Special Report with clips Recorded at events on (1/21/2023, 3/4/2023 and 3/18/2023) and Uploaded (3/23/23)
Tuesday March 20th 2023 marked the 20 year anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq.
According to a report from the Watson Institute for International & Public Affairs at Brown University entitled Blood and Treasure: United States Budgetary Costs and Human Costs of 20 Years of War in Iraq and Syria, 2003-2023 (https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2023/Costs%20of%2020%20Years%20of%20Iraq%20War%20Crawford%2015%20March%202023%20final%20.pdf), the US invasion of Iraq lead to well over 300,000 civilian deaths. The report, published March 15th, says civilian deaths resulted both from the war itself as well as related cause such as deaths from preventable diseases.
The Invasion of Iraq Wasn’t a “Mistake.” It Was a Crime: https://jacobin.com/2023/03/iraq-war-anniversary-lies-bush-crime
In the run up to the US invasion of Iraq according to the film We Are Many (https://tubitv.com/movies/641980/we-are-many?start=true&tracking=google-feed&utm_source=google-feed) protests took place in 789 cities and in 72 countries around the globe and involved millions of people.
I've been involved in the anti-war movement since 2007 and I've attended 3 anti-war protests in 2023. Links to some of the video, pictures and audio of these protests is available from Urban Cabin Studios:
VIDEO: Stop U.S. Wars & Militarism - January 21, 2023 - May Day Plaza (Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CBdPQrG-Uc&t=678s) (Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rys2qGPoiY&t=9s) (Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F0VMn_I8Tw&t=1s)
PICTURES/AUDIO: Stop WW3! No Nuclear Holocaust - March 4, 2023 - Lake and Minnehaha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOAYSHLEXqs&t=821s
VIDEO: Anti-War Protest: Say NO to U.S. Wars! - March 18, 2023 - Library Plaza: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joBxQc3vcAw
While vast amounts of money are spent by the U.S. Empire for weapons of war both at home and abroad the infastructure and services that working people depend on in this country are crumbling:
Minneapolis Interstate 35W Bridge Collapse: https://www.lrl.mn.gov/guides/guides?issue=bridges
Minnesota House approves $50 million in Emergency Rental Assistance (after "268% increase in families experiencing homelessness"): https://house.mn.gov/Caucus/View/DFL/36703
According to the National Priorities Project (https://www.nationalpriorities.org/interactive-data/trade-offs/) the money spent on war from 2001 to 2021 could have been used for 71.8 million Registered Nurses for 1 Year, or 956.13 million Public Housing Units for 1 Year or 87.82 million Elementary School Teachers for 1 Year.
Not only do Americans not get needed infastructure, healthcare and education but lots of these weapons of war which take up all the money end up in local police departments in the Unites States even though these same departments are known to the Federal Government to abridge people's constitutional rights:
Justice Department Finds Civil Rights Violations by the Louisville Metro Police Department and Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-civil-rights-violations-louisville-metro-police-department-and
Kentucky Police Get Guns, Aircraft—and Socks—From Military Surplus Program
https://www.lpm.org/news/2014-08-27/kentucky-police-get-guns-aircraft-and-socks-from-military-surplus-program
At both of the anti-war events this month I wore my homemade shirt that reads "Russia Out of Ukraine, US Out of Nato." (https://www.instagram.com/p/CpiyMFupQ2w/) Some said my shirt conflicts with the slogans I held on signs including "NO US War on Russia or China" and "Say No To World War III"
However I think a consistently anti-war position that opposes all Capitalist wars is the correct position.
As Socialist Viewpoint says "Surely, the peace movement can oppose NATO and all military alliances of the U.S. government and also oppose the war moves of other reactionary regimes."
Here are some articles that take a position against US aggression and also the Russian invasion of Ukraine:
Socialists Against Russia’s War on Ukraine: http://www.socialistviewpoint.org/index.html?fbclid=IwAR3WRg9ZCbBB7OCKKO7dkM1YyrR0aEHASxmn1VRyPp4npAL3AtwHGO2r9pg
Neither NATO Nor Putin: An Anti-war Program for an Anti-war Protest: https://www.leftvoice.org/neither-nato-nor-putin-an-anti-war-program-for-an-anti-war-protest/
Ukraine – one year of war: https://www.internationaliststandpoint.org/ukraine-one-year-of-war/
SAY NO TO WAR EVERYWHERE! SOLIDARITY!
