"The sickness of capitalism is that if you kill a person with paperwork, it simply doesn't count." -- Val for Nevada on X https://twitter.com/ValforNevada/status/1864436943955873970 

 

The Sickness of Capitalism

by C.A. Matthews

No doubt, it will be called the surveillance video of the century. Well, no one who is working class—or even upper middle class or whatever is the term for those who aren’t quite in the top one-percent of earners in the US—is going to forget it. If you have ever paid private health insurance premiums, co-pays, and deductibles, or filed for bankruptcy because of medical debt, or if you or your loved ones have ever been denied necessary health care by a private insurance company, then you will understand why so many are cheering over the gunning down of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk.

Thompson was a man already under suspicion of insider trading by the Department of Justice, a man who made well over $10 million yearly, a man whose estimated net worth was estimated at approximately $42.9 million as of February 16, 2024, according to Wallmine.com, and a man whose corporation, UnitedHealthcare, has become notorious for its 32% denial of claims, with a market cap of $561.15 billion, the world’s 16th most valuable company by market cap according to CompaniesMarketcap.com.

So, yeah, it couldn’t have happened to a “nicer” guy.

The internet is full of some of the best memes and quotes ever this week. The shooter is being called the “Adjuster” by some, since he acted as a “claims adjuster” of sorts. The upside of all this hullabaloo is that after a lull we’re once again seeing a familiar hashtag: #MedicareForAll

It doesn’t seem all that long ago that I was actively volunteering for a presidential candidate who touted Medicare For All... 

 

To learn who this candidate was and more about the sickness of capitalism, please read the rest of this article by clicking on this Substack link: https://therevolutioncontinues.substack.com. There you'll see related article and video links, all the graphics, and be able to leave comments. You can also subscribe and receive the weekly blog post in your email box. 

Subscribe to The Revolution Continues on Substack today! Power to the people!

What Did You Expect? Part 2--The Iowa Caucus Chaos Edition

What Did You Expect? (Part 2)

by Coast Watcher

In last week’s article my colleague Redd Phlagg nailed it by defining the United States for what it is—a system of government set up by rich, property-owning white men for future rich, property-owning white men to prosper in. Trump’s gift of tax breaks to billionaires practically as soon as his ass hit the seat in the Oval Office was a clear indicator that it was business as usual for the wealthy. As for the rest of us, we can go… quite.

Like Redd, I was amazed and not a little despairing at the mob mentality displayed by the left-leaning portion of the population salivating at the prospect of Trump’s impeachment and conviction. God knows the man has committed enough crime in his lifetime for him to be locked away for the rest of his natural span. It should’ve been easy for the House and then the Senate to follow the legal process and convict him. That it did not is down to the fact the Republican-dominated Senate had no intention of convicting Trump. In fact, many of them said so in loud voices before the event. Therefore, why is everyone on the Left so surprised and outraged at the result? What, indeed, did they expect?

They gained a little bit of recompense from Speaker of the House Pelosi when she tore up the transcript of Trump’s State of the Union speech. As a piece of political theater it came across as asinine and juvenile. Pelosi is capable of inflicting far more damage to the Orange Tyrant if she wishes—but she doesn’t wish so, because she’s another rich person in a rich person’s nation.

Likewise, those on the Right cheered to the skies when their Beloved Führer—sorry, president—escaped conviction. It appears they were genuinely

concerned that those ''libtards'' would bring their man down. Are they so ignorant of the status quo that they feared he might be convicted? Are they really so enamored of the damage their Glorious Leader is inflicting on them and theirs? Of his threats to dismantle the social security and Medicaid they’ve paid into all their lives as "a fun second term project?"

And it doesn’t stop with the antics in Congress. It’s primary season once again, and once again we’re treated to the disgusting sight of the so-called Democratic Party trying to rig the results of a primary. Iowa was a shambles, an utter debacle. The now notorious "Shadow" app used by the Democrats to tally and codify the results of caucuses across the state instead caused massive disruption. In one instance, it flipped 200 votes to candidate Pete Buttigieg before a single vote had been cast at that caucus. In another instance of Democrat corruption, a caucus captain flipped a coin several times before getting the result he wanted and awarding delegates to Buttigieg. Further, at another caucus even though voting showed a clear winner in candidate Bernie Sanders, Buttigieg was awarded an equal number of delegates.

