A New Years Message from IAC founder Ramsey Clark
Former U. S. Attorney
General
International Action Center
55 West 17th St., Fifth Floor, New York, N.Y. 10011
212-633-6646
December 2009
Breaking News January 1, 2009
A New Year’s Message from IAC founder Ramsey Clark
Dear friends,
Many of us
relearned something obvious over the past year: elections
offer
only an opportunity to avoid tragedy, further exploitation
and,
at best, stagnation with a bad outcome or with a good outcome,
a
better chance for peace, the end of militarism, progress toward
economic
and social justice and a world of cooperation, not
competition. Most often, our two-party national elections
offer a
slight
difference, if any, on critical issues.
2008 broke the
race barrier—a great victory for equality, only to be
quickly
subdued by the dominant powers in the United States—personal
and
corporate wealth, the plutocracy and its vast military apparatus
which
consumes more than half the federal budget and exceeds
military
expenditures of all other countries combined.
At this critical
time in world history, we dare not let the
plutocracy
prevail, with its control of the media, the Congress,
government
bureaucracies, and its sophisticated use of
misinformation
and fear.
Real change takes
more–the right priorities, constant vigilance,
effective
organizing, mass mobilization and unrelenting
perseverance.
*This is the International Action’s Center’s role; it
is
known nationally and worldwide. *IAC stands in solidarity with
all
harmed by imperialist aggression. Its bold, independent voice
does
not waver, compromise or concede.
In January, during
Israel’s assault on Gaza, the IAC helped motivate
people
to protest nationally in solidarity with the Palestinians.
IAC spread a
petition worldwide; it called for ending the slaughter
and
lifting the blockade of Gaza. More than
500,000 messages were
sent. In July, the IAC joined Viva Palestina–an
aid caravan
organized
by British MP George Galloway, Ron Kovic, Cynthia
McKinney
and
Charles Barron--to deliver desperately needed aid to Gaza, as
the
IAC did in Iraq from 1991 to 2003. Its
significance rang loud
and
clear in Gaza, where solidarity was greatly needed and appreciated.
Last summer, the
dangerous refrain of “weapons of mass destruction”
was
heard again–this time aimed at Iran. The
IAC worked hard to
turn
the tide and talk common sense, helping to blunt the
government’s
pro-war propaganda, at least temporarily.
This vital
work
set the stage for now, when the vitriol against Iran has begun
again.
Vigilance and ever-greater mobilization will be critical.
IAC recently sent
a fact-finding delegation to Honduras, where the
U.S. stood by
while generals trained at the School of the Americas
joined
oligarchs in a coup. The importance of continuing vigilance
and
mass mobilization cannot be overstated here.
The Honduran
resisters
have said, “They fear us because we are fearless.” They
are confident
because they have strong and well-informed supporters,
including
those who depend on the IAC for the truth and act accordingly.
The great progress
in Latin America—Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia,
Ecuador—following
in the footsteps of incomparable Cuba, with
Brazil, Argentina,
Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay moving to break the
chains
of the nearly two-century stranglehold of the Monroe Doctrine
are
at work in Honduras. The tide must not
turn!
Here, in the worst
economic crisis since the Great Depression, a
crime
no less of concentrated wealth, the IAC helped to forge a Bail
Out
the People Movement. Together we
have conducted a steady,
systematic
organizing effort, with a march on Wall Street, People’s
Summits in New
York and Detroit to counter the big business planners
in
Detroit and the “G-20” in Pittsburgh. *The next step is a
national
campaign for jobs*, like the campaign that won the Works
Progress
Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps 75 years ago.
There is no way of
knowing for sure where the struggle will lead.
Around the world
and here at home, the dangers are immense. U.S.
drone
missiles rain down on Pakistani villages, killing civilians,
as
U.S. and NATO missiles increasingly destroy children, women and
men
in Afghanistan--where tens of thousands more U.S. troops are
being
sent.
The military
budget is growing at a gargantuan rate—the highest in
U.S. history--
diverting massive funds and depriving millions here
of
health care, housing, and education, as infrastructures
deteriorate.
The U.S. will remain the greatest threat to world peace
until
we force a greater than 50 percent cut in this funding.
The spiraling
economic meltdown means millions of people have lost
their
jobs and homes in the face of massive cutbacks in vital social
programs--with
no end in sight--and more power in the plutocracy
when
it’s over. Yet trillions of dollars in “bailouts” are given to
financial
institutions, whose executives reward themselves with huge
bonuses.
However, there is
reason for hope. There is growing
opposition to
the
wars abroad, to the crushing economic situation, and to the
witch-hunts
against immigrants especially Latinos, Arabs and Muslims,
Our communications
capacity and organizing must grow on every front.
Real change
depends on an informed people, effective mobilizing and
strong,
independent and decisive actions.
*The IAC is well
situated and long-experienced as a key organizing
force
to play a major role in this period.* The IAC has been a
principled,
consistent, determined independent voice and mobilizer
against
U.S. wars, sanctions and military interventions for 18
years,
since the first Gulf War. This organization of activists has
courageously
led protests, meetings and forums across the country,
opposing
U.S. aggression against Iraq, Iran, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela,
Palestine,
Somalia, Pakistan, Lebanon, Sudan, Honduras, Bolivia,
Panama
and Korea.
IAC organizers
have produced essential books–translated into several
languages–for
the public, scholars, and anti-war protesters here and
worldwide,
while providing a center and resources for a new
generation
of activists. The People's Video Network has produced
many
political action and educational videos, while building an
alternative
media network.
The IAC has
vigorously engaged in struggles against racism, bigotry,
and
injustice --from standing with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
survivors
in their still unmet quest for justice, to supporting
immigrants’
rights, opposing the death penalty, and challenging
military
recruitment, war crimes and crimes against humanity. We
must
never abandon the difficult struggles that require unrelenting
solidarity
and support. More is required of us as
mosques are
seized
here, secret detentions and torture continue, imams are
arrested,
an imam is murdered in Detroit, and the heroic civil
rights
lawyer Lynne Stewart is imprisoned with a poisonous appellate
court
opinion, after a two-year delay.
Today, in this
crucial time of expanding U.S. wars abroad, and
economic
crisis at home, the IAC, fiercely committed to a *Peoples’
Agenda*, has
helped launch a national campaign for peace, calling
for
U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, Iraq, Japan, Korea, the
Philippines,
Colombia—and elsewhere--while calling for jobs,
healthcare
and housing.
*The IAC looks
forward to a new year of struggle against war and
political,
social and economic injustice! We need
your strong support!*
Our New Year's
Resolution for 2010 must be to organize together
tirelessly
to end U.S. occupations abroad, and to stop new wars and
incessant
provocations against Islam and countries worldwide. We
must
work to promote international friendship and respect for
humankind
and oppose the policies of domination, globalization and war.
We invite you to
be with us every step of the way in the new year of
activism
with the IAC and to support its vital work.
Together we must
help reverse the tide that threatens all of humanity.
Ramsey Clark
You can make an online donation at http://iacenter.org/donate/
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