Organizing Notes: U.S. Threats & War Games are Illegal and Criminal
Bruce Gagnon of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, posted this legal list of how the U.S. is violating international law in its conduct towards North Korea, written by Francis A. Boyle, Professor of Law, University of Illinois College of Law.
I am deeply heartened to see someone spell out the misconduct of the U.S. in legal terms in this matter.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Monday, October 2, 2017
Peace Activist Examines Costs and Value of Aircraft Carriers
When I was living in Qingdao, back at the time of the Beijing Olympics, I went down to the beach to watch the sailing regatta, which was being held in the Yellow Sea at Qingdao (and that's a story in itself). So there I was, looking out at the harbor, and seeing a number of naval ships. Someone (I can't remember exactly who it was, but I think it was an Australian fellow teacher who I had struck up a friendship with at the time), told me that the aircraft carrier that I was looking at was China's only aircraft carrier, the Liaonang, and it was posted there to protect the harbor from attack from the U.S.
(Remember tensions were high; the U.S. was boycotting the Beijing Olympics and had been involving in stirring up a war in Georgia). This person was rather savvy, and also told me that aircraft carriers were considered obsolete today, which is why other countries were not building them: carriers were considered too expensive and too vulnerable; their military dollars were better spent in other ways.
WHAT ARE THE COSTS?
So I've been wondering ever since at how much money the U.S. spends to maintain our fleet of aircraft carriers, which I now consider in the class of white elephants. Personally, as a peace visionary and activist, I consider all military spending as a waste of precious resources, of both money and what people put their attention to, which endangers everyone by keeping the focus of the world engaged on military conflict, or the potential thereof, instead of our evolutionary capacity for caring better for each other and our planet.
So, exactly how much is the U.S. spending on our military? Here is an overview of what our military spending costs this country, from the Federal Budget Tipsheet posted on the website of the National Priorities Project, whose stated mission is, "Fighting for a U.S. federal budget that prioritizes peace, economic security and shared prosperity." They state that from 2001 through the end of fiscal year 2015 on September 30, 2015, the U.S. government will have spent more than $1.64 trillion in war funds, including $715 billion in Afghanistan, $819 billion in Iraq, and $6 billion on the fight against ISIS." Their website is well worth exploring if you are at all interested in where our taxpayer money goes.
IS THE 7TH FLEET VULNERABLE?
I keep seeing news that reflects how vulnerable our extremely expensive naval craft really are, either because they are susceptible to collisions (possibly caused by hostile attacks or simply, gross negligence or incompetence.) However, repairs for each incident will easily run into the millions of dollars, let alone the cost of legal settlements.
In 2017 so far, 1) on January 31, the USS Antietam, a Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser, ran aground in Tokyo Bay. Captain Joseph Carrigan was ultimately held responsible and relieved of his post. https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/navy-probe-blames-captain-s-judgment-in-uss-antietam-grounding-1.480879#.WdLE0WhSzIU
2) On May 2, the USS Champlain was rammed by a South Korean fishing boat. Was it just a mishap? There is speculation that North Koreans were responsible, and the Champlain was guarding the USS Carl Vinson from attack.
3) On June 17, the USS Fitzgerald, while operating near Okusaka in Japan, collided with the ACX Crystal, a container ship from the Phillipines, which rammed into it on the star-board bridge. The commanding officer, executive officer, and command master chief were all fired, it being established that "the bridge team lost situational awareness."
4) On August 21, another Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the USS John McCain, was rammed by a Liberian oil tanker off the coast of Singapore in Malaysian waters. In 2009, The USS John McCain was involved in tracking a North Korean ship, the Kang Nam 1, with a reputation for shipping arms, enforcing a U.N. resolution of an arms export embargo against North Korea.
http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/north-korean-ship-might-be-holding-missile-technology/
Might it not be entirely in the realm of the possible that the USS John McCain was again tracking a North Korean ship that might be carrying arms? It could have been damaged in an attack by North Korea, a country infamous for running its ships under other country's flags, especially very poor countries who get some income from this practice.
The U.N. passed Security Council Resolution 2371 August 5, 2017 in response to North Korea’s two ICBM tests in July, reaffirming the Council's support for the Six Party Talks, and sanctioning the export of several materials. What got dropped from the recent U.N. resolution on North Korea that the U.S. wanted, but knew China would veto: "a mandate for warships from any member state to inspect ships suspected of carrying contraband to or from North Korea, and to enforce inspect using “all necessary measures”.
