MARYLAND UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE, INC. NEWSLETTER

Summer 2002           Volume 12           Number 3

 

 

Note: All opinions expressed in this publication are those solely of their authors and do not necessarily reflect those of MUPJ and/or its members.  Many thanks to Carol Solomon, Ron Solomon, and Paulette Hammond for helping with this issue.

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Coordinating Body

Minutes of Meeting:  Saturday, June 15 at Phil and Mary Chenoweths, LeisureWorld, Silver Spring

  Present: Bert Donn, Tony Langbehn, Carol Solomon, Mark Cimino, Mary Chenoweth, Phil Chenoweth, Ron Solomon, Ruth Bronstein, Paulette Hammond

  Minutes of the previous meeting, 3-15-02 were reviewed and approved as presented, with the following corrections: Move the Mutual Fund Report to the IPA report. We did sign the Air Pollution from Power Plants petition; Tony sent it to Sierra Club.

  Financial Reports

  MUPJ, Inc.: Ron reported that we have $3722 in our account.

  Institute for Positive Action: Carol reported that we have $1079.34 in our account.  She promises to do the finances for the 2001 and 2002 Peace Conferences for the next meeting.  No report on the Mutual Funds.

  Guest Speaker Mark Cimino, reported on the genesis and activities of DAWN (DC Anti-War Network), the Independent Media Center www.dc.indymedia.org

and the DC Social Forum wdc-sf@yahoogroups.com.  They are working on the capability of Internet visitors adding articles, photos, and audio right to the website: www.dc.socialforum.org. The Coordinating Body endorsed the objectives of their MULTI-ORGANIZER PLAN:

1.     Central location for announcements and calendar events

2.     Events scheduling and “booking”

3.     Outreach—Directory of Social Action

4.     Coordinated major event planning: “Timed alliances”

We agreed to send $50 to the DC Social Forum.

  Committee Reports

    Peace Essay: Tony volunteered to co-chair this for 2003.  Ruth was very grateful!

    Peace Conference: We will send $75 to the Church of the Holy Comforter for the use of their facilities. Ruth will talk to Leslie Salgado about a date for next year, hoping that Howard County Friends of Latin America can co-sponsor it with us.

    Membership: Ron will generate a new list after Tony sends back his corrections

 Caucus Reports

   Prince George’s County: Bert reported that they recently put on a workshop called  “Seeking Peace with Palestinians and Israelis” with Peace Now.  They are now working on a fall conference, entitled “One Community.”  Several southern Maryland counties are coming together to organize this conference: Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s.

  MoCo County: Mary reported that they are trying to decide if there is enough energy to continue Seniors for World Security.

  Baltimore Area: We agreed to give the Baltimore League of Environmental Voters our mailing list for the gubernatorial elections in November.  The Baltimore Coalition to End War and Terrorism (BCEWT) will present a talk on June 25^th by Eric Gutafson on Iraq, the US and the War on Terrorism.

 Unfinished Business

  Legislative Issues: Tony said phone calls to the Congressional delegation were needed to support the Military Toxics Bill, making the military  non-exempt from environmental laws.

 New Business

  ENRON Unity letter sign-on: We endorsed this letter being circulated by Global Exchange.

  Endorsement of Health Care for All resolution: We did this.

  SHARE Conference Sign-on: We did this and agreed to donate $50. 

  Fair Trade Coffee letter sign-on: We agreed to sign on to this.

  International ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) donation: We agreed to endorse and donate $50.  Carol will let Chuck know.

 Announcements

  We agreed to give the UN NGO Executive Committee DPI (Dept. of Public Information) $25 for outreach. 

 Next meeting:  Saturday, September 21, 2002

  Time: 10 am to 1 pm
  Place: The Solomons, 8111 McDonogh Road

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Seventeenh Annual Maryland Peace and Justice Conference Highlights

  Entitled 9-11, Causes and Effects, the 17th Annual Maryland Peace and Justice Conference brought together over 70 individuals dedicated to promoting peace, justice, the environment, and tolerance to our communities, state and the world.

