Posted on 11/02/2005 7:21:07 PM PST by doug from upland
The Call to Drive Out the Bush Regime |
Your government, on the basis of outrageous lies, is waging a murderous and utterly illegitimate war in Iraq, with other countries in their sights. Your government is openly torturing people, and justifying it. Your government puts people in jail on the merest suspicion, refusing them lawyers, and either holding them indefinitely or deporting them in the dead of night.
Your government is moving each day closer to a theocracy, where a narrow and hateful brand of Christian fundamentalism will rule. Your government suppresses the science that doesn't fit its religious, political and economic agenda, forcing present and future generations to pay a terrible price.
Your government is moving to deny women here, and all over the world, the right to birth control and abortion. Your government enforces a culture of greed, bigotry, intolerance and ignorance. People look at all this and think of Hitler — and they are right to do so. The Bush regime is setting out to radically remake society very quickly, in a fascist way, and for generations to come. We must act now; the future is in the balance. |
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From the OrganizersTo organizers: Nov. 2, what it will look like
Debra Sweet, National Co-ordinator, the World Can't Wait
Tomorrow is the beginning of the end of the Bush Regime! I wanted to pass along some ideas about the character of the rallies and demonstrations for our launch.
We've got to keep in mind what we're trying to do with these events. We are beginning a movement that will drive Bush from office and reverse the whole direction in which he's been taking society. Every day a new outrage drives home the need for nothing less than this. If anyone needs more proof, look at the Libby indictment, followed closely by the Alito nomination!
This will take a movement that is very broad, very serious and very determined. We need to speak to the "millions and millions", as it says in our Call, who are deeply disturbed and outraged by this.
In doing this, we have already been up against the powers-that-be, and here too we need to keep our Call in mind: "This will not be easy. If we speak the truth, they will try to silence us. If we act, they will try to stop us. But we speak for the majority, here and around the world, and as we get this going we are going to reach out to the people who have been so badly fooled by Bush and we are NOT going to stop."
The last few days have borne this out. In particular, the ways in which radio stations aimed at youth (but owned by giant media conglomerates) have refused to play our paid ads. There are threats from the authorities directed at high school students who have been organizing to walk out of school that day and go to the demonstrations in their cities.
But these days have also borne out that we do truly speak for the majority, as more and more people and organizations have been endorsing November 2 and vowing to come out for it. Every day new cities or campuses post their information for where and when people will meet in their town on the 2nd.
Our actions on November 2 have to be very broad on a scale that can really make a huge change in this country and in the world. We need to begin with a strong core and then draw in hundreds and -- in the major cities -- thousands along the way. We need all kinds of people there, from the youth to the "raging grannies," vets from all wars, wheelchair contingents, people from different religious congregations (and no religion at all), gay people, union members, and immigrants. We need everyone on the political spectrum who won't go along with Bush, from disaffected Republicans to disappointed Democrats and beyond.
Now, we fully understand the anger and deep outrage that a lot of people feel. If you're not angry at this point, you're not paying attention! So let's turn that anger into a determination to make these demonstrations as powerful and magnetic as possible.
Make no mistake: thousands and thousands of people not going to work and coming out instead to demonstrate is a powerful show of determination. Thousands and thousands of young people not going to school, or even walking out of school, and coming out instead to rally and march is a powerful show of determination. People seriously putting forth their intent to drive out a regime -- same thing. Right there you've gone way beyond politics as usual.
And when all those people march through the streets, chanting "JOIN US! JOIN US! THE WORLD CAN'T WAIT! DRIVE OUT THE BUSH REGIME! JOIN US! JOIN US!" . . . and when hundreds and then thousands more people answer their call, coming out from the sidewalks and office buildings and stores, and joining the line of march . . . and when the energy and enthusiasm of the youth plays a special role in all that? Then that will be an extremely powerful and determined message, and will be understood as such by both potential friend and foe alike.
A day of demonstrations like that, all across the country, can begin to change the whole "political equation" in society. It can work wonders on what people think is possible, and whether they will act.
