Sunday, October 2, 6 pm to 9 pm

Presented by Black Cinemateque and Dallas Peace Center (series: Films for Peace and Justice), Friday, Sept. 16, 8 pm, South Dallas Cultural Center, 3400 South Fitzhugh

Children in War In today’s wars 90 per-cent of the casualties are civilians, compared to 50 per-cent in World War II. During the 1990s, two million children were killed in wars throughout the world. Filmed on location in Bosnia, Rwanda, Israel and North-ern Ireland, this feature-length documentary explores war-torn neighborhoods, orphanages, schools and refu-gee camps. Through the eyes of children, the tragedy of war is witnessed. The children struggle to heal the past through art therapy and self-expression, but their per-sonal traumas are the recurring themes of war and terror-ism: fear of death, threat of physical injury; destruction of homes and displacement; disintegration of families; and the resilience of children in war.

$10 admission, $5 under 18.

For info: 214-426-1683, [email protected]

www.DallasPeaceCenter.org

Operation Recovery Team (Under the Hood, May, 2011)

Friday, August 19, 7-9 pm

at 5604 Manor community center (5604manor.org)

Screening of film on GI coffee house at Fort Lewis, Washington

“Grounds for Resistance,” is a documentary about
the “Coffee Strong” coffee house located outside the Fort Lewis, WA, Army base.
Inspired by the Vietnam-era G.I. coffee house movement, Coffee Strong provides a
safe space where service members, military families, and veterans can gather and
discuss their experiences of war, deployment concerns, the hardships of life in
the military, and veteran benefits.

Aaron Hughes, an organizer with Iraq Vets Against
the War, http://www.ivaw.org/, will be on hand to answer questions and
speak about IVAW’s “Operation Recovery” program to assist active-duty and vets
with issues related to repeated deployments.

Staff and volunteers from the “Under the Hood”
coffee shop in Killeen near Ft. Hood will also be available to answer questions
about their work. http://www.underthehoodcafe.org/

The $5 suggested donation will benefit Under the
Hood.

Location: 5604 Manor, 5604 Manor Road,
Austin, 78723 – 5604manor.org

In the Deficit & Debt Debate, the Problem Is a Deficit  of Facts

by Michael Eisenscher, National Coordinator, U.S. Labor Against the War
July 27th, 2011

[TxLAW note:  Where should the cuts be?  Who should pay?  Here are Eisenscher's suggestions.  For the full statement (well worth reading!), see http://uslaboragainstwar.org/article.php?id=24517]

End the war in Afghanistan and finish withdrawing US troops from
Iraq ($118 billion). Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the
Afghan war isn’t worth fighting.  31% want U.S.  troops home from Afghanistan
immediately; another 21% say within a year.[11] They are
right.  These wars are not protecting us from Al Qaeda or other terrorist
networks.  Instead, they help them recruit.

Close half of our military bases overseas, with appropriate force reductions ($55
billion).

Stop trying to control fossil fuel supplies abroad – at a cost of $103 billion a year.[12] We don’t need to dominate the world’s gas and oil supplies
to guarantee our own security.  Investing in sustainable and renewable energy
systems here would make us more secure.  But even as is, all the world’s major
suppliers happily sell as much as the U.S.  is prepared to buy.

There’s $276 billion – $2.76 trillion over ten years.  We could get to $3.5 trillion by
terminating destabilizing Cold War weapons systems, cutting thousands of nuclear
warheads (the ultimate weapons of mass destruction) from our stockpile of 5000,
and actually tackling $60 billion in annual military cost overruns. . . .

If in addition, Bush era tax cuts for the very wealthy were rescinded, a new top
bracket were instituted for millionaires and billionaires, capital gains were
taxed at ordinary income rates rather than the 15% now in effect, a small
transaction tax was applied to speculative stock trades, tax loopholes that
allow the wealthy and large corporations to reduce or evade taxes altogether
were closed, the cap was lifted on maximum income subject to Social Security
taxes ($108,600) so that high earners paid on all their income, the estate tax
were restored to 2008 levels (45% on estates larger than $2 million), a
“Medicare for All” single-payer health plan replaced the for-profit model we
have now – in other words, if the privileged elite actually had to shoulder
their share commensurate with their wealth – the issue of the deficit and debt
would simply evaporate, and Social Security and Medicare would be put on a sound
basis for many decades to come.  Add to that the impact of real economic
recovery that puts people back to work, which would bring additional revenues
into the treasury, and we’ d be debating how to spend budget surpluses rather
than whose ox is to be gored.

^7th Annual Summer Dinner Lecture Series

Tickets, click HERE or call 214-823-7793

MATTHEW HOH

A New Way Forward: Rethinking U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan & Pakistan

Matthew Hoh, Director, Afghanistan Study Group

Matthew Hoh is the Director of the Afghanistan Study Group, a network of foreign and public policy experts and professionals advocating for a change in US strategy in Afghanistan. A former State Department official, Hoh resigned in protest from his post in Afghanistan over US strategic policy and goals in Afghanistan in September 2009. His resignation letter has been cited as an Essential Document by the Council on Foreign Relations. Hoh was recently named the 2010 Ridenhour Prize Recipient for Truth Telling.

