Explore every episode of the podcast Veterans for Peace Radio Hour

Harvey is back and shares his participation at the 2025 Nuclear Deterrence Summit just outside Washington DC, where the talk of actual deterrence was mostly absent. However, the talk of a nuclear love-fest was clear. Harvey shares some of the stories of other anti-war participants at the Bus Boys and Poets gathering and reflects on why this summit even took place. After all, it was shortly thereafter that President Trump talked about de-nuclearization and cutting the military budget in half, which was such a positive in the wake of Trump's first month in office. We finish with Sly and Stand.

With Trump's and Musk's war on DEI, Harvey and Jim revisit the discussion we had on Prince Edward County in Virginia when white supremacists decide to close all public schools for five years rather than segregate in the 1950's. There are more comparisons with what Trump and Musk are trying to do now with their war on DEI than you would expect. The problem is they are trying to expand what happened in Prince Edward County to more than just education and also take it nationwide. To finish we hear Sam Cooke's plea for change.

Margaret Kimberley of Black Agenda Report joins us to discuss the world under Trump. She weighs in on everything from the airplane disaster in DC, to the FAA, to Trumps picks, to Gaza, Ukraine, Europe, Canada, Panama, the Congo, student protests, and mainstream media failures. She also reflects on Black History Month. So buckle up it gets feisty.

Richard Freeman joins the show to discuss the OASIS plan as developed by the Schiller Institute to try to bring peace to the Middle East. We know that peace has not been achieved by all the methods whether diplomatic or militaristic and things seem to be getting worse. So why not try the OASIS plan which would be a cooperative effort to bring salt water in, desalinate it, and then provide clean fresh water to the Palestinians, Israelis, Jordanians, Egyptians, Syrians, and more to irrigate, drink, and what water does. Then Rich discusses a 60-year-old plan to bring water, that would rain into the ocean, from Alaska to the southwest US to help irrigate and support sustainable vegetation and reduce the impact of the fires.

With the fires raging in Southern California, Cindy Piester joins us from South California to talk about Climate Change, the fires, the hurricane in NC, and their connection to militarism. She also reflects on COP 29, Trump's drill baby drill, and is there optimism. She also turns the tables on Harvey and Jim and asks questions about nuclear war, deterrence, US hegemony and more. We finish with Peter Tosh.

We welcome Gerry Condon and Helen Jaccard back to talk about a number of issues including Pete Hegseth, Ceasefire, Trump's cabinet and then we focus on Nuclear weapons. Helen will give us an update on all things Golden Rule. Gerry talks about the work and projects of the Nuclear Abolition Work Group. Then we all talk about and help Harvey prepare for the upcoming Deterrence Summit in the DC area.

Jimmy Carter passed away and if you listen to the reflections either he was a saint or a sinner. Matt Hoh joins us to give a balanced view of Jimmy Carter from his troublesome Presidency and what was at the core of his policies to the humanitarian who called Israel an apartheid state and wielded a hammer for Habitat rather than a champagne glass at Martha's vineyard. As a result, Matt takes us into the depth of the US empire and why our Presidents should probably be called emperors instead of presidents and why Carter's legacy should be more about post-presidency.

Today we share a number of voices from a number of sources to give you a foundation on what is happening and what might be happening around Trump/Putin, Ukraine/Russia, Turkey/Syria, Turkey/Israel, US/Turkey/Israel, and more. We include clips from Owen Jones with Ilan Pappe, Judge Napolitano, and Alistair Crooke, as well as clips from the International Peace Coalition Helga Zepp-Larouch, Ray McGovern, and Larry Johnson. Then we finish up with Anything Goes, which is sung by Ella Fitzgerald.

We welcome back KJ Noh for two discussions. First, we talk about Han Kang who won the Nobel Prize for Literature, and why this reflects the Nobel Committee's only chance to comment on the genocide in Gaza. Then we turn to the chaos that is going on in South Korea with the President calling for Marshall Law, the legislature rejecting that, and the hundreds of thousands of protestors taking to the streets. There is more here than our press and our government would like to admit. We finish with the song the protestors sing during the protests.

Harvey and Jim reflect a little on the last year but primarily look at the importance of VFP radio/podcasts along with other independent news sources as our national media fail to provide us the information that we need to take on the powers and the problems that are engulfing the world. We look at media failures from covering up the Christmas Truce, to a Palestinian lawsuit, Admiral Buchanan talking about winning a nuclear war, and the most listened-to news outlet worldwide letting us down by covering for genocide. Then we turn to the VFP power structure to provide us with some hope and direction. VFP President Susan Schnall, Vice President Josh Shurley, and Program Coordinator Mike Ferner provide us with information and tools on how we need to approach this coming year as a member of VFP but also as an organization that is looking to collaborate with other peace organizations to raise our voices and efforts to make a difference.

