Whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.
Charles Darwin
On Feb. 7th the NYC Local of the Socialist Party USA will be holding a forum and teach-in on the proposed budget cuts. As you know, these cuts threaten to devastate education, healthcare, transportation, and other social services in NYC.
We ask for your participation in this event not only as a casual observer but as an active participant. After the speakers, we will break into working groups to develop strategies to fight-back against these cuts.
Forum and Teach-in on the NYC Budget Cuts Saturday February 7th from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm St. Mary's Church 521 W 126th St (1 to 125th St, A/C, B/D to 125th St).
I am a transgressor, in favor of peace with justice
I would like to make an appeal in a special way to the men of the army. In the name of God, in the name of the suffering people whose laments rise to the heaven each day more tumultuous, I ask you, I order you in the name of God, stop the repression.
San Romero de Las Américas
Honorable Judge Faircloth:
On Sunday, November 23rd, 2008, I, along with other human rights activists, crossed the gates of Fort Benning . I did so with a photo of Monsignor Oscar Romero, the former Archbishop of San Salvador. Upon his assassination, this brother, this companion, and this spiritual guide, was converted into our Saint Romero of the Americas. His assassination was planned and executed by graduates from the School of the Americas, with the blessings of the US Government, following a speech in which he pleaded for the army to stop massacring the Salvadoran people. In El Salvador, as well as all of Latin America, thousands of other women, men, and children have also been assassinated by agents of the School of the Americas. These silenced human beings, along with Saint Romero, deserve justice. To Saint Romero, as well as to the other victims, justice is what I am respectfully requesting here.
Hon. Faircloth, my meditation for that day, while I entered Fort Benning, was and still is this: I wish for this individual sacrifice to be transformed into a collective of spiritual ethics. Therefore, I confess in front of this court that I am not guilty of committing any crime against humanity. However, I’m guilty of being a transgressor of any “law” that pretends to justify the injustice of oppression, exclusion, or assassination. I do so because these are not laws!
I learned the spirituality of transgression from my brother and companion Jesus Christ, who in each of his actions in his native Palestine, while walking with the people, showed through a subversive ministry that it was necessary to violate the unjust laws of the Roman Empire. He was condemned for being a transgressor. Thus, I have learned from him to transgress against injustice, and against the immorality of disorder that we see in our society, to benefit humanity. This transgression, my action, is not only morally right, but it is also an obligation. This is a way of building a new world, a better world.
With no pretensions of being compared to Jesus, which would be nothing but a lack of respect on my part, I only wanted to follow his example, in the most humble way. This time, I transgressed and trespassed the gates of Fort Benning, with a strategy of peaceful resistance, founded in the basic principles of civil disobedience, an approach also known as “non-violence ”.
My intention through the transgression of the gates of Fort Benning was, and still is, to be able to demonstrate that from its inception in 1946, the School of the Americas, disguised since 2001 as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, is one of those military institutions that pretends to justify oppression, exclusion, and assassination, behind the semantics of national security and/or protection of democracy. When in reality its goal is to validate and protect the political, military, and economic hegemony of the United States in Latin America . Hon. Faircloth, historically my pastoral and academic activism has taught me that apathy in front of unjust laws is an offense against peace-driven justice. Furthermore, it has taught me that it is my duty not to remain silent against injustices, on one side, and to fight rebelliously until justice prevails. This is the motivation behind my transgression on Sunday, November 23rd, 2008.
Hon. Faircloth, within this context, it is necessary to understand the political violence exercised by the School of the Americas, as well as the impunity that is granted to its graduates. In other words, this institution is a symbol of U.S. despotism towards our Latin American countries. That is why, whenever there is dissidence directed against U.S. expansionist policies, such in the cases of the Cuban revolution, the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua, the Bolivariana in Venezuela, the Bolivian revolution in Bolivia, or the popular revolution in Ecuador – only to mention a few, the U.S. government has consistently aimed to block and defeat democratic governments, in favor of other governments that would help advance US interests. This is what is known as political terrorism.
The advancement of U.S-sponsored political terrorism and the effect on its victims can best be summed up by the words of Father Roy Bourgeois : Here is the School of the Americas. It's a combat school. Most of the courses revolve around what they call "counter-insurgency warfare." Who are the "insurgents?" We have to ask that question. They are the poor. They are the people in Latin America who call for reform. They are the landless peasants who are hungry. They are health care workers, human rights advocates, labor organizers. They become the insurgents. They are seen as "the enemy." They are those who become the targets of those who learn their lessons at the School of the America.
