Turning The Military Against The Regime

When George W. Bush received the Liberty Medal in Philadelphia on Armistice Day, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans shouted “SHAME!” during his speech. Source: AboutFaceVeterans.org  Photograph by Ryan Harvey

While preparing my Armistice Day post I stumbled across some encouraging news of military personnel who aren't buying the so-called war on terror. Following dissenter Brittany DeBarros on Twitter -- a little late, since her 14 day campaign to share some truth about U.S. military deployments was last summer -- led me to this evidence of the war criminal Bush being held accountable:

Happening now: Iraq & Afghanistan #veterans have blocked entrances to the National Constitution Center in #Philadelphia where @JoeBiden is awarding the "Liberty Medal" to @GeorgeWBush. Dozens of veterans of his wars are outside refusing to leave. #veteransday #vereransday2018 pic.twitter.com/Vodh6r8xbC

— Ryan Harvey (@ryanharveysongs) November 12, 2018

DeBarros articulates the rage of veterans who mourn the dead and maimed while the wealthy sweep past them in fur coats on their way into $1,000 a plate dinners like the one held for Bush.

That’s VETS saying it’s past time to sound the alarm that we continue to bomb 7 countries & lay the blame for millions of dead Iraqi & Afghan ppl, for thousands of killed/wounded Americans at the feet of corporations & politicians who warmonger for profit #DropTheMIC #MoMoreWar

— Brittany DeBarros (@BrittDeBarros) November 12, 2018

I was reminded of veteran-led dissent while attending a training for future action at General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works (BIW) shipyard. Our two fine nonviolent action trainers Jessica and David challenged us to think about the various audiences for action at BIW. This helped me realized my audience is school age children, who hold the keys to our collective future. This will inform my planning for messaging at the next warship christening[sic]. For example, using images of the animals harmed by the U.S. Navy could be a good tactic:

Bruce said that his target audience is the crew of the warship, who used to march down the sidewalk in dress uniforms before entering the gate where our actions take place. (Now they are hustled through a back entrance where they can't see us.) That's Bruce's preferred audience because he was once a conservative young man who enlisted in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. Seeing protests outside the base where he was stationed led to debates inside that changed his mind and heart about war forever.

The working class youth who sign up for the military have far more in common with the working class youth who don't than with the titans of industry like General Dynamics CEO Phebe Novakovic who makes millions every year on the backs of U.S. taxpayers.

Some of the workers realize this.

Historically, the ruling class has feared that the working class military would turn against their regimes.

The so-called Sepoy Mutiny saw Indian soldiers turn against their British masters. It is seen as the first battle in the Indian war for independence that ended successfully following widespread nonviolent actions led by Gandhi.

They should fear this, because once consent is withdrawn it is difficult to regain. I believe that's why U.S. wars are increasingly fought by robots.

What a hell of a way to die is a self-described socialist podcast series by two reservists who can make sad and infuriating things sound funny. In a Paste magazine review of the series, podcaster Francis Horton explained why he joined the military:

It’s a job better than anything you can get at the age of 18. 

There are good benefits for you and your family. For 18 years I’ve been doing this but I also hit a point where I believe that this is gross. But then you get a $10k signing bonus. My patriotism was third on the list of priorities when I first joined. It’s the post office with guns.

Once they've taken the bait, many veterans wind up injured, broke, even homeless. They're right back in the same lousy job pool they escaped by enlisting.

Speaking of jobs, many folks in the nonviolent action training talked about the audience mostly present at warship events: the shipyard workers and their families. In the context of a poor state like Maine, these are lucrative jobs unavailable elsewhere. 

But building weapons of mass destruction is a demonstrably bad jobs program.

Research by economist Heidi Garret-Pelletier at Brown University continues to find that investment in sectors that build sustainable solutions to climate change would produce millions more jobs. Education is another sector where investments produce far more jobs. Many at the next BIW action will call on the shipyard to convert to building for life rather than for death.

This history major cherishes the hope that working class people turn away from the racist wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria that have killed half a million people since 2001. Of those who died, 6,951 were U.S. military personnel. 

Honor the war dead: demand the truth.