Humanvalues Weblog

How I wish that Corliss Lamont were still with us, with his passion about the People’s Right To Know! Corliss would have cheered the recent WikiLeaks publication of Iraq and Afghanistan war documents, as he had with Daniel Ellsberg’s Pentagon Papers, that exposed in 1968, the blatant lies about reasons for, and the U.S. prosecution of, an immoral war in Southeast Asia. The similarity was ever so obvious, when we stood recently at the Times Square Recruitment Center in support of Bradley Manning, the brave and principled WikiLeaker who is now in U.S. custody, charged with the serious crime of releasing classified documents!

There standing, completely oblivious of the pouring rain, was a brilliant hero of both events, then and now; Leonard Weinglass, who had been a defender, along with William Kunstler, of Daniel Ellsberg. He was quite eloquent in his recounting of the significance of the Pentagon Papers, and comparing the importance of this new revelation and this new exposure of the human rights violations in which our government is engaged, all the while asserting that we are promoting democracy.

Take To The Streets?

So, here we go again! What did the People learn previously, about the duplicity, the secrecy, especially the untrustworthiness of their own government, and of its military adventures? Of even more concern: what did we do about it then? And, what are we doing about it now? Here we have, in Bradley Manning, another instance of a very courageous person of conscience, who risks all in the interest of the People’s Right to Know, while the majority of the People themselves seem unconcerned, and are not taking comparable risks in exercising their own Rights to Know, and demanding to learn what is actually taking place in our names. In future inquiries into Human Rights violations, how can we pretend that “we didn’t know?” The people of Germany might give us some advice out of their own experience.

Even the brutalization of our military itself is getting more exposure with the proliferation of shared material via the Internet. A vivid description of the indoctrination and intimidation of soldiers who are new to combat, being queried as to their willingness to risk killing civilians in combat, was posted recently. Those ethical persons who valued human life, and who expressed a reluctancy to do so, were themselves brutalized until they agreed to comply.

Shocking footage of ruthless, even gleeful killing!

On our Human Values Network Web site as far back as July 2004, we had published a link to an atrocity filmed from an Apache Helicopter, in which civilians were gunned down and the vehicle from which they were trying to flee was “smoked,” I believe was the term used. All the while those excited voices in the helicopter seemed as inured to the deaths that they were dealing as if they were playing a video game. It was so shocking and disgusting. Here are the links to that footage that we feel should be preserved. The files have disappeared from several other sites on which they were hosted and we don’t want them to be gone forever, so we’re hosting copies on this server, using the original file names so that they can be more easily located.

• apachehit.mpg (MPEG-1 - 4,874,244 bytes)
• iraqiwar.wmv (Windows Media Video - 1,173,431 bytes)
• Massacre_of_Civilians.wmv (Windows Media Video - 702,732 bytes)
• r35297_87992.rm (Real Video - 1,057,142 bytes)

Any respect for Human Values and the preciousness of life itself must necessarily be suppressed in the business of killing for fun and profit, and the pursuit of power and empire! So many of our veterans who are lucky enough to come home are suffering, not just the devastation of broken bodies, but with broken spirits and damaged emotions. Some who are well enough pour their pain and frustration into public witness, as in Veterans for Peace and similar organizations. Many are not. The suicide rate among military and veterans is the highest in history. I wonder how many of them have been sacrificed upon this alter of manly machismo?

I remember reading about the military inviting children to have a grown-up adventure and get the feel of firing at a target. Someone, perhaps from public outcry, had the sense to shut down this unethical operation that equated killing with fun.

Dealing with primitive human emotions

The dehumanization that is necessary to for one to consider “other” human beings as simply enemy to be eliminated reverberates in all directions and permeates our society. The simplistic act of name-calling and using derogatory terms for those who are somehow perceived to be different, should have been outgrown in our childhood, or at least have been called into question in a basic psychology class, upon learning of the instinct to identify with one’s own kind and to shun or fear “the other.” This is the very primitive recognition of the difference between us and them, that leads, unfortunately, to simplistic thinking even on the most powerful levels, with statements like: “If you’re not for us, you’re against us!” Sadly, age or experience doesn’t always bring wisdom in these matters, when otherwise normal appearing adults can spew out hate and vengeance toward others that it deems to be the enemy, or worse, a terrorist! Painting “the other” with a broad categorical brush, assuming that all are the same, or dangerous, or have evil motives, is the same trick that causes the inability to distinguish a freedom fighter from a terrorist. Or a Tea Bagger from a true Patriot!

The shameful animosity, even outright hate, that is being vented upon the Muslim group which plans to build an educational and cultural center a few blocks from the World Trade Center Memorial Site, accusing that this Muslim Center will desecrate a “sacred site,” is an example of such ignorance. The use of the term “sacred” gives the issue religious overtones, and implies a kind of exclusivity. People of all races and religions were victims of the 9/11 attack. Many who worked there and died there were Muslims. They have as much right as you and I do, to express their religious freedom. To attribute evil motives to them, as though they as a group were perpetrators or even sympathizers of the terrorist attacks is false. It is insinuated that they are teaching hatred of Americans or Christians or Jews. This also is false; they are community oriented and ecumenical, reaching out to other faiths and actually teaching respect. The accusation is instead, a reflection in the eye of the beholder, those who are actually spewing out and teaching hatred and fear of them.

