NEW WARS / OLD WARS – What Could Possibly Go Wrong SEARCHING FOR A PROGRESSIVE FOREIGN POLICY But if progressive ideas thankfully seem on the upswing in domestic politics, it is less clear how this next generation of leaders will translate these ideas for change at home into change in America’s approach to the world. What does a new approach at home suggest for a strategy and a foreign policy that would make the country stronger and more prosperous?

NEW WARS / OLD WARS – What Could Possibly Go Wrong

SEARCHING FOR A PROGRESSIVE FOREIGN POLICY

But if progressive ideas thankfully seem on the upswing in domestic politics, it is less clear how this next generation of leaders will translate these ideas for change at home into change in America’s approach to the world. What does a new approach at home suggest for a strategy and a foreign policy that would make the country stronger and more prosperous? New ideas are as desperately needed for America’s broken foreign policy as they are for its broken domestic policies…  The quest for a different set of foreign policy priorities faces daunting obstacles and entrenched interests that will resist calls for change. Any attempt to change foreign policy must first wade through the wreckage of the post-9/11 era that is spread far and wide around the world, wreckage created by Republicans and Democrats alike who are not keen to acknowledge their responsibility and their mistakes.  More

Senators — Republicans and Dems — overwhelmingly criticize Trump’s withdrawal plans

In a bipartisan rebuke to President Trump, the Senate voted 68-23 Thursday to advance an amendment that would oppose withdrawal of US troops from Syria and Afghanistan.  The amendment by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell comes after Trump called for a drawdown of troops in both of those countries. The measure says the Islamic State and Al Qaeda militants still pose a serious threat to the United States, and it warns that ‘‘a precipitous withdrawal’’ of US forces from those countries could ‘‘allow terrorists to regroup, destabilize critical regions and create vacuums that could be filled by Iran or Russia.’’   More

23 Senators – mostly Democrats – voted NO, including Markey and Warren. 

(Few mainstream outlets even noted that this amendment was to a pro-Israel grab bag bill, S.1,including anti-BDS, anti-free speech provisions, on which see below under Israel.)

Media Rally Around ‘Forever War’ in Afghanistan

After “six days of some of the most serious Afghan peace negotiations to date,” US government and Taliban officials have agreed in principle to preliminary foundations of a deal, the “biggest tangible step toward ending” the war, the New York Times (1/28/19, 1/26/19) reported this week… Certainly this sounds like good news, a chance to end the United States’ longest overseas war, one that has cost nearly $1 trillion and some 100,000 lives—a war that, in its 17th year, even the foreign policy elite admit “cannot be won” (Council on Foreign Relations president Richard Haass, Project Syndicate, 1/14/19).  Yet, just hours after news of the framework deal broke, corporate media jumped to sound the alarm, urging the US to maintain its occupation. The primary concern was over the Trump administration’s perceived “quick exit” or “speedy withdrawal,” a boogeyman notion that the New York Times has hyped up for years.   More

THE PENTAGON'S REVOLVING DOOR SPINS FASTER

The way personnel spin through Washington’s infamous revolving door between the Pentagon and the arms industry is nothing new. That door, however, is moving ever faster with the appointment of Patrick Shanahan, who spent 30 years at Boeing, the Pentagon’s second largest contractor, as the Trump administration’s acting secretary of defense. Shanahan had previously been deputy secretary of defense, a typical position in recent years for someone with a significant arms industry background. William Lynn, President Obama’s first deputy secretary of defense, had been a Raytheon lobbyist. Ashton Carter, his successor, was aconsultant for the same company. One of President George W. Bush’s deputies, Gordon England, had been president of the General Dynamics Fort Worth Aircraft Company (later sold to Lockheed Martin)…  While the Pentagon should be focused on protecting the country, the arms industry operates in the pursuit of profit, even when that means selling weapons systems to countries working against American national security interests.   More

Dems introduce bill barring US from using nuclear weapons first

The bill was introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a Senate Armed Services Committee member who is running for president in 2020, and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.). “Our current nuclear strategy is not just outdated—it is dangerous,” Smith and Warren said in a joint statement Wednesday. “By making clear that deterrence is the sole purpose of our arsenal, this bill would reduce the chances of a nuclear miscalculation and help us maintain our moral and diplomatic leadership in the world.”

