[haw-info] Skip the Speech! Stand for Peace! Congressional Switchboard 202-224-3121

Skip the Speech! Stand for Peace!

 

House Speaker John Boehner has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress on March 3. This partisan initiative is an obvious effort to embarrass the President and sabotage the Administration's promising negotiations with Iran about its nuclear energy program.

 

As of now 25 Representative and 4 Senators have stated they will skip the speech, while a larger group have asked the Israeli Prime Minister to stay at home. This could be a turning point in US-Israeli relations opening the prospect of greater independence by members of Congress in addressing Middle East policy.

 

Please pick up the phone and call your member of Congress. Ask the Capitol Switch-board to connect you:

Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121

 

Ask your Representative to:

* Skip the speech

* Support the Administration's negotiations with Iran about its nuclear-energy program

* Resist Israeli efforts to intervene in American politics

 

Carolyn Eisenberg and Van Gosse for the Historians Against War Steering committee

ps please let us know of any responses

Carolyn.r.Eisenberg@gmail.com

[haw-info] HAW Notes 2/20/15: Links to recent articles of interest

Links to Recent Articles of Interest

"Haunted by Vietnam"

By Staughton Lynd, CounterPunch.org, posted February 20

Review essay on American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity by Christian Appy

"Jeb Bush on Foreign Policy: Peddling Old Iraqi Myths Again"

By Juan Cole, Informed Comment blog, posted February 19

The author teaches history at the University of Michigan.

"What Ike Can Teach Obama"

By Scott McConnell, The American Conservative, posted February 18

Draws lessons from the 1956 Suez crisis

"Hailed as a Model for Successful Interventions, Libya Proves to be the Exact Opposite"

By Glenn Greenwald, The Intercept, posted February 16

"Obama's ISIS War Request Is an 'Extraordinary Opportunity' for Congress"

By Andrew J. Bacevich, Moyers & Company, posted February 14

The author, retired from teaching history at Boston University, is a fellow at Columbia University's School of Public and International Affairs.

"Lest We Forget: Bibi's 'Wisdom' on Iraq"

By Jim Lobe, LobeLog, posted February 12

Parallel's Netanyahu's arguments about Iraq prior to the 2003 invasion with his statements on Iran today.

"It Wasn't about Oil, and It Wasn't about Free Markets: Why We Invaded Iraq"

By Danny Postel, In These Times, posted February 11

Review essay on Muhammed Idrees Ahmad's new book The Road to Iraq

"The Warmongering Record of Hillary Clinton"

By Gary Leupp, CounterPunch.org, posted February 11

The author teaches history at Tufts University.

"Saying No to Torture: A Gallery of American Heroes"

By Rebecca Gordon, TomDispatch.com, posted February 10

The author's book Mainstreaming Torture was published in 2014.

"Burying Vietnam, Launching Perpetual War: How Thanking the Veteran Meant Ignoring What Happened"

By Christian Appy, TomDispatch.com, posted February 8

The author teaches history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His just-released American Reckoning is his third book on the Vietnam War.

Thanks to Mim Jackson, Rosalyn Baxandall, Chad Pearson, and an anonymous reader (always the same one) for suggesting articles included in the above list. And special thanks to Steve Gosch for having acted as co-editor of these lists for most of the past year. Suggestions for articles to be included can be sent to jimobrien48@gmail.com.

[haw-info] HAW Notes 2/4/15: Vietnam War notes; Links to recent articles of interest

Vietnam War:  A new book by Christian Appy, author of two previous books on the Vietnam War, is being released by Viking Press tomorrow, February 5, with the title American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity. Information is available at http://www.christianappy.com. Also regarding the Vietnam War, the ad hoc project Peace Commemoration is planning a May 2 convention in Washington. D.C. honoring the Vietnam-era peace movement. There is not yet a website, but information can be obtained by writing to peace.commemoration@gmail.com or to David.B.Cortright.1@nd.edu.

Links to Recent Articles of Interest

"Remembrance of Wars Past: Why There Is No Massive Antiwar Movement in America"

By Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch.com, posted February 3

Memories of I. F. Stone and reflections on the US in the Vietnam era and the present

"War Is the 'New Normal': Seven Deadly Reasons Why America's Wars Persist"

By William J. Astore, TomDispatch.com, posted February 1

The author is a retired lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force who also has a doctorate in Modern History from the University of Oxford.

"Don't Blame Islam: Al-Qaeda and ISIS Are Products of US and Saudi Imperialism"

By David Mizner, Jacobin magazine, posted January 30

"Israelpolitik, the Neocons and the Long Shadow of the Iraq War"

By Danny Postel, Portside.org, posted January 30

"Save Us from Washington's Visionaries: In (Modest) Praise of a Comforting Mediocrity"

By Andrew J. Bacevich, TomDispatch.com, posted January 29

The author, retired from teaching history at Boston University, is a fellow at Columbia University's School of Public and International Affairs.

"'NYT' Perpetuates Myth Israel Was 'Fighting for Its Very Survival' during 1967 War"

By Stephen R. Shalom, Mondoweiss, posted January 29

"Are the U.S. and Russian Governments Once Again on the Nuclear Warpath?"

By Lawrence S. Wittner, History News Network, posted January 25

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

"Why We Shouldn't Declare War on 'Radical Islam'"

By Andrew Meyer, History News Network, posted January 25

The author teaches history at Brooklyn College, CUNY.

"'American Sniper' Is Almost Too Dumb to Criticize Almost"

By Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone, posted January 21

Thanks to Rosalyn Baxandall and an anonyous reader for suggesting articles that are included in the above list. Suggestions can be sent to jimobrien48@gmail.com.