Thirty-Third Tuesday Topic

Given US President Bush's recent admission that Iran does not have and is not developing nuclear weapons, how much faith do you have in the information on which the US is basing its decisions?

Do you foresee another similar "revelation" about the status of Iraq?

What kind of information do you think, at this point, would bring the government to the realization that it's time to end the war?

Thirty-Second Tuesday Topic

Several US National Guard units were recently notified that they will be going to war in Iraq and Afghanistan in summer 2009.

What do you think of this kind of advanced commitment to fighting these wars?

Do you think a change in administration will offer any more hope of a cessation of these conflicts?

Thirty-First Tuesday Topic

What do you think of Bush's Middle East Peace Summit scheduled for this week in Annapolis?

Do you find it strange that this event is juxtaposed against the ongoing Iraq War?

Do you see any relation between peace in Israel and Palestine and peace in Iraq?

Thirtieth Tuesday Topic

Would you ever personally visit Iraq in the near future?

Why or why not?

How would you want to spend your time there if you went?

Twenty-Ninth Tuesday Topic

How do you think veterans of the Iraq War will be remembered in the United States and other countries?

Will they face the plight of Vietnam soldiers, disregarded with the shame of losing the war?

Or will they be lauded for signing up to kill for their country, even though the cause was unjust?

Twenty-Eighth Tuesday Topic

Do you think the United States will continue to back Musharraf as he tightens dictatorial control over Pakistan?

If so, what does that say about the American commitment to democracy?

How do you think the situation in Pakistan will impact the Iraq War?

Twenty-Seventh Tuesday Topic

Did you participate in the widespread protests of the war on Saturday, October 27th?

Whether you went or not, what did you think of this effort?

How do you think the peace movement can be more effective in conveying its message?

Twenty-Sixth Tuesday Topic

Rather than steering clear of the conflict in Iraq, Turkey is now getting involved in the conflict by making incursions in northern Iraq against the Kurds.

Do you think this can be prevented? If so, how?

Do you think this could have been avoided earlier? If so, how?

Twenty-Fifth Tuesday Topic

What do you think of the decision to award Al Gore the Nobel Peace Prize?

Twenty-Fourth Tuesday Topic

Much has been made lately of the United States' reliance on private security firms, such as Blackwater, to prosecute the war in Iraq.

What do you think of this practice?

Does a privatized military force accountable to corporate (rather than government) leadership concern you?

Twenty-Third Tuesday Topic

At a recent U.S. Democratic debate, the top three contenders for that party's nomination (Hillary Clinton, Barrack Obama, and John Edwards) all said that their administration might leave American troops in Iraq until at least January 20, 2013.

For a second straight election, it seems almost certain that the United States will be prosecuting a war that the majority of the country opposes while having no major-party candidates who are against the war.

How can the two-party system be circumvented to prevent war without end?

Twenty-Second Tuesday Topic

What do you think of Nouri al-Maliki's leadership?

Do you think it is the place of non-Iraqi politicians to criticize his work in attempting to unite Iraq?

Do you think the USA would attempt to oust him as they did with "uncooperative" South Vietnamese leaders during the Vietnam War?

Twenty-First Tuesday Topic

Do you trust any of the current United States Presidential candidates to end the war?

Where do you think the standing of the war will be by January 20, 2009?

Twentieth Tuesday Topic

While the original justification for invading Iraq was the false allegation that they held weapons of mass-destruction, much of the argumentation shifted to ideas of spreading democracy in the Middle East as the war dragged on.

Do you think democracy as a concept has been helped or hindered by the invasion and occupation of Iraq?

Where do you see democracy in the Middle East in ten years? In twenty?

Nineteenth Tuesday Topic

According to Oxfam in this report, a great number of basic elements of quality of life have been drastically reduced in Iraq by the invasion.

How long do you think it will take to restore these to pre-invasion levels?

Do you think there is a way to convey the stark negative impact of the invasion on the Iraqi people to those who still believe it was a good idea?

