Comments for The War Stops Here

Comment on Recommended Reading/Viewing by Harjit Singh Gill

Harjit Singh Gill — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:45:13 +0000

Barack Obama Locks Up the Nomination: So Now What?
By Harjit Singh Gill
harjitgill@gmail.com

So Barack Obama locked up the Democratic Nomination a few days ago, and I’ve been thinking of what to write on it. I think it’s important to realize the historic moment Obama’s candidacy represents in U.S. racial politics. 25 years ago an African-American had little shot of doing nearly anything in the electoral arena, so to see this happen is a good barometer of where society and capitalism are at.

The 2008 presidential race isn’t the same election as last time. To claim as much is to ignore the historic fact that an African-American man and a woman were the two people left standing in the Democratic primary, and overlook what this means for the energy that exists. Such an about face by the power structure is unprecedented. It represents a concession on the part of power to try to stave off social struggle. Even as anarchists, puritanical political positions get us nowhere. Let’s think with strategy.

I’m specifically thinking about anarchist/anti-authoritarian movements here, which normally approach political campaigns in a dismissive manner. This tends to alienate us from actual movement in social struggles and essentially results in shooting ourselves in the foot. These groundswells of struggle represent themselves in electoral terms, and we as anarchists need to meet people were they are, and move forward if we want to be involved in the greater movement.

Though many of the social movements built around Obama’s candidacy admittedly ignore a more thorough analysis of capitalism, I think it’s important and critical to look at them closely. By this I mean look at the aspirations and desires of communities of color (especially African-American ones) and look at the message of hope and change people are projecting onto Obama as a figure. It is from this framework that we can work as radicals. We ignore the reality and importance of these factors at our own peril, and we risk an even more serious rift between white activists/“anarchists” and communities of color.

Dialogue/exchange/discussion is necessary with people who want a lot of what we all want: a better life.

I am not saying that anarchists should be volunteering for the Obama campaign, but I’ll be damned if I am going to be on the opposite end of one of the most amazing social movements toward progressive change in my lifetime within the Imperial power.
The African-American community, along with formerly unmotivated participants in recent social movements (people like my parents), are all interested in politics right now. How do we engage with this movement in a way that moves towards long-lasting change, political education, consciousness-raising, etc. How do we work with what we have towards the best direction possible?

Obama is a conduit for people’s real desires right now, so let’s work with that energy, that power. Ignoring/being ‘above’ the desires of ordinary folks (elitism/absenteeism from movement building) can only work against us.

Obviously the “change” Obama promises will never come to the point we would want it to as a movement, but I think that we need to take the road that is being laid out, and keep pushing it; keep making the road as we walk it. Obama is a politician, and politicians say what they have to in order to get elected. Movements can, however, use the rhetoric of politicians as a jump-off point to produce the change in people’s lives that candidates only promise.

In working with “Obama Nation”-esque folks, I normally say something along the lines of: “Oh, totally, some of what he has to say is 100% right on. I think it’s important to remember what he himself said about Dr. King. He said that Dr. King wouldn’t endorse him, that Dr. King would hold his feet to the fire and force him to give in because Dr. King knew that politicians need to be forced to be accountable by grassroots base organizations. My focus is on building that base.”

I think that analysis is a clear one, and it allows us to take the air out of Obama a bit, and redirect it towards long-term revolutionary gain. Politics is a process. If we look at Chela Sandoval’s theory of Differential Consciousness it is totally applicable here. We can shift in and out of different relevant modes of being/existing in struggle while keeping our eyes on our ultimate goal, and the long and contradictory road towards it.

Love,

Harjit Singh Gill

Comment on Recommended Reading/Viewing by Aaron Petcoff

Aaron Petcoff — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:12:33 +0000

You should totally include “Building a Successful Antiwar Movement,” by Beyond the Choir. http://www.beyondthechoir.org

Comment on CT: Youth Antiwar Conference Draws 100+ in Important Step for Movement; My Direct Action Workshop Overview by circleamatt

circleamatt — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:41:53 +0000

Most of the workshops I think were student run, but they all focused on fairly practical stuff. There were however tables for the various Marxist groups (Party for Socialism and Liberation, Socialist Action, even the Spartacist League!) and I had a few pieces of anarchist literature on the SDS table.

