By any measure the pain and suffering caused by 21st century imperialism is staggering. Millions of people, mostly in the Middle East and South Asia, have died or been displaced by the war on terrorism initiated in 2001. These figures include the untold thousands who have died directly from war and violence in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, and elsewhere in the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa and indirectly through “hybrid “wars against such countries as Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba.
Concomitant to war and violence, the 2022 US military budget endorsed by both political parties will exceed $778 billion.
What is the history of US militarism, what Andrew Bacevich calls “the permanent war economy”?
What are connections between the military/industrial complex and the global needs of capitalism?
What are the current sources of international tensions and possible war today?
What is behind US policy towards countries including China, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba?
How should the peace movement respond to militarism and imperialism today?
Harry Targ, Purdue Professor of Political Science, Emeritus will initiate discussion of these critical and complicated issues. Targ, a long time activist, is current a Co-Chair of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism CCDS, a member of the Wisconsin Peace Action steering committee, and blogs at www.heartlandradical.blogspot.com
Missile defense has a strong linkage with the weapons in outer space. Missile defense has largely fallen off the agenda of the peace movement as a fait accompli. However, drawing from his experience as a Congressional staffer and as a Senior analyst for the Government Accountability Office, Subrata Ghoshroy will argue that it is not so.
Both Russia and China are strong critics of the U.S. missile defense program because they believe it is really directed against them despite US contention that the program is directed towards the so-called “rogue states,” like Iran and North Korea. Russia has highlighted two items on the agenda for the “Strategic Stability Dialog” with the U.S. Those are missile defense and the prevention of an arms race in outer space, respectively. U.S. pursuit of a global missile defense program and the ongoing deployment of such systems in Europe are driving both Russia and China to modernize their nuclear arsenals causing a dangerous arms race.
Ghoshroy argues, contrary to the conventional wisdom, that missile defense, which is notably still in the R&D phase after 30 years and 300 billion dollars, is a low-hanging fruit that is ripe for a serious budget cut and roll back that would have no impact on U.S. national security. On the contrary, it could significantly improve chances of further reductions in nuclear arms. See his September 2020 article in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, “Why does missile defense still enjoy bipartisan support in Congress?”
Ghoshroy will discuss the recommendations of the recently released report of the international working group called “Moving Beyond Missile Defense and Space Weapons,” which was sponsored jointly by the International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility (INES) and Abolition 2000. Read the full report at: http://inesglobal.net/mbmds-report/
Subrata Ghoshroy is a research affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Program in Science, Technology, and Society, and a specially-appointed Professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. Earlier, for 20 years, he was a senior engineer in the field of high-energy lasers. Later, he was a professional staff member of the House Armed Services Committee, and a senior analyst at the Government Accountability Office, respectively. He is the first and so far, the only whistle-blower in the history of GAO. He is the co-Chair of INES and a member of MAPA for many years.
Register here.
With Bruce Gagnon & Regis Tremblay. Join Massachusetts Peace Action on Zoom.
• Bruce Gagnon is the Coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. He was a co-founder of the Global Network when it was created in 1992. He is an author and has written many articles. Bruce is also has a blog called Organizing Notes and a local TV program in Maine called This Issue. He is a veteran and an active member of Veterans for Peace.
• Regis Tremblay is a independent filmmaker living in Yalta, Crimea of the Russian Federation. His film, Ghost of Jeju chronicles the resilience of power of the people of Jeju are fighting for self-determination, basic human rights, an open and transparent democratic process, and the protection of this rare and beautiful environment.
Music by CommUnity Voices.
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