WHY LEFTISTS SHOULD WORK WITH INDIVISIBLE

                                                                    

Opinions among leftists about working with Indivisible vary, with some arguing that it is a "Democratic front group" that should be shunned, while others see the large demonstrations and want to work with local organizers to help build a more powerful antiwar movement at the grassroots level. Count me in with the latter group. If local organizers of Indivisible chapters are not following the dictates of national leaders, then being a part of it means that we might be able to influence how they operate.

Indivisible's national leadership failed to mention Gaza when they organized folks across the country for their Hands Off event, but Palestine was definitely represented. People showed up in large numbers around the country wearing keffiyehs and carrying Palestinian flags and signs that said "Hands off Gaza." Antiwar organizers could not possibly have mustered by ourselves the kinds of crowds that brought out local press coverage everywhere. It was an opportunity not to be missed.

Clearly, protesting at occasional large events isn't enough to build an effective antiwar movement, but it does provide opportunities for organizing. Folks who come out with signs, shirts and flags indicating that the issue is important to them can meet each other and make plans to meet later to organize together. Attendees who focus on the suggestions of national leadership about what to protest are reminded of the ongoing genocide, even if they weren't encouraged to protest it. This can lead to more fruitful conversations that could lead to more volunteers to work on Palestine solidarity. Finally, VFP and other veteran group members can talk to fellow veterans and encourage them to join their organization and work on the wider issue of ending war.

An even more effective tactic than showing up at another organization's event is to work directly with local organizers to put the issue of war a part of their protests. In Eugene and Corvallis, OR, members of Party for Socialism and Liberation have done just that. They had  a seat at the table in determining programming at large events. At the Hands Off event in Eugene, half the speakers focused on Palestine and the genocide in Gaza despite the fact it wasn't on the list of causes to protest recommended by Indivisible national leadership. At No Kings III in Corvallis, there were speakers from PSL and other leftist groups that they selected. That is how I was invited to speak there.

As you can see in the above video, I used the opportunity to criticize the national leadership of Indivisible as well as that of the Democratic Party. I contrasted their failure to oppose the genocide or effectively oppose the war in Iran to the efforts of the local leaders to include antiwar voices, and pointed out (as did the PSL speakers) that support for war is one issue that has bipartisan support. I was called "courageous" by some for merely pointing out the elephant in the room, but the response from the crowd was overwhelmingly positive. In fact, I was invited to speak to a meeting of an Indivisible chapter in Linn County by one of their leaders who had watched the video.

There is a difference between confronting an issue and being confrontational. To confront merely means to face it. The only way to fix a problem is to name it so that everyone needed to find a solution knows what it is. To be confrontational means to antagonize those who disagree with you. That never convinces those who do not already agree with you. We need to make this struggle biparstisan.

As a growing number of Americans realize, simply replacing Trump with another member of the War Party who happens to be a Democrat will not solve the systemic issues that led to his election. It won't even bring us back to the pre-Trump status quo, because there is no returning now. The international order as well as the American economy is irreversibly changed. We have the opportunity and the duty to educate the public about the root cause of the genocide and the immensely unpopular war against Iran. In a word, the problem is imperialism.

American acceptance of imperialism under the rubric of a "rules-based order" has led not only to supporting Israel's genocide and 7-front war, but the destruction of the American economy, which is about to undergo an unprecedented shock when the dollar ceases to be accepted as the world's reserve currency and nations turn away from Western financial institutions designed to profit the oligarchs in the US and around the world who see America and other nations of the imperium as prize targets for neoliberal transfer of wealth.

Fortunately, the spike in gas prices that is rekindling inflation has made a lot of Americans recognize that we are becoming the Empire's victims in a way that it previously treated only the Global South. The spike in gas prices is directly attributable to the decision to wage unprovoked war on Iran. Many know that the New York Times reported that Netanyahu's 1-hour presentation to Trump's war cabinet was "pivotal" in this decision.

Making the connection between the genocide in Gaza and the disastrous attack on Iran with support for Israel is a critical part of organizing resistance against the Empire. In making the case to Americans of both parties, it is important to make the connection between outrageous spending on wars for Israel, higher gas and food prices, destruction of the health care system, outrageous inequality, and all the other ills that Congress is not addressing.

All are related to the fact that the oligarchs who pull the levers of power in Washington are senior managers of a global corporate empire whose lust for power and control does not stop at the borders of the US. All veterans took an oath to defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We are trained to focus on our mission and not any differences we may have with one another. That's why we need to take the lead in making Americans of all political persuasions understand that those of differing political views are not the enemy. The Empire managers, and the injustices they perpetrate, are our real enemies,

Our mission is clear. 

