Category Archives: Agni ad Bellum/ The Lamb’s War

“Dilemma for Dr. King” – A 60th Anniversary Review

This is why as the Johnson administration talks of escalating the war beyond 450,000 men, of bombing Hanoi-Haiphong and even of confronting China on the Asian mainland the virtual silence of the unchallenged spokesman of American conscience becomes ever louder and more painful to those who have followed [Dr. King] thus far. The war in Vietnam is perhaps the gravest challenge of Dr. King’s career and conceivably its culmination. Who among us today could blame him if, faced with this dilemma, he agonizes over his course of action? No one, surely; but Martin Luther King, Jr., is not only answerable to us of today: he must walk with history as well. And if in his agony he should fail to act, it must be asked: can history forgive him?

A Letter to Students at Friends Central School: Resist!

A Message to students at Friends Central School, Wynnewood PA:
From Chuck Fager
A few seeks ago I shared a story with you, about getting arrested in Selma, Alabama in 1965 and spending the night in jail with Dr. King.
I told you that for almost 50 years, that true story had a happy ending: from the black struggle in Selma came the Voting Rights Act, which had advanced freedom, elected presidents, and made things better.
But then starting a few years back, that happy ending was snatched away. In its place came massive vote suppression, and following that, attacks on the other freedoms that democracy protects. So my story about a fight for freedom was not over after all.
At my age, I said, passing on these stories is my main contribution. It’s a passing of the torch. As for the real activism, as for the new leadership demanded by our times, And these were my final words:
“It’s your turn.”
Now it looks as if your turn has come already.

Deep State vs. Dupe State: Round One

Thinking over the Friday “revelations” about how the big intel agencies (CIA, FBI, NSA) are agreed that Russia hacked the election to favor the President-elect (Or P-E), I’m recalling that African proverb about how when elephants fight, it’s the grass & the mice that get trampled.

And I’m taking a mouse-eyed view of what just happened.
Here’s how I think it looks from there: those with eyes to see witnessed an opening round in what could be a death struggle between the Deep State vs the Dupe State.

The Great Carolina HB2 Bathroom Bill “Repeal” Ripoff

As the actual import of Berger’s bill sank in, the optimistic aura generated by the blizzard of media buildup dissipated like the frost on my car window as that morning’s sun came up.

The small band of Democratic senators, mostly black, blew the whistle: this was not “repeal” at all, they pointed out. It merely changed the form of the ban, then extended it for six months, and came with an additional warning that localities must still abide by the ban afterward or risk its revival.

Senator Jeff Jackson of Charlotte put it bluntly and angrily: “This breaks the deal!” he shouted.