Bruce Carruthers member of Veterans for Peace and expert on VA Health Care joins us to talk about the damage that is outlined in Project 2025 on veterans' health care and veterans' benefits. We need to be worried if you get your health care from the VA or if you are a family member of someone who does especially for those ailments that can not be directly attributed. Thus the Pact Act and coverage of ailments linked to burn pits and Agent Orange could be in jeopardy. Their goal is to make veteran's health care a profit-making business through privatization.

Harvey and Jim break down a panel discussion hosted by Scott Ritter at the National Press Club which included Dennis Kucinich, Don Kovalik, and Margaret Kimberly. With the world in chaos the panel focused on what the public needs to do and that is pepper congress with letters and calls and more. We have to get arms frozen before Biden and Blinken and Sullivan lead us over a cliff.

We have two great guests. First Dennis Speed talks about the work of the International Peace Coalition, especially concerning the thought of peace through economic cooperation. Then friend of the show and VFP member Anthony Donovan reflects on his recent visit to Vietnam and how that war 55 years ago emphasizes a connection with today's wars in Ukraine and especially Gaza. Once again the US can not help itself but be culpable.

This show is extremely important for anyone considering the military and anyone in the military who feels things are not quite right. Three members of the Air Force: Joy Metzler, Juan Betancourt and Larry Hebert join us to discuss why, after joining the military with good intentions, they decided enough was enough and are pursuing Conscientious Objector Discharges. They relate what was the tipping point for them that pushed them over the edge. They discuss the disillusionment and possible betrayal by the military. They relate how helpful Veterans for Peace has been in their efforts. They also discuss what they are telling young people considering the military.

We have been waiting to share this powerful interview by Frank Barat with Gabor Mate on the current world situation surrounding Gaza and Israel. We have become numb to the tragedy and we need to recognize that so that we can continue to work together to stop the continuing funding of Israel. We must also recognize the psychological problems that we are leaving with those who manage to survive and even our own sense of humanity.

KJ NOH author, activist, international scholar, and friend of the show rejoins us to talk Trump part two. KJ talks about what we might want to look out for in the international policy of a Trump administration. What might be our relations with the Far East, Middle East, Russia/Ukraine, NATO, nuclear, and climate.. Will the Trump administration be that much different on the international stage than Biden? Is there a chance Trump might end the Ukraine war, the genocide in Gaza, or attack Iran? Is there anything we should be doing or planning?

We finish up our interview with Matt Hoh and add portions of our webinar with Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson. We hear them talk about Israel, and Ukraine but mostly about the state of the empire and it is not good. They also talk about the nature of military service and the impact it can have on a young person. Col. Wilkerson also talks about our nuclear posture in this dangerous world. We finish with Harvey remembering Barbara Dane and the day she came to the People's House in Clarksville.

Matt Hoh of the Eisenhower Media Network joins us for part one of this two-part discussion. He shares his primary concern that we, the American citizens, citizens of the empire, seem to be patiently waiting for the crisis. We know something is coming, but why do we feel helpless? He talks of Israel, Ukraine, the climate, the election, and the mainstream media and their complicity in our complacency.

Joseph Gerson is Executive Director of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security joins us to explain that the Nobel Peace prize this year is a desperate plea to the world to stop its insane rush toward nuclear confrontation. The award was given to Nihon Hidankyo, the grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as Hibakusha. Joseph explains and identifies what he considers the greatest nuclear threat. We also share a clip about real journalism from real journalists, Ryan Grimm and Jeremy Scahill. We finish with Randy Newman dropping the big one.

Terry Lodge, Legal Counsel for Veterans for Peace, and Mike Ferner, Executive Director for Veterans for Peace join us to discuss the immediate need to gather a panel to indict Secretary of State Blinken and the letter to the Department of Justice outlining his culpability. Veterans for Peace is taking this major stand based on recent revelations from Propublica that Blinken lied to Congress about continuing aid to Israel, but it goes much deeper. Blinken apparently was complicit in genocide from the start. We also hear from VFP member Craig Bardo who spoke to a rally in Nashville and called for Blinken's indictment.

Today we review Biden's strange speech to the UN. Then Scott Ritter speaks to the Rage Against the War Machine Rally. We share Lebanese Journalist Ghadi Francis' thoughts on Lebanon and Hezbollah from the Brian Becker podcast. From the International Peace Coalition, we play portions of Dr, Glenn Diesen's presentation on Putin's new Nuclear Doctrine and the danger we face. Then Professor Steve Starr of the University of Missouri asks us why is nobody worried about the prospect of Nuclear War? We finish with Masters of War, Bob Dylan.

