"Make Par Not War!"-U.S. Secret Service in Town Paving the Way for Arrival of BushClinton Dynasties!

by Ciaron - Dublin Catholic Worker (personal capacity) Sun Sep 24, 2006 09:22

Saturday's Guardian sports pages reveal the politico-religious leadings of the assembled U.S. Ryder Cup team and its captain Tom Lehman. It don't look purty!

Both George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton are in attendance and is to be expected a heap of U.S. secret service in Ireland without much Irish public comment on their presence. Well I guess if Irish mainstream media can largely ignore 1100 U.S. troops going through Shannon Airport daily, no trouble ignoring a heap of U.S. secret service pissig out some new territory.

U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Tom Lehman once described Bill Clinton as "that draft-dodging baby-killer". Well Tom must not have been referring to Indo Chinese babies that made up a lot of the 2 1/2 million body count in a war that the young moderate Bill opposed. Bill did not deeply inhale the radical politics of the youth culture opposing the Vietnam War. Bill did sniff around enough to conclude in the clarity of his youth to conclude that the U.S. invasion and occupation of Vietnam was immoral, illegal and unwinnable. Bill did oppose that war and the U.S. killing of Indo-Chinese babies.While at Oxford University Bill did organise a protest against the U.S. war on Vietnam, unlike daughter Chelsea who disrupted an Oxford debate on the U.S. war on Afghanistan with the unfurling of a U.S. flag and a miffed disposition. Chelsea was later delayed at Shannon Airport by the nonviolent disarmament action of the Pit Stop Ploughshares on Feb 3rd. '03, so she didn't get the last word there! George Buish Jr. also didn't kill any Indo-Chinese babies, striking a sweetheart deal with the Texas National Guard (who were never going to be deployed to the U.S. war on Vietnam.

George Sr, Bill Clinton, George Sr. and waiting in the wings Hillary and Jeb have had no problem with the killing of Iraqi babies. Over a million children under the age of five (UNESCO) were killed by U.S. sanctions during the (12 year) administrations of conservative U.S. George Bush Sr. and hip U.S. liberal Bill Clinton. George Sr. also had a hand in killing many babies in Central America and the Middle East during his role as U.S. Vice President during the Reagan Administration and as head of the C.I.A. George also dropped the equivalent of 8 Hiroshimas on Iraq in Gulf War 1 as he declared on its eve, "I agree with the peace movement demand of "No More Vietnams!", "this will not be another Vietnam, we won't fight this with one armed tied behind our back!" At the conclusion of the his blitz over Iraq he rejoiced "We have finally kicked the 'Vietnam Syndrome'! " The Vietnam Syndrome being a disillusionment with the draft and a general anxiety in U.S. society to lose vast numbers of American dead effecting U.S. ability to project U.S. military forces around it's empire in the post-Vietnam period.

The draft is worth reflecting on when examining the religious politics of Tom Lehman the Ryder Cup Captain and to reflect on who is gathered out there at the K Club this past weekend. And to ask are such gatherings merely of concern only to the sports pages. The Guardian article observes... "there aren't any Papists on this year's U.S. (Ryder) side of course. The likes of Stewart Cink and Scott Verplank - both captain's picks incidently - are very much Christians of the born again variety in a team that travelled to County Kildare with an official chaplian. This minister, Larry Moody, is both PGA Tour chaplian and president of Search Ministries......Team U.S. vice-captain Loren Roberts, whom Larry baptised 13 years ago, in the swimming pool at Disneyworld's Polynesian resort etc etc"

It is often said tha "truth is the first casualty of war and God the first conscript". As Rupert Murdoch acknowledged this week there are 100 million evangelical Christinas in the U.S., the only church going part of the first world (40% of the general U.S. population claim to go to church regularly compared to 4% in England). Rupert this week set up a company to service this huge market with right wing theology commited to making six feature films a year. This is not to say there aren't radicals who come out of this tradition (see the film "Matewan", see Martin Luther King, see the young Shane Clabourne and moderates/liberals (see the Greenbelt Festival, Jim Wallis Sojourners Magazine) but presently there are small fry compared to the religious right solidly behind the war on Iraq and with such a dangerous take on the book of Revelation and so well placed in this Bush Jr. administration that fastt forwarding to ecological destruction or blowing up the planet in constant war are perceived by a dabgerous number "as all part of the divine plan".

Every empire develops a spiritualtiy. It can be the co-option of Catholicism by the Spanish and Portugese, the creation of Anglicanism by the British (significant to note that the war on Iraq is the first british war the Church of England has not blessed or supported in its history), it can be the co-option of Islam by the Saud Royal family, it can be the co-option of Buddhism by Ghengis Khan or it can be the development of a transcendant personal cult around Chairman Mao and the suchlike. You need a certain transcendance to convince young men to go and kill for you to maintain and expamd empire.

