MaryDiane Baker

Skillful manipulation of fear and hate

BRATTLEBORO-In "The Lottery," a suspenseful short story by North Bennington resident Shirley Jackson, all the villagers gather every June, as they always have, participating in a ritual to ensure a good harvest, a beneficial year, and remove bad omens.

They do this by collectively stoning to death one member of the village, who is chosen by lottery. Then their village carries on, thinking they've done what is needed to improve their lives. Until the following June.

Political historian Heather Cox Richardson recently wrote of a publication by the U.S. government in 1945 for soldiers, "Fascism!," which describes the fascist system of "government by the few and for the few."

According to the pamphlet:...

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Stop supporting Netanyahu with U.S. cash, arms, and intel

BRATTLEBORO-As the U.S. continues to enable death, destruction, and famine in Gaza, Yemen, and the West Bank, as President Biden speaks of restraint to Israel's Netanyahu but continues to break U.S. laws and fuel the horror with American arms and military intelligence, we must continue to raise our voices...

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Souls on board in Gaza

BRATTLEBORO-When I worked at a major airport, I learned to refer to people on airplanes as "souls on board." If, for example, a 747 was having landing gear problems as they approached the airport, you could be talking about at least 400 souls on board. Or upwards of 800...

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Biden administration grievously complicit in civilian deaths

Giving unrestricted U.S. military aid to Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu is like one parent telling a teenager they're grounded while the other parent slips them the car keys. President Biden has stated many times that Israel must be more careful to protect civilians when they bomb Gaza. Meanwhile, our country continues to send billions in unconditional military aid, even slipping more than a hundred "secret shipments" to Netanyahu's government. Six months in, Biden persists in bypassing Congress, pursuing a war...

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U.S. remains complicit in perpetuation of Yemen, the world’s worst humanitarian crisis

BRATTLEBORO-As Bernie Sanders supported the call for a report on Saudi's war crimes against Yemen, now is the time for the senator to call for the same for Israel's war crimes against Palestine. In April, Bernie once again worked for relief for Yemen, as co-sponsor of a resolution under section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act, which requires a State Department report on human rights. He's now spoken of forcing a vote on conditioning aid to Israel, best done via...

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U.S. remains complicit in perpetuation of Yemen, the world’s worst humanitarian crisis

As Bernie Sanders supported the call for a report on Saudi's war crimes against Yemen, now is the time for the senator to call for the same for Israel's war crimes against Palestine. In April, Bernie once again worked for relief for Yemen, as co-sponsor of a resolution under section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act, which requires a State Department report on human rights. He's now spoken of forcing a vote on conditioning aid to Israel, best done via...

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Hold Bernie accountable to his promises on Yemen

At a meet-and-greet town hall hosted by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders at the Senior Center in Brattleboro on Aug. 10, Action Corps Vermont presented him with a petition signed by almost 900 people across the country, including many Vermonters, asking for his leadership in the Senate - now - to end endless wars, starting with the U.S.-backed Saudi war and blockade on Yemen. Bernie met the December setback in his efforts to force a vote on his Yemen War Powers...

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Yemen can’t wait any longer

It pains me to write, again, that the United States still fuels the Saudi/United Arab Emirates war machine, enabling its attacks on Yemen. Come March, we'll mark eight full years. Eight years of unconstitutional U.S. military involvement in Yemeni starvation and destruction, while legislators, activists, more than 100 organizations in this country and 300 others worldwide demand an end to this illegal war. Yemen is not even an enemy of the U.S. Yet we've helped the Saudis subject the country...

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