Ron Bettag of the Schiller Institute joins us to discuss the International Coalition of Peace and the new paradigm for peace. The Schiller Institute for decades has been advocating for people through global development through mutual cooperation. They have envisioned a worldwide land bridge, (a worldwide Belt and Road) in which the people benefit by the exchange of ideas, technologies, and development. However, they know that at this point we are on the brink of WW III and so they are bringing together worldwide voices to generate a global coalition of peacemakers to pressure worldwide leaders to stop their juvenile competitions and replace it with global cooperation. Ron also discusses the architect Lyndon Larouche and rehabilitates and sets the record straight about this man so controversial in the US media.

The massacre on the USS Liberty demonstrates the long history of betrayal and murder of Americans by Israel. Thanks to independent journalist James Li and his interview with Phil Tourney a sailor who survived the Israeli attack, we share how Israel's disdain for American lives and US complicity in that disdain goes back decades beyond Rachel Corrie. We also talk about recent actions by VFP members during our week to focus on Gaza.

VFP Activist Anthony Donovan joins us to discuss his recent article in Peace and Planet News that "Iran is NOT our Enemy" despite all we hear and all we are manipulated to believe. Anthony visited Iran and met the people and reflected on the differences between what he learned on his visit versus what we are told here in the US. Anthony sees us being manipulated into war with Iran and warns us not to trust what we hear from Israel and especially our own government. He explains Iran's efforts to maintain peace and avoid war despite the antagonists in Israel and the neo-cons in the US.

Veterans for Peace held a dynamic, important Convention with incredible speakers and critical topics. From climate, to militarism, to Gaza, to police brutality on campus, to the Freedom flotilla, we try to share just a little of the impact of the Convention. The Convention demonstrated just how hard VFP is working to make this world a better and more peaceful place and the results that can be achieved with dedication and commitment.

Veterans for Peace just finished a wonderful, important, timely, committed convention and in this first show, we share just a little of what went on. We share Keynote Speaker Margaret Kimberly, Four Arrows spiritual leader, Elliot Adams introducing the International Peoples Tribunal for Korean victims of US atomic bombs. We also have two military Conscientious Objectors, who share their stories and why they could not take facilitating/participating in genocide anymore. Then Bill Ehrhart shares three poems and we finish with Dave Rovics.

Dr. Henry Maar joins us to talk about his book Freeze, the Grassroots Movement to Halt the Arms Race and End the Cold War. Dr. Maar is considered the authority on how the Nuclear Freeze movement of the 1970s/80's began. He talks about those people and organizations that generated the Freeze Movement, their challenges, and successes. He also relates how this movement actually made politicians listen and act. Can we do it again, must we do it again to avoid today's threats of nuclear war? This is so important as we approach the VFP convention and plan our month of action for September. We finish with Phil Ochs.

Rory Fanning veteran, author, conscientious objector, activist, and more joins us to talk about Veteran and American healthcare debt while we spend billions on supporting Israel's genocide. We get the genocide update from Max Blumenthal on the Judge Napolitano show after a heart-wrenching speech to the UN Security Council by the Deputy Observer from Palestine. We finish with Leonard Cohen and "Partisan."

Greg Mello, Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group and John Wilks Vice President of the Albuquerque Chapter of Veterans for Peace join us to discuss how the EPA, DOE, NNSA, and DOD are continuing to spend money fouling New Mexico while aggravating a Nuclear Conflict and creating a national nuclear waste catastrophe. However, there might be good news along the way as there may be cracks in the empire and crack in the military-industrial complex.

Can our policymakers at the State Department, Defense Department, and the White House really be stupid enough to give Ukraine Missiles to knock out Russian early warning systems and at the same time put missiles in Germany? How is Putin going to feel with this nuclear threat right in his backyard and at the same time having his sight knocked out? Do we not understand that a blind Russia could think we are launching nuclear missiles at them when we aren't? Is our stupidity leading us to the brink of apocalypse?

The Nuclear Facility in Oak Ridge Tennessee makes nuclear bombs. We talked to people from the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA) who are trying to educate people as to the dangers of that facility in making weapons, the cost overruns at the facility, and the age and instability of this Manhattan-era facility. Tanvi Kardile, Coordinator, and Rachel Stewart, Vice President of OREPA join us to discuss Oak Ridge, their efforts, and connecting to the community and the students at the University of Tennessee and other universities nationwide. They also discuss the linkage of their efforts to the students supporting divestment of the University from support of military contracts and Israeli investments.

