Category: Divest

Bring Peace to Rafah

Democrats are terrified of Trump. They admit that Biden’s choice to support Israel and the slaughter of over 35,000 human beings, including 15,000 children is “wrong”, but they are terrified that if they speak out, Biden will lose and democracy will be no more.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but democracy took a back seat to militarism in this country a long time ago. Militarized police on university campuses should be telling us this. 

Biden is turning a blind eye towards Rafah, regardless of what his words say. Rafah is the last holdout for 1. 5 million Palestinians who ran there for safety. The government of Netanyahu is showing no sign of letting up on his seven month march of destruction and death. And Biden is showing no understanding at the consequences of his unequivocal support of Netanyahu from the start.

And one day, as we saw with Bush’s Iraq horror, we will come to know Biden’s complicity in these war crimes as calculated resource and land grabs – costing countless lives and ways of life.

War will never bring us peace. 

It’s beyond time that we stop the United States war machine. Biden is little more than a puppet to the industries of war and fossil fuels, as were the presidents of both parties before him. Choose your poison.

Students are again the conscience of the United States. The rallies and encampments are the culmination of a sincere desire for peace – with the recognition that divestment from war is our way out. End war and save the environment. End war and save our humanity.

We have a bigger choice before us than who will be in the White House in 2025. We have the choice of who will emerge from this nightmare. Peacemakers or warmongers. 

To all the terrified Democrats: try being in Rafah right now.

Silence is Betrayal – King’s moral stance against the Vietnam War continues to teach us. 

The Needle is Moving Toward Peace

As of April 30, 98 universities were engaged in civil disobedience across the US – with three more slated to begin over the next few days. 

This is not a one off.

These people are clear and determined. They’ve learned from history and from this very ugly present moment. This uprising of love and desire for peace is student led – with the support of their communities – family, clergy, faculty and more. They have absorbed the lessons of history and are putting everything on the line to say “no more”.

And what precisely is the “no more”?

They’re demanding an end to the genocide of Palestinian people, but not stopping there. They’re demanding their universities and colleges stop feeding the military industrial complex and divert the money towards peace building. 

By and large the encampments have been peaceful. But you don’t hear much about the peaceful. You hear about 1,000’s of arrests. You don’t read about ongoing debates between city and university police or how a few universities have negotiated with the students in good faith.

Now we see how Wisconsin will handle the students. This early morning brought a wave of militarized police following the orders to shut down the Madison encampment. 

I’ve been on the receiving end of militarized police with batons. I’ve witnessed provocateurs – both within and outside movements. They attempt to disrupt the peaceful – with intention or with ignorance. We can’t be distracted by sideshows.

This is an important and defining moment. These students have taken the passion of the 60’s and added the layered learnings of indigenous struggle, nonviolent actions, and the unnerving confidence of ones who know they’re on the right side of history. 

Beyond a doubt the needle is moving towards peace. And they are reminding us once again that there is another way. The question always remains, will we take it?

I was in Madison for the beginning of the encampment. I was impressed with the manner in which the students conducted themselves and cared for one another. They are working hard to break free from the tyranny of violence that robs this country of everything good. This action by authorities was not warranted.

From Wisconsin Bailout the People

A Cry for Moral Reckoning

The world watches as the death toll of civilian Palestinians surpasses 18,000. At the UN, 153 countries voted for ceasefire, 23 abstained and eight countries – a few of them tiny islands – voted with the United States and Israel to maintain the ongoing genocide. 

The vote demonstrates the isolation that is beginning to encompass the United States and Israel. 

Christian Palestinians who have suffered in this reign of terror have an open letter to Christians worldwide. They decry the willful tolerance to violence that too many people of faith have adopted over the past three months. They debunk the lies that allow for the United States and western media’s collusion with Israel. And they cry out for moral reckoning. 