Almost certainly some of the ships of the U.S. Seventh Fleet have been carrying out operations to find ships carrying North Korean contraband. So I am interested in getting the following questions answered:
Was the collision of the USS John McCain with a Liberian oil tanker on August 21, 2017 just another mishap, or was it a deliberate attack by the DPRK against an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer?
Was the incident when the USS Champlain collided with a South Korean fishing boat on May 9, 2017 also another mishap, or was it protecting the USS Carl Vinson from an attack?
Was the USS Antietam, a Ticonderoga class ship that ran aground in Tokyo Bay end of January 2017 the result of Captain Joseph Carrigan's foul mood and errors in judgment, or, perhaps, the result of a cyber-attack which gave erroneous readings?
When the USS Fitzgerald, operating near Okusaka in Japan, collided with a Phillipine carrier ship on June 17, did the bridge team lose "situational awareness" out of negligence, incompetence, or did something more sinister occur?
No matter the answer to these questions, it would appear that our naval fleet is vulnerable, from within and without, and may be risking the security of Americans rather than protecting it. Just imagine what might happen if we were actually at war, due to these kinds of errors and incidents. Maybe we should ramp down such an aggressive stance towards North Korea and other countries. Maybe we should look at how we could create a more peaceful world in other ways than the use of military force.
And just maybe, as aircraft carriers were first built to protect battleships, which then became obsolete, and may have become obsolete themselves today, maybe the entire concept of protecting the peace through military preparedness has also become obsolete.
References:
https://thediplomat.com/2014/04/does-the-us-navy-have-10-or-19-aircraft-carriers/
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/424870/it-time-navy-reassess-importance-aircraft-carrier-george-will
http://www.fi-aeroweb.com/Defense/LHA-America-Class-Assault-Ship.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_R._Ford-class_aircraft_carrier#construction
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasp-class_amphibious_assault_ship
https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/lhd-1.htm
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/guides/tipsheet-pentagon-spending/
https://thenextweb.com/insider/2017/08/22/the-us-navy-is-investigating-possibility-of-cyber-attack-in-latest-collision/#.tnw_ueKG3C8J
https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/UN-Security-Council-Resolutions-on-North-Korea
(Remember tensions were high; the U.S. was boycotting the Beijing Olympics and had been involving in stirring up a war in Georgia). This person was rather savvy, and also told me that aircraft carriers were considered obsolete today, which is why other countries were not building them: carriers were considered too expensive and too vulnerable; their military dollars were better spent in other ways.
WHAT ARE THE COSTS?
So I've been wondering ever since at how much money the U.S. spends to maintain our fleet of aircraft carriers, which I now consider in the class of white elephants. Personally, as a peace visionary and activist, I consider all military spending as a waste of precious resources, of both money and what people put their attention to, which endangers everyone by keeping the focus of the world engaged on military conflict, or the potential thereof, instead of our evolutionary capacity for caring better for each other and our planet.
So how much do we spend on our carriers? Either we have 11 or 19, based on how they are categorized, but the newest carrier, the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford, cost $12.8 billion. Once you add the costs of the air wing, the support of five surface-combat ships and one attack submarine, and 6,700 sailors, the bill for operating a carrier group: $2.5 million a day.
You can do the math yourself, but I'll take a stab at it. Operating costs of $2.5 million, multiplied by 365 for one year comes to $912,500,000, or nearly a billion dollars. That's just for one carrier, and we have either 11 or 19. Multiply that by 11, and you get nearly 11 billion dollars. Multiply that by 19, and you get nearly 19 billion dollars, give or take a few million. That's for one year alone, to operate carriers that may be obsolete in today's world.
You can do the math yourself, but I'll take a stab at it. Operating costs of $2.5 million, multiplied by 365 for one year comes to $912,500,000, or nearly a billion dollars. That's just for one carrier, and we have either 11 or 19. Multiply that by 11, and you get nearly 11 billion dollars. Multiply that by 19, and you get nearly 19 billion dollars, give or take a few million. That's for one year alone, to operate carriers that may be obsolete in today's world.
