Re: [SycamoreCanyon] Re: Bona fide peace movement in the United States
"'[email protected]' [email protected] [marxist]" <[email protected]> Sun, 23 Nov 2014 13:51:23 -0500
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----------MB_8D1D5659CAFDF70_C94_12A4AF_webmail-va164.sysops.aol.com Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" I am copying here a REVISED post from the RBB discussion. The revision takes up a couple issues Hunter raised below. It precedes the = text of what I sent, and I will write it in a different font. I would differ somewhat from what Hunter says both in terms of history and = in terms of the current situation. Most of this was in my original post tha= t appears below this paragraph. I would add a note about the period from 19= 84 through 1999 in terms of worker organizing. There was a considerable amo= unt of very solid organizing of Teamsters starting in the early 70s that le= d to the formation of Teamsters for a Democratic Union--which still is quit= e strong and a real and grass roots group. It also led to Labor Notes as an= important newletter and set of conferences. There was a lot of ferment amo= ng Miners in West Virginia and surrounding states that was very solid but b= egan to die off after the epic 1977 strike. (The Democrat Jimmy Carter gave= Margaret Thatcher come clues on how to conduct the class struggle...) And= for a while there was a movement on Occupational Safety and Health that di= d unite various radicals and labor forces, though it weakened in the 80s. = I would add that TDU was strong enough to lead to a victory in the election= s for Teamsters President in the 90s, which set the stage for the very succ= essful 1997 UPS strike--which unfortunately did not become the precursor of= a strike wave. I also do not think that we should forget about the movement against nuclea= r confrontation in the early 1980s that included an enormous demo of a mill= ion or more people in Central Park in NYC. Or the movement against US inte= rventions in Central America also in the 1980s. Or the quite large movemen= t (in every sense of the term) against the invasion of Iraq in 2003, one wh= ich continued as a sizable movement for several years thereafter. It got weakened a lot by Obama's becoming president, as we have discussed b= efore on this list. Showing once again that the main purpose the Democrati= c Party serves for capital is as a way to delude and weaken movements. There is even yet a fair amount of antiwar activity in many localities and = a growing opposition to US/Israeli occupation and war-making on many campus= es and communities. Also, of note, the 400,000 (or 300,000--who knows?) person climate change d= emo in New York had many antiwar groups there and quite a few of them seeme= d pretty big. More importantly, perhaps, is that there are signs that the = different single-area movements like climate change, antiwar, anti-police r= epression of minorities, and anti-spying, among others, are increasingly se= eing themselves as part of a unified movement that they are increasingly vi= ewing as an anti-capitalist movement. Where it will go from there remains = unclear--but is being discussed and to a degree "fought over" in relatively= healthy ways by and large. So far. And the Moral Mondays movement may have serious legs and growing roots. There were a lot of real community groups at also labor groups at the clima= te change demo. It was quite heartening. I am not sure how visible any of= this is from Louisiana or Idaho yet. =20 But it is well worth finding ways to get involved and trying to strengthen = the healthy parts of what is going on, to the extent that we can. It is no= t, after all, as if the future of such things is fated. We can make some di= fference sometimes. =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 -----Original Message----- From: 'Hunter Gray' [email protected] [SycamoreCanyon] <Sycamore= [email protected]> To: bearwithoutborders <[email protected]>; marxist <ma= [email protected]>; newgreencanada <[email protected]>; re= dbadbear <[email protected]>; sycamorecanyon <sycamorecanyon@yahoo= groups.com> Sent: Sun, Nov 23, 2014 1:21 pm Subject: [SycamoreCanyon] Re: Bona fide peace movement in the United States =20 =20=20 =20=20=20=20 =20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20 =20 From a promising RBB discussion. Thank, Ken and Blue and Cornet. Perhaps we will hear from some others. (An= d as I post this, I see and appreciate Edward and Sam as well.) In a little while, I Have some snowto handle =E2=80=93 but it=E2=80=99s