  The terrifying events of September 11, 2001 brought home to us the consequences of the USA’s actions during the last half of the 20^th Century. This conference addressed some of the reasons for these attacks and some of the resulting actions by our government. In addition, we created some thoughtful avenues for peaceful and constructive reactions to both the causes and effects of 9-11. 

  On

Friday, May 3, we held a  Potluck Dinner at the church, with both  new and old faces among us.  The conversation was spirited, and everyone left feeling well fed (a recurring theme in all of our conferences!)

  On Saturday, May 4, after registration we were welcomed to the conference in the beautiful sanctuary of the Church of the Holy Comforter.

  Jerry and Sis Levin, Christian Peacemaker Teams, gave  very moving and impassioned keynote addresses. (Jerry’s letter appears later in this newsletter.) Afterwards, the  audience participated in a question and answer session.

  Then the group broke up to hold four networking sessions centered on Peace, Justice (Human Rights), the Environment, and Youth in Peace Work. Visions, issues, activities and ideas were expressed, which were shared during the subsequent Plenary Session.

At 12 noon we gathered to partake of a wonderful vegetarian LUNCH created by One World Café.

Next, the 8^th Annual Fred Benjamin High School Peace Awards Ceremony took place.  The winning essay can be found later in this newsletter, as well as the names of all the winners.

Following this ceremony WORKSHOPS on various issues were presented:

 Sis Levin on Peace Education, expanding her keynote speech.

  Dan Meyer, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), on Military Environmental Issues.

  Peter  Grimes, Coalition Against Global Exploitation (CAGE) on the Connection Between Globalization & Terrorism.

  Jean Martensen, Global Peace Services, Healing Workshops on  “Keeping the Peace in a Permanent War Society”:

  Chuck Michaels, Pax Christi, on the USA Patriot Act: What Has Congress Wrought?

  After a brief closing in which people described their impressions of the day (lunch was a favorite!), the MUPJ Annual Meeting was held. 

  By acclamation, the officers continue to be:

Co-convenors: Tony Langbehn and Paulette Hammond

Secretary:  vacant

Treasurer: Chuck Frascati

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WINNERS OF THE 2002 FRED BENJAMIN PEACE AWARDS

1st place:

Emily Hunt (essay)

Ellie LeBlond (poster)

  both from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart (Michele Gordon, teacher sponsor)

Molly Kristin Little (poster)

  from Broadneck High School (Michelle Frost, teacher sponsor)

Honorable Mention:

Blake Bradley (poster) (Ss. Peter      & Paul High School, Bob Krasnansky, teacher sponsor)

  and the following, all from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart (Michele Gordon, teacher sponsor)

Diane Chan (essay)

Katherine Gorman (essay)

Lindsay Rogers (essay)

Doris Romero (poster)

Elizabeth Sperle (poster)

  Congratulations to all these fine young people!  And many thanks to our volunteer judges;  Ted Klitzke, Linda Shevitz, Sister Carol Gilbert.  They had a very tough time with so many quality and creative entries submitted in a variety of media.

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Following is the essay of the first place winner of the 2002 Fred Benjamin Peace Awards:

 

Tolerance Essay

   By: Emily Hunt

  The tragic events of September 11th have devastated the lives of many Americans as well as those in other countries. Innocent people were killed and families have been destroyed as a result of terrorists who are angered by the American culture and society. However, they have not killed or destroyed our spirits. Now, more than ever, Americans are determined to accept and learn about other religious, cultural, and racial differences, especially in the Arab world. We, as American citizens, have to realize that it is not enough just to have an understanding of American culture, rather it is imperative that we have a global awareness. Our lives may depend upon it.

  Throughout the Muslim world, the United States is perceived as "arrogant, ruthless, aggressive, and biased (New York Times)." To promote peace and tolerance Americans have to change these perceptions. There are many ways in which students and their high schools can play a role. Most importantly, students should learn about tolerance of other religious, cultural, and racial differences through their school and extra-curricular activities.

