Fund social needs, not war

 

By Reginald Johnson

     

     NORWALK --- How much has the Iran War cost US taxpayers?

    Try $35 billion.

    You read it right --- $35 billion.

   And that's just since February 28, when the US and Israel launched their unprovoked attack on Iran. Since then the cost of the war is running $1 - $2 billion a day.

  If the ceasefire falls apart, as expected, the cost of the war will run over $100 billion in a matter of weeks.

  A growing number of people, including peace advocates and others, are seeing the Iran War as not only illegal and immoral, but a huge theft of taxpayer money that should be used to address a myriad of social needs at home.

One of those is Benjamin Wesley, who gathered with other activists last Sunday on the bridge over I-95 off Exit 16, to hold banners and signs protesting the war and demand that the nation's priorities be redirected.

                                 

Benjamin Wesley protesting the Iran War at Sunday's demonstration in Norwalk.

 "The US government is cutting a number of social programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start and others to fund the war," said Wesley, of the organization The Peace Pact.

 "We're out here today with colleagues from World Beyond War, Veterans for Peace, Jewish Voices for Peace and others to say, bring those resources back home to meet the needs of the people and create a more equitable society," he said.

  The group unfurled a banner that read "Stop the War in Iran" and placed it over the top of the bridge in the view of motorists on the thruway. Members of the group also held signs urging an end to the war and handed out fliers that read "Stop the US taxpayer funded slaughter."

 The demonstration got a good reception from most drivers going by on East Avenue, with many honking their horns in approval or giving the thumbs up. One or two gave the finger.

                           

Demonstrators opposing the Middle East wars in Norwalk. From left to right, Andrew Rice, Benjamin Wesley, John Miksad and Stephanie Carrow.

  The fliers said people can get involved in the anti-war effort by calling members of the state's congressional delegation at 202-224-3121 and demand that the war end and that senators or congress members vote "no" on any more funding for the war.

  "That's the way the Vietnam War ended.  They stopped the funding," said Wesley.

   He also urged people to protest outside Connecticut's many defense contractors, such as Colt Manufacturing and Sikorsky, which receive millions in US dollars to make weapons used by Israel in the wars in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza.

  Local resident Patrick Servidio showed up at the protest dressed as General George Washington.

 "I led the fight for freedom against the British," he said. "Now we are the British."

                           

General George Washington at the protest.

 

  

Heading towards global war?

 

   By Reginald Johnson

            (Editors note:  As this article was being published, President Trump announced that the war on Iran would be over "soon." This is a bizarre statement. Just the day before, his war secretary Pete Hegseth said the war was "just beginning." On Saturday, Trump said ground troops could be sent to Iran. The administration doesn't seem to know what it is doing. If the war ends soon, that will be a good thing. But I'm very skeptical this will actually happen, because nothing that Trump says can be trusted. Remember this is the same president who ordered bombing attacks against Iran in the middle of what were supposed to be good faith negotiations with Iran over that country's nuclear development program. He did this twice, last year, and then again this year.) 

        As the Iran War ratchets up in intensity, there is fear the war could spark a global conflict with disastrous consequences.

       In the nine days since the United States and Israel launched their unprovoked attack on Iran, the war has already spilled over into many other countries in the region, with Iran hitting US bases and other targets in Bahrain, Kuwait, Dubai and Qatar. Israel has moved again into Lebanon, attacking the pro-Iranian group, Hezbollah.

   Missile attacks have also taken place against targets in Turkey and Azerbajan, with Israel blaming Iran. But the Iranians have denied responsibility and claim that Israel conducted "false flag" strikes trying to draw Turkey and Azerbajan into the war.

  In still more developments, Russia reportedly is providing Iran with intelligence on US targets in the region and US President Donald Trump is considering giving arms to the Kurds in Turkey, so they can invade Iran. Trump is also said to be weighing sending US ground troops to fight in Iran.

 Finally, as oil prices skyrocket due to shipping lanes being closed through the Strait of Hormuz, there are concerns about how China will respond to the situation. China gets 60 percent of its oil from Iran, and now that supply may be threatened with the strait closed.

    One of those who's deeply disturbed about the trend of events is Columbia Professor Jeffrey Sachs.

 "We are probably in the early days of World War III," said Sachs, a former UN official and a noted foreign policy critic. "The question is, whether it is contained."

   Speaking on a podcast with Prof. Glenn Diesen, Sachs said he's both concerned about the escalating trend of the war and also the irrational behavior of Trump.

  He described Trump as "mentally unhinged" and a "madman" determined to establish American hegemony around the world, despite the risks.

   Sachs said the world has seen madmen before who were bent on conquest, such as Napoleon and Hitler.

  But, Sachs said, "we've never had a circumstance like this in the nuclear age."

  "I would say the world is in a more dangerous situation than ever before. Period," he said. 

  Despite the gravity of the moment and Trump's reckless policy, Sachs said there are few in Washington, DC willing to call out Trump and demand that the war end before it is too late.

  "We're wondering, where, if any, are the grown-ups in the United States in positions of authority who will speak truthfully about this?" he said in another interview with Danny Haiphong.

    "I don't see almost any. There are a few voices in Congress, (Senator) Rand Paul is one of them, Congressman (Thomas) Massie is another...but there are very few others and this is what is alarming," Sachs said.

  Two other military/foreign policy experts, Ret. Col. Lawrence Wilkerson and former CIA analyst Larry Johnson said in interviews recently that due to economic pressures relating to the price of oil, and Israel's losses in the war, the Iran conflict would probably not last long. Both said that contrary to the glowing reports in the US media about US progress in the war, Israel was being hit hard by Iranian missiles and US bases have been badly damaged, too.

 Another concern for Israel is they are running out of interceptors to block incoming missiles.

Speaking on a podcast with Danny Haiphong, Wilkerson said his biggest worry is that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu might resort to using a nuclear weapon if Israel is losing badly.

  "I have no doubt he'll use one," Wilkerson said. "That's really the problem."