Dear CCI Friends,

How is it that American citizens want diplomacy instead of conflict, good relations with other countries, their tax dollars spent toward noble causes … and yet our Congress still votes for the obscene types of expenditures below? Do you have an explanation for this? How does it happen?

Let’s raise our voices against any activities that contribute to the waging of wars, killing of human beings in other countries, ruining other nations’ economies, leaving destitute human beings without food, hospitals, schools or means of surviving in their parts of the world.

Ponder the facts below … this is how our tax dollars are being spent.

[Continue Reading]

Dear CCI Followers,

The following article should come as no surprise. The whole world has watched as our U.S. leaders have time and time again, boxed in Russia and kept China in a manufacturing mode only. Those days are over, never to return. We in the U.S. are definitely in decline and both Russia and China are on rapid incline. They didn’t intend to be partners, but it works to the advantage of both who are now cooperating on all levels.

Given the thwarted intentions of current Washington elites, this produces a very dangerous world in which to negotiate our future. Russia and China both push for a multipolar world while U.S. leaders insist on a unipolar world run by NATO.

We citizens in the United States must make our collective voices of sanity heard. We don’t want a unipolar world under NATO, we want a fair and multipolar world where all nations sit down together to settle the challenges that we all face. There is so much good we could do if we all cooperate and none insist on the lion’s share of the wealth and privilege!

What major action can we take to get the attention of our leaders and the world? We are ready, COVID or no COVID. This issue facing us is far more lethal than any virus or contagion!

What are your thoughts?

[Continue Reading]

Dear CCI Friends,

Our friend, Ambassador Jack Matlock speaks out as a member of the American Committee for US-Russia Accord (ACURA). I am also a board member of this group.

Ambassador Matlock leaves no room for debate on this issue. What is being done is patently dangerous to the survival of our world. Our side is deliberately playing with the potential for Nuclear War by its dangerous words and its extremely dangerous actions in numerous areas throughout the world.

Write a brief comment to us here at CCI and we will get the collection of your comments to a number of reputable sources … and better still, write directly to anyone, any newspaper in which you can get printed.

[Continue Reading]

Dear CCI Friends,

I’ve been asked by Paul Grenier of the Simeon Weil Center for Political Philosophy to pass the word about this webinar on Thursday, October 28. This is short notice because Paul has just returned from travel to Russia.

“Is Russia Fascist” is a terrific topic to explore. More interesting to me, “Is Russia Post Liberal?” Having just read Grenier’s announcement, I conclude that I am Post-Liberal. Labels never interested me much, but I want to explore this one.  At last I can see where I’ve come from as a protesting teenager into long years of adult life to where I find myself today at age 85. “Post-liberals seek to build constructive alternatives that combine greater economic justice with more social solidarity,” the material says. That fits with where I am. How about you?

Please attend the following if you can, and let’s discuss further.

Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives

Webinar, Thursday, Oct. 28
(3 PM – 4:15 PM, EST)

What is Russia’s National Idea?

A discussion with Marlene Laruelle, author of Is Russia Fascist?

Discussants:

Anatol Lieven

Nicolai Petro

Paul Robinson

Paul Grenier (moderator)

[Continue Reading]

Dear CCI Friends,

What’s happening today, in the shadow of our mostly disastrous 20-year Afghanistan occupation and pullout, is creating a volcano of realizations that we in America have been at war for six decades … all for less than decent motives.

Those who suspected or knew what was happening thought this current situation would be covered up again, per usual. But no … military brass, foot soldiers and ordinary Americans  are opening up painful truths as we move forward. A mass catharsis looks to be underway. NATO nations normally subservient to U.S. policy are splintering off to make decisions for themselves. In this short period of a month or two, we have forever lost our #1 place in the world. Too dramatic you might say? I don’t think so.

Meanwhile, two rising giants stand by watching it all. Apparently the Presidents of China and Russia have been quietly advising Afghans for months, trying to reduce tensions and increase positive possibilities … but letting it be known that good behavior will be rewarded to help Afghans with economic development if they follow a sensible course.

As it turns out Afghanistan has a wealth of subsoil minerals needed by the rest of the world, thus allowing them to drop opium production to survive. China’s Belt and Road Initiative will provide much needed trade and economic support going forward. Too good to be true? Maybe not. While America is trillions of dollars in debt from fighting wars across the Middle East, China and Russia have been figuring out how to avoid wars and build economic alliances to benefit themselves and smaller nations across half of the world.

So where are we headed as a nation? Is a financial crisis coming? Will we have to face what other nations have suffered in the past? Fortunately China and Russia won’t go to war with us; but they are putting in motion quite different solutions for the world in which we will live. Beside these two countries, our U.S. solutions and actions of the past thirty years look quite paltry.

Articles such as the one below are just part of what we must change. There are no quick fixes. There seem to be no serious solutions in either U.S. political party unless we rethink everything in our existing lexicon. What can we do? For starters we can stop putting money where we have spent it during the past few decades.

[Continue Reading]