  After the events of September 11th, one Arab student stated that "like for everyone else, 9-11 changed everything for Arab students. It hit most of us in two ways: as an American, and as a person of Arab descent (www.tolerance.org)." Although the terrorist attacks caused American citizens to become more patriotic and united, unfortunately, many people of Muslim descent have been targets of violence. Frequently, they are seen as connected to the Arab terrorists as a result of their ethnic and religious background. Americans have to put a stop to the violence and suspicion aimed at Muslim citizens because they too are experiencing the same fear and sadness. It is unjust to associate all Muslims with terrorist attacks. We have to realize that the events of September 11th have affected the world, and we all have to not only accept, but learn about each other’s differences so that we may prevent other terrorist attacks.

  Other targets of discrimination in the United States include Jews and African Americans. Jews were unjustly persecuted during World War II under Hitler because there was a lot of anti-Semitism during that period, and, sadly, there still is today. Many believed that the Jewish population was inferior and untrustworthy, which resulted in discrimination and prejudice. People thought them responsible for Capitalism and Socialism, for Modernism in art, for pornography, and for the anti-nationalism of the press (The American Experience). Because of these views, Jews were sent to concentration camps where they lived in horrible conditions. Millions of Jews, including women and children, were shot or put to death in gas chambers. In America today, Jews are not persecuted because of their religion; however, there still are many that are strongly anti-Semitic. We have never had a Jewish president, nor are there many Jews in the public eye as elected officials. Some organizations and country clubs do not even allow Jews as members.

  African Americans have also been discriminated throughout American history because of their color. United States citizens enslaved African Americans and treated them with cruel abuse. Countless numbers died as a result of harsh conditions and brutal treatment. They were, like Jews, considered inferior, and were thought of as savage beasts whose only purpose was to be enslaved. African Americans have never stopped fighting for freedom and equality. They succeeded in becoming freed men and women after the Civil War; however, today, they still struggle for full equality. Like Jews, there has never been an African president and many are still discriminated from jobs because of their color. Our justice system is unfairly directed towards African Americans. It has been proven that a black person who committed a crime against a white person is more likely to either go to jail or wind up on death row than a white person who committed a crime against a black person.

  As high school students, we have to promote peace and tolerance towards all people. We can make a difference. Many times, intolerance is a result of ignorance. Therefore, high school students have to educate themselves to become more aware and accepting of the differences in our world. Within the school, students can do many things to encourage tolerance. Students should hold conferences and meetings to openly discuss distinct cultures, religions, and races with representatives of those groups. High school teenagers can therefore interact with one another to dispel misunderstanding, myths, and stereotypes of the various represented groups. Through student councils students can encourage activities or subjects that affect the curriculum. For example, students can promote a more expanded theology course of study to include world religions and cultures. For the expansion of the curriculum to be successful, the teachers themselves have to represent these groups so students can be taught by those who have a direct and personal knowledge of diversity. Another way to expand tolerance is to have a diverse student profile. That way teenagers are exposed to diversity through direct interaction. Students can tackle intolerance and discrimination by reaching out to people with different beliefs, customs, and ethnic backgrounds by ensuring a safe environment for diversity. For example, students can take the courageous step by simply identifying and reporting hate or harassment that is directed toward individuals or groups. The school can host a project in which students write to Congress and various public

institutions to encourage legislation that promotes equality and tolerance. This fosters, at a young age, social activism. The schools also can encourage teachers to assign academic projects, such as this one, to explore ways in which adolescents can break down the barriers of discrimination.

  Students can also advocate peace and tolerance through extra-curricular activities supported by the school. They can go on a field trip to a Muslim mosque or a Jewish synagogue. This would allow teenagers to experience different religions, beliefs, and customs first hand. Another extra-curricular activity students could participate in is clubs that promote awareness of diversity, such as Amnesty International. After-school clubs would encourage students to openly discuss their opinions on ways to foster tolerance. It would also give students of diversity a chance to educate others about their beliefs, customs, and traditions. Clubs would result in a more aware and accepting student body. Students could also participate in after-school volunteerism with various minority or "disaffected" groups. In this way adolescents would gain greater wisdom and understanding of the circumstances and perspectives of other people. That in itself is the basis for tolerance.