The need to speak up renouncing allegations of a religious war

I appreciate President Barak Obama’s reminding of our traditional right to religious freedom, but a stronger and more specific affirmation is desperately needed. Those who are screaming hate and fear of Muslims, as though they as a group were the perpetrators of the World Trade Center disaster, and that we are somehow engaged in a holy war, might benefit from a little refresher course in American history about our dealings with the pirates of the Barbary Coast who were creating havoc with American ships. Negotiations culminated in the 1799 Treaty of Tripoli, in which then President Adams signed statements, affirming that we had no enmity against Muslims or “Mohammedans.” Article 11 of the Treaty is as follows:

As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,— as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen,— and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

The reiteration of this historical statement might go a long way to bring into the consciousness of this Nation the question of why we are bombing Muslims indiscriminately (or collaterally?) in our military campaign of targeted assassination of alleged Al Qaeda leaders. Please Mr. President, if there were indeed an element of revenge in our responses to the attack on the World Trade Center, and you inherited this shameful burden, in the interest of sanity and ethical behavior, and human decency, please Mr. President, let it cease with you! Stop making war! It is counter-productive. If we had in mind to create a terrorist “factory,” so that we had a constant stream of enemies on which to target our war machine, this would be the way to do it. If my village were bombed, and my family members killed, I wonder if I would have the grace to make a fine distinction between the flawed foreign policies of the U.S. and those damn Americans? Walt Kelly may have had it right when he observed that he had seen the enemy and it is us.

What’s our excuse now?

This illogical tendency to lump people together as a class, an ethnic entity, a monolithic religious group or whatever, rather than understanding that they are all individuals, is a very human and simple way of dealing with the unknown. Perhaps more understandable in ancient times than now, but not in this century, when we have at hand the means to research and communicate as never before, and we have access to data that defines our common evolutionary heritage, and our exploration of the cosmos reveals that our Earth is hardly significant in the total scheme of things, much less the center of the universe as the ancients believed. We are indeed all Earth People and how lucky we are to even be here! Picturing our Earth from space was conclusive, in that it showed no artificial boundaries to separate us into numerous varieties of Earthlings. Why is it that so many of the powerful on this Earth persist in promoting a primitive, immature and divisive perspective that asserts that some of us are of more value than others? Perhaps our evolution suffers arrested development?

It’s downright painful to recall the terrible things that we have done to each other in the name of fear and greed and vengeance, and how about chauvinism? Being superior, and above the laws of human decency, is a devastating pitfall. The Nazis called Jews “vermin,” and set about to exterminate them. In our own shameful history in the U.S., slaves were considered less than human, and if they escaped, the return to their rightful owner was required by law. Worse, they were subject to lynching. And in our pioneering push Westward, there was a phrase that reverberated across the plains: “A good Indian is a dead Indian!” How insulting to Native Americans that we had desecrated their own sacred lands, and then had the “nerve” to build upon those same lands, millions of churches that promoted the very faith of the terrorists who had decimated them!

Beware of patriotic and religious zealotry

I’m fearful of the present danger to the People’s Right to Know with this wave of reactionary illogic that seems to be sweeping over the country. I’m seeing a snake-oil huckster selling a cure-all liniment for disparate ailments. Some are in pain over what they see as too much government, while other complainers want more protection and better control. This one-size-fits-all patriotic and religious zealotry will wear thin before election time, and expose itself for the sham that it is. All that it has going for it is a focal point for dissatisfaction and a powerful network mouth that scapegoats and tells outright lies! How I wish that the false allegation that the networks are left-leaning were true. But unfortunately, logic and moderation are not sensational enough; and what is more to the point, they don’t sell enough snake-oil! Ah, would that we more ethical peace persons had our own network! How else can we promote the cooperative efforts that are needed to make productive changes?

How I wish that Corliss Lamont were here to help us promote the People’s Right to Know. Corliss published and promoted needed information that might have remained relatively invisible. The Treaty of Tripoli would be good to publicize. The National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee, of which he was Director for many crucial years, became an instrument for pursuing violations of our Bill of Rights. As a champion of Civil Liberties, he would have challenged the so-called Patriot Act, and the abdication of Congress’s responsibility in handing war powers over to the President.

But, Mr. President, your war powers also give you the power to shut it down!

Corliss Lamont would have been thrilled with the potential of this amazing new technology. Imagine, writing a blog that thousands of viewers world-wide will see in a matter of minutes! Internet users, especially students, from all over the world visit his Web site, http://www.corliss-lamont.org/, and learn of his landmark court cases in behalf of civil liberties and his successful challenge of Joseph McCarthy. Corliss would have been pleased to learn that his name is remembered and invoked in behalf of The People’s Right to Know.

So, alright already! I’ll get back to my Blog!

Sheesh! Stop goading me; can’t you see that I’m suffering from Terminal Heartbreak? Gimme a break! What can you expect with the whole world crashing in on us and around us. One year ago I wanted to believe that we Earthlings could actually create change. I wanted to believe that we could get-it-together and unite in common purpose in at least one activity…for instance, such as generating a little respect for this mind-boggling, amazing way-station in the Universe; and even embarking upon the task of actually trying to save our Mother Earth and learning to live in harmony with Nature. This is not even to mention generating some respect for the beings and creatures who live here.

I thought that our voices could be heard!

You know….I even wanted to believe that we could actually create a democracy, the very one that many of us Americans believe that we already have. But, I wonder if most of us might feel like I do: thwarted, like little urchins with our faces pressed on the window where the hither-to only dreamed-of, and tantalizing goodies are displayed….out of reach. For a short while, I could actually taste the delights of a democracy. Even believing that our voices, the voices of the workers, the parents, the teachers, the students, the small farmers, the shop keepers, the small business owners, the retired, the unemployed, the homeless and the hungry, and whoever else is not represented… might be heard over the beguiling and demanding din of corporate interests.