Similarly, it is incorrect, Hon. Faircloth, your intention to send a message of neutrality, within the false context of interpreting some laws and applying their sentences. Your duty as judge and citizen continues to be protecting Justice. This partial neutrality, linked to injustice, makes you guilty of all the crimes committed by the School of the Americas and its graduates. Allow me to remind you that you have a moral responsibility in front of God and in front of Her people, to reject and combat unjust laws.
Even more relevant still, Hon. Faircloth, you could become part of the Amnesty International Campaign to push the United States to recognize, support, and submit to the International Criminal Court regulations. It is an embarrassment that a country such as the United States, which holds democracy as one of its core values, has been able to sabotage an international institution that guarantees communal existence, within a framework of respect, justice, and peace. It is not a secret either that this anti-democratic strategy only serves to guarantee USA’s impunity in relation to the crimes that this Criminal Court is to judge.
Hon. Faircloth, if you, or your system, plan to punish me through incarceration, aiming to correct or modify my behavior as a transgressor who favors justice and peace, I would like to let you inform you that this is not possible. I do not believe in punishment. I believe in the restitution of justice, and that is the reason why I am here today. Hon. Faircloth, if it is your decision to send me to jail, what I would like to make clear is that by doing so, you will be guilty of keeping silent and embracing apathy. Furthermore, you will be an accomplice to the crimes originated at the School of the Americas. This fact will be part of both of our histories.
I will not try to escape from the consequences of my actions. This would do nothing but diminishing the validity inherent in these actions of civil disobedience. Nonetheless, Hon. Faircloth, remain assured that I will enter and later leave the gates of any jail standing up. Neither you nor your system will take away my dignity. The only thing that would be achieved is converting me into a prisoner of conscience, into an anti-terrorism activist.
Therefore, if these proceedings of punishment are meant to force me to ask for forgiveness, this will not be achieved. I will not kneel and beg for forgiveness. For it is to my Latin American people only that I ought to ask for forgiveness, for not acting earlier. I am a free person. You could incarcerate my body, but you would never imprison my love for peace and justice, because my conviction has made me free. These principles would fly away from jail at their leisure, beyond any prison bars or unjust gates that you may see fit for me.
Therefore, Hon. Faircloth, there are transgressors that have contributed to moving forward positive changes in history, because they dared raising their voices when injustice reigned, and when hope from the peoples remained unseen. Today it is my turn. I hope I will be able to make a contribution as well. I hope you also understand that with my solidarity love, the most important sacrament, I’m putting the system on trial. God bless us.
"SOA 6" Sentenced to Federal Prison for Nonviolent Direct Action to Close the SOA/WHINSEC School of the Americas Watch
Today, on January 26, six human rights advocates appeared in a federal courthouse in Georgia. The "SOA 6," ranging in age from 21 to 68, were found "guilty" of carrying the protest against the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC) onto the Fort Benning military base. The six were among the thousands who gathered on November 22 and 23, 2008 outside the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia to demand a change in U.S. policy towards Latin America and the closure of the SOA/WHINSEC.
The "SOA 6" spoke out clearly and powerful in court today. They made a compelling case for the closure of the school and creation of a culture of justice and peace, where there is no place for the SOA mindset that promotes military "solutions" to social and economic problems. The six spent the weekend preparing for their trials with a team of lawyers, legal workers and volunteers, and today they stood up for all of us working for a more just world.
The "SOA 6" are:
Father Luis Barrios, 56, from North Bergen, New Jersey, sentenced to 2 months in federal prison and a $250 fine
Theresa Cusimano, 40 Denver, Colorado, 2 monthes in federal prison and $500 fine
Kristin Holm, from Chicago, Illinois, sentenced to 2 months in federal prison and a $250 fine
Sr. Diane Pinchot, OSU, 63, from Cleveland, Ohio, sentenced to 2 months in federal prison
Al Simmons, 64, from Richmond, Virginia, sentenced to 2 months in federal prison
Louis Wolf, 68, from Washington, DC, 6 months housearrest and $1000 fine
by Billy Wharton Barack Obama's imagination management representatives were widely deployed on day one of his presidency. Fervent supporters were told to go slow - the NY Times described "sobering challenges," Congressman Dave Obey cautioned against looking for "economic salvation" while an Associated Press article praised Obama's "cold-eyed realism." No matter which analogy is employed, the widening gulf between popular expectations and governmental willingness [or unwillingness] to act is a potential source for a more radical set of politics.
