Showing posts with label U.S. Hands Off The Middle East. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U.S. Hands Off The Middle East. Show all posts

Friday, November 16, 2012

Defend The Palestinian People-U.S.Out Of The Middle East

This spirited rally for Gaza was attended by at least 300 people; note that there will be another tonight. While the focus here is on Palestine, the peace community's perspectives on the Israeli and US governments are also relevant to VFP's current discussion about Leah's trip to Iran, a country already suffering from crippling US sanctions (remember our February Iran action? the "No War On Iran" meme in every march?), despite its adherence to international law. It has signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, for example.
A few simple points of fact: The U.S. has a vast nuclear arsenal and is the only country that has ever deployed these weapons (Iran has none). Israel is in open violation of the NPT with its huge "secret" stockpiles of nuclear weapons. America's economic and military support of Israel has caused suffering and death in Palestine, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and elsewhere.

Leah (and others with CodePink, UNAC, etc.) did the world a tremendous service by trying to shine a light on U.S. drone killing of civilians in Pakistan; her effort to do the same for what US sanctions are doing to the citizens of Iran should, in my judgment, be encouraged. Obviously many Smedleys disagree; but before decrying the mission, why not consider what's actually known, and not known, about Iran, and what a delegation to Iran might teach Americans?

Those of us who regularly attend local and national peace vigils and speak-outs often discuss, to anyone willing to listen, the number of countries the Obama administration is actually at war with; the reality of drone strikes, "diplomatic" interventions and "humanitarian" wars; and (as only Nate and Tony acknowledge) the fact that economic sanctions are indeed an act of war against ordinary citizens. So even if Iran's leaders *were* "evil," it's important to recognize that sanctions do nothing to hurt Iran's leaders.

Hope the following video provides more food for thought on how military policy targets citizens/civilians. Peace, Joan



Re: Video: "March and rally for Gaza, Boston, Mass., November 15, 2012"

Joan Livingston has shared a video with you on YouTube
For VFP, which (except for Ross Caputi) missed this event. There will be another march tonight in solidarity with Gaza, whose bombing was approved by Obama on Monday.
March and rally for Gaza, Boston, Mass., November 15, 2012
Supporters of Palestine in Boston protest Israel's killing of civilians in the Gaza Strip, marching to the Israeli consulate with music, visuals, and chants against Israeli apartheid, the occupation of Palestinian territories, and US military/economic support for Israel's crimes. Hundreds of activists from many area groups, including Jews for Palestine, CodePink, the United National Antiwar Coalition, and OccupyBoston, joined pro-Gaza protestors in other cities around the globe; they also encountered a counter-demonstration by Zionists.
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