Claim OwnershipVeterans for Peace Radio Hour
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Veterans for Peace is an international organization of Military Veterans and allies whose collective efforts are to build a culture of peace by using our experiences and lifting our voices for the causes of peace, humanity, equality, and justice. Our network is comprised of over 140 chapters worldwide. Our radio show is on stations across the country.
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Matt Hoh, Senior Fellow at the Eisenhower Media Network, VFP Advisory Board Member, author, and activist rejoins the show to talk about so much. From Gaza to Ukraine, from Nato to Venezuela, from China to the US, from ICE, to militarism, to troops on the street of the US, Matt weighs in on the status and challenges of today's world especially in these days of Trump.
No Kings is just the tip of what Veterans for Peace is doing. Today we hear powerful voices, including VFP Executive Director Michael McPhearson on the indepth meaning of Peace at Home and Peace Abroad. We hear Jon Spitzberg, 87 year old VFP activist, on getting arrested, AGAIN. We hear voices from No Kings rally, including Santa, Unicorns, and Dinosaurs. We hear a clip from young Veteran and Podcaster Greg Stoker. We finish with a song from Tom Morello.
This is a powerful show with Marie Purcell, Veteran, Conscientious Objector, and now VFP Twin Cities Activist specializing in the new program starting within VFP to create rapid responses to national and international issues. Right now the work has concentrated on the genocide, the flotilla's and the recent ceasefire. She also reflects on the power and resilience of the Palestinian people and the example they give to all of us. She also points out that the oppression we see coming from Israel is also right here on our streets and the role VFP and ALLIES can take to resist.
Dr. Nizar Hallek joins the show. He is a Palestinian American, US CITIZEN, activist, and Doctor, who Harvey met while getting into good trouble disrupting Elbit Systems in Charleston, S.C.. Dr. Hallek covers discusses his efforts as a Palestinian to bring knowledge and understanding the people of the US that if you do not believe this is a genocide, then you must be a Holocaust denier. You can not believe in one and not the other.
Harvey and Jim are away and so this is a replay of a very timely show from one year ago. Joseph Gerson is Executive Director of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security joins us to explain that the Nobel Peace prize this year is a desperate plea to the world to stop its insane rush toward nuclear confrontation. The award was given to Nihon Hidankyo, the grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as Hibakusha. Joseph explains and identifies what he considers the greatest nuclear threat. We also share a clip about real journalism from real journalists, Ryan Grimm and Jeremy Scahill. We finish with Randy Newman dropping the big one.
NO MAS, in other words No Military Air Shows. VFP members and activists Jim Rine and Gary Butterfield join us to discuss their upcoming tours to educate the public about the link between militarism and our climate catastrophe by focusing on military air shows. Jim and Gary are VFP members and activists within the Climate Crisis and Militarism Project. They have outlined airshows throughout the country and plan on doing three tours of those air shows with an RV filled with Climate and Militarism information. Why air shows? This is where they can get the most people to educate about the military's huge impact on the climate. FIND OUT IF THEIR TOUR IS COMING TO YOUR TOWN AND HOW YOU CAN HELP, EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT ON THE TOUR. Time to get back on the road again.
Today, we are joined by two dynamic activists who are walking the walk and can give us inspiration to take our own path to make a difference. Hani Nofal resigned his commission in the Navy because of our complicity in genocide. He now works for Rebuilding Alliance (rebuildingalliance.org) working to provide aid and support for the people of Palestine and more. He has been interviewed on the national media and is a desired speaker at national rallies. We also have Katerina, who just happens to be his wife and is also active doing lactation consultation with the moms in Gaza, and yes, that is possible despite the trauma they are going through. She herself is a Mom of two babies, and she shares the stories and the strength of Gaza Moms trying to survive and care for their babies.
Harvey is back from assignment with a full report from the powerful People's Conference for Palestine. Harvey describes his participation, and we include clips from Mahmoud Khalil and Chris Smalls. The theme of the conference was that Palestine is our compass, our guide, our wayshower to humanity and peace. We finish with a song about Palestine by Billy Bragg.
Veterans for Peace member and President of the Rachel Corrie Chapter was kidnapped by ICE during a citizenship interview. He has lived in the US legally for 25 years and is an Army Veteran suffering from a service injury, which keeps him in a wheelchair. He has been striving to gain his citizenship and was within an interview of getting it when ICE took him. He, of course, is one of thousands, but he is also a part of the VFP family and needs your support: https://www.veteransforpeace.org/pressroom/news/2025/08/25/ice-kidnaps-disabled-army-veteran . We also share a clip from Brian Becker of The Socialist Program as he interviews Dr. Richard Wolff about the Trump/Gop War on immigrants. We finish with Dave Rovics' new song about Zahid.
Bill Astore retired lieutenant colonel (USAF), author, professor of history, TomDispatch regular, and a senior fellow at the Eisenhower Media Network with a sub stack called Bracing Views, joins us to discuss his latest article, "An Ailing, Flailing, Failing Empire Lashes Out, America the FUBAR." We discuss if the idea of the rule of law in the US is on the same footing as the tooth fairy? Do we need to practice some dark humor to spread the word? What will get people off the couch?
