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
Militarism
WRL Pie Chart for World War I?
[Editor’s Note: Ed Hedemann created this post for a portion of NWTRCC’s website in 2015 that no longer exists. With it being the 100th anniversary of War Resisters League this year, it seemed appropriate to re-post it.] Had the War Resisters League been founded a few years earlier than 1923 and was producing its annual… Continue reading
Reflections on Antimilitarist Roots: War Resisters League International June 2023 Conference
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
Fire and Ice Part I
Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice. – Robert Frost In… Continue reading
War Tax Resistance Gathering at Joyfield Farm
Gorgeous weather accompanied the first in-person NWTRCC conference in over three years (5-7 May 2023). Many of us camped on green patches of grass on Joyfield Farm, about one hour west of Fort Wayne, Indiana. In addition to a few local folks, eleven people traveled to Joyfield Farm to attend the conference. About nine people… Continue reading
The Bottom Line
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
Divesting from the US Military: “War Tax Resisters” Protest with Their Money
The Blog this week is an Opinion published by In Depth News and written by Lincoln Rice MILWAUKEE, USA, 17 April 2023 (IDN) — Since the beginning of 2022, the US has dedicated over $30 billion of military aid for war in Ukraine. Most of these funds will be used by the Department of Defense to… Continue reading
The Season of Growth and Resistance
“…we cannot turn a blind eye to the people within our community whose basic needs go unmet, knowing that more will join their ranks with budget cuts. What if instead we insisted upon diverting $20,000 to 2,800 homeless households a month? What if, since no one is listening to our pleas of no intensified war… Continue reading
Report on the 16th International Conference on War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax Campaigns
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
This Is Not A Drill
Pink Floyd was not a group I followed lo these many years, although a few of their songs are familiar. Ed made a CD mix of music to accompany our trips to view total eclipses of the sun, so of course Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse” made the cut. “Money” was a hit single in the U.S…. Continue reading
It’s Up to Us to Make Space for Peace
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
U.S. Weapons, Ukraine, and War Tax Resistance
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought the horror of war back into the forefront of many in the U.S. who never think about it. It has been easy for many to condemn the actions of a hostile, powerful, and well-funded military when it is somebody else’s. It is much easier for NPR and late-night… Continue reading