[Peace-discuss] What AWARE calls on Obama & Congress to do...

Sat Dec 6 03:11:04 CST 2008

Tada!! Who says too many cooks, etc. Good going, Stuart!
 ---Jenifer 

--- On Fri, 12/5/08, Stuart Levy <slevy at ncsa.uiuc.edu> wrote:

From: Stuart Levy <slevy at ncsa.uiuc.edu>
Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] What AWARE calls on Obama & Congress to do...
To: "Rachel Storm" <rstorm2 at illinois.edu>
Cc: peace-discuss at anti-war.net
Date: Friday, December 5, 2008, 4:59 AM

On Fri, Dec 05, 2008 at 03:06:22AM -0600, Rachel Storm wrote:
> Laurie brings up some excellent points. I disagree only on whether we
should
> replace "join us" with "join AWARE." Although AWARE is
the specific
> organization, I think it's best to highlight the fact that this
movement
> ought to be seen as a collective engagement of many organizations,
> individuals, etc. 

> Moreover, if we're to hold the teach-in as planned, wouldn't it be
better to
> let go of any specifics and stick to "us" so as not to exlude
the valuable
> work of all activists in and outside of AWARE?

Sounds good.  I do want to mention AWARE, but also want to make it clear
that (a) we're a small part of the peace movement (added that re your
comment here) and (b) there are many issues which we recognize are important
that AWARE doesn't try to address but other kinds of groups do, so listed a
few other key issues.

I've stewed on it awhile longer, and incorporated some suggestions from
Laurie, you, and also Jenifer Cartwright.  The result now just fits on one
doublesided sheet, including a short list of other groups & resources.
I'm calling it final for this week.  Thanks, all, for your comments
and support!

 ==========================================================================

	AWARE calls on Obama to keep his promise of change!

Why do this?  Shouldn't we just wait and see what he does?  No! Vast power
and
trillions of dollars are at stake in keeping things as they stand – from the
military industry, the new “security” industry, the media industry, the oil
industry, the banking industry – from many sorts of powerful constituencies.
They speak with confidence, calling Obama's Bush- and Clinton-era
appointees
“pragmatic” and “non-ideological”.

Beware of such labels: “pragmatism” implies not questioning assumptions,
such
as the assumption that the US has an inalienable “right” to use military
force
anywhere in the world; that major changes to the way we use energy or provide
health care are just not feasible; that “free market” practices serve our
people well; that erosion of civil liberties and use of torture are regrettable
but necessary.  That's why … 

		Obama Needs a Protest Movement[*]

Obama is being compared with Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who brought in the New
Deal, the fruits of which – Social Security, labor protections,
infrastructure
creation, … –  we still depend on.  But as Frances Fox Piven[*] and others
argue, FDR didn't and wouldn't have done it alone: “mass protests …
forced him
to make choices he would otherwise have avoided [...]  The rise of protest
movements forced the new president and the Democratic Congress to become bold
reformers.”

Obama and the Congress need our pressure now to resist pressure
from our opponents, who are not waiting.  We must call on the
Administration to carry out the best of Obama's promises, and to
do other things which he has not promised.  Join the peace movement.
Join AWARE, join other groups, act on your own, but act.  Write
letters to the editor, to the new Administration, to Congress.  Make
signs and demonstrate.  Talk with your neighbors.

Here follow some of our group's priorities.  Many other issues need urgent
attention as well, from reducing our enormous economic disparities, providing a
sane health care system, environmental protection and limiting global warming,
energy conservation and developing alternatives, labor rights, media reform,
…
and of course, ensuring that bailouts for our ailing economy help the whole
population, not merely supporting the wealthy.   But meanwhile, …

        AWARE calls on the Obama Administration and the Congress to:

 * Withdraw from Iraq all US troops, and all military contractors. The Iraqi
   Parliament agreed to a 2011 deadline, but don't wait.   Make it plain
that the
   US will keep no military bases there.  Pay reparations.

 * End the war in Afghanistan.  As in Iraq, our invasion violates international
   law; and as in Iraq, our violent presence there only strengthens our
opponents.
   Even our own military have acknowledged that military means will not suffice
in
   Afghanistan.  Encourage the Afghan government's efforts to negotiate
with the
   Taliban, including all who are willing to talk. Support this extremely poor
   country's economy.  Give farmers better alternatives to growing opium.

 * Cease illegal and counterproductive incursions into Pakistan, Syria,
Somalia, ...

 * Talk with Iran without preconditions, as promised.  Reestablish US
diplomatic
   relations.  Make clear that the US will accept a peaceful Iranian nuclear
power
   program under international supervision. Seek Iran's help in resolving
Middle
   East conflicts, including in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel/Palestine, and
Lebanon.

 * Renew US efforts to resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including
dismantling
   West Bank settlements.  Support the 2002 Arab League offer for peace in
   exchange for a return to the 1967 borders and agreement on refugee status.
   Negotiate with Hamas (as 64% of Israelis support doing) – they did win in
free
   and fair elections.

 * Put our vast military spending, including our own weapons of mass
destruction,
   on the table for cuts.  Rep. Frank has a proposal for 25% cuts.

 * Ensure adequate support, especially physical and mental health care, for
those
   people who are serving or have served in the US military.

 * Close Guantanamo Bay, and end use of torture, as promised, and promptly.

 * Whether by prosecution of those who created and justified the policies, or
by a
   Truth Commission, ensure that the world and the US people know we understand
   that wars of aggression, torture and arbitrary imprisonment are never
   acceptable.

 * Rethink our policies toward Central America and Latin America.  For example:
   End our long-running, counterproductive embargo against Cuba, and open a
dialog
   with the Cuban government.   Repair relations with Venezuela and Bolivia,
   including restoring Bolivia's preferential access to US markets.

 * Repudiate the Bush Administration's signing statements, and the whole
notion
   that a President can override laws by fiat.  Stop this terrible precedent
now.

[*]  http://www.thenation.com/doc/20081201/piven
Article by Frances Fox Piven, in the Dec. 1, 2008 issue of The Nation

http://www.anti-war.net/  
AWARE, the Anti-War, Anti-Racism Effort, meets 5PM every Sunday in the basement
of the Independent Media Center, Broadway & Elm, Urbana (go down the steps
on
the Elm St. side).

A very brief list of other groups and resources:

  http://www.JustForeignPolicy.org/ 	Just Foreign Policy  (foreign policy news,
calls to action)

  http://www.ivaw.org/			Iraq Veterans Against the War
					  (national group with local chapter)

  http://www.unitedforpeace.org/	United for Peace and Justice (national group)

  http://www.jwj.org/			Jobs with Justice (labor and economic issues)
					  (national group with local chapter)

  http://www.commondreams.org/		Progressive news and commentary
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