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"We have always been at war with Eastasia" - George Orwell, 1984
Last month we observed the passing of a grim mile marker: The 10th anniversary of the illegal, unfunded, preemptive invasion of resource-rich Iraq, which the US heinously undertook on the basis of outright lies.
By now we all know the grim statistics: 4,500 Americans and at least 100,000 Iraqis killed. 30,000 Americans wounded with no reliable tally available for the grossly abused people of Iraq. $2 trillion squandered on ill-conceived combat and poorly executed reconstruction. Projected costs for veterans' needs ballooning the final financial cost to around $6 trillion.
So we've shaken the dust of Iraq off our combat boots. You'd think an experience like that would leave a bitter Viet Nam sort of taste in our mouths. But we're still dragging our feet on ending our longest war, with the last troops stationed in Afghanistan expected to remain until the end of 2014.
Meanwhile, Syria is shattered by civil conflict, Gaza and Israel are at it again, Iran continues to irritate just about everyone, and North Korea has aimed a missile in our general direction. Things also seem to be picking up in Africa, where over 3,000 troops were deployed at the beginning of the year, with the expectation that they will "fulfill missions" in at least 35 countries.
As I write, the nebulous "War on Terror" has become further entrenched in American law, as well. Thanks to passage of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, Guantanamo is being expanded.
We spend more on war toys than the next 13-15 nations combined. Fully 54% of our budget goes to military spending. An estimated 172,966 American troops are active in more than 150 countries out of some 193 recognized by the UN.
Our economy has a deadly dependency on nonproductive military spending, and chances are, despite President Obama's claims to the contrary, endless war is going to play a leading role in our collective future.
Yet...
As Iraq fades, Afghanistan winds down, and debt/deficit fears ratchet up, experts are beginning to suggest we try to realize a peace dividend.
Despite vigorous lobbying by the military-industrial-Wall Street complex and myriad geopolitical pressures, military spending is taking a sequester hit. There is serious discussion of reevaluating priorities. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has ordered a bottom-up review explicitly aimed at shrinking and restructuring the military. Of course, new "priorities" include building drones, developing cyberweapons, and focusing on Special Operations Forces, but this break in the action provides us a small window of opportunity.
Now more than ever, it's time to wage peace. Now more than ever it's time for America at large - just as the Unified Platform already does - to put Peace First. Here are few ideas on how to begin.
Repeal the War on Terror. Norman Solomon at RootsAction.org is our kind of guy. Like the NPA, Solomon says, "We need a fresh approach to defend the public interest. Our country faces a far-right Republican Party that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of corporate America, and a Democratic Party whose leadership is enmeshed with corporate power." (Norm, we hope this means that, the next time you run for office, you DON'T do it as a Democrat.)
Solomon and his website are "dedicated to galvanizing Americans who are committed to economic fairness, equal rights, civil liberties, environmental protection -- and defunding endless wars." In pursuit of that last goal, he is organizing support for legislation introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee to repeal the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, also known as the War on Terror resolution. According to Solomon, the 137-month-old resolution has been used to justify everything from on-the-ground troops in combat to drone strikes and kill lists to flagrant abrogation of civil liberties. Repealing it could go a long way in undermining the legal justification for endless war, and you can get involved with the repeal action here.
Move the Money. Wage peace the Quaker way, via the American Friends Service Committee. The AFSC "seeks to eliminate US militarism by cutting military spending, acknowledging the impact of war, and promoting conflict prevention as an alternative." In addition to advocacy and education, the AFSC supports activities like yesterday's "Our Tax Day Not Theirs" global day of action and the Move the Money campaign which urges lawmakers to move money away from Wall Street and war, toward Main Street and community needs.
Tool Up. By now we know peace, unlike some things, doesn't just happen. At Peacework, you'll find an entire page devoted to tools for peace and social justice activists. From info and resources for strategic organizing and nonviolent direct action to alternative economic systems to software for activists, Peacework has DIY info for almost any occasion.
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