United States of America

Mon

Jan

2015

There Is No Future in War: Youth Rise Up, a Manifesto

New translation available

A peace sign printed on the American Flag is raised during a protest against the Vietnam War in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Archive / History Channel)

Submitted by Gary

Statement written by Ben Norton, Tyra Walker, Anastasia Taylor, Alli McCracken, Colleen Moore, Jes Grobman, Ashley Lopez / Codepink -

Once again, US politicians and pundits are beating the drums of...

Thu

Nov

DoD Starbase Militarizes Education for Disadvantaged Children in the USA

Submitted by Gary on Thu, 26/11/2015 - 17:55

The U.S. Department of Defense recently released their 2014 DoD Starbase Annual Report covering this program's impact on 10 to 14 year old children in U.S. public schools. One of the Starbase organizers is Major General Lee Tafanelli, of the Kansas National Guard, and his comments reveal how normalized and commonplace has become the language of militarization inside U.S. Schools. As part of the "community covenant " strategy of the Pentagon to "own" townships and school districts to support and participate in military focused science and math programs, children are now openly given science education directly related to defense issues. Starbase proponents focus their outreach in poorer districts , where children are at greater risk to conditions of poverty or lack opportunities afforded to youth living in more affluent areas and attending better funded schools.

Mon

Nov

Education as Enforcement:Militarization and Corporatization of Schools

Submitted by Gary on Mon, 02/11/2015 - 16:25

The Chicago Memorial Day parade is Saturday, May 23, 2015, had 80 percent of the parade was hundreds and hundreds of children, in military uniforms, proudly marching behind military banners.

Kenneth J. Saltman - Public schools in the United States have increasingly come to resemble the military and prison systems with their hiring of military generals as school administrators and heavy investment in security apparatus—metal detectors, high-tech dog tag IDs, chainlink fences, and real-time Internet-based or hidden mobile surveillance cameras—plus, their school uniforms, security consultants, surprise searches, and the presence of police on campuses.1 But it would be a mistake to understand the preoccupation with security as merely a mass media-driven hysteria in the wake of Virginia Tech and other high-profile shootings, and myopic to ignore the history of public school militarization prior to September 11.

Sat

Oct

Do Military Recruiters Belong in Schools?

Submitted by Gary on Sat, 31/10/2015 - 02:46

David Cameron, who attended the Combined Cadet Force at Eton, has set a target of creating 100 new units in state schools by September in order to build “character, grit and determination” in teenagers, thereby improving their exam results.

By Seth Kershner & Scott Harding -

The United States stands alone among Western nations in allowing military recruiters to work inside its educational system. Section 9528 of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act requires that public high schools give the military as much access to campuses and student contact information as is given to any other recruiter. However, University of Kansas anthropologist Brian Lagotte finds that school officials do not fully understand this policy and often provide military recruiters unrestricted access to their campuses. Many schools allow military recruiters to coach sports, serve as substitute teachers, chaperone school dances, and engage in other activities. In some cases, recruiters are such a regular presence in high schools that students and staff regard them as school employees.

Sun

Oct

SATSA & The Professionalization of War on Campus

Submitted by Gary on Sun, 18/10/2015 - 22:10

by Vani Kannan -

On February 27-28, 2015, the Syracuse University (SU) Student Association on Terrorism and Security Analysis (SATSA) held its yearly conference on campus, entitled “The New Global Threat: Emerging Issues in National Security.” SATSA publishes The Journal of Terrorism and Security Analysis, and is oriented towards the policy and legal implications of military action. Students contribute to the journal to increase their marketability for jobs such as National Security Attorney. Broadly, this conference is geared towards training students so that they have the tools to advise military personnel and military contractors on what authority they have, and how to use the law to justify military operations.

Mon

Sep

America’s Tween Soldiers

Submitted by Gary on Mon, 14/09/2015 - 21:31

August Say, 12, holds out his arm to determine where he should stand in class in the new Dragon Leadership Corps at his middle school in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Seth Kershner, In These Times

Last year, Henry F. Moss Middle School in Bowling Green, Ohio, offered students a brand new course. And, as a headline in the local newspaper proclaimed, this was “not your traditional class.” For starters, the teacher—an army sergeant—had told the Bowling Green Daily News that one of his goals was to expose these seventh- and eighth-graders to “military values” that they could use as “building blocks” in life. To that end, students in the class earn military style ranks, engage in army-style “PT” (physical training) and each Wednesday, wear camouflage pants and boots.

This is the Moss Middle School Leadership Corps, part of the growing trend of military-style education for pre-adolescents.

Mon

Sep

New Publication: Counter-Recruitment and the Campaign to Demilitarize Public Schools

Submitted by Gary on Mon, 14/09/2015 - 20:04

Scott Harding, Seth Kershner -

Sat

Sep

Militarism Run Amok: Russians and Americans Get Their Kids Ready for War

Submitted by Gary on Sat, 12/09/2015 - 20:05

Lawrence Wittner - In 1915, a mother's protest against funneling children into war provided the theme of a new American song, "I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier." Although the ballad attained great popularity, not everyone liked it. Theodore Roosevelt, a leading militarist of the era, retorted that the proper place for such women was "in a harem―and not in the United States."

If Roosevelt were still around today, a century later, he would be happy to learn that preparing children for war continues unabated.

Mon

Aug

Establishing Policies to Restrict Military Recruiting in K-12 Schools A live online organizing workshop in three 1-hour parts

Learn how policies have been adopted in various school districts

Restrictions have included:

Mon

Jul

Al Scorch - Povery Draft (Live @ Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2013)

Submitted by Gary on Mon, 27/07/2015 - 23:32

Al Scorch perform "Poverty Draft" live at the LC King factory during the 2013 Bristol Rhythm & Roots.

Al Scorch - Povery Draft (Live @ Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2013)

Tue

Jun

Halt the military invasion of Catholic schools

Submitted by Gary on Tue, 30/06/2015 - 02:41

By Pat Elder

Pages

Languages

Countering Military Recruitment

WRI's new booklet, Countering Military Recruitment: Learning the lessons of counter-recruitment campaigns internationally, is out now. The booklet includes examples of campaigning against youth militarisation across different countries with the contribution of grassroot activists.

You can order a paperback version here.