But, to speak bluntly, tactics that cut against bringing out the thousands on November 2 and speaking to the millions go in the wrong direction and should not be done. The Call for the November 2 demonstrations is very clear: it is not calling for violence and it is not calling to remove the Bush regime from office by any means other than mass political action.
Again, there is plenty of room for outrage and energy. But the point is to channel that into something that can really begin to change things for real.
* * * * *
For people who are for the first time organizing demonstrations, it's important that the committees make sure that they have an emcee, or several emcees, who can help tie things together at different times. There will be a diversity of speakers and views -- and this is as it should be, and one of the great strengths of the movement that will be beginning on November 2. At the same time, the emcees will need to keep things focused on the aim -- driving out the Bush regime. We're coming from a lot of different places and after November 2 we should be even more diverse, in every way; and the glue that holds the whole thing together is the Call. The calls should be distributed throughout the day and should be the "common ground" that the emcees keep returning to.
Okay, everybody -- have a great November 2! Get us your reports on the events! The world is counting on us.
MOMENTUM BUILDS FOR NOV. 2
On Nov. 2, the first anniversary of Bush's "re-election," people in 67 cities, at 43 colleges and universities, and 90 high schools (at last count) will leave work and school and gather in the city centers to declare No! This Regime Does Not Represent Us! and to launch a movement to drive Bush from power. (www.worldcantwait.org).
The World Cant Waits call to Drive Out the Bush Regime is resonating deeply and broadly, and gaining increasing momentum, due to Bushs ongoing outrages, his crumbling legitimacy, and the inability - or unwillingness of the Democrats to provide an alternative. Heres a snapshot:
* 67 CITIES, 45 CAMPUSES, 90 HIGH SCHOOLS RED STATE & BLUE: In the four months since the WCW call was issued, chapters have been formed in 53 cities, with demonstrations taking place in another 14; students at 43 colleges and universities will be participating; and there are 90 high schools where significant numbers of students will take part. The 34 states now covered are an equal mix of blue and red. Demonstrations are being held in the usual places: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, LA, Portland, Madison, Seattle, but also in Norfolk, Virginia; Burlington, Vermont; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Hood River, Oregon; Boone, North Carolina; Great Falls, Montana; and Springfield, Missouri.
* KATRINA SURVIVORS WILL DEMONSTRATE IN NEW ORLEANS and theyre calling on those displaced from the Gulf to join actions in other cities. Miami organizers will hold a protest despite the recent hurricane; people in Franklin, NH will converge at a softball field; students at Roberto Clemente High in Chicago will walk out; fraternities at Hampton University, Virginia which took part in the recent Millions More March in Washington, DC have organized a demonstration.
* ENDORSERS: Harold Pinter, Jane Fonda, Gore Vidal, Cornel West, Russell Banks, Jonathan Kozol, Studs Terkel, Cindy Sheehan, Howard Zinn, Edward Asner, Ed Begley, Jr., Kate Clinton, Sam Hamill, Leland Yee (Speaker Pro Tem, CA State Assembly), Tom Ammiano (SF Board of Supervisors), Deborah Glick (NY State Assembly), former US diplomat Ann Wright, Michael Eric Dyson, Cal. State Assemblyman Mark Leno (author of gay marriage bill), Not In Our Name, ACT UP, Code Pink, Progressive Democrats of America; musicians Anti-flag, Grammy Award Winning Ozomatli, Axis of Justice, the Hip Hop Caucus, Saul Williams, Boots Riley, Steve Earle, Kathleen Hanna and Jd Sampson (Le Tigre), Rickie Lee Jones, Casey Kasem, Tom Morello, Outernational and thousands more.