The bill, titled the “No First Use Act,” simply says, “It is the policy of the United States to not use nuclear weapons first.” Smith previously introduced the same bill in November 2017. A Wednesday press release from Smith’s office argued the bill would improve U.S. national security by reducing the risk of a miscalculation, clarifying U.S. policy and preserving the ability to conduct a nuclear strike after a nuclear attack on the United States or its allies. It has long been the policy of the United States that the country reserves the right to launch a preemptive nuclear strike.   More

*   *   *   *

WARS ABROAD, WARS AT HOME

The Green New Deal Is Our Best Hope for Saving the Planet—and Ending Poverty

If we’re going to unrig the system and make it work for everyone, we have to transform every aspect of the economy, and rebuild it from the bottom up. Luckily, the massive set of investments required to address climate change, called the Green New Deal, gives us an opportunity to do exactly that.  We’re talking about a full-scale mobilization of the economy—of both the public and private sectors—on a scale we haven’t seen since World War II, and with it, the opportunity to fundamentally shift the economic balance of power, strengthen workers’ rights, and create widespread prosperity for the 21st century. Making the transition to a carbon-free economy is going to require a massive workforce. The Green New Deal would create tens of millions of jobs, from installing solar panels to retrofitting buildings, from manufacturing electric vehicles to reforesting public lands.   More

BERNIE'S PLUTOCRACY PREVENTION ACT

The Republicans can’t control their baser greed impulse, as revealed in their latest move to abolish the federal estate tax, our nation’s only levy on the inherited wealth of the super-rich.  But what we really need is a bold intervention to break up growing dynasties of wealth and power. Congress should jump on board an improved estate tax introduced today by Senator Bernie Sanders, that would levy a top rate of 77 percent on inheritances over $1 billion.  Sanders bill, The For 99.8% Act (pdf), would also plug up loopholes and ban trusts that wealthy families use to hide and perpetuate wealth dynasties… When families accumulate hundreds of millions of dollars, they have enough wealth to meet any possible need and desire.  They also have enough to provide future generations with privileged lives. Wealth exceeding $100 million is a form of power, the power to rig the rules of our economy and shape the culture through ownership of media.  A steeply progressive estate tax is one of the ways we protect our society from Roosevelt’s “tyranny of plutocracy.”   More

The lowest-paid shutdown workers aren’t getting back pay

Unlike the 800,000 career public servants who are slated to receive full back pay over the next week or so, the contractors who clean, guard, cook and shoulder other jobs at federal workplaces aren’t legally guaranteed a single penny. They’re also among the lowest-paid laborers in the government economy, generally earning between $450 and $650 weekly, union leaders say. And even as they began returning to work Monday, they were bracing for more pain. President Trump’s new deadline for Congress to earmark funding for his proposed border wall is Feb. 15. Agencies could close again if no deal is reached.   More

GOP rejects bill to give back pay to federal contractors, wants to repeal estate tax instead

Not a single Republican senator has joined the effort to give back pay to hundreds of thousands of federal contractors who were unpaid during the partial government shutdown. But the party’s leaders are pushing ahead with a bill to repeal the federal estate tax on behalf of the wealthiest Americans. Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith and Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, both Democrats, have introduced bills that would give back pay to federal contractors, who are not entitled under law to be paid after a shutdown as federal employees are, Vox reported… Instead, on Monday, three top Republican senators introduced a bill to repeal the federal estate tax, which is paid by fewer than 2,000 of the wealthiest Americans per year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was joined by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., in sponsoring a bill that fully repeals the tax some wealthy families must pay on inherited wealth, the Washington Post reported.   More

Trump blocked pay raises for 2 million workers. The House just voted to restore them.

