Veterans for Peace Radio Hour

Harvey and Jim discuss the student protests and the unconscionable lies coming from the speaker of the house and the president weaponizing the Holocaust. Using recent clips from Breaking Points, System Update, and Shahid Bolsen they look at the attempts of the government to manipulate and generate a narrative of anti-Semitism to demean and condemn the peaceful protests on college campuses. Those messages are countered by the words of Shahid Bolsen and the official statement from Veterans for Peace.

Will Hopkins, the new Executive Director of Veterans for Peace joins Barry Riesch and Colleen Rowley Freedom Flotilla volunteers as we discuss today's VFP activism and tomorrow's activism. Will leads off by discussing how he went from combat to the peace movement and what he sees as vision and challenge for VFP. Then we turn to Barry and Colleen who are just back from attempting to sail as part of the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza to break the Israeli siege and bring aid to the Palestinian People in Gaza. We then finish with Emma's Revolution.

Bruce Carruthers our resident expert on VA Health Care updates us on a VA report that slams privatization, but can we get it released so that it can make a difference? Then we turn to Student protests with an update from the encampment at Vanderbilt. Then the Freedom Flotilla was blocked through the efforts of Israel and the US. Will another country offer a flag to let them sail? Finally, as college administrators consider the National Guard, we remember Kent State Day through song.

Today Harvey and Jim catch up and follow up with the alumni and student involved in the protest on the Vanderbilt campus. Harvey targets Boeing putting profit over passenger safety. We also reflect on an interview between Aaron Mate and Norman Finkelstein from six years ago about the Palestinian right to resist, the right to defend themselves. Veterans for Peace also has another letter, this time to Biden, calling out his violations of the Symington Glenn amendment in providing aid to a nuclear state (Israel) that has not signed on to the NPT. We finish up with a new song from Dave Rovics.

Vanderbilt University in Nashville is leading the way in the draconian responses against pro-Palestinian rallies and protests. Today we talk to a Vanderbilt Alumni, a Vanderbilt student who was suspended but now faces probation, and a Staff Writer for the Nashville Scene who was arrested. We find out what the students were protesting and why. We talk about the disparate treatment of pro-Palestinian efforts versus more reactionary groups. We try to understand the Chancellor's principled neutrality to education at Vanderbilt. Think about principled neutrality; what might that actually mean? We ask the question is Vanderbilt University betraying or actually upholding it history of dealing with protests on campus? We finish up with Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine.

Larry Hebert was able to join the show for this in-depth discussion of his hunger strike in support of Palestine and against the Biden foreign policy of Biden's unconditional support of Israel's genocide on Gaza. We missed our initially established interview time because Larry was directed to go to Walter Reed Army Hospital for blood work and a mental evaluation. After being cleared, he talked to us from the grounds of the US capital. We talked about his hunger strike, his protest, his frustration that Aaron Bushnell's self-immolation generated more of a response in the Middle East than it did in the US, and his disillusionment about the US Military. We finish with Eddie Mack and The Sound of War.

Veterans for Peace specifically documents the national and international laws that the US is violating in its facilitation of Israel's genocide in Gaza. Executive Director of Veterans for Peace Mike Ferner and VFP member Jack Gilroy join us to specifically go over that charges VFP alleges in a letter to Anthony Blinken and other senior members of the State Department that calls on the Inspector General to initiate a criminal investigation. They specifically detail how the US is in violation of at least six domestic statutes and treaties. To see the letter: https://www.veteransforpeace.org/files/4017/0777/8707/VFP_StDept_ltr_FINAL_2-11-24.pdf

We know that Israel has made claims that it has a greater historical claim to the land than the people in the West Bank and Gaza. So what do the historical facts actually say? For that we turn to Middle East Historian, retired teacher, and activist Krishna Madan to trace the turbulent history of the people who lived on the land east of the Mediterranean Sea. We talk to Krishna personally and refer to the presentation he gave to Veterans for Peace which you can see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EUnXQOhtoE&t=30s

In this show we revisit our discussions with Ellen Davidson of Veterans for Peace on her discussion of Apartheid and the clear case of Israel/Gaza. Then we turn to Dr. Walter Hixson, author and historian on the dangers of the Israeli Lobby on our own democracy. Yes AIPAC and others threaten our democracy. We then finish up with a wonderful song from the RJ Phillips remembering Bloody Sunday at the Edmond Pettis Bridge 59 years ago March 7, 1965.

The Congress wants to ban Tik Tok so that is a good reason for Harvey and Jim to join Tik Tok to see why and we think we found out. It is all about the young people getting their news. Nothing is going to freak Congress out more than young people getting independent news. Then we talk about an article from Al Jazeera relating Rachel Corrie to Aaron Bushnell to Viola Liuzzo and other people recognized by the marginalized. We finish up wondering about the hullabaloo surrounding the Oscars and the movie Zone of Interest.

