Why they hate us........

How many Muslims has the U.S. killed in the past 30 years?

Tom Friedman had an especially fatuous column in Sunday's New York Times, which is saying something given his well-established capacity for smug self-assurance. According to Friedman, the big challenge we face in the Arab and Islamic world is "the Narrative" -- his patronizing term for Muslim views about America's supposedly negative role in the region. If Muslims weren't so irrational, he thinks, they would recognize that "U.S. foreign policy has been largely dedicated to rescuing Muslims or trying to help free them from tyranny." He concedes that we made a few mistakes here and there (such as at Abu Ghraib), but the real problem is all those anti-American fairy tales that Muslims tell each other to avoid taking responsibility for their own actions.

I heard a different take on this subject at a recent conference on U.S. relations with the Islamic world. In addition to hearing a diverse set of views from different Islamic countries, one of the other participants (a prominent English journalist) put it quite simply. "If the United States wants to improve its image in the Islamic world," he said, "it should stop killing Muslims."

Snip

Contrary to what Friedman thinks, our real problem isn't a fictitious Muslim "narrative" about America's role in the region; it is mostly the actual things we have been doing in recent years. To say that in no way justifies anti-American terrorism or absolves other societies of responsibility for their own mistakes or misdeeds. But the self-righteousness on display in Friedman's op-ed isn't just simplistic; it is actively harmful. Why? Because whitewashing our own misconduct makes it harder for Americans to figure out why their country is so unpopular and makes us less likely to consider different (and more effective) approaches...>>>>

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

by: Richard Smith at VetVoice

You will not be able to stay home, brother.
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out.
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip,
Skip out for beer during commercials,
Because the revolution will not be televised.

In November of 1963, the way in which the world consumed information was changed forever. For the first time, 90% of American households owned a television set. The assassination of American President John F. Kennedy and his following funeral is considered to be a critical moment in history and in the way in which we consume media. Previously, television had been thought of as a low brow medium. Kennedy's own FCC commissioner called television a "vast wasteland"....>>>>>Read Rest Here

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

The Album: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Gil Scott-Heron

The Book: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised Revised Ed: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything



'Hearts and Minds, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." -- President Lyndon Johnson

2nd Annual CIAV Conference May 4-8, 2009

Washington DC

“I ask all Americans to make a renewed commitment to serving their community and their country. We’re going to have to take responsibility – all of us.”

- President Barack Obama

General Session: The Coalition Reports from the Field

The Coalition for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans are at the forefront of service delivery and advocacy on behalf of military, veterans, families and survivors. Member organizations work in a diverse array of fields from employment and housing assistance to mental healthcare to policy advocacy. We welcome the opportunity during this general session to highlight the latest issues facing our military veteran community and demonstrate the innovative work of CIAV organizations. Iraq and Afghanistan veterans will discuss obstacles faced during transition and we will share a special screening of the groundbreaking documentary series In Their Boots profile of Project Victory’s extraordinary Traumatic Brain Injury treatment center.

Topics - Agenda:

Outreach and Support for Military Children

No one feels the burden of deployment more than military children. Emotional and educational support is crucial to helping these children cope with the stress and anxiety of having a parent deployed overseas in a war zone. Panelists:

Suicide in the Military: Caring for the Surviving Families

Today’s military members are enduring multiple deployments, extended tours, combat fatigue and losing buddies all while trying to maintain their relationships and lives at home. The costs of war are taking a toll on the military family which unfortunately is resulting in a drastic increase in the suicide rate among service members both at home and abroad. Panelists:

Public, Private, and Community Partnerships

This panel illustrates how collaborative efforts between government, private, nonprofit organizations, and the community strengthen the system of care and support for those who serve. Panelists:

Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Pain: Treating the Whole Person

Not all physical injuries and wounds are visible and often the development of mental health issues begin with untreated or under-treated pain related to combat and the physical stress of military life. This panel will address the importance of addressing the physical as well as emotional wounds of combat. Panelists:

