End Wars and Occupations IOT Monthly Conference Call - Progressive Democrats of America

 November 2012
sound  chat room 
 
Link to Sound File  Link to Chat Room Archive

Introduction began at the 5:45 minute mark. Mary Hladky introduced the Jobs Not War campaign to pressure the Obama Administration to carry out their promises as opposed to simply trusting them to fulfill those promises. They are currently drafting a petition to present our demands. She stated that morale among our troops in Afghanistan is absolutely atrocious because they see 26 more months of combat for no rational reason. Getting jobs to the American people is critically important, as is providing relief to the New York and New Jersey coastlines after Hurricane Sandy. Social programs, negotiations vs military power and [to the wealthy] “Pay your fair share!” The petition will be launched in the next week or two. There followed lots of discussion on contacting groups that might help.

Nicolas "Sandy" Davies then spoke on the possibility of the Obama Administration's seeking violent regime change in Iran. Unfortunately, their main rationale for opposing the Syrian government has been that it is allied with Iran. The US has sidelined the peaceful opposition in Syria and Obama has admitted that Iran is the ultimate target. The campaign against Iran proceeds pretty much as the campaign against Iraq in the 1990s did.

US policymakers have calculated that they really can't start a war against Iran as there's no obvious way to conclude it without mass US casualties and a sparking of the world's hatred of the US. China has the leverage to make the US back off of a war on Iran. He recommends PDA should pressure the Obama Administration and anyone who advocates war with Iran to back off and negotiate.

Talked about Helsinki Declaration for a nuclear-weapons-free Middle East.