That any accurate and reliable information came out of the Iowa farce is down to the Sanders team. Using their own app, they checked and collated everything in many caucuses. Once bitten in 2016, twice shy, I think. After the sheer duplicity shown by the Democrats last election, Sanders is determined it won’t happen to him again—and if it does, it’ll all be on record.

Would it surprise the reader to know that the Shadow app was developed by a company with close ties to Buttigieg? That development of the app was financed by contributions from a PAC related to Buttigieg, along with donations from candidate Joe Biden and others? Buttigieg served in US Navy intelligence and is said to have close ties with the CIA dating from that time. The Democratic Party didn’t even have their caucus counting app checked for cybersecurity before putting it to use it appears, in spite of their previous claim that Russian hackers influenced the 2016 election.

https://blackagendareport.com/2016-revisited-electronic-balloting-favored-clinton-paper-balloting-sanders

Who's fooling who here, DNC?

Buttigieg claimed victory in Iowa with suspicious speed, a claim which was immediately disputed by the other candidates, especially Senator Sanders who was shown to be leading by a clear majority in pre-primary polling. Buttigieg withdrew his claim, and Sanders claimed victory through his clear majority, 6,000+, of the popular vote. However, thanks to the arcane and unnecessarily complicated DNC rules, Buttigieg and Sanders will receive more or less equal numbers of delegates at the national level.

Sanders is now said to be lawyering-up ready to launch a lawsuit over the farcical handling of the Iowa primaries. Word has it that even Biden is considering a similar lawsuit because his poor showing in the primaries could well be down to the very app he sponsored. Irony of the highest order, here.

[Editor's note: As of Sunday, February 9, the DNC has officially given Pete Buttigieg more state delegates than Bernie Sanders, in spite of Sanders' plurality of votes. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/iowa-officially-gives-buttigieg-the-largest-delegate-count-followed-closely-by-sanders/ar-BBZOPbw]

Whatever the actual result of the primaries, the Iowa debacle served to kill some of Sanders' momentum, which suits the rich and powerful—his natural

targets—just fine. Sanders will probably pick up that momentum again in New Hampshire, a primary he won handily in 2016.

I can only speculate as to why Buttigieg would pursue such a reckless strategy, unless it was under a covert promise issued to him by the DNC of greater things to come. He certainly won’t win the presidency this time without major manipulation of the political system. Too many accusations of corruption and racism, mostly associated with his tenure as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, taint Buttigieg’s prospects. As an openly gay male, it’s highly unlikely Buttigieg will do well in the notoriously homophobic Southern states, and without those he’s going nowhere fast.

But really, what did you expect in this election? You really believed the Democratic Party would really change its spots and actually play fair? It promised that everything would be above board for the 2020 elections, yet already it’s been shown to cheat in the most blatant fashion through use of the Shadow app. Following negotiations with the Sanders team following the last election, the so-called Superdelegates were to be confined to operating at the secondary level of polling at the convention in Milwaukee. Yet already there’s talk of rules changes allowing them to participate in the first round in an obvious attempt to head off the popular candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders.

It remains to be seen what happens this year. It’s possible that Bernie Sanders will show up at Milwaukee with an undeniable large majority of delegates, only for the DNC to engineer matters to nominate their preferred candidate—possibly Pete Buttigieg or even billionaire Mike Bloomberg. It’s possible that the DNC will face facts and allow Sanders the nomination as the only candidate capable of beating Trump.

 
Given Trump's recent displays of power mania, it's possible he may decide to cancel the elections and declare himself President for Life as it’ll be "in the public best interest." If that happens, there’s no doubt in my mind his rabid supporters will cheer and take to the streets with their precious guns to support their Beloved Führer—sorry, president. There’s no shortage either of big business types who’d also support a dictator in the same way major businesses such as Tyssen Steel and Krupps in Germany supported Adolf Hitler’s rise to absolute power. After all, that nasty democracy does get in the way of making a decent profit.

If it happens that way—and I sincerely hope it doesn’t—then I’ll say once again: What did you expect?

