Beautiful Trouble Conventional wisdom tells us that power resides in the hands of those at the top, and that when push comes to shove, “power grows out of the barrel of a gun,” as Mao famously said. If so, then the only way to defeat a violent opponent is through the use of even greater … Continue reading Pillars of Support
Archive
Nonviolence, Muslim Style: From Ghaffar Khan to Tahrir Square
Religion Dispatches “Islam” Means Peace: Understanding the Muslim Principle of Nonviolence Today Amitabh Pal Praeger (2011) When the mass nonviolent movements that brought down longtime U.S.-backed dictators in Tunisia and Egypt this year captured the world’s attention, The Progressive’s managing editor Amitabh Pal joked that it made his new book, “Islam” Means Peace: Understanding the … Continue reading Nonviolence, Muslim Style: From Ghaffar Khan to Tahrir Square
RT interview on Yemen
I was on RT, Russia’s 24/7 English-language news channel, today to talk about the news that the US has stepped up its covert war in Yemen in recent weeks with increased strikes by fighter jets and armed drones. Click here to watch the video.
Is there no other way in Libya?
Waging Nonviolence, Common Dreams, The Indypendent One of the arguments that is being forwarded by proponents of military intervention in Libya is that Qaddafi is literally crazy and therefore cannot be reasoned with or expected to step down without force. In an article for Tikkun, entitled "Libya: Acid Test for Nonviolence?," Metta Center for Nonviolence … Continue reading Is there no other way in Libya?
Pro-Democracy Forces in Bahrain Face Unique Challenges
Waging Nonviolence, Sojourners After a month of largely peaceful pro-democracy protests in Bahrain, the situation has taken a dramatic turn for the worse this week. On Monday, 2,000 soldiers from Saudi Arabia and other allies in the region entered Bahrain at the request of King Hamad al-Khalifa. The king then announced a three-month state of … Continue reading Pro-Democracy Forces in Bahrain Face Unique Challenges
The Human Toll
March 2011 issue Sojourners In December, as the United States entered the 10th year of what President Obama called the "good war" in Afghanistan, I traveled to Kabul to take stock of the human toll of the increasingly bloody occupation. From the moment I landed in Kabul’s airport, I noticed its distinctive smell -- a … Continue reading The Human Toll
Interview on Russia Today
I was on Russia Today (RT), Russia's 24/7 English-language news channel, to discuss ex-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's role in the Iraq war and the use of torture on the day that his new memoir Known and Unknown was released. Click here to watch the video.
The Tragic U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan
Union Daily Times, SC; Worthington Daily Globe, MN; Fayette County News, GA; Asheville Citizen-Times, NC; News Eagle, PA. A shorter version was published in the Peoria Journal Star, IL. Distributed by OtherWords and Featurewell. Albert Einstein famously defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” If that doesn’t accurately … Continue reading The Tragic U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan
Report back from Afghanistan
On January 7, I spoke at this great event at All Souls Unitarian Church in New York with Kathy Kelly and Mike Ferner about our trip to Afghanistan in December. Here is a link to an hour-long radio interview I did on The New Movement with Roy Beckham on WAZU 90.7FM in Peoria, IL, on … Continue reading Report back from Afghanistan
Record levels of violence in Afghanistan do not equal progress
Waging Nonviolence, Common Dreams, Counterpunch, Huffington Post, The Indypendent, Sojourners Greetings from Afghanistan. I arrived here now almost a week ago and there is so much to share about this experience that it’s hard to know where to start. I’d like to offer a few random observations about Kabul that I’m sure will make more sense upon … Continue reading Record levels of violence in Afghanistan do not equal progress