* HOWARD ZINN, MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, OZOMATLI CULTURE CLASH, BOOTS RILEY, POET SUHEIR HAMMAD, and JESSICA BLANK, have recorded World Cant Wait RADIO ADS; the campaign has been covered on stations across the country including Air America, Pacifica stations, and NYs HOT 97 Radio; Anti-Flag has contributed an exclusive track to www.worldcantwait.org Welcome to 1984"; WCW has been featured on websites including Michael Moores, Afterdowningstreet, and the Millions More Movement, as well as on the marquis of Oaklands Grand Lake Theater; Calls to join have been issued by clergy, educators, lawyers, poets, parents, conservative businessmen, veterans, Black law students, and people in the heartland. (http://speakingoutondrivebush.blogspot.com/)
* SPEAKERS ON NOV 2 INCLUDE CINDY SHEEHAN, New York State Senator Tom Duane, Michael Ratner, Jody Evans of Code Pink, Esther Kaplan, Lynne Stewart, representatives of ACT-UP, Veterans for Peace, Pitzer College Dean of Faculty Alan Jones, co-founder of Gold Star Families for Peace Bill Mitchell, SF Supervisor Chris Daly, Buddhist Peace Fellowship, San Francisco Labor Council Executive Director Tim Paulson and many others.
* YOUTH AND STUDENTS are stepping out despite threats and warnings; the Campus Anti-War Network C.A.N endorsed WCW and is mobilizing for Nov 2; students at UW Madison state: We will no longer complacently and apathetically enjoy our liberal enclave, we will confront the challenge that is before us; a leaked Oct 26 internal memo on Nov 2 from the LA Unified School District instructed staff, do not attempt to prevent students from leaving the campus.
* A QUICKENING PACE AND NEW TENOR TO RESISTANCE: WCW organizers joined the anti-Minuteman demonstration in Chicago and anti-war protests across the country, and initiated anti-torture actions at Hunter College (NYC), UCLA, and UC Berkeley where torture theorist John Yoo was confronted by protesters wearing orange jumpsuits and held on a leash. They challenged Yoo, "Take the leash. Take responsibility." Yoo did not take the leash, said nothing, and left his classroom. Attorney Michael Ratner said such anti-torture protests should happen on every campus; KPFA host Dennis Bernstein introduced the youth protestors as heroes after they disrupted Yoos class.
* WCW ENCAMPMENT IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE begun October 13 has held days to protest crimes against humanity, a "No Theocracy Day" with anti-Bush clergy, joined with Cindy Sheehan at the die in response to the 2,000th death of US military personnel in Iraq, and held a "Vets and Families Speak Out at the White House Gates Against the Iraq War."
STUDS TERKEL:
From Studs Terkel...
Its time we assert ourselves,
And said to these outrageous liars
Who offended our sense of decency
And native intelligence
Its time to BUGGER OFF!
Get lost!
And lets unite on behalf of peace and sanity
and all that makes life rich and worthwhile.
Tom Paine was perhaps the most eloquent visionary
of the American Revolution.
His book, Common Sense, sold a couple of hundred thousand copies.
The population was hardly four or five million,
which means, of course, people read it.
It was a best seller for years.
He says, in that,
Let us not let them confuse reason with treason.
Enough of that nonsense.
OUT!
VAMOOSE,
Bush administration!
What Im saying, really, is:
The World Cant Wait!
Drive Out the Bush Regime!
Today's Reason - Tuesday, Nov. 1
After pressure from far-right religious extremists (including many in Congress) that Miers wasn't fascist enough for the Supreme Court, Bush has nominated Samuel Alito, nicknamed Scalito for his ideological and judicial similarities with Justice Scalia. Just looking at Alitos track record brings to life that the Bush regime is setting out to radically remake society very quickly, in a fascist way, and for generations to come. In Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1991), Alito wrote a dissenting opinion arguing that states could require women to notify their husbands before having an abortion (can anyone say family, home, country?). Alito has also decided against affirmative action, late-term abortion, and womens rights.
If Scalitos far-right views at a time when the right to abortion, among other important rights (like not being tortured by the US military) hang in the balance arent enough, whats worse is how his nomination came about. Religious fanatics and right-wing pundits whipped up their followers into a frenzy, and far-right Republican Congressmen cast doubts about Miers credentials. Lets be clear. These people dont care about credentials (exhibit A: President Bush). They want a judiciary that falls in line behind the fascist direction the Bush regime is taking us, and will not let up until they get their way (i.e. the threat to stop the filibuster and the Justice Sunday rallies).
And where are the Democrats? Why is the argument over the Supreme Court nominee coming from the (far)-right? Why are the terms of debate being set as whos guaranteed to rule against the right to choose?
