Author Archives: Ed Fallon

How I made the nightmares stop

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I want to focus on a topic not covered in this week’s program: the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Every year since the late 1970s, a coalition of Iowa peace groups has commemorated the bombings with song, speeches, and ringing the Japanese Bell of Peace and Friendship at the Iowa State Capitol.

That bronze bell weighs 2,000 pounds and was gifted to Iowa in 1962 by our sister state, Yamanashi Prefecture, in response to Iowans providing humanitarian aid following two devastating typhoons.

Every year, the commemoration reminds us of the horror of nuclear war. That horror has haunted me for over sixty years. In 2018, I wrote about it in my memoir, Marcher, Walker, Pilgrim:

War terrified me from an early age. I first learned about Vietnam when I was six. I’d lie in bed paralyzed by fear at the roar of jet engines being tested at General Electric two miles away. I thought the Vietnamese were coming to kill us.

Mom tried to reassure me that there was nothing to worry about. The noise came from the factory where she and my dad used to work, where they’d met in fact. It was a good place, nothing to be scared of.

She made no mention of the napalm being dropped that night on sleeping Vietnamese children by planes powered by those very engines. Like most Americans in the early 1960s, Mom dutifully swallowed the anti-communist propaganda, ignoring the occasional images of truth and horror that slipped through the pro-war ideologues’ shield of deceit.

For many years, I had nuclear nightmares. In one recurring dream, I would stand in a city devastated by a nuclear attack, handing out water and food to scarred and burned victims.

The nightmares ended when I became a peace activist, at first in Ireland in 1984, then with deeper commitment in Iowa in 1985. By 1986, I was full-time engaged with peace work — coordinating the Iowa stretch of the Great Peace March and later founding Des Moines Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Continue Reading →

India’s inspiring “cockroach” movement

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Last week, a story in Waging Nonviolence about India’s “cockroach” movement gave me hope that American democracy is not yet lost.

On May 15, the Chief Justice of India’s Supreme Court compared young activists to “cockroaches” and “parasites.” The next day, a student responded on X, “What if the cockroaches marched?”

So march they did. Protests of over 50,000 people! Social media platforms totaling 25 million followers! It launched a movement called the “Cockroach Junta Party.” Activists have done a heckuva job combining humor with astute political messaging, along with a list of specific demands.

The nationwide protests have shaken the authoritarian government of Narendra Modi. Already, one key government official has resigned.

From the Waging Nonviolence story: Over 100 protesters have since been arrested, despite assurances from the government that demonstrators would not be punished. 

When Delhi last saw a mass youth mobilization in 2020, the state answered by naming the organizers in a conspiracy chargesheet: Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam have now been held for more than five years under India’s 1967 anti-terror law and were refused bail again on July 4, 16 days before the cockroaches marched on Parliament.

This sounds eerily familiar. Like Modi, President Trump demonizes his perceived enemies, calling us “scum” and “vermin.” Continue Reading →

More on the importance of cash

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Dave Ramsey. Ever heard of him? Big name when it comes to managing finances. Huge radio presence. Ramsey’s worth $55 million. He’s a Trump supporter — though not a blind follower. He once dubbed the so-called Trump Accounts a “political stunt.”

I’m lukewarm on Ramsey, at best. But I appreciate that he tells people NOT to use credit cards and that he staunchly defends cash.

And for sure, this is a good time for the defenders of cash to speak up. The use of cash has dropped to 14% of all transactions — something big banks, big tech, and many bought-off politicians in Washington, D.C., have been pushing and are drooling to further capitalize on.

If you’re a fan of giving the mega rich more wealth and power, you’ll love a cashless society, which, as Ramsey points out, would be “fully digital, fully traceable, fully controlled.”

A cashless society would also put more money into the hands of those who already have too much. Continue Reading →

Rush Limbaugh’s successor asked the right questions about Trump’s election speech

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I listen to right-wing radio so you don’t have to. My “favorites” are Clay Travis and Buck Sexton — the two MAGA bros that took Rush Limbaugh’s place five years ago. They’re on 550 iHeart Media stations and boast an audience of 6.7 million per month!

I tune in several times a week, and rarely do I like what I hear. So, I was shocked last week when Buck Sexton said this about Trump’s July 16 claim that China paid US journalists to write negative things about him (at the 4:05 mark of this clip):

“Ok. Who? I want to know who. If you’re telling me there are journalists who received money in order to write negative stories … if you have this information, let’s know this information.”

Sexton is asking a question no one in Trump’s inner circle wants anyone to ask — especially a prominent ally of the administration.

Because it’s a lie. Trump didn’t name a single US journalist paid by China. Why? Because there are none. Zero. Continue Reading →

We have 90 days to save democracy!

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Most days I go through life acting like a normal person. (Ok, friends and family, cut me some slack. Consider the broadest application of what it means to be “normal.”)

But there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t feel like climbing the tallest building and shouting, “Wake up! They’re coming to steal the election!”

I pay close attention to what’s happening in the world. My daily news-review routine takes about two hours. I assure you in the strongest possible voice that President Trump and his cronies are absolutely preparing to steal the fall election.

Should you panic? Yes. For a minute or two. Then take action.

We can stop the steal if Democratic candidates (and in some districts, Republicans who haven’t chugged the Trump cool-aid) win by unassailable margins.

That means each of us needs to pick a congressional candidate and/or a US Senate candidate who we can devote a lot of time to helping. And we need to do that NOW, since Election Day is only 110 days away. In Iowa, early voting starts on October 14 — a mere 90 days! Continue Reading →

A candid talk with a Libertarian candidate for Congress

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Rick Stewart is an interesting, thoughtful guy. He’s a successful businessman, having founded Frontier Co-op (originally New Frontier Herbs). What started as a two-person operation in 1976 in a cabin along the Cedar River now boasts annual net sales of $235.9 million.

In addition to being a successful small businessman, Rick is a less-successful frequent candidate for public office. How frequent? His current campaign for Congress will be his sixth shot at pubic office.

Well, maybe calling Rick’s campaigns unsuccessful is unfair. If you define electoral success as winning, as I do, then yeah, I’m right. Continue Reading →

Strawberry fields forever, and everywhere

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Now let’s talk about strawberries!

Several years ago, Des Moines planted a whole lot of strawberries at three public locations. As word has gotten out, more and more Demoiniacs are picking literally tons of free fruit each spring.

The strawberry patches are so popular that, if Des Moines is serious about increasing local food security, more plantings are needed. Yet there’s been resistance from some City officials, often citing “budget constraints.”

Budget constraints? Really? It takes 10,000 strawberry plants to cover between 0.6 and 1 acre of land. The cost of those plants is $2,500-$3,000.

In a budget of nearly $900 million, don’t tell me Des Moines can’t find a few grand for strawberries.

I spoke at the Des Moines city council meeting this week, making the case to plant more strawberries. Check out my three-minute spiel here. Continue Reading →

Iowa Republicans nominate a Kansan for governor

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This week’s topics are:

1.Iowa Republicans nominate a Kansan for governor
2. Resistance to data centers is growing, and bipartisan
3. Big Oil is running the country and the planet
4. A brief history of eggplant, with Kathy Byrnes

Thanks for reading, listening, and taking action. And if you’re an Iowa resident, remember to support the businesses and nonprofits who help underwrite this platform. Continue Reading →