US occupation of Iraq: Time for some more Civil Disobedience

[Russell Kanning]

It is wrong for the US government to be killing people in Iraq to expand its empire.

In order to not cooperate with these actions it seems good to not fight on behalf of the federal government ..... and to not pay taxes to fund the thugs ...... and to talk with people/hold signs/demonstrate against the evil.

Most people in America don't serve in the military .... and would not join to kill Iraqis.
Most of those people pay taxes to the Feds .... but a growing number will not pay for such activities.
Many people openly talk about how wrong it is to occupy Iraq and to kill people there.

I have been thinking about what else I can do as an individual to stop the worst evil in the world today (government and its killing/imprisoning/enslaving). Beyond not participating, not funding, and openly talking .... it is time to provoke the federal government with civil disobedience.

[Russell Kanning]

I want to plan acts of civil disobedience aimed at the federal government, here on the underground forum. What ideas do you guys have?

I would love it if others joined me right away, but for now we can plan for acts that just include one person. It would also be preferable if they took place in my town of Keene.

[Russell Kanning]

I like what the CodePink ladies have been doing over the last year or so
http://www.troopshomefast.org/article.php?list=type&type=144
but fasting for peace is not my thing.

I have to be a little more aggressive than that.

[Russell Kanning]

Sectarian Flames

by Joshua Frank
by Joshua Frank

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It was just last month when President Bush assured the world that the situation in Iraq was dramatically improving. Sectarian tensions were going to relax as a result of Zarqawi?s overly publicized death. As Bush put it bluntly, the death of Zarqawi served as "an opportunity for Iraq's new government to turn the tide in this struggle." But it?s becoming painfully evident that Zarqawi, like Saddam?s illusive WMDs, was just another creation of the US propaganda machine.

There were other times the White House attempted to paint the chaos in Iraq in a positive light. Remember when US armed forces annihilated Saddam?s wretched sons Oday and Qusay? Or how about when they captured Saddam and promised things were starting to look up? At best these token events only served as minor diversions for most of the US media, not unlike the alleged thwarting of a terrorist attack on the Holland Tunnel in New York did late last week.

Over the weekend, Sunni and Shi?ite militias were said to be responsible for the deaths of more than 60 Iraqi civilians while injuring dozens more. Just another tranquil weekend in the streets of Baghdad. Rarely do we hear reports of what?s going on outside the Green Zone, where the ethnically driven civil war is believed even worse.

On June 6, shortly before Zarqawi?s death, the infamous blogger behind "Baghdad Burning" reported; "There?s an ethnic cleansing in progress and it?s impossible to deny. People are being killed according to their ID card ... We hear about Shia being killed in the ?Sunni triangle? and corpses of Sunnis named ?Omar? (a Sunni name) arriving by the dozen at the Baghdad morgue. I never thought I?d actually miss the car bombs. At least a car bomb is indiscriminate. It doesn?t seek you out because you?re Sunni or Shia."

Unfortunately, political opposition to the war is weak here in the United States. Washington supports an ongoing occupation, if it can even be called such a thing these days. Dissent is all but dead in DC, where candidates so-often flex their foreign policy muscle in fear that they?ll be looked at as soft on terror.

But how could anyone reasonably argue that things were worse with Saddam at the helm? Iraq under US control is far more violent and malicious. Not that the US has any sort of legitimate control over the large country. In fact, the US is now just one of many armed militias in Iraq, truly unable to contain the exponentially increasing sectarian warfare. Every reservation critics of the war put on the table before the invasion is now coming true. Iraq is unwinnable, and the bloodshed is only being exacerbated by the presence of US military.

No matter how many troops the US and its allies shovel at the ever-growing sectarian flames, the fighting is sure to spread. The US military is only fueling the fire. And if there were ever a reason why the troops should be brought home immediately, this would be it.

July 11, 2006

Joshua Frank [send him mail] is the author of Left Out!: How Liberals Helped Reelect George W. Bush, just published by Common Courage Press. You can order a copy at a discount through Josh?s blog.

[Caleb]

more cowbell? 

[Caleb]

my idea is that we could get a group of people to stand in front of the recruitment office (before it opens) and refuse to move ...

[aries]

Get a bunch of people to enlist in the military under the names of killed soldiers?

Have an NHFREE vacation to DC where we all dress like dead Iraquis and sit on the steps of the capital building or some memorial?

those are just 2 ideas I'll post any I think of later tomorrow.

[Russell Kanning]

Those sound like good ideas for you to do.

[Russell Kanning]

July 12, 2006

Hello to all the fasters to Bring the Troops Home Now!

This is Ann Wright, one of the most unlikely fasters in the world. I am a 29 year retired Army Colonel and a US diplomat who resigned from the State Department in March 2003 in opposition to the war in Iraq. In my 35 years of US government service, I never thought I would be fasting for anything, but here I am?and here you are!!!!!

I am writing on Day 8 from the encampment in front of the White House. We are here from 10am to 7pm each day to sit as witness in front of the People?s House to tell the Bush administration that we demand that the war on Iraq end and that our troops be brought home now. After 8 days on the fast we want to check in with all you fasters, no matter if you fasted for one day or are still fasting after 8 days. In this letter, I will share with you what's happening in DC, and how you can take part in the Troops Home Fast from your city, or join us in DC.

We have fifteen longer term fasters (two weeks or more) at the White House who are drinking mostly water with a little juice or Gatorade (or another electrolyte supplement). A few of those fasters are drinking only water but are watching their physical and emotional conditions closely. We have a circle each morning and evening to discuss how we feel and pass on any tips for fasting that we have heard during the day. We are amazed that we don?t feel hungry and have remarkable energy for having not eaten for days.

