The ongoing and deepening crisis of U.S. society has caused anger, fear and confusion. The precipitous decline of the standard of living for millions of people in the United States helped produce the conditions for the election of Trump. This, in turn, created the Democrats' irrational anti-Russia position. The problem, of course, is that whether it is taking aggressive, militaristic positions with either Russia or North Korea, pushing an already unstable and reckless Trump administration to be more forceful is a dangerous position that could easily pull the United States into yet another military conflict. But that is precisely what the Democrats and their liberal allies have been demanding, with potentially disastrous consequences for millions.
Fortunately, in the midst of an environment that seems to be ripe for war, more and more people are seeing the need for a new anti-war movement. BAP has received messages asking us to become more visible and wanting to know the state of the broader anti-war and anti-imperialist movement in the United States.
This is why it is absolutely imperative we intensify our efforts to build the alliance as a critical formation in the new anti-war movement. As we are moving toward our first membership meeting in September, please help up raise the $10,000 we need to pull off this meeting. Only you can help rebuild this movement.
This week, BAP Coordinating Committee member Margaret Kimberley talks about the madness of liberals, in this case Black liberals on Russiagate and U.S. violence: “Black people should be first in line when it comes to casting doubt on the work of intelligence agencies and federal prosecutors. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) ought to uphold the proud tradition of defying corrupt law enforcement. Instead they prove themselves to be happy tools of the neoliberal war party.”
While Democrats and much of the U.S. left collude with the ruling elite and its war agenda, U.S. military planning continues with very little notice and no effective opposition. Nick Turse reveals how the use of small, mobile special forces units are being used around the world by the Pentagon, especially in Africa.
Most commentators on the Putin-Trump summit, either missed or deliberately failed to call attention to one of the main points of interests for the United States and Russia—the so-called Middle East, and in particular Syria and Israel because of how both countries are connected to their mutual interests. The Russians, who are interested in advancing their interests in the region, have always collaborated with the United States and other Western powers on key issues related to Israel. Geopolitical analyst Andrew Korybko suggests that during those two hours between Putin and Trump, they developed a common understanding and commitment on Iranian influence in Syria and the interests of Israel.
State violence and repression in the United States is of central concern for BAP. Efia Nwangaza, director of the Malcolm X Center for Self Determination in Greenville, South Carolina, and recent BAP representative as an election observer in Venezuela, provides an update on a dangerous situation in the South Carolina prison system.
BAP National Organizer Ajamu Baraka’s observations on the crisis around the world and in the United States can be found here.
Activist Danny Haiphong says left-wing organizers and journalists must raise the issue of imperialist war because the United States uses trillions of dollars stolen from workers and poor people to destabilize nations abroad.
The BAP bi-monthly conference call will take place Saturday. Details were sent to the BAP member listserv.
We are also moving toward our first in-person membership meeting, scheduled for September 21-22 in Atlanta, Georgia. Members, save that date and look out for more information.
The Black Is Back Coalition will hold its annual conference in Saint Louis, August 11-12. BAP is a member of this coalition and we encourage everyone to attend.
No compromise.
No retreat.
Struggle to win,
Ajamu, Ana, Jaribu, Kali, Lamont, Lukata, Margaret, Netfa, Paul, Vanessa and Yolande
Coordinating Committee
Black Alliance for Peace
P.S. Help us rebuild the Black anti-war movement in the tradition of Black internationalism by contributing today.
Photo credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images