Efforts seem futile!

Now, I’m back to the old routine of alternate bouts of frustration, disillusionment, sprinkled with tiny rays of hope that truly inspire me. I scramble to call Congress; click here to add my name to a petition; write to the editor, try harder to promote the Humanist philosophy; try to get publicity for the books of Corliss Lamont, etc. but seeing the Bill fail, and the petition ignored, and my letter not published, little interest in these ideas, my hopes again get dashed. Then the whole cycle of depression sets in again. The Corporate Networks pundits keep spewing out sound-bites of garbage and lies, and yeegods! some of my apparently normal friends fall for this stuff and repeat it!

Illogic prevails!

Someone in my world, who shall remain nameless, was gloating over what he alleged was Obama’s neglect in “allowing” the BP oil spill to take place. This was a shocker, but I queried rather calmly…what do you mean? The answer was surprisingly logical…he should have had more people in place to do inspections. Well, that was good news, I said; you approve of more regulatory agencies and governmental control in behalf of the best interests of the people and the environment? Hell no, was the answer…we’ve got to get the damn government off our backs and stop wasting our hard earned tax money with all that baloney! Oi! What can I say? There was no point in pursuing the issue any further with this non-thinking person who couldn’t connect the two ideas. I sort-of mused to myself, though, about nature’s interesting design of our species, particularly the ratio of ears to mouth. Doesn’t it actually seem like an admonition from nature for us to listen twice as much as we speak?

But, unfortunately, the fatal flaw in nature’s interesting design might ultimately become the death knell of our Species: the amazing cerebral circuitry between the ears and the mouth can be totally by-passed!

Hope in cyberspace?

Despite the permeation of our airwaves with Limbaugh-like illogic, a little voice in the back of my head keeps saying “don’t give up…good things are happening…more young folks are becoming aware…the Internet makes the sharing of ideas possible like never before. Maybe this could create an information stream that might eventually render irrelevant the vested interests of the television networks, and completely out-do them in meeting the People’s hunger for truth. I’m always quick to cite The Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace by John Perry Barlow, former lyricist for the Grateful Dead, and co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who says, in essence, but in eloquent prose, you governments and you corporations, keep your hands off of Cyberspace; it belongs to the people, who will communicate with each other, and we will do a better job than you have.

Give the Guy a break!

No matter how discouraged I get, there is an undying hope that underlies it all, as evidenced by my angry response when I hear any criticism of Barak Obama! I just fly into a tizzy! Give the guy a break…I’ll retort. He inherited a mess! What do you expect him to do? He’s trying (overlong, in my opinion!) to be conciliatory and he listens to all sides of the various appeals…after all, he’s supposed to be the President of ALL the People, not just the President of us Raging Grannies and Peace Persons and the ecologically astute and the alternative energy advocates, and insisters on more access to better education, and those of us who are screaming for change! I have to admit grudgingly that he must hear advice from Generals and Wall Streeters, BUT! Alrightalready! Enough!! We need the cabinet level Department of Peace advocated by Dennis Kucinich and dozens of Congresspersons. (1) We need jobs! How about putting people back to work, but with efforts to convert to a peace economy, and to transform our dependency on oil and gas toward solar, wind, geothermal and tidal energies. We could even use something akin to Roosevelt’s WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corps for service to the community.

(1) For additional information about the Department of Peace, please visit The Peace Alliance Web site.

Captaining the Titanic!

If I can get Obama critics to hold still and listen to my Grannyrant…here’s what I tell them: Imagine you’re on the Titanic in its last moments, but this scene is playing out in agonizing slow-motion.. Our trajectory is set! We are headed for disaster….there’s no denying it! Those persons who made the decision to throw caution to the wind, disregarding the danger surrounding us, in favor of gaining speed to set a record, or with this metaphor, in favor of an exercise of “shock and awe” power, aren’t even at the helm in charge, or even owning any responsibility for the devastation that they set in motion. Are you with me on this? Got the picture?

Now, airlift Obama onto the bridge! Please, Mr. President, now let’s see you turn around the Ship of State!

Be a real help to the cause of change:

Go to Organizing for America and please let’s don’t just sit there: please pledge your support in some manner, phone banking, voter registration, flyer distribution, etc. You know what they say: it ain’t over ‘til it’s over. We have a long way to go. Millions of Folks who had long felt disenfranchised and felt no incentive to engage in even political discussion, let alone vote, came out to register their faith in change. Their hopes were short lived, alas. We truly understand this great disappointment. But in our conversations, we can try to rekindle in others some hope that we together can ultimately achieve the needed change. We can try to explain and emphasize the truth that democracy is messy. The voice of the People might even prevail over the noise of corporate power. Please, come out and help?

The Anti-Empire Report

Here’s a brilliant essay that caused me to rededicate my resolve to keep hope alive. Bless you Bill Blum!

The Anti-Empire Report, July 5th, 2010, by William Blum
http://killinghope.org/bblum6/aer83.html

Some thoughts on “patriotism” written on July 4
Most important thought: I’m sick and tired of this thing called “patriotism”.

The Japanese pilots who bombed Pearl Harbor were being patriotic. The German people who supported Hitler and his conquests were being patriotic, fighting for the Fatherland. All the Latin American military dictators who overthrew democratically-elected governments and routinely tortured people were being patriotic — saving their beloved country from “communism”.