Doing this fast in front of the White House makes us feel good. At lunch and dinner times we walk with our banners to the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue, get on the bullhorn and talk to the White House, asking what George and Laura are having for their meals while we fast for peace. The many American and international tourists are quite amazed that we have fasted for so long. So far we have had no response from the White House.

Our on-site fasting gurus, Dick Gregory, Diane Wilson and Jane Jackson, give us moral support and practical advice. Dick Gregory, who has done 70 fasts for social issues over the past 40 years, suggests that a faster drink a combination of one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, one tablespoon of molasses or dark maple syrup in one cup of water with a dash of cayenne pepper. He says one should drink a gallon of water each day and should not do any unnecessary exercise as the fast continues as one needs to conserve one?s energy for the long fast instead of short term events.

Diane Wilson continues to be an inspiration with her fasts for environmental and political issues. Jane Jackson, from her motorized wheelchair, has done fasts with Cesar Chavez and Dick Gregory and gives us historical perspectives of social justice issues from Washington to California. Jane just returned to her home in Oakland, California, where she plans to continue her fast outside the Federal Building. We would like to invite you to continue to take action to bring our Troops Home Fast! In the box below, we've listed some of the ways you can support the fast:

Take Further Action to Bring the Troops Home Fast!

With your help, the Troops Home Fast will be an effective nonviolent resistance action that will galvanize public support--and make legislators take action--to stop the war in Iraq!

Plan a Public Fast: Please consider creating a public fast in your city or town. We can help you connect with other people who signed up to fast and live in your area, and we can help you plan a local Troops Home Fast action. Consider planning a public fast once a week outside your Congressperson's office, a military recruiting center, a military base, or a public place with a lot of foot traffic. To add your event to our online calendar and find tips for planning a local action, click here.

Voters for Peace Campaign: Build the peace movement by gathering signatures on the Voters for Peace Pledge. Click here to download a printable Voters for Peace sign up sheet. Collect signatures, mail them to our office, and grow our peace activist list!

Join Us in DC: We plan to keep our fast going outside the White House until September 21, International Day of Peace, and we need your help to make that happen! You can join us as a faster, or as supporter, assisting the fasters, planning actions, and doing outreach. For more info about our DC fast, including the schedule and housing board, click here and email dc@codepinkalert.org.

Messages of Support: If you would like to send us a message of support, please email info@codepinkalert.org. You can read some of the solidarity messages we?ve received by clicking here.

Report Back: Upload photos, news article links, and report-backs of your actions. Report back and photo uploading tools are available on the www.troopshomefast.org. Send us your blogs by emailing writing and photos to webmistress@codepinkalert.org.  If you have questions or ideas about the Troops Home Fast, let us know! Call or email us at (415) 994-1723 or rae@codepinkalert.org.

We've had lots of visitors and supporters in front of the White House. One fellow rode his bike from Mount Vernon (about 20 miles) with three dozen roses to give to us. Several others have brought water and others financial donations to keep the logistics of the fast going. A fellow who was lucky to have Gandhi stop and play with him when he was one year old stopped by our camp at Lafayette Park in front of the White House and told us that "Hunger is Power." That prompted one of the fasters, Jesse, to write a beautiful song called Hunger is Power, which has become our theme song.

We've gotten phone calls of support from all over the country and people are joining our fast from all over the world. One person from Sweden began fasting on July 4 with us and reminded us of one of Gandhi?s sayings: ?One ounce of practice is worth tons of theories." We hope all of you long-term fasters are doing well, but do check in with your doctor if you are feeling any signs of distress.

Peace from in front of the White House!

Love,

Ret. Col. Ann Wright and the DC Fasters for Troops Home Fast

[Marcy]

my idea is that we could get a group of people to stand in front of the recruitment office (before it opens) and refuse to move ...

...how about sitting on prayer rugs?

[TackleTheWorld]

I'm with you on the cause - stopping wars and imperialism.
I'm with you on the target - fed government.
I'm with you on the town - Keene.
I'm with you on the attitude - can't bear to stand still while evil is progressing.
I'm with you on the time frame - in the next month.

The location, though, would you consider the IRS office?

It's also at a busy intersection and more hated than a recruiting office.

[Russell Kanning]

The location, though, would you consider the IRS office?

It's also at a busy intersection and more hated than a recruiting office.

My first choice would be a federal building. The IRS office above the post office is the closest thing we have. I like the idea.

[JonM]

Not for nothing, but it irks me when people accuse the U.S. of imperialism and empire building.  WE SUCK AT IT.  If we were really doing those things we would be sucking Iraq dry of oil to prop up our oil-dependent economy.  We would have heavy military strength arrayed along the entire oil extraction and distribution system, with just enough soldiers elsewhere to keep anyone from mounting a heavy attack against our oil interests there.

Our foreign policy isn't crafted by geniuses bent on empire building, it's crafted by idiots who think they are trying to do the right thing, mixed with a few idiot empire builders who think the Iraqi people will like us when this is over and let us have a few bases there, mixed in with idiots who think you can stuff square democracy pegs through round middle east country holes.  And we all know you can get the square peg through the round hole if you just pound it hard enough for long enough.

All that said, they're dangerous idiots, we just shouldn't paint them as much more than that.  We would be well if the rest of the country who agreed with us on that would get off their asses and demand some accountability.

[Russell Kanning]

So do you want to join me and say that to people?

"I will not cooperate with dangerous idiots."

[Dreepa]

It can irk you that the US is trying to build an empire... but that is what they are trying to do.