not= hing compared to other regions in the country. The period in the United Statesbetween the Wounded Knee protests of 1973 an= d the World Trade protests atSeattle in 1999, was the most arid epoch in th= is country in the 20thcentury when it came to social justice movements. The= Vietnam War and theformal draft ended. If the civil rightsmovement and th= at of organized labor had joined forces, it might have beenotherwise. But = they did not. There was good activism around CentralAmerican issues =E2=80= =93 but those efforts were limited in scope. There was little peace activi= sm, say, aroundGreneda and the first Gulf War. The WTO protests in =E2=80=9999 signaled anew activist epoch which built up= rapidly around the election of Bush 2 and, inquick time, the launching of = war against Afghanistan. The Iraq War fueled all of this rapidly. The div= erse =E2=80=9Ctendencies=E2=80=9D delineated by Kencame together in a vital= and vigorous peace movement =E2=80=93 movement -- which transcendedand als= o fueled new local efforts. Thus there were continual mass demonstrations,= much politicalaction, and some litigation =E2=80=93 the key dimensions in = any social justice movement=E2=80=93 and the approaches sorely needed now. = While there was no formal draft, tough economic conditions for youngpeople = were a key factor in swelling military enlistments and these still playthat= role. A formal draft could come if the current wars continue into the much= further future and military enlistments shrink. Obama=E2=80=99s election, while a big stepagainst American racism, was soon= seen, by any reasonably astute observers, asa major chilling force when it= came to mass social justice movements. Withinmonths after he took office, = there began the still continuing and growingreversals of a number of his c= ampaignand subsequent promises and commitments. The =E2=80=9Cpeace presid= ent=E2=80=9D became a glib andwilling war president. It=E2=80=99s worth no= tingthat some old line left organizations and persons in those traditions c= ould notbring themselves to even criticize the =E2=80=9Cfirst African Ameri= can President=E2=80=9D underany circumstance, nor can they even now. Other = activists continued to =E2=80=9Chope=E2=80=9D for Obama with little foundat= ion fordoing so. The once vital and militant national peace movement func= tionally died. We will see a revival of massactivism in this country but it=E2=80=99s hard= to predict the chronology at thispoint. It=E2=80=99s going to take work i= n therelated realms of organizing and mobilizing. Mobilization in its own r= ight is easier, around =E2=80=9Chot=E2=80=9D issues, than basicgrassroots o= rganizing. Mobilization cancertainly grow out of organizational structures= , but, if it occurs on its own,it definitely needs to sink good organizatio= nal roots as it proceeds forward. The late and great national American Pea= ceMovement failed to do that. Best, H HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq / St. Francis Abenaki / = St. Regis Mohawk=20 Protected by Na=C2=B4shdo=C2=B4i=C2=B4ba=C2=B4i=C2=B4=20 and Ohkwari' . Check out our massive social justice website:=20 www.hunterbear.org=20=20 Member, National Writers Union AFL-CIO=20 Core dimensions of my Community Organizing course: http://www.labornet.org/news/0000/hbear.htm My expanded/updated "Organizer's Book,"=20 JACKSON MISSISSIPPI -- with a new 10,000=20 word introduction by me. Covers much of my=20 confrontational social justice organizing life to=20 date. Contains much how-to grassroots organizing=20 methodology: http://hunterbear.org/jackson.htm See this for mini-bio, efforts to prevent JM=E2=80=99s appearance in Mississippi, a wide range of its many reviews, and some photos: http://www.amazon.com/John-R.-Salter/e/B001KMEHWY/ref=3Dntt_dp_ep= wbk_0 The Stormy Adoption of an Indian Child [My Father]:=20 http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm=20=20 (Photos)=20 =20=20=20=20 =20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20=20 =20=20 ----------MB_8D1D5659CAFDF70_C94_12A4AF_webmail-va164.sysops.aol.com Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <head> <style type=3D"text/css"> <!