That’s just the start of his essay. Go there. Read the rest of it for yourself. Then sign up for his messages.

Who on earth ever heard of herding donkeys?

Come to think of it, I’ve never ever seen a circus act with donkeys following each other like those silly elephants with tails and trunks entwined. Donkeys must truly be mavericks, and maybe that’s why they can’t cooperate long enough to out-do the elephants. Maybe Chimps will do a better job? I’d vote for them over elephants or donkeys if they could get themselves on the ballot. But, back to herding donkeys: What do you say? Let’s try to find out? Please bring friends and come to the following Program:

Herding Donkeys: Howard Dean and Ari Berman on the Future of the Democratic Party
at the 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson Street, New York, NY, on Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 7pm. Hope to see you there!

Click here for additional information.

Hello to Friends and lovers of promoting real change in behalf of the people!

You are invited to a presentation at Bluestockings on Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM to hear a bit of history about how the original ideals of creating, within the democratic framework, a system more responsive to the real needs of the people, has been thwarted, maligned, corrupted and distorted, especially by the vested interests of the “powers that be.”

Corliss Lamont’s book called: You Might Like Socialism, describing its benefits and even its detractors, originally published in 1939, has been re-issued with a current update written by his wife, Beth K. Lamont. It is now named: Lefties Are In Their Right Minds.

This is a very timely topic, partly of public indignance, with the bailout of banks that are deemed to be “too big to fail.” Yet the idea of controlling the banking system in the best interests of the people is feared by Congress. And the public is barraged with gross misinformation by the media. Here’s a matter that needs more open discussion: advocacy of Democratic Socialism!

The book is currently available and is being featured at a Bluestockings reading. Please come to the meeting, prepared to discuss the issues, especially those of how we might make beneficial changes in behalf of the people. Hope to see you there!

Good News! The new book, Lefties Are In Their Right Minds, is available at last!

It was published by Half-Moon Foundation, Inc. on May 18, 2009 and is ISBN 978-0-578-00782-3.

This is a re-introduction of Corliss Lamont’s You might Like Socialism that was written in 1939. Many of you, friends and cohorts of Corliss Lamont, may wish to have your own copy. You will find it at Amazon.com if you wish to purchase it.

Folks seem to enjoy the little play on words of the title. The use of the word “Lefties,” of course, is not in the least anatomical; it is strictly political. And how timely is this re-introduction of Corliss’s compilation of historical information describing the ideals and the ordeals of the Socialist Movement in the earliest years of the Twentieth Century, now that the almost forbidden word is on many lips with the election of Barack Obama.

The Rush Limbaugh types speak the word in accusatory tones, citing tax-and-spend tactics of a welfare state, and predicting the end of democracy. Others, in almost prayerful whispers, are daring to say those long discredited and maligned words, “Socialism” or “Democratic Socialism,” believing that now at last we might begin to build a real democracy that includes all of the people, and enjoy a more equitable distribution of this country’s assets, and turn away from counterproductive foreign policies and entrenched warmongering.

I keep reminding that Corliss Lamont had an inside view of the flaws of the Capitalist economic system, having benefited from Wall Street wealth, yet siding with the plight of the working class. His vision for improving the conditions of those who were exploited and abused by the callous indifference of Capitalism developed in the early days of the Bolshevic Revolution. The ideals of this new philosophy that might have taken off like wildfire in this country were inspiring to the working classes; there was respect for the workers; women were equal partners; education for all would be a value; and many of the assets of wealth would belong to the community for all to enjoy.

Corliss tells the story of how the powers of the Church and Wall Street, each fearful of having their own powers eroded, fueled the fears that became a rabid anti-communist hysteria that raged for all of the Twentieth Century and is still a dominant and counterproductive factor that determines U.S. domestic and foreign policy. He was witness to these fitful violations of civil liberties. He saw violence against labor protestors. He saw concerted efforts to rid the educational institutions of “those damn Reds!” He saw J. Edgar Hoover and Joseph McCarthy in full swing, wielding their fearful powers to destroy, to terrify, to intimidate. And all of this. . . .to root out the evil vestiges of ugh, Communism and Socialism!

There’s so much more to tell, but Corliss Lamont tells it so very well. Please check out this exploration of the ideals of Socialism, which he so innocently and optimistically called: You Might Like Socialism. I promise that for its historical value alone, it is a worthwhile read. Advice from another “Leftie” who loved him, Beth.

For additional information on Lefties Are In Their Right Minds, please visit the following Web page.

http://www.corliss-lamont.org/lefties/

Here’s an interview that aired on WBAI FM radio in New York yesterday, January 25, in which I was invited to discuss the relevance of my new book, Lefties Are In Their Right Minds. The interviewer, Barry F. Seidman, is a Humanist cohort who is Executive Producer/Host of the Equal Time For Freethought program that is heard regularly at 6:30 PM every Sunday night.

Our discussion covered current events and historical Humanism and just about everything in between. If you enjoy this Podcast version of the interview, available below, you might wish to hear an unedited, longer version that’s available at the following URL.

http://www.corliss-lamont.org/lefties/

Thanks for your interest.

Beth K. Lamont

HumanValuesWeblog20090126-Post38.mp3   29 minutes 26 seconds - 14,140,978 bytes

Hello and thank you for checking out this Podcast. I’d like to tell you about a new book that speaks to the dilemma in which we voters find ourselves at the moment. We need to bring about a real Ballot Box Revolution that will tilt this Democracy toward its working class citizens. If this really is a nation of,… for, and by its People, why have we allowed the so-called Free Market system to become more powerful than ourselves? How can it be allowed to dominate us? What are we, chopped liver?

