327 results for author: Phil Anderson

THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

“How have you, your family or your community been impacted by war.” This was the question Veterans for Peace and Northland Grandmothers for Peace asked the public on Memorial Day.* They gathered 175 statements. Most of the responses discussed the loss or suffering of a family member. Some were about war diverting resources from important human needs. Some expressed pride in military service and said war was necessary to protect the country. Some feel complicit in the immorality of war and a personal need to work for peace. Here are some of the anonymous, unedited statements (with no comment) selected for a variety of viewpoints. “The ...

Cruelty is Not an American Value

Cruelty is not an American value nor should it be a deliberate policy of our nation. But what the Trump administration is doing in Cuba is simply cruel. As a nation we should be ashamed. Cuba is a small, poor nation that has no capacity to harm the U.S. and represents zero threat to our national security. Yet for 66 years Cuba has been the target of crippling economic sanctions and multiple attempts at “regime change.” Why? Plucky little Cuba had the unmitigated gall to be an openly socialist country, 90 miles from the “leader of the free world” in the Caribbean Sea otherwise known as the “America's Lake.” Under Trump the sancti...

War Spending in Perspective

We all know federal spending on war and preparation for war – what we euphemistically call “defense” spending – is huge. But most people have no understanding of how big these numbers are, how they compare with other government spending, and what it all means for their lives. People might understand $100,000 because that is about the median family income in the U.S. (which means half of families live on less). An average house costs around $400,000. But $7,400,000,000,000 – the total federal budget for FY 2026 – is just a big, incomprehensible number. Understanding government spending is difficult because of its complexity. Spending ...

War Spending in Perspective

We all know federal spending on war and preparation for war – what we euphemistically call “defense” spending – is huge. But most people have no understanding of how big these numbers are, how they compare with other government spending, and what it all means for their lives. People might understand $100,000 because that is about the median family income in the U.S. (which means half of families live on less). An average house costs around $400,000. But $7,400,000,000,000 – the total federal budget for FY 2026 – is just a big, incomprehensible number. Understanding government spending is difficult because of its complexity. Spending is ...

A “Defense” Spending Surge

“In America, nothing – and I mean nothing – seems capable of reversing massive military spending and incessant warfare.” William Astore, a retired USAF Lt. Colonel, historian, author and commentator on military issues. Pentagon spending for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026) is projected to be $961.6 billion. This is an 8.1% increase over FY2025. I say “projected” because with federal spending no one knows what the totals will be until after the fact. The dollars budgeted may not match the amounts authorized by Congress (in appropriation bills) or the actual amounts spent. This is especially true with Pentagon ...

Tiffany is a Bad Choice for Governor

                          Wisconsin will choose a new Governor in November. At this time there are nine Democratic candidates for the August 11 primary. The Republican's have just two. But Representative Tom Tiffany will be the candidate. He has been endorsed by Trump. Tom Tiffany becoming governor will be a disaster for Wisconsin. This is not a biased, partisan opinion. An objective, factual look at Tiffany's 15 year record in the Wisconsin legislature and the House of Representatives proves he is unfit to lead the state for many ...

Giving Up is Unforgivable

“The right to vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most nonviolent tool or instrument in a democratic society. We must use it.” John Lewis, former U.S. Representative and “good trouble” civil rights leader. Wisconsin has an election on Tuesday, April 7th. As John Lewis said, voting is a necessary, essential duty of citizens in a democracy. Unfortunately too many of us don't take this “precious...sacred” obligation seriously enough. Usually around 40% of eligible voters don't bother to show up and the percentage is often higher in off-year or nonpartisan elections. Too many people think that voting doesn't really matter. ...

Banning Gerrymandering

Wisconsin Governor Evers has called a special session of the legislature for April 14th to pass a constitutional ban on partisan gerrymandering. Extraordinary public pressure will be needed for this important reform to have any chance in the Republican controlled legislature. Prior to the latest redistricting compromise, Wisconsin had the worst gerrymandered legislative maps in the country. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the old districts unconstitutional and required new state legislative districts be created. Fearing the liberal controlled Supreme Court would impose a stricter plan, Republicans agreed to a compromise on maps drawn by Evers. ...

A Better Way Than War

"Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means." President Ronald Reagan. We know from long experience that wars do not solve problems. Wars are the problem and only result in death, destruction, debt and suffering. There are better ways to settle conflicts and interact with our international neighbors. We know what can, and should, be done to end the scourge of war and create a world where conflicts are solved by peaceful means. One of many solutions is more, and more robust, democracy. This is not a panacea. Democracies fight wars – especially our nominal democracy. It is easy, even in democra...

Wisconsin Supreme Court Election April 7

In Wisconsin April 7 is the spring nonpartisan election. The statewide issue is the election of a Supreme Court justice. Across the state there are many nonpartisan local government and school board positions on the ballot and 72 local school funding referendums for voters to approve or reject. Historically voter turnout for spring elections has been low. These races don't get a lot of press coverage and don't usually have controversial issues at stake. But that doesn't mean they are not important elections. Local communities can be severely impacted when an unpopular faction takes control of local government. Do you want a racist police chief or a ...