Make par not war!

by Solidarity Sun Sep 24, 2006 00:07

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060923/ap_on_re_us/canada_...ers_2

by Shannon Update Sat Sep 23, 2006 11:22

http://www.galwayindependent.com/news/8620.html

by Update Sat Sep 23, 2006 11:02

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060922/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/9...s_two

by Solidarity Fri Sep 22, 2006 17:37 Ithaca, New York, USA

Vietnam Veteran and peace activist, Peter De Mott was released from custody in the U.S last week. He was the finally member of the St Patricks Day Four www.stpatricksfour.org to be released. The four had occupied their local military recruting centre in Ithaca, upsate New York, on St Patricks Day '03 a couple days before the U.S. invasion of Iraq. They poured blood on recruiting propoganda and prayed. they were arrested.

Their first state trial ended in a hung jury. Just before the Peter Demott (husband of Ellen Grady) and two others of the group Clare and Teresa Grady and 8 other members of the Grady family departed for Ireland to attend the first Pit Stop Ploughshares trial in March '05. The FBI raided the four defendants houses and hit them with felonies (max 7 years) related to the origiinal action.

On returning for the first bail appearance Prosecution moved to have the defendants travel of Peter, Teresa and Clare restricted to the district of the court as "they had just been in Ireland involved inongoing criminal activity (attending the trial of the later acquitted Pit Stop Ploughshares!) During the Oct '05 trial in Binghamton, New York, the St. Patricks Four were cross examined about the Pit Stop Ploughshares.

Although the SP4 were found "not guilty" of the most serious felony they were found guilty of others and sentenced to 4-8 months.

Peter recieved the longest sentence dur to the most previous and was released last week.
More on his release and the reunification of the St. Patricks Four on the link below....

http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A.../1002

by Update Wed Sep 20, 2006 17:16

Activist jailed by Reading Magistrates' Court.

Reading, Berkshire., England

Southampton-based artist and peace campaigner Lizzie Jones was today jailed by Reading Magistrates' Court.

In August 2005, Lizzie had taken part in a symbolic planting of vines and fig trees (see Micah 4:3 - part of the "swords into ploughshears" chapter) inside the grounds of the AWE, Aldermaston, and was subsequently ordered to pay compensation to the Ministry of Defence for criminal damage to the wire fence.

Lizzie has refused to pay the MoD on principle, but had written and offered to pay "in kind", namely by offering her artistic services by painting a mural or decorating a room at the Establishment. However, the MoD had not replied.

The Court obviously did not find this acceptable, and as a result of her courageous refusal to pay, jailed Lizzie for seven days. It is hoped she will be free by the week-end.

by Ciaron O'Reilly - DCW/PSP5 Tue Sep 19, 2006 09:58

The anti-war scene in Ireland is more of a remnant than a movement.

No political party is proactively runnin on the war, Irish involvement in it and the Ahern subservience to Bush (even though a poll in last week's Sunday Tribune found "80% of Irish peolpe think Bush has made the world a more dangerous place!" and the governments of Italy and Spain have fallen on their involvement in the U.S. war on Iraq. It s my undestanding that neither the Green Party (whose origins are in the German peace movement) or Sinn Fein (whose constituency one would assume woould object to having a U.S. military base in County Clare) are proactively running on the war in the forthcoming election.

Still much has been achieved with small numbers doing nonviolent direct action t- roop movements through Shannon have been cut by 2/3 since the beginning of the third Pit Stop Ploughshares trial (July '06) that ended in an historic unanimous acquittal. World Airways that pulled out following the Pit Stop Plougshares action Feb '03 (they returned after 4 months and little follow up NVDA/ they would have probably stayed out if there had been escalated NVDA at Shannon) have now relocated to Liepzig Germany (not the most direct route to the war theatre).

There is a mobilisation for Sept 23rd initiated from London (there will be amarch in Dublin) in reespone to the Brisith Labour Party annual conference. To the best of my knowledge Dublin organisers have not made the link with the visit of Bush Sr. and Clinton. Dunno why?

Plans are progressing well for a nonviolent shut down of Shannon Airport at an undisclosed date should the Irish government fail to demilitarise Shannon airport within the next month.

