We are born NOT to work for money. We are born to work for Life. Working for Life IS what Life does.

Tragically I lost the citation, but recently on NPR probably I heard that many decades ago the "American Dream" was to have meaningful work.  Today, the "American Dream" is to have - STUFF.  One IS in fact the right DREAM, the other is Humanity's worst nightmare.

LOVE: Embracing resopnsibility for other(s); LUST: Coveting, "loving" stuff.

[This Easter season I've read through the Gospels. Has me pretty stirred up! I so desperately want to understand what Jesus so desperately yearned for us TO understand.]

Life-giving / Peace Making....

Universal Love - Gandhi, King, Jesus embraced responsibility for the wellbeing of all of humanity.

---

Death-dealing / Peace Destroying....

Conditional Love - Start embraced responsibility for the three in his"family," and NOT the other 6 billion in his Family. Cancer.

Universal Lust - the parasite, the freeloader, the megalomaniac - Bill Clinton, W, Cheney.

Conditional Lust - the lecher, the addict, those that "love" money the way Jesus Loved PEOPLE.

"My yoke is light," Jesus

A week or so ago, weeks into the Hunger Strike, I had an experience I've never had before.

I was lugging my 50 lbs of stuff the 3o blocks to the White House, and my body was pretty unhappy.

The poster that was facing out was of Jesus carrying the cross and wearing the crown of thorns. What came into my mind, my imagination was Jesus, I saw Him covered in blood, carrying the Cross, smiling encouragement at me: "Our yoke is light, Start." His smile, with all He was carrying did it. My pain and fatigue was cut by 2/3rds. Now, I'm not Jesus, yet, but I'm trying, so in another 8 minutes that yoke was HHHHEEEAAAVVVYYYY again. But then Jesus came back to help, again. And He has come back since, too, with a bit of summoning from me.

"Do "this" in memory of me." I always, until recently thought that "this" was the bread and wine ceremony. NO! Giving our body and blood for all men, is what we are to do in memory of Jesus. The bread and wine stuff is just Jesus' reminder to us.

Our sister Nancy shared this photo that kinda captures what I felt.

Makes me cry to recall it all.

Thanks Nancy.

Hunger Strike Day #35: NEWS - Too good to continue; Too bad to stop

CUT WAR FUND PEACE $200B FAST - Campaign significantly altered tonight. I returned tonight to refuge, lugging the 50 lbs of my stuff the 30 blocks to refuge where I expect to be until Congress returns early next week.

I expect to hold at Day #35: I'll accept food and shelter the 3-4 days Congress is off the Hill; and will Fast and Occupy the Hill 24 hr/day the 3-4 days Congress is ON the Hill. I expect. My energy level is extremely low and my mind is not clear, but I suspect that this is how I will proceed.

Why altering the campaign now?

EXTREMELY ENCOURAGING NEWS / CONDITIONS TOWARD THE GOAL OF THIS CAMPAIGN - CUT WAR FUND PEACE:

• The impact on the Congress folks that pass me on the Hill has been far more rapid than I would have expected. Yes, this is just my subjective view but with the News featuring $ Trillion bleeding as far as the eye can see, HIGHLIGHTING the need for FUNDS - the combination of MLK blaring - "A nation that spends more on military than social uplift is facing spiritual death;" the signage highlighting that fact (below), and my intoning it into their ears as they pass - I judge that the issue "framing" - cut MILITARY Entitlements $200B - is penetrating much faster than I'd anticipated. Hence, I see diminishing returns from continuing the 7 day per week Occupation / Hunger Strike. Overkill right now.
  
• Last two days emphasis on State Department signals a dramatic shift from War to PeaceMaking. Hillary Clinton: "Robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long term tools for securing America's future."
• Immediate calls to all relevant Israel/Gaza parties in the Mideast placed by Barack further signals shift from War to PeaceBuilding.
• Obama's Speech comment that extreme might does not permit ABUSE was targeted at Israel!!!! and the US.
  
• Immediate designation of George Mitchell, hero of No. Ireland PeaceMaking fame to solve Israel / Palestine FURTHER signals shift from WarMaking to PeaceBuilding.
• Barack declaration in Inaugural Address committing to clean water, food, education for the poor in poor countries. (central to Plan B 3.0).
  