PALESTINE WILL FREE US ALL

 

                                                                

                                                                   

There has been little news in the mainstream media recently about the increasingly dire situation in Gaza. The genocide has been overshadowed by the massive No Kings demonstrations, the courageous resistance to the brownshirt tactics of masked ICE agents used on immigrants and citizens alike and now, a war between Israel and Iran that could easily go nuclear.

Meanwhile, Israel’s pitiless assault on the civilian population of Gaza continues. The starvation has not ended. The bombing is relentless. There are daily reports of Israeli occupation forces and the mercenaries guarding the “humanitarian” food distribution points slaughtering desperate Palestinians seeking sustenance for their families. Even the lucky few who escape alive with supplies are denied the fuel or water needed to cook them with. Israel’s genocidal intent is obvious, yet Western media still cannot call this evil by its name.

Most joined the Palestinian solidarity movement in response to the genocide. Over 600 days later, it has now entered its final stage. No hope for an end is in sight. For some, it has become unbearable to continue to bear witness to the suffering.  It is understandable that they can no longer look at the horror, but we cannot unsee what we have witnessed.  We owe it to every Palestinian, living or dead, to continue the struggle to build our movement for Palestinian liberation. Furthermore, we owe it to our children and to future generations.

The outrage in response to the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestine has created an historical opportunity to free humanity. We have an obligation to seize it. Palestinian freedom and resistance to fascism in America are two aspects of the same cause: liberty and justice for all. It is estimated that 3.5% of Americans attended demonstrations on No Kings Day. Imagine the effect it would have had on fascists if half of them had been wearing keffiyehs!

In this moment, our only options are to continue the struggle for Palestinian freedom, recognizing that our own liberty depends on it, or to submit to the psychopaths who are behind the genocide and allow ourselves to become their next victims. They are already coming after us. We have seen their goons on the streets of LA, and campuses across the U.S.

Trump is not the cause of the decline of what passes for democracy in America. He is the result of it.  And he is right about one thing: The enemy is among us. They always have been. They are the economic elite. The plutocrats. The oligarchs. The globalists, who profit from war. The American aristocracy, in league with their counterparts abroad to monopolize the resources of the entire world. The self-styled Masters of the Universe. They are individuals so wealthy that their only goal in life is to acquire enough power to control us all.

They are people who have abandoned all that makes us human. Governments are the tools by which they wield their power, the U.S. being the center of an empire that aspires to world domination. They are psychopaths who hide behind corporate charters, having gained control of enough of the judicial system so that corporate executives have no personal accountability except for maximizing profit for Wall Street shareholders. Politicians are their tools, whether they are used wittingly or unwittingly.  The CIA, FBI and DHS work for them. To an alarming degree, so do the police.

Corporate control of the mainstream media has led to our being conditioned to think of war and other forms of violence as normal, even inevitable. It is not true. Violence is always a choice, and government violence serves a purpose for those who hold real power. We have been blinded to the nature of how power operates in this country, lulled by the false claim that we live in a democracy. We do not, and we never have.

The Constitution created a republic. We are told we live in a “representative democracy” but if that is true, who does Congress represent? The Bill of Rights was an afterthought. The principal purpose of the Constitution was to protect property rights, including the right to own humans. Now corporations are regarded as people with constitutional rights that are sacrosanct, while the civil rights of humans are trampled with the blessings of the Supreme Court.

The struggle must continue. As the darkness grows before we see the light, let us remember that King reminded us that we engage in this work out of love. When we let ourselves be overwhelmed by anger or depression, we forget that ultimately, it is compassion that brought us to the struggle. Compassion is a manifestation of love. We must keep that in mind as the violence of the oppressors and the suffering of their victims tests our ability to stay focused on why we have joined the resistance.

Paraphrasing Dr King, it has never been more apparent that tolerating injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. There will be no justice in the world until there is justice for Palestine. If you have only been an observer, now is the time to get active.

Normalize protesting genocide. Show up at demonstrations wearing a keffiyeh, regardless of the cause of the day. Have the courage to speak about what you know to those who don’t want to look for themselves or just wear a T-shirt or button expressing what you know to be true. Write letters to the editor if you are lucky enough to live where local newspapers still provide a public forum.

For humanity’s sake, just show up.