America in Peril

America is being conquered. Our Declaration of Independence has been relegated to history courses. Lulled into passivity, we take our inalienable rights for granted. Recognizing this mass complacency, a certain group recently obtained power in America. Under the guise of a “war on terror” and “national security,” they are systematically undermining democracy and scrapping our Constitution

Much ado is being made of foreign affairs – the deception leading to the Iraq war, the inexorable path of the Bush administration to subdue Iran, the “peace process” in Israel and Palestine, the dickering with North Korea over nuclear ambitions, and much more. But except for a few isolated subjects, what is taking place right here at home is getting piecemeal and sporadic treatment. That is why I was motivated to write this book.

America in Peril puts together a pervasive pattern of intrigue and deception. Starting with the characters that wiggled their way into the White House and conjured up a crisis to rally the country behind a wartime president, this book paints a disturbing picture, delving into the decay of civil rights and showing how the government is not only keeping tabs on the populace but also steadily eroding humanitarian law.

I present two possible outcomes in the final chapters. Chapter 10 plots our current path to martial law and dictatorship if we don’t wake up and control our destiny. Chapter 11 suggests how we can do that. I present a worldview that can save our country if enough perceptive people put it in motion. America is indeed in peril. The test we face is profound.

I am making no profit from this book. I have foregone royalties in order to keep the purchase price low and make the book more affordable. My sole motivation is to get open-minded people to understand the dangers we face so they … we … all of us can take corrective action. Please read this book. I’m sure you will be moved to recommend it to others. You can write reviews for publication. Put something about it in your newsletters and websites. Reproduce the Order Form and distribute it widely. More suggestions for promoting the book are available in How to Spread the Message. If you are interested, there is also a Group Discussion Outline. And please perform any other constructive action you can think of that will spread this message.

Yours for a just and peaceful world,

Bob Aldridge

ARE YOU A CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR TO WAR?
Many youth today abhor war and killing. They may not understand this feeling and they may feel guilty about a perceived disloyalty to their country. What is happening is that these people are being spoken to by their conscience. They are conscientious objectors. It is not unpatriotic to be a CO. Although the US Constitution allows the government to draft people to raise an army, it also safeguards the individual's right to moral and religious beliefs. Because of this safeguard, the Military Selective Service Act reads: "Nothing contained in this [law] shall be construed to require any person to be subject to combatant training and service in the armed forces of the United States who, by reason of religious training and belief, is conscientiously opposed to participation in war in any form."

A 1970 US Supreme Court decision modified "religious training and belief" - to include "moral" and "ethical." The opinion of the Court stated that the law "exempts from military service all those whose consciences, spurred by deeply held moral, ethical, or religious beliefs, would give them no rest or peace if they allowed themselves to become part of an instrument of war." So it is not necessary to belong to a religion to be a CO. You don't have to believe in God to be a CO. This paper will help you sort out your convictions and provide a roadmap for living according to your conscience.

This paper is an updated (A-revision) of a previous paper with the same number.

The paper can be found on the page linked to below. Look for the "New" icon.

What Does Your Conscience Say About War?

With the war continuing in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the supply of soldiers drying up, a draft is looming in the near future. You feel concerns about killing and getting killed but don't know where to turn to for advice. Or, you are struggling to survive in a failing economy. You see a military recruiting poster offering a huge bonus for enlisting. It tempts you but you have doubts about war and killing. Where can you discuss your dilemma?

There are resources to help you with either quandary. One is the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO). During the Vietnam War, CCCO was very active on draft counseling and supporting conscientious objectors (COs). Today they publish material on various aspects of objecting to war and the military, including their periodical, The Objector. CCCO's current counseling activities include:

• Furnishing information a person should have before enlisting in the military.
• Getting military programs and recruiters out of schools.
• Getting out of the military's Delayed Entry Program.
• How to file a CO claim after entering the military.
• How to compile a CO claim in case there is a draft.
• Questions and Answers on draft registration.

All of this information and more can be found on the CCCO website at http://www.objector.org

Another excellent resource is the Center on Conscience and War (CCW). CCW has compiled much information on the draft and conscientious objection. Two self- analysis documents -- "Conscientious Objectors" (1 page) and "Who is a Conscientious Objector?" (6 pages) - are very useful in helping a person understand his or her feelings about war. A 12-page document titled "Basic Draft and Registration Information" guides a CO through the procedure when becoming 18 years of age. A longer 18-page publication called "Conscientious Objectors and the Draft" provides concise direction on how to register as a CO and keeping the records - both selective service and your own file - current and persuasive after registration.

All of these and more are available on the CCW website at http://www.nisbco.org

A third superb resource is the Resource Center for Nonviolence in Santa Cruz California. For over 30 years their staff members have worked with conscientious objectors, both before and after entering the military. There is also a six-member team on a cell phone hotline seven days a week to provide Draft Alternatives Counseling and GI Counseling.

Get information about all of this and much more at the RCNV's "Draft & Military Alternatives" web page at http://www.rcnv.org/rcnv/co.htm

Additional information can be found in PLRC papers and updates on the Conscription, Conscience, & War page.

  The Future of Trident in Britain

(Taken from http://www.banthebomb.org/newsevents/2005/Oct/future.htm)

A report written by Scottish CND Coordinator John Ainslie questions the independence of British nuclear weapons. "The Future of the British bomb" gives unprecedented detail of the Trident warhead and shows how key components are purchased off-the-shelf from the US. There is also a detailed analysis of the computer systems used to plan British, NATO and American nuclear attacks. The British Trident system is totally dependent on US software, critically undermining nuclear independence. The Royal Navy submarines are far more likely to be used in a bilateral Ango-American strike than either under NATO auspices or as an independent force. The various arguments used to justify British nuclear weapons are revealed to be deeply flawed.

The report was launched on 25th October 2005 in Room M, Portcullis House, Westminter by Angus Robertson MP and David Chaytor MP. It has been published by the WMD Awareness Programme, a joint initiative which operates from the office of the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Joseph Rotblat.

Download report (800kb Word Document)

Another good report is a Briefing Paper entitled "Why Britain Should Stop Deploying Trident." Released by Greenpeace-UK in March 2006, this paper highlights how the US and UK Trident systems interact, and how the UK system is dependent on US technology. It illustrates the first-strike destructiveness of the Trident system and the majority of the earth’s surface over which that destructiveness can be spread. Britain cannot use this weapon independently, but may be forced to use it if the US does. For the British people, Trident is a clear and present menace rather than a protection of UK national interests.

Download Greenpeace report (1MB PDF Document)

For a further wealth of information on the British Trident System -- its physical and diplomatic dangers, its lack of purpose or meaning, and its potential future -- go to the website of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the United Kingdom (CND-UK) at www.cnduk.org .

Drell Report (1990) (26 pages, 2.33Mb)
Report of the Panel On Nuclear Weapons Safety, Committee On Armed Forces, House of Representatives -- December 1990

Drell Testimony (1992) (9 pages, 703kb)
Sidney D. Drell testimony on Nuclear Weapons Testing before The Defense Nuclear Facilities Panel of The House Armed Services Committee -- March 31, 1992