As September 11 approaches, New York City slides into mourning for the 2,977 lives lost in the city, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC in 2001, plus the lives of first responders who have since died from 9/11-related illnesses. It was a terrible, unforgettable day — for those who lost family and friends and all of us… Continue reading
After attending this year’s War Resisters’ International conference (the first since the pandemic for this international cohort of which the US’s War Resisters League is a member) I’ve been asked by friends in the peace movement “What did you learn? What were your takeaways?” And even now as I put these words down I don’t… Continue reading
Since World War II, the percentage of Federal funds from income taxes that goes to the military in the United States has varied from about 45% to 90%. While spending on the pandemic has skewed the numbers to the lower end, the average taxpayer paid around $2,200 to the military in 2022. While it is… Continue reading
Anniversaries allow for a period of reflection upon the past and contemplation about the future. As we approach the year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, there has been much discussion of the war and the lack of an end in sight. It was a few days before Russia invaded Ukraine that they pulled out… Continue reading
NWTRCC Events Last week NWTRCC hosted a War Tax Resistance/Refusal/Redirection (WTR) 101 online. It was an interactive, engaging conversation. We have been hearing from practitioners of WTR who have been living under the taxable income who anticipate that changing or do not see that path as sustainable. It is encouraging to be engaged with people… Continue reading
There has been a recent push advocating for a truce in the war between Ukraine and Russia. Advocates are asking for a cessation of violence from December 25 through January 7. NWTRCC has blogged about the history of the Truce in World War I as well as other holiday traditions that celebrate peace at this… Continue reading
Editor’s note: This report by Cathy Deppe sharing her perspective inside Russia was published in More Than A Paycheck August/September 2019; it seems to be relevant today. Cathy is part of a NWTRCC group discussing the war in Ukraine and will be sharing more on the topic in the near future. As Global Network members… Continue reading
The 16th International Conference on War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax Campaigns Geneva Switzerland September 17, 2022 Participants: Switzerland, UK, Germany, Italy, Colombia, Belgium, USA, attendance both in person and online. NWTRCC participants Ruth Benn, Cathy Deppe, Eleanor Forman, William Ruhaak. Major Organizing for Conference: CPTI–Conscience and Peace Tax International Board of Directors, with… Continue reading
My older brother’s career and expertise is in the fields (literally) of anthropology and archeology. He has done digs mostly in the Midwest, and funding for this work often comes from the civilian (presumably) budget of the Army Corps of Engineers, which is required to have land surveys done before they shift rivers, manage a… Continue reading
Every year on May 15, International Conscientious Objection Day, War Resisters’ International (WRI) organizes solidarity with conscientious objectors (COs) and draws attention to their resistance to war. This year, with the ongoing war in Ukraine, they turned their focus on the resistance of conscientious objectors from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, and published statements from the… Continue reading
The revolving doors of the Pentagon opened up this week to the 8 largest U.S. weapons manufacturers and the war strategists to come to the table. They were making plans for a war in Ukraine that may continue for years. It was as if a dream that had been brewing for years appeared to be… Continue reading
In the tragicomedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, the question emerges of when one first learned of death. The two attempt to recall when they first learned of their mortality; how one could hold such a heavy concept. It is difficult to contemplate and understand one’s own death but then to attempt to comprehend what… Continue reading
