2025: The Year Truth Becomes Hate Speech

 

2025: The Year Truth 

Becomes Hate Speech

by C. A. Matthews

At the end of the year, most bloggers/columnists compile a round-up of worldwide events that stood out to them as making a significant impact on human society. This year the detrimental events came at us all so fast and furious, one right after another, that there’s almost no way to rank them in order of horridness because they were all so… well, horrid. Where to start?

I tried to find a common thread among the happenings which sums up what the year 2025 was all about. An idea grabbed me as I read one astute observer’s comment on the recent arrest of activist Greta Thunberg. Greta was arrested in London for holding a sign pleading for the release of the Palestine Action hunger strikers. This comment has become the theme of this year's round-up: Truth has become hate speech.

In the year 2025, this theme was present in most earth-shattering events. It can be summed up in a formula reminiscent of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity: Truth = Hate Speech. (Or possibly Hate Speech squared.) And just as revolutionary as Einstein’s breakthrough in physics, this Truth = Hate Speech axiom opens up a whole new way of understanding how our lords and masters (a.k.a. the billionaires/oligarchy and their henchpersons/political puppets) want to manipulate and use us from here on out—that is, if we let them.

Let’s start with Greta’s and thousands of other British protesters’ example...

 

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Happy New Year to you and yours! Keep sharing the truth!

Stepping Into Our Power

Stepping Into Our Power

by C.A. Matthews

A headline screams: "Racists' Rally Cry: Send Them Home!" Embolden by a xenophobic leader, those who grasp tightly their hate-filled agendas fear no shame or ridicule. It becomes stylish to be narrow-minded. As like attracts like, so does hate attract hate.

There's got to be a better way dealing with the problems of dispossessed people than labeling them "animals" and locking them in cages. There's got to be a better way of conversing with others who hold a different worldview than yelling at them "Go home!" in a thinly disguised racist taunt. But nowadays it's all the rage--blind rage--to act like a Klansman. It's an eye for an eye making the whole world blind with hatred. There's nothing "great" about this behavior, so why bother to embroider it onto a red cap?

Rep. Ilhan Omar is correct in saying it's time we step into our power. We the People have always had the power to speak and act out against the injustices visited upon others because of their skin color or country of origin, but we seldom use it. We wait until things become so unsustainable, so unimaginably horrible that we can no longer put off considering change. Concentration camps along our border and Nazi-styled rallies are beyond horror. We must seize and wield our power now. 

We can't afford to hold back until some perfect time occurs or a charismatic leader in the manner of Martin Luther King Jr. arrives on the scene. The time will never be right. He's not coming. Armageddon is coming if we don't act decisively and soon. We must face facts and lead ourselves.

Fifty years ago, Americans came together and worked toward the common goal of putting a man on the moon before the end of the decade. If we had the knowledge, skills and ability to cooperate to bring a dream to life then, what's holding us back now? 

Fighting to end the irrational hatred of others with all our hearts and souls and minds… That's one small step for man--one giant leap for mankind.

Related Articles:
https://theintercept.com/2019/06/29/concentration-camps-border-detention/

https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/57742-in-trumps-vision-of-a-white-america-immigrants-should-be-grateful-and-servile 

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/shanephipps/2019/07/19/7-signs-donald-trump-and-his-supporters-hate-america/
 

This coming week we're on the road to the Green Party National Meeting in Salem, Massachusetts. Next week's blog could be slightly delayed because of the trip. However, it should be filled with lots of interesting photos and insights as we'll get to mingle with American Greens and learn more about eco-socialism. In the meantime, here's an uplifting message from an environmental activist and former Green Party senatorial candidate followed by an update on the struggle to protect Lake Erie and the drinking water supply of millions from both the polluters and their enablers, i.e., the state of Ohio.

Earthrise
by Joe DeMare

July 20 is the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing. Even though I was only seven at the time, that experience deeply moved me, as it did everyone living on Earth. I knew all the acronyms that NASA used, like LEM (Lunar Excursion Module). I also knew all the complicated steps and stages of the flight, and was able to follow along through the whole journey. 