Eighteenth Tuesday Topic

What gives you hope about the current situation in Iraq?

Seventeenth Tuesday Topic

Are you planning on participating in the upcoming August Challenge at One Million Blogs for Peace?

It will entail making a YouTube video promoting peace in Iraq and One Million Blogs for Peace.

Why will you or will you not be participating?

Sixteenth Tuesday Topic

With America's birthday tomorrow, how do you feel the American Revolution works as a parallel to the Iraq War?

Would the United States have cooperated with French occupation for years after they assisted in the revolution?

Can self-determination be enforced?

Fifteenth Tuesday Topic

We all want the Iraq War to end tomorrow.

But when do you think it will end?

Explain what you think will change or what events will transpire to eventually end the War.

Fourteenth Tuesday Topic

According to this report by the Fund for Peace, Iraq ranks as the second least stable country in their Failed States Index (Afghanistan ranks eighth).

Given this fact (and Somalia's presence at third), what do you think the overall impact of foreign invasion is on a country?

Has the era of invading a nation to install a new government been exposed as a failure?

If not, can you provide an example of a country that has stablized as the result of invasion since World War II?

Thirteenth Tuesday Topic

In combatant countries in the Iraq War, myopia seems to keep misgivings about the War at bay amongst much of the population.

The media and politicians are able to collaborate in getting citizens to ignore the travesties of a War that has enacted a civilian death-toll equivalent to at least twenty-one September 11th's.

What types of daily activities or behaviors (as opposed to large one-time protests) do you think can help alert these populations to the fact that this is unacceptable?

What do you think of the idea of refusing to rise for anthems or pledges in combatant countries until the War is ended?

Twelfth Tuesday Topic

Assuming you had access to relatively limitless resources, what do you think would be the ideal event to protest the Iraq War?

Describe in detail how you would plan, recruit for, and conduct the event.

Eleventh Tuesday Topic

Cindy Sheehan, perhaps the most famous personality in the effort to end the Iraq War in America, announced yesterday that she is leaving the peace movement.

She cites extreme disillusionment with both American politicians and the peace movement in general, as well as personal exhaustion and strife, as her reasons for the departure.

What do you think of this decision and its reasoning?

What impact, if any, do you think her announcement will have on the peace movement?

What parts, if any, of her frustration do you relate to?

Tenth Tuesday Topic

Over 1,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since three US soldiers were kidnapped in Iraq.

During that time, the predominant focus of thousands of US troops has been to locate those three soldiers.

What does this say to you about the priorities and ethos behind the Iraq War?

Ninth Tuesday Topic

Well more foreign soldiers have now been killed in Iraq than were killed in the 9/11 attacks.

While there are obvious distinctions in the manner of death and status of the dead (civilian vs. military), the fact remains that each dead person leaves a gaping and torturous hole in the world of the people they leave behind.

Could you imagine politicians leveling the same rhetoric against the Iraq War that was leveled against 9/11?

Do you feel that those responsible for perpetrating the war have any sense of this responsibility they bear?

Eighth Tuesday Topic

Describe the political and governmental format for Iraq that you feel gives Iraq its best chance at long-term peace.

What do you see as potential pitfalls of other systems?

Seventh Tuesday Topic

The United States Congress passed a bill last week limiting war funding and calling for substantial withdrawal by next March.

President Bush is expected to veto. It is also expected that there are insufficient votes to override this veto, and this will lead to negotiations on a compromise bill.

Do you trust those who are against the war in the US Congress to stick to their policies and stand up for peace? If not, do you find any wholly political solutions likely or viable for the short-term in ending the Iraq War?

Sixth Tuesday Topic

My apologies for not posting this earlier. However, the point of the Tuesday Topic is to have a weekly topic for discussion, so please consider this on Wednesday:

It has recently been revealed that at least two highly publicized accounts of U.S. soldiers in the Iraq War were largely, if not wholly, falsified.