In this heart-wrenching show, we discuss Aaron Bushnell's self-immolation or as Chris Hedges characterizes it, his divine violence. We use several clips to explain better and characterize his sacrifice, including Caitlyn Johnstone and Ann Wright. We also discuss mainstream media's predictable failure in reporting on Aaron. We hear from veterans during vigils and tributes remembering and honoring Aaron. We finish up with Al Jazeera's take on Biden's food drop. Joe Cocker sings our tribute to Aaron.

Two staff members of the Highlander Center join us to talk about their work to derail fascism in the South. Emma Cager Robinson and Denzel Caldwell discuss the challenges in the South and the workshops, training classes, video screenings, and camps offered by the Highlander Center to combat the movement toward fascism in the South. This is critical as they believe that as the south goes so will the nation so we need to get this redirected now. They also highlight Tennessee as a quiet, covert domestic leader in this movement to the right.

Today we try to remember Black History and at the same time, we talk to a Black lady trying to make history. Amber Sherman, activist, and organizer, joins us to talk about local, national, international, and political issues facing us today. We also remember Septima Clark, referred to as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement. Septima Clark taught Rosa Parks at the Highland Center and now Amber Sherman tries to follow in Septima's shoes by organizing in Tennessee.

The Summit on Nuclear Deterrence was just last week and "WE" were there to witness the insanity and the "evil." Harvey Bennett joined Greg Mello, Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group, and journalist Jim Carrier, who attended the three-day "summit" to hear members of the nuclear industrial complex and the Federal Government talk about nuclear war and deterrence. Can you imagine that they actually believe that we need to be ready to fight a nuclear war and win it? Hear that and a few voices of reason on what our country is doing in your name and with your tax dollars. We finish with Sam Cooke because change better come.

Dr. Walter Hixson, historian, author, commentator, and Middle East Scholar, joins us to discuss the Israel lobby and it's negative/dangerous influence in the United States. Dr. Hixson discussed the Israeli lobby anchored by the American Israeli Political Action Committee, (AIPAC) and identifies its influences not only on our federal representatives but also on our educational systems, our media, and down to our state and local officials. They are pervasive and dangerous. We then end with Imagine by John Lennon just to generate a little hope.

We start the show by hearing from two activists in the cause of helping Veterans meet the challenges they face returning to civilian life. Susan Combs talks about the program, Pancakes for Roger, inspired by her father, the late General Roger Combs, and the foundation she is building to support Veterans in his name. She includes the University of Missouri Veterans Legal Clinic and all the work they do to help Vets navigate the governmental bureaucracies. Then Aaron Eckerberg talks ETMS the cutting-edge treatment that is helping Veterans and first responders heal from the trauma of their PTSD. Harvey and I finish up with some discussion of recent events and then we hear a somber rendition of the Hymn from the Marine Corps Band.

Veterans for Peace Member Paul Gingras is the executive producer of a new documentary about Catonsville 9 Member Tom Lewis. Paul talks about his friendship with Tom, Tom's activism and connection with the Berrigans and of course Tom's art. All these experiences combined with Tom's early death led to Paul committing to create a documentary to ensure that the legacy of Tom Lewis will live on an thrive. We finish with Dar Williams!

Part two: After hearing Dr. King talk directly to us about the issues we face today with regard to racism, militarism, and capitalism, we bring back Climate and Peace Activists Cindy Piester and Dr. Omar Clay to complete their discussion from last week. They also give us assignments on what WE can do and what lots of people are doing to address the climate crisis, militarism, and more. We finish with a heart-wrenching song from Michael Heart.

COP 28 was not all bad news. VFP's Cindy Piester is back to give us a rundown about the good, the bad, and the ugly of COP 28 and this year she brought along Dr. Omar Clay to break the science down into scary details. Yes, there were major issues but the activists and delegates managed to make enough people mad that progress was actually made, despite the efforts of the US, the fossil fuel industry, and the oil baron President of the COP. We finish with Canary in the Coal Mine by Janet Bates.

Harvey and Jim discuss a variety of clips from some of their best sources Democracy Now, Breaking Points, and Counter Points. They specifically define genocide and terrorism and show that what Israel is doing is genocide while what Hamas did was terrorism in killing civilians in Israel. We also hear the pastor in Bethlehem calling our Christian Churches while Steve Sosebee relates the sad story of two Palestinian young men who were healed and then killed by Israel. Things got to change and so we hear Sam Cooke.