Voices for Peace: War, Resistance and America’s Quest for Full-Spectrum Dominance

by T.J. Coles (editor)

The United States’ military doctrine, as proclaimed by its Department of Defense, is to attain ‘full-spectrum dominance… in the air, land, maritime and space domains and information environment… without effective opposition or prohibitive interference.’ This is an agenda for global conquest – for an ever-expanding US empire. As America prepares for conflict with Russia and China, wars continue in the Middle East and North Africa, tens of millions are exiled from their homes whilst many more face famine. But there is not only hope for change in the air, there is active resistance. People all over the world are challenging the status quo by taking nonviolent action. Voices for Peace features some of the world’s leading thinkers, journalists and activists, offering insight, inspiration and solutions to the world’s most critical problems: nuclear war, environmental destruction and refugee flows.

In the wealth of material presented here, Kathy Kelly talks about the Afghan Peace Volunteers and Standing Rock protesters in the USA, calling for global unity. Bruce K. Gagnon’s piece on space weapons discusses South Korean activists’ opposition to American weapons in their country. Brian Terrell challenges the legality of drone warfare and outlines the grassroots links being forged between US and Russian citizens. Noam Chomsky discusses US policies towards Russia and Syria, as well as South America, trade, ISIS and Ukraine. John Pilger talks about the Trump-Obama naval build-up around China and exposes Britain’s ‘deep state’ connections to the Manchester terror attack. Former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney analyses the Charlie Hebdo attacks and the deep state in recent US history. Ilan Pappé offers an exclusive analysis of Israel’s actions to ethnically cleanse Israel of Palestinians. Finally, Robin Ramsay exposes the unconditional support given to the USA by successive UK governments.

Seeking to inform and educate, this penetrating anthology is edited and introduced by author T. J. Coles, who gives a broader framework and context to the individual articles.

Genres: Politics

129 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Peggy Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Mimi Wolske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without giving a review as long as the book itself, I'll not provide an in-depth review. The notable contributors, along with an editorial by Dr. Coles, of this thematic collection of short essays have received doctorates from various universities (not all in only the U.S.) and two authors are writers and editors; one is an activist. Coles spends about 13 pages expressing his personal views on the Israeli-Palestinian crises, spends a little bit of time describing how the book is organized (and whether the arrangement of the individual essays facilitates and contributes to an understanding of the subject -- e.g., do all of the selected authors hold the same point of view as the editor or are there any varying/opposing POVs) and he adds he wanted to bring together various other persons who would provide their thoughts focusing on one theme: peace and why we don't have it.

The authors are indeed very notable and Dr. Coles provides super brief bios of each of the eight other authors (at the back of the book).

The goal of the citizens of the world should be peace, but we are thwarted by powerful individuals with state power or access to it. I highly recommend this book to everyone, but strongly suggest each reads the essays with an open mind while not being persuaded by the persuasive techniques (appeal from some authority, appeal to reason, appeal to emotion, appeal to trust, rhetoric, ethos, or pathos) employed by the author. The insight by the authors is meaningful and it certainly can be powerful. But, in my opinion, it also seems prejudicial by a few, and one essay seemed (to me) to be written from some feelings of antagonism because the author was jailed for six months and another author, Ilan Pappe, an expatriate, has been referred to as "At best, ... one of the world’s sloppiest historians; at worst, one of the most dishonest. In truth, he probably merits a place somewhere between the two" by an author who does live in Israel.

I'd like to think each reader has read more than just this book; that s/he has read other pieces by these and other authors, thinkers, activists worldwide.

[Steve Lawless · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short book of short articles. Something of a curates egg. The Pilger and Pappe articles are well researched and written as you would expect. A number of the others were rather anecdotal.