It's difficult to convey to this generation just what a miraculous and wonderful experience the moon landing was for the entire human race. Yes, it was a product of the Cold War. There was an ideological battle being played out all over the globe to prove that elected democracy was a better way of governing ourselves than communist dictatorship. But, when we actually won the race, when we actually got to the moon, it was the entire human race that shared in that success. Everyone, everywhere was transfixed by the sight of two men matter-of-factly achieving what had only been the most outlandish fantasy for tens of thousands of years.

From the Apollo missions came the "Earthrise" photos. These were the photos that showed us that we are all living together on a beautiful, tiny little sphere, spinning all alone together in an unimaginably large universe. From the moon the Earth looks incredibly fragile and delicate with its wispy cloud systems and precarious mix of land and sea. We now know that it is. Traveling to the moon taught us how difficult it is to create and maintain the narrow range of conditions humans need to survive. Temperature, the mixture gasses in the air, water, food--having to create the systems that provided these things to the astronauts, even for a few days, required the combined expertise of tens of thousands of people and incredible amounts of resources. It's no coincidence that the Environmental Protection Agency was created a few years later.

The moon landing brought us together in a way nothing ever had before. The United States did not claim the moon as its territory. It was incredibly important that Neil Armstrong stated that we had come in peace, "for mankind," and not for the benefit of any one group of us. Even though we were then, as now, embroiled in wars and many other kinds of conflicts, for that moment we realized that we were all one race. That awareness was reinforced during the Apollo 13 mission when we were united again in praying for the safe return of the astronauts in danger of dying in space.

So, I grew up blessed and cursed with the knowledge that we, as a race, can do almost anything we set our minds to. We can provide food, shelter, and education to everyone on Earth. We can prevent the destruction of the planet and the death of our beautiful biosphere. Humans can colonize the Moon and Mars. We have the intelligence, technology, and determination. Let's do it.

BIO: Joe hosts the "For A Green Future"  environmental activism radio show on WSPD-FM. The show is also available online at You Tube and in podcast form. Check out the For A Green Future Facebook page for more info: https://www.facebook.com/For-A-Green-Future-640958893006838/

***

Ohio Legislature Attacks Rights of Nature, Protects Polluters in Budget Bill

Toledo, OH: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has signed a 2500+ page state budget bill which not only includes provisions attempting to abolish Rights of Nature law in the state of Ohio, but also contains hidden language to enhance protections for industrial agricultural operations, including animal factories and water privatization corporations. 

The Ohio legislature and Governor have opted to protect industry and the ‘rights’ of corporate constituents to pollute while simultaneously stripping the people of their rights to pass local laws and protect the rights of ecosystems that sustain their community. The budget bill also includes statutory provisions that permit and legalize the theft of a community water supply in the interest of corporate profit. 

The budget bill states: 

Nature or any ecosystem does not have standing to participate in or bring an action in any court of common pleas;

No person, on behalf of or representing nature or an ecosystem, shall bring an action in any court of common pleas;

In a civil action for nuisances involving agricultural activities, it is a complete defense if: 

The agricultural activities were conducted within an (...) agricultural district or on land devoted exclusively to agricultural use (...); 

The agricultural activities were established within the agricultural district prior to the plaintiff’s activities or interest on which the action is based; 

The plaintiff was not involved in agricultural production; and 

The agricultural activities were not in conflict with federal, state, and local laws and rules relating to the alleged nuisances or were conducted in accordance with generally accepted agriculture practices

Markie Miller of TSW stated, “this sneaky and seemingly innocent language values, above everything, corporate 'rights' to destroy the natural life sources we all depend on, for immediate profit, the consequences be damned."

In addition, the General Assembly has quietly installed significant new statutory powers in the Ohio Dept of Natural Resources to issue permits legalizing the theft of aquifer water, which when combined with the destruction of the rights of nature, seriously cripples a community’s only avenue to exert any control or protection over the privatization of their water source.

