Black Alliance for Peace statements on Int'l Women's Day, new cold war legislation, Ukraine, and Afghanistan

Below are some recent press releases and email updates from the Black Alliance for Peace on International Women's Day - March 8th, the anti-China and new cold war America COMPETES Act of 2022, the crisis and war in Ukraine, and the economic war against Afghanistan.  These statements and updates are also posted at:  blackallianceforpeace.com

Groundings with the African and Colonized World: International Women’s Day March 8, 2022

As the world’s eyes are on Ukraine on this International Women’s Day, March 8, 2022, we are reminded of the disproportionate impact that war and militarism have on women. This is a reality that the women of the global South are acutely aware of because of the steady assaults on the humanity of peoples in the South executed by the U.S./EU/NATO Axis of Domination. The militarized terror of the Axis of Domination in the service of their economic elites have been even more intensely felt by the women of Africa and the African Diaspora.  The socialist groundings of the day were expressed in its early unfolding. Indeed, the earliest militants for International Working Women’s Day, lifted up the violence of capitalism as labor exploitation. On March 8, 1908 in New York, 15,000, largely immigrant women marched for labor, voting rights and challenged class exploitation. Thus the seeds were planted for International Women’s Day as imperialism, colonialism, and white world supremacy were in full effect. Black women’s labor complicated this fight given racialized apartheid into domestic work in the U.S., colonized globally. In the U.S. there were more than a million African American domestic workers before the start of the second European world war. Black anti-imperialist revolutionary, Claudia Jones captures this dialectic of gender, race and class exploitation in her powerful article, “An End to the Neglect of the Problem of the Negro Woman.” She gave voice to the women of the Black/African world locked in and struggling against the Pan-European white supremacist, patriarchal, colonial, imperialist project. These are the women in the crossfire of extractivist capitalism, war and militarism across the African world today, struggling to dismantle these systems. We lift them up today with a focus on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, noting other parts of the African world.   As the world is captivated by the war in Europe, BAP cannot help but reflect on the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the little purchase it has had on the world's conscience (while commentators point to the war in Ukraine being the most devastating war in Europe since the second imperialist war ended in 1945, the general public knows almost nothing about the most lethal, ongoing conflict in the word taking place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The United Nations says it is the deadliest conflict in the world since World War II and the greatest humanitarian crisis at the dawn of the 21st century. An estimated 6 million Congolese have perished in the Congo conflict since 1996, half of the victims five years old or younger. It is a conflict triggered by two invasions (1996 & 1998) by Rwanda, led by Paul Kagame and Uganda, led by Yoweri Museveni, both of whom are backed by the U.S. and UK. When international bodies attempt to hold them to account for their crimes in the Congo, the U.S. or the UK run diplomatic interference or provide political cover, especially for Rwanda's Paul Kagame. The Biden administration has continued this policy which dates from the Clinton administration - a policy of protecting the perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Central Africa. On this International Women’s Day, March 8, 2022, this ongoing conflict is particularly noteworthy because of a series of wars where the atrocities against women are a key strategy of the perpetrators. Hundreds of thousands of women have been raped, disfigured and mutilated as a weapon of war in order to displace entire villages from resource rich lands. Yet, the U.S. continues to cover for the architects of the crimes in the Congo, especially Paul Kagame, whose army, the UN said in a 2010 report, that if brought in front of a competent court could be charged for committing genocide in the Congo. Beyond Congo and the African continent, African and other colonized women continually face the brutalities of capitalism and imperialism. In Haiti, the occupation by the United Nations “peacekeeping” troops resulted in massive sexual and physical violence against women and young girls. So has the current Core Group control of the country, which has intensified gang violence. And, currently, the mostly women Haitian garment industry workers, are striking for a living wage and against workplace harassment. We must also point to the continuing assaults on Haiti, assaults on Black women leaders in Colombia, the deaths at the hands of the domestic army in the U.S. referred to as the police, Garifuna women in Honduras murdered by the U.S. coup backed government, the bombardment of women and children in the Gaza strip, death and displacement in Syria and Iraq, and the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen. Indeed, African and other colonized women know the horrors of war, militarism and all forms of hybrid wars carried out by Western powers, intimately. On this International Women’s Day, March 8, 2022, BAP lifts up the ongoing fight against white supremacist imperialist capitalist patriarchy in the DRC and across the African and colonized world. African and colonized women are at the center of the struggle to dismantle this system. No Compromise, No Retreat! ###