Comment on CT: Youth Antiwar Conference Draws 100+ in Important Step for Movement; My Direct Action Workshop Overview by Richard

Richard — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:55:19 +0000

Sounds good. I gather that COW didn’t turn the day into a love fest for the demonrats or a jesus loves me song fest and pray along like so many of their rallies Besides your workshop any other student led and run workshops? Were there any political alternative (Socialist, Communist, Anarchist, Green) workshops that would move people out from under the thumb of the twin parties and their war and Capitialist mongering? Liked what I have seen within your presentation.

Comment on Chicago: Catholic Youth Disrupt Easter Services to Protest Cardinal’s War Complicity by circleamatt

circleamatt — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 04:09:36 +0000

How about the rights of the Iraqis? Funny how that never enters this particular debate. They may not have had chocolate rivers, but at least they had running water and electricity.

Comment on Chicago: Catholic Youth Disrupt Easter Services to Protest Cardinal’s War Complicity by The Chronek

The Chronek — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 06:17:10 +0000

For all those that support the protesters’ actions: how do you know that Cardinal George didn’t address the Iraq war with the president when he visited? Were you there?
And for cryin’ out loud, don’t saint Bernadin either. I know Bernadin did some good stuff, but there were some church and school closings in the early 90s that I still question.
If anyone was present at the lunch with Daley, Bush and Cardinal George, can you confirm/deny whether the Iraq war was discussed?
Let’s all remember that Iraq had chocolate rivers and gumdrop mountains before the war. ‘Twas a wonderful place.
Nice little quote from Kevin Clark: unless they’re working tirelessly to end this war immediately, then their presence in this church on Easter Sunday is an act of hypocracy. Does that mean if he focuses his energy on, say, freeing the suspects and fighting charges against them, that he’s a hypocrite? Isn’t that time/money better spent on the cause or something?
The first amendment includes freedom of speech and freedom to practice religion. One does not outweigh the other. The protesters made that mistake in thinking their right was more important, and that’s my biggest problem with what they did.

Comment on Chicago: Catholic Youth Disrupt Easter Services to Protest Cardinal’s War Complicity by Tim

Tim — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:42:54 +0000

as someone who actually lives in Chicago and knows exactly what’s going on here and the politics involved, i’d just like to point out the fact the Cardinal George is one of the Church’s worst. When Cardinal Bernadin left his luxurious residence to be turned into a youth home after he died, George instead moved in. When pedophile priests were running rampant in Chicago parishes, he ignored it. When gay catholic organizations wore a rainbow sash in the communion line, he refused them the sacrament. and this january, when invited to have lunch with the President (who is at least partly responsible for the deaths of 1.2m people), the Mayor (who turned a blind eye to police torture as state’s attorney), and a slew of business leaders (guilty of god know what!). There was no public call for the war to end, there was no refusal, there was nothing. at least when JPII met with bush he used the occasion to denounce the slaughter in iraq and call for an end to war. cardinal george instead shies away from the issue to cater to his wealthy congregation’s interests.

Comment on Bay Area: ANTI-AUTHORITARIAN CALL TO ACTION by Drakekc

Drakekc — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:51:04 +0000

thanks much, man

Comment on Chicago: Catholic Youth Disrupt Easter Services to Protest Cardinal’s War Complicity by Charlie

Charlie — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:20:04 +0000

re: “Instead of calling the Catholic Schoolgirls terrorists I would prefer to say they performed a very good example of Guerrilla Theater. I remember fondly the ruckus of ACT UP at ST. PAT’s in NYC.”

Thank you for showing your true colors. Its very telling when someone says they fondly remember a group performing sacrilege.

Do you “fondly remember” the flushing of Korans in the toilet at Gitmo?

Comment on Chicago: Catholic Youth Disrupt Easter Services to Protest Cardinal’s War Complicity by Charlie

Charlie — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:17:40 +0000

m(A)tt, you’ve got to be kidding me. Yes there is a war going on, and guess what? Catholics are dying in that war! Two Catholic bishops have been kidnapped, one died (or maybe was killed) while held and clergy have been shot as well.
The Catholic Church tried to meet with the White House on the eve of war and was rebuffed. The Catholic Church has done more to bring attention to this unjust war than any other organization in the world!
Now, while I am against this war it is most certainly not a “criminal” one. You either don’t understand US law or International law, but you make yourself sound either uneducated or inexperienced when you say its a “criminal” war.
These immature youth did NOT “peacefully coax” anything. They disrupted worship of God. They showed they have no respect for the Mass.
I can only imagine the liberal outrage if an anti-abortion group pulled a similiar stunt in a liberal Episcopal Church.