In another related National Review article, "Is it Time for the Navy to Reassess the Importance of the Aircraft Carrier?" dated September 30, 2015, George Will makes a case for carriers being too expensive and vulnerable. "Henry J. Hendrix of the Center for a New American Security argues that, like the battleships which carriers were originally designed to support, carriers may now be too expensive and vulnerable. China has developed land-based anti-ship missiles to force carriers to operate so far from targets that manned aircraft might become less useful than unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) operating from smaller, less expensive carriers. Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/424870/it-time-navy-reassess-importance-aircraft-carrier-george-will
So, exactly how much is the U.S. spending on our military? Here is an overview of what our military spending costs this country, from the Federal Budget Tipsheet posted on the website of the National Priorities Project, whose stated mission is, "Fighting for a U.S. federal budget that prioritizes peace, economic security and shared prosperity." They state that from 2001 through the end of fiscal year 2015 on September 30, 2015, the U.S. government will have spent more than $1.64 trillion in war funds, including $715 billion in Afghanistan, $819 billion in Iraq, and $6 billion on the fight against ISIS." Their website is well worth exploring if you are at all interested in where our taxpayer money goes.
IS THE 7TH FLEET VULNERABLE?
I keep seeing news that reflects how vulnerable our extremely expensive naval craft really are, either because they are susceptible to collisions (possibly caused by hostile attacks or simply, gross negligence or incompetence.) However, repairs for each incident will easily run into the millions of dollars, let alone the cost of legal settlements.
In 2017 so far, 1) on January 31, the USS Antietam, a Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser, ran aground in Tokyo Bay. Captain Joseph Carrigan was ultimately held responsible and relieved of his post. https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/navy-probe-blames-captain-s-judgment-in-uss-antietam-grounding-1.480879#.WdLE0WhSzIU
2) On May 2, the USS Champlain was rammed by a South Korean fishing boat. Was it just a mishap? There is speculation that North Koreans were responsible, and the Champlain was guarding the USS Carl Vinson from attack.
3) On June 17, the USS Fitzgerald, while operating near Okusaka in Japan, collided with the ACX Crystal, a container ship from the Phillipines, which rammed into it on the star-board bridge. The commanding officer, executive officer, and command master chief were all fired, it being established that "the bridge team lost situational awareness."
4) On August 21, another Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the USS John McCain, was rammed by a Liberian oil tanker off the coast of Singapore in Malaysian waters. In 2009, The USS John McCain was involved in tracking a North Korean ship, the Kang Nam 1, with a reputation for shipping arms, enforcing a U.N. resolution of an arms export embargo against North Korea.
http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/north-korean-ship-might-be-holding-missile-technology/
Might it not be entirely in the realm of the possible that the USS John McCain was again tracking a North Korean ship that might be carrying arms? It could have been damaged in an attack by North Korea, a country infamous for running its ships under other country's flags, especially very poor countries who get some income from this practice.
The U.N. passed Security Council Resolution 2371 August 5, 2017 in response to North Korea’s two ICBM tests in July, reaffirming the Council's support for the Six Party Talks, and sanctioning the export of several materials. What got dropped from the recent U.N. resolution on North Korea that the U.S. wanted, but knew China would veto: "a mandate for warships from any member state to inspect ships suspected of carrying contraband to or from North Korea, and to enforce inspect using “all necessary measures”.
Almost certainly some of the ships of the U.S. Seventh Fleet have been carrying out operations to find ships carrying North Korean contraband. So I am interested in getting the following questions answered:
Was the collision of the USS John McCain with a Liberian oil tanker on August 21, 2017 just another mishap, or was it a deliberate attack by the DPRK against an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer?
Was the incident when the USS Champlain collided with a South Korean fishing boat on May 9, 2017 also another mishap, or was it protecting the USS Carl Vinson from an attack?
Was the USS Antietam, a Ticonderoga class ship that ran aground in Tokyo Bay end of January 2017 the result of Captain Joseph Carrigan's foul mood and errors in judgment, or, perhaps, the result of a cyber-attack which gave erroneous readings?
When the USS Fitzgerald, operating near Okusaka in Japan, collided with a Phillipine carrier ship on June 17, did the bridge team lose "situational awareness" out of negligence, incompetence, or did something more sinister occur?
No matter the answer to these questions, it would appear that our naval fleet is vulnerable, from within and without, and may be risking the security of Americans rather than protecting it. Just imagine what might happen if we were actually at war, due to these kinds of errors and incidents. Maybe we should ramp down such an aggressive stance towards North Korea and other countries. Maybe we should look at how we could create a more peaceful world in other ways than the use of military force.
And just maybe, as aircraft carriers were first built to protect battleships, which then became obsolete, and may have become obsolete themselves today, maybe the entire concept of protecting the peace through military preparedness has also become obsolete.