Also their will be the first return of the anti-war movement in Ireland to Shannon Airport this year on Oct 28th. It will be a publicised legal demonstration. It will be theve of All Souls/ Halloween whne there is a national cultural focus on the dead. Most of the 2,000 young Americans killed in Iraq so far Shannon Airport provided the departure lounge for death. We will be accompanied by five U.S. veterans of this recent war on Iraq who will remember heir dead and the dead of Iraq. We are taking adivise from artists and theatre people on how to make this return as visual and creative as possible. Oct 28th. is the 2nd. anniversary of Fallujah and their will be a nonviolent blockade of Northwood British HQ (outskirts of London) that day.

by Robyn Tue Sep 19, 2006 03:12 peacefulwarriorprincess at yahoo dot com dot au South Australia

I certainly hope that there will be some Irish folks taking this opportunity to remind Mr Bush Snr and Clinton about the memory of the vast numbers of children that were killed under their orders on their watch.

My city had the misfortune of hosting a visit by the US Minister for War Crimes, Donald Rumsfeld, for 3 days last November. Myself and a friend were the only protesters who went to greet him at our new international airport (the main protest was on the steps of parliament house that afternoon).

It was a few days after Armistice/Remembrance Day Nov 11 so I took along my red poppy and unlit white candle as a symbol for Iraqi war dead. After explaining my candle to security and having them xray it, I was told I was "randomly" chosen to have my clothing examined for residues of explosives. Happy to oblige, but told them I didnt think it quite so random.

There were a few camera crew from TV stations, and the cameraman from our equivalent of the BBC was complaining that he was not allowed to get close to Rumsfeld's plane and only one hand picked tame journo could interview Rumsfeld and video would be supplied by the Americans.

Outside there were state police everywhere, and the specially US trained ones wore orange vests. The normal state cops were fine, but the orange vests got unhappy when myself and friend went out into the carpark to get a closer look at the plane. Cops lined up everywhere. An orange vest interviewed me and took my name, address, date of birth, occupation etc and was quite aggressive about it. It was quite clear he wanted me to leave, and was very intimidating, but I stuck to my guns as I hadn't committed a crime.

I said "aren't I allowed to be in the vicinity of an american warplane" he said "no". I then asked him if I could wait until my friend came back over from the car to take my photo in front of Air force 3. He couldn't say no but was really pissed off with me hahaha .

Meanwhile my friend was back at our car being interviewed by other police who were trying to get him to leave. We had shovels in the back seat from some gardening we had done, and when the cops caught a glimpse they went all funny and wanted to know about the 'weapons'. It took a while to reassure them that they were not.

It was a real eerie feeling, that my own countrymen, my police, had been trained to act as agents of the US government, and we were treated like criminals just for parking in the airport carpark and looking at a plane through the fence. Welcome to Australia, the 52nd state of the USA (UK is the 51st).

I'll certainly be very interested to hear of any experiences involving Clinton or Bush Snr in Ireland during the Ryder Cup.

cheers,
Robyn

by Kevin Prendergast Tue Sep 19, 2006 02:42

Inversion and perversion, thy name is Madeline.

by Veritas - Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign Tue Sep 19, 2006 02:33

Excerpt from Democracy Now website article (18-08-2006); "Day for Darfur: Tens of Thousands Rally in Global Day Against Genocide"

Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State: "The world has to act and it must do so now because it's not, the time is not on our side. The possibility exists that by this time next month, there will be no peacekeepers in Darfur or humanitarian workers, just killers and victims. That would be a failure and we cannot be complicit to it. To be clear, the issue is not about trying to impose U.S. western values on Sudan, for the protection of the civilians (except for 500,000 Iraqi children, Veritas's insertion) is a universal responsibility."

Sheeet! can this benighted creature be for real or do miracles happen beyond the pale of the bible?.

by Bleating Lamb. Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:37

On Friday night, there was a fireworks display in the grounds of the Smurfit School in Blackrock. It is a postgraduate college for business studies that is named after "Dr" Smurfit, and is attached to UCD. Instead of paying a just share of tax, the old-style bully bought a plot of land from the local convent and after a spot of speculation, sent it on to be used as a college. Numerous oil paintings and bronze signs are dedicated to him around the campus.

I wasn't around on Friday, but I gather that there was a lot of security gathered around a huge white tent. The multi-millionaires weren't content with hired muscle, and the local cops (incl special branch) took a night off from driving around the local parks & pissing off drunk teenagers to protect the collected golf-fans.

by Jim Ryan Mon Sep 18, 2006 10:41

Lots of interesting exec jets and choppers arriving in Dublin airport over last few days. I was just passing through yesterday and live down the country, but anyone nearby with a bit of time should go join the planespotters lined up along the road from the long-term Blue carpark to the M50 for a gawk.

by Update Mon Sep 18, 2006 09:16

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060918/ap_on_re_mi_ea/in_a...hands

by Update Sun Sep 17, 2006 23:03

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0916-01.htm