“Do legislators and the governor understand what they’re doing by siding with corporations and making it illegal for people to protect the systems that support all life? The so-called 'right to farm' part of this bill has nothing to do with farming and everything to do with letting animal factories continue using Lake Erie as a free toilet. The stakes are high and we will defend the only Earth we have” said Mike Ferner of Advocates for a Clean Lake Erie. 

These legislative actions demonstrate the recent pattern in Ohio of revoking the democratic rights of citizens while legalizing destructive corporate harms. 

Hilary Tore of TSW commented, “this budget bill is a clear violation of Ohio’s single-subject law, yet the legislature continues to cherry-pick which laws they want to follow. A government is created by the people to protect the people and their rights. We don’t create government to harm us, yet that is what we have.”

***

Tell evil corporation Palantir: "Stop profiting from the suffering of migrants and asylum-seekers. Drop your contracts with ICE." ADD YOUR NAME

CIA-funded tech giant Palantir is one of the biggest cogs in ICE's deportation machine.

Their shadowy collaboration needs to be dragged out into the light, and Palantir needs to be shamed into dropping their contracts with ICE.

Tech workers, immigrants and immigrant rights activists are demanding that the company break ties with ICE. We must add our voices to their call now before the crisis at the border and in our communities gets worse. Exposing and putting pressure on Palantir to end its ICE contracts is critical to blocking Donald Trump's racist agenda and protecting our communities. Our friends at CREDO are organizing a mobilization against Palantir. Join us!

ADD YOUR NAME: Tell Palantir to stop supercharging mass deportations and mass incarceration.

With Congress approving funding to expand border concentration camps and ICE set to launch mass raids as early as next week, Trump's racist deportation and criminalization nightmare is becoming a reality right before our eyes.

Palantir is an important target. Its technology allows ICE to fine tune its operations by giving its agents the data to rapidly identify, hunt down and imprison immigrants en masse. Through Palantir contracts, ICE has access to:

• A nationwide license plate location database, which it uses to conduct surveillance and reconstruct an individual's private life, threatening the civil liberties and privacy of all drivers.
• A database where ICE agents store information and build profiles of undocumented immigrants, including their home address, work address, children’s school, finances and social media profiles.

When ICE took unaccompanied minors crossing the border into custody last year, agents used Palantir software to build profiles of these children and their families, arresting undocumented people they came across in their investigations. That included people who came forward to claim their children. Arresting these family members significantly increased the number of children ICE and CBP agents threw into camps. This needs to stop now.

For years, Palantir claimed that its contracts with immigration enforcement did not fuel the deportation machine. We now know that the company lied. It's up to us to bring Palantir's dangerous collaboration with ICE out from the shadows and demand that it stop supercharging mass deportations and mass incarceration.

Tell Palantir: Stop supercharging mass deportations and mass incarceration

Thanks for fighting with us.

Mike Phelan
Progress America

***

From Credo:

Rep. Rashida Tlaib has a bold and uncompromising anti-poverty plan that respects the ability of low-income people to make their own choices.

Her BOOST Act would give $3,000 in cash annually to every low-income adult and $6,000 to low-income families.¹ But the right wing is already on the attack, with conservative leaders and pundits declaring her plan "deeply immoral" and "disastrous."^2,3

The radical right never misses an opportunity to criticize progressive women of color. We need to show just how many people stand alongside Rep. Tlaib.
Stand with Rep. Rashida Tlaib: Create a cash-based safety net. Click here to sign the petition.

Conservatives want people to live at the mercy of corporate bosses. It is why they insist on strict so-called work requirements that micromanage the lives of the poorest Americans. It is an ideology rooted in often-racist assumptions that people will only work if someone threatens them with poverty. In fact, studies in Alaska ‒ where every resident receives an unconditional cash transfer every year ‒ found no effect on work. More importantly, children, students, caretakers, the elderly and the disabled, who do not work in wage labor, make up about 90% of people in poverty.⁴

Rep. Tlaib's plan is bolder than similar plans from many 2020 candidates. Those proposals are essentially expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit ‒ a great idea, but one that leaves out the more than 2 million Americans with no income and does little for the 10 million with less than $5,000 in annual income. Tlaib's proposal, in contrast, universally helps all low-income Americans.⁵

This plan is a scaled-down version of a "universal basic income": a regular cash transfer sufficient to cover basic subsistence needs. It is an idea that is growing in popularity as more Americans realize that the existing safety net leaves people with little dignity and control over their lives, at the mercy of corporate bosses and at risk of losing jobs to automation.