It is so frustrating, there are so many issues, which one should I focus on: war, immigration, genocide, climate, racial justice, worker's rights, or something else? Mike Ferner who is just recovered from the VFP FAST joins us to discuss a movement that just might relieve your frustration and address all the issues at once. All of the issues we face today have one thing in common and that is corporate backing. From immigration to genocide, from proxy war against Russia to war against workers, from climate to health care, we can track it all back to corporations and capitalism. Mike shows how corporations have been in charge of our country for the most part of over 100 years and with the help of the supreme court (purposely not capitalized) their power is greater than ever. That is why Mike and over 300,000 members of MovetoAmend are working hard to educate the public in order to take away corporate power.
Yes, on top of everything else. This is really hard to deal with as we face endless war, threat of nuclear confrontation, fascism, Christian nationalism, racism, and more; we still have to pay attention to the climate. Tom Grose, our resident climate guru in Nashville, talks about the end of EPA responsibility. Then we go back to the VFP convention and the presentations by Shirine Jurdi speaking from Lebanon, that the Israelis are not just killing Palestinians but all of us. Then we turn to climate activist Charlotte Dennett on the oil off Gaza. Finally, Mike Prysner of Empire Files really hits us with the linkage of the climate catastrophe and militarism.
Today, we talk to two activists who are working hard to eliminate Elbit Weapons Systems, an Israeli company, from their community in Charleston, SC. Elbit has been producing cannons for the Israeli military to participate in the continued genocide in Gaza. These two activists are part of a coalition of groups that are picketing the facility, addressing their local Council, and asking their community if this is how they want their tax dollars spent. Why is Elbit, an Israeli genocidal company, in South Carolina and ten other facilities across the country, here in the US, with our government's endorsement and support? These two answer the question and then ask what you can do to stop them.
Ellen Thomas, Mike Ferner, and Anthony Donovan join us to show just how important and impactful volunteers with VFP are to peace and justice in this world. Ellen shares her decades-long experience fighting against nuclear weapons and what we can do today to help move HR 1888 through Congress. Mike discusses the ending of the forty day VFP fast and the Good Trouble the fasters got into. Mike also shares what we must do to relieve ourselves of corporate domination. Anthony was going to visit Iran, but the US and Israel derailed that trip, so Anthony supported the fast and still fills us in on Iran as they await the next aggressive US/Israeli actions. We finish with the Kronos Quartet and their dynamic cover of Bob Dylan's Hard Rain Gonna Fall.
Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones invited MINNESOTA Congress-Lady Ilhan Omar to Tennessee's 5th district to hold a townhall, because the 5th district's actual representative Andy Ogles wouldn't. However, Veterans for Peace Radio was there and will share some of the discussion of issues that Andy is not willing to discuss. It was raucous! Then the Trump administration has sanctioned UN Special Rapporteur. We will share clips of her continuing revelations of the US complicity with genocide with its support of Israel despite these sanctions.
Harvey and Jim share clips from important people on the national and international scene that you will never hear on the mainstream media. We start with an update and audio from the protests that ended the VFP-40 day fast to demand an end to genocide. We hear from co-organizer Phil Tottenham and Joy Metzger. We then turn to voices who are educating us on the issues of the day and thus pleading with us to take action. They also provide an opportunity to dream of better days. The voices include Clare Daly, Francesca Albanese, Zehra Imam, and Yanis Varoufakis.
1After Tom Grose of Veterans for Peace updates on the ICE attacks in the Nashville area, John Steinbach of Veterans for Peace and Co-Founder of the Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Committee of the National Capital Area joins us to discuss Iran's nuclear program and takes a deep dive into the history of Israel's nuclear program. Tom shares heartbreaking stories of intimidation and what might be a good way to address it. John talks about the Israeli nuclear weapons program not to deter but to threaten their neighbors and the US. John also talks about what we need to do to address this danger.
First, we get quick updates on Kilmar Abrego Garcia and his imprisonment and hearing in Nashville and the protests in front of the Federal Courthouse from Craig Bardo of Veterans for Peace and Pan Walker of United Volunteers of Tennessee. Then we turn to KJ Noh and his discussion on the war the US has always wanted. Yes, if you think this is Bibi's war, think again. Also, he shows how this aggression against Iran is actually part of the neocon plan for war with China to maintain US hegemony. So, stand by this one is rough.
Poet, Scholar, Teacher, Author, Activist, Vietnam (Purple Heart) Veteran joins us to share several poems and stories from his own collection and from a Gazan Poet. He also shares the story of a young woman he wrote about in his article for Peace and Planet News called "A Part of You Will Die with Us." He also reflects on Memorial Day, especially in light
Mike Ferner, past Executive Director of Veterans for Peace, joins the show as co-organizer of a 40-day fast to call our attention to the continual and escalating (if that is possible) atrocities perpetrated by Israel with our complicity in Gaza. After hearing clips from Gabor Mate and Ray McGovern on why we need to do more, Mike describes how VFP, allied groups, and almost 700 people registered for the fast are doing more. Despite health challenges and aging challenges, Mike is out there in front of the UN, in front of the US Mission to the UN, with co-organizer Phil Tottenham and other members and allies making a difference. What are you going to do to stop genocide?
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this is an important show it gives us a start and changing the malignant culture in today's USA