• Ditto order to shut Guantanamo.
• Ditto order to end Torture.
• Substantial emphasis on Greening America / Slowing Global warming in the Stimulus Plan. Although details not yet sufficient.
• No mention of Nuclear power yet in Barack's plans.
• Al Gore addresses Senate next Wednesday on urgency of addressing Climate Change!!!
  
• And other good news I'm too depleted to recall.

BAD NEWS:

• No sign of a wartime speed campaign to halt Global Warming - Plan B 3.0
• WhiteHouse.gov says cap and trade for carbon. NOOOOO!!!!! TAX SHIFT from Income Tax to Carbon Tax is what is needed!!!!
  
• "Clean" coal figures prominently in Barack's energy plan. NO!!!! There is no such thing, and never will be. VERY BAD NEWS.
• Plan on the new WhiteHouse.gov site calls for 80% reduction in greenhouse gasses by 2050. 30 YEARS TOO LATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Far to frequent allusions to "Entitlements" (Soc Security and Medicare) as the place to cut; NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MILITARY ENTITLEMENTS are the place to cut!!!!!!!!!! WE MUST MAKE THIS PART OF THE DEBATE - IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  

Too good to continue the full Strike / Occupation. I need to get my head clear and digest current and upcoming developments to recalibrate my actions.

Too BAD to stop. Nothing has changed in the need for $200B DOD Budget shift to Plan B 3.0 at WARTIME SPEED, and this is FAR from certain at this moment.

By adjusting the campaign as outlined above I can do my part to keep pressure on Congress, to do my part to ENCOURAGE congress to do the right thing - but for much longer than the 15 days or so I'd otherwise have left. And by holding at Day 35, if I need to ESCALATE the pressure from there I can revert to the full Hunger Strike and Occupation!

(Sorry for all the typos but I'm pretty tired.)

I HAVE A DREAM. AND I, START, HAVE NEVER HAD A DREAM.

It has been amazing to me that never in my life, never in my adult life have I had a dream. Now, I'm not talking about the nighttime type. Sure I have those. I mean the MLK type.

I feel like I've been in the grip of huge dreams my entire adult life, but I've never posessed them- THEY have POSSESSED ME.

Well, on Day #32 or so of the Hunger Strike, as I was lugging my 5o lbs of stuff the 50 or so blocks to the Capitol - bing, there it was - I HAVE A DREAM.

I HAVE A DREAM

I have a dream that -

• Congress will cut $200B from defense and re-allocate it to PeaceBuilding internationally;
• We will rise up to cut carbon emissions 80% by 2020 thereby saving the Glaciers and staving off the 39' sea level rise and displacement / drowning of 600 million people;
• We will replace our value of things, and replace it with a valuing of people;
• We will embrace the poor of the world and eliminate poverty by 2020;
• We will heal the earth planing many millions of new trees and fully protecting existing forests - rain and otherwise;
• We will stabilize world population at 8 billion or less through humane pre-emptive measures;
• We will restore the world's fisheries;
• We will aggressively de-charter or re-charter corporations so as to eliminate their murderious sociopathic destruction;
• And so on.
  

HUNGER STRIKE DAY #23 - Diane Wilson in Texas, Start Loving in DC

In DC Hunger Strike / Hill Occupation Start Loving resumes on Day 23 after a 2 day pause for planning, communication and healing.

In Texas, international Human Rights activist Diane Wilson (An Unreasonable Woman www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore/item/unreasonablewoman ) joins the Hunger Strike in Texas.

Inquiries are best directed to Ellen Thomas (et@nucnews.net).

Regarding the Campaign:

****** THE CAMPAIGN ON ONE PAGE ******

CAMPAIGN AND TEAM / COMPREHENSION PREREQUISITE:

Read and fully digest Plan B 3.0 Chapter 13.
Available pdf: The Great Mobilization (pdf) http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/PB3/pb3ch13.pdf
Available Video (1 hr): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XkbuhLFIX8
THE SKIPPING OF THIS STEP IS OUR STRAGIC THREAT - IT WILL KILL US. PLEASE MASTER IT NOW. I BEG YOU NOT TO DELAY, NOT TO MISS THIS STEP.

