How Much is Too Much? Brave New Films 3 Part Series: Rethink Afghanistan.

April 16, 2009.

Dear fellow Americans,

We bring you Cost of War, part three of our Rethink Afghanistan documentary, which delves into the financial costs of this broadening war. As we pay our tax bills, it seems an appropriate time to urge everyone to Rethink Afghanistan, a war that currently costs over $2 billion a month but hasn't made us any safer.

Everyone has a friend or relative who just lost a job. Do we really want to spend over $1 trillion on another war? Everyone knows someone who has lost their home. Do we really want spend our tax dollars on a war that could last a decade or more?

The Obama administration has taken some smart steps to counter this economic crisis with its budget request. Do we really want to see that effort wasted by expanding military demands?

Watch Pulitzer Prize-winning authors and journalists, military and foreign policy experts, leading economists, and many more explain just how much the war in Afghanistan will cost us over how many years. View both the trailer and full segment of Cost of War, part three of the Rethink Afghanistan documentary.

Last week, we delivered a petition to Sen. John Kerry and Rep. Howard Berman, demanding oversight hearings. These hearings could raise the critical questions about costs and many other issues. Now, we want to know what questions you would ask in such hearings.

Would you want to know how exactly the war is weakening the U.S. economy? What about whether more troops can solve Afghanistan's problems or the escalating instability in Pakistan, subjects explored in parts one and two of this documentary?

1. Record your questions on your webcam and send them to us! Simple instructions for doing this can be found here. It's easy!
2. Post your video to our Facebook page! Go to our Facebook page, click in the "Write something" box, and then click the video link.
3. Vote on the written questions you think are the most critical for oversight hearings and submit your own.

We must urge Congress to raise key questions about this war at once. As FireDogLake blogger Siun recently wrote, "Once again we are planning a surge with no exit plan and a continued lack of concern for the most basic protection of the civilians in the land we claim to liberate."

Yours,
Robert Greenwald and the Brave New Foundation team

Rethink Afghanistan - P1: TRAILER:

Rethink Afghanistan - P2: TRAILER:

Rethink Afghanistan - P3: TRAILER:

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Some (really important) Points to Mull Over.

Here are some quick actions that will make a big difference if each of us does a little bit to bring about change:

Support Single Payer Health Insurance

The Single Payer Health Insurance bill introduced by Rep. John Conyers, H.R. 676, now has 64 co-sponsors! The broad support for Single Payer is shocking Washington's cynical elite. If your Representative is not a co-sponsor, urge him/her to do so today:
http://democrats.com/single-payer-petition

Ask President Obama why he's keeping Single Payer Health Insurance "off the table":
http://healthreform.gov/regionalhealthforum.html

Prosecute Bush & Cheney

March 19 is the sixth anniversary of George Bush's invasion of Iraq, a war crime of historic proportions based entirely on deliberate lies. Last week, President Obama declassified some crucial memos by President Bush's lawyer John Yoo which nullified the Bill of Rights and created a legal dictatorship. This week, Seymour Hersh revealed Dick Cheney ran his own Death Squads around the world.

Urge Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a Special Prosecutor
http://democrats.com/special-prosecutor-for-bush-war-crimes

If you belong to a progressive group, join over 150 groups calling for Prosecution of Former High Officials:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/prosecutorstatement

Join protests in the U.S. and around the world throughout the spring, especially around March 19:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/spring09

Lots of other important actions here:
http://prosecutebushcheney.org

Rethink Afghanistan

Under pressure from the Pentagon, President Obama will send 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Our troops have been there for over seven years, but we're not beating the Taliban and the Pentagon admits it has no strategy for success. Now Afghans are negotiating with the Taliban for peace. A progressive coalition led by Brave New Films wants Congress to hold long-overdue oversight hearings. Watch the videos and sign the petition (scroll down):

http://rethinkafghanistan.com/

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

What If?

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

We Want You to RETHINK Afghanistan: Brave New Films Video

February 26, 2009.

Dear fellow Americans,

Many of you reading this worked diligently to support President Obama and his call for change. I'm sure you feel, as I do, an almost palpable air of excitement and pride right now in having a man of Obama's intelligence and integrity in the White House. What I also find remarkable is Obama's conviction that it is imperative for those who disagree with him to speak out, make their voices heard, and discuss ideas without attacking motivation or character.

President Obama just committed 17,000 more soldiers to fight the war in Afghanistan. For me and the Brave New Foundation team, this decision raises scores of questions that must be addressed about troops, costs, overall mission, and exit strategy. Historically, it has been Congress' duty to ask these questions in the form of oversight hearings that challenge policymakers, examine military spending, and educate the public. I invite you to sign the petition urging Senator John Kerry and Representative Howard Berman to hold congressional oversight hearings at once.