BIO: Coast Watcher is keeping a close eye on the caucuses and shaking his head. Cheats will use all manner of underhanded shenanigans to get their way.  His advice? Don't be taken in by the mainstream media corporate lies. Trust no one in the establishment. Keep your own count.

Related Articles:

Senate Acquits Trump, Ending Historic Trial
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/us/politics/impeachment-vote.html

New Details Show How Deeply Iowa Caucus App Developer Was Embedded in Democratic Establishment
https://theintercept.com/2020/02/04/iowa-caucus-app-shadow-acronym/ 

Sanders Reportedly Finished 1st, Biden 4th in Unreleased Iowa Poll
https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/61167-sanders-reportedly-finished-1st-biden-4th-in-unreleased-iowa-poll

Bernie Got The Most Votes In Iowa Which Means He Won Iowa
https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/61240-focus-bernie-got-the-most-votes-in-iowa-which-means-he-won-iowa

Bernie Campaign App Caught DNC Red Handed (video)
https://youtu.be/tcMe2H3mIKk  

Nevada Democratic Party Hiring of Buttieg Ex-Staffer Raises Concerns

 https://www.reviewjournal.com/?p=1954425

They're Going To Try to Steal California from Sanders (Again)
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/theyre-going-to-try-to-steal-california-from-sanders-again/ 

DNC Rules Committee Members Working on Bloomberg Campaign Is a 'Conflict of Interest'
https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/61201-rashida-tlaib-dnc-rules-committee-members-working-on-bloomberg-campaign-is-a-conflict-of-interest

Former Heads of Lobbying Firms, Military Contractors and Fossil Fuel Interests Host Buttigeig Campaign Fundraiser
https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/61200-former-heads-of-lobbying-firms-military-contractors-and-fossil-fuel-interests-host-buttigieg-campaign-fundraiser 

More About Pete
https://www.currentaffairs.org/2020/02/more-about-pete/ 

Iowagate (contains many video commentaries) https://beanstocksworld.wordpress.com/2020/02/09/iowagate-feb-2020/comment-page-1/

Bernie Wins Iowa, But Tom Perez Calls for "Re-Canvasing" (video)
https://youtu.be/ctasK3oslN4

DNC caught flipping votes from Bernie to Buttigeig (video)
https://youtu.be/VX4_RyfedBU

Buttigeig Smiles Creepily Instead of Talking to Reporters (video)
https://youtu.be/AIWBIOtX3Rk

***

We'll keep telling you the truth until the wars stop, but only...

...If you can give us a little help here. Yes, we need you to help us spread the world that The Revolution Continues is still going strong in spite of the opposition blocking and trolling us. Every time you share the blog link with a friend, we get a little stronger in the fight. (Plus, we make a new reader!)

And if you can help us pay a little on the internet bill, that would be appreciated, too. Here's the link where you can send your donation:

http://www.paypal.me/camatthews

Thank you and keep spreading the truth! 

***

From Friends of the Earth:

Our public lands and precious wildlife are under attack! Trump’s Bureau of Land Management plans to sell off thousands of acres of land in Montana for new drilling while selling out the local wildlife.

The lands for sale are close to the sage-brush -- important nesting grounds for Greater Sage Grouse, which is at risk of extinction. If these areas are leased for fracking and drilling projects, the pristine ecosystems and habitats could be destroyed.

The science is clear: We must keep all fossil fuels in the ground. The BLM can still cancel this sale. But we must act fast! Now, is the time to make your voice heard to protect Montana’s lands and wildlife.

Tell the BLM to protect Montana’s lands and wildlife from fossil fuel devastation!

The Trump Administration wants to hand over Montana’s sensitive landscapes to Big Oil and Gas. But our planet can’t handle any more fracking and drilling projects.

Fossil fuel extraction would pollute this landscape’s air and water, while endangering its delicate ecosystems.

Moreover, the fracking technique used in Big Oil and Gas projects will be devasting to the health of local communities. Extracted fracking wastewater can be radioactive, and its disposal through injection wells has proven to increase earthquakes.

We can’t let Big Oil destroy these ecologically rich landscapes just so it can increase its profits.

