We Need a Nonviolent Revolution: Resist in March

[davidswanson]

By Malachy Kilbride & Pete Perry, Washington Peace Center

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."
~Mahatma Gandhi

"Many ask: What is the sense of our small effort? They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time."
~Dorothy Day

This year, 2008, brings us all to a crossroads where decisions need to be made and responsibilities borne by the people who care about a peaceful world built with justice. However, this crossroads is not about the electoral choices of this election year.

We are about to pass from five years of war and occupation into our sixth year of the illegal Iraq War. We have worked long and hard to end this crime against peace. We have written, faxed, e-mailed and lobbied, we have marched and demonstrated, signed petitions and held vigils, and yet this illegal military occupation of Iraq continues.

http://resistinmarch.org




Recent public opinion polls have shown about 70 percent of our fellow citizens want the war and occupation to end. However Congress continues to fund it! Our elected representatives are not responsive to our calls for peace, for a more just future for our country, for an end to war and a halt to the erosion of our civil liberties.

The election of 2006 has shown us that those we have entrusted with ending the war and occupation of Iraq have relinquished their constitutional responsibilities but have actively supported the Bush Administration's illegal war and fear mongering.

In 2007, thousands of people across America engaged in nonviolent civil resistance to the "War OF Terror" and our government's illegal and inhumane use of torture. Most were arrested in these actions, and many went to trial. However, this resistance movement needs to grow and be supported -- as those risking arrest are often the same dedicated souls, now nearing jeopardy with their homes and jobs. Please don't thank us, we are past that point -- we need you to join us!


http://resistinmarch.org




The choices and responsibilities concern our duty to actively make the world we want come into being.
Many of you have probably already considered it, but have worried about possible repercussions of being arrested. You need not worry, we initially had this reaction too, but we chose to engage in acts of nonviolent resistance to war-making and oppression because we felt it was our duty, our role.

We have faith that you can also come to that same decision. Acting in a peaceful direct action with your brothers and sisters is an incredible act of solidarity and is extremely empowering.

This year there have already been numerous nonviolent civil resistance arrests, most recently inside and outside of the U.S. Supreme Court. Here, 82 activists said enough was enough after six years of the Guantanamo gulag.

These actions have been effective, but not yet successful. This year, it is imperative that greater numbers engage in peaceful direct action against violent misuse of power in our names. Otherwise we will have continued war, occupation, misery, and injustices waged in our name. As Dr. King once said, "A time comes when silence is betrayal."


http://resistinmarch.org




We must not be fooled, lied to, and lulled into a false sense of security with hopes for a positive electoral outcome. We are faced with the reality that all of the leading presidential candidates support the war and continued occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan in one way or another. Furthermore, most candidates for office have not taken a stand against torture and for the restoration of Habeas Corpus.

In March many will come to Washington, DC to protest the five years of murder and destruction in Iraq. It will be five years since "shock and awe" diminished our nation's reputation around the globe, and expanded the wallets of war profiteers. Meanwhile, approximately 1 million Iraqis have been killed since March 2003, and 3,940 U.S. service personnel have been sent to their deaths due to a pack of lies. We invite you to join us in March by joining large acts of nonviolent civil resistance to immoral governmental and corporate warmongering ways, and to demand peace and justice for all!

Now at this crossroads, we the people must decide to take action to right the wrongs that have been perpetrated for so many years now. This is our responsibility. Our duty is not to wait for a November election but to actively pursue peace and the world built with justice for all people.


http://resistinmarch.org





The Washington Peace Center (www.washingtonpeacecenter.org) will be taking the lead in organizing nonviolent direct action trainings in March around these mobilizations. Students from the organization Our Spring Break (www.ourspringbreak.org) will be coming to Washington to participate. We also need you!

There will be nonviolent direct actions on March 12 and March 19 in DC! Come be a part of history, come help us begin to bring about change in our time; let us help build a more just and peaceful tomorrow.



http://resistinmarch.org

[wundermaus]

1. boycott

minimalism... it's all we have left to fight with... peacefully.