More importantly, what will you do to stop this? That which you do not resist and mobilize to stop, you will learn or be forced to accept.
The World Cant Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime! Mobilize November 2nd!
What if they threw a revolution and nobody came?
BRING IT ON!!
They should have showed up at the poles last November.........Oh, wait they did.
There was not enough of them.
November 2, 2005 will mark the beginning of the end of the Bush Regime. Over 50 cities across the country have built organizing committees from the grass roots level to join the call to drive out the Bush Regime. Many organizations and thousands of individuals have endorsed this call without hesitation. Some organizations needed more convincing because of concerns about communists being involved or fears of doom and powerlessness. These concerns have been dealt with in a straight forward and up front way and can be found in the FAQ section on the web site at www.worldcantwait.org. However, the most baffling response Ive been getting has come from some of the LGBT community groups that have expressed the concern that DRIVING OUT THE BUSH REGIME isnt LGBT specific enough for them to take up. I believe that this concern or assessment is incorrect and must be reevaluated.
Does the Bush Regime have an agenda and does this agenda include a future that effects the LGBT community? The simple answer is YES, however we must look at the particularities of what is currently going on and the trajectory of this ultra conservative bible based regime that is gaining more power within the government, straight to the White House. Back in the late 90s we all chuckled at the gay hate rantings of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and James Dobson. Their influence seemed limited at the time; no one seemed to take them too seriously. James Dobson of Focus on the Family wrote a pamphlet claiming that homosexuality can be prevented through prayer and reparative therapy. Pat Robertson equated homosexuals to satanists. Also, Robertson states that from a biblical perspective the rise of homosexuality is a sign that society is in the last stage of decay. He also stated recently Hurricane Katrina occurred because New Orleans is the epicenter of sinful jazz music in America and As for Ellen Degenerate (an accurate nickname my friend Jerry Falwell coined) she will soon face the wrath of god in her more sinful town of Hollywood, California. God will create an earth quake with the epicenter just below her stage. Maybe we could laugh at such statements several years ago, but these people have newfound power straight to George Bush, they are part of the Bush Regime. The new normalcy for the White House is daily prayer circles and bible quotes, Bush himself claims to be a born again Christian. These are more than just random statements made by crazy people. This is part of a growing and powerful movement with an ideology of hate, greed and bigotry aimed at anyone or any group that doesnt conform to their narrow view of morality.
Lets not forget that just over a decade ago our community was nearly decimated by the AIDS epidemic. And now as this disease is rapidly spreading through the African American and Latino Communities, as well as countries in Africa and around the world, our president is replacing government spending on AIDS education and condom distribution with faith based spending on abstinence only programs. They are promoting a policy of no sex before marriage and abstinence only for single people. How do gay people with no rights to marriage fit into this equation? We dont because in their view we dont have the right to be gay. Those who dont follow their policy and their morality deserve the consequences of their actions. This is nothing short of genocide. For more information on this I suggest people read With God on Their Side by Esther Kaplan.
As for gay marriage, Arnold the Governator just recently over turned a bill from the California legislators that would recognize gay marriage. He ran on a platform of gay rights several years ago when Governor Grey Davis was recalled. Many were hopeful about this new bill only to be disappointed one more time. The president still plans to amend the constitution to ban gay marriage and he is currently building a supreme court that will approve it. No one should be so foolish as to think that John Roberts or Harriet Miers would vote against such an amendment. Also, dont think for a second that this new court wont be overturning Roe vs. Wade. Its interesting that some of the first openly gay people to endorse the call to drive out the Bush Regime were politicians, including San Francisco supervisor, Tom Amiano and California Assemblyman Mark Leno along with NY State Senator Thomas Duane. What do these politicians see coming down the pike that others have yet to see?
This letter is meant to urge every progressive gay organization and community group to join in the call and build a mass movement to DRIVE OUT THIS REGIME. This letter hasnt even begun to list all the reasons this movement must be built. Isnt a war based on lies, torture of people who are guilty of nothing other than resisting this government, racial genocide as seen in the wake of Katrina, replacing science with religion, detention of people as enemy combatants without reason or due process, and taking the choice of procreation away from women enough reason to get on board. After all isnt it the responsibility of all progressive people and organizations to defend the rights of everyone without being narrow and confined to self-interest?
