[haw-info] HAW Notes 5/16/14: Legislative alert on huge Pentagon spending bill; Links to recent articles of interest

Note:  Please see the legislative update and alert from Carolyn "Rusti" Eisenberg that follows the "recent articles" list in this message. The House of Representatives will vote next week on a bill that would authorize an astonishing $600 billion+ in military spending as well as imposing new conditions on talks with Iran. At the same time, the House will vote on Rep. Barbara Lee's amendment to repeal the post-9/11 Authorization for the Use of Military Force, which she was the only Congress member to vote against in 2001.  

Links to Recent Articles of Interest

"The U.S. Military's New Normal in Africa"

By Nick Turse, TomDispatch.com, posted May 15

A survey of the Pentagon's African presence with lessons from the recent past

"How NATO Jabs Russia on Ukraine"

By Ray McGovern, Consortium News, posted May 15

Chiefly on the history of NATO expansion in the 1990s, by a former analyst in the Soviet Foreign Policy branch

"The Snowden Saga Begins: 'I Have Been to the Darkest Corners of Government, and What They Fear Is Light"

By Glenn Greenwald, TomDispatch.com, posted May 13, 2014

This is a condensed version of Chapter 1 of the author's just-released book on Edward Snowden.

"Whose Advice Should You Trust on Ukraine?"

http://hnn.us/article/155595

By Walter G. Moss, History News Network, posted May 11

The author is a professor of history emeritus at Eastern Michigan University.

"What You Need to Tell People When They Say We Should Use the Military"

http://hnn.us/article/155550

By Lawrence S. Wittner, History News Network, posted May 11

The author is a professor of history emeritus at SUNY Albany.

"Ukraine – The Way Out"

By Anatol Lieven, New York Review of Books, posted May 8

"Former Israeli Nuclear Head: No Iran Bomb for Ten Years – If They Even Want It"

By Trita Parsi, The National Interest, posted May 8

"Washington's Pivot to Ignorance: Will the State Department Torpedo Its Last Great Program?"

By Ann Jones, TomDispatch.com, posted May 8

On the attempted gutting of the Fulbright exchange scholars program

"Four Decades after Vietnam"

By Bruno Janti, Portside.org, posted May 5 (originally in Le Monde Diplomatique)

A short article emphasizing noncombatant deaths

"Peace Between Unequal Parties"

By Andrew J. Bacevich, Boston Globe, posted May 5

The author teaches history and international relations at Boston University. The article concerns US policy toward Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Thanks to Steve Gosch, Rosalyn Baxandall, and an anonymous reader for suggesting articles include above. Suggestions can be sent to jimobrien48@gmail.com.

Another $600.7 Billion for the Pentagon! But Who Is Counting?

 

Another year gone by when schools, hospitals, day care centers, food stamps and other valuable services have been cut for lack of federal money. And despite the chatter about a lean military budget, the House of Representatives will be voting next week on the 2015 National Defense Authorization act (NDAA), which authorizes $521 for national defense and $79.9 billion as a placeholder for Overseas Contingency Operations. That's $79.9 billion theoretically available for a US military presence in Afghanistan, once there is an agreement with the Afghan government.

 

The NDAA is a policy bill, which specifies how the money will be used. There are billions allocated for unnecessary weapons systems, for modernization of the nuclear arsenal, for missile defense in Poland. There are fresh limitations on cooperation with Russia, and new conditions for a nuclear agreement with Iran. A host of miserable policies rolled into one piece of legislation. For a more specific summary of the contents see Council for a Livable Worldhttp://blog.livableworld.org/story/2014/5/9/12541/69564.

 

One bright spot is that Congresswoman Barbara Lee, will be introducing an amendment that would rescind the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force, which (as she so wisely predicted 13 years ago) has been the basis for endless wars, drones, Special Ops, warrantless surveillance and wiretapping.

 

You can help by calling your Congressional Representative and letting him or her know its time to bring the troops home from Afghanistan, rescind the Authorization of the Use of Military Force (AUMF) and to vote NO on another $600 billion of wasteful Pentagon spending

 

US Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121

 

If you get information about how your representative is planning to vote, please send to Carolyn.Eisenberg@hofstra.edu

 

Please forward widely.