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Blogger Profile: Mike Ferner

Mike Ferner is acting director and former president of Veterans for Peace, a Vietnam veteran and former Navy hospital corpsman. He is the author of Inside the Red Zone: A Veteran For Peace Reports from Iraq and War and Peace and Democracy.

Mike Ferner's Blogs

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Mike Ferner

Veterans for Peace

October 24th, 2011

I Woke Up One Morning and the War Was Over

America’s war in Iraq is over.  The last U.S. troops will leave by year’s end, “with their heads held high, proud of their success and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops.”  So sayeth President Obama.A “sham of a mockery of a sham,” is ... continue reading

Mike Ferner

Veterans for Peace

October 4th, 2011

Veterans Denounce Obama's Claimed Authority to Kill Anybody He Wants to, as Long as They Are Overseas

As of September 29, 2011, we are only one step away from a government where the top official can kill anybody, anywhere, any time he feels it necessary – and do it in complete secret. With last week’s lawless killings of two U.S. citizens living in Yemen, Anwar Al-Awlaqi and Samir ... continue reading

Mike Ferner

Veterans for Peace

May 4th, 2011

"Justice Has Been Done"?

“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.” -- MLK“Justice has been done,” said President Obama.  “Justice has been done.”  “Justice has been done.” Justice has been done!?  Justice!?  Justice??  For the last ten years, we’ve been engaged in an exercise of justice?  ... continue reading

Mike Ferner

Veterans for Peace

February 24th, 2011

Civil Resistance to the Wars Continues

"We should not think that the destruction and suffering unleashed by war is limited to Iraq and Afghanistan.  Individuals and whole cities here at home have become 'collateral damage.'  Millions of people are thrown out of their jobs and then out of their homes.  Pressures cascade onto state and local governments as ... continue reading

Mike Ferner

Veterans for Peace

February 2nd, 2011

This Is Not a Place for Life

KABUL – The NGO’s offices were sparse and well worn, but they bustled with a palpable sense of purpose. Our host’s hospitality was unerring. For reasons that will become obvious, we will call him Dr. Ahmed Hasan. Everything else about him and his work is precisely as related.Dr. Hasan is ... continue reading

Mike Ferner

Veterans for Peace

January 14th, 2011

Young Afghans Work for Peace, Starting With Their Own Hearts

"He stares into the distance and sometimes he talks incoherently," Abdulai said, describing his older brother a decade after the Taliban killed their father and grandfather for being the wrong ethnicity. But, he recalled through a fragile smile, "When our family fled, my brother piggy-backed me into the mountains."Abdulai, 15, ... continue reading

Mike Ferner

Veterans for Peace

January 3rd, 2011

"Dear Afghanistan": A Global Listening Project for Peace

Note: The five boys I met in Kabul, Afghanistan, from the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers were young – the oldest only 20 – and as charming and well-mannered as teenage boys can humanly be. Their mentor, Hakim, displayed patience and tireless compassion. I found it easy to settle into a ... continue reading

Mike Ferner

Veterans for Peace

December 9th, 2010

Take a Stand for Peace!

During the Vietnam War, Martin Luther King called our government “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.” True then—and even more so today. A few years before that, in 1964 Mario Savio made his great speech at Berkeley; at the end he says, “There is a time when ... continue reading

Mike Ferner

Veterans for Peace

November 13th, 2010

Take a Stand for Peace

This letter invites you to join what will be the largest veteran-led civil resistance to U.S. wars and occupations in recent history, Washington, D.C., December 16. www.stopthesewars.org. During the Vietnam War, Martin Luther King called our government "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today." That was true then—and ... continue reading

Mike Ferner

Veterans for Peace

October 1st, 2010

'MR. OBAMA: END THESE F***ING WARS! WAR IS THE OBSCENITY!'

Mission accomplished. No arrests made. We even got the banner back. Here's our press release:Today at 1:00pm eastern time, U.S. military veterans hung an enormous banner on the front of the Newseum, wrapping their message around the First Amendment chiseled in five stories of limestone.Opposed to the wars and occupations ... continue reading

Mike Ferner

Veterans for Peace

August 31st, 2010

Veterans Respond to Obama's "Rebranded Occupation" Announcement

A veteran’s perspective makes it clear that two major points must be made in response to President Obama’s announcement regarding combat troops leaving Iraq.First, there is no such thing as “non combat troops.” It is a contradiction in terms. It is internally inconsistent. It is illogical. It is simply not ... continue reading

Mike Ferner

Veterans for Peace

October 27th, 2009

No One Else Will Stop the Killing

In a statement today directed to the U.S. House of Representatives, President Obama and its membership, Veterans For Peace urged its chapters to demonstrate opposition to the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan by doing two things: 1) Take the actions listed below within the next several days, before President Obama ... continue reading

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@TeoMitrovich: @MMFlint where was this walk?” Here. There. Everywhere. And Burbank. #miketakesawalk

May 16th
2:37 AM
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He's handled 1 more opportunity 2 go after WallStreet & not only can he NOT do it, he has to preface it by talking about how great they are.