-- /* start of attachment style */ .ygrp-photo-title{ clear: both; font-size: smaller; height: 15px; overflow: hidden; text-align: center; width: 75px; } div.ygrp-photo{ background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-color: white; border: 1px solid black; height: 62px; width: 62px; } div.photo-title=20 a, div.photo-title a:active, div.photo-title a:hover, div.photo-title a:visited { text-decoration: none;=20 } div.attach-table div.attach-row { clear: both; } div.attach-table div.attach-row div { float: left; /* margin: 2px;*/ } p { clear: both; padding: 15px 0 3px 0; overflow: hidden; } div.ygrp-file { width: 30px; valign: middle; } div.attach-table div.attach-row div div a { text-decoration: none; } div.attach-table div.attach-row div div span { font-weight: normal; } div.ygrp-file-title { font-weight: bold; } /* end of attachment style */ --> </style> </head> <html> <head> <style type=3D"text/css"> <!-- #ygrp-mkp { border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-family: Arial; margin: 10px 0; padding: 0 10px; } #ygrp-mkp hr { border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; } #ygrp-mkp #hd { color: #628c2a; font-size: 85%; font-weight: 700; line-height: 122%; margin: 10px 0; } #ygrp-mkp #ads { margin-bottom: 10px; } #ygrp-mkp .ad { padding: 0 0; } #ygrp-mkp .ad p { margin: 0; } #ygrp-mkp .ad a { color: #0000ff; text-decoration: none; } --> </style> </head> <body> <font color=3D'black' size=3D'2' face=3D'arial'>I a<font size=3D"2">m copyi= ng here a REVISED post from the RBB discussion.<br> <br> The revision takes up a couple issues Hunter raised below. It precedes the = text of what I sent, and I will write it in a different font.<br> <br> <font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times, serif"><font size=3D"3">I would diffe= r somewhat from what Hunter says both in terms of history and in terms of t= he current situation. Most of this was in my original post that appears bel= ow this paragraph. I would add a note about the period from 1984 through 19= 99 in terms of worker organizing. There was a considerable amount of very s= olid organizing of Teamsters starting in the early 70s that led to the form= ation of Teamsters for a Democratic Union--which still is quite strong and = a real and grass roots group. It also led to Labor Notes as an important ne= wletter and set of conferences. There was a lot of ferment among Miners in = West Virginia and surrounding states that was very solid but began to die o= ff after the epic 1977 strike. (The Democrat Jimmy Carter gave Margaret Tha= tcher come clues on how to conduct the class struggle...) And for a w= hile there was a movement on Occupational Safety and Health that did unite = various radicals and labor forces, though it weakened in the 80s. I w= ould add that TDU was strong enough to lead to a victory in the elections f= or Teamsters President in the 90s, which set the stage for the very success= ful 1997 UPS strike--which unfortunately did not become the precursor of a = strike wave.</font></font><br> <br> </font> <div><font face=3D"arial" size=3D"2" color=3D"black"><font size=3D"2">I als= o do not=20 think that we should forget about the movement against nuclear=20 confrontation in the early 1980s that included an enormous demo of a=20 million or more people in Central Park in NYC. Or the movement agains= t=20 US interventions in Central America also in the 1980s. Or the quite=20 large movement (in every sense of the term) against the invasion of Iraq in 2003, one which continued as a sizable movement for several years=20 thereafter.<br> <br> It got weakened a lot by Obama's becoming president, as we have=20 discussed before on this list. Showing once again that the main purpo= se the Democratic Party serves for capital is as a way to delude and=20 weaken movements.<br> <br> There is even yet a fair amount of antiwar activity in many localities=20 and a growing opposition to US/Israeli occupation and war-making on many campuses and communities.<br> <br> Also, of note, the 400,000 (or 300,000--who knows?) person climate=20 change demo in New York had many antiwar groups there and quite a few of them seemed pretty big. More importantly, perhaps, is that there are= =20 signs that the different single-area movements like climate change,=20 antiwar, anti-police repression of minorities, and anti-spying, among=20 others, are increasingly seeing themselves as part of a unified movement that they are increasingly viewing as an anti-capitalist movement. =20 Where it will go from there remains unclear--but is being discussed and=20 to a degree "fought over" in relatively healthy ways by and large. So= =20 far.<br> <br> And the Moral Mondays movement may have serious legs and growing roots.<br> <br> There were a lot of real community groups at also labor groups at the=20 climate change demo. It was quite heartening. I am not sure how= =20 visible any of this is from Louisiana or Idaho yet.