WAR WATCH WEDNESDAY, #112, FEBRUARY 8, 2023

 WAR WATCH WEDNESDAY, #112, FEBRUARY 8, 2023

John Walsh.  Protest the War in DC Feb. 19.
Benjamin and Davies.  War in Ukraine
Benjamin Abelow. How the West Brought War to Ukraine
Jan. 6 Attempted Coup and Possible Context
Maurice Mitchell.  “Building Resilient Organizations Toward Joy and Durability in a Time of Crisis.”  

Protest the War in DC. Feb. 19

John V. Walsh. “Right & Left to join in D.C. protest: ‘Not one more penny for war in Ukraine.’”  Posted Jan 30, 2023.   Mronline.org (1-31-23).

February 19, New Anti-Interventionist Coalition to March to White House from Washington Monument.
Financialization, Movements, Protest, WarAmericas, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, United StatesCommentary“Not one more penny for war in Ukraine”, Featured, Military Spending, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Russia-Ukraine War.

On February 19, Washington, DC, will witness a protest against the war in Ukraine that marks a sharp departure from past demonstrations. The lead demand is simple and direct, “Not One More Penny for war in Ukraine.” It is a demand that emphasizes what we in the U.S. can do to end the war, not what others can do. After all, the only government we have the power to influence is our own.

Above and beyond that demand, the potential power of this unique and promising movement arises from the nature of the sponsoring organizations—The Peoples Party, a progressive new Party, and the Libertarian Party. It is in fact what much of the press would term a “right-left” Coalition, spanning a spectrum broad enough to actually bring the proxy war in Ukraine to an end. Fittingly, the organizers are calling the protest “Rage Against the War Machine.” With the war in Ukraine putting us the precipice of nuclear Armageddon, “rage” might be considered a mild reaction.  MORE  https://monthlyreview.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=36ce609ae68971b4f060ad9c7&id=315f8339e7&e=ab2f7bf95e

War in Ukraine MAKING SENSE OF A SENSELESS CONFLICT MEDEA BENJAMIN and NICOLAS J.S. DAVIES Preface by KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL “The timing of the publication of War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless War couldn’t be better. This text, written by antiwar activist Medea Benjamin and journalist Nicolas J.S. Davies, provides the reader with a clear and well-argued understanding of the Ukraine-Russian war that rejects the pro-war narratives of Kyiv, Moscow and Washington. The text tackles the conflict from a viewpoint that acknowledges Moscow’s February 22, 2022 aggression as illegal and wrong while also arguing that the conflict itself represents a greater geopolitical conflict where Washington is the instigator and the more aggressive actor.” —Counterpunch “An important antidote to the war propaganda about Ukraine that so many in the West are caught up in.” —Mairead McGuire, activist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize “Every public library in the United States should order a copy.”

 One of the most important and accessible books of 2022 is:

How the West Brought War to Ukraine: Understanding How US and NATO Policies Led to Crisis, War, and the Risk of Nuclear Catastrophe, by Benjamin Abelow, Siland Press, Great Barrington, MA .    Info@SilandPress.com  (also free online).  https://medium.com/@benjamin.abelow/western-policies-caused-the-ukraine-crisis-and-now-risk-nuclear-war-1e402a67f44e

 Letter from Abelow.   He has much to teach peace scholars about how to reach an audience!

Abelow invited people to become sponsors of translations of his book.  Here is his reply to my query for more information.

Re. Translations: Since writing what I did about sponsorship, I came out with my own German translation and, most importantly, an international book broker has started to work with me and has now (assuming she's giving me the accurate story) queried sub-agents and publishers in 40 countries. As of now I have publishing deals with Poland and Slovenia and I have an offer (but not yet a signed contract) with a publisher in Italy. A literary agency in France is currently querying publishers there and hopefully something will pan out. Depending how things evolve during the next few weeks, it may be that I no longer will need to seek sponsors for additional translations of my own. Can we be in touch again about this in a few weeks? -- I should have a better sense of things by then.

 

ONGOING ATTEMPTED COUP AND DEMOCRACY RESPONSES.  Portside (12-2-22).

 The MAGA storming of the Capitol is two years old. The attempted coup is still happening. The reshaping of the Republican Party as an insurrectionary force and the expansion of armed gangs aim to smash democracy.  Please help us to inform, to mobilize and to inspire the forces of multi-racial, radical, inclusive democracy to defeat this threat in 2023. Portside (12-2-22).  https://portside.org/2022-12-01/building-resilient-organizations-toward-joy-and-durable-power-time-crisis?utm_medium=email&utm_source=portside-snapshot

  Possible Context: Nazi Destruction of German democracy 1932-33.  See Rick Steves’ “Europe: Germany’s Fascist Story” (ARPBS Feb. 7, 2023).   

 

Defending Democracy to Prevent War and Warming
Maurice Mitchell.  CONVERGENCE.  December 1, 2022 . .  
“Building Resilient Organizations Toward Joy and Durability in a Time of Crisis.” 

To effectively contend with racist, authoritarian forces, our work must be as powerful as possible. Maurice Mitchell unpacks problems our organizations and movements face, identifies underlying causes and core problems, proposes concrete solutions.

Portside (12-2-22).  https://portside.org/2022-12-01/building-resilient-organizations-toward-joy-and-durable-power-time-crisis?utm_medium=email&utm_source=portside-snapshot