The 16th International Conference on War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax Campaigns Geneva Switzerland September 17, 2022 Participants: Switzerland, UK, Germany, Italy, Colombia, Belgium, USA, attendance both in person and online. NWTRCC participants Ruth Benn, Cathy Deppe, Eleanor Forman, William Ruhaak. Major Organizing for Conference: CPTI–Conscience and Peace Tax International Board of Directors, with… Continue reading
Militarism
This Is Not A Drill
Pink Floyd was not a group I followed lo these many years, although a few of their songs are familiar. Ed made a CD mix of music to accompany our trips to view total eclipses of the sun, so of course Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse” made the cut. “Money” was a hit single in the U.S…. Continue reading
It’s Up to Us to Make Space for Peace
My older brother’s career and expertise is in the fields (literally) of anthropology and archeology. He has done digs mostly in the Midwest, and funding for this work often comes from the civilian (presumably) budget of the Army Corps of Engineers, which is required to have land surveys done before they shift rivers, manage a… Continue reading
U.S. Weapons, Ukraine, and War Tax Resistance
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought the horror of war back into the forefront of many in the U.S. who never think about it. It has been easy for many to condemn the actions of a hostile, powerful, and well-funded military when it is somebody else’s. It is much easier for NPR and late-night… Continue reading
Support War Resisters
Every year on May 15, International Conscientious Objection Day, War Resisters’ International (WRI) organizes solidarity with conscientious objectors (COs) and draws attention to their resistance to war. This year, with the ongoing war in Ukraine, they turned their focus on the resistance of conscientious objectors from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, and published statements from the… Continue reading
Finding Peace in A Constant State of Uncertainty?
Uncertainty. Unknowns. Confusion. These aren’t my favorite feelings or states of being. After talking and interacting for nearly four decades with other humans, I feel confident saying a lot of people share my dislike for those feelings. In my experience practicing war tax resistance by filing taxes and refusing to pay or being a non-filer… Continue reading
No War, No Warming: Fund Our Future
In these discouraging times for antiwar activists and humanity at large, it was good to be out marching around with like-minded folks and getting encouraging support from passers-by, including tourists from near and far. War tax resistance is a quarterly, paycheck-to-paycheck or even daily act of resistance to war, depending on your method, but it… Continue reading
Pentagon Spending: Efficient at Destroying but Inoperable for Healing Our World
The revolving doors of the Pentagon opened up this week to the 8 largest U.S. weapons manufacturers and the war strategists to come to the table. They were making plans for a war in Ukraine that may continue for years. It was as if a dream that had been brewing for years appeared to be… Continue reading
The Untouchable Pentagon
The bright red slices of pie on War Resisters League’s new “Where Your Income Tax Money Really Goes” flyer have shrunk well below 50% this year. For years we’ve been demanding a budget that prioritizes humanitarian and social needs over military spending. It almost makes us want to celebrate…almost. Biden’s budget proposal for FY 2023… Continue reading
Conscience Matters: Submitting a Statement of Conscience in U.S. Tax Court
I have been a war tax resister for many years. I withhold half of my income tax from the federal government and donate that amount to support the victims of war: refugees and veterans. I include a personal “statement of conscience” that explains my beliefs along with each tax payment. The federal government uses tax… Continue reading
Keep it Simple – Stop Killing
In the tragicomedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, the question emerges of when one first learned of death. The two attempt to recall when they first learned of their mortality; how one could hold such a heavy concept. It is difficult to contemplate and understand one’s own death but then to attempt to comprehend what… Continue reading
WAR, ENDLESS WAR
I was going to write about something else, but here the world is today facing a dangerous time with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I am beyond being able to know how it feels for the people in the region, but I know I share a feeling with millions of others of just being sick of… Continue reading