[Peace-discuss] some things AWARE might call on the Obama adminstration to do (for Main Event, and maybe Farmer's Market)

[Neil Parthun]

Looks alright to me.

I would just put the following out for suggestions.  I am going to  
try to put my comments in brackets and change the color.  The  
following are just my perceptions and opinions and should not be  
taken as any consensus unless agreed upon by such a venture in AWARE.

- Follow through on withdrawal of *all* US troops from Iraq,
by the end of 2011 if not sooner, as recently agreed to by the Iraqi
parliament.  Military contractors, who have replaced many troops,
must likewise leave Iraq.  Make it plain to Iraq and the world that
the US will maintain no military bases there.

[Stronger language should be used, in my opinion.  From my  
perspective we should engage in Operation GTFO and immediately leave  
Iraq.  We've already had the US involved in this imperialist war for  
5 years now.  We should be arguing for an immediate end and not  
necessarily playing into the frame that the Bush administration has  
set up with the SOFA.  If we let them define the debate then we will  
be stuck waiting for an end to the war in 2011 as well.  Plus, when  
has international law and treaties/agreements stopped the US from  
doing what it wanted to do in the geopolitical game?  We should  
unequivocally advocate for an immediate withdrawal of all forces --  
public and privatized -- from the nation of Iraq and let their own  
sovereign government handle the issue.  Perhaps this would also be a  
place to suggest reparations to the Iraqis for blowing the living  
crap out of their country?]

- State clearly that the US supports the Afghan government's efforts to
reconcile with the Taliban, including all who are willing to talk.

[I also believe that we should be calling for a removal of US forces  
from the "good war" in Afghanistan as well as Iraq since this seems  
to be oddly lacking from this document.  Since Karzai has called for  
a timeline (or aspirational time horizons depending on the words  
you'd like to use), we should try to connect these wars as imperial  
presences in two countries.  We could best show we support the Afghan  
government's efforts by removing our military presence that continues  
to meddle in and attempt to control their affairs.]

- Cease incursions into Pakistan.  Even if attacks might stop some
insurgents, the inevitable civilian casualties can only motivate more
enmity and destabilize the Pakistani government.

[I'd also suggest adding in a piece that discusses the US not having  
the authority to commit airstrikes in another sovereign nation  
without their consent in the name of "security".]

- Start afresh on US efforts to resolve Israeli-Palestinian  
conflict.  Take
seriously US policy which opposes Israeli West Bank settlements as an
obstacle to peace.  Deal with Hamas - whatever else one may think of  
them,
they won free and fair democratic elections, and have been providing
services to their people as well as they can.

[I think it may behoove us to add a few more details -- i.e. removing  
the West Bank settlements, a return to the 1967 borders, cease the  
blockade in Gaza that is wreaking so much damn havoc on the civilian  
population in a case of obvious collective punishment, et al.  We may  
also want to add some qualitative words on "deal with Hamas" because  
he could easily take that to mean dealing with them in a fashion we  
would find objectionable.]

- Reaffirm your pledge to talk to Iran without preconditions.
Establish real diplomacy, beginning with the establishment of US  
diplomatic
representation in Iran, as the Bush Administration has proposed.
Make clear that the United States has no dispute with a peaceful
Iranian nuclear program that is transparent and complies with  
international
agreements.  Make clear that the United States has no dispute with  
peaceful
cooperation between the governments of Iran and Iraq. Make clear that  
the
United States welcomes the cooperation of Iran in helping to resolve the
conflicts of the Middle East, including the conflict in Afghanistan, the
Israel/Palestine conflict, and conflicts in Lebanon.

- Put our vast military spending on the table for cuts.  Consider Rep.
Frank's proposal for 25% cuts.

[Perhaps we should add some brief details about the amount of our  
spending, some of the projects we've spent money on that have been  
unproductive, etc.  Most people do not know about the insane amount  
of money we spend on creating WMD and death showers for foreign  
populations.  This may help qualify the need to cut military spending.]

- 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.  The Bush Administration's proposed
suspension could cost tens of thousands of Bolivians their jobs.

- Obama's call for closure of Guantanamo Bay detention camp, and  
saying that
the US will not commit torture, are laudable but insufficient.   
Prominent
figures in the Bush Administration made arguments, including legal  
opinions,
that torture, indefinite detention, and extraordinary rendition were
acceptable and necessary, and have faced no consequences.  The  
temptation
to return to such practices will remain unless it's made clear that
expediency does not trump Constitutional protections and  
international law.

[How would we prefer an Obama administration made that clear?   
Trials?  Investigations and charges?  A truth commission?  We should  
have some suggestions and ideas of what we want to see happen.   
Simply asking that it is made clear leaves a hole one could drive a  
truck through.  This could lead to a possible "slap on the wrist --  
don't do it again" crap that is very likely since I think Bush is  
calling the Democrats' bluff on the issue of torture.  He isn't going  
to pardon them because he knows that the Dems are not going to engage  
in a substantive investigation and punishment of any of these people  
since it is necessary to "move forward" and keep up "bipartisanship".]

- Repudiate the Bush Administration's signing statements, and the
whole notion that a President can override laws by fiat.  Honor
our democracy and stop this terrible precedent now.

[On the anti-racism front, we should be asking for a moratorium on  
foreclosures, rollback the tax cuts for the obnoxiously  
wealthy...alright, I'm too tired to think of more.]

But those are just my suggestions and perspectives.  Feel free to  
debate, suggest new ones and augment.  w00t.

Live without dead time,

      Neil

  With the people, for the people, by the people. I crack up when I  
hear it; I say, with the handful, for the handful, by the handful  
because that's what really happens...It's time for America to get right.
[fannie lou hamer, 1917-1977]

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.  
Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as  
you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with  
too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
[ralph waldo emerson, 1803-1882]
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