Of course, Obama is no George W. Bush. He knows well how to pick off the low-hanging political fruit in order to forestall decisions which threaten to bring his administration into conflict with organized interest blocs. Moving swiftly to close the moral eyesore that is the detention center in Guantanamo Bay signals a return to the normal operation of US Empire. Equally useful is his enactment of measures furthering governmental transparency. This may sooth lingering doubts about Obama's associations with now-impeached Illinois Governor Rod "Let's Make a Deal" Blagojevich. It would be difficult to discover many speakers - apart from those on the fringe of the radical right - willing to defend either Guantanamo or Presidential secrecy.
More significant resistance will be provided to any serious attempt to end the US occupation of Iraq. Evidence of this was provided during the nightly News Hour program aired on Wednesday January 21st. The segment was entitled "Next Steps for Iraq," and featured the pro-Bush retired General Jack Keane and the Obama-ally retired General Wesley Clark. Both Keane and Clark delivered a clear message - no troop removal anytime soon.
Keane, the military author of Bush's "surge strategy," claimed that Obama's campaign pledge to remove troops by 2010 "rather dramatically increases the risks" in Iraq. He recommended a "minimal force reduction" in order to "protect the political situation." Though a 2010 departure was "a risk that is unacceptable," Keane assured viewers that "Everyone knows that we are going to take our troops out of Iraq."
The Democratic Party's dog in the fight, Wesley Clark had little bite as he agreed with Keane's assesment "it [Obama's troop removal pledge] is risky." "When President Obama made that pledge almost a year ago," Clark claimed, "the context of what combat troops was, was taken from the legislation that was going back and forth through the House and the Senate." He then provided a key qualification, "Distinguishing combat troops from trainers, from counter-insurgency troops or counter-terrorist troops that would go against Al-Quaeda in Iraq and distinguishing them from the logistics troops." "So," Clark concluded, "to say that all combat troops will be out in 2010 in sixteen months doesn't necessarily mean that all troops will be out by 2010."
If this double-speak was not enough, Clark then provided another clear signal that the Obama campaign pledge may fall far short of anything resembling a remotely anti-war position. Clark praised Keane as the architect of the surge policy and "the success that has been achieved through it."
Not surprisingly, Keane agreed with the non-combatative Clark. He "understands the distinction" between combat and other types of troops. Even if some combat troops were removed, Iraq would still require "a significant number of combat troops" to protect the other types of American troops. Clark then introduced a new term to the discussion (any possibility of a debate had long since passed) - "re-deployed." He ended his contributions by highlighting the "the need for troops in Afghanistan."
The Clark-Keane discussion should be quite useful for anti-war activists. It clearly signals that the "surge-consensus" forged by the Bush administration is still fully operative among the military establishment in Washington. Obama's desire for continuity in military strategy, signaled clearly through his re-appointment of Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense, should be understood as his acceptance of the positions articulated by Keane and Clark. This presents a sharp challenge to the anti-war movement.
Two tasks are clear. The first is to articulate a clear demand for the complete removal of all US military forces from Iraq. The anti-war movement cannot allow distinctions to be made between combat or counter-insurgency troops, military advisers or technicians. All troops need to be removed immediately. Second, and perhaps even more challenging, is the demand to remove all troops from Afghanistan and to resist any attempt at re-deployment from Iraq. Perhaps a bit of "cold-eye realism," beginning with the fact that more than one million Iraqis have died as a result of the US occupation, should be employed by the anti-war movement as we begin the process of challenging an Obama presidency whose military policy has started off sounding a lot like a re-hashed version of George W. Bush.
A Statement by the NYC Local of the Socialist Party USA socialistpartynyc@gmail.com
Mass transportation is more than a public service. Metropolitan Transit Authority buses and subways are vital pathways which stitch together New York City's diverse communities. Eliminating or even limiting service effectively isolates sections of the city from one another. The M8 line - a bus line currently under threat of elimination - in Greenwich Village is a perfect example of the integrative function of transport.
There is currently only one way to travel from the East to West Village - the M8 bus. Each day, thousands of the neighborhood's elderly, schoolchildren and working people rely on this bus. While heading to their destinations these passengers are, mostly unknowingly, contributing to the environmental health of the community by sharing transport instead of employing fleets of carbon-dioxide producing cabs or vans for individual rides. Few of these travelers ever make the entire trip across the Village. Most use the bus as a link to one of the system's more efficient underground subway lines.
Though large in size and in budget, NYC's transport system is still relatively underdeveloped. Much of the new construction dedicated to the expansion and extension of subway lines was suspended during the fiscal crisis of the 1970s. Buses have been used as low-cost alternative means to supplement subways as dense urban communities spread beyond the established subway lines. Buses such as the M8 are essential to making the system flow. Their elimination opens the door for the operation of informal vans operated by low wage and non-union workers which will increase the congestion on City streets. The proliferation of van service also threatens the environment as dozens of inefficient vehicles replace one, often green-fueled, bus line. For many, especially the disabled and elderly, cutting the M8 will place serious limitation on their mobility. Community isolation and environmental destruction are the only outcomes of this budget cut.