[beezlebum]

2. "Most were arrested in these actions, and many went to trial"

and with the brand spankin new Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 (HR 1955), many more will be arrested (geez- how many of these fascist bills do they have to pass before they can just lock any resistance up forever?) and labeled domestic terrorists, thanks to RAND in cooperation with Democrat Jane Harman of CA. this one even takes care of "thought crime."

good op on it--> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-w-whitehead/are-you-a-homegrown-terro_b_82935.html

[lonestarnot]

3. We are really over, hoping we can recover from over.

[Echo In Light]

4. "No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible" - Voltaire

[beezlebum]

5. rock bottom

a friend of mine was relating her life story to my concern about a close relative who has a drinking/drug problem. she said, "you have to let him hit rock bottom, he won't snap out of it until he does."

i always kind of felt the same way about this country- once it gets to the point where teh cabal (and i no longer refer merely to bushco when i say that) is brazenly breaking international law, not even attempting to really justify it in a coherent manner, i thought for sure, hey, we've definitely hit rock bottom, no way people are going to continue wanting for despotism.

i don't guess that applies, however, to the collapse of democracy. state sanctioned torture- i honestly would have thought that would be it. i would have thought americans would have not wished to stoop to such a level, that they would see at the very least, if not the impact on hyuman rights, but potential consequences for themselves. nope.

talk about grand disillusion on my part.

[lonestarnot]

6. And the sad part is only a small fraction realize what they are living with and under and go

about their merry bliss as though they were free. I would offer that the illusion is overriding the delusion.

[RFKJrNews]

8. Yes, under that draconian law, Dr. King would be a terrorist

And all who marched on Washington would be enemy combatants.

Isn't that niiiiiice?:)

Remember, your government loves you and that We The Children should be seen and not heard.


(Edited to add link)
"IS AMERICA A FASCIST NATION?"
http://rfkin2008.wordpress.com/2008/01/31/op-ed-is-america-a-fascist-nation/

[davidthegnome]

7. I'm not sure if I believe

Not sure if I believe that nonviolent revolution will change anything. Our voices are silenced or ignored, the Government and the MSM put their own spin on everything. Hell, I'm not even sure who to trust anymore, and how many people really are?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating a violent revolution... I'm not that kind of fighter. But ultimately, it may be the only thing that works. We lack leadership, organization, and most importantly of all, attention. The MSM is bought and paid for - and those who speak against it, or against the corporations are labelled conspiracy theorists.

What I sense, more than anything else, is a feeling of overwhelming apathy and hopelessness - and I am guilty of the same feelings. Times have changed, Gandhi is long dead, Martin Luther King, JFK, his brother.

I'll vote democrat because I believe we have the lesser of two evils, but I believe I would be fooling myself if I thought Obama, or Clinton would do the right thing. How much blood, how many lives has our complacency cost us? How many have already gathered in the streets to protest? Does the MSM EVER accurately report the numbers, or the sentiment?

I hate war, I despise violence, but I'm not sure I believe we will bring about any change through peaceful revolution. If you're surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves, do you ask them not to eat you? Hold up a sign in protest? Maybe my comparison is far fetched... and I'm not trying to offend anyone who does believe in peaceful revolution, it is a noble thing. But I do not believe that today it will be effective.

I'm incredibly jaded, I'm sick of all the nonsense, we have no real direction, and no real unity, precious little leadership. Even most of us who realize to some extent what's going on, are too busy fighting amongst each other to come to any firm conclusions. We'll play one side against another while the almighty power of the corporate dollar remains in control.

Tell me... have any of our leaders, democrat or otherwise, apologized for this tragedy we forced upon Iraq? For this "pre-emptive" strike that has cost the lives of so many thousands of innocent people? Have they apologized to our military for leading them into this farce of a war? Or does the blood continue to spill while our politicians eagerly debate "how long it will take" to get out?