Sign your name: Tell the BLM to take action for the climate, protect water and threatened wildlife!

In short, the BLM’s proposed leases will pose a safety and health threat to the people who live on the surrounding land, and alter the quality and nature of this pristine landscape forever.

The solution is simple: No more lease sales to Big Oil and Gas. Not in Montana. Not anywhere. But we need your help to send that message.

Help send 30,000 comments to the BLM: Tell the agency to protect threatened wildlife and cancel this lease sale now!

Standing with you,
Nicole Ghio,
Senior fossil fuels program manager,
Friends of the Earth

***

From UltraViolet:

A mansplaining conference promises to "make women great again" by having men teach them how to be admired by men, get fit, "raise your femininity by 500%," have "unlimited babies," and reject "unhealthy militant feminists."¹ Really.

It sounds like a joke, right? But the scary thing is that the conference organizers are 100% serious. The conference was started by a man who identifies as a leader of the "Manosphere," a collection of ultra-sexist blogs and social media platforms often associated with the alt-right.² Will you take action right now to help stop these bloggers from spreading their violent, misogynistic views? The Manosphere claims that the world is biased against men and spreads misogynist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, and fat-shaming messages, using Reddit as its online home base.

Some of these men even believe that women want to be raped. And that survivors of domestic violence belong in prison.³ Disgusting.

Reddit has shown that it will listen to complaints about sexist and violent pages on its site. It already placed content warnings on some of the most vile Manosphere pages in response to a public outcry. It even shut down one men's rights group for inciting violence against women after a petition and negative publicity.⁴ This shows that with enough petition signatures from UltraViolet members and our allies, we can force Reddit to shut down the sexist sites behind the Manosphere and stop the spread of violent misogyny.

Sign the petition to demand that Reddit immediately ban Manosphere sites and stop the spread of violent misogyny.

Sign the petition

The so-called men's rights havens that make up the Manosphere, like Red Pill on Reddit, have been repeatedly linked to the alt-right. Former Breitbart contributor Milo Yiannopoulos claims to be a member of Red Pill and hosted a Q&A session on the platform.⁵ The Manosphere has also been linked to deadly shootings and attacks. When six people were murdered at University of California, Santa Barbara, it was revealed that the shooter was a men's rights activist on Reddit and had posted a disturbing video detailing his plans to kill women.⁶ As long as Reddit continues to allow violent, sexist groups to have a home on its website, it is complicit in promoting violence against women and other oppressed groups. Add your name to demand that Reddit stop letting men use its platform to glorify sexual assault and harassment.
 
Thanks for speaking out!

--Shaunna, Kat, Kathy, Anathea, Sonja, Melody, Lindsay, Pam, Maria, Kimberly, Katie, JoEllen, and Sy, the UltraViolet team
 
Sources:
1. 'Make Women Great Again' convention hosted by MEN will teach attendees how to be 'ideal women' for $2,000 per ticket, The Daily Mail, December 30, 2019
2. Mansplaining conference hopes to "Make Women Great Again", The New York Post, January 2, 2020
3. Popping the Red Pill: Inside a digital alternate reality, CNN, November 10, 2017
4. Reddit Bans 'Incel' Group for Inciting Violence Against Women, The New York Times, November 9, 2017
5. What is r/TheRedPill, the infamous men's rights subreddit?, The Daily Dot, June 6, 2018
6. Inside the 'manosphere' that inspired Santa Barbara shooter Elliot Rodger, The Washington Post, April 27, 2014

---

"Morally Indefensible War"

Let there be peace on Earth during this "season of peace" many of us pray. Unless you're the United States of America, that is. Then by all means unilaterally drop out of the INF Treaty and continue bombing innocent civilians in foreign lands, because that's how you spread freedom and democracy around the world, right? Even if we've forgotten how to show compassion to our fellow human beings, deep down we know there is another way... a better way. There are others who are willing to lead humanity on the road toward a lasting peace and justice for all. You might be one of them.

 

"Morally Indefensible War"  

by C. A. Matthews 

Dear Readers--

We thank you for being here today. It's hard to know how many of you actually will read this message, as Google--along with Facebook, Twitter, and a few other social media platforms--has been actively blocking access to The Revolution Continues webpage since the week before election day. Obviously, we touched a raw nerve with the corrupt establishment somewhere along the line. 