President Donald Trump canceled annual pay raises for federal employees last year — and now members of Congress are trying to restore them.  On Wednesday, the House passed a bill that would give civilian workers a 2.6 percent cost-of-living increase for 2019. They were supposed to receive an automatic 2.1 percent pay bump starting in January, but Trump canceled it in December — just days after he shut down the government and withheld paychecks for nearly 800,000 employees…  That means roughly 2 million people won’t get an annual pay raise this year, including Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Members of Congress, though, think they can still make it happen. Senate Democrats introduced another bill on Tuesday calling for the 2.6 percent raise, which would match the increase given to military service members. So far, the bill has no Republican support, but GOP Senate leaders had previously been willing to give employees a 1.9 percent raise.   More

"It Can't Be Warren and It Can't Be Sanders": Wall Street Make 2020 Preferences Known

The first 2020 Democratic presidential primary is still over a year away, but Wall Street executives are reportedly already freaking out about two likely progressive candidates: Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).  "It can't be Warren and it can't be Sanders," the CEO of a "giant bank" anonymously told Politico, which reported on Monday that Wall Street executives are "getting panicked" about the presidential prospects of the Senate's two fiercest financial sector critics…  According to Politico, Wall Street executives who want Trump out of the White House mentioned "a consistent roster of appealing nominees" they would find acceptable outside of Bloomberg, who the outlet describes as Wall Street's "platonic ideal."  This "roster" reportedly included Democratic Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), and Kamala Harris (Calif.); former Vice President Joe Biden; and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas).  As CNBC reported earlier this month, Harris, Booker, and Gillibrand have all reached out to Wall Street to gauge support for 2020 campaigns. Harris announced that she is running for president last week, and Gillibrand launched an exploratory committee for president earlier this month.   More

If Fox News Existed in the Middle Ages. . .

Lobbyists are already mounting an opposition strategy to Democrats’ anti-corruption bill

As House Democrats’ sweeping anti-corruption bill had its first hearing Tuesday in the House Judiciary Committee, a different meeting about the bill was taking place on K Street.  The National Association of Business Political Action Committees and its members met at the law offices of their legal counsel Wiley Rein on Tuesday to discuss the bill’s impact. The group is calling the anti-corruption bill, commonly known on the Hill as HR 1, “potentially onerous legislation,” and told its members to “immediately begin engaging on this topic with your donors, senior executives and Hill allies.”  … The Conservative Action Project released a memo on Monday calling the bill “the ultimate fantasy of the left,” which was signed by Republican figures including former Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, Ronald Reagan’s attorney general, Edwin Meese III, and former House Majority Leader Tom Delay. (Delay resigned from Congress in 2006 after questions about his ties to infamous DC lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and wasconvicted of campaign money laundering in 2010.)    More

Calling Bill That Makes Voting Easier a "Power Grab" Exemplifies a GOP Terrified of Democracy

Voting rights groups and Democratic lawmakers looked on in alarm Wednesday as Republican leaders broadcast open hostility toward policies that would curb corruption and make it easier for Americans to vote. Speaking on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) mocked a provision in the For the People Act (H.R. 1) that would make Election Day a federal holiday, calling it a "power grab" that would allow federal workers to have a day off to campaign for Democrats. "Just what America needs, another paid holiday and a bunch of government workers being paid to go out and work for I assume our folks—our colleagues on the other side, on their campaigns," McConnell said…  "When you insist that a bill designed to support voting rights for everyone, shine a light on billionaire donors, crack down on lobbyists' influence, and protect our elections from foreign interference would just help Democrats, that's a pretty big tell," historian Kevin M. Kruse wrote of the GOP's rhetoric.   More

For Kate McGarrigle’s Birthday- In Honor Of Lena Spencer- Caffé Lena And Saratoga’s Folk Scene

For The Late Rosalie Sorrels-In Honor Of Lena Spencer- Caffé Lena And Saratoga’s Folk Scene

If I Could Be The Rain I Would Be Rosalie Sorrels-The Legendary Folksinger-Songwriter Has Her Last Go Round At 83 (June 2017)

