[Peace-discuss] FW: Oppose the so-called war on ISIS!

[David Johnson]

    Oppose the so-called war on ISIS!        

     Join the fight for justice here!

 

The government says it's fighting to stop ISIS' terrorism. If that's the
reason, we'd bomb Saudi Arabia! 

In fact, US bombings started right after ISIS captured oil-rich areas of
Iraq. Before then, the US did nothing for over a year while ISIS imprisoned,
tortured and murdered Syrians fighting against the dictator Assad. This is
another war over corporate oil profits and defending corrupt "allies" , not
' fighting terrorism" 

What impact does US coalition bombing ISIS have in Syria and Iraq?  It makes
ISIS stronger.  It makes ISIS look like the defender of Sunni Muslims
against 3 widely-hated "evils": western imperialist countries (US, Britain,
France);  Iran and Iraq; and regional tyrants (Saudi Arabia, Gulf oil
monarchies). As a result, they've recruited 10,000 new fighters since the
bombings began 2 months ago. Good for ISIS and war profiteers; bad for us.

What should be done about ISIS?  Support those fighting repression, poverty
and corrupt regimes in Syria ( Kurdistan Workers Party ) and Saudi Arabia.
Their victory will end ISIS' appeal. All these governments suppressed the
Arab Spring uprisings of 2011. They all use religious and national
differences to divide and rule. All these US allies enrich their 1% and make
life worse for most people there, just like here. That's why the US
coalition cannot possibly bring the reforms needed to end support for ISIS.
They can only make things worse, just like the US invasion, occupation and
massive destruction did in Iraq.

If the US and allies' war is not the answer, what is?  Popular revolutions
there will use the vast oil wealth for education and provide useful work for
all. They will have to develop unity against their 1% to do that.  Only that
can overcome the religious divisions perpetuated by their elites and by
ISIS. People here also need to take control over our vast resources for a
decent life and our future. Just like there, our 1%  holds most wealth and
power. (Fact:  the richest 400 Americans own more wealth than 100,000,000 of
us.) We need America's great wealth to better our lives while our government
promotes the 1% here, just like there.

Can we change this?  We think so, but this will require a massive popular
movement against the power of the 1%- there and here.  We will have to
create unity for our common aspirations. We have done this in limited ways.
For example, the Civil Rights, anti-war, women's and gay rights, and
workers' struggles of the 50s-70s created unity and won things we benefit
from today. They had to fight the big powers too. Yes, money is power, but
so is people power. After all, together, we do the work that makes all the
products and all that wealth; our combined work makes everything run, and we
are the huge majority. We can shape our future.

What can we do?   Get an organization you're part of to take a stand against
this war and actively support fights for justice like living wages, taxing
the super-rich, , improving public education, ending corporate welfare,
cutting greenhouse emissions, fighting for equal rights for all, etc. 

Give people-to-people support to real allies, like the Syrians fighting for
justice against Syrian dictator Assad and ISIS. Syrian American Medical
Society (www.sams.org) provides medical help to that popular revolution. Get
more  info at http://syriafreedomforever.blog ; google "Syrian popular
revolution" for other sources.

Yes, ISIS is vicious and should be defeated, but can the US and its allies,
like Saudi Arabia, defeat ISIS? Can they counter the support ISIS gets from
Sunni Muslims? We don't think so. The US invasion of Iraq opened the door
for a regime there that makes war on many Sunnis who now back ISIS. The US
and its allies generate support for ISIS. How can the cause of the problem
be the solution? These regimes, like the US superpower, cannot end the very
system of exploitation, repression and power they all defend, can they? We
think it's more likely that popular uprisings against these regimes can
reclaim their vast oil resources and use it to provide themselves a better
life.  That change will end ISIS's appeal. Not bombings by the US and its
allies. 

We urge you to oppose this new war.  It's part of a larger war by rich
corporate owners against most of us, here and overseas. For example, the US
Senate voted $28 Billion for these attacks. To pay the bill, they cut
foodstamps for 800,000 U.S. families an average of $90/month. The US spends
trillions of our money to finance over 600 military bases overseas to
promote corporate profits while our wages are frozen, prices go up, public
schools are underfunded and overcrowded, discrimination continues, and most
new jobs don't pay a living wage and have no benefits.  This is
imperialism-where powerful countries like the US do dirty deals with local
rulers to take the wealth for the 1%. This hurts most of us here and
overseas. We need to join hands in this common effort and fight for a better
future here and there. Muslims are not our enemy. Our problems come from
elite rule, not ordinary people.      

 Fox Valley Citizens for Peace and Justice       www.fvc4pnj.org

 

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