by @BarryRafkind in Economy & Poverty, Events, Government Reform, Special
Posted on January 2, 2010 at 10:48 pm
| January 9, 2010 | ||
| 3:00 pm |
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From http://justicewithpeace.org/node/819 :
Redirecting Military Spending to Meet Human Needs
The 25% Solution Task Force of UJP is conducting an interactive workshop on military spending and the campaign to redirect it to meet human needs at home. With the U.S. facing devastating economic and environmental crises, with our states and cities forced into layoffs and cutbacks, now is the moment to demand a shift in our country’s priorities.
About the workshop
This workshop is not an in-depth analysis of the military budget or the appropriations process in Congress. It is an introduction to UJP’s “25%” campaign – funding our neighborhoods by cutting military spending 25%. You should attend if you want to learn about the campaign or possibly present the workshop in your own community. It is designed for outreach to neighbors and organizations that are being hurt by layoffs and service cuts who may want to join the campaign. If you’re coming, please email Mike Prokosch at mikeprokosch@verizon.net so we know how many participants to prepare for.
About the campaign
Military spending – a trillion dollars per year when all war expenses are included – is consuming resources we urgently need to revive our economy and restore our communities. Congressman Barney Frank, Mayor Thomas Menino, 1199SEIU Massachusetts-Healthcare Workers East, and others have called for cutting US military spending 25% to fund our communities. Massachusetts’s share of a 25% cut would be $5 billion a year, which would eliminate the state’s budget gap for this fiscal year and restore vital services instead of cutting them further. For information see www.justicewithpeace.org/25-percent-solution and www.25percentsolution.org
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I attended this event today and was very impressed both with the presentation by Mike Prokosch and by the size of the turn-out (about 15 attendees).
I am very excited by the campaign because I feel it gets to the root cause of so much distress in this country and this world – that of the distorted budgetary priorities at the Federal level that emphasizes the military budget far beyond other needs like public education, health care, and creating jobs. This message should really resonate with all types of non-profits, progressive groups, unions, small businesses, and municipal and state elected officials who are all struggling to stay financially viable. So, the opportunity for building a broad-based coalition seems strong.
The campaign also has a well-thought-out strategy for success that will use workshops to mobilize people to pressure their elected officials to sign on. Then groups of lower-level officials and influential constituents will be organized to meet with Congresspeople to convince them to support the effort as well. This strategy will start in MA, but migrate out to other parts of the country over time.
I signed up to be a workshop facilitator and look forward to getting this campaign off the ground!
Final thought: Just think about how you would prefer your tax money to be spent and what local or state programs you think deserve more funding.
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Barry, I’m glad you went and sorry I missed it. But I hope you’ll do a workshop soon. Although common sense is not so common, this does sound like a logical and practical way to work for peace and justice. thanks, Mark
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A permanent war economy in the midst of such suffering is unconscionable and says volumes about US priorities.
I’m so glad you’ll be doing a workshop and look forward to attending.
As you know, Som/Medf UJP is planning to co-sponsor(with MA Rep. Denise Provost)the film “Why We Fight” which should complement the workshops on redirecting military spending.
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Excellent video here on the tax & spend progressives, backroom deals, liberla-agenda corruption and so on that the democrats have been engaging in for years now.
Maybe we should stop that before we leave the nation defenseless. We’re at war. k?
http://www.joeseales.com/2010/01/12/america-rising-video-a-must-see/
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Xumi, for me it’s not about democrats and republicans. There’s plenty of blame to go around. The main function of the federal government seems to be to funnel wealth upward to the already unimaginably wealthy. It was so under Bush, Clinton, Bush and now under the Obama administration. Your nasty dittohead video sheds no light on the real problems our country faces.
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Kate, what is a “dittohead”? Funnel wealth upward?
“Why shouldn’t I be given the fulfillment of my desires as you always fulfill any desire of your own? Why should you be happy while I suffer?…Don’t I have the right to demand any form of happiness I choose?…It’s your sin if I suffer! It’s your moral failure!…you’ve failed to supply my wants, therefore you’re guilty… I want this kind of world, today’s world, it gives me my share of authority, it allows me to feel important–make it work for me!–do something!–how do I know what?–it’s your problem and your duty! You have the privilege of strength, but I–I have the right of weakness!” Jim Taggert – looter, lazy brother of Dagny (hard worker/high wage earner) from Atlan Shrugged. (Ayn Rand)
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Barry,
Great that you attended the workshop and look forward to your presenting it.
Xumi, I think the nation is already defenseless – as a result of spending billions of $$ on two wars, which aren’t making us any safer – they’re generating lots more anger at the U.S. and creating more people intent on harming us. People in this country are suffering – from unemployment, not enough jobs, many without health care. And what did the Dems and Repubs do? – bail out the banks and AIG at $700B a pop, without any conditions on how that $$ would be spent. And now they say they’re angry at the huge bonuses. They’re all to blame, as Kate said.
Let’s try to help people understand how these things are all connected, and how the government is filling the pockets of corporations, health ins. companies, and the rich – at our expense. Can we try to build bridges – to connect all of us, and not demonize one group or another?
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Abby, agree with you on the bailouts. Obama spent our grandchildren into the growth and is propelling us towards 3rd world country standard of living.
On wars…. Doesn’t seem those muslim terrorists liked us much before 9/11 and last I checked we weren’t at war with anyone pre-9/11. I don’t think if we sit back and say “We’ll be your friends and sing Kumbaya!” that they’ll care. They’ll attack us again. They don’t like us much simply because they hate our freedoms. You need to get a handle on that and why that spending is needed.
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that’s interesting; I don’t know how to sing Kumbaya.
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hey Abby, stop down sometime and i”ll teach you the song. it’s a great spiritual and something we always sang around the campfire. peace, Mark
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I just wanted to urge all my fellow liberal, democratic friends to vote for Scott Brown. I have met Senator Brown and he is an independent, fair and smart man who will never back any of the national GOP agendas.
We need to tell our democratic politicians that we need better candidaates than Martha Coakley. They can’t just throw up these weak politicians with no independence from the machine and expect us to tow the line. We need better people and we need to send them a message that they can’t take us for granted any longer!
I URGE YOU to go to the polls on Tuesday and VOTE FOR SENATOR SCOTT BROWN. Scott needs our vote and support to get our country moving in
the right direction once again.
Please vote Scott Brown!
Best to all!
Mon
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