PURPOSE OF THE CAMPAIGN:

By mid February 2009, before the finalization of the Stimulus package achieve a $200 billion shift from Defense to PeaceMaking that we will-

1. Prevent the imminent and wholly avoidable planetary life support collapse from continued unbridled global warming whose first manifestation would be the drowning out of 600 million worldwide in low coastal areas that will otherwise submerge under the certain rise of 39 feet of water when the ice sheets go in Greenland and the West Antarctic. (Plan B 3.0 Chapter 13)

2. Forever cut out the heart of the monster of U.S. empire whose ever-present swath of death and destruction is currently manifest in Iraq, Gaza, Afghanistan, Iran, failed international states doubling every year, civilization-threatening climate change, New Orleans, Inner City Schools, hemoraging US economy, crumbling infrastructure, decimated US world image, cancerous health care system, .... (Plan B 3.0 Chapter 13, and common sense. "A nation that year after year spends more on military defense than it spends on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." MLK exactly 1 year to the day before they killed him for saying these words. )

DESCRIPTION OF THE CAMPAIGN:

World-class nonviolent action (participants lay their own lives on the line) with two distinct, self-reinforcing aspects:

1. Hunger Strike with a Hill 24 hr/day Occupation component as an unmistakable statement of the life and death urgency;

2. Sheroic, informed, disciplined and relentless "organizing (recruiting, deployment, PR, collateral materials, blogs, web sites...)," and Hill lobbying starting with the "good guys" like Kucinich and under their guidance spreading out to a sufficient number of congressfolks to assure the $200 Billion shift, before the stimulus package is finalized in mid February. Note: Although Start is the birth mother of this whole thing, this "baby" will be immediately "adopted" by the core team. Start will quickly move to the background on all but the Hunger Strike / Occupation; although he will remain in the loop.

CAMPAIGN COMPLETION:

When the highly trusted Dennis Kucinich presents clearly to the campaign team that the $200 Billion Shift is a certainty.

EXTREMELY FAVORABLE BUT CONSTRAINED POLITICAL REALITY:

1. Obama can be expected at minimum to be personally in favor of this campaign, and probably extremely desirous. The same can be expected not only of the "good guys" but by up to 2/3's of Congress, the Senate and the public at large. But this will remain entirely hidden, until our work is well underway. Although anecdotal, Start, with many months experience with the dynamic of Congress on the Hill passing him outdoors, has detected a readiness that is surprising to all, including Congress, among up to 2/3's of those he encounters. This is the time. If not now, when? If not, here, where? If not us, who?

2. Prospective "campaign members" from Code Pink, WILPF, and others known to us - we expect that from 2 to 20 people of an extremely sheroic and humane nature may well join as our sheroic commitment becomes more manifest. However, as the nature of this being a particularly extreme version of nonviolence, until the last days, this campaign will be of and for the most extremely courageous, mature, self-starting, high initiative type of "activist." It will neither be for, nor accepting of those not so far along, as this would be a disservice and actually highly dangerous to these relatively unprepared folks, and to the campaign itself.

2. We perceive that it is political suicide for even the "good guys" to propose or initially champion a $200 billion shift, and we want NOT to place either Obama or the other "good guys" in such a dangerous position. Hence WE are the force, the 4th branch of government who through this campaign will give the political cover in reality on this issue. But we expect that after we place our lives on the line for this issue there will quickly, but with some pregnant pause, unfold a catalytic reaction of passionate and courageous action from even some within Congress, and maybe from within the Senate (Who? Ted Kennedy?)

REASON FOR SUCCESS:

1. With the Emperor's / Empire's clothes totally gone ($1 trillion on Defense is ridiculously absurd in the context of the Truth of US today), all that is left is for this to be ruthlessly and inescapably pointed out. America is bleeding to death from its trillion dollar per year "Entitlement" to Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrup Grumman, Blackwater... and their Corporate Sponsors - Exxon, Texaco, Halliburton, the revolving door military....

2. The "meteor" twin of CO2 global warming and consequent failed state terrorism as the #1 national security threat, about to destroy life support on earth, is now visible to the naked eye through the telescope of Plan B 3.0, currently in the hands of virtually every member of congress.

3. The campaign team now assembling consists of vision and proven courage and commitment not seen since the 1960's when so much good was generated in America - a time of miracles then, the stuff of miracles now.

TACTICAL ELEMENTS OF THE CAMPAIGN:

1. Hunger Strike Hill Occupation 24 hours per day to resume by Sunday conducted by Start Loving. This has been and will remain the central reactor, the central Soul Force driving the urgency and courage infusing the entire campaign. Additional Hunger Strikers may or may not join in DC or nation-wide. This is probably NOT the area where quantity of force is required. Sunday will be approaching day 25 for Loving, leaving an estimated 25 days of life-support left - exactly the right amount of time to drive urgent achievement of victory.

