship or Slavery
Image: Web capture

2006-09-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

Some countries have habeas corpus--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it."--Edward R. Murrow

See: Habeas Corpus, R.I.P. (1215 - 2006), Molly Ivins, Truthdig.com
See: A Government of Laws, Nat Hentoff, Washington Times, 09.25.06
See: Indefinite Detention and Torture: a Political and Moral Mistake, Patrick McElwee, ZNet
Image: Web capture

2006-09-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

Some countries provide effective alternatives to road rage, traffic delays, car payments, and dependence on foreign oil--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"War means blind obedience, unthinking stupidity, brutish callousness, wanton destruction, and irresponsible murder."--Alexander Berkman

See: Amtrak || Live Car-Free || Bike Commuting
See: National Association of Railroad Passengers
See: Surface Transportation Policy Project
See: League of American Bicyclists
Image: Ian Britton, FreeFoto.com

2006-09-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

Some countries provide a home for everyone--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny."--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Image: Paul Dorn

2006-09-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

Some countries promptly clean up or prevent toxic waste spills--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare."--James Madison

See: Scorecard Superfund Site Locator
See: Clean Water Action
Image: Web capture

2006-09-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

Some countries aggressively pursue sustainable energy--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has merely made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one."--Albert Einstein

Image: Web capture

2006-09-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

Some countries provide substance abuse treatment for everyone--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"For me war has become a flat, black depression without highlights, a revulsion of the mind and an exhaustion of the spirit."--Ernie Pyle

See: Reclaiming Futures
Image: Beavis, by Tom Stone/tomstonegallery.com and Flickr.com

2006-09-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

Some countries protect wildlife habitat--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"He that is the author of a war lets loose the whole contagion of hell and opens a vein that bleeds a nation to death."--Thomas Paine

See: Defenders of Wildlife
See: Great Bear Foundation
See: Sierra Club: Endangered Species Act campaign
See: World Wildlife Fund
Image: Web capture

2006-09-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

Some countries build flood control, protect wetlands, heed warnings, and have competent emergency systems--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The chain reaction of evil--wars producing more wars--must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."--Martin Luther King, Jr.

See: Bush Takes “Full Responsibility” For Katrina Response , Democracy NOW!
See: "Hurricane Expert Threatened for Pre-Katrina Warnings", Greg Palast
See: Common Ground Collective
Image: Web capture

2006-09-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

Some countries build schools, train teachers, reduce class sizes, and value children--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The tragedy of modern war is that the young men die fighting each other--instead of their real enemies back home in the capitals."--Edward Abbey

See: The Opportunity Cost of War, Anita Dancs, TomPaine.com
See: How many schools left behind?, Socialist Worker
Image: Wisconsin Education Association Council

2006-09-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

Some countries take global warming seriously and work to reduce the threat--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"War...is as much a punishment to the punisher as to the sufferer."--Thomas Jefferson

See: The inconvenient truth about Al Gore, Socialist Worker
See: White House v. Climate Change, TomPaine.com
Image: Ian Britton, FreeFoto.com

2006-09-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Some countries provide college scholarships, job training and career opportunities for young people--and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The pioneers of a warless world are the youth that refuse military service."--Albert Einstein

See: Myths of Military Opportunity
See: Veterans Return From Iraq Disabled and Homeless, DemocracyNOW!, 12.13.04
See: Study Details Mental Health of War Veterans
Image: Web capture

2006-09-26T10:12:00.001-07:00

Some countries have universal healthcare, and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"I hate war...for the dictatorships it puts in the place of democracies, and for the starvation that stalks after it."--Harry Emerson Fosdick

See: Health Care for All
See: Universal Health Care Action Network
See: Ranks of uninsured Americans grow, USA Today, 08.29.06
Image: Paul Dorn, image of David Dorn (1932-2006) at Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME.

2006-09-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Some countries have healthy, well-inspected, and well-regulated food, and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"I believe in compulsory cannibalism. If people were forced to eat what they killed there would be no more war."--Abbie Hoffman

See: Tainted Spinach Brings Demands for New Rules, New York Times, 09.27.06
See: Leafy Green Sewage, New York Times, 09.22.06
See: Today's Lunch Special: E. Coli , Huffington Post, 09.17.06
Image: Paul Dorn

2006-09-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

Some countries provide a home for everyone, and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Every war when it comes, or before it comes, is represented not as a war but as an act of self-defense against a homicidal maniac."--George Orwell

Image: Paul Dorn

2006-09-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

Some countries provide support for artists and cultural enhancement, and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The Department of Defense is the behemoth...With an annual budget larger than the gross domestic product of Russia, it is an empire."--The 9/11 Commission Report

See: "Lower Haight artwork has become a target for vandals", San Francisco Bay Guardian, 09.20.06
See: Artists.Against.War.
Image: Paul Dorn

2006-09-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

Some countries provide affordable, effective alternatives to expensive and stressful driving, and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Even if we are spared destruction by war, our lives will have to change if we want to save life from self-destruction."--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

See: City CarShare || Flexcar || Zipcar || Live Car-Free || Bike Commuting
Image: Paul Dorn

2006-09-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

Some countries provide some minimal economic security for all residents, and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The winds that blow our billions away return burdened with themes of scorn and dispraise."--Garet Garrett

See: "Forbes 400 richest Americans are all billionaires this year," USA Today, 9/22/06
Image: Paul Dorn

2006-09-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

Some countries get pleasant, shaded streets, and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The great error of nearly all studies of war...has been to consider war as an episode in foreign policies, when it is an act of interior politics."--Simone Weil
Plant Trees, Not Bombs:
Trees, Not Cars
Friends of the Urban Forest
Image: Paul Dorn

2006-09-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

Some countries get well-maintained streets, and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war."—Albert Einstein
Image: Paul Dorn

2006-09-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

Some countries get high-speed passenger rail, and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"The guns and the bombs, the rockets and the warships, are all symbols of human failure."—Lyndon B. Johnson

See: The Times: "Train that changed a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary"
Image: Morandi Patrick

2006-09-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

Some countries get clean public toilets, and some countries get a war and occupation in Iraq.

"We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security."—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Image: Paul Dorn