May 15th
10:54 PM
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President Obama, today on 'The View': JP Morgan Is "One of the Best-Managed Banks" http://t.co/QtSZr5bN

May 15th
10:53 PM
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Stephen Wright: "Everywhere is within walking distance if u have the time." I have the time. U 2? 8pm PT 11pm ET (apologies to east coast)

May 15th
10:34 PM
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This is where I walked, amongst the flora & the fauna, mostly fauna. Can u guess where it is? http://t.co/v1Rl9prm

May 14th
9:58 PM
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"@82ndVet: @MMFlint why don't u walk down the streets of your beloved #Detroit?" Honestly sir, that is probably the safest place 4 me 2 walk

May 14th
9:03 PM
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Tonight's stroll down the Left Coast will begin at 6pm PT. Where's the best place to go for a walk between Seattle and San Diego?

May 14th
7:47 PM
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http://t.co/9IZTVTkG One thing I'm sure of: College students will not take this abuse much longer. The rumblings are everywhere.

May 13th
11:21 PM
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1st walk in California. The 9th week begins. 11 weeks ago tonite a teenager in FL went 4 a walk... http://t.co/LonMToKl

May 13th
10:59 PM
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Hello west coasters - I'm in your time zone now. The sun's still up - let's go for a walk. 7pm PT #miketakesawestcoastwalk

May 13th
9:31 PM
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Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there. Here's where the idea came from: http://t.co/o09H95yK

May 13th
11:28 AM
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Only 2 days left of free streaming for my musical contribution to the benefit CD "Occupy This Album" Listen here: http://t.co/AQEU0qmn

May 13th
11:21 AM
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"@Moneysnatcher69: How much weight have u lost?" Sorry, this must've landed in my Twitter feed by mistake. I think its meant 4 someone else.

May 12th
6:01 PM
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"@MichaelBrandl: More of us out here than u may realize! #walkwithMike" Well, if it's just 1% of u(10K), we've walked 2 the moon &back #newt

May 12th
5:55 PM
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I'm not sure how many thousands of us are walking. Even if it's only 1K, that means together we've walked around the Earth-twice! 6pmET 2day

May 12th
5:13 PM
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Today's walk marks the end of our 8th wk of walking. For me, I've walked the equivalent of Flint to Detroit.Should we continue on 2 Toledo?

May 12th
5:05 PM
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Bill Maher, last night: "More Biden gaffes - please!" http://t.co/9Gi8pbYp Hilarious - and spot on.

May 12th
3:10 PM
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Rachel's handle is @maddow. Let's thank her for her tireless work over the years. It played a role in this week's historical moment.

May 11th
11:11 PM
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Ok, time to walk! Beautiful night in NYC.

May 11th
10:59 PM
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"@TracyHover: @MMFlint a Michigan hat? Seriously? :)" I lost a bet. $ went 2 charity. Felt hair disintegrating while hat was on. #spartans

May 11th
10:57 PM
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I'm be speaking with Cornel West in a special benefit for New York City's Brecht Forum this Friday, May 18th at 7:00 PM at Hunter College's...

May 15th
7:13 PM
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'Occupy This Album,' with 99 songs performed by David Crosby & Graham Nash, Steve Earle, Tom Morello, Willie Nelson, Ani DiFranco, Third Eye...

May 15th
10:15 AM
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Deficit Reduction: The Great Distraction ...by Dean Baker www.michaelmoore.com Once again our "leaders" are distracting the public from the...

May 15th
10:13 AM
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In the “Loop” with Morello Standing Against ‘Grotesque Income Inequality’ ...by Donna Smith www.michaelmoore.com I listen to the lyrics of one of Tom’s songs...

May 14th
6:06 PM
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This week's This Modern World on DailyKos: Daily Kos: The Austerions www.dailykos.com Readers should imagine the Austerions speaking in full, booming...