Since 1998, the office of Socialist Party USA has been located in Greenwich Village . We stand in solidarity with our neighbors and call for the MTA to remove its proposal to eliminate the M8. NYC transportation should be a funding priority. Instead of cut-backs we should be discussing serious proposals to make the system greener and more extensive. In our general statement about the proposed budget cuts, we outline measures which can be implemented immediately to close budget deficits without budget reductions. We understand the struggle to save the M8 as one part of the larger battle to stop the cuts. Working together, activists in the education, healthcare, social services and transport sectors can raise their voices against cutbacks while also beginning to develop alternative progressive visions for New York City in 21st century.
Save the M8! Stop the Budget Cuts! Tax the Rich to Clean Up Their Mess! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Come to the Budget Cut Forum:
Sunday Jan. 11th 1:00 pm Rally for Gaza Times Square (42nd and 7th) (1,2,3,N,R to 42nd Street)
Sunday January 11th 5:00 pm Free Movie Screening and Discussion "Paradise Now" AJ Muste Institute 339 Lafayette St. [at Bleecker] New York, NY (6 to Bleecker / D, F to B'way-Lafayette; [R to Prince]) Join the Socialist Party NYC local for a viewing and discussion of Paradise Now. Paradise Now (Arabic: ÇáÌäøÉ ÇáÂä) is a 2005 film directed by Hany Abu-Assad about two Palestinian men preparing for a suicide attack in Israel. It won a Golden Globe for best foreign language film and was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category. "The film is an artistic point of view of that political issue," Abu-Assad said. "The politicians want to see it as black and white, good and evil, and art wants to see it as a human thing." www.going.com/paradisenow
A Statement of the National Action Committee of the Socialist Party USA
The Socialist Party USA unequivocally condemns the ongoing Israeli military offensive against the people of Gaza. We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all sides and an immediate end to the blockade of the Gaza strip. We encourage US citizens to assist the process of peace in the region by demanding that the US government end all military aid to Israel and other Middle Eastern governments.
The Israeli military is involved in a massacre of the people of Gaza. More than one million people are trapped in the region, penned in by the Israeli Defense Forces on one side and the Egyptian military on the other. Over the past few days, more than 400 people have been killed and thousands more injured as a result of Israeli military aggression. This has resulted in a massive humanitarian crisis which has put the entire population of Gaza at risk. Today, Gaza City is a squalid ghetto under attack by overwhelming military force intent on the inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian people “to the bitter end.”
The present humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip is only a one moment in a history of Israeli state terrorism directed at the Palestinian population. Features of this conflict include arbitrary seizures of Palestinian land, destruction of homes, and the criminalization and physical expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. This process must be ended immediately. The Socialist Party USA believes that the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be reached through violence. The politics of terror and militarization tend to reduce the social space available for popular movements to develop. The Socialist Party USA therefore supports Israelis and Palestinians who are working toward a peaceful, equitable solution and we encourage collaborative organizing across national and ethnic borders.
The Socialist Party USA also believes that the US government is directly responsible for funding the militarization of the region and giving political cover to the overwhelming use of force by the state of Israel. Many of the tanks, planes, and helicopters, being used against the Palestinian people have been paid for with US taxpayer’s money. Indeed, tens of billions of dollars has been delivered to the state of Israel and Egypt in the form of military aid. The US government has provided political support in various international organizations, including the United Nations, for the Israeli state regardless of the illegality or illegitimacy of its actions. Added to this, is the continued occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan by the US military which has resulted in a massive death toll and has served to justify the use of military force.
The Socialist Party USA believes that residents of the United States have an important role to play in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We have a responsibility to build popular movements which aim to end the US government’s “special relationship” with Israel and which call for an end to the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. All forms of non-violent protest should be employed in this effort including divestment campaigning which features boycotts of corporations that openly support Israel. Internationally, the Socialist Party USA seeks to support popular forces throughout the Middle East who are working towards building democratic secular societies. Democratic Socialism, with its emphasis on international solidarity and human rights, offers the possibility of moving beyond the occupier’s logic of violence, criminalization and oppression.
No to Israeli Military Aggression! End the Siege of Gaza! For the Free Association of all People’s of the Middle East! End the Occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan!
-- Check Out The Socialist Party On Line, By Phone, or By Mail: http://www.spnyc.org http://www.myspace.com/socialistpartyusa_nyc http://counterhegemonic.blogspot.com/
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