Do any of you trust that the leaders of 2008 will tell us the truth? That these promises they are making us will be fulfilled? Even if we do beat McCain. Who will rip up that mis-named disgrace they call the "patriot act" and burn it to ashes? How many of our leaders have so much as commented on it? Who has spoken openly of the blatant spitting on (or shitting on, if you prefer) of our constitution? Of our civil rights?

None of them will do these things, lest they be known as conspiracy theorists, much like what they considered "heretics" in the past.

I'm just tired of all the nonsense, of getting my hopes up that something good will happen, something meaningful that will open eyes and make lasting change. I'm searching for something to believe in, that some greater good could come of it all. But I don't have much hope. I don't believe my voice, or yours, or the voices of thousands, even millions, will even be listened to in Washington. The majority remains complacent, and that complacency has cost us much more than I think any of us will ever know.

Sorry for my long rant, I'm just frustrated. Not sure what, or who to believe anymore.

[RFKJrNews]

9. What David said

goes for me, too.

I've always believed in peaceful movements to bring about change, but as a student of history, I also know that sometimes governments don't "get the memo" until they have a bayonet pointed up their noses. Or the business end of a sword shoved up their arses!

The abuses we have stood by and allowed to happen over the years makes me wonder just how much more it will take before we storm the Bastille?

See you on the barricades, David.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. 
[link:www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html|Click
here] to review the message board rules.

[balantz]

11. The truth of it is

that they have won. The corporations that profit from war on terra have won.

They own all of the media, at least the media that 99% of Americans watch.

They own all of our federal representatives, with a rare and noble exception or two.

They own all of the guns. And don't get any ideas...there's no chance there, if you know what I mean.

And the bastards have manufactured a way to own our beloved Constitution.

They have sheepled us, and now all we can do is bleet.

But don't bleet too loudly now, or you WILL be rounded up to the pen.

ALL HAIL THE PIGS IN WOLF CLOTHING!!!

[Independent_Liberal]

13. So the best thing to do is give up?

Is that the patriotic thing to do? Silence=Complicity and Approval

[paparush]

12. MLK vs GWB

Throw in Ghandi and MalcomX for good measure.

We could march, and sit, and sing, and petition for years..and these criminals in charge now wouldn't give a rat's ass.

I was in DC one year ago. I was part of the mass of humanity that assembled to make our voices heard on the heals of the historic 2006 mid term elections.

Know what....same shit, different day.



I agree w/ some of the other posters on this thread. We have to stop consuming. And when that fails..its time to drop the 'non'.

[PeteinDC]

14. Why is there so much cynicism?

It is time to believe in our power collectively to effect change.

Like Malachy and I stated in what we wrote -- the answer is not with the politicians.
It's with us. Following is a detailed response I wrote for someone 22 years younger than me, whose memory does not extend before Reagan...

It is essential to reach younger folks as the movement for peace and
social justice moves into a more protracted and serious phase. Many
younger folks are jumping for joy at the idealism and hope of the
Obama campaign, but as Malachy and I stated the answers to the
tragedies and disarray in this country and the multitude of horrors
our government has inflicted on others, does not lie with continuing
to be deferential to the powers that be. We must go far, far beyond
simply voting.

While I am glad to see the idealism alive, I wonder if it's not at
least partially misplaced. I firmly believe that the hope lies within
the people. The people of good conscience, who will not swallow the
lies and soak up the fearmongering dished out by not only the
politicians but a corporately controlled media.

Ben makes some good points, and I would also like to point out that on
March 12th and 19th a couple hundred students will be taking part in
the actions in D.C. (www.ourspringbreak.org). Perhaps they are trying
to harvest their own "organic memories" of nonviolent direct action.
Perhaps the war and military occupation will not be stopped at that
moment, but I believe the movement will have grown. And, I think Ben
and I would agree, the movement needs to continue to grow and be
supported in order to ultimately be successful.