2. Sheroic, Ferocious, Tenacious, Informed, LIFE-ON-THE-LINE Lobbying of Congress to be organized by Diane Wilson, Liz Hourican, Gael Murphy with the support and growing cooperation of Code Pink, Prop 1. and WILPF. A. Descend on, ENLIST, and EMPOWER the "good guys:" Kucinich - the champion of US Peace Force; Norton - 13 year sponsor of Military Conversion Act; Woolsey - sponsor of Economic Conversion Act; Barney Frank who in October called for 25% cut in Defense.... With this virtual planning team identify and execute a Hill Takeover plan.

THE ULTIMATE DRIVER AND SUCCESS FACTOR OF THIS CAMPAIGN:

Failure is not an option. This is a "military," 'take no prisoners' campaign (we activists are the "prisoners" :-) . Failure means the collapse of global civilization as the political tipping points will have been irreversibly eclipsed by the environmental tipping points leading ultimately planetary life-support collapse - civilization collapse. (Plan B 3.0 Chapter 13). This is the indisputable conclusion of 1000's of the world's greatest scientists. Our guiding ethos is "Live as though the entire world depends on what we do here, and realize that what we do will probably make no difference at all. The fate of humanity does in fact depend on what we do here. We are willing to fail, but we are, with our very lives, unwilling not to give it the "last measure of our devotion."

Cut War Fund Peace $200B Fast Campaign Outline

***a work in progress***

CAMPAIGN AND TEAM / COMPREHENSION PREREQUISITE:

Read and fully digest Plan B 3.0 Chapter 13.
Available pdf: The Great Mobilization (pdf) http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/PB3/pb3ch13.pdf
Available Video (1 hr): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XkbuhLFIX8
THE SKIPPING OF THIS STEP IS OUR STRAGIC THREAT - IT WILL KILL US. PLEASE MASTER IT NOW. I BEG YOU NOT TO DELAY, NOT TO MISS THIS STEP.

PURPOSE OF THE CAMPAIGN:

By mid February 2009, before the finalization of the Stimulus package achieve a $200 billion shift from Defense to PeaceMaking that we will-

1. Prevent the imminent and wholly avoidable planetary life support collapse from continued unbridled global warming whose first manifestation would be the drowning out of 600 million worldwide in low coastal areas that will otherwise submerge under the certain rise of 39 feet of water when the ice sheets go in Greenland and the West Antarctic. (Plan B 3.0 Chapter 13)

2. Forever cut out the heart of the monster of U.S. empire whose ever-present swath of death and destruction is currently manifest in Iraq, Gaza, Afghanistan, Iran, failed international states doubling every year, civilization-threatening climate change, New Orleans, Inner City Schools, hemoraging US economy, crumbling infrastructure, decimated US world image, cancerous health care system, .... (Plan B 3.0 Chapter 13, and common sense. "A nation that year after year spends more on military defense than it spends on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." MLK exactly 1 year to the day before they killed him for saying these words. )

DESCRIPTION OF THE CAMPAIGN:

World-class nonviolent action (participants lay their own lives on the line) with two distinct, self-reinforcing aspects:

1. Hunger Strike with a Hill 24 hr/day Occupation component as an unmistakable statement of the life and death urgency;

2. Sheroic, informed, disciplined and relentless "organizing (recruiting, deployment, PR, collateral materials, blogs, web sites...)," and Hill lobbying starting with the "good guys" like Kucinich and under their guidance spreading out to a sufficient number of congressfolks to assure the $200 Billion shift, before the stimulus package is finalized in mid February. Note: Although Start is the birth mother of this whole thing, this "baby" will be immediately "adopted" by the core team. Start will quickly move to the background on all but the Hunger Strike / Occupation; although he will remain in the loop.

CAMPAIGN COMPLETION:

When the highly trusted Dennis Kucinich presents clearly to the campaign team that the $200 Billion Shift is a certainty.

EXTREMELY FAVORABLE BUT CONSTRAINED POLITICAL REALITY:

1. Obama can be expected at minimum to be personally in favor of this campaign, and probably extremely desirous. The same can be expected not only of the "good guys" but by up to 2/3's of Congress, the Senate and the public at large. But this will remain entirely hidden, until our work is well underway. Although anecdotal, Start, with many months experience with the dynamic of Congress on the Hill passing him outdoors, has detected a readiness that is surprising to all, including Congress, among up to 2/3's of those he encounters. This is the time. If not now, when? If not, here, where? If not us, who?