The President has demonstrated his commitment to plurality of opinion and open debate on issues that impact our country most profoundly. In that spirit, I'm proud that Brave New Foundation will bring you Rethink Afghanistan, a new feature-length documentary I am directing in the tradition of Uncovered: The War on Iraq and Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers. This documentary, which we will release in segments online, will foster the kind of discussion, debate and dissent Obama has called for, hopefully serving as a driving force to help make oversight hearings a reality.

Watch the trailer in which experts weigh in on the consequences of military escalation.

Since the situation in Afghanistan is extraordinarily complex, Brave New Foundation's goal is to create videos posing some of the necessary questions Congress should ask. Watch the extended version of part one in our documentary.

Without congressional oversight hearings, no one in Washington would have exposed corruption and mismanagement during the Civil War. No one would have caught the excessive military spending during World War II. And there would have been no national stage for a young John Kerry to throw down the gauntlet to Nixon over Vietnam.

Before Afghanistan escalates any further, I believe Congress must inform the public and ask critical questions. Here's what you can do to get people thinking about the need for congressional oversight hearings:

1. Sign the petition urging Sen. Kerry and Rep. Berman to begin hearings immediately.
2. Send this trailer video to your friends and family and post it your Facebook page and please take a second to Digg it.
3. Watch the full-length version of the video.

We look forward to bringing you more videos that raise these pressing questions, to hearing your concerns regarding this war, and to collaborating with the bloggers who have been writing about these issues at Get Afghanistan Right.

Together, we can help Congress Rethink Afghanistan.

Yours,

Robert Greenwald
and the Brave New Foundation team

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

A day in review: 04 December, 2008.

A day in review: 04 December, 2008.
DemocracyNow.org

Auto Execs Head to Capitol Hill for Bailout Plea

Auto industry executives are set to appear on Capitol Hill today in their latest appeal for a taxpayer bailout. Collectively, General Motors, Chrysler and Ford are asking lawmakers for $34 billion. Each company says their executives are driving to the nation’s capital after coming under criticism for flying in on private jets for their first bailout plea last month.

Audit: Bailout Lacks Oversight; All Requests Approved

Meanwhile, the first congressional audit of the $700 billion taxpayer bailout of Wall Street says the Bush administration has failed to implement any proper oversight over how the money is being used. Investigators at the Government Accountability Office say the Treasury has yet to introduce needed safeguards and ways to determine if the program is achieving its stated goals. At least $150 billion has already been doled out to dozens of firms. Not a single application for government funding has been denied.

Food Stamp Use Breaks Record

The number of food stamp users in the United States has hit an all-time high. The Food and Nutrition Service says 31.5 million Americans used the food stamp program in September, surpassing the previous record set in November 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

US Shed 250,000 Jobs in November

Meanwhile, new figures show the US lost 250,00 jobs last month. The total surpassed initial forecasts and amounts to the biggest monthly drop in six years.

Obama Picks Richardson for Commerce Dept.

In transition news, President-elect Barack Obama has announced New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson as his nominee to head the Department of Commerce. Obama and Richardson appeared together Wednesday at a news conference in Chicago.

President-elect Obama: “Bill Richardson has been selected because he is the best person for that job and is going to be outstanding in helping me strategize on how do we rebuild America, how do we get businesses moving, how do we export effectively, how do we open up new markets for American products and services. His mixture of diplomatic experience, hands-on experience as a governor, experience in the cabinet, experience in Congress means that he is going to be a key strategist on all the issues that we work on.”

Richardson served as UN ambassador and Energy Secretary under President Bill Clinton before being elected to two terms as governor of New Mexico. He said he’s poised to help revitalize the economy.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson: “With your leadership, Mr. President-elect, America will once again be a forefront of innovation, especially in the new frontier of energy independence and clean energy jobs. We will create technologies the world is seeking, while creating millions of new jobs that can never be outsourced. We will revitalize our nation’s historic strength in manufacturing, while restoring our position of respect in the world.”

Richardson is the first Latino selected to join Obama’s cabinet. He’s also its third member to have run against Obama in the Democratic primaries, after Vice President Joe Biden and incoming Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Franken Team Claims 22-Vote Lead; Chambliss Keeps Senate Seat

In Minnesota, the campaign of Democratic senatorial candidate Al Franken is claiming Franken has taken a twenty-two-vote lead in the recount of his race against incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman. More than 100,000 ballots have yet to be counted. A Franken win would still leave Democrats one seat short of a filibuster-proof Senate majority. Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia kept his seat in Tuesday’s runoff election against challenger Jim Martin.

AG: No Need for Preemptive Pardons

Attorney General Michael Mukasey is downplaying speculation President Bush might issue preemptive pardons for officials involved in torture programs used in the so-called war on terror. On Wednesday, Mukasey said he sees no need to immunize anyone from future investigation, because he doesn’t believe there’s been wrongdoing. His comments came as a group of retired fourteen military officers met with members of President-elect Obama’s transition team to call for scrapping the Bush administration’s torture policies. Organized by the group Human Rights First, the retired officials say they urged the Obama team to adopt a unitary internationally accepted standard for prisoner interrogation across all government agencies.