<br> </font> </font></div> <div><font face=3D"arial" size=3D"2" color=3D"black"> <br> <font size=3D"2">But it is well worth finding ways to get involved and=20 trying to strengthen the healthy parts of what is going on, to the=20 extent that we can. It is not, after all, as if the future of such=20 things is fated. We can make some difference sometimes.</font><br> </font></div> <font face=3D"arial" size=3D"2" color=3D"black"> <div> </div> </font><font size=3D"2"> </font> <div> <br> </div> <div> <br> </div> <div> <br> </div> <div style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----= Original Message-----<br> From: 'Hunter Gray' [email protected] [SycamoreCanyon] <Sycam= [email protected]><br> To: bearwithoutborders <[email protected]>; marxi= st <[email protected]>; newgreencanada <newgreencanada@yahoo= groups.com>; redbadbear <[email protected]>; sycamorecany= on <[email protected]><br> Sent: Sun, Nov 23, 2014 1:21 pm<br> Subject: [SycamoreCanyon] Re: Bona fide peace movement in the United States= <br> <br> <div id=3D"AOLMsgPart_1_2bc8bec6-436b-400f-b11d-6ed2db70ed54"> =20 <div class=3D"aolReplacedBody" style=3D"background-color: #fff;"> <span style=3D"display:none"> </span> <div id=3D"ygrp-mlmsg" style=3D"position:relative;"> =20=20 <div id=3D"ygrp-msg" style=3D"z-index: 1;"> =20=20=20=20 <div id=3D"ygrp-text"> =20=20=20=20=20=20 =20=20=20=20=20=20 =20=20=20=20=20=20 <div><b></b></div> <div><font face=3D"Verdana" size=3D"2"></font></div> <div><font face=3D"Verdana" size=3D"2"> <font face=3D"Times New Roman"= size=3D"3"> </font> <div style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;"><fo= nt face=3D"Calibri">From a promising RBB discussion.</font></span></b></div= > <font face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3"> </font> <div style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;"><fo= nt face=3D"Calibri">Thank, Ken and Blue and Cornet.<span> </span>Perh= aps we will hear from some others. (And as I post this, I see and appreciat= e Edward and Sam as well.)</font></span></b></div> <font face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3"> </font> <div style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;"><fo= nt face=3D"Calibri">In a little while, I Have some snow to handle =E2=80=93 but it=E2=80=99s nothing compared to other regions in t= he country.</font></span></b></div> <font face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3"> </font> <div style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;"><fo= nt face=3D"Calibri">The period in the United States between the Wounded Knee protests of 1973 and the World Trade protests at Seattle in 1999, was the most arid epoch in this country in the 20<sup>th</= sup> century when it came to social justice movements. The Vietnam War and the formal draft ended.<span> </span>If the civil rights movement and that of organized labor had joined forces, it might have been otherwise.<span> </span>But they did not.<span> </span>There wa= s good activism around Central American issues =E2=80=93 but those efforts were limited in scope.<span>&nb= sp; </span>There was little peace activism, say, around Greneda and the first Gulf War.</font></span></b></div> <font face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3"> </font> <div style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;"><fo= nt face=3D"Calibri">The WTO protests in =E2=80=9999 signaled a new activist epoch which built up rapidly around the election of Bush 2 and= , in quick time, the launching of war against Afghanistan.<span> </span>Th= e Iraq War fueled all of this rapidly.<span> </span>The diverse =E2= =80=9Ctendencies=E2=80=9D delineated by Ken came together in a vital and vigorous peace movement =E2=80=93 movement -- = which transcended and also fueled new local efforts. Thus there were <span> </span>conti= nual mass demonstrations, much political action, and some litigation =E2=80=93 the key dimensions in any social just= ice movement =E2=80=93 and the approaches sorely needed now.<span> </span>While there was no formal draft, tough economic conditions for young people were a key factor in swelling military enlistments and these still p= lay that role. A formal draft could come if the current wars continue into the = much further future and military enlistments shrink.