References:
https://thediplomat.com/2014/04/does-the-us-navy-have-10-or-19-aircraft-carriers/
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/424870/it-time-navy-reassess-importance-aircraft-carrier-george-will
http://www.fi-aeroweb.com/Defense/LHA-America-Class-Assault-Ship.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_R._Ford-class_aircraft_carrier#construction
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasp-class_amphibious_assault_ship
https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/lhd-1.htm
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/guides/tipsheet-pentagon-spending/
https://thenextweb.com/insider/2017/08/22/the-us-navy-is-investigating-possibility-of-cyber-attack-in-latest-collision/#.tnw_ueKG3C8J
https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/UN-Security-Council-Resolutions-on-North-Korea
In Memory of Clooney
On my cancer journey, I had a dear companion who helped me through it all, Clooney. Little did I know that Clooney was on his own cancer journey as well.
I thought that maybe I was ready to write about him, but I find that the subject is still too tender. To be completed another time when I am stronger.
I thought that maybe I was ready to write about him, but I find that the subject is still too tender. To be completed another time when I am stronger.
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Do you believe in Armageddon? I don't.
If you have a strong belief in Armageddon, you might be cavalier about starting another major world war. Fortunately, the vast majority of people in the world do NOT believe in Armageddon. The unified energy field has coalesced around this issue so that it will not happen.
All that said, it is nevertheless time for a class action suit to be filed against the U.S. for its violations of international law, such as aggressive attacks and wars in other countries based on false flag events, interference in the internal affairs of other countries, etc. Whether this might be effectively pursued in the United Nations or World Court remains to be seen. If enough countries pursue the matter, it could be done.
Every country that has been harmed by the military aggressiveness of the U.S. could be a party to this lawsuit. It could be filed against the U.S. government, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, BAE Systems, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, EADS, Finmeccanica, L-3 Communications, and United Technologies, et al.
If the profiteers from war have to pay reparations, it will no longer profit them, and we will effectively dismantle the war machine.
All that said, it is nevertheless time for a class action suit to be filed against the U.S. for its violations of international law, such as aggressive attacks and wars in other countries based on false flag events, interference in the internal affairs of other countries, etc. Whether this might be effectively pursued in the United Nations or World Court remains to be seen. If enough countries pursue the matter, it could be done.
Every country that has been harmed by the military aggressiveness of the U.S. could be a party to this lawsuit. It could be filed against the U.S. government, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, BAE Systems, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, EADS, Finmeccanica, L-3 Communications, and United Technologies, et al.
If the profiteers from war have to pay reparations, it will no longer profit them, and we will effectively dismantle the war machine.
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Global Tensions Building as U.S. Senate Imposes More Sanctions Against Russia, North Korea and Iran
I have posted excerpts from articles this past week about sanctions the U.S. Senate passed against Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Of course, this has ratched up tensions considerably, and these countries have responded immediately. The threat of global war has never been closer, especially when you throw into the mix Trump's insulting China. What gives? Is the U.S. so intent on starting WWIII to save its economy now that more and more countries are dumping the U.S. dollar as their foreign currency exchange?
Maybe yes, maybe no. It's hard to say. What does seem clear is that the U.S. is exposing itself to charges of warmongering.
My bet is that it will all come to a head this next week or two, and cooler heads will prevail as more time passes, and yet again, global war will be averted. And why am I so sanguine?
It's because I trust that love and peace will prevail, and that the energy field has been coalescing in a paradigm shift to a world where a country wielding military options are not supported, not even with the mightiest and most aggressive country of all, the United States. I have been anchoring the spiritual energies flooding in so that it's not possible for this timeline to continue any further, this timeline of ongoing war and aggression. Believe me, I'm not the only one engaged in spiritual work of this nature.
We are jumping timelines, and the paradigm shift is actually happening, where we are more and more connected with each other all over the world, and our ability to love others is expanding. These trumped up threats will disappear like bubbles popping. This new timeline involves empowerment of women, and activations at many levels of sleeping souls, who will step into their personal power. Just watch what a difference individuals can make as this happens.
No longer will people feel powerless over what happens next in their lives, both on a micro and macro level. Of course, everyone operates on different schedules, but there are many who are ready, and as they start to manifest a different reality and a timeline of unlimited potential upgrades, hundreds, thousands, and even millions will come online with the new energies.
