They Are the Same War

It was heartening to see the strong and quick response yesterday by activists around the country as they held protests in solidarity with those attacked by Nazi and Klan forces in Charlottesville.

In nearby Brunswick, Maine about 200 folks turned out on the town green for an event.  Some formed a circle singing songs and making statements while others stood along the busy Main Street with signs.  (You can see me with my sign above - last one on the left.)

While standing along the road I felt that our presence was important to send a strong message to the community that the bad behavior in Charlottesville by the fascists cannot be accepted for one second.

The quick turn around by Trump between yesterday and his 'corrected' statement today was an indication of the overwhelming national and international sentiment against this evil of domination and white supremacy.  Our national internal contradictions over genocide of native peoples, slavery, environmental onslaught, and global corporate colonization have always been at odds with the promise of America.  American 'exceptionalism' is a facade to hide corporate rule and at the present moment the people have begun to figure it out.  The problem now is what to do about it?

One thing I realized yesterday was that most of these good-hearted 200 folks in Brunswick won't ever turn out for a peace demonstration at Bath Iron Works - our local manifestation of the US imperial war program.

So if you accept the notion that things are fucked up here at home then how can you allow these same kinds of brutal fascist global domination policies to be used on Jeju Island, Guam, Ukraine, Okinawa, Sicily, Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen?  What role does human solidarity play in your consciousness?  Can't you make the strategic mental jump that allowing the war machine to flourish world-wide means it will also get stronger here at home?

They are the same war. Charlottesville is Ukraine.  Ferguson is Palestine.  Standing Rock is Jeju Island and Okinawa.

I come to several conclusions as I try to understand these contradictions in the thinking of so many 'progressives'.  (I find I can't call myself that anymore - I don't trust the word.  It has a hollowness to it.) 

Many progressives are locked into the Democratic party and are out doing mining operations for it - recruiting fired up and effective activists and trying to bring them into the party before the next elections.  Many new front groups are being created with money from George Soros, 'progressive foundations', and likely even CIA and/or Homeland Security funds are being used to internally direct the movement.  (Just tell the truth now - where did all those 'pink pussy hats' come from almost overnight?  Were they really hand-knitted or did most of them get flown in from China?)

One thing I've learned over the years is that internal subversion of our movements is indeed going on here in the US.  I came to track it better during the 2014 US directed coup in Kiev.  NGO's were set up and funded in Ukraine to help drive the issues that led to the coup.  These same operatives helped whip the masses into a fervor and delivered them directly into the waiting hands of US corporate interests.  That is all public information now - Victoria Nuland handing out bread to Ukrainians while working with Joe Biden, John McCain and the fascists inside the country.

For years I've asked fellow Americans - what makes you think we are so special that the government, Mr. Big, won't come after us someday?  Well that day has come and they will use the fascists here in the US as their front line storm troops as the oligarchy tries to hang onto power during inevitable imperial collapse.

Help accelerate the imperial take down by standing with those who are fighting Mr. Big in their intense struggles around the world.  Some have to fight the US colonizers with violence as a last resort.  Many others use non-violence because there is still some space to use that preferred organizing method.

I remember hearing Nelson Mandela say that the African National Congress (ANC) was committed to non-violence for many years but had to pick up arms to defend their people against the fascist and racist South African government attacks that Washington fully supported.  It was the same in Nicaragua and El Salvador back in the 1980-90's.  People always want to resolve conflicts non-violently but that is only possible if both sides are willing to seriously negotiate.

We have seen how the US negotiates - the Indians told us that the 'White man speaks with forked tongue'. Washington has always lied to steal land and resources from others and is doing the same thing around the world today.

So until the American left stands for true international solidarity it will be exceedingly difficult to get the US military boot off the necks of people overseas or here at home.

Bruce