What does this say to you about the motives of those prosecuting the Iraq War?

How much faith do you have that any of the information we are getting about Iraq has validity?

Fifth Tuesday Topic

When asked about the anti-war movement during Vietnam and at the time, during 2003, Kurt Vonnegut (who passed away last week) said the following:

"When it became obvious what a dumb and cruel and spiritually and financially and militarily ruinous mistake our war in Vietnam was, every artist worth a damn in this country, every serious writer, painter, stand-up comedian, musician, actor and actress, you name it, came out against the thing. We formed what might be described as a laser beam of protest, with everybody aimed in the same direction, focused and intense. This weapon proved to have the power of a banana-cream pie three feet in diameter when dropped from a stepladder five-feet high.

And so it is with anti-war protests in the present day. Then as now, TV did not like anti-war protesters, nor any other sort of protesters, unless they rioted. Now, as then, on account of TV, the right of citizens to peaceably assemble, and petition their government for a redress of grievances, 'ain't worth a pitcher of warm spit,' as the saying goes."

What do you think of this quotation?

How do you think the modern anti-war movement can rise above the value of a pitcher of warm spit?

Fourth Tuesday Topic

Find and post a photo of the Iraq War.

What does this photo say to you about the war?

Do you think this photo could change others' minds about the war?

Topic suggested in part by Ian at doodlingintodespair.

Third Tuesday Topic

Try to imagine yourself as a lifelong Iraqi citizen.

What do you think would motivate you?

How do you think your life would change if foreign combatants left the country?

How do you think you would feel about the United States and other occupying countries?

Second Tuesday Topic

Have you convinced anyone else to change their opinion about the Iraq War?

If so, describe that experience and how you convinced them.

If not, imagine what would change your mind if you felt differently about the War.

First Tuesday Topic

Think back four years ago, to when you first heard that the Iraq War had started.

Were you for or against the war at the time?

If you were for it, what has changed your mind over the last four years?

If you were against it, why were you against it?

LAUNCH!

I am proud to announce the official launch of One Million Blogs for Peace!

Please check the website for newly updated content, including links to participating blogs and the first Tuesday Topic (which will be cross-posted here shortly).

Thank you to everyone who has signed up as an Inblogural. There are 217 Inblogurals, representing 28 countries. 180 of them represent 5 combatant countries (USA, UK, Australia, Romania, and Armenia). 37 represent 23 non-combatant countries.

As the fact that we have only a fraction of 1% of our 1,000,000-blog goal should indicate, most of our work is still ahead of us. Please continue to spread the word and get involved. Tuesday Topics will be a good way of keeping your content relevant to the movement every week. If you have any comments or suggestions about how to improve involvement, please let me know!

Two Weeks Till Launch!

Just two weeks to go until the official launch of One Million Blogs for Peace! That means you have less than 14 days to secure your position as an Inblogural.

That also puts us two weeks away from the first weekly Tuesday Topic, which will be a specific subject to blog about every Tuesday. This optional part of our project will help keep people focused on talking about the Iraq War and ways to end it.

Keep spreading the word! Don't let your friends miss out on being an Inblogural!

Tuesday Topics

In addition to membership and the challenges, there will be a number of activities associated with One Million Blogs for Peace. All of these will be optional aspects of participating in the overall project. They will be fun ways of adding new and interesting content to your blog posts, as well as keeping it working against the war.

Thus, I'd like to announce Tuesday Topics. The first day of the war's fifth year (March 20, 2007) is a Tuesday, and Tuesdays tend to be pretty dull days anyway. Every Tuesday, One Million Blogs for Peace will release a topic related to the war as a prompt for a blog post.

These topics will often have some sort of personal angle or slant to help make for an interesting personal and political post. At times, they may also be persuasive essay questions for particularly difficult questions about the war where we have a chance to change people's minds.

Stay tuned for Tuesday Topics, coming March 20th. And keep getting all your anti-war friends signed-up and involved!