By Music Critic Bart Webber

Back the day, back in the emerging folk minute of the 1960s that guys like Sam Lowell, Si Lannon, Josh Breslin, the late Peter Paul Markin and others were deeply immersed in all roads seemed to lead to Harvard Square with the big names passing through the Club 47 Mecca and later the Café Nana and Club Blue, the Village down in NYC, North Beach out in San Francisco, and maybe Old Town in Chicago. That is where names like Baez, Dylan, Paxton, Ochs, Collins and a whole crew of younger folksingers who sat at the feet of guys like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger got their first taste of the fresh breeze of the folk minute (that expression courtesy of the late Markin, who was among the first around to sample the breeze. (I should tell you here in parentheses so you will keep it to yourselves that the former three mentioned above never got over that folk minute since they will still tell a tale or two about the times, about how Dave Van Ronk came in all drunk one night at the Café Nana and still blew everybody away, about catching Paxton changing his Army uniform when he was stationed down at Fort Dix  right before a performance at the Gaslight, about walking down the street Cambridge with Tom Rush just after he put out No Regrets/Rockport Sunday, and about affairs with certain up and coming female folkies at the Club Nana when that was the spot of spots. Strictly aficionado stuff if you go anywhere within ten miles of the subject with any of them -I will take my chances here because this notice, this passing of legendary Rosalie Sorrels a decade after her dear friend Utah Phillips is important)

Those urban locales were the high white note spots but there was another important strand that hovered around Saratoga Springs in upstate New York, up around Skidmore and some other colleges. That was Caffe Lena’s, run by the late Lena Spenser, a true folk legend and character in her own right, where some of those names played but also where some upstarts from the West got a chance to play the small crowds who gathered at that famed (and still existing) coffeehouse. Upstarts like Bruce “Utah” Phillips (although he could call several places home Utah was key to what he would sing about and rounded out his personality. And out of Idaho one Rosalie Sorrels who just joined her long-time friend Utah in that last go-round at the age of 83.

Yeah, out there in the West, not the West Coast west that is different, where what the novelist Thomas Wolfe called the place where the states were square and you had better be as well if you didn’t want to starve or be found in some empty arroyo un-mourned and unloved. A tough life when the original pioneers drifted westward from Eastern nowhere looking for that pot of gold or at least some fresh air and a new start away from crowded cities and sweet breathe vices. Tough going for guys like Joe Hill who tried to organize the working people against the sweated robber barons of his day (they are still with us as we are all now very painfully and maybe more vicious than their in your face forbear). Tough too when you landed in rugged beautiful two-hearted river Idaho, tried to make a go of it in Boise, maybe stopped short in Helena but you get the drift. A different place and a different type of subject matter for your themes.  

The last time I saw Rosalie perform in person was back in 2002 when she performed at what was billed as her last go-round, her hanging up her shoes from the dusty travel road. She was on fire that night except the then recent death of another folk legend, Dave Von Ronk, who was supposed to be on the bill (and who was replaced by David Bromberg who did a great job) cast a pall over the proceedings. I will always remember her cover of her classic Old Devil Time that night -yeah, give me one more chance, one more breathe. But I will always think of If I Could Be The Rain whenever I hear her name. RIP Rosalie Sorrels

     

Caffé Lena, Kate McGarrigle and various artists, directed by Stephen Trombley, Miramar Production, 1991

I know of the work of, and have reviewed in this space, the late Utah Phillips, Rosalie Sorrels, obviously Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, The McGarrigle family, David Bromberg and many of the other “singing” heads that populate this tribute documentary or found their way to Café Lena’s. Lena Spencer, owner, operator (and, from all accounts off-hand fairy godmother), through thick and thin, as thoroughly documented here , of Saratoga’s Café Lena was the impresario of the upstate New York’s booming 1960s folk scene. So there is a certain sense of déjà vu in viewing this film. This documentary film was probably as much about our youthful dreams and ambitions (and that hard musical road, although voluntarily chosen) as it was a tribute to Lena.