Cop28 has ended along with the dream that the world would unify to end the use of fossil fuels. Instead we are urged to “transition” to natural gas. Indigenous leaders and climate activists from around the world also drafted an open letter regarding the genocide of Palestinians. They remind us that colonizing has always been the excuse for genocide and the stealing of land. 

It was in their letter that I learned of Israel’s twelve permits recently granted for natural gas drilling. They were extended to Great Britain’s BP and Italy’s ENI among others. The lies about the need to remove Hamas and the forced removal of Palestinian civilians for their “safety” made sense in this context. Israel wants to cash in on the “transition” away from fossil fuels. When power and greed lead, human beings are dispensable.

What we are seeing is this: people of peace, people of faith, people who are demanding an end to land theft and to genocide are not being silent. May we all eliminate the beliefs that allow for the slaughter of human beings for greed and power. 

That is our first challenge and then united we will stand.

Viva humanity.

Please take time to listen to my WDRT Conversation with Janan Najeeb, Executive Director of Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition regarding Palestine today, the historical context and the urgency for all of us to return to our humanity.

Stop Doing Harm

The Climate Summit is underway. The gathering is supposed to allow all countries equal footing to negotiate the perils of climate change. Once again the fossil fuel industry is driving the agenda to continue the abusive use of coal, gas and oil.  And once again governments, who are the greatest emitters of greenhouse gasses, are refusing to wind down.  Climate justice groups are given little space to talk about the need to stop harmful polluting, while fossil fuel industries set up elaborate booths to sell their products. It’s more than a conflict of interest; it’s death by greed.

The request for financial help to repair the damage caused by large polluters is being sidestepped. The request to “stop doing harm” is going unheard. 

The summit is called COP 27. That means for the past 27 years this spin has continued while our overuse of fossil fuels impacts the climate and adversely affects our health. 

So when I learned about our school district receiving grants and loans to do a makeover, I looked to see if there were plans to use renewable energy. There were none. The plans are for larger spaces that will require more energy. 

And energy costs are rising and will continue to. Taxpayers will foot the bill for the construction AND for the operational costs. That figure was left out the planning as well. 

The Inflation Reduction Act is ready and waiting for makeovers like this one. Switching to renewables in this moment makes total sense.

I can’t be at COP 27, but I can make my voice heard and I did. I will not be voting to approve the plans for the school makeover unless renewable energy is used. It’s time to stop doing harm. We can.

Photo from an article Misconceptions about solar energy

Thanks to Edward Kimmel via Wikipedia Commons for the image of the sign from the 2017 Climate March in Washington, DC. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0

Why do we keep allowing the fossil fuel industry to call the shots?

VANESSA NAKATE to Democracy Now: Well, apparently, we have more than 600 fossil fuel lobbyists at this COP, and yet so many communities and activists from the frontlines of the climate crisis weren’t able to make it here. There is a quote that I read recently that said, “If you’re going to discuss about malaria, do not invite the mosquitoes.” So, for me, it’s a worry that we have over 600 fossil fuel lobbyists in this place. It’s a worry for our future. It’s a worry for our planet. It’s a worry for the people.

“We Should All Be Water Protectors”*

Writing from a hotel after visiting the StopLine3.org Welcoming Center in Palisade, Minnesota.

In the wake of destruction, the pandemic opened a door for us to walk into a new day.  Our consumption of fossil fuels is at an all time low. The need for extreme extraction is over. Good by KXL. The pipeline that would have sliced through the Ogallala aquifer is history. And DAPL will be next. The courts are getting ready to end the permits that should have never been granted and for the arrogance of a company that has ignored court orders and kept on pumping. 

This is the last gap of oil. 

And yet Enbridge continues with Line 3 – leaving the older corroded pipeline for us to clean up.  Investors are jumping ship facing the reality that renewables are a far safer alternative. And many of us are coming to the realization that less is more as we leave an abusive relationship with over – consumption behind.  

We have all noticed the pristine skies and the fresher air. And now it is time for the reckoning of corroded pipelines that pierce the land and waterways.  Now is time for everyone to be a water protector as Winona LaDuke reminds us.