How is it that the system that is “too large to fail,” got that large? And without proper oversight? How is it that this faulty system must be saved by the hard-earned tax money of its victims? We, who are small, are allowed to fail, to loose our homes, our jobs, and who gives a damn? The People should be served by the market, not the other way around. We are not here to serve the market! It should be working in our behalf!

This Nation was conceived in Liberty, and this ideal of personal freedom was not designed for the freedom of its market system that would become so powerful as to allow its People to be ground-up in its machinery. This is another case of the tail wagging the dog!

Lefties Are In Their Right Minds

The book that I’m introducing is called Lefties Are In Their Right Minds. I’m going to say that again: Lefties Are In Their Right Minds! Do you like that title? No? You are shocked by that assertion? You recently heard our Democratic Candidate accused of being a Socialist, and denying it vehemently. Those gathered around him also were expressing their own disdain of such a possibility. But, ladies and Gentlemen, guess what we’ve got? Not only do we have Socialized Militarism, but now we have Socialized Capitalism! The exploitive Capitalist Free Market can’t stand on its own but has to be propped up by the Government and the tax-payer’s money! What a surprising development this is! Maybe if there had been a little Socialized Government regulation in behalf of the people, we wouldn’t have been left to be doubly victimized by the so-called Free Market.

I want to tell you who I am and why I’ve written Lefties Are In Their Right Minds. The story starts more than a hundred years ago, way back in 1902. A young man born of Wall Street wealth grew up learning of the flaws of this Democracy right at the Family dining table. He heard of plant closings that put people out of work; he heard of the thwarting of labor unions. Being an ethical person, he began to champion the underdog, the victims. He believed in worker’s Rights and even went to jail for supporting strikers. That young man was Corliss Lamont, you may have heard of him? I was honored to have been his wife. I’m sad to be his widow. He would be making some fiery speeches in support of a Democracy that would not betray its own people.

When he learned of the Bolshevik Revolution he identified with the workers, the soldiers, the sailors, the farmers who were throwing off the Czar, like we, in the U.S. threw off the King and declared our own independence. He proceeded to study and write and visit the new Socialist Democracy and he believed that we in the U.S. might be inspired and that the same ideas could take root in this country as well, and the people would benefit thereby. He wrote and published in 1939 the book entitled You Might Like Socialism: A Way of Life for Modern Man. I quip the following: Sorry, Corliss. They didn’t like it then and they don’t like it now, but who the hell are the theys? It turns out to be the Fat Cats who profit by uncontrolled Capitalism. And, hold your hats for this comment: you might not believe it, but I’ll say it anyway! It’s the American People themselves who don’t even understand that they are getting screwed! We have been totally brainwashed!

We have been conditioned to fear and be repulsed by the dreaded S-word, or worse, the C-word, and even the L-word is a no-no. We have been brainwashed for over a century. And do you know where it all started? No? Well, it started on Wall Street. Capitalism was scared spitless with the idea that workers would have a right to demand a share of the profits and to have a voice in the management of their own industries or factories. The church was terrified of those godless Atheists who were throwing off the blood-sucking Russian church, and refusing to be docile and obedient anymore! So here you have a collusion of church and state to stop the spread of dangerous ideas…which could possibly spread like wildfire.

President Woodrow Wilson was persuaded to invade the new Soviet Union. So, there we were in 1918 sending troops to Vladavastok and Archangel in Siberia to protect the White Russians from these Bolsheviks. The rationale was, and I quote: “To strangle the dangerous infant of Socialism in its cradle.” I’ll just bet that you’ve never heard of that before! The ideal of Socialism started out just that way…as an ideal…the same way that our ideal of Democracy started out as an ideal. But we all know what happens when power runs rampant and tramples those ideals. We end up with a totalitarian system that thwarts the will of the people and simply perpetuates its own power. So, this is what the book is all about: urging the people to regain their power.

If you unite in your purpose you can create a true Revolution at the Ballot Box. Throw out the perpetual warmongers, put some Democrats in office who will actually respond to your needs and your wishes. We can have good schools, real health care, secure jobs that don’t migrate overseas; we will rebuild our infrastructure; we will create new industries for non-toxic renewable energy. We will create a peaceful relationship with other nations and provide ethical leadership. Afghanis and Iraqis will actually applaud us when we leave.

I say that Socialists are called Lefties because on the left is where the heart is located.

We need heartfelt compassion and concern for all of Humankind. This is the only way that Americans can be safe and become the truly great nation that we like to believe we already are. We can work together and make changes. Please visit the Web site and read the whole book if you like. Later there’ll be paperback copies sponsored by Half-Moon Foundation. The Web page is located at http://www.corliss-lamont.org/lefties/.

P.S. You might notice that this is my first blog post for many months. I’ve been blogging for the book. And here it is!

HumanValuesWeblog20081025-Post37.mp3   8 minutes 22 seconds - 8,041,673 bytes

Something new is happening!

It is the North American New Humanist Forum that will take place in New York City November 16, 17, and 18. All are invited! Are you interested in helping to map out new directions for real democracy in this hemisphere? Come to this event and participate! I will! I hope to be a speaker or a panelist or as a member of a working group.

Information about this important gathering of concerned Humanists can be found on the Web site of the North American New Humanist Forum (NANHF).

