75+ actions against escalation of Afghanistan war! / analysis of Obama's speech
LGBTLib...@aol.com
Chicago will be joining over 75 cities protesting the escalation announced on nationwide television by President Obama tonight.
Our action begins at 5 PM, Wednesday, Dec. 2nd at Federal Plaza (Adams & Dearborn Streets), followed by a march.
A follow up action will be at 12 noon, Saturday, Dec. 5th, also at Federal Plaza.
The President’s speech tonight contained some “doozies” worthy of George W. Bush:
*** “We will not lay claim to another nation’s resources.” Nice sentiment, except that’s exactly what’s going on in Iraq, started by George Bush and continued under the current administration. Major state industries were privatized, competing firms from other nations like France and Russia elbowed out, supplanted by U.S.-based oil and gas firms. The Current Occupant has done nothing to reverse this theft.
*** “We do not aim to occupy other nations.” Again, nice sentiment, except that the sun truly never sets on the U.S. empire, with troops in over 130 nations around the world despite fierce opposition by local residents in many of these countries. Obama’s first budget had an increase in military spending over George W.’s budgets.
*** Like George Bush endlessly ranting about “the lessons of 9/11,” Obama invoked 9/11, repeatedly framed the main purpose of the war escalation as one of stopping Al Qaeda, a group mainly made up of non-Afghans. But according to his own commander in the field, General McChrystal, Al Qaeda has only about 100 fighters in all of Afghanistan. It is the indigenous Taliban which has swelled in size and support over the last few years, precisely because of the foreign (mainly U.S.) occupation. With the influx of 30,000+ more foreign troops bringing the total foreign occupation to 100,000 or more, Afghan resentment of the occupation will only increase.
*** Obama pointed to the slow draw down of troops in Iraq as implicit evidence for why we should believe him when he promises to reduce troops in Afghanistan eventually. Again, nice sentiment, but like his “ending” of torture (while continuing “extraordinary renditions”), it doesn’t bear close examination. While U.S. troops have been gradually withdrawn, in many cases they’ve been replaced by U.S.-based mercenaries. As long ago as September 2007, these often brutal mercenaries, answerable to no one, outnumbered U.S. troops in Iraq.
*** He insisted that Afghanistan was not “another Vietnam.” One of the main “differences” the President pointed to was that the Afghanistan occupation is supposedly supported by 43 nations. But everyone knows that almost all of this support is utterly token except by a few very small countries like Georgia which are cravenly seeking U.S. favor (and arms) for themselves. The U.S. occupation of Vietnam also had token contingents from many other countries, but everyone knew it was the U.S. that called the shots. In both countries, the local regimes are/were infamously corrupt bribe-taking machines, heavily involved in the illegal drugs trade – so loathed by their own people that they are/were forced to commit massive fraud to steal elections.
Like his predecessor, Obama provided ample evidence for the old adage, “the first casualty in war is truth.”
At 5 PM, Wednesday, December 2nd at Federal Plaza please join us as we join 75+ cities around the country protesting the escalation (go to www.PJEP.org for information on actions in other cities).
Chicago’s action is cosponsored by:
8th Day Center for Justice
Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice
American Friends Service Committee
American Muslims For Palestine
ANSWER Chicago
ARC '09 (A Movement Re-imagining Change)
Chicago Area CodePINK
Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism
Chicago Committee to Bring the Troops Home Now
Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights
Chicago Copwatch
Chicago Democratic Socialists of America
Chicago Labor Against the War
Chicago Popular Education Alliance
Chicago Socialist Party
Chicago Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
Chicago World Can't Wait
Chicagoans Against War and Injustice
Committee on Pilipino Issues (CPI)
Cook County Green Party
Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO)
Gay Liberation Network
Generations for Peace
Hugh Spector
Hyde Parkers for Peace and Justice
International Socialist Organization
International Solidarity Movement - Chicago
Kairos Chicago
La Voz de los de Abajo
Logan Square Neighbors for Justice and Peace
Mayan Calendar News
Near West Citizens for Peace and Justice
Neighbors for Peace
News and Letters Committees
Nicaragua Solidarity Committee
North Shore Coalition for Justice, Peace and the Environment
Northwest Suburban Peace & Education Project
Palestine Solidarity Group (PSG)-Chicago
Pax Christi St. Gertrude
Pax Christi Seed Planters Chicago South Suburbs
Peace Pledge
PeaceMajority Report
Potluck Democracy
Southsiders for Peace
Tikkun Community-Chicago Chapter
US Marxist-Humanists
Voices for Creative Nonviolence
We Are Change Chicago
West Suburban Faith-based PEACE Coalition
Will County Green Party
Workers World Party
Join our Facebook event and help spread the word! –
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1181687101510&f=1&e=-12#/event.php?eid=167820978446
For more info, email CC...@aol.com