  Students can promote global tolerance. Teenagers can become involved in worldwide exchange programs through their schools to learn about the diversity in our world and how to promote tolerance. By either hosting a foreign exchange student or becoming one in an area that has generally been misperceived and the target of discrimination will result in direct experience and stronger ties. The school can also host fundraisers sponsored by the students. They could raise money, for example, to aid in the rebuilding of homes in Afghanistan, or for food supplies for the civilians. This would strengthen our ties with various countries by showing that we reach out to others in need and our potential goodwill.

  We, as adolescents, are the future generation of the United States. Fostering tolerance is not just a "nice idea"; rather the survival of future generations depends upon it. To become more aware and accepting of global diversity would enable our

country to become more peaceful, tolerant, and just. If teenagers take on the responsibility of being activists, advocating the tolerance and acceptance of different religions, races, and cultures, our children will be more tolerant and accepting of diversity. We can set the stage for our children and future generations to make the country more harmonious and safe. Acceptance is a major yet simple way to promote tolerance: "We share a world. For all our differences, we share one world. To be tolerant is to welcome the differences and delight in the sharing (www.tolerance.org)."

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The following is from Jerry Levin, one of the keynote speakers at our conference:

 

Jerry Levin

2455-E Arlington Crescent

Birmingham, AL 35205

Phone/Fax: 205 933-8007

 

Dear Paulette:

  As you know, Sis and I are about to become more directly connected with our long time Christian, Muslim, and Jewish friends and colleagues in Palestine and Israel. Specifically we are answering calls to apply our convictions, training, skills, and experience with nonviolence from 1) CPT (Christian Peacemaker Teams), which has been saving lives in the West Bank since 1995, and 2) Rev. Elias Chacour founder/President of internationally known Prophet Elias Educational Institutions in the Arab village of Ibillin in Israel's northern Galilee.

  To be able to financially sustain our efforts, we will be very grateful for whatever support you see fit to provide. And naturally we would appreciate your sharing this request with others you think might be willing to help too.  We will be on our way June 6th.

  We are making this move because of our personal encounter with violence back in 1984. As you may remember, back then I was CNN's Middle East Bureau Chief, based in Lebanon, until I was kidnapped and suddenly became a story too. Eleven and a half months after I was taken hostage, Sis's nonviolent efforts to engineer my escape succeeded.

  Ever since that tense time we have been trying to call attention to the futility of violence and the efficacy of nonviolence in our writings, talks, workshops, retreats, and direct nonviolent interventions. We feel that the times cry out for a dramatic increase in such efforts, because if we cannot get nonviolence right in the Middle East, where the concept of community first began and also where it soon began to come unraveled, we probably won't be able to get it right anywhere else.

Our missions:

  My activities will be concentrated several miles to the south in Hebron and elsewhere in the West Bank, where I will be working full-time with CPT. This is the volunteer violence-reduction group with whom we both worked last summer. Then we journeyed to Chicago last January to take CPT's intensive month long training in direct nonviolent violence reduction principles and methods.

  CPT's vision can be summed up in the following words from its descriptive brochure: "Unarmed intervention waged by committed

peacemakers ready to risk injury and death in bold attempts to transform lethal conflict through the nonviolent power of God's truth and love."

  Sis's primary focus will be installing a Peace Education program at the Prophet Elias schools. Starting literally from scratch two decades ago with the help of admirers from around the world (including former Secretary of State James Baker) Abuna Chacour has tirelessly fostered the school's birth and growth from zero pupils and faculty to a unique innovative educational community of about 5,000 Muslim, Jews, Druze, and Christian students and teachers.