Scheduled speakers will include representatives from many different countries, and working groups will be discussing new approaches to various issues and problems. I’ve had contact with the sponsoring group previously, and was much impressed with the scope of their Humanist activities in the community. The group has been referred to as Siloists. The name Siloist is used to describe those have been inspired by the teachings of the Argentinean philosopher, Mario Rodríguez Cobos, also know as Silo. Because there seemed to have been some misunderstanding about the group’s origin and intent, I wrote an article that was posted several years ago on the Humanist Society of Metropolitan New York Web site, discussing some of the issues, and inviting a humanist dialogue between the Siloists and the non-Siloists. This will be just such an opportunity to discuss our areas of agreement and explore any differences.

This article entitled The Other Humanists, can be found here.

Humanist Healing for the Woes of the World

Planet Earth, the home of all living things and life as we know it, is in mortal danger.

Fundamentalist religious fanaticism, greed, and exploits of empire, have brought us to this brink. The Humanist Philosophy respects and embraces the efforts of all caring persons, of all faiths, of all ethnicities, of all traditions, of all nations, who take responsibility, for trying to make changes to improve the perilous conditions of Humankind, working together to foster understanding among the diverse Peoples of Earth, working toward the development of a respectful, lawful, equitable, compassionate and care-taking Culture of Peace that most of Earth’s Peoples long for. Strangely, some beliefs hold to ancient notions of vengeful deities that champion one segment of humanity over another, giving rise to fears and hatreds, militarism, fascism, violence, vengeance, exploitation, inequities, and injustices that still abound, endangering our survival as a species, jeopardizing the lives of our children, grandchildren and all future generations.

I am concerned about this danger and, as an individual, I have the power to raise my own voice in protest. I value Life; I love my own Family and the larger family of Humankind. I revere the Human Species, and believe in the right to peaceful pursuit of individual and societal happiness. I pledge to support the ideals of a Culture of Peace, and will encourage others to do likewise. I, therefore, pledge to take responsibility to promote the following Human Survival Principles:

I, personally, and as a representative of my own ethical perspective, life-stance or faith, pledge to act with courage, in all ways short of violence, to renounce and thwart the various adverse forces that have gained the power to dominate Earth and its inhabitants. I renounce all systems of repression, whether by governmental or economic control. I support only systems that are in the best shared-interest of all of Earth’s Peoples and of Earth itself. I, personally, renounce violence and vengeance as an option to redress grievances for wrongs done to me, my people, or my ancestors. I pledge to seek justice and compensation, never before feasible, through pursuit of new lawful means, consistent with the recognized principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations’ Responsibility to Protect, and the newly established International Criminal Court. These new tools must be fostered and ultimately established, for all times, promoting the pursuit of justice in every village and in every community. No longer will there be impunity for perpetrators of Crimes against Humanity. There will now be justice in the Courts! I pledge to support this goal.

I agree that technology, medicine, science and biology must be harnessed to serve only the best interests of all Humankind, whether it be our means of communicating freely with each other in the pursuit of truth and democracy, and the sharing of information regarding our common interests, or for the creation of power sources that do not damage Earth’s ecosystem or harm living things. Biotechnology must not modify or claim ownership of Earth’s bounty, and the benefits to Humankind in all of these areas must not be tied to a corrupt and capricious profit motive, enslaving the many and ignoring the most needy.

I pledge to work in behalf of the survival and best interests of Humankind right here and now, because I believe in the basic goodness of other human beings. I will willingly join with them in order to help to create a Culture of Peace, regardless of any known traditional beliefs that aspire to other worlds or any belief in end-times scenarios. I will not allow my name or my belief to be used to endorse actions that are contrary to my own personal beliefs. I will not allow my faith to be conscripted or construed in order to justify support for actions that are harmful to others, such as seeking retaliation and vengeance, or to justify terrorist acts, or the making of war against alleged and illusory enemies, with whom I have no quarrel. If my tradition aspires to a Heaven elsewhere, I will surely have earned my place in it as a Peacemaker. Meanwhile, I will do my best to help make Peace on Earth, and to keep my pledge in behalf of the Human Survival Principles. In doing so, I reach out my hand in respect for others of good will, showing that I hold no weapon or animosity, and expect that others will do likewise.

I recognize that we humans are more alike than we are different.

These Human Survival Principles are logical and important to me and I’m leaving a comment below. I’m adding my name to many others online at this Web site.

Here are two Adobe Acrobat PDF (Portable Document Format) versions of the Humanist Healing for the Woes of the World brochure, one intended for on-screen viewing (four pages) and the other designed for duplex printing (two pages).

• On-screen viewing (1,691,053 bytes)
• Printing (997,285 bytes)

Comments can be posted anonymously and this blog can be used as a forum for communication. Registration is necessary if you wish to be contacted. Feel free to link to this blog post. The URL is http://www.humanvalues.net/blog/?p=35. Please discuss these important issues with others, and take action.

Hello Mayor Bloomberg,

You are in a position to change the course of history! You have the opportunity to become a Hero in the eyes of the world. You know that as the Mayor of the greatest City in the United States you already have the eyes of the world upon you. We need your courageous leadership! Please consider this appeal?

Congress has just curtailed the Civil Liberties of the American People. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 will be know as the Permission to Torture Bill; it removes the centuries-old right of Habeas Corpus protection for those wrongfully imprisoned; it threatens to make “Enemy Combatants” or accomplices of every American dissenter to the policies of this administration. This Bill was just approved on September 29th by Congress. Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut was one of twelve Democratic Senators who approved the Bill.