Just as she did on impeachment, Rep. Tlaib is showing what courageous progressive leadership looks like ‒ and once again, the far right is doing everything it can to demonize a progressive woman of color. Let's raise our voices and make it clear that Americans support bold progressive ideas and bold progressive leaders.

Stand with Rep. Rashida Tlaib: Create a cash-based safety net. Click below to sign the petition:
https://act.credoaction.com/sign/rashida-tlaib-ubi-cash?t=9&akid=33305%2E5711904%2EPaBT2k

Thank you for speaking out,
Heidi Hess, Co-Director CREDO Action from Working Assets

Add your name:

References:

1. Jeff Stein, "Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduces closest plan in Congress to universal basic income," The Washington Post, June 6, 2019.
2. Scott Morefield, "Dan Crenshaw says Rashida Tlaib's ‘deeply immoral’ cash giveaway plan is a basic ‘misunderstanding of economics,'" The Daily Caller, June 10, 2019.
3. Justin Haskins, "Democrat Rashida Tlaib proposes disastrous cash giveaway -- guess who’s going to pay for it?" Fox News, June 9, 2019.
4. Stein, "Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduces closest plan in Congress to universal basic income."
5. Ibid.

The Ugly American vs. The Ugly Canadian

Some mornings you feel like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. You wake up and you wonder: "Am I in [insert your state/country here] anymore?" And if we're not in Kansas or wherever, where the heck are we and how do we get back home?

During these challenging times, we're all learning what it means to be a good and decent American--or Canadian, Mexican, Brit, German, Indian, Australian, etc.  Perhaps these articles of how not to become a negative symbol of your country could help us all to become better human beings.

The Ugly American 
by C.A. Matthews

I'd planned on posting some reportage and photos of a Toledo protest against Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos this week, but the darndest thing happened. Betsy became a no-show once news of our protest got out. Like so many of Trump's associates, she probably decided not to risk a public shaming. 

 
Mrs. DeVos' handlers must have worried something could happen along the lines of what happened recently to DHS Secretary Nielsen, Press Secretary Huckabee-Sanders or now-former EPA head Scott Pruitt if she took a tour of an outdoor area where protesters could see her and wave their signs for the TV cameras. Betsy just couldn't put herself out in front of ordinary Americans and face the creative signage and chants pointing out some her less-than-glamorous flaws. (Update: DeVos did make it to Toledo according to The Blade, but times for her visits to private charter schools were not published. She sneaked in and out of back doors, thwarting chances for the public to actually see her, so CSRN, a local activist group, did a press conference with the media instead on education issues DeVos has totally missed the mark on.Well, it's not like Betsy actually works for the American people, right?)

At least we did receive some good news this week when the story broke that Scott Pruitt was quitting the Environmental Protection Agency due to numerous federal investigations showing how he has personally profited from destroying the agency. Unfortunately, he'll be replaced with his deputy Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, but we can comfort ourselves with the fact that our calling Pruitt out for his crimes against humanity and the environment shut him down eventually. Or was it the magnitude of the man's greed that did him in? Either way, good riddance, Scott!

I'll admit I was really looking forward to the DeVos protest. Betsy's blatant disregard for the health, safety and mental well-being of our students--and the fact that she personally makes a lot of money from student loan collection agencies and a private "baby jail" immigration detention agency out of western Michigan--doesn't endear her to me or anyone with half a heart. She is just one of many of Trump's appointees who need replacing, so perhaps Pruitt's resignation (and coming trial?) will inspire her to do likewise.

It really is hard to say who the "ugliest American" is in the Trump administration. There are so many to choose from. However, today at a bi-weekly peace protest I ran into the most perfect example of an ordinary ugly American to ever cross my path. He fit all the MAGA supporter stereotypes imaginable. He even drove a monster truck jacked up twice as high on its axles as allowed by law with a smokestack on the back belching thick, black polluting smoke as he drove past our corner demonstration. 

