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<div>This isn't about Keith. This is about a proposed coalition
demand against racism. The US war on Iraq is being justified
with racist rhetoric about being part of a larger "war on
terror". Arabs and Muslims are being demonized as
"terrorists". Last week Bush said that if the US war
in Iraq fails that the terrorists will go on to set up a "radical
Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia". This
kind of rhetoric is terrorism on Bush's part, an attempt by Bush to
use racism (against Arabs and Muslims) to terrorize the American
people into supporting US imperialist wars. Countering this
rhetoric should be a central project of the anti-war movement.
The war is not about protecting Americans from "terrorists".
The war is about control of oil, about maintaining an advantage for
the US economy and currency over other capitalist blocks, about
maintaining US military hegemony, and about maintaining Zionist
apartheid in Palestine.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Unfortunately many people in the anti-war movement
counter-productively support the demonization of Arabs and Muslims
instead of opposing this racism. I see some of the socialist
newspapers constantly attacking the Iraqi and Palestinian resistance
movements instead of supporting these people who are bravely
struggling against imperialism. I see people accusing Sunnis in
Iraq of killing Shi'ites instead of recognizing the truth that the
Iraqi Resistance is against the Americans and that the attacks on
Shi'ites that we see on the imperialist-controlled news are CIA
psy-ops operations. I see some socialist groups having a racist
attitude that because people in Iraq come from a Muslim culture they
can't really form progressive movments. I don't see anyone
saying that Christians in Central and South America can't from real
progressive movements. It's just sheer American racism against
Arabs and Muslims that needs to be addressed even within the anti-war
movement.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>There are also attacks on Arabs and Muslims in the US and around
the world, a racist witchhunt against "terrorists".
Arabs and Muslims are being arrested, tortured, imprisoned for
life.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>While racism against people of African decent and against Latin@s
isn't a central feature of the US war in Iraq and against
"terror" at the moment, these racisms could become central,
and Africans and Latin@s certainly are under US attack both here in
the USA and in Latin America, Africa and Haiti. So I support
adding opposition to racism against Blacks and Latin@s to the demand.
I would add support for Native Americans as well. </div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Lastly on another subject (but of course all topics are
inter-related), I've heard that we are going to hear criticism of the
anti-war movement from District 7 tonight. I propose that in
addition to the anti-racist demand that we add another demand:
"End all military spending. Close all the bases."</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>- David Rolde</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>At 2:15 PM -0400 10/8/05, John Harris wrote:</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">Hi Keith,</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">You have raised some concerns about democracy here
that should be addressed.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">In particular</font><font face="Times New Roman"
color="#000000"> you would like to see more "discussion
concerning the<i> political</i></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Times New Roman"
color="#000000">shape of the protest and movement". In June when
ideas were being debated</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Times New Roman"
color="#000000">about the political shape of the movement when the
Committee for a Fall Action</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Times New Roman"
color="#000000">had a discussion of the Fall</font> Boston action
you spoke volumes and no one cut you</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>off. Once there was support in the
broader antiwar movement for a fall action, the</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Committee for a Fall Action dissolved.
The purpose of our existance was achieved.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>In July, you chose not to come to
meetings of the October 29th Coalition or bring</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>your ideas forward. In August there was
extensive debate on demands and the</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><i>"political</i><font
face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"> shape of the protest and
movement" and</font> you expressed your views like</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>everyone else. You were not cut off
and neither were any of the people newer than</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>you. In September the discussion focused
more on "getting things done" and I feel</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>this is only natural. You have been given
ample opportunately to express your views</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>on the list serv. You have certainly
taken this opportunity more than I have. I guarentee</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>that I won't complain later that I did
not have the opportunity. You seem to agree that</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>process should not trump politics or
action. What we need now is Action and process</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">should not be allowed to trump this. You will again
have the opportunity to debate "political</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">shape" in the form of a proposal for a demand.
And the Coalition has the democratic right to</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">take Action on whatever is decided. It is unfortunate
that we get booted out of our meeting</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">place at 8:00 sharp. But that is the arrangement we
democratically decided to make. The</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">Coalition decided in July to
encourage organizations to put out postings and fliers. This
has</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">been done. You could have made a proposal to the
contrary. But I think it is a little late now.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">Were we being undemocratic?</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">In an earlier post you raised something very closely
related to what you are raising below:</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">"if anything, we should be seeking to get new
people involved and coming back to the</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">planning meetings to help us build for the protest.