</font></span></b></div> <font face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3"> </font> <div style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;"><fo= nt face=3D"Calibri">Obama=E2=80=99s election, while a big step against American racism, was soon seen, by any reasonably astute observers,= as a major chilling force when it came to mass social justice movements. Withi= n months after he took office, there began the still continuing and growing reversals of a <span> </span>number of his campaign and subsequent promises and <span> </span>commitments. <span> </span>The =E2=80=9Cpeace president=E2=80=9D became a gli= b and willing war president.<span> </span>It=E2=80=99s worth noting that some old line left organizations and persons in those traditions could= not bring themselves to even criticize the =E2=80=9Cfirst African American Pres= ident=E2=80=9D under any circumstance, nor can they even now.<span> </span>Other activists continued to =E2=80=9Chope=E2=80=9D for Obama with l= ittle foundation for doing so.<span> </span>The once vital and militant <span> </span= >national peace movement functionally died.</font></span></b></div> <font face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3"> </font> <div style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;"><fo= nt face=3D"Calibri">We will see a revival of mass activism in this country but it=E2=80=99s hard to predict the chronology at= this point.<span> </span>It=E2=80=99s going to take work in the related realms of organizing and mobilizing.<span> </span>Mobilization in its own right is easier, around =E2=80=9Chot=E2=80= =9D issues, than basic grassroots organizing.<span> </span>Mobilization can certainly grow out of organizational structures, but, if it occurs on its o= wn, it definitely needs to sink good organizational roots as it proceeds forwar= d.<span> </span>The late and great national American Peace Movement failed to do that.</font></span></b></div> <font face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3"> </font> <div style=3D"margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;"><fo= nt face=3D"Calibri">Best, H</font></span></b></div> <font face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3"> </font><font face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3"> </font></font></div> HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq / St. Francis Abenaki / = St. Regis Mohawk=20 <br> Protected by Na=C2=B4shdo=C2=B4i=C2=B4ba=C2=B4i=C2=B4=20 <br> and Ohkwari' . Check out our massive social justice website:=20 <br> <a href=3D"http://www.hunterbear.org" target=3D"_blank">www.hunterbear.org<= /a>=20=20 <br> Member, National Writers Union AFL-CIO=20 <br> <br> Core dimensions of my Community Organizing course: <br> <a href=3D"http://www.labornet.org/news/0000/hbear.htm" target=3D"_blank">h= ttp://www.labornet.org/news/0000/hbear.htm</a> <br> <br> My expanded/updated "Organizer's Book,"=20 <br> JACKSON MISSISSIPPI -- with a new 10,000=20 <br> word introduction by me. Covers much of my=20 <br> confrontational social justice organizing life to=20 <br> date. Contains much how-to grassroots organizing=20 <br> methodology: <a href=3D"http://hunterbear.org/jackson.htm" target=3D"_blank= ">http://hunterbear.org/jackson.htm</a> <br> <br> See this for mini-bio, efforts to prevent JM=E2=80=99s appearance in <br> Mississippi, a wide range of its many reviews, and some <br> photos: <a href=3D"http://www.amazon.com/John-R.-Salter/e/B001KMEHWY/ref= =3Dntt_dp_epwbk_0" target=3D"_blank">http://www.amazon.com/John-R.-Salter/e= /B001KMEHWY/ref=3Dntt_dp_epwbk_0</a> <br> <br> The Stormy Adoption of an Indian Child [My Father]:=20 <br> <a href=3D"http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm" targ= et=3D"_blank">http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm</a= >=20=20 <br> (Photos)=20 <br> <div></div> </div> =20=20=20=20=20 =20=20=20=20 =20=20=20=20 <div style=3D"color: #fff; height: 0;"></div> </div> =20=20 </div> </div> </font> <!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| --> <br> <br> <!-- |**|end egp html banner|**| --> <div width=3D"1" style=3D"color: white; clear: both;"/>__._,_.___</div> =20=20=20=20=20=20 =20=20 =20=20=20=20 <div id=3D"fromDMARC" style=3D"clear:both; margin-top: 10px;"> <hr style=3D"height:2px ; border-width:0; color:#E3E3E3; backgroun= d-color:#E3E3E3;"> Posted by: "[email protected]" <[email protected]= > <hr style=3D"height:2px ; border-width:0; color:#E3E3E3; backg= round-color:#E3E3E3;"> </div> <!-- Start Recommendations --> <!-- End Recommendations --> <!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| --> <br><br> <tt> "[C]apital comes dripping from head to foot, from every pore, with blo= od and dirt."<BR> --Marx, Capital, Vol. 1, Chapter 31<BR> <BR> </body> </html> ----------MB_8D1D5659CAFDF70_C94_12A4AF_webmail-va164.sysops.aol.com--