Clearly, War Is A Lie is an ambitious effort, organized around ideas rather than chronology, taking in, albeit briefly, most of the wars we talk about, from Iraq and Afghanistan to the two World Wars, back to the Civil War and even to antiquity. It is full of eye-opening facts that cast doubt on the school textbook version of events, and “wow” moments where we are made to question our deepest assumptions. David Swanson whets my appetite for a much more discerning look at particular wars I thought I knew much about, and more importantly, about war itself. He is particularly effective in demonstrating the cynicism and duplicity of leaders who tell us that war is for one purpose, while knowing full well that it is for another.

Swanson’s passion for the topic, his compassion for all peoples, his fresh thinking and his commitment to questioning conventional attitudes toward war and exposing popular myths and fallacies are what stand out. He presents many significant pieces of history that are not widely known and effectively assumes the mantle of moral guide. Swanson makes a compelling case for our re-examining our own knowledge about why we make war, and underlines the deception and folly that is almost always at the core of such violent adventures. Compared to traditional histories and analyses, and even with its drawbacks, I consider War Is A Lie an important work and one worthy of our attention. I’m glad to moderate this conversation.

Gallegos’s win enhances Kamala Harris’ victory for California Attorney General and Jerry Brown’s gubernatorial success, hopefully ushering in an era of civil and environmental rights in our state that will embrace a justice which is blind to the stature of those involved, seeking instead to defend truth, the environment, the populace, and the Constitution.

Quantitative easing hurts small savers and retirees. It might work, and it’s the only thing left, since the conservatives won’t use fiscal policy. Let’s hope it works, because it is hurting a lot of people who did not cause the Great Crash.

Here’s the NYT overview

Admiral Michael Mullen claims Wikileaks doesn’t understand how small pieces of information can create a new understanding. To the contrary, Wikileaks appears to understand this quite well.

It’s hard these days to keep faith in a progressive American future, but a lonely Mississippi ship’s whistle and Albert Camus’ advice that we “must imagine Sisyphus happy” help show the way.

The object of this diary is twofold: a) to show that Dylan Ratigan at MSNBC does in fact cover the issues of the banking and fraudclosure travesty; and b) to simplify some of this for financial neophytes like myself.

The question remains: what scares Americans more, actual terror or state-sponsored ‘terror’ in the guise of a sting?

So now that the family has gone (or you have), and the turkey is down to soup and sandwiches, escape through this video. Forget about Christmas Coming, be gone away.

As for the Sunday Talking Heads, don’t let your blood boil over Graham, McCain, and the Bush Brothers. Enjoy Jay Ackroyd and Avedon Carol on “Virtually Speaking.” Be here for FDL Book Salon with David Swanson, the author of “War is a Lie.” And come back tomorrow evening to go on about the Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Lisa Derrick. It’s surely the movie for our age, who knew when they made it back in 1946 how significant it would be in 2010.

Snowman’s Land. This Vitaphone Production was released by Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies on July 29, 1939. Grab your popcorn, put your feet up on the seatback in front of ya, and aim your spitballs at the ushers please. This is Late Late Night FireDogLake, where off topic is the topic … so dive in. What’s on your mind?