So as a water protector what can you do? You can reduce consumption and divest from fossil fuels. You can write letters to Governor Walz, to congress and the new administration. You can support the needs of those on the front lines, as they stand in nonviolent resistance, to end something that should have never gone this far. 

And if you are able as we were to bear witness you can make the trip to 5 or 6 camps that dot the 300-mile pathway of destruction and bring your love, support and the supplies they need to carry on.

Let’s make this just transition for everyone.

*”We should all be water protectors.” – Winona LaDuke

Gut Check

Goldman Sachs has announced it will stop financing oil drilling in the Artic. They are reckoning with something that the United States government has yet to realize.  As the White House rushes to open bidding on 1.5 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Goldman Sachs is refusing to continue to support drilling in such delicate and important reserves.  They will also no longer support coal–fired power plants that do not have carbon emissions technology.

Now we know that Goldman Sachs is devoted to making money, so we can surmise that its stockholders are coming to the truth of this moment: There is no monetary gain in destroying the earth.

As a people we have been divided over the cause of climate change, but as we become witness to the devastation of fires, floods and unprecedented winds, we are acknowledging this: the costs to survive these calamities will continue to be much greater than the costs to mitigate them.

Capitalism is being moved by the bottom line of profit. But make no mistake; the efforts of young indigenous and non-indigenous youth to end the use of fossil fuels have hit their mark. They wisely recognize that profit can no longer lead the way. It must be common sense and respect for the earth and her people that will direct our course.

There is a debate that the personal choice to live free of fossil fuels is not as important as forging a change of laws. But I would argue this: it is those who have the conviction of personal conscience and love of the earth that are driving the changes in laws and perspectives.

The Rights of Nature and the Rights of Indigenous People must continue to take precedent. As human beings on this earth it is time.

 

Photo is of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain, looking south toward the Brooks Range mountains. Compliments of Wikipedia Commons.

Our Mistake with Iran

It appears the king of frenetic energy has done it again. Pulling out of the nuclear “deal” with Iran, President Trump has sent allies and others into frenzy. They are trying to salvage the one step that had promised some semblance of peace to the troubled region. Everyone had admitted there were flaws in the accord – I try to refrain from using the word deal which is better left for car sales and snake oil – but with the US walking out of the efforts to correct the accord, the promise of peace is greatly diminished. When asked if this pull out has brought us closer to war, even right wing pundits admit, “Yes, it has”.

From what I can tell there are two ideologies leading the pack. One is the very old “might is right”. Certain that increased sanctions will force regime change; this out dated wisdom ignores the reality that the people of Iran had already moved toward a more reasoned and modern government. And now with the threat of severe sanctions again impeding their lives, Iranians question the wisdom of creating a new “deal”, which a new president could once again discard. Keep in mind; the Iranians had not broken the accord that President Obama had signed onto.

The second ideology is equally outdated. Our interest in the Mid-east is due to oil. Oil has us selling weapons to the Saudi’s to bomb Yemen. Oil has the world spinning to control Syria. Oil created the “shock and awe” of Iraq and make no mistake, oil is the incentive in destroying Iran.

While Israel, Pakistan and India’s nuclear weaponry sits unquestioned. And only the Saudi’s and Israel are celebrating this hawkish move to disavow the accord, one has to question the sanity of ‘might is right’ and the need for oil.

I once heard that if pigs knew their dung would be used for explosives, they would still be constipated.*

We need to look at our choices. We are implicitly to blame if once again our military or our weaponry are used for regime change. And it will be innocent blood again on our hands. Divest from oil. Call for diplomacy. Humanity is watching and the yet-to-be-born children of the world are begging.

 

 

This “Consider This” aired on WDRT, Thursday, May 10. You can catch Consider This every Thursday at about 5:28 pm CST. You can also hear it on Soundcloud.

*Through the decades, Prem Rawat has kept me thinking and has urged me to my humanity. This quip I remember from the 70’s.