Physical and Mental Healthcare: Access to Services and Amplifying Needs

Accessing care is the first step in the journey of coming home. This panel will address the importance of quality treatment and access to services for service members and veterans. Panelists:

Peer Support: Helping Each Other Find A Way Home

Peer support is an integral component for many CIAV organizations in helping veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This panel will discuss what peer support is and how it contributes to the veteran’s well being. Panelists will discuss how to develop a wellness model and integrate peer support into ongoing services and programs. Panelists:

Economic Welfare: Access to Benefits, Housing and Employment

This panel will discuss the economic components of transition for the OIF/OEF veteran. CIAV panelists will address housing, access to VA compensation, legal services, and employment and training programs. The dialog will also touch upon homelessness, military discharge status, and mental health as job readiness, and other issues that complicate the transition process. Panelists:

Engaging the Media: A Look Inside Coverage of the War and Where We Go Next

How can two media outlets tell one story so differently? With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan we have seen our news outlets arrive at different conclusions and shape the opinions of the American public. For nonprofit organizations and activists, it is important to recognize how the stories of these two wars are shaped and to be aware of how journalists shape their stories. This panel will consist of renowned journalists including:

The First Annual Conference

The First Annual Conference helped us to utilize our collective resources and embark on a long-term strategic planning process with simple goals: to ensure access to appropriate quality resources for military, veterans, families and survivors. Moving forward, we hope to capitalize on our individual strengths and work together to break down barriers between the military and civilian community to build a stronger, more effective, more efficient, more caring and more comprehensive system of care for decades to come.

For a full report on the 1st Annual Conference, read:

“Moving Forward: Strengthening Services for our Military, Veterans, Families, and Survivors” (pdf document).

To find out more and sign up Visit Site

'The Unmaking of a Marine'

"Packing Inferno"

For nearly a decade, both wars have largely been reported by the media and explained to the public by lawmakers in statistical terms; thousands of U.S. soldiers killed in combat, hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis dead, and three-quarters of a million veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress.

Until recently, the press has been prohibited from photographing veterans returning from combat in flag-draped coffins, and funerals for the fallen were likewise off-limits.

But by relying heavily on numbers and press releases as a way of covering both conflicts, the public has been rendered incapable of experiencing or feeling any dramatic element associated with the devastation. It’s a sad truth that the average person is unable to accurately say how many U.S. soldiers have been killed and wounded since the wars began (4,257 dead, more than 31,000 wounded, 320,000 diagnosed with brain injuries).

Tyler E. Boudreau's book: "Packing Inferno: The Unmaking of a Marine"

Iraq: Military to Withdraw{?}, Media Retreats!

War, And Results Of, Fast Becoming A Non-Issue!!

US Withdrawing as Media Retreat from Iraq - 03.03.2009

Last week, President Barack Obama fulfilled one of his campaign promises to the US electorate when he laid out his public plan to have the US military withdraw from Iraq by 2010. While some have bristled at Obama’s decision to leave 50,000 troops stationed in Iraq for support and advisory roles, the reaction from Iraqi citizens has been for the most part positive. Even the Mujahideen Central Command of Rafidain, an Iraqi resistance group based in Baghdad, released a statement warmly congratulating Obama for his plan.

If you were to judge only from the press coverage in Europe or the United States, you might gather that the conflict in Iraq is all but over and done with. Newspapers, broadcasters, and even wealthy satellite news agencies are all cutting back on their foreign reporters, and the Iraqi bureaus full of producers, editors, and reporters are first on the chopping block....Read More Here

Has corporate media forgotten Iraq?

Winter Soldier: Phyllis Bennis on the loss of media interest in the Iraq war



Phyllis Bennis is a Senior Analyst at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington DC. She is the author of Before and After: US Foreign Policy and the September 11th Crisis and Challenging Empire: How People, Governments, and the UN Defy US Power