by Leonard Eiger “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world.” These are the words of Sadako Sasaki, who was only 2 years old when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. She survived the bombing and led an outwardly healthy life; she was said to be an energetic child who never missed one day of elementary school. She was also a fast runner. Things changed dramatically for Sadako in 1955 when she was diagnosed with Leukemia (a radiation-induced disease) and was admitted to the hospital. After 1000 paper cranes folded by high school […]
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We’re So Certain of Our Colonialist Selves That We’re Destroying Our Own Planet
“The global movement to end racism must turn its attention to the world’s most vulnerable cultures—the indigenous people of Planet Earth—who are still enduring the forces of colonial genocide.” by Robert C. Koehler “There are so many . . . primitive tribes—they don’t understand anything.” The global movement to end racism must turn its attention to the world’s most vulnerable cultures—the indigenous people of Planet Earth—who are still enduring the forces of colonial genocide. They are, after all, still obstacles to the planet’s moneyed interests. I say these words not simply because protecting tribal cultures is humane, but also because […]
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A Historian Reflects on the Return of Fascism
Editor’s Note: The following article, written by historian Lawrence Wittner, presents an important perspective at a time when, it could be argued, our nation is continuing its descent into racism. One of the ten steps any would-be dictator must take to destroy constitutional freedoms – the suspension of the rule of law – has begun, with Trump sending armed Federal police to cities (such as Portland) where they are beating and detaining people with no due process. They are already here in Seattle, and likely on their way to other major cities (to allegedly protect Federal property). May we hear Lawrence […]
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“Remember your humanity, and forget the rest.”
Sixty-five years ago, on July 9, 1955, early in the nuclear age, Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell and nine other distinguished Nobel Laureates introduced a resolution known as the Russell-Einstein Manifesto. The Manifesto is as relevant now as then. Today we stand at an even deeper precipice; nuclear weapons still threaten all of humanity, and we ignore that reality at humanity’s peril. And yet, nuclear weapons do not stand alone. We also face other existential threats – global pandemics and the effects of global warming. Other factors threaten to destabilize nations and international relations even further. Racism, greed and colonialism have […]
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Making America Feared Again: The Trump Administration Considers Resuming Nuclear Weapons Testing
There is no military necessity for nuclear test resumption. by Lawrence Wittner Originally published by Common Dreams on Friday, July 17, 2020 Americans who grew up with nightmares of nuclear weapons explosions should get ready for some terrifying flashbacks, for the Trump administration appears to be preparing to resume U.S. nuclear weapons tests. The U.S. government stopped its atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in 1962, shortly before signing the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963. And it halted its underground nuclear tests in 1992, signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996. Overall, it conducted 1,030 nuclear weapons test […]
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