May 14th
2:44 PM
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Plutocrats Deserve Public Scorn ...by Carl Gibson www.michaelmoore.com The only way to get the GOP (Guardians Of Plutocracy) out of office is to vilify them...

May 14th
2:13 PM
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One thing I'm sure of: college students will not take this abuse much longer. The rumblings are everywhere. Student Loans Weighing Down a Generation...

May 14th
5:16 AM
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Mother's Day for Peace www.youtube.com Gloria Steinem, Vanessa Williams, Felicity Huffman, Fatma Saleh and Alfre Woodard read the Mother's Day...

May 13th
5:48 PM
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Militarization of the Mothers: You've Come a Long Way, Baby, from Mother's Day for Peace ...by Colee www.michaelmoore.com The five most powerful...

May 13th
5:13 PM
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Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. Here's where the idea came from: Mother's Day Proclamation, by Julia Ward Howe, 1870...

May 13th
4:59 PM
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...and here's my segment talking to Rachel about the Silverdome, and how Michigan is capitalism's laboratory: Rachel Maddow Show www.msnbc.msn.com...

May 12th
3:12 PM
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Here's the segment from The Rachel Maddow Show just before I was on, about the Pontiac emergency manager selling the Silverdome for $500,000: Rachel...

May 12th
3:08 PM
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Rachel Maddow will have me on her show tonite at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT on MSNBC. Among other things, we'll talk about the State of Michigan's...

May 11th
4:19 PM
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What If Kobe Bryant Were an Imprisoned Palestinian Soccer Player? ...by Dave Zirin www.michaelmoore.com Imagine if a member of Team USA Basketball were seized...

May 11th
12:30 PM
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The Energy Wars Heat Up ...by Michael Klare www.michaelmoore.com Here are the six areas of conflict – all tied to energy supplies – that have made news in...

May 10th
7:50 PM
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I will do a special live Facebook Q & A tonight at 11pm ET to discuss the historic announcement by President Obama today that same-sex marriage should be...

May 9th
11:37 PM
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I am deeply moved by the announcement made a short while ago that President Obama has gone back to his original position in 1996 and come out publicly in...

May 9th
7:27 PM
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Turns out the city of Chicago is terrified of Tom Morello and a bunch of unionized nurses: City of Chicago Pulls Permit for Nurses Rally After Event Adds Tom...

May 9th
1:27 PM
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This week's This Modern World from Tom Tomorrow on Daily Kos: Daily Kos: Circular debate www.dailykos.com

May 8th
11:20 AM
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To the Hague: Justice for the May 4th Kent State Massacre? ...by Laurel Krause www.michaelmoore.com The killing of American protesters remains effectively...

May 8th
10:20 AM
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My conversation and Q & A with all of you tonight was a blast! Let's do this again. My spirits are lifted by all the good people out there who care...

May 8th
12:07 AM
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I'm back from the daily walk with me. I'll be here on Facebook from 10pm to 10:30pm ET tonight if anyone would like to ask me any questions or talk...

May 7th
10:00 PM
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Wow. There's been over 60,000 downloads/listens of my version of "The Times They Are a Changin'" in just the first 72 hours! Thank you!...

May 7th
7:03 PM
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On Saturday, President Obama said: "Corporations aren't people. People are people." Right the eff on! Now, how do we make that the law of the...

May 7th
6:25 PM
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Michael Moore Talks Movies in Montclair (Video) montclair.patch.com Documentary filmmaker speaks to sold-out audience on final day of Montclair Film Festival.

May 7th
4:58 PM
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Adam 'MCA' Yauch: Our Ambassador From Atlantis ...by Dave Zirin www.michaelmoore.com Adam Yauch and the Beastie Boys stood for more than just hip...

May 7th
4:13 PM
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Too Hot Not to Notice?: A Planet Connected by Wild Weather ...by Bill McKibben www.michaelmoore.com As long as this remains one abstract problem in the long...

May 7th
12:35 AM
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Hey, just crossed the 600,000 mark for number of Facebook friends/fans! Shouldn't we celebrate or share or poke or something? I'm game for anything....

May 5th
4:45 PM
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My recording of "The Times They Are a-Changin'" is on the CD "Occupy This Album." Release date: May 15th.

Many musicians...

May 4th
12:34 PM
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And now for a surprise: MY FIRST-EVER RECORDING! "The Times They Are a-Changin'" Listen here -- it's part of a fundraiser CD for Occupy...

May 4th
12:24 PM
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