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Eight days into the New Year and we are already navigating a war. 2020 is not playing.
Or perhaps it's just cutting to the chase, demanding that we make a stand. It's no longer about the "eminent threat" or the election next year. It is NOW and it is more serious than ever. This war is the manifestation of everything Trump has stood for. It is an attack on black and brown bodies who bear the brunt of American imperialism. It is economic control and violence through sanctions that affect the most vulnerable. And it is profit for the greedy military industrial complex.
We are being gaslit. War is not inevitable. War is a failure of imagination.
2020 vision requires hindsight, foresight and insight. It invites us to come together, create and conjure up a disruptive force of epic proportions to defend against violence and protect our people.
We have 300 days to be our best selves and do our best work, together. And then we will vote them all out and take back our country.
Happy New Year.
Kerri (she/hers)
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HOW DID WE GET HERE
Trump's decision to kill General Qasem Soleimani of Iran has caught everyone off guard. Make no mistake, Soleimani was a bad man - having terrorized millions in and around Iran. "You can cheer the end of Sulaimani and still be anti-war. You can condemn the way Sulaimani was executed but still be relieved that he is no longer around to terrorize people. You can be anti-US imperialism and anti-Iranian dictatorship and brutality". But America is guilty of everything we accuse Iran of doing. If Soleimani deserves condemnation for arming Iraqi insurgents, then George W. Bush and Dick Cheney deserve 10 times as much for starting the war in the first place. (Here's more readings on the complex history of US-Iran relations). As expected, Iran retaliated last night launching a dozen missiles at a US base in Iraq. While the US isn't planning "military action", they will impose more sanctions on Iran, which, in reality, IS an act of war that affects the most vulnerable, denying them access to food and medicine. This is far from over.
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WTF DO WE DO NOW?
Right now is the moment to decide if you are pro-peace or not, said AOC. Rep Ilhan Omar and Barbara Lee echoed the sentiment and have drafted the war powers resolution to prevent war with Iran. Endless wars kill innocent people and put trillions of dollars in the pockets war profiteers (meet the companies making a killing on Trump's attacks). We must stand up NOW and demand congress do their job and stop Trump's war mongering. This Thursday, we're hitting the streets and disrupting business as usual to say #NoWarWithIran. We need a collective show of force to send the message that we do not consent to unnecessary wars. We want peace. Find a local event here.
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DON'T GET DISTRACTED
All of this, of course, is a tactic to distract us from the impending Senate trial and to fuel fear around the 2020 election. But we will not be fooled. While we are blocking and tackling what’s right in front of us, we also have our eye on the prize. Our war mongering president has, in fact, been impeached and awaits trial in the Senate. Speaker Pelosi has been holding back the articles until there is assurance that McConnell will set fair trial terms and allow for witness testimony. But Moscow Mitch has been forthcoming about is his loyalty (bias) to the administration over the impeachment and can't be trusted. So where does that leave us? 1. CALL YOUR SENATORS and demand that they remove Trump or shut down Congress. 2. Get ready to vote them all out.
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GO SLOW
"There is such urgency in the multitude of crises we face, it can make it hard to remember that in fact it is urgency thinking (urgent constant unsustainable growth) that got us to this point, and that our potential success lies in doing deep, slow, intentional work" adrienne maree brown reminds us that while we are most definitely facing a crisis, that does not mean we should respond with urgency. Rather, slow down and take care of one another so that we can be discerning about when and how we are needed. 2020 is going to demand so much from us, we cannot risk burning out. Our practice must include equal parts rest and resistance. Get ready.
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Ready for 2020? We've got you covered. Check out our most recent meditation on how to make the transition into the New Year with courage and grace. Available on Patreon for $5/month!
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