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    David Swanson - The Abolition of War Archived Message

    Posted by Jackie on February 21, 2019, 7:42 pm

    Thoughtful and forceful arguments against war and how to get rid of it. Takes on American exceptionalism. One would think that a bizarre fairy tale in the first place but way too many Americans buy into it.

    Alternative Radio, produced by David Barsamian, offers excellent lectures. They seem to offer free podcasts only of the latest show (I paid US $5 for this older show), but many community radio stations broadcast the weekly shows.

    http://alternative-radio.fetchapp.com/url/c541ee

    The Abolition of War

    Program #SWAD002. Recorded in Albuquerque, NM on December 12, 2018.

    The famous words: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war no more” are attributed to Isaiah in 700 B.C. Abolition of war. An age-old dream? Idealistic? Yes. But as the planet moves closer to destruction we must abolish war. War and the threat of war. It’s an old story. Populations are subjected to propaganda. Fear is manufactured. We deploy our troops to fight around the world. At the beginning of the Cold War, Senator Arthur Vandenberg told President Harry Truman that if wanted a militarized U.S. foreign policy he’d better “scare the hell out of American people.” That’s been Washington’s playbook ever since. Everywhere we look there are threats or potential threats. Let's get rid of war before it gets rid of us.

    Speaker: David Swanson
    David Swanson is an activist, journalist, and radio host. He is director of WorldBeyondWar.org and the author of War Is Never Just and Curing Exceptionalism. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

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