that means that in addition to doing</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">outreach, our meetings have to be open, inviting,
accessible, and exude a desire to take</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">the time to draw new people into the discussion, hear
out their ideas and concerns, and</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">take the time to give them full discussion, not
trample all over them and indefinitely table</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">their proposals because "the big chiefs have to
get to work." in my experience, it is
quite</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">possible (and necessary) to combine the utmost in
discussion and democracy with the</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">utmost in organizing. otherwise, at the end of
the day, there is nobody but the "big
chiefs"</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">left standing alone in the
room."</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">In my view, I see you reinventing yourself as a
newcomer and bursting on to the scene to</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">challenge the "big chiefs". The task of
geting "new people involved and coming back to
the</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">planning meetings to help us build for the protest"
is what many of us are doing right now.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">The October 29th Coalition never bothered to elect a
coordinator ("big chief"). Thank heaven</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">Chris is coordinating Outreach and Karen was
coordinating Permits and Jason is</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">coordinating Media and Nick is coordinating the Web
Site and maybe Brian on finances.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">I am not sure who is coordinating our other
activities. To some the "big chief" line
of</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">argumentation in this context may
seem offensive and could put Machiavelli to
shame.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">But for me it has provided some comic relief which I
have enjoyed.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF"> </font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">In Solidarity,</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#0000FF">John</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> <br>
<blockquote><font face="Tahoma" size="-1">-----Original
Message-----<br>
<b>From:</b> O29-bounces@massglobalaction.org
[mailto:O29-bounces@massglobalaction.org]<b>On Behalf Of</b> Keith
Rosenthal<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Saturday, October 08, 2005 11:37 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> o29@massglobalaction.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [O29] Monday meeting, open to public, one protest/one
flyer</font><br>
<font face="Tahoma" size="-1"></font></blockquote>
<blockquote>Hey,</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote> A discussion on the demands issue definitely
needs to be on the agenda. It was a tie vote last week, there
has been more time for discussion and compromise since, and because of
the nature of the demand, the tie vote needs to be broken one way or
the other because of the importance of the demand. We could just
allot 15-20 minutes for this discussion, take hands, for and against,
and then vote. A discussion on the different ideas people have
for how to politically shape the protest is just as (if not more)
important than a logisitical discussion about the order of the
speakers or how we're going to get a sound system (which can be
worked out in sub-committees).</blockquote>
<blockquote> Anyway, it would be healthy for our coalition
to hear out in full the different political ideas people have about
the protest, and not just talk about the various specific and mundane
(though not unimportant) details. I've personally been
frustrated with the extent to which our meetings have been marked by
the quick cutting off of discussion concerning the<i> political</i>
shape of the protest and movement, in order to "get things
done." To me this is undemocratic, because then the
political shaping of the protest, which is the most important part,
ends up happening in individual discussions and conversations
elsewhere. I have heard it said that this is done
in order to keep the coalition "unified," but I
actually think it only keeps us divided from hearing out each others'
ideas.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote> Finally, I'm actually not sure that we should
have 20 different flyers for the protest, all created by different
member groups, and all saying different demands on them. If we
were going to do that, then what's the point of even voting on
demands? We are voting on these demands because we, as a
majority, feel that they are crucial demands to get out there into the
public eye, and, by voting, or not voting, we feel that the whole
group ought to be democratically accountable to carry out that
decision, with one flyer, which we will all be using.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote> Oh, and one last thing, if there is anyone
out there in listserve land that has been following this debate, I
strongly encourage you to feel more than welcome to attend the
organizing meeting this coming Monday at 6pm at the Mass Global Action
Office at 33 Harrison Street, 4th floor, in Chinatown (two blocks
from the Chinatown T stop on the Orange Line). Especially if you
understand the importance of getting this demand against racism on the
flyer and central to our movement, please come to the meeting Monday
and let your voice be heard. Thank you.</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote>Solidarity,</blockquote>
<blockquote>Keith Rosenthal</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<blockquote><br>
<br>
<i><b>DAVID KEIL <dmkeil@gmail.com></b></i> wrote:<br>
<blockquote>This is to pass on ideas I've heard about procedure Monday
(6pm, MGA).<br>
Some reports we need to hear and discuss are: program; permits and<br>
logistics; outreach (including leafleting, endorsements, and
regional<br>
outreach); and finances. We usually start with minutes from the<br>
previous meeting, choice of note taker for current meeting, and
choice<br>
of facilitator for next meeting, plus intros. I've heard that some<br>
committees need to meet, so if people agree, then between 7:00 and<br>
7:30 we could break the general meeting up into committees.<br>
<br>
The last item on the general agenda would be demands, to discuss
and<br>
vote on the following:<br>
- Keith's motion (10/7) to add "Stop the Racist Attacks on the
Black,<br>
Latin@, Arab & Muslim Communities" to the list of central
demands or<br>
slogans;<br>
- A possible motion by Amee (10/8) to add "Militarism
reinforces<br>
racism, sexism, & homophobia" to the central slogans;<br>
- Possible other slogans, such as "Stop the Racist Rhetoric"
(R.<br>
Miller 10/8) or ones based on Gustavo's post (10/8).<br>
<br>
It seems that most activists want most of the general meeting to
be<br>
about important details of preparing the action, but there seems to
be<br>
a consensus also to hear proposals on demands. Everyone wants an<br>
atmosphere of respect, collaboration, and friendship, even if we
cast<br>
divided votes and sometimes feel angry with each other. One way<br>
suggested to ensure this atmosphere in the demands discussion is
to<br>
hear very briefly how everyone feels; then after a brief silence,
to<br>
take motions, take brief discussion, and vote.<br>
<br>
Informal discussion tonight at Assembling Peace in JP, and
discussions<br>
Sunday and Monday, will be an important way to prepare for the<br>
too-short formal discussion Monday night.<br>
<br>
David<br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
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O29@massglobalaction.org<br>
http://massglobalaction.org/mailman/listinfo/o29_massglobalaction.org<br
>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
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