Support:

  CPT (Christian Peace Maker Teams, a tax deductible 501 (c) (3) organization, is receiving funds intended to support our effort. Checks can be made out to either CPT or Christian Peace Maker Teams. Please write or print "Levin" on the memo line of the check, so that CPT will know to whom the funds should be credited.

  Mail to:  CPT

PO Box 6508

Chicago, IL 60680

Passing the word:

  Our first period of on-scene service will end the beginning of September, when we will come back to the U. S. for a month to report to support groups on conditions in Palestine and Israel. Then we'll head back to the region for another three months. We will come home again in January to do more updating. We expect the three or four months on and a month off routine will be the pattern of our

activities in the region from now on.

  Meanwhile, we will be very willing to share periodic commentary and reports from over there via E-mail with supporters back here who want to stay connected. If you would like us to do that please drop me an E-mail jlevin0320@aol.com. Please include your mailing address and phone/fax/cellular numbers, so we can begin to rebuild our late lamented address book, as well as send off yearly reports on our activities.

  If there is anything else you want to know about our projects, please get in touch by E-mail. Also, I will be happy to pass on 1) a copy of my most recent talk, when I keynoted the Maryland Peace and Justice annual conference earlier this month in which I described the need for the kind of peace teaching work that Sis will be doing at Ibillin {Ed.: we will reprint this in the next issue of the newsletter]; and 2) a discussion of four critical issues in connection with the violent divisive grip in which Palestinians and Israelis are still tragically locked.

  Thanks in advance for whatever support you are willing to provide.

     Faithfully,

     Jerry Levin

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Thank you to all of the co-sponsors of this year’s conference:

 

Benjamin Peace Foundation

Peter Benjamin

40 Lakeside Drive

Greenbelt MD 20770

(301) 933-8865

kpbenj@erols.com

 

Adelphi Friends Meeting

Ms. Esther Webb

7 F Crescent Road

Greenbelt, MD  20770

 

Alliance for Democracy,

Baltimore Chapter

Lou Hammond

181 Ortanna Road

Ortanna PA 17353

(717)334-4488 lhammond@gettysburg.edu

 

American Kurdish Info. Network (AKIN)

Kani Xulam

2600 Connecticut Ave. NW #1

Washington DC 20008

(202)483-6444 akin@kurdistan.org

 

Anne Arundel County Peace Action

Michael J. Keller

310 Riverview Avenue

Annapolis MD 21403

(410)263-7409 mkeller@mhec.state.md.us

 

Amnesty International Group 109, Baltimore

Chuck Frascati

9110 Topwood Court

Baltimore MD 21234

(410)663-5542 cafrascati@aol.com

 

Baltimore CityWide Coalition

Bob Kaufman

2001 N. Hilton

Baltimore MD 21216

(410) 728-8611

 

Baltimore Ethical Society

Carol Solomon

8111 McDonogh Road

Baltimore, MD  21208

(410) 363-3140

mupj@bigfoot.com

 

Committee on High School Options & Information on Career Education & Self-Improvement (C.H.O.I.C.E.S.)

John Judge

P.O. Box 7147

Washington DC 20044

(202) 583-5347 (301)699-0042 cop2@tidalwave.net

 

Committee on the Environment, Episcopal Diocese of Maryland

Paulette            Hammond

401 Westshire Road

Baltimore, MD  21229

(410) 747-3811

phamm001@earthlink.net

 

Equal Justice USA/Quixote Center

Jane Henderson

P.O. Box 5206

Hyattsville MD 20782

(301)699-0042 janeh@quixote.org

 

Foreign Policy in Focus; Institute for Policy Studies

Miriam Pemberton

733 15^th Street NW Ste. 1020

Washington DC 20005

(202)234-9382x214 miriam@ips-dc.org

 

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Rose White

245 Second Street NE

Washington DC 20002

(202)547-6000x142 rose@fcnl.org

 

Grassroots Coalition for Environmental & Economic Justice

Iona Conner

11449 Alton Road

Frederick MD 21701

(301)898-8130 grassroots5@juno.com

 

