White Wars

We should care about Ukraine. Not because it is civilized or white, but because everyone deserves to be free from supremacy and violence.

But we should not lose the plot. This war is not about the good guys and the bad guys. It’s about white supremacy. White supremacy is the central conflict threatening our planet and human existence. And while Russia is considered the “beacon of hope” for white nationalists (characterized by Richard Spencer as the “sole white power in the world”, their reach and influence runs deep right here at home.

The irony of our struggle of course is that while the US leads a global fight for democracy abroad, it can’t even protect voting rights at home (among other things…don’t get me started). Which is why we cannot be led astray by this war. We must be as diligent in standing up to the assaults on our democracy as we are advocating for it around the world. Civil rights icon, Ruby Sales, calls this the “Double D” - the inner and outer practice of living into our democracy. May we embody the spirit of this movement where ever we are.

Kerri (she/her)

Art by @ctznwell Words by @skillinaction

1. White nationalism in the US and Russia. Essential reading to understand how Russian white-supremacist organizations exert international influence, how extremist groups utilize social media, and how the US can respond to curb the threat of transnational white supremacy. [click to tweet]

2. More terrifying news on the climate front. Climate change is likely going to make the world sicker, hungrier, poorer, gloomier and way more dangerous in the next 18 years, a new United Nations science report says. [click to tweet]

3. Challenging the US war machine. When we talk about the potential for U.S. military intervention in any scenario, no matter how disturbing or tragic, we need to remember the nature and history of the apparatus being discussed. [click to tweet]

4. Who’s afraid of Ketanji Brown Jackson? “Every chink in the armor of racial and gender exclusion produces outsize opposition precisely because of its potential to destabilize existing norms and systems”. [click to tweet]

5. We should treat all asylum seekers the way we treat Ukrainian refugees. All refugees fleeing violence should be welcomed here, including Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and beyond. [click to tweet]

This fossil fueled, white supremacist war has catastrophic consequences on the planet and human existence as we know it. Here’s what you can do:

STAND AGAINST BIG OIL. Bill McKibbon writes about how to beat Putin (and avoid future energy wars) by ending our relationship with Big Oil and gas. Here are 12 strategies to fight the oil industry and transform our energy system.

FIGHT WHITE SUPREMACY. At the core of our predicament is white supremacy. Here’s how you can help eradicate it from our friend at Ben & Jerry’s.

MUTUAL AID FOR UKRAINE: Here are some trusted sources for how you can give and support the people of Ukraine.

Art by @slowfactory. Support their work.

We cannot talk about U.S. military intervention in any scenario, no matter how disturbing or tragic, without acknowledging the nature and history of the apparatus being discussed.The culture of war is rooted in domination and extraction, and its interventions inevitably result in devastation. As Russia invades Ukraine and the threat of nuclear war looms, Sins Invalid reaffirms that disability justice is a politic of peace. War threatens all bodies. It disproportionately impacts disabled people. And it creates disability. We must be committed to a world that is free of violence. The war machine - whether it is the military industrial complex, Big Oil, disaster capitalists and beyond - is well resourced. We must do the same. “Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war”.

Art by unknown, Donate to Sins Invalid

We can feel many things at the same time. And we’re still here.

Art and words by @shannonalgeo with permission

CTZNWELL is community powered and crowd-sourced. That’s how we keep it real. Please consider joining us on Patreon for as little as $2/month so that we can keep doing the work of creating content that matters for CTZNs who care.