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| Socialist
Party
USA:
Statements |
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Act Now to Stop the Wars and
Defend Our Civil Liberties
Andrea
Pason and Billy Wharton, co-chairs Socialist Party USA- July 28, 2010
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 The
recent
disclosure
of thousands of top-secret documents by Wikileaks and
the Washington Post media project “Top Secret America,” makes one point
perfectly clear – the American people need to act now to stop the US
military and the growing security state. With hundreds of bases
worldwide and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US military
constitutes the greatest threat to peace in the world. Simultaneously,
a growing security state threatens to shred any semblance of civil
liberties and personal freedom at home and abroad.
The Wikileaks documents that were bravely secured by Bradley Manning
and published by Julian Assange reveal a US military operation in
Afghanistan that has violated nearly every tenet of international human
rights. Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama both openly lied to the
American people about the conduct of the military and the status of the
wars. The use of CIA-trained death squads, the manipulation of the
puppet government of Afghanistan and the consistent use of drone
bombers all reveal a war that cannot be won being carried out by a
military willing to commit acts of aggression against a defenseless
civilian population. These documents prove decisively that the truth is
indeed the first casualty of war.
The “Top Secret America” report reveals a growing security state that
is as active domestically as it is internationally. This security
apparatus constitutes the single greatest threat to civil liberties
throughout the world. The post-9/11 US security state is responsible
for torture, extraordinary renditions, false imprisonment, racial
profiling and covert assassinations. All of this has been done
secretly, in the name of the American people.
It is, therefore, the responsibility of the American people themselves
to put an end to the military and security apparatus’ ability to
operate. Building a mass movement that both demands the end of the
current wars and reclaims civil liberties would be a first step in that
direction. As democratic socialists, we believe that any non-violent
action that seeks to disable or derail the US military machine is a
just act.
Such a movement should also push for a permanent end to militarism by
calling for an immediate 50% reduction in military spending as well as
the closing of all American military bases abroad. The resulting “peace
dividend” could be shared between necessary domestic social services
and in repairing the global damage done by the US military. Once in
motion, such a movement would find widespread support from peace loving
people throughout the world. Only then, after the US is well along the
road to disarmament, can serious discussions about global peace and
reconciliation begin.
Now is the time to summon the courage of Bradley Manning and Julian
Assange. To protect them against the repression of the US government.
To demand an immediate end to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And, to
put our bodies on the line in support of a vision of the future that
moves beyond capitalism and the wars it fuels.
| Past
Statements |
Act
Now
to Stop the Wars and Defend Our Civil Liberties by SPUSA Co-Chairs (July
28,
2010)
It’s
not
the
Crimes, It’s Capitalism: The Gulf Oil Spill by the SPUSA
National Committee (June 20, 2010)
Statement
on
Gay
Pride
2010 by the SPUSA Queer
Commission (June 2010)
Statement
on
Israel's
Latest
Outrage by
the SPUSA International Commission (June 6, 2010)
The
Latest
act
of
Aggression
by the State of Israel by
the SPUSA Faith & Socialism
Commission (June
3,
2010)
Statement
on
the
IDF
Attack
on
the Gaza Aid Flotilla by
the SPUSA Co-Chairs
(May 31, 2010)
Close
the US Bases in Okinawa! by the
SPUSA International Commission (May 25, 2010)
BP
Oil Spill a Crime not a Disaster by
the
SPUSA
National
Action
Commission (May 2010)
Repeal
Arizona's
Anti-Immigrant
Law by
the SPUSA People of Color Commission (April 29, 2010)
May
Day 2010 by the Socialist Party
USA National Action Committe (April 2010)
Statement
in
Solidarity
With
Alberto
Durango
by
Zelig Stern, Labor Commission Chair
(March 1, 2010)
Call
for an International Socialist Feminist Work Group by Susan Dorazio Women's Comm Chair (Feb.
26,
2010)
Statenent
on
President
Obama's
Healthcare
Summit
by SPUSA Co-Chair Billy Wharton
(February 25, 2010)
Statement
on
the
Austin
IRS
Building
Incident by the National Action Commitee
(February 22, 2010)
Statement
on
Black
History
Month by the
People of Color Commission (February 2010)
Solidarity with
the People of Haiti by the National Action Commitee
(January 13, 2010)
Response to
Obama's Surge in Afghanistan by the National
Action Committee (Dec 3, 2009)
Solidarity
with
the
UC
Student
Protests;
Education
is
our
right!
(Nov. 23,
2009)
Hyde
Amendment
and
Obama’s
Health
Care
Bill.. by
the SPUSA Women's Commission (Nov.
20, 2009)
Vote No on
Obama-care! Healthcare is Our Human Right! by the SPUSA
National Action Committee (Nov 2009)
Response
to
the
LGBT
Referendum
Results by
the SPUSA Queer Commission (Nov. 2009)
All
Out for Rosie Jimenez Day by the
SPUSA Women's Commission (Sept. 13, 2009)
Solidarity
w/
the
People
of
Honduras by
the
National Action Committee (July 7, 2009)
Statement
on
United
for
Peace
&
Justice (July 31, 2009)
Statement
on
Iran by Eric Chester
International Commission Chair (June 30, 2009)
Socialist-Feminist
Response
to
U.S.
Militarism
and
the
Global
Econ.
Crisis by War
@ Home Cmte (June, 2009)
Statement
on
the
40th
Anniversary
of
the
Stonewall
Rebellion
by the Queer
Commission (June, 2009)
Message
to all Workers on Their Day by the National Action Committee (April
15, 2009)
Wars
Abroad,
War
at
Home:
Building
a
Socialist
Feminist
Response (April 2009)
Statement
on
Financial
Crisis by the National Committee (Jan. 25, 2009)
Our
Love is Worth Fighting For by the
National Action Committee (Dec. 4, 2008)
Post
Election
Racist
Attacks by the
National Action Committee (Nov. 20, 2008)
No
al
plan de rescate de Wall Street!
Por el partido socialista de Estados Unidos, Comité de
Acción Nacional
Statement
on Iran by the SPUSA
International Commission (August 2008)
Statement
on
Religious
Freedom by the SPUSA Faith & Socialism Commission
(July 2008)
Statement
on
Bolivia by the SPUSA
International Commission (June 2008)
Statement
on
Tibet by the SPUSA International Commission/ National Action
Committee (March 26, 2008)
Support
the
American
Axel
Workers by the SPUSA Labor Commission (March 2008)
Statement
on
the
Israel-Palestine
Conflict (Dec. 16, 2007)
Statement
of Support for the Screenwrters Strike, SPUSA Labor Commission
(Nov. 8, 2007)
Solidarity
with
the
Protestors
in
Myanmar
(Burma) by Tino Rozzo (Faith &
Socialism Commission)
Mobilize
To Support
Auto Workers by Matthew Andrews, Chair, Labor Commission (Sept. 24,
2007)
Anniversary
of
the
Stonewall
Rebellion by Amber
Clifford-Napoleone Convener, Queer Commission (June 28, 2007)
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