We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Agent Orange Funding Opens Door To US Militarism And Covert Action In Vietnam

Click here to access article by Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers from Mint Press News.

My, how times have changed! Back in the Vietnam War days we Americans were constantly hit by propaganda that portrayed Vietnam as only another domino that would fall to the "Communists" if we didn't stop them. This, of course, ignored the long history of acrimonious relations between China and Vietnam. And, it ignored the right of other countries to decide their own type of economy and government.

The Vietnamese won their war of independence from both France and the US--so what happened? Well, there is no communist government in Vietnam. As the truth about Vietnamese struggle for simply independence was completely overwhelmed by US capitalist ruling class propaganda, young American men and some women immediately signed up and went off to war, and all the atrocities and war crimes soon followed. (As I wrote this, I heard strains of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?".) After being over there, many soldiers turned against the war. But, when will people ever learn not to trust ruling class media as the American people are now doing with regard to Ukraine, Russia, and the endless wars in the Middle East? How many lies does it take for my countrymen to not believe, not even listen to, such war propaganda? 

Meanwhile we see that the corporate-funded Congress is "buying into" the Ukraine war effort.