People of our city, who are lovers of peace, plan to take to the busy streets on Thursday, October 5th! Our voices must be heard! We need for you to protect our rights to dissent! We are patriotic Americans who favor diplomacy over destruction. We favor an ethical response instead of one of revenge. We renounce Bush’s plan to bomb Iran as totally insane. This insanity must be stopped! Bombing civilian populations is a war crime! You know it! The world knows it! The eyes of the world are upon us, worrying that this will be allowed by the American People. They can’t see our bumper stickers!

New York City is still the symbolic target of those who hate the United States. We are now in more danger of terrorist attack because our inappropriate military response to 9/11 has generated more hatred rather than less. Worse still, is the revenge that will be wreaked upon New York City if the plan for bombing Iran proceeds.

There are two important points that we wish for you to consider:

1. The terrorists will have accomplished their mission of “destroying” our country if the voices of the People are stifled. We Americans are proud of our heritage of freedom, and of our Bill of Rights that allows us “peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Do not allow those who hate us to have the satisfaction of having destroyed our Civil Liberties.

2. There will be a “Nuremberg Trial” for the Leadership, the military and the People of the United States at some time in the future. We cannot pretend that “we didn’t know” or that we were “just following orders.” The Bush Regime is hell bent on starting World War Three by planning to punish Iran for not obeying its dictates. There are nuclear bombs. Someone will use them. New York City is still the prime target! Don’t let partisan politics and loyalty to the Republicans allow you to be silent. We need your help. The brave New York City Police are American citizens as well as our protectors. We need their help on this important day of October 5th. We deserve the right to march on Broadway and disrupt the traffic. Business-as-usual-just doesn’t get it! Celebrities, dignitaries, and corporations are given special treatment. They are not more important than the People!

Our request to use the busy streets was denied; we cannot fathom the rationale that went into such a strange denial. You have no right to hold the People hostage this way. We have a right to speak out. We are peace loving People. The assertion that “Homeland Security” is a consideration is total nonsense. If anti-peace, supporters of the war were to heckle us or even attack us, we would hope that the Police would protect our protest march. Peace Marchers have never been violent! We have occupied the full expanse of Broadway with a sea of Citizens without incident in previous years.

We invite the Police Department, rather than barricading us, penning us up, and preventing us from gathering together to have our voices heard, to walk with us to protect us in the street. This is contrary to current accepted practices called “crowd control.”

Mistakes can be made in high places, New York, Washington, it doesn’t matter where, but to perpetuate these mistakes is not very wise. We need wisdom. It is insane for mistakes to become entrenched, even ossified, in public policy, without ever examining the unintended consequences.

The Peace People of the World are angry at the Bush policy of using the military might instead of wisdom; the Peace People of New York are angry at the prevalent Bloomberg policy of allowing military might and corporate interests to take precedence over the long range wisdom of helping the People “peaceably to assemble.” We patriotic Americans will gather in the streets on Thursday, October 5th. Our voices must be heard! Help us! We are counting on you!
Thanking you in advance,

Beth K. Lamont, Humanist Chaplain, Non Governmental Organization
Representative for the American Humanist Association to the United Nations,
Member Council of Ethics Based Organizations at the UN
777 UN Plaza, Lobby Level, New York, NY 10017

Also in behalf of: The World Can’t Wait!, Not In Our Name, International Action Center, Students Against the War, Grannies Against the War, Veterans Against the War, (these last three are categories, not titles) and many other concerned organizations and citizens.

Dilemma: How shall we 16 Protestors Plead in court? Who is Guilty of What?

The reason that I’m writing to you is to ask your advice. Those of us who were arrested at the United Nations when Bush was speaking, (there are 16 of us) are trying to decide how to get the most mileage publicity-wise out of our situation. Most of us are charged with the offense #240.20 (6), which I believe is disorderly conduct. Admittedly we went to 44th Street across from the U.N. for the purpose of performing Civil Disobedience by challenging the police blockade, with our signs and chants, saying that Bush is a war criminal and that he should be arrested. We were waving copies of the 51 page verdict delineating the Crimes Against Humanity Committed by the Bush Administration, to call attention to the findings of fact gathered by testimony at the International Commission of Inquiry, published on September 13, 2006. We were told to remove our hands from the barricade that we were trying to open; we refused!

Three of us are additionally charged with resisting arrest which is totally absurd, inasmuch as we all went there to be arrested. Most of us are to appear in the Centre Street court on October 18th. We discussed the options for several hours this evening at John Jay in a room provided by Father Luis Barrios, the Episcopal Priest, who is also charged with assaulting an officer…a totally bogus charge; they were brutalizing him, instead. With us was disabled Iraq Vet, Geoffrey Millard, who was manhandled as well.

On Thursday, October 5th, we will be in the streets again protesting the imminent and insane bombing of Iran. We hear that October 9th will begin the “October Surprise,” and that warships are moving into position. This actually dominated our conversation tonight; no wonder we couldn’t focus on how we are going to plead when we get to court. We’re not finished getting arrested yet!