Defying US, Afghanistan Signs Cluster Ban

Afghanistan has defied the Bush administration and signed a new international ban on cluster bombs. The last-minute decision came as more than ninety other governments also ratified the treaty Wednesday in Oslo. The US has led a group of large nations refusing to adopt the ban. It bars use, stockpiling and trading of cluster weapons and requires signatories to clear contaminated areas within ten years. The White House reportedly urged Afghan President Hamid Karzai not to sign the treaty. Thomas Nash of the Cluster Munition Coalition welcomed the new signatories.

Iraqi Guards Open Fire on KBR Worker Protest

In Iraq, armed guards opened fire Wednesday at a crowd of some 1,000 migrant workers protesting their poor treatment under the military contractor KBR. The workers have spent the past three months in Iraq awaiting work for a KBR subcontractor, but instead they’ve been walled off and held in three large warehouses near Baghdad airport without pay. Some paid up to $3,000 for the opportunity to work in Iraq. Many are expected to be sent out of Iraq without having worked a day. Meanwhile, KBR is facing a lawsuit for allegedly exposing National Guard members to chemical exposure in Iraq. More on that story after headlines.

Probe: Bolivian Peasant Killings an Anti-Gov. Massacre

In Bolivia, a regional investigative panel has labeled the killings of at least twenty people in anti-government protests in September a “massacre.” The victims were peasant supporters of Bolivian President Evo Morales. They died in what Morales called an attempted coup against his government in Pando province. The head of the South American bloc UNASUR’s investigation, Rodolfo Mattarollo, said the murderers acted in consort with Morales’s right-wing opponents.

Rodolfo Matarollo: “On September 11, 2008, in the village of Porvenir and in other places in the province of Pando, a massacre occurred, in the sense that term is employed by the United Nations. Although some people acted upon self-interest, those who attacked the peasants did it in an organized manner and responded, according to some witnesses, to authorities with the help of government staff and goods belonging to the province’s government, which served the criminals.”

Morales said the UNSASUR findings backed his concerns political opponents are trying to derail his government and avoid a January referendum on advancing his social programs.

Bolivian President Evo Morales: “This investigation confirms what the Bolivian people have been experiencing from August, September until October. This was an attempt of a civilian state coup, and now that we are better informed, we know that some opposition members have proposed to end with Evo Morales’s government from August to next year’s January referendum.”

Zimbabwe Declares Cholera Emergency

In Zimbabwe, authorities have declared a national emergency over a growing outbreak of cholera. More than 500 people have died so far. Robin Waudo of the International Committee of the Red Cross said the outbreak is hitting densely populated areas.

Robin Waudo: “The problem is massive, of course, as you may see the figures of 11,000 infected, are not small figures. It’s quite big. And this is in several parts of the country. We are working only in Harare in the densely populated areas, where we are supporting eight clinics. Some of them have been converted into cholera treatment units, and this is where we are providing our assistance.”

Last month, Zimbabwe came under criticism for blocking an international delegation including former President Jimmy Carter from entering the country to assess the humanitarian crisis.

2 Palestinian Teens Killed in Israeli Attack

In Israel and the Occupied Territories, funerals were held Wednesday for two Palestinian teenagers killed in the latest Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip. The youths, aged fifteen and seventeen, died when Israeli bombs struck the town of Rafah. Another two people were wounded.

Libya Accuses Israel of “Piracy” for Gaza Ship Blockade

Meanwhile, at the UN, Libya accused the Israeli government of “piracy” for blocking a Libyan ship from delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Libyan sailing marked the first attempt by a foreign government to defy Israel’s blockade. The Palestinian observer to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, called on Israel to end its siege.

Riyad Mansour: “It is therefore imperative that Israel be compelled, first and foremost, immediately and completely, to lift its siege of the Gaza Strip to allow for movement of persons and goods to ease the isolation and humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian civilian population.”

Study: College Tuition Increasingly Unaffordable

Back in the United States, a new report shows college tuition is becoming increasingly unaffordable for most Americans. The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education says college tuition and fees have increased by 439 percent since 1982. The cost of attending a four-year public university now amounts to 28 percent of the median family income, while a four-year private university would account for 76 percent. The Center’s president, Patrick Callan, said, “If we go on this way for another twenty-five years, we won’t have an affordable system of higher education.”

Wal-Mart Sued for Wrongful Death in Worker Trampling

And here in New York, the family of a Wal-Mart worker crushed to death by a stampede of shoppers has sued the company for wrongful death. Thirty-four-year-old Jdimytai Damour was killed after a crowd of 2,000 broke down store doors and ran over him shortly before the store’s scheduled 5:00 a.m. opening Friday, the traditional start of the shopping season.

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.