After two tours of duty in Iraq and serving in the State Department in Washington, D.C., Matthew Hoh became the United States’ senior civilian representative and political adviser in Afghanistan. He resigned five months into his contract, making him the highest-ranking U.S. government official to publicly quit over the war in Afghanistan. He joins us from Washington, D.C., to discuss whether the death of Osama bin Laden means the end of that war.

“Everybody should be asking themselves today in the United States, if Osama Bin Laden was hiding in an upscale villa an hour or two drive north, northeast of Islamabad, then why did we put 50,000 troops in Afghanistan over the last two years?” says Hoh.

When: Thursday, August 11, 2011
Time: Reception 6:30 p.m.; dinner and program at 7:00 p.m.
Where: FunAsia, 1210 E. Beltline Rd., Richardson

info from Dallas Peace Center, http://www.dallaspeacecenter.org/?id=1

July 19, 2011

This evening the Austin AFL-CIO Council [Central Labor Council] was privileged to have members of the Fort Hood Operation Recovery team as guests and presenters.  Visitors to the CLC meeting were Aaron Hughes, Scott Kimball, and Sergio Kochergin of Iraq Veterans Against the War; Lori Hurlebaus of the Civilian Soldier Alliance; Alice Embree of the Fort Hood Support Network (who is also a member of the Texas State Employees Union).

Aaron spoke of the need for solidarity among soldiers, veterans, and workers.  Soldiers are workers–they are public employees; and our unions have many veterans as members.  Many soldiers come from union families and go back to unions when discharged.  But the unemployment rate among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is 21% (12% more than the national average).  The rate is even higher among African-American and female veterans–about 30%.

Many soldiers suffer from war trauma and nonetheless are redeployed.  Suicide rates among active-duty troops are twice as high as that of the civilian population, and veterans with PTSD are 6 times more likely to attempt suicide.  20% to 50% of all service members deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  One in 3 women in the military are sexually assaulted.  1 in 3 soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq say they can’t see a mental health professional when they need to, and nearly 20% of service members are taking some kind of psychiatric drug.

Aaron pointed out the huge expense of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This money is needed at home–and we owe veterans the benefits and health treatment they need.

Most of the CLC delegates signed the pledge of support for Operation Recovery that our visitors passed around.  It states:  “I pledge to support the Operation Recovery campaign to the best of my ability.  In a war where soldiers are being injured faster than the military can treat them, I will work alongside veterans and service members to end the cycles of trauma and abuse.”  The pledge sheet further explains:  “Join Iraq Veterans Against the War and Civilian Soldier Alliance in our effort to stop the deployment of troops suffering from Military Sexual Trauma, Traumatic Brain Injury, and PTSD.  By signing our pledge, you agree to do what you can to help defend the rights of soldiers to heal and to hold accountable those who are responsible for deploying traumatized troops.  As the Operation Recovery campaign unfolds, we will be calling on you to help in a variety of ways.”

There was discussion from the CLC delegates, several of whom are veterans.  A Teamster rep described their program to get members back into jobs when they get home from the military.  A member of AFSCME indicated she has personal experience with veterans’ mental health problems and wants to get a group she works with in touch with Operation Recovery.  There was also interest among the delegates in U.S. Labor Against the War–USLAW brochures were available as well as Operation Recovery literature.

For more TxLAW stories on Fort Hood Operation Recovery, see http://txlaboragainstwar.org/2011/07/08/killeen-ivaw-its-audacious-and-a-little-crazy-what-were-doing-at-ft-hood/, http://txlaboragainstwar.org/2011/05/27/killeen-ivaw-operation-recovery-action-at-ft-hood/, and http://txlaboragainstwar.org/2011/07/17/killeen-under-the-hood-update-july-2011/

For LOTS of information about Operation Recovery, to sign the pledge, and to donate, see http://www.ivaw.org/operation-recovery

Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/operationrecovery
For more on the Civilian-Soldier Alliance, go to http://www.civsol.org/

–Leslie Cunningham, July 21, 2011

from the General Federation of Iraqi Workers: http://www.iraqitradeunions.org/wordpress/?p=3401

Hundreds of ordinary Iraqis-men and women and children protested today in central Baghdad, Tahrir Square Friday 8 July calling on the Iraqi authorities to provide jobs and basic services including clean water and electricity. Protestors carried handmade posters calling for an end to corruption and demanding an immediate political reform.

Protesters, today, sent a clear message to the Iraqi authorities telling them to stop the current political stalemate, which led to worsening of security situation, and to agree on a genuine national reconciliation plan. Alternatively protested called for an early national general election to allow the people to decide themselves.

(TxLAW note:  we are featuring pictures showing brave Iraqi women–some in traditional dress, some not.  For more photos, go to the link above.)

We call on all supporters of workers’ rights who are available Monday afternoon to come out in support of our sisters and brothers who work for the Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority.  The Cap Metro Board and the Texas Legislature are illegally trying to take away the union’s rights and the workers’ pay and benefits.  Cap Metro is trying to “lower labor costs”–which means making up for its financial mismanagement on the backs of its workers