So, here’s my question: several other lawyers are already involved, Siegel, Stolar and Upton, all of whom gave differing and non-spectacular advice to their clients, so far. The 16 of us sat around a table this evening and each had a different idea of how to proceed. Ultimately, we did decide that we would stick together and try to make a media event of whatever we do, which was the whole point in the first place. We will all wear We Will Not Be Silenced black T-shirts to court, for one thing, but how we plead is the dilemma. Here are the options that we discussed:

1. Just plead guilty and take our lumps, whatever that may be. Some really objected, saying that of course, we are not-guilty of any real crime. The law is the crime: the police are guilty of thwarting our right to peaceably assemble, etc. and exercise our right to free speech, etc. Those few felt that they just couldn’t say “guilty.” We discussed the difference between morally and legally, etc. Those who favored “guilty” felt that we must turn the charge around, using that same word in referring to the Bush regime and its war crimes…like, we would each make the very same statement to that effect in court. We would probably be further charged, with contempt of court for giving the wrong answer? At least we might get the publicity that the issues deserve, plus, we 16 would go out with a bang, instead of a whimper. And, the other options discussed were:

2. All plead not-guilty and be postponed, coming back again and again, etc. Probably eventually to be dismissed. If that isn’t a whimper, I don’t know what could be worse, and wasting a perfect opportunity to make a valid point. There was the suggestion that if you promise not to get into trouble for 6 months you can be released. Most rejected that, saying “no way, we plan to be visible and vocal! This is our patriotic duty!” We probably will get arrested again on the 5th, because we want to gather at the U.N. on 47th Street at Noon, after speeches for an hour or so, start up the march onto Second Avenue heading south. We want to turn onto 42nd Street and go to Broadway, then down Broadway to 14th Street where we will have a speakers platform, and ending maybe 4 PM or so. The police say we have to stay on Second Avenue all the way to 14th. This is absurd. We might as well stay in the pen at 47th Street for all the notice and participation we would get on quiet Second Avenue. I’m asking for your advice because I value your courage and your judgment. How do you think we can make the maximum impact in this situation? Will you please be our advisor?

Or maybe just suggest the best way for us to get the media attention about the Real crimes initiated by the Bush regime that are going on, like torture, and bombing civilian populations.

Hugs from Beth. I’m now officially part of the Grannie Peace Brigade, and “The U.N.-16, who will not be silenced,” as well as speaking in behalf of the Humanists, The World Can’t Wait!, Not In Our Name, and International Action Center…and other groups as well. We hear that many student groups are planning come out on the 5th. That’s one thing that this country needs lots of: informed young people who are activists! Hoping to hear from you.

Best wishes to you and family. May there be peace!

PLANET EARTH, HOME OF ALL LIVING THINGS AND LIFE AS WE KNOW IT, IS IN MORTAL DANGER.

Militarism, exploitation, usurpation, arrogance, inequities and vengeance all abound, endangering our survival as a species, and actively prevent the development of a respectful, lawful, equitable, compassionate and care-taking Culture of Peace.

I am concerned about this danger and, as an individual, I have the power to raise my own voice in protest. I value Life, I love my own Family and the larger family of Humankind. I revere the Human Species, and believe in the right to peaceful pursuit of individual and societal happiness. I pledge to support the ideals of a Culture of Peace, and hope to encourage others to do likewise. I, therefore, pledge to promote the following Human Survival Principles:

I, personally, and as a representative of my own ethical perspective, life stance or faith, pledge to act with courage, in all ways short of violence, to renounce and thwart the various adverse forces that have gained the power to dominate Earth and its inhabitants. I renounce all systems of repression, whether by government or economic control. I support only systems that are in the best shared-interest of all of Earth’s Peoples and of Earth itself.

I, personally, renounce violence and vengeance as an option to redress grievances for wrongs done to me, my people, or my ancestors. I pledge to seek justice and compensation, never before feasible, through pursuit of new lawful means, consistent with the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nation’s Responsibility to Protect, and the newly established International Criminal Court. These new tools must be fostered and ultimately established, for all times, to promote the pursuit of justice in every village, in every community, in every nation, I will do my best to support this goal.

I agree that technology, medicine, science and biology must be harnessed to serve only the best interests of all Humankind, whether it be our means of communicating freely with each other in the pursuit of truth and democracy, and the sharing of information regarding our common interests, or for the creation of power sources that do not damage Earth’s ecosystem or harm living things. Biotechnology must not modify or claim ownership of Earth’s bounty, and the benefits to Humankind in all of these areas must not be tied to a corrupt and capricious profit motive enslaving the many and ignoring the most needy.

I pledge to work in behalf of the survival and betterment of Humankind right here and now, because I believe in the basic goodness of other human beings. I will willingly join with them in order to help to create a Culture of Peace, regardless of any known traditional beliefs that aspire to “other worlds” or any belief in “end times” scenarios. I will not allow my name or my belief to be used to endorse actions that are contrary to my own personal beliefs. I will not allow my faith to be conscripted or construed in order to justify support for actions that are harmful to others, such as seeking retaliation and vengeance, or to justify terrorist acts or making war against alleged and illusory enemies, with whom I have no quarrel. If there is a Heaven elsewhere, I will have earned my place in it as a Peacemaker. Meanwhile,….

I will do my best to help make Peace on Earth, and to keep my pledge in behalf of the Human Survival Principles

___________________________________________________
Signature                                                                Date

___________________________________________________
Affiliation (optional)

___________________________________________________
E-mail (optional)

Please state any affiliation that you feel is relevant. Please add an e-mail address, if you wish for others to reach you.

Please feel free to duplicate this document. Disperse it widely. Use these issues for a discussion with others. If you wish to publicize your pledge, and add your name to the pledges of thousands of others, please contact us via e-mail or postal mail at:

Fred Edwords
American Humanist Association, 1777 T Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009