Before he drove off with a curse word and a finger, he parked and walked up behind us on the busy street corner (where motorists generally give a honk or thumbs up for our peace and social awareness signs) and gave us a tongue lashing to beat the "snowflake libtard" out of us (while occasionally threatening bodily harm to us as well). His veins practically popped out of his face as he yelled at how stupid we "Commies" were for believing in such things as "Love your neighbor" and "Peace on Earth." After all, a border wall will solve all our problems.

He informed us that we were all "queer dog fornicators," or words to that effect, if we felt people had the right to express the gender identity in the way they felt comfortable with.  He ranted on about the evils of socialism, universal health care and the $15 minimum wage. He blamed all on the "illegals" who had the gall to expect due process of law for themselves and their children when seeking asylum in the US, and their children had to be locked up because they were "criminals." From his remarks, it seemed evident he didn't understand what "seeking asylum"  or "due process" or "socialism" meant. (He claimed to receive his information from "alt right dot org" or similar outlets.) His presence and manners emanated an aura of unhappiness and fear. 

I kept a low-key tone and repeatedly suggested, "Why not go home and do something loving for your family, like making ice cream or cooking dinner? You'll feel better." But he stated he didn't want to have anything much to do with love or family. It's a "drugged up hippy" thing he informed us.

I wonder if this statement made an impact on the young woman standing beside him who kept her mouth zipped  the entire time. Was she his wife, girlfriend, sister, cousin or simply a friend? I couldn't imagine what life around this very unhappy young man who didn't want to have anything to do with love would be like. Suffice it to say, it probably wouldn't be very satisfying, and  it  might even be downright scary at times.

The bellicose Trump supporter is your quintessential "ugly American." He is a sad person who'd rather expend large amounts of energy hating and blaming others for his and the world's troubles rather than simply loving and accepting his fellow human beings the way he'd like to be loved and accepted. I genuinely felt sorry for the guy. Didn't he have anything better to do on a beautiful summer's day than to yell at a bunch of strangers with peace signs? He's young and has his whole life in front of him, but with so much obvious anger and hatred in his heart, there's a high probability of him suffering a serious health issue, such as a stroke or addiction, or getting into a deadly fight or accident, and dying before his time.
 
Ugly Americans aren't the only "ugly folks" out there (as our guest blogger will inform you in the next piece). But I keep thinking wouldn't it be nice if Americans could set a positive example of what it means to be a good and loving neighbor on this planet. Why aren't we taking the lead on this worthy goal? Could it be simply because we can't make big bucks on it like Scott Pruitt did at the EPA?

(Here's a video about a bill that could help bring about peace on Earth, goodwill to all mankind, especially those suffering in Yemen:  https://youtu.be/SDy5sQ5gA98)

Doug Ford, a.k.a. the Trump of the North

The Ugly Canadian

by Vegematic Deluxe 

 
What is happening to our world, our values, our compassion? I realize that I shouldn't read comments on You Tube videos, but the truth is comments provide a snapshot of a segment of society and, as such, provide me with some insights. 

The insights that I gained from my fellow Canadians last week distressed me greatly. I had been watching a CBC documentary following the trail of refugees fleeing violence and poverty in their Latin American homeland. To these traumatized people, Canada represents what America once did--a chance to live in peace and freedom. The video was at once heartbreaking and inspiring. 

The comments were vile and disgusting. I will not dignify the hate and racism here by quoting them, but generally they were on par with something that would be published by the KKK. Coinciding with the election of Doug Ford, an extreme right-wing windbag as premier of Ontario, my faith in basic Canadian decency was dealt a serious blow. Add to that an interesting tidbit about our former right-wing Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose government was soundly defeated in the last Canadian election.
 
The Canadian embassy in Washington DC received  a call from John Bolton, asking who would be accompanying the prime minister to a meeting on Monday. The surprised embassy staff called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office who were completely dumbfounded. It turns out that Harper had broken with accepted protocol and not informed the PM of his invitation to meet with White House officials. Although a hastily arranged call claimed a mix up and that his office had meant the former prime minister, one is left with the impression that this was intended to humiliate Trudeau.