Interfaith Fairness Coalition of Maryland

Al Usack

15812 Kerr Road

Laurel MD 20707

(301)776-6891 (410)792-4021 ifcmd@aol.com

 

Latin American Women & Supporters (LAWS)

Sol del Ande Eaton

4501 Havelock Road

Lanham MD 20706

(301)577-4568 sol.eaton@nist.gov

 

Little Friends for Peace

Mary Joan Park

4405 29^th Street

Mount Rainier MD 20712

(301)927-5474 jpark@capaccess.org

 

Maryland Conservation Council

Bill Wilson

4716 Riverdale Road

Riverdale MD 20737

(301)277-2498

 

(Maryland) Interfaith Coalition for the Environment

Paulette Hammond

401 Westshire Road

Baltimore, MD  21229

(410) 747-3811

phamm001@earthlink.net

 

 

MD Coalition Against State Executions (MD CASE)

Lorig Charkoudian

P.O. Box 39205

Baltimore MD 21212

(410)243-8020 info@mdcase.org

 

Peace Action Educational Fund (DC)

Tracy Moavero

1819 H Street NW #425

Washington DC 20006

(202)862-9740x3004 tmoavero@peace-action.org

 

Presbytery of Baltimore Peacemaking Committee

William F. Turner

3203 Whitefield Road

Churchville MD 21028

(410) 836-2763 (410)836-2763 wfturner@mindsping.com

 

Physicians for Social Responsibility

325 E. 25^th Street

Baltimore MD 21218

 

River Road Unitarian Church Social Justice Committee

Nancy Henningsen, Don Chery

5301 River Road

Bethesda, Maryland 20817-5885

 

Seniors for World Security, Leisure World, MD.

Phil Chenoweth

3510 Forest Edge Drive #3E

Silver Spring MD 20906

(301)598-4684 xrmar@aol.com

 

US Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) Supporters Network

Alicia Lucksted

722 Hunting Place

Baltimore MD 21229

(410) 233-8420 (410)328-5389 aluckste@psych.umaryland.edu

 

Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom, Baltimore Branch

Susan DeFrancesco

135 Glen Argyle Road

Baltimore MD 21212

(410)377-7987 (410)614-3245 sdefranc@eudoramail.com, sdefranc@jhsph.edu

 

My apologies if I missed anyone!

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This Is Not An Anti-War Movement

By Mark Lance

 

Marc Lance is an associate professor of philosophy as well as an associate professor of justice and peace at Georgetown University. He is also a longtime activist on such issues as militarism, economic injustice, gay rights, Central America, and South Africa

  "We will always be at war with Eurasia" [George Orwell, 1984]

  "From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime… Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there, It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated. [This is] a war against the evil people in the world." [George Bush, the younger, 2001]

  I, for one, am heartened so far by the grassroots response to the rush toward militarism that has gripped the US in the wake of the vicious attacks of Sept. 11. I am hopeful that the strong and growing movement against global apartheid (aka corporate globalization) will be joined by a large number of civil libertarians, liberals, pacifists, anti-war activists, etc., and that out of this

will grow a movement which is even stronger than what we had before. I believe, however, that it is crucial that we understand what we are opposing, in particular that it would be a profound mistake to conceive ourselves as an anti-war movement.

  First, an obvious point: whatever military action is approaching will not be a war. Vietnam, though it was a war largely against a civilian population and a resistance movement, was a war. The Gulf War, though it began as a slaughter and quickly became a near-genocidal siege of a civilian population, nonetheless started as a war. The attack on Afghanistan simply will not be. It will be some combination of armed military assault on an already devastated populace and military police action.