And why not? Almost everyone's lives will flourish on this timeline, and nobody will have to fear death and destruction from wars or violence. Cooperation will make so much possible that has not been an option with competition and aggression as the dominant mode in the world.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 27, 2017 The U.S. Senate gave final approval to legislation strengthening sanctions on Russia and giving Congress the power to block President Donald Trump from lifting them, setting up a possible clash with the White House.
Maybe yes, maybe no. It's hard to say. What does seem clear is that the U.S. is exposing itself to charges of warmongering.
My bet is that it will all come to a head this next week or two, and cooler heads will prevail as more time passes, and yet again, global war will be averted. And why am I so sanguine?
It's because I trust that love and peace will prevail, and that the energy field has been coalescing in a paradigm shift to a world where a country wielding military options are not supported, not even with the mightiest and most aggressive country of all, the United States. I have been anchoring the spiritual energies flooding in so that it's not possible for this timeline to continue any further, this timeline of ongoing war and aggression. Believe me, I'm not the only one engaged in spiritual work of this nature.
We are jumping timelines, and the paradigm shift is actually happening, where we are more and more connected with each other all over the world, and our ability to love others is expanding. These trumped up threats will disappear like bubbles popping. This new timeline involves empowerment of women, and activations at many levels of sleeping souls, who will step into their personal power. Just watch what a difference individuals can make as this happens.
No longer will people feel powerless over what happens next in their lives, both on a micro and macro level. Of course, everyone operates on different schedules, but there are many who are ready, and as they start to manifest a different reality and a timeline of unlimited potential upgrades, hundreds, thousands, and even millions will come online with the new energies.
And why not? Almost everyone's lives will flourish on this timeline, and nobody will have to fear death and destruction from wars or violence. Cooperation will make so much possible that has not been an option with competition and aggression as the dominant mode in the world.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 27, 2017 The U.S. Senate gave final approval to legislation strengthening sanctions on Russia and giving Congress the power to block President Donald Trump from lifting them, setting up a possible clash with the White House.
The measure, passed 98-2 Thursday by the Senate, has already cleared the House and now goes to the president. The White House has given mixed messages about whether Trump will sign the legislation at a time when Trump’s presidential campaign is under investigation over possible collusion with Moscow.
The bill, which also imposes new sanctions on Iran and North Korea, had been delayed while lawmakers resolved procedural issues and revised language that energy companies said would prevent many overseas deals.
The Russia sanctions in H.R. 3364 are an unusual signal of disapproval of Trump from congressional Republicans. Lawmakers say they want to prevent the president from acting on his own to lift penalties imposed by the previous administration for meddling in last year’s U.S. election and for aggression in Ukraine. House and Senate committees and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are examining possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-27/russia-sanctions-bill-passes-senate-with-limits-on-trump-s-powerNORTH KOREA's responds to further sanctions the next day: July 28, 2017 North Korea fires missile towards Japan http://globalnews.ca/news/3631920/north-korea-missile-japan-waters/ So the Washington bureau of CNN reports that President Donald Trump condemned North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on Friday. "Threatening the world, these weapons and tests further isolate North Korea, weaken its economy, and deprive its people." Trump said in a written statement. "The United States will take all necessary steps to ensure the security of the American homeland and protect our allies in the region." http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/28/politics/north-korea-missile-test/index.html
July 31, 2017 Russia responds to further sanctions by saying it will expel 755 U.S. diplomats.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/russia-expels-755-diplomats-response-sanctions-170730201720880.html
August 1, 2017 Iran says new U.S. sanctions breach nuclear deal: Iran's government says it will soon announce retaliatory measures
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 01, 2017 10:07 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 01, 2017 10:07 AM ET
Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani said Iran complained to the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreement because the U.S. sanctions 'contradict parts of the nuclear deal.' (Osman Orsal/Reuters)
Iran has complained to the Joint Commission created to oversee the country's nuclear deal with major powers about sanctions the United States imposed on Iran in July, saying they breached the agreement's terms, the speaker of parliament was quoted on Tuesday as saying.
The Joint Commission of the formally titled Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was created to supervise the nuclear agreement clinched in 2015 between Iran and six major powers, including the United States. The deal led to the lifting of most sanctions against Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
However, the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on six Iranian firms in late July for their role in the development of a ballistic missile program after Tehran launched a rocket capable of putting a satellite into orbit.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/iran-deal-us-sanctions-breach-1.4230272
Monday, May 1, 2017
Organizing Notes: Veterans March on Washington DC Again
Spreading the word: if you have the ability to join the march in Washington DC, please go to join the protest to stop endless war. Organizing Notes: Veterans March on Washington DC Again
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