Dear Reader the World Can't Wait is having it's national meeting November 21st and 22nd. You are needed. Register Here
What are we gonna do now? Taking off his turban, they said, is this man a Jew? 'Cos working for the clampdown
They put up a poster saying we earn more than you!
When we're working for the clampdown
We will teach our twisted speech
To the young believers
We will train our blue-eyed men
To be young believers
Remember that tune Clampdown by the Clash?
Given what we've witnessed the last nine years, first under the Bush Regime and now under Obama, I can't help but wonder if people aren't feeling a bit like there is clampdown going on around here.
When Obama was elected millions of people believed that we would see the end of two illegitimate wars and the torture state codified under Bush. People believed we would see the restoration of civil liberties, the restoration and protection of abortion/reproductive rights, and recognition of LGBT rights under the law. But none of this has happened. Instead Obama is poised to escalate the war in Afghanistan, he refuses to prosecute Bush era officials who authored and authorized torture, Guantanamo is still open, Bagram detention center is expanding and Obama has said the detainees there have no right to habeas corpus, and rendition continues. Obama is legitimizing torture and wars/occupations for U.S. Empire. He seeks common ground with the Christian right, the very people who have led the assault on abortion/reproductive rights and LGBT rights. This past weekend we witnessed the passing of a piss poor health care bill with an amendment that essentially denies women the right to abortion and last week we witnessed Proposition 8 all over again via the state of Maine. So what are you gonna do now?
Look, these are not all separate issues. The struggle to end the wars/occupations,torture and the fight for abortion/reproductive rights and LGBT rights need to be seen as part of the larger struggle to stand up to and resisting attacks on humanity as a whole. If you're feeling the pressure...feeling the clampdown then you have to take responsibility to do something about it and looking to Obama and the Democrats is no longer viable, but neither is keeping your head down. As the Call from World Can't Wait says Silence and Paralysis are not acceptable. That which you will not resist or mobilize to stop you will learn or forced to accept. Do not work for the clampdown with silence and complicity. The politics of the possible will not serve the world and the people in it, but a bold and visible movement of resistance that has humanity's interest at heart will. And that is what is needed. World Can't Wait has a way for people to act and be a part of building this kind of movement.
We are meeting next weekend in NYC for the World Can't Wait national meeting and you are needed there to contribute to plans for furthering and building a movement of resistance to the crimes of our government and it's outrageous assaults on sections of humanity. What am I gonna do now, well I'm gonna go Here and you should join me!
