[O29] Proposal for 4th? 5th? Demand
gustavo
gustavo at espada.biz
Sat Oct 8 07:31:50 PDT 2005
not a demand perhaps, but a slogan is possible with different phrasing,
and its important to not focus solely on withdrawal, but the "then what"
as well. the fact i sthat the iraq occupation is a symptom of
militarism, a concept that is broad enough to appeal widely while still
being a meaningful bogeyman to promote in the public consciousness. the
character of militarism-- that it is sexist, racist, and homophobic,
should be highlighted in order to link up ideologically with liberals
not yet convinced of the war as a criminal enterprise that must be
stopped... if we combat sexism, racism, and homophobia in the military,
we may well return to the concept of national DEFENSE., and promote
security through humanitarian concern and action...
R Miller wrote:
> "Militarism reinforces racism, sexism, & homophobia" is not a demand.
>
> "US out of Iraq now" is a demand.
>
> "Militarism reinforces racism, sexism and homophobia" sounds like a
> topic of discussion. Or even a lecture series! Way too broad. Wording
> and specificity is important here.
>
> We could make it a demand if we pinpoint the most overt racism
> involved in this war --- the tarring of Muslims and "those people."
> (meaning brown middle-easterners)
> If we want to directly relate the matter to the war in Iraq, we should
> make it specific and make it match the other demands:
>
> from Ty de Pass, the list so far.... and his question about "clutter"
>
> ======================
> “directly related” to the conduct of the US war in Iraq as the
> existing 4—
> *Out Now;
> *End the Occupation;
> *Military Recruiters Out of Schools; and
> *Fund Human Needs, Not War and Occupation
> —so anything more is…clutter?
> =======================
>
> Given Bush's latest fearmongering hate speech, that particularly
> virulent form of racism could be the focus of an antiwar demand.
>
> *Stop the Racist Rhetoric.* (Start there and refine and expand the
> demand as needed.)
>
> If we want only 4 demands "Out now, End the Occupation" sounds like
> one demand.
> Or "End the Occupation of Iraq and Bring the Troops Home." Either way,
> one demand.
>
> The fourth demand, then, becomes denouncing the campaign against
> Muslims and middle eastern people. "Racist Rhetoric" could be replaced
> with "Racist Hate Speech" or "Race Baiting" or "Hate Campaign against
> an entire people." Or some even better wording. But the point is that
> it's directly related to this war, not all war and all military and
> all racism, and all sexism, etc, and it links directly back to Bush's
> current "justification" for the war.
>
> I know it leaves out torture, and unjust detentions, and many things,
> but it's something people can grasp instantly, and do something about
> themselves...it raises the issue of resisting the rhetoric and takes
> no greater effort than to learn to recognize it, speak out against it,
> and inform oneself and others.
>
> And it is a serious problem underlying what support there is for this
> war...the supporters really think they are "protecting" us from hordes
> of violent brown Muslims, and that they ALL drape their women and
> suicide bomb. So I think stopping the racist rhetoric should be a demand.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Oct 8, 2005, at 3:12 AM, Huibin Amelia Chew wrote:
>
> on following my train of thoughts to the end, one idea for a 4th
> demand/slogan is:
>
> "MILITARISM REINFORCES RACISM, SEXISM, & HOMOPHOBIA"
>
> the purpose of this slogan, while not concrete, would be to set the
> stage for the job of the event's speakers, who would then elaborate
> and help explain this theme. it would serve to set the tone and point
> direction of thought for the audience, while appealing to those who
> 'get it.' it would not be an outright "demand" and perhaps not such a
> cause of division or turning people away. the last bit is
> particularly appropriate given the queer rights protest we're allying
> with.
>
> unless it's so vague it's incomprehensible -- and if so, I invite
> creative suggestions for revision ("militarism reinforces racism,
> VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, & homophobia")
>
> the other option of handling these dimensions of analysis is a small
> grouping of more specific demands.
>
> really... must... sleep.
>
> -Amee
>
> An action coalition does not present an analysis through its
> demands.
> O29 is so diverse, to take one example, that it seems unlikely
> that it
> can present a coherent analysis of anything. It exists simply to
> organize an action. Its job is not analysis.
>
>
> this is hypocrisy. why do we bother to put out "statements" and
> "calls to action" then? why did we include an allusion linking
> Katrina to the war in a demand? I guess this is somehow not
> analytical, but empirical??!? all that for positivist "objectivity."
>
> For the action it needs a limited set of demands. The more
> demands
> there are and the wider their scope, the less focus the action
> will
> have.
>
>
> not necessarily. it depends how well the additional demands reinforce
> the central focus.
>
> To seek for the action coalition to develop an analysis of
> sexism and
> racism, for example, goes against its purpose as an action
> coalition.
>
>
> hypocrisy! and why do we bother to have any analysis at all then, for
> instance that the troops must be brought home now, that funds for war
> come at the expense of human needs?
>
> I have told you that I admire the clarity of your thinking.
> What I
> forgot to say was that no person's thinking can be perfectly
> clear all
> the time.
>
>
> I never asked you to judge my intellect. have I judged yours?
>
> it is true real demands are concrete not abstract, but how "concrete"
> is funding human needs? there are different levels of concreteness
> that can apply in different situations. I sense a lack of effort and
> experience in creatively thinking on how to grapple with minority
> experiences.
>
> -Amee
>
>
> Neither the O29 coalition, nor groups of people reading
> emails, nor a
> repro rights coalition, can develop an analysis as clear as
> can be
> developed by one clear-thinking person. That is the task of
> clear-thinking people. The result of a clear analysis will not
> be just
> some coalition or group of email readers, but a new political
> party.
> That party will have a program to eliminate institutional
> racism and
> sexism, imperialist war, every kind of oppression, and the
> material
> foundations of these things. That party will pose its demands in
> relation to the state and the ruling class. It will laugh at
> pseudo-demands like, "Stop racism."
>
> "Stop racism"? How? What kind of racism, institutional or
> attitudinal?
> Anyone can talk loosely about racism and oppose it in the
> abstract.
> Such a "demand" exposes nothing about the racism that pervades
> the
> society. It offers itself as a medal to anyone ready to wear
> it. It
> hardly presents an analysis.
>
> A real demand against racism is concrete, not abstract. Fund the
> schools. Restrain the police. Community control. Enforce
> affirmative
> action. Stop the profiling. Stop the threats to wiretap
> mosques. Stop
> the war. End the death penalty. End language discrimination.
> Open the
> books of the corporations to see how racist they are in their
> daily
> behavior. Expropriate corporations guilty of racist crimes.
>
> I have no problem adopting a muddled demand Monday, if the
> majority
> wants it. I will vote no. I hope you will be there to argue for
> whatever position you support.
>
> David
>
>
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--
"Se eu dou comida aos pobres, eles me chamam de santo. Se eu pergunto porque os pobres não têm comida, eles me chamam de comunista."
"If I give food to the poor they call me a saint. If I ask why the poor have no food they call me a communist."
-Dom Hélder Câmara
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