Lets look at the history of the German Nazi movement as an example of just how far a regime can go. In the early 1930s the German people enjoyed a variety of freedoms; the gay movement was flourishing. By 1934 Hitler had 1000 supporters of Ernst Roehm, a known homosexual, put to death. By 1935 Paragraph 175 was rewritten to allow the roundups and imprisonment of homosexuals. It was estimated that by the fall of the Nazi Regime up to 15,000 homosexuals were exterminated. This figure was nothing compared to the total number of people exterminated. Is it possible for something like that to happen again? I for one dont want to just stand by and find out. The world truly cant wait as we sit back to see what comes next.
Imagine for a moment, the LGBT community uniting with people from other communities and waging a battle against what is coming into being from these theocrats. This is exactly what is required; we must create a united front of resistance in our millions. We all want this trajectory to stop and we all must mobilize to stop it. This planet and the life on it depend on our actions. Can the future afford to wait as we go shopping or redecorate our houses or plan the next social event? Sorry folks, but this next period is going to require dedication and resolve to change the way we are being governed. Imagine a better world and what it will take to make that happen.
No, they spew out hot gas and then whine about global warming..
News update 10-28-05
On the Indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby
The World Can't Wait Organizers Say: Indictments Fuel November 2nd Demonstrations to Drive Out the Bush Regime
The indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Jr. for perjury, obstruction of justice and making false statements to the federal grand jury that is investigating the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity is just the tip of the iceberg of lies, fraud and intimidation knowingly used by this administration to go to war. The people behind all of this including Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rove and Rumsfeld remain in power and are still pursuing an illegal, immoral and unjust war. This highlights the urgency of the November 2nd demonstrations to drive out the Bush regime called by World Can't WaitDrive Out the Bush Regime in over 70 cities and 40 campuses nationwide.
Libby and others in the administration were attempting to punish someone for daring to expose one of their knowing lies, lies that have led to the deaths at this point of over 100,000 people. Even the very small charges that Libby faces for what in fact are war crimes drives home the utterly illegitimate, illegal and immoral character of the war against Iraq, and of the regime that cooked this up and is now prosecuting it.
Debra Sweet, WCW National Coordinator, on the indictments:
"This indictment constitutes reason enough to drive Bush out of office, and shows the urgency for people to turn out on November 2, demanding that this regime be driven out.
"The indictment does not mean that the threat posed by the Bush Regime has passed; on the contrary, people like Bush are more dangerous when they are cornered. Progressive change only happens when people in their millions struggle for it.
"But it does mean that Bush is scrambling and that many millions of people are more open to hearing the truth and acting on it. Now is the time for people who really do want to see change to come into the streets on November 2 and take mass, independent political action to drive out the Bush regime."
The World Can't WaitDrive Out the Bush Regime and the November 2 actions have been endorsed by Cindy Sheehan, Howard Zinn, San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano, Nobel-prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter, Gore Vidal, Cornel West, former US diplomat Ann Wright, Michael Eric Dyson, and thousands more.
Where you gettin alla this crappola???
Did I miss something Wednesday? Was there some massive walkout that I didn't notice?
And there you have it. They want to continue murdering their babies. This is ONE of the, if not THE major reason for their flippin' fear.
I think all of the signatories should come together for one big meeting in... let's say... Iran, near one of the Iranians' nuclear processing facilities and...
It's all from their little commie website.
Is it too late to retroactively abort these people?
Too bad that the only way idiots like these could ever be educated is at the point of a sword.
Where's PJ O'Rourke when you need him. This is all set for Volume II...
A Poem by Doug from Upland
Hey...look at us
We are the unwashed...we smell really bad
Buddy...do you have some change
We don't want jobs...we call ourselves activists
Why yes...those are maggots in our hair
We will march for the camera...hey, do you have some change?
Bush bad...Cindy good...Bush bad
Judge Alito...Lewis Libby...water torture
How about you...do you have some change?
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