Up until the recent election, every indicator showed that our reach was growing, and more and more new readers were accessing the blog. Today we can't tell whether or not if the counters have been interfered to make us believe we were losing readership, or somehow we've lost thousands of readers just like that. (If you're a computer guru and want to help us determine what's up and how to stop it, please email us at thebernieblog2016@gmail.com Thanks!) It does seem a bit strange to lose 90% of our average weekly page hits overnight right before the mid-term elections. We have to assume there's been some kind of foul play.

Much love and thanks go out to our regular blog readers and to my fellow progressive bloggers, You Tubers and activist acquaintances worldwide. Even if it's just you guys who can reach this blog site, it's still worth doing. We all knew we were in it for the long haul, and it wasn't going to be easy. Power to the people--especially on those days when we wonder if it's worth all this stress! (Follow the Six Progressive Self-Affirmations in the meme and you'll feel better.)

When Barb McMillen and I started this blog back in 2015, we agreed we wouldn't give up on the blog until Senator Bernie Sanders was elected president. That didn't happen, and it nearly broke Barb's heart. (It didn't do  much for mine, either.) Barb was a Bernie delegate to the DNC convention in Philadelphia and a life-long Democrat. She took the primary rigging and the outrageous actions against Bernie supporters at the convention by the corporate Dems hard. It didn't do her fragile health any good.

RIP dear Barb

As a life-long independent, I backed Bernie's campaign because he was an independent thinker--a democratic socialist, no less--and stood up for what was right often in the midst of ridicule and derision from the status quo. (Who can forget his speech against the invasion of Iraq to a nearly empty House chamber?) While it hurt to see Bernie standing on a campaign stage trying to whip up support for corporatist candidate Hillary Clinton, I didn't dwell on the pain. I moved on and returned to my eco-socialist roots, as did many other Bernie supporters as witnessed by the increasing numbers of "Dem Exiters" and new Green Party members since 2016.

Times change and we have to be willing to take different paths in order to build that "future to believe in" that Bernie talked about. I don't necessarily believe that all of Bernie's tactics have been the right path to take for the good of our country and our world, but most of the time they have been sound and reasonable ones. You generally know where you stand with a guy like Bernie Sanders who speaks his mind and wears his heart on his sleeve. He didn't (and still doesn't) sully his integrity by taking money from corporate lobbyists. It's what attracted so many people to him to begin with during the 2016 primary season.  It attracted about 30,000+ in one arena where we heard him speak alone! And he did this day after day, week after week, and all the while the mainstream media ignored him at the behest of the corrupt establishment duopoly and their Wall Street bankster buddies.

There's no denying that it takes strength, courage and determination to do what Bernie did in 2016. It takes a person with clear vision and faith in his own sense of agency to accomplish his goals. That is what I will always respect about Bernie Sanders, even if I don't always agree with his current choice of political bedfellows.

So, when Bernie recently stood up in the Senate and introduced a bill to end the War in Yemen (and yes, it is a war--an undeclared one), I felt proud to have said I'd canvassed for him. He has kept his promise and fought for his goal to put an end to the endless wars for oil and to shut down the military-industrial complex. Sure, he doesn't have a spotless track record on this subject. He has voted to keep tax-payer money flowing into a military airplane plant in Vermont to keep it open, but in the end, he does seem to care about human beings on the whole and wants to ease their suffering. (This earlier video proves this.) He's willing to gamble his political future away by being outspoken for the oppressed. He's willing to put his neck on the line for them.

Bernie has proven this time and time again with his support and campaigning for a national single-payer health care system (the new and improved Medicare for All). He's proven it by rallying the troops in the "Fight for $15" strikes to raise the minimum wage to a living wage. He's proven this by taking a stance for free college education for all and for not deporting asylum-seekers and DACA kids.

Because Bernie cares, he's openly against warfare. He stands out like a shining beacon of morality in an immoral Senate. But wouldn't any half-way decent human being be against bombing school buses full of Yemeni children? Wouldn't any self-serving politician say he was against bombing school buses if he knew it would get him votes? Could he have an unspoken agenda that isn't necessarily a positive one?

