Marcia Merry Baker

Feb. 4—The February 4 international Schiller Institute conference (online)—“the Age of Reason or the Annihilation of Humanity?”—opened with moderator Dennis Speed making brief remarks in which he noted that February 2nd was the 80th anniversary of Russia’s victory over Nazism at Stalingrad, which was the largest battle in world history. His introduction was followed by a video presentation of a 1997 speech by Lyndon LaRouche in which he presented the reasoning behind his proposal for a new doctrine to be jointly shared by the U.S. and Soviet Union for Mutually Assured Survival based on new physical principles, which was initially adopted by U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Because LaRouche’s proposal was rejected in 1983 by the Soviet leadership, and undermined by the Anglophile faction in the U.S., the danger of nuclear war persists, and as one speaker at the February 4th conference noted, is now at an all-time high. Numerous speakers reminded the viewers that the Doomsday Clock of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists now reads 90 seconds to midnight.

Jan. 28—The strategic watchword of international relations over the past ten days is not “tanks” for Ukraine, but “sovereignty” for all nations. There is no such thing as national sovereignty in the West’s vaunted “rules-based” order of “democracy.”

Jan. 13—The Schiller Institute online symposium set for Saturday, Jan. 14, on the occasion of the national U.S. holiday weekend honoring the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a critical intervention in a world with two fast-moving vectors: the Global NATO war drive threatening nuclear holocaust, and the counter to that, which is not simply “anti-war,” but is the drive for deliberate development in the interests of all humanity—the active concept of peace.

Jan. 7—As of the first week of the New Year, the escalation is dramatic for confrontation and militarization, not only in Ukraine, making general war all the more likely. It is no time to back down from sounding the alarm, and now time for organizing for the alternative: peace through development.

Dec. 15—The world remains in dangerous and escalating circumstances toward nuclear war. With the range of 2,000 nuclear warheads launch-ready on short notice in North America and Eurasia, the crazed hawk faction in Global NATO is attempting to impose a complete black-out of awareness of this reality, and of any voices sounding the alarm against it. But we can break out of the crisis.

Dec. 10—The war threat situation is worsening by the day. It is epitomized by the ceremony at Omaha, Nebraska on Dec. 9, for the changeover of command of the U.S. Strategic Command. Present were the outgoing commander Adm. Charles Richard; the new commander Gen. Anthony Cotton; and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. They each held forth, as would Dr. Strangelove, on aspects of the “tripolar” nuclear situation with the U.S., Russia and China, and that the U.S. has to “compete successfully.”

Dec. 4—In Washington, D.C. yesterday, a special Dona Nobis Pacem Vigil was held on the Ellipse in front of the tall National Christmas tree across from the White House, by Schiller Institute members and collaborators singing the universally known canon, presenting signs, and handing out a message that the name for peace is that there must be development. Although at midday, and lasting some two hours, the event reached hundreds of people, including visitors from around the world, and the import is international. The effect was not just from the beautiful music, the words of the prayer—“grant us peace”—nor just from the signs, which said, for example, “Bridges Not Bombs,” and “Peace through Development,” and “No Nuclear War.”

Nov. 21—COP27 concluded Nov. 20 as FLOP27. Formally, the release of its joint statement may have saved some pretense of continuation of the 30-year-long dirty operation (started at the UN Rio Earth Summit in 1992), but that’s all it is. The air is hissing out of the green balloon.

Nov. 12—The Schiller Institute held an international (online) symposium Nov. 12, titled, “The Physical Economy of the noösphere: Reviving the Heritage of Vladimir Vernadsky.” It was dedicated to reviving the name, method and mission of the great Russian-Ukrainian scientist Vladimir Vernadsky (1863-1945). The purpose, as the invitation stated, was to support scientists and inspire citizens, especially young people, the world over, to confer, “to improve the condition of mankind—to develop the noösphere.” The exciting seven-hour, two panel event featured presentations by 13 scientists, engineers and policymakers, with live discussion, including questions from the world audience. The speakers represented six nations—the U.S., Russia, Italy, Germany, South Africa and Egypt—with viewership numbering in the hundreds live, and fast on the way to multiple thousands since.

Nov. 11—Schiller Institute founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche today issued a clarion call for leading nations of the Non-Aligned Movement to step forward to head off the danger of thermonuclear war which threatens to annihilate humanity today. The Non-Aligned Movement is probably the most important force on the planet to overcome geopolitics at this time, and it is by stopping geopolitics that we will avoid World War III, she told an international conference in Indonesia on the Non-Aligned Movement’s role in past and future history.