Two items from Peacechicago.org

[violachic]

Two items of possible interest I received in email from Peacechicago.org:




CIVIL LIBERTIES TRAINING & INFO SESSION
- Learn How To Protect Our Rights Today

The American Friends Service Committee is hosting an upcoming training on
civil liberties issues on Monday, August 18th from 6:00-8:30 PM at Grace
Place. The training is open to everyone interested in helping with
community education efforts aimed at informing the public about the
Patriot Act and generating support for the Chicago City Council Resolution
Opposing the Patriot Act.

The workshop will provide participants with an overview of the Patriot Act
and its impacts, an introduction to petitioning and other forms of
community outreach and education, and an opportunity to meet others from
your neighborhood working to protect our civil liberties. All participants
will also receive materials that they can use to educate others in their
communities and workplaces about these serious threats to Americans'
rights.

Everyone is welcome to attend, but advance registration is required. To
register, email rights@peacechicago.org.

Grace Place is located at 637 S. Dearborn (1 1/2 blocks south of
Congress). Via the Blue Line El (LaSalle) or the Red Line (Harrison).

------------

BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW DEMONSTRATION

The Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism, in conjunction with dozens of
supportive organizations, is sponsoring a rally calling for an end to the
occupation of Iraq and the return home of U.S. troops. The demonstration
will be held on Saturday, August 23 at noon in Federal Plaza.

For additional information, please visit Chicagoantiwar.org.

**crossposted to chicagoforpeace and violachic**

Comments

[violachic.livejournal.com]

Eh...... I want to know every side of it....... I also thought it would be of possible interest to some........ :)

[hapcollins.livejournal.com]

This isn't a comment directed at you, but that just sounds like one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard of in my life. We shouldn't have been there, but we are now. If we pull out now we can welcome a whole lot of civil war, famine, etc. What a good idea!

Is that one of those ISO front groups or something? They were generally the only non-completely crazy leftist group that would make the left look like a bunch of raving lunatics.

[violachic.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure who is sponsoring it. It just came in an update email. If you're interested you can check the chicagopeace website, I'm sure it says who submitted it to the calendar.

[pheret1.livejournal.com]

We could:

1) Allow the UN to send troops/civillian officials. But we won't, becuase the UN didn't want us to attack in the first place. We won't, because the Administration has made it perfectly clear that the US and Britian have exclusive rights to rebuild Iraq. We wouldn't want any other country's contractors to make money off the rebuilding contracts, now, would we? We will allow them to sell their oil in order to pay us to build the place back up. But they shouldn't pay anyone else, right? We'll occupy until our expenses have been recouped. No one else is allowed...

2) Increase humanitarian aid while decreasing military presence. Much of the crime, lawlessness, and damage is being caused becuase there's still no electricity and water in many places. People are scared and hungry. If we allowed more international humanitarian aid, we could establish more goodwill and might not need to shoot so many people.

3) Actually turn Iraq over to Iraqis. Or the international community. Didn't President Bush make it clear that he wanted to "liberate, not occupy" this country? That was a big ol' tagline as we were going in... Surprise - we're an "occupying force"! Why does the United States need to preside over all these "councils" that we're trying to put together? If the international community did it, Haliburton might loose it's foothold in Iraq. They might be kicked out on their asses. Our perceived "responsibility" cannot be shared becuase our interests ($$ and control over Iraq) would be lost.

I write this with a certain amount of cynicism and bitterness, but do believe there are ways to reduce our presence in Iraq while staying the course to promote democracy and self-determination.

Afghanistan is a whole 'nother bag 'o beans, though. I believe we should increase troops and have a HUGE increase in assistance on every level. This is a country that has virtually never been united under a central government (even a loose central government) and it's going to take generations to accomplish all of the goals that Bush touted when going in there...

[hapcollins.livejournal.com]

Allowing the UN in would be great, as would increasing humanitarian aid. At this point, decreasing the military presence without firmly establishing at least an independent police force in every province would result in complete anarchy. A lot of Iraqis are pissed that we're occupying their country...plenty of others are just happy to be able to rape and pillage again.

I'm not denying that giving people functioning electricity might make them a little less inclined to loot or anything but if the military just left Iraq would have some version of a civil war or anarchy (i.e. huge power vacuum). Kurdistan would probably try to become an independent state which would, more than likely, also result in wars in Turkey and Iran.

I was highly opposed to us going in there...however, we're now "there" and I don't think we can easily leave.

Afghanistan. Yee ho ho har har.