Bits and Pieces

Excerpts (with links) from some current news pieces:

Nonviolence and the strategy against terrorism from Sojourners (this one's not posted on the website yet, but I'll forward you the email if you're interested):

. . . In the three years since the invasion of Iraq, the number of major terrorist incidents in the world has increased sharply. War itself is a form of terrorism. Using military force to counter terrorism is like pouring gasoline on a fire. It ignites hatred and vengeance and creates a cycle of violence that can spin out of control. A better strategy is to take away the fuel that sustains the fire. Only nonviolent methods can do that, by attempting to resolve the underlying political and social factors that give rise to armed violence. . . . A nonviolent approach should not be confused with appeasement or a defeatist justification of terrorist crimes. The point is not to excuse criminal acts but to learn why they occur and use this knowledge to prevent future attacks. A nonviolent strategy seeks to reduce the appeal of militants’ extremist methods by addressing legitimate grievances and providing channels of political engagement for those who sympathize with the declared political aims. . . .

Generals to Bush: Talk to Iran! from Mother Jones:

A long list of former top U.S. Diplomats and military officials--ambassadors, generals, a former head of the U.S. Central Command--have signed on to a statement urging the administration "to engage immediately in direct talks with the government of Iran without preconditions to help resolve the current crisis in the Middle East... An attack on Iran would have disastrous consequences for security in the region and U.S. Forces in Iraq.

Bush’s Get-Out-Of-Court-Free Card from Mother Jones:

The administration has moved to dismiss each of these cases based on the "state secrets" privilege, a once-obscure legal precedent that Bush has invoked at least 20 times, more than any previous administration. In theory, the privilege allows the government to limit court cases that could make sensitive information public; in practice, it is often used to shut a suit down entirely and has been called the government’s "nuclear option."

Detroit Sees Cheap Gas as History in the New York Times:

The Chrysler Group, which depends more heavily on sales of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles than any other Detroit automaker, said Monday that it expected gasoline prices to remain at $3 to $4 a gallon for the rest of this decade.

The Falling Paycheck in the New York Times:

The economic expansion that began in late 2001 is on track to become the first since World War II that fails to offer a sustained lift to the real wages of most American workers. Although the nation’s economy has grown and productivity has been strong, American employees have not shared in the wealth they’ve helped to create. Wages and salaries now make up the lowest proportion of the economy since the government began keeping records in 1947, while corporate profits have climbed to their highest share since the 1960’s.