Post Invasion Round-up Now that the so-called ‘war’ in Iraq is over as a major media spectacle, the aftermath hidden within the pages of the alternative press confirms many worst fears. The following facts, analysis and further organizing resources are well worth pursuing. - The financial cost of the invasion. There have been various estimates of the financial cost to the American people of the Iraq adventure, but the War Resisters League has an excellent analysis of the US budget for FY 2004, along with a comparison of what the cost of Tools for War would provide if the money were redirected toward Tools for Peace. Check out War Resisters League: http://www.warresisters.org/piechart.htm
- Extracting the oil. Despite all the protestations to the contrary, the invasion was to secure oil supplies for the West, specifically North America. Headlines in the Business section of Toronto’s Globe & Mail (April 12, 2003) say it all: "Iraq a field of dreams for big oil firms," and "Firms hope to strike t rich in Iraq." Oil companies poised to reap the benefits include ChevronTexaco and Exxon Mobil, as well as Royal Dutch/Shell, BP, France’s TotalFinaElf, Russia’s Lukoil and China National Oil.
- The Two Untouchable Ministries. While Baghdad Museum was looted of priceless treasures from humanity’s past, despite early warnings that American forces should protect it — a war crime according to the Geneva Convention — the US wasted no time in protecting two ministries it especially wanted to preserve: the Ministry of Interior, with its vast wealth of intelligence information on Iraq, and the Ministry of Oil. Check out the full story by Robert Fisk, writing for Britain’s The Independent: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/story.jsp?story=396997
- The rebuilding of Iraq. Bush cronies within the White House stand to make millions on the reconstruction of that country, with US AID already having given a contract worth $680 billion to Bechtel whose former president is George Shultz. To witness how war is good for business, check out Daddy Warbucks Is Alive and Well, by Joe Conason, which appeared in the New York Observer, April 28. http://www.observer.com/pages/story.asp?ID=7269
- Grace News. The U.S. government has launched an Arabic language satellite TV news station for Muslim Iraq. It is produced in a studio called Grace Digital Media, — that's Grace as in "by the Grace of God" — controlled by fundamentalist Christians who are rabidly pro-Israel. For the full story by Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman, check out ZNet: http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=21&ItemID=3537
- Emperor Bush? Republicans are calling for repeal of the 22nd amendment which limits the number of terms a president may serve (House Joint Resolution 11). To explore this further, go to Google and type in: "Repeal the 22nd Amendment". See text of the bill.
- The Internet & the Iraq War. The Pew Internet & American Life Project released a report in April indicating that war opponents got much of their information via the Net, as well as using the Net for anti-war organizing. The full report can be downloaded at: http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=87
- The Other Superpower. Donald Rumsfeld may have launched a "campaign unlike any other in history," but as Jonathan Schell pointed out in an article in The Nation, what he did not expect was that the peoples of Earth — "the other superpower" —would launch an opposing campaign destined to be even less like any other in history. What emerges is a portrait of a world in resistance. Check out the full story at: http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030414&s=schell
- Deception Dollars. Over 100,000 “Deception Dollars” issued by the United States of Aggression were printed and circulated during anti-invasion protests earlier in the year. For the inspiring activist story of their creation, as well as links to a number of groups continuing the anti-war activism, go to: http://www.deceptiondollar.com
- Stories of War. The Story Carriers Group has been collecting the real stories of the nature of war so we may better know how to organize for peace. Check out: http://www.eleventhhourstories.org/
Garbage in, Oil out The Net has been abuzz lately with the story of Changing World Technologies (CWT) that claims that technological savvy can turn 600 million tons of turkey guts and other waste into four billion barrels of light Texas crude each year. Together with the giant multinational ConAgra Foods, CWT plans to build a monstrous twenty million dollar factory in Carthage, Missouri, right next to the Butterball Turkey factory… Articles on this have appeared in Discover magazine Vol. 24 No. 5 (May 2003) http://www.discover.com/may_03/featoil.html and in The Kansas Star http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/story,local/3accdae6.727,.html. However, NSP energy expert Richard Heinberg, author ofThe Party’s Over: Oil, War and the Future of Industrial Societies brings a more sober interpretation to the idea that this may solve the planet’s energy woes. More... Solutions to Spring Allergies? With spring upon us, those of us who are allergy sufferers often look to devices like air purifiers to provide relief. In this article, “Air Purifiers: More Than Just Clean Air?” Angela Hobbs, author of The Sick House Survival Guide: Simple Steps to Healthier Homes cautions against techno-fixes. More... Hot Off Press Peace starts at an early age
 With the almost incessant focus on ‘The War’ over the last months, it seems little short of amazing that children can grow up in North America with values that foster peaceful behavior and cooperation. NSP’s catalog has always featured educational resources for parents and educators that focus on conflict resolution, and now — teaming up with Family and Children’s Service from Minneapolis — we are pleased to add to this list of fine books. Seeing Red: An Anger Management and Peacemaking Curriculum for Kids will be off press in early May. For a sense of the book, check out the Table of Contents and Introduction. More... Are you suffering from indoor pollution?
 Millions are. More than 15% of North Americans are environmentally hypersensitive, with more than one household in three home to an environmentally hypersensitive person. Yet the medical profession is reluctant to recognize the problem, frequently diagnosing sufferers with ‘anxiety’ or allergies and sending them back to the very environments that made them sick. The Sick House Survival Guide: Simpler Steps to Healthier Homes, by Angela Hobbs provides first-hand experience of how to identify — and overcome — sick house syndrome. The author’s own story of how her regular healthy life was brought to a standstill from a newly renovated house is reason enough to think seriously about the kinds of materials you use in home construction and renovation. But there’s more — much more, having to do with the interaction of chemicals, hormones, and electromagnetic fields. Check out the Table of Contents and what scientists around the world are saying about the book. This book will be off press in the latter part of May. On The Horizon Beautiful Food from Beautiful BC!
 The first in NSP’s new line of cookbooks designed to not only thrill the taste buds but also to provide healthy and sustainable eating is now within sight! Hollyhock Cooks: Food to Nourish Body, Mind and Soil is a wonderful collection of recipes from the Hollyhock retreat and educational center, located on Cortes Island in British Columbia. As well as gathering leaders from the Body and Soul circuit to present workshops there, and enticing participants from all over, Hollyhock is noted especially for its fabulous food. With every dish a success story, you’ll see why in the pages of this lovely book — due for release in June. More... The Dream of Community — alive and well!
 There’s a new surge of interest across North America in combining lives with others to form ecovillages or intentional communities. A perennial dream, the community movement has gone through many phases in its long history, as often as not ending in conflict and failure. — No More! Now, with Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities, by Communities magazine editor Diana Christian, there is all the guidance you ever needed for launching — and sustaining — your dream. Due for release in June, you can check out the back cover now. More... |