Dr. Javeria Farooqi joins us to talk BDS its importance, its successes, its impact, and how YOU can take part in ending apartheid, occupation, and genocide. Dr. Farooqi shows us specifically the tools we can use to Boycott. From Apps to Websites, you can view products, and stores to support or avoid. She also talks about how your investments can be powerful in changing the world for the better, for the humane, for the compassionate. She also has a step-by-step guide on reviewing your investments and Jim will send you a copy if you text him at 703 403 6135.

Jack Gilroy faces jail time for trying to share Terry Lodge's VFP letter that outlines US culpability in genocide by supporting Israel. Terry Lodge drafted a letter which was signed by Susan Schnall, President and Mike Ferner, Executive Director of Veterans for Peace. The letter, addressed to the State Department, outlines the 5 laws and one Executive Order that the administration is in violation of by supporting Israel's genocide in Gaza. Of course, this criminality includes the weapon's industry so Jack Gilroy wanted to share the letter with BAE Systems in Endicott, NY where he was arrested and faces charges of trespass, so he was trespassing while trying to help BAE avoid criminal behavior. They both join us to update Jack's challenge and share Terry's VFP letter. We finish with Pete Seeger

The Veterans for Peace Nuclear Abolition working group hosted an important webinar about Nuclear Power and Nuclear weapons with William Hartung of the Quincy Institute, Linda Pentz-Gunther of Beyond Nuclear, and Greg Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group. In the show, Harvey and Jim abridged, discussed, and emphasized the topics discussed during the webinar. You will learn things you never knew and be challenged but guided to take action. We need a movement. We finish with Billy Bragg and There will be a Reckoning.

Members of Veterans for Peace are once again not sitting idly by while the world devolves into calamity. Members Tarak Kauff, Ellen Davidson, and Anthony Donovan join us to talk about their peace walk which originated in Maine with a destination of Washington, D.C. on July 5, 2024. We caught up with them in Pennsylvania where they had just left Philadelphia on the way to Delaware and President Biden's home, Maryland past military polluters and war industry facilities to DC where they will take a stand for Peace. So far most of the walk has been inspiring with only enough problems to let them know that work has to be done and Peace is the goal. You can still join this walk, so listen to find out how. We then finish with a great version of Take Me Home Country Roads by Playing for Change.

As we remember President Kennedy's Peace Speech at American University on June 10, 1963, we realize that with each passing year, his words are more important and more recognized, but also more ignored by US leaders. This year we add the input of Dr. Jeffrey Sachs who reflects on how the last five presidents have specifically ignored President Kennedy and in fact done many of the things President Kennedy said we would never do.

While all eyes seem to be on Gaza, we ignore what the US is doing in Asia at our own peril. Author, scholar, activist, and teacher K.J.Noh returns to the show to explain what the US is doing in the Pacific. He explains the Pentagon plan called "transnational kill chain" and why the US continues to try to generate alliances to encircle and threaten China. What is Link 16? Are our military adventures bleeding us dry? Can we actually fight wars on two or three fronts at once? Is there a chance for peace? Would there be any difference between Biden or Trump? We then finish with Pink Flood.

Harvey and Jim profile the Israeli organization of IDF Veterans called Breaking the Silence which, like VFP, is trying to get the word out to the public of the futility of war. We also have a clip of Ayman Mohyeldin criticizing his own MSNBC along with final reflections of Memorial Day. We finish up with a song from Maher Zain, Palestine Will Be Free.

Are Moral Injury and Memorial Day in the US intertwined? Does our war culture, supported by the church, the military, our education, our politics, our defense industry, silence our national need to grieve war? Dr. Kelly Denton-Borhaug, author of "And Then Your Soul is Gone, Moral Injury and US War Culture, joins us to discuss that question and they way we "celebrate" Memorial Day. Harvey also shares his experience on how to recognize Memorial Day. Then we finish with Where Have All the Flowers Gone.

Harvey and Jim discuss the student protests and the unconscionable lies coming from the speaker of the house and the president weaponizing the Holocaust. Using recent clips from Breaking Points, System Update, and Shahid Bolsen they look at the attempts of the government to manipulate and generate a narrative of anti-Semitism to demean and condemn the peaceful protests on college campuses. Those messages are countered by the words of Shahid Bolsen and the official statement from Veterans for Peace.

Will Hopkins, the new Executive Director of Veterans for Peace joins Barry Riesch and Colleen Rowley Freedom Flotilla volunteers as we discuss today's VFP activism and tomorrow's activism. Will leads off by discussing how he went from combat to the peace movement and what he sees as vision and challenge for VFP. Then we turn to Barry and Colleen who are just back from attempting to sail as part of the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza to break the Israeli siege and bring aid to the Palestinian People in Gaza. We then finish with Emma's Revolution.

