332 results for author: Phil Anderson

Gaza Absurdity

“If the Nuremberg laws were applied, then every post-war American president would have been hanged.” Noam Chomsky In this statement, Professor Chomsky (author, political activist and social critic) was referring to the legal principles used to prosecute the Nazi war criminals after WW2. This statement certainly is appropriate for the Biden administration's support for the genocide in Gaza. Biden's shameful and illegal funding, supplying and enabling of Israel's war crimes in Gaza are the most egregious of the many war crimes committed by our country. Donald Trump is continuing this tradition and is setting new lows for shameful, criminal ...

Destroying America

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” President Abraham Lincoln “If President Trump wants to change our nation’s laws, he has the right to ask Congress to change them. He does not have the right to violate the United States Constitution. He is not a king.” Senator Bernie Sanders. Our country is in crisis. Our government has been seized by a dictator wannabee and a cabal of super-wealthy, authoritarian extremists who want to destroy all the social progress of the last 150 years. They want to return to a time when wealth and big business ruled ...

Building the Resistance

The 24-Hour Economic Blackout Back in December I wrote about using our power as consumers to oppose the Trump wrecking crew. (“Now what? Tactics for resistance,” The Duluth Reader, Thursday December 5, 2024). In that article I suggested taking the fight to the wealthy Trump supporters by reducing our spending and not buying from companies that supported him. I am not the only one pushing this tactic. I recently got an email saying that comedian Jon Stewart has been calling for Friday, February 28 to be a “24-hour Economic Blackout.” I have not found Jon's post to verify his involvement, but I did find many posts sharing the information ...

Green Plastic and Cow Burps

This article discusses two environmental topics. Both are examples of how we refuse to do even simple, reasonable things to deal with our garbage or take action on environmental problems. These stories illustrate our propensity to both believe in scientific solutions – technology will save us – while being woefully ignorant of basic science and unwilling to accept the warnings of scientists. The Myth of Green Plastics In recent articles I have discussed the environmental problems with plastics and plastic waste. The myth of “green” plastics is more of the same. We want to believe that bio-plastics and biodegradable and compostable ...

WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW

  What I Want You To Know is a radically honest film about veterans, moral injury, and the post-9/11 wars. It offers an intimate journey alongside veterans as they share deeply personal stories from their deployments, exploring truth and justice in the context of their wars. Their depictions of moral injury provide a unique and critical perspective on the cost and consequences of war.   Catie Foertsch Producer / Director, Impact Campaign Director Travis Weiner Executive Producer, Iraq veteran Tommy Furlong Executive Producer, Afghanistan veteran    What I Want You To Know is now live on Kanopy! Kanopy is a ...

Genocide in Duluth

Authors note: As I was finishing this article the news of a tentative ceasefire in Gaza was announced. This is good news, but there is no indication this agreement will result in peace in the region. The root causes of the conflict are not being addressed. The blockade of Gaza is not being lifted. Hamas remains in place. Israel's attitudes toward Palestinians remain unchanged. The U.S. support for Israel remains unconditional and likely to get worse with the new administration. Therefore, the message of this article remains relevant. “If the U.S. and Israel can spin mass murder in Palestine as not just defensible, but even positive (“defeating ...

Impact of Mass Deportation on Wisconsin

“It’s hard to imagine Wisconsin without its immigrant heritage. Whether it’s food, festivals, religious congregations, or even the very names of our communities, there are hints of the old world everywhere you turn, and our communities are all the better for it.” Wisconsin State Senator Chris Larson The incoming administration has promised “on day one” to begin deporting all the illegal immigrants in the country. This appeal to the ignorance and xenophobia of many Americans worked to win the election but implementing this politically motivated action will have significant negative consequences for the economy, the federal budget, and ...

Wisconsin Forests at Risk

“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues. Dr. Seuss in the children's book “The Lorax” Wisconsin Green Fire recently published a report that speaks for trees and all the other organisms in Wisconsin's forests. “Wisconsin Forests at Risk: Engaging Wisconsinites in Another Century of Forest Conservation” is a warning about the declining health of forests across the state. They say, “Wisconsin’s forests have long enriched our state’s economy and quality of life. Yet, just when we need healthy, diverse, and productive forests more than ever, our forests are facing serious threats.” ...

The Age of Plastics

“Welcome to the Plasticene. If you’re under age 70, it’s possible you’ve lived in the Plasticene for your entire life. It’s a new geologic age some scientists have proposed to mark the near-universal spread of plastic around Earth. Since the 1950s, researchers say, we’ve been living in the Age of Plastics.” Kristen Minogue, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Geologists have divided the 4.5 billion years of earth's history into a geologic time scale. These divisions, or “geochronologic units,” include eons, eras, periods, epochs and ages. We live in the Phanerozoic Eon (beginning 541 million years ago), the Cenozoic Era ...

The Myth of Recycling Plastic

“The idea that recycling can solve the problem of plastic waste has always been a fraud, and it's always been a way for the industry to sell more plastic,” Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity. As I wrote about recently, the use of plastic has increased enormously, creating a huge worldwide problem with plastic trash (“The age of plastics,” December 19, 2024). Much of this plastic is for single use products like packaging and shopping bags. Recycling is suppose to mitigate these problems. But for many reasons, recycling plastic simply does not work. Recycling is not a realistic solution for plastic trash. Just ...