Government
Humanitarian crisis in Yemen
Over a million reported cases of cholera were reported between the fall of 2016 and the spring of 2018. Resumed bombing by the Saudis this past week has made a new outbreak of cholera more certain with the continued targeting of water supplies and hospitals and the coming of summer.
Senator Whitehouse’s “humanitarian concern”
In the months since Whitehouse’s expression of humanitarian concern, hospitals continue to be bombed and the Yemeni health system has been crippled.
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Hopefully, those committee meetings that Senator Whitehouse feels are necessary are occurring and are fruitful. Meanwhile, a recently published Matt Taibbi article in Rolling Stone quotes a Yemeni doctor standing amidst the rubble of his hospital as saying, “The missiles that kill us, American-made. The planes that kill us, American-made. The tanks … American-made. You are saying to me, where is America? America is the whole thing.”
It should be noted that the weapons sales that have led directly to this situation, and our increasing military budget, do have other results as well. They are factors in the continued rise in stock prices by our country’s military contractor corporations. This benefits the portfolios of many members of Congress, including Rhode Island’s federal officials.
Enabling Trump’s power to wage war
It should also be noted that Congressman James Langevin (Democrat, Rhode Island) continues to not support Congresswoman Barbara Lee (Democrat, California) as she has sought debate again and again in the House on these endless, unaccountable wars. And he now has voted again to increase our country’s military budget. His good friends at Northrop Grumman are pleased. Representative Lee’s most recent letter to Speaker Paul Ryan (Republican, Wisconsin) in February of this year had 106 signors, including ten Republicans. Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline (Democrat, Rhode Island) signed. Congressman Langevin did not.
Do all new jobs and all spending has to be tied to war?
This event is an effort to build public awareness of these issues and increase public support of a more peaceful, less militaristic country and world. The intent is not to directly engage our officials or their staff at these events.