Tuesday, September 26, 2017

WE THE PEOPLE have great precedents for peaceful protest

How to wisely protest imperialist war abroad and the growing police state at home? We have a great precedent in mass protest actions against the Vietnam War in the late 60s and early 70s. All walks of life were invited to march peacefully under the slogan " BRING ALL THE TROOPS HOME NOW ".

 ( I was in one of them in Washington ,D.C estimated at just less than half a million ). At no time did the vast majority violate any of the standards of ordinary decency-like ultra-left flag burning, provoking the police, insulting veterans of the war.

        It did begin to look like the " great silent majority " , the true face of America, opposed the war, opposed all the crimes against humanity committed in their name, opposed Pentagon fascism.

         Just what does it mean when right wing " Red Eye Radio " in 2017 brands this Kaepernick a " Marxist " ? This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution . Kaepernick's humble protest against police brutality can generalize into militant CLASS consciousness.

 Both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X had a negative view of American capitalism. Way back in 1965 Malcolm X made a connection between racism and imperialism, between racism and capitalism: My favorite Malcolm X quote : " Show me a capitalist and I'll show you a blood sucker ".

                I don't see any Democrat or Republican rising above thug " patriotism " or foolish -and vicious - " identity politics ". A golden window of opportunity now for working class socialists. From the pseudo-Left we will get nothing but confused drivel.

      I don't get tired of saying 2+2 = 4 even if it is a tired old truth. I never get tired of listening to honest socialists talk about the necessity of socialism. One reason for visiting the World Socialist Web Site.

                               *****

Apr. 24, 1971: Anti-War Protests in D.C. and San Francisco

antiwar_protest_unitedwomenscontingentApr24antiwarOn Apr. 24, 1971, 500,000 people demonstrated against the Vietnam War in Washington, D.C. It was the largest-ever demonstration opposing U.S. war.

The week before the massive rally, Vietnam Veterans Against the War staged a week long series of demonstrations culminating in a protest at the U.S. Capitol where veterans threw back their service medals.
During the weeks following the April 24 protest, massive civil disobedience was conducted attempting to shut down the U.S. government during the People’s Coalition for Peace & Justice and Mayday demonstrations.
150,000 marched at a simultaneous rally in San Francisco.

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