While we can't read a person's mind or probe the deeper recesses of his heart for answers, we can look at a person's words and deeds. Bernie's actions have been consistently on the side of people, planet and peace over corporate profits. In that respect, Bernie Sanders is in line with the Green Party's platform, even if he won't join the party itself. It seems safe to say he's genuine when he says he wants to put an end to the War in Yemen.

But would Bernie be for stopping all wars--and never allowing the US to start another one ever again? Would he be against regime change and sponsoring coups in other countries when we don't agree with their choice in a leader? It remains to be seen. Word on the street says Bernie will run for president in 2020. We might actually get the chance to find out how he'll act when confronted with the full force of the military-industrial complex while sitting in the Oval Office. 

Until then, we must have faith that we are backing the right candidates. We must keep fighting the good fight against "morally indefensible war."  It takes more than just one straightforward senator to make the world a better place, after all. It takes all of us.

 

Related articles:

Yemen, Poisoned Water, and a Green New Deal:

https://worldbeyondwar.org/yemen-poisoned-water-and-a-green-new-deal/

The War in Yemen is not a war--it's a massacre:

https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/11/27/the-war-in-yemen-is-not-a-war-it-is-a-massacre/

The Yemen War is 2018's worst humanitarian crisis:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/03/middleeast/yemen-worlds-worst-humanitarian-crisis-un-intl/index.html 

However, there's a loophole in Bernie Sander's Yemen bill that allows continued US involvement:

https://www.mintpressnews.com/bernie-yemen-bill/252480/

US provides military aid to more than  70% of world's dictatorships:

https://www.mintpressnews.com/us-provides-military-aid-70-percent-worlds-dictatorships

 US military says it has a "light footprint" in Africa--https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/53678-us-military-says-it-has-a-qlight-footprintq-in-africa-these-documents-show-a-vast-network-of-bases  

Bernie speaks on national strategy call to win Medicare for All: https://medicare4all.org/event/nov13call/  

Bernie Sanders puts forward program that could split the Democratic Party:  https://blackagendareport.com/bernie-sanders-puts-forward-program-could-split-democratic-party

***

Earlier this week, the United States Senate took the first step toward ending our country’s active participation in a morally indefensible war in Yemen — a war most Americans know little about and that Congress never voted to authorize.

Over the last several years, our support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen has been one of the great moral stains on our nation resulting in the worst humanitarian crisis on earth. During the last several years more than 85,000 children in Yemen have starved to death, while millions more of the people there face imminent starvation. With the water infrastructure destroyed by Saudi bombs, 10,000 new cases of cholera occur each week as people are unable to find clean drinking water.

And what my bill, offered with Senators Mike Lee of Utah and Chris Murphy of Connecticut, says is that instead of being part of the killing in Yemen, on behalf of a despotic Saudi regime, we should be doing everything possible to create a peaceful resolution to that war and provide the kind of humanitarian help Yemenis so desperately need.

With 63 votes in favor and 37 against, this is the first time in the history of the United States that the U.S. Senate has voted to advance a resolution withdrawing the United States Armed Forces from an unauthorized and unconstitutional war.

And our success has a lot to do with people at the grassroots level making their voices heard on this important issue.

But we still have work left to do.

Next week, I expect that we have another procedural vote and then a final vote on passage of the resolution. So we cannot stop now. Not if we want to see this victory through to the end and limit our engagement in Yemen to the humanitarian and diplomatic aid needed to relieve the suffering of millions of Yemenis. Add your name if you’re with me:

Tell the U.S. Senate: It’s time to end the United States’ support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. We must make it crystal clear the American people want our country out of this horrible civil war.

For decades and under presidents of both parties, Republicans and Democrats have abdicated their Constitutional responsibility to debate and decide whether or not our country engages in war.

It is not the president who gets to decide whether or not we go to war in Yemen, or Syria, or anywhere else. It is Congress.

And our vote earlier this week was a big step forward in reasserting that constitutional responsibility.

