Re: revision of article on social work and imperialism

 

Moya,

 

I'll do what I can to write something. I've been retired for 16 years, but these have been the busiest years of my life due to my anti-war and anti-imperialist activities. 

 

We now are still in Iraq where we have killed over one-half million Iraq in this our latest war agains Iraq and now the Administration has been talking about attacking Iran,  either in a conventional or nuclear attack.

 

If this Iraq war has been a great recruiting device for those who want to commit acts of terrorism against the U.S.  Already, since 9-11 many of our civil liberties have been curtailed while the reasons for the resentment against the U.S. in the world  have been  ignored.  Few acknowledge the truth that the U.S. is a terrorist state   With an attack by the U.s. against   Iran, Iraq's neighbor,  the consequent chain of events could be more retaliatory terrorist attacks agains the U.S. and then not only a greater curtailment of U.S. civil liberties but even an open dictatoriship ruling the U.S.  and worldwide destruction. 

 

Below is a link to the latest news release on that possibility and also a link above to a flyer we are distributing locally.         

 

Cheney Pushes Bush to Attack Iran
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/071607J.shtml
Ewen MacAskill and Julian Borger report for the Guardian UK that the balance in the internal White House debate over Iran has shifted back in favor of taking military action against Iran before Bush leaves office. Cheney may use the last of his limited capital to push Bush into such an attack. Bush is now siding with Cheney, who is being resisted by Rice and Gates.

 

Jim

----- Original Message -----

From: Moya Atkinson

To: Jim Lucas

Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 8:25 AM

Subject: Re: revision of article on social work and imperialism

I think this is also the reason for NASW to continue to strongly oppose the reinstatement of the P&SJ Committee. Too many folk are dependent on the military industrial power. Very sad.  But why can't you write your article anyway, now that you're retired and free, as you say?  Increasingly, folk are reading about our imperialism... I can imagine it's hard for any of us to know what to do about the information. We benefit from it and some lose their lives because of it.  But perhaps the extreme abuses can be mitigated through articles and actions... or do we just wait to get our come-uppance like all imperial powers eventually?

Jim Lucas wrote:

 

Moya,

 

It is beginning to look doubtful that I will get around to writing an update of my article on Social Work and Imperialism.      

 

Probably social workers are like most people in society  whose willingness to deal with U.S.  imperialism is hampered in some way - many of us benefit from the system.  As a retired social worker I  feel freer than most to speak out, so I try not to be  too judmental. 

 

Constraints that exist for social work are that so many work for agencies that have considerable support from the corporate community, licensing and professionalism which take their toll,  university  professors who fear to speak out because of  repercussion from conservative groups which try to intimidate them,  many social workers whose jobs depend on the military and possibly  some international humanitarian agencies such as USAID may be tools of imperialism and may be exploited to implement the false claim  that some our wars are sometimes promoted as humanitarian causes.  

 

Jim Lucas       

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