I know Saratoga and its environs well and if New York City’s Greenwich Village and Cambridge’s Harvard Square are better known in the 1960s folk revival geography that locale can serve as the folk crowd’s summer watering hole (and refuge from life’s storms all year round). From the descriptions of the café ‘s lifestyle and of the off-beat personality of Lena it also was a veritable experiment in ad hoc communal living). The folkies that did find found refuge there have been interesting behind- the- scenes stories to tell about Len that make this a very nice slice of history of the folk revival of the 1960s.

A special note to kind of bring us full circle. My first CD review of folksinger Rosalie Sorrels and the late Utah Phillips combined works together, who are highlighted in this documentary along with Kate and Anna McGarrigle, mentioned a spark of renewed recognition kindled on my part by the famous folk coffee house “The Café Lena” in Saratoga Springs, New York. Thus, it is rather fitting that Rosalie performs Utah’s “If I Could Be The Rain” and Utah his “Starlight On The Rails” here. Even more fitting are the McGarrigles performing their “Talk To Me Of Mendocino”, song composed in honor of Lena.

"Talk to Me of Mendocino"

written by Kate McGarrigle
© 1975 Garden Court Music (ASCAP)

I bid farewell to the state of old New York
My home away from home
In the state of New York I came of age
When first I started roaming
And the trees grow high in New York State
And they shine like gold in the autumn
Never had the blues from whence I came
But in New York State I got 'em

Talk to me of Mendocino
Closing my eyes I hear the sea
Must I wait
Must I follow
Won't you say come with me

And it's on to South Bend, Indiana
Flat out on the western plain
Rise up over the Rockies
And down on into California
Out to where but the rocks again
And let the sun set on the ocean
I will watch it from the shore
Let the sun rise over the redwoods
I'll rise with it till I rise no more

Talk to me of Mendocino
Closing my eyes I hear the sea
Must I wait
Must I follow
Won't you say come with me

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4. Veterans Call to Resist U.S. Coup in Venezuela

Veterans Call to Resist U.S. Coup in Venezuela

Veterans For Peace is outraged at the unfolding coup d’etat in Venezuela, which is clearly being orchestrated by the U.S. government. Two hundred years of blatant U.S. intervention in Latin America must come to an end.  Veterans For Peace was founded in 1985, in part prompted by the U.S.-backed “contra” war in Nicaragua, and U.S. support for the rightwing government in the bloody civil war in neighboring El Salvador.  We did not want to see another Vietnam War in Central America. 

Years of increasingly crippling U.S. sanctions have succeeded in destabilizing the Venezuelan economy and created great unrest, division and migration.  The U.S. government encouraged Venezuelan opposition parties to boycott last year’s election. Now they are calling the election fraudulent, and attempting to install a little-known politician more to their liking.  This is part of a dangerous game that the U.S. continues to play throughout Latin America. 

President Trump’s National Security Advisor John Bolton has called Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba the “Troika of Tyranny,” and boasted that they have now “met their match.”  Right-wing Cuban American Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, said to be deeply involved in orchestrating this coup, has implied that U.S. military intervention may be next. Responding to questions about possible military intervention, President Trump says that “all options are on the table.”  Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have openly encouraged the Venezuelan military to stage a coup and U.S. officials have even met with potential coup leaders.  Right-wing governments in Colombia and Brazil could also possibly be involved in U.S.-coordinated military action against the democratically elected government of Venezuela.

In our Statement of Purpose, Veterans For Peace promises to “restrain our governments from intervening, overtly and covertly, in the internal affairs of other nations.”  We call on our members in over 100 U.S. cities and internationally, to make their voices heard.  We must do all we can to prevent a bloody civil war from taking a huge toll on the Venezuelan people, and the peace-loving people of the hemisphere.

Call your political representatives, write letters to the editors, protest in the streets, resist yet another blow against democracy and human rights in this hemisphere and the world.

For more historical context details about the current situation in Venezuela, please read this Open Letter signed by 70 academics, Latin America experts and activists, including Veterans For Peace Advisory Board members, Medea Benjamin and Phyllis Bennis.