Not surprisingly, given our president's deep affection for authoritarian regimes, the White House has threatened to veto this bill if it gets to Trump’s desk. So what I want to do today with this petition is make sure Trump knows that it isn’t just the United States Senate that believes we should end our involvement in this humanitarian catastrophe, but the American people as well.

So add your name:

Tell the U.S. Senate: It's time to end the United States’ support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

Enough is enough. Enough killing. Enough starvation. Enough destruction. This is the time to tell Saudi Arabia, and indeed the rest of the world, that we will no longer be a partner to the horrific crisis in Yemen.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

---

Tell the U.S. Senate: It's time to end the United States’ support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

ADD YOUR NAME

***

Help us win the battle against endless war--support those who speak up for human rights and peace!

 The Revolution Continues has set up an easy way to donate to the cause of ending the scourge of the military-industrial complex and keeping it ad-free. Three years plus without obnoxious ads (that many news sites have to cover costs) has been great, but the editor does have to pay for internet, electricity, etc., out of her own pocket, and she would like to be able to pay her contributors in the future.

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Power to the people and not the corporations!

***

From RootsAction.org:

President Trump has announced plans to withdraw the United States from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), a key nuclear disarmament pact with Russia signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 and approved by the U.S. Senate.

Congress should take action to keep the United States in the treaty. And either house of Congress alone has the power to refuse to fund any weapons prohibited by the treaty.

Click here to email your Representative and your two Senators.

Some members of Congress are already indicating an interest in taking action.
Congressman Ro Khanna has tweeted: "I am alarmed that President Trump is withdrawing from the INF treaty with Russia. This action plunges us back into a nuclear arms race and endangers our troops, allies, & the world, while wasting taxpayer dollars to prepare for a nuclear war that must never be fought."

The INF prohibits the United States and Russia from deploying both nuclear and conventional missiles with ranges between 310 and 3,420 miles. These are among the weapons most likely to lead to miscalculation or misadventure in a crisis.

Following ratification of the INF, the United States destroyed almost 1,000 missiles, and the Soviet Union almost 2,000. "But," writes Jon Schwarz at The Intercept, "arms control treaties are never about weapons and numbers alone. They can help enemy nations create virtuous circles, both between them and within themselves. Verification requires constant communication and the establishment of trust; it creates constituencies for peace inside governments and in the general public; this reduces on both sides the power of the paranoid, reactionary wing that exists in every country; this creates space for further progress; and so on."

Conversely, withdrawal from arms control treaties can feed vicious cycles of distrust, animosity, and militarization.

Click here to stop this disaster in its tracks.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which now shows the Doomsday Clock at two minutes to midnight, points out: "The INF withdrawal is part of a pattern. It is not the first nuclear treaty the U.S. has terminated; at the end of 2001 the United States walked out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty it had signed with the Soviet Union in 1972."

Both the United States and Russia currently accuse each other of violating the INF Treaty. Wherever the truth lies, the solution is not to pull out of the treaty, but to redouble diplomatic efforts to resolve the allegations. 

  The United States and Russia control more than 90 percent of the world’s nearly 15,000 nuclear weapons. It is unlikely that any of the other nuclear-armed powers will be willing to engage in negotiations to control or eliminate these extraordinarily dangerous armaments if the United States abandons arms control.

A ratified treaty is a part of the “supreme law of the land,” former Senator Russell Feingold has noted — “which should logically mean that it could only be undone by Congress and the President, or at least by a vote of the Senate.”

Tell the first branch of government in the U.S. Constitution to step up and do its job.

After signing the petition, please use the tools on the next webpage to share it with your friends.


-- The RootsAction.org Team

Background:
>> David Cortright, The Nation: “The Peace Movement Won the INF Treaty. We Must Fight to Preserve It.”
>> Russell Feingold, NBCnews.com: “Donald Trump can unilaterally withdraw from treaties because Congress abdicated responsibility”
>> Zia Mian, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: “The INF Treaty and the crises of arms control”
>> Jon Schwarz, The Intercept: “What Trump and John Bolton Don’t Understand About Nuclear War”
>> Ira Helfand, CNN.com: “Sheer Luck Has Helped Us Avoid Nuclear War So Far – Now We Need to Take Action”

www.RootsAction.org