Former P.M. Harper eyes climate justice?

Harper has no authority to speak on behalf of Canadians; he is a private citizen. Harper had also secretly arranged meetings with Trump advisors to re-negotiate NAFTA. He is being welcomed in Washington with open arms.  This is an unprecedented attack on the Canadian people. Indeed, it is an attack on democratically elected governments worldwide. It is unprecedented for a defeated politician to act and be treated as if he had any legislative power to negotiate on behalf of the Canadian people.
 

Given the contempt Trump has for democracy, I suppose Canadians should not be surprised. Is he now planning to install Harper in a bloodless coup? Both men suffer from authoritarian personalities, and Harper never got over losing his grip on power. Being Trump's puppet would appeal to Harper since ideologically he and Trump are birds of a feather.
 
These are the darkest of days for those of us who treasure democracy and freedom, yet there are glimmers of hope. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez  has displaced a powerful corporate Democrat with a fraction of the money. The struggle to regain democracy will be a marathon, not a sprint, and there are undoubtedly more trying times ahead. Fellow progressives must reach out to each other and redouble our efforts to bring about a more just and sane society.

BIO: Vegematic is a humorous and insightful Canadian podcast commentator with an ever-growing following on You Tube. Check out his channel and subscribe.


More stories on current US-Canada Relations:

Canadians Rally Around Retaliatory Tariffs
https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/50977-canadians-rally-around-retaliatory-tariffs-aimed-at-the us                                                                                                     

Canada's Retaliatory Tariffs
http://time.com/5327864/canada-trump-retaliatory-tariffs/

Doug Ford Is Already Hurting Jobs And Could Cost Billions
https://youtu.be/a4S89HHnaT8

Trump Threatens Canada--Canadian Defence Community Stays Quiet
https://worldbeyondwar.org/trump-threatens-canada-defence-community-stays-quiet/

***

And now a book review about a non-ugly American that many voters wanted to become president in 2016 (and may yet become in 2020).

Bernie or Bust: Pioneers of Electoral Revolt
by @BernieOrBust with Patrick Walker
Dorrance Publishing Company
http://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/bernie-or-bust/

Reviewed by A. J. Matthews

Of the events that occurred during the contentious 2016 presidential election, the blatant rigging of the Democratic Party primaries against Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is at the top of the list in importance. The Bernie or Bust movement was one of the prime movers in public debate on the issue of the Democratic nominee selection process and its aftermath which resulted in the nomination of Hillary Clinton, a deeply flawed candidate with a mass of political baggage who represented the status quo during a time when the American electorate desperately wanted change.

The author and his associate Patrick Walker started the Bernie or Bust grassroots movement in 2016 with a manifesto aimed at affecting change for the better in the American political system. The objective was – and still is – the use of leverage to force the Democratic Party to heed the will of the American people, not that of Big Business. This book recounts a warts and all picture of the movement from the inside. It doesn’t flinch from admitting the mistakes and conflict involved in seeking a way forward, nor does it flinch from scathing and justified condemnation of the Democratic Party machine that helped elect Donald Trump.

Where the book scores highly is in the wealth of advice included for activists, voters, and future progressive movements. This is a valuable resource which can be dipped into for guidance, inspiration and a wealth of "how to" examples (such as facts to refute spurious arguments by Clinton supporters who claim Bernie cost the DNC the election). It is also an important historical document in its own right for all who wish to understand more about the 2016 election, those involved and the consequences of their actions. 

Highly recommended. 

BIO: A.J. Matthews is a multi-published novelist, book reviewer, essayist, and all around decent human being. He openly admits he supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary elections.

***

Help Create Beautiful Americans (and others)!

The Revolution Continues has set up an easy way to donate to the cause of keeping it ad-free. Three years without obnoxious ads (that many news sites have to cover costs) has been great, but the editor does have to pay for internet, electricity, etc., out of her own pocket, and she would like to be able to pay her contributors in the future. Please consider donating a buck, $5, $10 or $100--any amount you can share with us to keep this progressive site going without those awful ads is appreciated. Thank you.