2. Prospective "campaign members" from Code Pink, WILPF, and others known to us - we expect that from 2 to 20 people of an extremely sheroic and humane nature may well join as our sheroic commitment becomes more manifest. However, as the nature of this being a particularly extreme version of nonviolence, until the last days, this campaign will be of and for the most extremely courageous, mature, self-starting, high initiative type of "activist." It will neither be for, nor accepting of those not so far along, as this would be a disservice and actually highly dangerous to these relatively unprepared folks, and to the campaign itself.

2. We perceive that it is political suicide for even the "good guys" to propose or initially champion a $200 billion shift, and we want NOT to place either Obama or the other "good guys" in such a dangerous position. Hence WE are the force, the 4th branch of government who through this campaign will give the political cover in reality on this issue. But we expect that after we place our lives on the line for this issue there will quickly, but with some pregnant pause, unfold a catalytic reaction of passionate and courageous action from even some within Congress, and maybe from within the Senate (Who? Ted Kennedy?)

REASON FOR SUCCESS:

1. With the Emperor's / Empire's clothes totally gone ($1 trillion on Defense is ridiculously absurd in the context of the Truth of US today), all that is left is for this to be ruthlessly and inescapably pointed out. America is bleeding to death from its trillion dollar per year "Entitlement" to Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrup Grumman, Blackwater... and their Corporate Sponsors - Exxon, Texaco, Halliburton, the revolving door military....

2. The "meteor" twin of CO2 global warming and consequent failed state terrorism as the #1 national security threat, about to destroy life support on earth, is now visible to the naked eye through the telescope of Plan B 3.0, currently in the hands of virtually every member of congress.

3. The campaign team now assembling consists of vision and proven courage and commitment not seen since the 1960's when so much good was generated in America - a time of miracles then, the stuff of miracles now.

TACTICAL ELEMENTS OF THE CAMPAIGN:

1. Hunger Strike Hill Occupation 24 hours per day to resume by Sunday conducted by Start Loving. This has been and will remain the central reactor, the central Soul Force driving the urgency and courage infusing the entire campaign. Additional Hunger Strikers may or may not join in DC or nation-wide. This is probably NOT the area where quantity of force is required. Sunday will be approaching day 25 for Loving, leaving an estimated 25 days of life-support left - exactly the right amount of time to drive urgent achievement of victory.

2. Sheroic, Ferocious, Tenacious, Informed, LIFE-ON-THE-LINE Lobbying of Congress to be organized by Diane Wilson, Liz Hourican, Gael Murphy with the support and growing cooperation of Code Pink, Prop 1. and WILPF. A. Descend on, ENLIST, and EMPOWER the "good guys:" Kucinich - the champion of US Peace Force; Norton - 13 year sponsor of Military Conversion Act; Woolsey - sponsor of Economic Conversion Act; Barney Frank who in October called for 25% cut in Defense.... With this virtual planning team identify and execute a Hill Takeover plan.

THE ULTIMATE DRIVER AND SUCCESS FACTOR OF THIS CAMPAIGN:

Failure is not an option. This is a "military," 'take no prisoners' campaign (we activists are the "prisoners" :-) . Failure means the collapse of global civilization as the political tipping points will have been irreversibly eclipsed by the environmental tipping points leading ultimately planetary life-support collapse - civilization collapse. (Plan B 3.0 Chapter 13). This is the indisputable conclusion of 1000's of the world's greatest scientists. Our guiding ethos is "Live as though the entire world depends on what we do here, and realize that what we do will probably make no difference at all." The fate of humanity does in fact depend on what we do here. We are willing to fail, but we are, with our very lives, unwilling not to give it the "last measure of our devotion."

60MPH GUSTS BLOW ME OFF HILL FOR THE NIGHT

Having dragged my stuff the 50 blocks or so to retake the Hill early this morning, surviving the cold and the 60 mph wind gusts; at about 7pm I was setting up "camp" for the night, not quite sure what was going to survive that wind by morning, when beep beep beep... my guardian angel Elen was there in the car. "Hi," I said. "Get in," was the response. "Hmmmm...." I said. "GET IN!!!!!" was the command.

Precious equipment, signs, etc was getting destroyed / blown away. Can't really afford that.

This is pretty extreme weather for DC.

I expect to be back to Retake the Hill 7/24 tomorrow morning.