How U.S. Military Spending Works, by David Swanson

Image by Daniel Lobo via Flickr

by David Swanson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Let’s Try Democracy, Mar. 10, 2023
March 15, 2023

Here’s how this works each year.

1) Biden proposes a massive increase in military spending — above and beyond both what he proposed the year before and what the Congress increased that to. If you look at U.S. military spending according to SIPRI in constant 2021 dollars from 1949 to now (all the years they provide, with their calculation adjusting for inflation), Obama’s 2011 record will probably fall this year. If you look at actual numbers, not adjusting for inflation, Biden has set a new record each year.

Ralph Nader and Lawrence Wilkerson: The Institutional Insanity (of) “Defense”

Image by Felton Davis via Flickr

Dandelion Salad

with Ralph Nader

Ralph Nader Radio Hour on Jan 14, 2023

Ralph welcomes back retired Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson to talk about American military policy, including the record $816.7 billion Pentagon budget, the war in Ukraine, the insanity of nuclear weapons, potential conflict with China and what the right-wing caucus in the House of Representatives really wants when they say they want to cut military spending. Plus, Ralph reads and responds to your questions and feedback from previous programs.

---

Chris Hedges: The Legacy of the Obama-Biden Administration

Image by Don McCullough via Flickr

Dandelion Salad

with Chris Hedges

Originally on RT America on Sep 30, 2021

The Chris Hedges YouTube Channel on Jul 5, 2022

On the show, Chris Hedges speaks with the author Robert Eisenberg, about the legacy of the Obama/Biden administration and how it lead to the election of Donald Trump.

They’re About to Add Women to Military Draft in the Name of Feminism, by David Swanson

Screenshot by Dandelion Salad via Flickr

by David Swanson
Writers, Dandelion Salad
Let’s Try Democracy, Aug. 30, 2021
September 2, 2021

In some future lovely little war, perhaps with China or some other demonized target, some percentage of the U.S. public may suddenly exclaim: “Hey, since when does a draft include young women as well as men?!” Old tunes will be revised and sung in protest with lyrics about being the first one on your block to have your daughter come home in a box. The tragedies will be played out in tears and screams and flag-covered propaganda-regurgitating rationalizations. Dead women and men will be thanked for the service of stirring up World War III before being dumped in the ground to rot, as some of the living begin to envy them and wonder about the merits of the service they’ve provided.

Chris Hedges: Politics is a Game of Fear

Image by David Geitgey Sierralupe via Flickr

Dandelion Salad

“The Democratic Party has been quite effective in frightening progressives into backing a party that is a wholly owned subsidiary of corporate America.” — Chris Hedges

The Tactics of Terror, by Kenn Orphan

Screenshot by Dandelion Salad via Flickr
Watch the video-tweets below

by Kenn Orphan
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Halifax, Nova Scotia
July 20, 2020

“There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.” — Vladimir Lenin

Between 1973 and 1990 scores of people were disappeared by the US supported fascist regime of Augusto Pinochet in Chile. They were incarcerated, tortured and thousands were murdered. In fact, the official total of those killed by the regime is just over 40,000. But some critics suggest it was much higher. Pinochet was able to do all of this with the blessing of the CIA who assisted him in the coup against the elected President, Salvador Allende, and in his reign of terror afterward in Chile. The painful lessons of the Pinochet years has often been obscured under neoliberal historical revisionism, but with what is currently unfolding in cities like Portland, Oregon, it is urgent to revisit them.

It Can Happen Here, by Kenn Orphan

Image by duncan c via Flickr

by Kenn Orphan
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Halifax, Nova Scotia
June 3, 2020

“There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.” — Vladimir Lenin

With a global pandemic where over 100,000 Americans are dead, staggering unemployment not seen since the Great Depression, the ever present and unfolding threat of climate change fueled catastrophes, white supremacist agitators, the wealthiest and most powerful empire on earth today is facing the perfect storm. Quite possibly, its quietus. At the center of this firestorm, an unhinged emperor is fanning the flames.

Dark Waters Tells Half the Story of PFAS Contamination by Pat Elder

Screenshot by Dandelion Salad via Flickr
Watch the video below

Dandelion Salad

Republished with permission from David Swanson at World Beyond War

by Pat Elder
World Beyond War
December 12, 2019

Dark Waters is the most important American film in a decade, although it squanders an opportunity to fully portray PFAS* contamination as the nationwide human health epidemic it has become. The film leaves out half of the story and that involves the military’s role.

*per- and poly fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) include PFOA, PFOS and 5,000 other harmful chemicals used in a variety of military and industrial applications.

House Compromises Away Peace, Senate Stands By War by David Swanson + Take Action!

Image by Dean Terry via Flickr

by David Swanson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Let’s Try Democracy
December 11, 2019

The House and Senate have agreed upon a catastrophic military spending bill.

Abby Martin and Chris Hedges: We Are The Disease—We Have To Destroy The System!

Image by Matt Katzenberger via Flickr

Dandelion Salad

with Abby Martin and Chris Hedges

Empire Files on Nov 27, 2019

Abby Martin sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Chris Hedges to discuss the ignored reality behind Trump, the bipartisan road from neoliberalism to fascism, how the Democratic elite are an institution of corporate power, and how there’s no way out through the #2020election without destroying the system.

The New Cold War and the Redoubling of U.S. Propaganda Power by Rainer Shea

Image by tq2cute via Flickr

by Rainer Shea
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Rainer Shea: Anti-Imperialist Journalist, Jul. 27, 2019
August 19, 2019

The American ruling class decided that it would be necessary to start a 21st century cold war with Russia and China when it became apparent that U.S. global hegemony was being replaced by a multipolar world. And even before this new level of warfare became the priority, it was apparent that a long-term era of tensions between great powers would require much greater government control over information than was previously the case.

Chris Hedges: Late Stage Capitalism Is Killing America, Parts 1-3

Image by Dirk Gently via Flickr

Dandelion Salad

with Chris Hedges

Part 1: Reporter Tells Truth About War & Gets Fired By NYTimes w/Chris Hedges

The Jimmy Dore Show on Oct 15, 2018

Chris Hedges, David Swanson, et al Interviews in Support of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks

Screenshot by Dandelion Salad via Flickr
Watch the videos below

Dandelion Salad

with Chris Hedges

#Unity4J on Jul 15, 2018

In a world of divide and conquer, unity is the ultimate act of resistance.

The USA: The Human Rights and Civil Rights Hypocrite by Paul Street

Image by Derek Goulet via Flickr

by Paul Street
Writer, Dandelion Salad
The Official Website of Paul Street
June 12, 2018

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Signed by the United States and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on Dec. 10, 1948, the document was a great and shining step forward in the articulation of how human beings might organize their social and political systems in accord with democratic and civilized ideals.

Edward Snowden: #NoWar2017: Consent Is Only Meaningful If It’s Informed + Daniel Ellsberg + Ann Wright + John Kiriakou + Ray McGovern + Todd Pierce

Screenshot by Dandelion Salad via Flickr
See videos below

Dandelion Salad

WorldBeyondWar.org on Sep 23, 2017

Part 3

Beginning with Edward Snowden (by video) introduced by Elizabeth Murray, our friends from the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence will present an event with Elizabeth Murray, Annie Machon, Daniel Ellsberg (now by video), Thomas Drake, Ray McGovern, Ann Wright, John Kiriakou. (Note: Chelsea Manning sends regrets that she cannot attend as we had hoped, as does Seymour Hersh.)