All posts by Augustus

Fashion, Holiday, Nonviolence, Occupy Wall Street, Peace, Shopping, Social Justice, Video

Black Friday: Buy Nothing! Demand Peace! Support striking Wal-Mart workers!

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Occupy Long Island: Buy Nothing Day sign
Occupy Black Friday

Black Friday for some people means lining up for bargains at the doors of big corporations. Though, people who want our country to be more sustainable, and less dependent on war money,  have often asked people to “Buy Nothing” on the day after Thanksgiving.

This year, there are several ways to celebrate the empowerment that is Buy-Nothing-Day:

-Make sure you do not buy anything on Friday, November 23, 2012

-On all the other shopping days leading to Christmas and Chanukah…shop local, union, Fair Trade, organic, natural, and/or sustainably when possible. [See our Peace Couple website for Kind Shopping ideas.]

-Join Occupy Wall Street in your area, as they protest at Walmart, in support of striking Walmart workers.

An anti-Black Friday shopping video at Youtube: here and below.

An excellent (archival) speech by Reverend Billy about Black Friday, Consumerism, and Buy Nothing Day: here.

An example of a local  Occupy  Black Friday Demo at Walmart:   Continue reading Black Friday: Buy Nothing! Demand Peace! Support striking Wal-Mart workers! →

antiwar, Nonviolence, Peace, Royal Book of the Week, Social Justice

Oliver Stone discusses Pacifist Presidential Candidate Henry Wallace on DN!

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Oliver Stone's Secret History of AmericaDemocracy Now! aired a  report on how “Academy Award-winning Oliver Stone has teamed up with historian Peter Kuznick to produce a 10-part Showtime series called “Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States.'”  They have also produced a book of the same name.

The series centers on the effect that the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan had on the history of the US.  In questioning whether it was necessary to drop the A-bomb, Stone and Kuznick explore the different path the United States almost took if the pacifist Henry Wallace had remained as  Franklin D. Roosevelt‘s Vice President and had won 1944 Presidential nomination of the Democratic Party.  In the interview, Stone discusses the success of the progressive policies of Wallace as FDR’s Secretary of Agriculture prior to becoming his second Vice President:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO-Y8wNwbuA&t=8m13s]   Continue reading Oliver Stone discusses Pacifist Presidential Candidate Henry Wallace on DN! →

antiwar, Nonviolence, Occupy Wall Street, Royal Book of the Week

Howard Zinn’s The “Moral Equation” of War is Wrong

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The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of PeaceHoward Zinn‘s 1970 essay Vietnam: The Moral Equation is the seventeenth chapter of The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of Peace .  I am proponent of Zinn’s People’s History of the United States,  and especially the graphic novel version, A People’s History of American Empire.  And Zinn seems to be a force behind this book of pacifism, including contributing the introduction.

Yet, here I go committing heresy:  Howard Zinn is wrong.  In the first few paragraphs of this essay he gives away the whole pacifist store.  Now I am all for the concept of free, but not when it means surrendering my pacifism from the get-go.  Zinn starts by giving up on pacifism:

I would start such a discussion from the supposition that it is logically indefensible to hold an absolutely nonviolent position . . . .  Continue reading Howard Zinn’s The “Moral Equation” of War is Wrong →

antiwar, Holiday, Nonviolence, PAXi, Peace, Photos

What will the PAXi number be on International Peace Day 9/21/12?

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Peace Child at Occupy Wall Street by PeaceCouple(See bottom for running tally of Peace Index numbers leading up to and after International Day of Peace.)

On July 15, 2012, Duchess Susanna introduced PAXi, which is the nickname for the Daily Peace Culture Index for the United States [DPCIUS]. PAXi is designed to describe the amount of energy and discussion devoted to peace in The United States each day. The PAXi number is  posted prominently at Peace Couple every day.

According to our friends at the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR):

Each year on Sept. 21, the United Nations marks the International Day of Peace. Passed by the U.N. General Assembly in 2001, the day is to be “devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.” Beginning in 2004, the World Council of Churches has marked the day with an International Day of Prayer for Peace. A spiritually-based, multifaith 24-hour vigil for peace has taken place each year around the world.

There will global celebrations of peace leading up to September 21st.  The Fellowship of Reconciliation will be marking “the occasion in a couple of ways, including an all-day event with affiliate Global Days of Listening. FOR is also sponsoring On Earth Peace’s network of local events around the theme Peace Day: Praying for Ceasefire. Read on for more information!”

Please check in with us everyday to see if the global focus on peace raises the PAXi number. Continue reading What will the PAXi number be on International Peace Day 9/21/12? →

antiwar, environment, Nonviolence, Occupy Wall Street, Peace, Social Justice, Uncategorized, Video

Remembering Ward Morehouse 1929-2012

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I have written on this site a great deal about pacifist heroes of the past.  Ward Morehouse is a pacifist her owhom I was lucky enough to have worked with.

Even in our corporatized culture, there are still many people to act as guideposts for how to live a life, they are just not publicized.  Ward Morehouse is definitely one of those Great people.  And I just found out recently that we lost him.

I met Ward in the late 1990’s through The Other Economic Summit North America (TOES).  He was the Chair of TOES NA.  Before there was Occupy, or even the Battle of Seattle, there was TOES.  They would shadow the G8 summit, and put on a conference highlighting a humane vision of the planet’s economy.  Ward was so much more than an academic,  he was a visionary, leader, teacher, publisher, and activist.  The obituary below describes him better than I could.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iWdyH4vWVM]   Continue reading Remembering Ward Morehouse 1929-2012 →

Nonviolence, Nonviolent Communication, Occupy Wall Street, Peace, Social Justice

Occupy San Diego,CA General Assembly 7/18/12

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I attended the Occupy San Diego General Assembly (GA) on Wednesday July 18, 2012. Occupy San Diego holds GA’s on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

occupy san diego (5)

The Wednesday GA is held at the Children’s Park at the base of 1st Avenue near the waterfront. Walking along the waterfront to the GA, there are MLK quotes in the cement. I thought this one was appropriate for the GA:  Continue reading Occupy San Diego,CA General Assembly 7/18/12 →