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	Friday, February 1st Veterans Call to Resist U.S. Coup in Venezuela Veterans For Peace is outraged at the unfolding coup d’etat in Venezuela, which is clearly being orchestrated by the U.S. government. Two hundred years of blatant U.S. intervention in Latin America must come to an end.  Veterans For Peace was founded in 1985, in part prompted by the U.S.-backed “contra” war in Nicaragua, and U.S. support for the rightwing government in the bloody civil war in neighboring El Salvador.  We did not want to see another Vietnam War in Central America. Years of increasingly crippling U.S. sanctions have succeeded in destabilizing the Venezuelan economy and created great unrest, division and migration.  The U.S. government encouraged Venezuelan opposition parties to boycott last year’s election. Now they are calling the election fraudulent, and attempting to install a little-known politician more to their liking.  This is part of a dangerous game that the U.S. continues to play throughout Latin America. Read the Entire Statement Back to Top New Rules Lead to Privatization of the VA by Skip Delano The rules represent a step backward for VA healthcare and threaten the health care of millions of veterans. By taking money out of the VA budget to send veterans to the private sector health care system, they will likely expand VA appointment wait times as fewer resources are available to hire staff – nearly 45,000 VA vacancies currently – and leave veterans with less choice for VA health care while enriching private sector doctors and hospitals. While the rules send millions of veterans into the private sector health care system, they turn a blind eye to the quality of care a veteran would receive there. Private doctors and hospitals are not required to match the VA's rigorous quality standards nor are they accountable for 20 or 28-day access requirements. Turning veterans over to inferior care in the private sector is a disservice to veterans. We oppose the Mission Act rules proposed by the VA, based on drive time rather than quality and their purpose – the privatization of VA health care. They will drain money from the VA, even bankrupt it, lead to the closing of dozens of VA facilities and provide veterans with poorer heath care We support fixing, strengthening and fully-funding VA health care which does an exceptional job of addressing the unique needs and health conditions of veterans. Read the Entire Article! Stay tuned for ways to take action against these new rules next week! In the meantime, contact Skip Delano for more information! Back to Top Defying War and Defining Peace in Afghanistan by Kathy Kelly On January 27th, 2019, the Taliban and the U.S. government each publicly stated  acceptance, in principle, of a draft framework for ongoing negotiations that could culminate in a peace deal to end a two-decade war in Afghanistan. As we learn more about the negotiations, it’s important to remember others working toward dialogue and negotiation in Afghanistan. Troublingly, women's rights leaders have not, thus far, been invited to the negotiating table. But several have braved potential persecution to assert the importance of including women in any framework aiming to create peace and respect human rights. Read Kathy's Entire Article Back to Top Peace Report: Venezuela's History of U.S. Imperialism with Paul Dobson In The Peace Report’s latest interview, Will Griffin sits down with Paul Dobson from Venezuela Analysis to talk about the current struggle in the country. Paul gives us a very clear picture of the situation on the ground. He describes the forces on the left who support the Bolivarian Revolution and the Maduro government as well as the far-right forces from Washington, Venezuela, and Columbia who want to overthrow the government with coup attempts, street violence, and even assassination attempts. We also discuss how elections in Venezuela are a model for the world to follow, how the country has been the backbone of anti-imperialism for Latin America, and the support from the country’s rural countryside, specifically from Campesinos, who continue to fight for a sovereign and free Venezuela. Watch now! Back to Top Rescheduled Chapter Contacts Conference Call The Chapter Contacts Conference Call has been rescheduled for Tuesday February 12th, 8pm EST / 7pm CST / 6pm MST / 5pm PST. Anyone who is organizing and disseminating information within Veterans For Peace is welcome. Call-In Details Dial-In Number: (712) 770-5228 Access Code: 377640 Back to Top Order Your Newsletter Bundles! The winter Veterans For Peace newsletter is now available for order!  