  An assault on Afghanistan will be easy for the US, and it may even be able to capture or kill Bin Laden. I suspect they fully intend both to bring further death to that country and to kill or capture Bin Laden, but what cries out for explanation is the absurdly broad definition of this "war," a definition that no one, certainly no one in power, could possibly take seriously. We have heard repeatedly that any country harboring terrorists will be targeted (some say "destroyed"). Even leaving aside honest uses of the word "terrorist" which would require that the US target the US, consider the State Dept.’s own list of states which harbor terrorists. Greece and Spain are on it. Does anyone think the US plans to target them? Even moving to the Arab and Muslim world, does anyone really think the US plans military force against Syria, Libya, or Iran in the coming months? So why the broad -- essentially infinitely broad -- definition? If the goal is to destroy Afghanistan, why not name it as such so that Bush can claim to have won at some point. He’ll never be able to say he has won "the war" as he has defined it.

  The Gulf War provides an interesting historical parallel. In Iraq, no effort was made to take down the government. Oddly, this fact that is much discussed on the right, seems to get little attention on the left.  Why not take out Saddam? Why only destroy a large part of his military and then cripple the civilian population with all the horrendous deaths this caused? What is better for US power by keeping Saddam in power? The answer is provided by Bin Laden, namely US military bases in Saudi Arabia. These were originally temporary bases, there to "liberate" Kuwait, and "protect" Saudi Arabia. But as long as Saddam exists and can be claimed a threat, "temporary" bases are justified. So long as Iraq is constructed as a threat, there is a justification for US military force in the Middle East.

  Having noted this, the idea of an indefinitely extendable war, one that is not won merely by bringing home the head of Bin Laden as a trophy, becomes understandable. It becomes more so with a brief look at the map. The US reportedly is planning to use both Pakistan and Turkmenistan as a "temporary" launching ground for troops. Both border Afghanistan, but Pakistan also borders Iraq and Turkmenistan borders China.

  The drive for bases around the world is not new. The US currently has troops in almost every area of the world, though with a notable lack in South Asia, and this presence has been growing since the Fall of the Soviet Union. In the same period, there has been a huge growth in the US arms export industry, especially under Clinton, as well as a continuation of support for highly centralized governments in small subservient states, and efforts to make those states reliant on military  hardware supplied by the US.

  On the domestic front, we have been seeing a steady assault on domestic civil liberties since the end of the cold war. Again, this seems puzzling since at one time we were told it was the threat of the Soviets that justified curtailing liberty. But in reality domestic organizing led to a great increase in civil liberties during the late Cold War period. Then, there was a process begun pre-Clinton, which accelerated rapidly during his administration, in which the perpetual war was a war on drugs and a war on crime. These "wars" culminated in a host of repressive legislation such as the Anti-terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, and a prison system that makes large parts of America functionally prison colonies. The process has now entered end stage with the war on terrorism. Not only are the last remnants of civil liberties vanishing before our eyes -- no restrictions on CIA "recruiting," no meaningful restrictions on surveillance, ability to deport at will -- but Bush the younger seems not even shy about using Nazi imagery, as in the cabinet-level Office of Homeland Security.

  Nothing could better serve the joint processes of military imperialism abroad and police state totalitarianism at home, than a permanent war against an enemy who can never win, but whom we need also never claim to have defeated.

  [Now before I’m accused of putting up a "conspiracy theory" (i.e. supporting the heresy that people in power talk to one another and plan their actions) let me say that I have no view as to the level of planning behind the patterns I’m discussing. I am laying out a pattern of where the world is heading, and offering an explanation of why things go in the way they do. My claim is that the net effect of the pattern of military action by the US in the post-cold war world is consistently to extend the range of effective control of the US military by spreading bases, militarizing society, and increasing police control at home. This is the logic of the international process whether that logic is evolutionary or consciously directed.]

  And these are not mere points of intellectual interest. It is, I believe, a point of enormous practical importance to our organizing that we see our resistance not as resistance to war, but as resistance to fascism and a military world empire. (Yes, there is much to be said about the role of Europe, Japan, etc. in this. While the US is at the center of the process, there is some tension between the common interests of the capitalist north and the specific interests of US elites. Those complications require a much longer discussion.)

