My dear, faithful readers, I would like to draw your attention to two excellent pieces recently posted on the Commondreams website.
First, a short piece by Aimee Allison and David Solnit discounts electoral-based activity and argues that a strategic approach that identifies and targets the "pillars" of the war is the best possible course of action. Allison, an army vet. and conscientous objector, and Solnit, an experienced organizer who was heavily involved in both the 1999 WTO Seattle direct actions and the shut-down of San Francisco the day after the Iraq War began, point to the "people-power" mobilizations of late in Bolivia as an example of thoughtful and effective resistance.
Tom Hayden, a former student leader in the '60s and California state senator, advocates in a Nation piece for an essentially electoral strategy, thus diverging quite significantly from Solnit and Allison. Hayden suggests that peace activists should attempt to participate in the "527 committees" voter education drive on the condition that antiwar voices get a significant role in the overall campaign, using meeting and new contacts for long-term organizing. Like Allison and Solnit, however, Hayden uses the "pillars" analogy in articulating his strategic direction - their difference lies in their tactical commitments.
Posted: December 5, 2007 1:30 am by Joshua Jackson | 0 comments
Tags: antiwar, antiwar activism, Iraq, militarism, strategy, student activism
As I discussed in my first blog entry, counter-recruitment should be a logical and actually quite crucial tactical commitment by the antiwar movement. An effective ongoing counter-recruitment campaign would have several interdependent but distinct goals:
(1) Deny bodies to the killing machine. Even in an era of Predator drones and cruise missiles, the state is absolutely dependent upon real, live human beings to do its dirty work. It's our job to plug the works.
If we succeed, we force the state to make one of two uncomfortable choices: (a) reduce or withdraw its forces and thus weaken its ability to sustain its imperial presence; or (b) install a conscription regime, with the inevitable effect of creating resistance at home.
Of course, the military heavily invests in technology, and under the Rumsfeld doctrine, has commited itself to a long-term reduction in overall personnel. The Pentagon is most likely reconsidering this strategic direction, however, in the face of obvious strain and retention problems.
(2) Counter the culture of militarism. Through the necessary person-to-person contact, direct education/propaganda work, and visibility that comes with anti-recruitment organizing, the antiwar movement can bring alternative ideas and critiques to thousands of young people in schools and on campuses around the country. We should remind ourselves that the population is constantly bombarded with militarist propaganda and values, and that our interactions with students and young people may be the only time that they've ever been approached directly by peace activists.
This being said, here are links to some of the best counter-recruitment resources on the Web:
(1) The Iraq Veterans Against the War's "truth in recruiting" campaign. The site contains a few good leaflets and an incredibly clever tactical idea for counter-recruiting activists: "befriend a recruiter." The more time we spend disingenuously communicating with recruiters and jamming the works with false interest, the less time they have to chase actual leads. Ingenious!
(2) Perhaps the best CR site belongs to the National Network Opposing Militarization of Youth. Features subject and geographic contact listings of CR groups across the country, as well as pdfs of numerous leaflets, documents, and various resources.
(3) The American Friends Service Committee CR site also contains a great deal of useful pamphlets, leaflets, reports, etc.
Posted: November 27, 2007 10:33 pm by Joshua Jackson | 0 comments
Tags: antiwar activism, counter-recruitment, militarism, strategy, student activism
The author had the privilege of joining a silent and solemn procession of area students on Friday, November 16. Over a hundred students braved the chilly, windy weather and marched all the way from the Park St. station to the BU area, with a brief stop at the Armed Forces Recruitment Center on Buswell St. (near the St. Mary's T stop on the Green C line). Overall, the mood was good and I was quite heartened by the showing and spirit of the black-clad train of angry young students.
The action was undertaken in the spirit of the Iraq Moratorium called earlier this year. Video and photo documentation of the event was made by one of the more excellent and insightful "movement artists" of the area, Mr. John McIntosh. Thank you, John!
Posted: November 18, 2007 11:30 pm by Joshua Jackson | 0 comments
Tags: antiwar activism, student activism, student radicalism, Students for a Democratic Society
Students and young people of America, look west! Look to the people of Olympia for inspiration, look to Olympia for hope!
Members of the Olympia Port Militarization Resistance group of Olympia, Washington, took direct action Friday and actually successfully obstructed war shipments. Two articles by Grossman and Bohmer on the ZMag site describe the action,and a video posted to YouTube provides an exciting recording of these young Americans, who could teach a valuable lesson to the entire antiwar movement, if it were only willing to learn.
Ultimately, the movement will need to strategically undertake direct action if it ever wishes to concretely and effectively obstruct the war machine. Way to go, brave Olympians! You have set a shining example for us all!
Posted: November 12, 2007 11:03 pm by Joshua Jackson | 0 comments
Tags: antiwar, antiwar activism, direct action, militarism, protest, strategy, student activism, tactics
The last few years have witnessed the gradual resurrection of an old and storied student organization from the 1960s, Students for a Democratic Society. SDS organizers and activists were - and continue to be - at the heart of many social movements in the United States, and students across the country are attempting to revive the moribund student left with a firm vision of totalist politics and participatory democracy.
The Nation had an interesting article on this Lazurus-like development in April, and a website for the new SDS is up and running.
The most recent document to come out of the past summer's National Convention in Detroit is fascinating, and I daresay, inspiring and quite exciting. The Final Convention Bulletin also looks rather professionally-designed. Take the time to read it and stay tuned . . .
Posted: November 7, 2007 12:49 am by Joshua Jackson | 0 comments
Tags: antiwar activism, SDS, student activism, student radicalism, Students for a Democratic Society