You can donate via Paypal at http://paypal.me/camatthews 

Power to the people and not the corporations! ***

The war machine is caging kids, and profiting off it too. Defense contractors like General Dynamics and MVM, Inc. are making millions off surveilling and detaining thousands of migrant children away from their parents.

Usually, deep-pocketed defense contractors can get off the hook for war profiteering. But this is different. Right now, people power mobilizing against Trump’s racist immigration agenda has cracked open the door to hold these companies accountable for their cruel profiteering.
If we mobilize grassroots pressure onto defense contractor CEOs, then we can build on this current political momentum and force them to stop profiting from Trump’s family detention policies.

Sign now to demand General Dynamics and MVM, Inc CEOs cut contracts: Stop terrorizing migrants for profit! 

General Dynamics and MVM are both top recipients of lucrative Pentagon war contracts. Both have dirty histories of misconduct including anti-Muslim discrimination against employees and corruption.
And these war profiteers are raking in the cash from Trump’s inhumane and cruel immigration policies. General Dynamics has a $1,667,580 contract with the Trump administration’s Office of Refugee Resettlement for the infrastructure to detain migrant kids. Yep — that’s $1.6 million public dollars. And MVM has a long list of multimillion-dollar contracts to detain and spy on migrants as well.

But here’s the silver lining: Right now, General Dynamics and MVM, Inc are vulnerable. In the current migrant-led activist surge, General Dynamics has already responded to pressure by making public statements trying to distance themselves from the business of family detention [1]. However their contracts with the Office of Refugee Resettlement for infrastructure for the shelter of unaccompanied children show they are instrumental to detention [2]. Their public statements also prove they are worried about their public image-- which means we have the upper hand. 

If we let these companies know the public is still watching, we can overturn their contracts and stop them from making war profits off family detention. But we need to act fast. We must seize this opportunity to make them cut their anti-immigrant contracts now!

Demand defense contractors cut ties: No war profits from caging kids!

Ending child detention contracts is only the beginning. If we question the contracts that allow for detention profiteering, we can start to unravel the defense industry’s tangle of profits from traumatizing children and tearing livelihoods apart beyond our borders as well. After all, racism doesn’t just drive Trump’s immigration policies — it keeps the war machine churning forward by devaluing the very lives displaced and destroyed by militarism to begin with. Together, we can bring down corporate profiteering from war and white supremacy, here and everywhere!

Thank you for raising your voice against militarism,
Tara, Cassandra, and the Win Without War team

PS: Did you see our split fundraiser last week for 9 frontline groups working to end border militarization and migrant detention?
[1] US defense contractors profit from child detention—and you might, too
[2] General Dynamics- Department of Health and Human Services Contract Summary

  ***

From Acre Action Center on Racism & the Economy:

After white supremacist Dylann Roof murdered nine Black churchgoers in Charleston in 2015, Amazon said it was banning the sale of Confederate flag images from its site. Today, we released a report with the Partnership for Working Families showing that not only are products with Confederate flag and other hate imagery widely available on Amazon.com, but that Amazon allows recognized hate groups to use its various platforms to spread their ideas and generate resources. Read the report here.


SIGN THE PETITION TO AMAZON HERE

The growth of racist hate movements in our country provides a base of support for horrific policies like Trump's Muslim Ban and so-called "zero tolerance" immigration policy. As racist movements have grown, so have incidences of racist violence.

Will you join us in calling on Amazon to take a stand against hate?

Normalizing white supremacist, Islamophobic, and anti-Semitic extremists puts our communities at risk -- and yet the country’s largest online retailer and largest distributor of e-books is providing these groups with a platform to spread their ideas and generate resources to support their operations.

Sign the Petition: Amazon, Stop doing business with racist hate groups!

With the public contest for Amazon’s second headquarters (HQ2), many of us are taking a critical look at what kind of neighbor Amazon is, and what values the company promotes. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his board of directors must take a public stand against this hate and violence, and stop enabling others to profit from hate.


In unity,
Carrie Sloan