  Again the relevant analogy is the Gulf War. The level of resistance to the Gulf War was unprecedented. There was a rally against that war, before it started, that was larger than anything against the Vietnam War for the first six years of our active involvement. It took years of dead American soldiers to build serious resistance in Vietnam. It took mere weeks of talk of war to build resistance to Desert Storm. Nonetheless, that resistance was an utter failure. We didn’t stop the slaughter, or lessen it, and the movement quickly collapsed. The US engaged in the military action, won much too quickly for effective resistance, and went on.

  Winning against Iraq’s army was just the beginning for the US, which established permanent military bases in the region by preserving credible justification -- the evil state of Iraq -- but in such a form that it is no actual threat to anyone. We know the horrifying toll this process took on the people of Iraq, and we also know the feeble response to that toll by the peace movement. I submit that this is because the peace movement -- of which I was a part and for which I accept a share of the guilt -- focused only on the first skirmish, not the longer confrontation, and so declared defeat when it couldn’t stop the slaughter in the desert. We set ourselves up as an anti-war movement, and lost because we didn’t see from the beginning that this was a fight against military imperialism against the whole region.

  None of this is not to say that militarization is the primary phenomenon, with global economic apartheid -- the process of economic control by multi-national capital -- should be relegated to a secondary position in either our analysis or our action. Rather, I still believe that economic power is a central determinant, and that military expansion and police repression develop largely in order to serve the interests of multi-national capital. But it is crucial for the global justice movement to realize that there is a military/police/enforcement arm of economic imperialism. By the same token, however, it is important for the peace movement to realize both that the process we face is much broader than a "war" with Afghanistan, and that the process of militarization and imperialism is deeply tied to economic domination.

  Although the current situation is analogous to our position before the Gulf War, we are far better placed now. We come into this with a large, enthusiastic, militant, semi-organized, and growing movement, one with a radical and far-reaching critique and habits of making connections between issues and regions. We have a movement that could turn out 300,000 protestors in Genoa. This structure will be there to influence all newly radicalized people coming out to oppose war. Because of that, we are in a position not only to make an immediate impact, but also to be much more careful in defining our goals. If we set ourselves up merely as opposing the bombing of Afghanistan, or Special Forces invasions, we are likely to lose. Of course we must oppose such a slaughter, but I have no illusions about our ability to prevent missile strikes or quick incursions.  So let’s be clear this time from the beginning: this is a fight against global economic and military totalitarianism.

  We can build an anti-militarist movement, build it on the strength of the movement for global justice, and in coalition with peace movement organizations. But we build in our own failure if the opponent is seen too narrowly. We should all be able to agree in saying:

* No to military attack

* No to militarization: to bases, arms sales, support for totalitarian governments, destruction of international law.

* No to police states at home: to massive racist imprisonment, to ever larger police forces with ever more power, to assaults on civil liberties.

* No to global political and economic apartheid (what they call "globalization")

  There is much we don’t agree on and needn’t. We can work together despite being:

* Liberal capitalists, state socialists, libertarian socialists, etc.  And these differences will involve other differences -- are we for prison abolition or reform?, for direct democracy and autonomy, or electoral reform and civil liberties?, anti-capitalist or for controls on capitalist abuses?, etc.

* Pacifist, or not

* Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Pagan, Buddhist, or none of the above.

  These are, of course, crucial differences, ones we must discuss and argue about, but we can work in coalition across these differences as we have been doing in the global justice movement. But post-Vietnam, anti-war movements have largely been failures. The state has learned to make wars quick and decisive, and to hide the permanent gains totalitarianism and militarism make in almost every case behind specious "war goals." And fighting these one at a time, with no conception of the trend, will remain a losing proposition. This is one case in which a larger target may be easier to hit.

  The trend is toward totalitarian imperialism, at home and throughout the world. And so this is not an anti-war movement. It is an anti-totalitarian, anti-imperial movement.

  Let’s build it.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Cross Country Peace walkers to arrive in Washington DC for September 11^th Anniversary!

  Peace‑by‑Peace, a group of seven women from California who have been walking across the country since January 2002, are currently in Charleston, Tennessee, en route to Washington