Please fill out this form to order your VFP Newsletter Bundles. Each bundle includes 25 newspapers. Order now! Back to Top		In This Issue: Veterans Call to Resist U.S. Coup in Venezuela New Rules Lead to Privatization of the VA by Skip Delano Korea Peace Advocacy Days (D.C.) Defying War and Defining Peace in Afghanistan by Kathy Kelly Peace Report: Venezuela's History of U.S. Imperialism with Paul Dobson Job Opportunities Rescheduled Chapter Contacts Conference Call 50th Anniversary of Susan Schnall’s January 31, 1969 Court Martial for Resisting the American War in Vietnam Take action to help repeal the Muslim Ban! Order Your Newsletter Bundles! Upcoming Events Korea Peace Advocacy Days (D.C.) Registration for the Korea Peace advocacy days is now open! Please consider joining us for this important event as we work to build support in Congress for peace in Korea. The event will be well-timed to educate new members of Congress and address concerns following the upcoming second Trump-Kim summit. When: March 13-14, 2019 Where: Washington, DC (meeting venue is Methodist Builing) Who: Participation is open to VFP members. What: March 13 – Expert panel presentations, advocacy training, and Korea Peace Network strategy meeting. March 14 – Meetings with Congressional/administration offices. Please contact John at kpc@veteransforpeace.org if you are interested in attending Back to Top Job Opportunities Veterans For Peace (VFP) seeks an Executive Director (ED)to lead the organization in a new period of growth and achievement, building from a strong base of existing organizational assets. Ideal candidate has solid fundraising and nonprofit management skills and a passion for the mission of Veterans For Peace. The VFP national office is in Saint Louis. Willingness to live in St. Louis, at least initially, is strongly preferred. Past military experience required. To apply, please send e-mail cover letter, resume and three or more references to vfpemployment@veteransforpeace.org. The deadline for applying is Feb 15, 2019. ********* WorldBeyondWar is hiring!  They are looking for a part-time Development Director.  Responsibilities include fundraising and financial tracking.  This is a remote position. Follow link for complete job description and application. Back to Top 50th Anniversary of Susan Schnall’s January 31, 1969 Court Martial for Resisting the American War in Vietnam Navy Lieutenant Susan Schnall rented a small airplane and had it flown over the four military bases in the San Francisco area as she threw anti-war fliers out--the fliers urged active duty military to attend an upcoming anti-war march in San Francisco. Susan was court-martialed for her actions--and went on to a great career with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation as a community organizer and then spent 31 years in the NYC public hospital system as an administrator for clinical quality improvement. She is a VFP member and President of our New York City chapter.  She is also a member of the core of the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign, an organization working to obtain compensation for American and Vietnamese victims of AO spraying from the involved chemical companies and the US government. This interview with Susan Schnall is featured in our Winter 2018 Newsletter, but can also be found on our Full Disclosure website! Read it now! Back to Top Take action to help repeal the Muslim Ban! A few members of Congress just took a crucial first step towards repealing the Muslim Ban—and we need a strong show of support for it ASAP, so that the rest of Congress follows through—and the media takes note. Senator Chris Murphy and Congresswoman Judy Chu have introduced legislation that would declare Trump's Muslim Ban (3.0) unconstitutional and prevent Congressional funds from being used to enforce it. You can find the phone number for your representative by filling out this form. Call your representatives now and urge them to co-sponsor these crucial bills and any other legislation to #RepealTheBan! Other ways to take action: Share this post on social media and use the hashtags: #VetsSpeakOut #VetsVsHate If you haven't yet, sign the VCI statement and add your voice to those speaking out against hatred and bigotry. Like VCI on Facebook Follow VCI on Twitter  Back to Top Save the Dates: Upcoming Event  Feb 22-23 - 10th Annual Peace & Justice Action Conference March 13-14 - Korea Peace Campaign Advocacy Days(Washington D.C.) March 30-April 4 - NO To NATO events in Washington D.C. May 4 - May 6 - 6th Seminar for Peace & Abolition of Foreign Military Bases, Guantanamo Cuba August 15-18 - Annual Veterans For Peace Convention in Spokane, Washington Back to Top

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