Dear Progressive Reader,

A short humanitarian ceasefire began on Friday, creating an occasion for the release of some hostages by Hamas and of some prisoners by Israel—but also for the ceasing of the relentless bombing that has gone on for more than six weeks in the densely populated urban areas of Gaza. With an opportunity for the delivery of aid and badly needed fuel for hospital generators, everyday civilians are experiencing a small respite. But it is clearly not enough, with more than 14,000 people killed, and countless more injured and displaced, since the initial Hamas surprise attack on October 7.

About three thousand years ago, in Psalm 68, David calls upon God to “Scatter those nations that love war.,” and some 1500 years after that, in the Qur’an comes the verse, “If the enemy is inclined towards peace, make peace with them.” Yet here, in the twenty-first century, with all of our tools of communication, and all of the various international bodies that we have created to negotiate conflict, the world today is engaged in two huge armed conflicts and many others of varying scope and scale, costing billions of dollars and resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths.

A report released in June 2023 by the Institute for Economics and Peace cited an increase of 96 percent in deaths related to conflict during the year 2022—and, in reporting on these figures, The Washington Post ominously concluded with the words, “[in 2023,] global conflict deaths could still rise further yet.” As Pope Francis intoned on October 18 in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, “War does not solve any problems, it only sows death and destruction. It increases hatred, multiplies revenge. War erases the future.” We must end the use of war and violence as a means to resolve conflict. May this be our Thanksgiving weekend hope in 2023.

This week on our website, Ruth Conniff talks about reasons that Wisconsin residents are hoping to celebrate a state supreme court case on voting maps; Bill Blum takes on the new toothless ethics code at the U.S. Supreme Court; Cheyenne Garcia asks, during National Homelessness Awareness Month, how should we define homelessness?; and Jacob Goodwin does the math on the costs of being a teacher. “Economic justice for educators means providing financial support to the schools that serve all students,” he writes. “Raises for public school educators must reflect our professional status and our contributions to community life.”

Plus Tim Brinkhof reviews the new film Napoleon and the “great man theory” of history; Eleanor J. Bader examines the lessons of the “long Attica revolt’ and their legacy for prison abolition movements today; and Tiera Tanksley reports on how artificial intelligence (AI) threatens educational equity. Also, Jeff Abbott brings an update on the threats to democracy in Guatemala; and Kathy Kelly looks back on the use of tunnels in war, and the differences between tunnels used for defense and those for offense. “Living as we do in a world where countries like the United States maintain a permanent warfare state,” she says, “we must reckon with the horrific cost of war—and the obscene profits.”

Please keep reading, and we will keep bringing you important articles on these and other issues of our time.

Sincerely,

Norman Stockwell
Publisher

P.S. - This coming Tuesday is “Giving Tuesday”—Please consider making a donation to support the work of The Progressive this holiday season by visiting: https://progressive.org/PGIVTU23

P.P.S. – If you like this weekly newsletter, please consider forwarding it to a friend. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to this free weekly email, please share this link: http://tiny.cc/ProgressiveNewsletter.

P.P.P.S. – If you don’t already subscribe to The Progressive in print or digital form, please consider doing so today. Also, if you have a friend or relative who you feel should hear from the many voices for progressive change within our pages, please consider giving a gift subscription.

P.P.P.P.S. – Thank you so much to everyone who has already donated to support The Progressive! We need you now more than ever. If you have not done so already, please take a moment to support hard-hitting, independent reporting on issues that matter to you. Your donation today will keep us on solid ground and will help us continue to grow in the coming years. You can use the wallet envelope in the current issue of the magazine, or click on the “Donate” button below to join your fellow progressives in sustaining The Progressive as a voice for peace, social justice, and the common good.