It took years of struggle for Vietnam to be ended -- and that was
before my time. My introduction to nonviolent civil resistance (which
is different from nonviolent civil disobedience -- see below) was
during the anti-apartheid movement of the mid-80s when I was a
teenager. It was during this time that I went to weekly protests in
front of the South African Embassy, we were mourning the death of
Steven Biko and other great leaders like him -- and demanding the
release from prison of Nelson Mandela. I saw the mayor, Harry
Belafonte, Danny Glover and many others being arrested for simply
walking to the door of the South African Embassy (our permitted spot
was about a block away). I am convinced worldwide pressure certainly
helped in the dismantling of the Apartheid State.

While it is true that many students today can't remember a time when
nonviolent direct action resulted in change, that does not mean that
positive change can't be had through these types of actions. While
nonviolent civil disobedience in the times of Gandhi and Rosa Parks
was extremely successful, this does not mean that human nature has
changed that much from 1947, or 1957, or even 1967 during Vietnam. We
are still all the same species, capable of great love and great hate.

While some maybe highly cynical of our actions, we must continue. In
fact, we have little choice. And ultimately if enough people believe
in their own power -- rather than waiting for the next election, they
will be successful. Recent success stories have included the
nonviolent revolution in Bolivia

From a Reason Magazine article:

"Nonviolent resistance, Schock reminds us, is not the same thing as
"passive resistance." It's a set of tactics, not a politically correct
lifestyle; it's aimed not at persuading leaders to change their
policies, but at making it impossible to enforce those policies. Gene
Sharp has been cataloging those tactics for decades, listing 198 of
them in 1973's three-volume study The Politics of Nonviolent Action
and citing several more since then. They fall into three general
categories: methods of protest and public persuasion (e.g., a march),
of organized noncooperation (e.g., a tax strike), and of "nonviolent
intervention" (e.g., a land occupation). Contrary to the conventional
wisdom, such methods have frequently worked under repressive
dictatorships as well as under relatively benign systems; many times
they've succeeded where guerilla tactics have failed. In 23 of those
31 rebellions, from Bolivia to Bulgaria and from Mongolia to Mali, the
uprising contributed directly to regime change.

And that statistic understates what has happened, since it focuses on
the most visible sort of success. More substantial changes can occur
without the government formally changing hands. Of the recent
turbulence in Latin America, the most interesting event may be the
revolt of the Bolivian Indians. They were the backbone of the protests
that drove President Sanchez de Lozada out of power in 2003, and of
the more recent turmoil as well, but that's not what I'm referring to
here. I'm referring to the fact that about a fifth of the country's
population now lives in villages that run their own affairs, outside
of the capital's control. This power was not ceded to them. They
simply took it."

The article also states that the number of nonviolent revolutions
worldwide actually increased during the last portion of the 20th
century. Here's the URL: http://www.reason.com/news/show/34036.html

I do think that fear is a motivator for people not wishing to risk
arrest. But Ben is absolutely right, it's not the only one. My hope is
that folks will come together in solidarity and begin to working
toward a more just and peaceful future, it's time to stop doubting our
own power to act collectively.

And about the difference between civil disobedience and civil
resistance: Civil disobedience is about specifically breaking unjust
laws in order to highlight them and draw greater criticism of their
inhumane and immoral nature. Civil resistance, and the other hand, is
usually aimed at a wider set of governmental policies/practices. It's
never about breaking the law with nonviolent civil resistance, rather
we are trying to highlight the crimes committed by the government,
thereby holding up what many have referred to as higher laws --
whether they be "God's laws," or international laws such as Nuremberg
and the Geneva Conventions. So laws maybe broken during nonviolent
civil resistance, but that is never the primary goal.

Ie: Resisting Jim Crow or Boston tea party or even war tax resistance
-- nonviolent civil disobedience.
374 of us on September 26, 2005 calling for an end to the Iraq War or
the popular uprising in Bolivia this decade -- nonviolent civil
resistance.

I look forward to many more conversations about the power of
nonviolent direct action. And I think we are all students, as Joy put
it.

pax,
Pete

[Echo In Light]

15. Students don't "remember" that time as there are so few adults who are living examples of activism

[Zorra]

16. kick