Countdown To Zerø: Opening Weekend Event
Submitted by ujpadmin on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:47pm.The film “Countdown to Zerø” opens at Kendall Square Cinema on July 30th. This controversial film begins to explore the case for a nuclear weapons free world. Variety calls Countdown to Zerø “a politically urgent picture; it will also literally scare the breath out of what will certainly be a worldwide audience.“
The film has problems -- it does not criticize dangerous US nuclear policies nor chart the path to nuclear abolition, and it accentuates fear of terrorism. But it focuses more attention on the nuclear abolition issue.
Radical Organizing Conference - Summer Institute
Submitted by ujpadmin on Fri, 07/16/2010 - 8:46pm.
Hiroshima Day Commemoration
Submitted by ujpadmin on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:47pm.
Peace Vigil, Action Messages, Music, and Candleboat Floating
Commemorate the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 65 years ago on August 6 and 9, 1945
Filed under:
October March on Washington to Rally Progressives
Submitted by ujpadmin on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:50pm.[The One Nation march has been endorsed by UJP - Ed.]
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| George Gresham |
by George Gresham, President, 1199/SEIU
We must build a united response to our nation’s crises.
This Fall, we’re going to make history in marching on Washington, D.C.
For a year, as healthcare reform dominated the Congressional agenda, groups of people took to the streets in opposition to expanding healthcare coverage to tens of millions and to curtailing insurance industry abuse. These street protests were provoked by outright lies of Fox News and rightwing gasbag politicians—remember the fear of “death panels”?—and resulted in the formation of the Tea Party, or tea-baggers. And of course the mass media gave them far more attention than their numbers deserved.
House Approves $33 billion Afghanistan war escalation
Submitted by rozziecole on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:47pm.July 2 - The House of Representatives last night approved an $80 billion supplemental appropriation including $33 billion to fund the escalation of the Afghanistan war. 100 representatives voted to fund only withdrawal of troops, and 162 voted to require an exit timeline. But opponents of war funding did not fully unite with supporters of education aid and other domestic programs. The combined bill, HR.4899, passed the House on a 215-210 procedural vote and now goes back to the Senate.
The votes on the two war related amendments show continued political progress and strengthening of the antiwar caucus in the House. The withdrawal amendment was offered by Barbara Lee of California. The 100 votes for it compare favorably to the 65 votes for the Kucinich resolution in March, and the language of the Lee amendment was stronger. Of the 10 Massachusetts representatives, all voted for the Lee amendment except Lynch.
The exit timeline amendment was offered by Rep. Jim McGovern. The 162 votes for it compare favorably to approximately 135 for McGovern's exit strategy amendment in June 2009, and the language was significantly stronger. Signaling that Democratic leadership is calling for a review of Afghanistan war policy, Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Appropriations chair Dave Obey were among those voting for the measure, as did all 10 Massachusetts representatives.
But in a confusing legislative ploy, the key vote on the war money was actually a vote on a so-called self-executing rule which brought the amendments to the floor. With this rule, there was no final vote on the supplemental appropriation, making the rule the key money vote. And on this vote, which was opposed by a united Republican caucus, the leadership successfully pitted antiwar legislators against advocates of domestic spending. Not a single Massachusetts representative stood with progressives Kucinich, Grayson, and Grijalva, and Maine representatives Pingree and Michaud, to stop the war money when it counted.