Bruce Carruthers our resident expert on VA Health Care updates us on a VA report that slams privatization, but can we get it released so that it can make a difference? Then we turn to Student protests with an update from the encampment at Vanderbilt. Then the Freedom Flotilla was blocked through the efforts of Israel and the US. Will another country offer a flag to let them sail? Finally, as college administrators consider the National Guard, we remember Kent State Day through song.

Today Harvey and Jim catch up and follow up with the alumni and student involved in the protest on the Vanderbilt campus. Harvey targets Boeing putting profit over passenger safety. We also reflect on an interview between Aaron Mate and Norman Finkelstein from six years ago about the Palestinian right to resist, the right to defend themselves. Veterans for Peace also has another letter, this time to Biden, calling out his violations of the Symington Glenn amendment in providing aid to a nuclear state (Israel) that has not signed on to the NPT. We finish up with a new song from Dave Rovics.

Vanderbilt University in Nashville is leading the way in the draconian responses against pro-Palestinian rallies and protests. Today we talk to a Vanderbilt Alumni, a Vanderbilt student who was suspended but now faces probation, and a Staff Writer for the Nashville Scene who was arrested. We find out what the students were protesting and why. We talk about the disparate treatment of pro-Palestinian efforts versus more reactionary groups. We try to understand the Chancellor's principled neutrality to education at Vanderbilt. Think about principled neutrality; what might that actually mean? We ask the question is Vanderbilt University betraying or actually upholding it history of dealing with protests on campus? We finish up with Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine.

Larry Hebert was able to join the show for this in-depth discussion of his hunger strike in support of Palestine and against the Biden foreign policy of Biden's unconditional support of Israel's genocide on Gaza. We missed our initially established interview time because Larry was directed to go to Walter Reed Army Hospital for blood work and a mental evaluation. After being cleared, he talked to us from the grounds of the US capital. We talked about his hunger strike, his protest, his frustration that Aaron Bushnell's self-immolation generated more of a response in the Middle East than it did in the US, and his disillusionment about the US Military. We finish with Eddie Mack and The Sound of War.

Veterans for Peace specifically documents the national and international laws that the US is violating in its facilitation of Israel's genocide in Gaza. Executive Director of Veterans for Peace Mike Ferner and VFP member Jack Gilroy join us to specifically go over that charges VFP alleges in a letter to Anthony Blinken and other senior members of the State Department that calls on the Inspector General to initiate a criminal investigation. They specifically detail how the US is in violation of at least six domestic statutes and treaties. To see the letter: https://www.veteransforpeace.org/files/4017/0777/8707/VFP_StDept_ltr_FINAL_2-11-24.pdf

We know that Israel has made claims that it has a greater historical claim to the land than the people in the West Bank and Gaza. So what do the historical facts actually say? For that we turn to Middle East Historian, retired teacher, and activist Krishna Madan to trace the turbulent history of the people who lived on the land east of the Mediterranean Sea. We talk to Krishna personally and refer to the presentation he gave to Veterans for Peace which you can see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EUnXQOhtoE&t=30s

In this show we revisit our discussions with Ellen Davidson of Veterans for Peace on her discussion of Apartheid and the clear case of Israel/Gaza. Then we turn to Dr. Walter Hixson, author and historian on the dangers of the Israeli Lobby on our own democracy. Yes AIPAC and others threaten our democracy. We then finish up with a wonderful song from the RJ Phillips remembering Bloody Sunday at the Edmond Pettis Bridge 59 years ago March 7, 1965.

The Congress wants to ban Tik Tok so that is a good reason for Harvey and Jim to join Tik Tok to see why and we think we found out. It is all about the young people getting their news. Nothing is going to freak Congress out more than young people getting independent news. Then we talk about an article from Al Jazeera relating Rachel Corrie to Aaron Bushnell to Viola Liuzzo and other people recognized by the marginalized. We finish up wondering about the hullabaloo surrounding the Oscars and the movie Zone of Interest.

In this heart-wrenching show, we discuss Aaron Bushnell's self-immolation or as Chris Hedges characterizes it, his divine violence. We use several clips to explain better and characterize his sacrifice, including Caitlyn Johnstone and Ann Wright. We also discuss mainstream media's predictable failure in reporting on Aaron. We hear from veterans during vigils and tributes remembering and honoring Aaron. We finish up with Al Jazeera's take on Biden's food drop. Joe Cocker sings our tribute to Aaron.