For African and Colonized Peoples, to Understand Ukraine: De-center Europe and Focus on Imperialism   Black Alliance for Peace Statement on the Situation in the Ukraine   March 1, 2022

The Black Alliance for Peace emphatically declares that the conflict in the Ukraine emerges from the ceaseless and single-minded drive of the U.S., NATO, and the European Union for global economic and political dominance. The genesis of the current crisis, as BAP has previously asserted, is in the 2014 US-backed coup of Ukraine’s democratically elected government – and in the determination of the U.S./EU/NATO “axis of domination” to convert Ukraine into a heavily-militarized NATO member nation, lurking on the border of the Russian Federation. NATO’s expansion has been a well-known security concern for Russia since 1999, when Bill Clinton inaugurated the official process of growing NATO’s membership to include former nations of the Warsaw Pact. Today, as the conflict escalates, NATO’s expansion has become an existential threat to African people and all oppressed and colonized people around the world. For peace to arrive in the region and in the world, the expansion of this “axis of domination” must be halted and NATO must be dismantled.  But what is peace? For BAP, peace is not merely the absence of conflict. Peace means the achievement, through popular struggle and self-defense, of a world liberated from militarism and nuclear proliferation, imperialism and unjust war, patriarchy, and white supremacy. Indeed, the resurgence and celebration of Nazism in the Ukraine, as well as in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere, represents a global consolidation of white supremacy as part of the project of imperialism. This consolidation also appears through invocations of and appeals to white, “civilized” nations and peoples and the entrenchment of an unabashedly racist pan-European world. Peace also means dismantling a military-industrial complex that is clearly profiting from endless war and intervention and reinvesting bloated “defense” budgets into education, health and child care, housing, and the battle against global warming. We need to dismantle NATO for the same reasons we need to abolish the police: both serve the interests of capital and empire at the expense of the global working classes.  The Black Alliance for Peace is mindful of the loss of life in Ukraine, but also in Somalia, Yemen, and every nation suffering under NATO wars of domination. We offer our unwavering solidarity with the people of these places. As BAP Coordinating Committee member Rafiki Morris  argues:  “Our concern for the people of Ukraine must be added to our overarching concern for those in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Libya; coups in Egypt, Honduras, Ukraine, Bolivia, Brazil;  subversion in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba; coups across the African continent with soldiers trained by AFRICOM.”  We note, for example, that as the U.S. condemned the military actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, its armed drones bombed Somalia. Moreover, as Black immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean were abandoned and mistreated in the Ukraine, the 200th deportation flight of the Biden administration sent 129 Haitians to Port-au-Prince, adding to the 21,000 already deported in one year.  To secure the interests of the Russian and Ukrainian people, there must be good faith negotiations between the Russian Federation, representatives of the peoples of Donbas, and the U.S.  The EU and the U.S. must end their continuous shipments of arms and other “lethal aid” to Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia must enter into serious discussions with the peoples of the Donbas in order to determine if the Minsk agreement, which was  unanimously approved by the United Nations Security Council in 2015, is still applicable.  And NATO must be disbanded. A cloud of confusion has settled on many people, as the lusty calls for war with Russia grow louder and the propagandistic appeals to patriotism, racial nationalism, and the defense of “white civilization” intensify. For BAP, there is no confusion. The conflict in the Ukraine has only exposed the hypocrisy and contradictions of imperialism, war, and militarism – and the demand for peace means to fight against U.S. imperialism and the U.S./EU/NATO axis of domination. On this strategic focus, BAP says once again that there will be No Compromise and No Retreat!  ### The Black Alliance for Peace Condemns the “The America COMPETES” Act Passed in House of Representatives   Immediate Release                                                                       Media Contact                                                                                                      (202) 643-1136                                                                   press [at] blackallianceforpeace [com] February 7, 2022 -- On Friday evening February 4th, the US House of Representatives passed the “America COMPETES Act of 2022 (H.R. 4521).” The stated intent of the legislation is to strengthen “America’s national and economic security and the financial security of families, and advance our leadership in the world.” While this claim, found in Nancy Pelosi’s press statement on January 20th, seems to be addressing some of the most important political and economic issues currently plaguing the United States, from the supply chain to the shortage of semiconductors, the Black Alliance for Peace sees this piece of legislation as sinophobic and militaristic, and that only strengthens the imperialist designs of U.S. foreign policy.   The premise of the America COMPETES Act is that China is a dangerous economic rival that represents a national security threat, and a “malign influence,” BAP rejects that position and sees this legislation as an unnecessary and unjustified expenditure of the public’s resources that should be targeted instead toward addressing the human rights needs of the working class and poor in the U.S.  We believe that the Act continues the United States' policy of militarism first and poor and working-class people last, manifested in the recent passage of the $780 billion “defense” bill while the Build Back Better bill–which would have provided some relief for the most oppressed and exploited sections of US society–is moribund. The $1.7 trillion cost of Build Back Better was said to be the impediment to its passage.  However, the issue of cost was never raised in sending $200 million in deadly weapons to Ukraine in December on top of the $400 million the US has already provided in 2021. The combined cost of the “defense” Bill, aid to Ukraine, and the money allocated for the America COMPETES Act totals over a trillion dollars for war and aggression. The House, in passing the Act, has doubled down on the United States’ endless funding of aggression while putting an end to funding the public’s basic needs.  “As U.S. infrastructure and public services continue to collapse at an alarming rate, the Act cynically proposes to harness the Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance Network to impede the development of relationships between China and “partner countries” to shore up the United States’ geopolitical interests. In other words, the United States is not aiming to compete, but rather to continue its predation in areas of strategic import,” according to BAP Coordinating Member, Erica Caines. Included in the Act is Division D - Foreign Affairs Sec 30113 Supporting economic independence from the People’s Republic of China that explicitly states the United States’ intention to “counteract Chinese assistance and financing to foreign governments.” Jemima Pierre, coordinator of BAP Haiti/Americas Committee, points out that “As the Global South increasingly moves toward multipolar alliances to combat Western domination, the America COMPETES Act represents a desperate attempt to regain control over Latin America via USAID initiatives that use the War on Drugs to position China’s “education and cultural diplomacy” as a dangerous imposition and to punish China for not cooperating with U.S. foreign policy objectives in Latin America and the Caribbean” (secs.30251, 30252).  The Black Alliance for Peace particularly opposes the latter as grounds for “economic and financial sanctions” on China and other countries that refuse to align with the United States in this area. Regarding Africa, the Act intends to monitor the impact of the Chinese “political, economic, sociocultural, and security sector” activity on the continent and its impact on U.S. strategic interests, with Director of National Intelligence (DNI) reports made directly to Congress (sec. 30271). Given our demand to demilitarize what is referred to as the “Indo-Pacific,” the Black Alliance for Peace further denounces any and all belligerent legislation that might escalate tensions between the U.S. and China on the issue of Taiwan. The effort of the America COMPETES Act to “entrench U.S. economic diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific” and “bolster American leadership” threatens such escalation. This thinly veiled military pivot to Asia can only serve to heighten tensions and increase global instability. With its aggressive posture and punitive aim, the America COMPETES Act directly contravenes Black Alliance for Peace efforts to support the call for Latin America and the Caribbean to be recognized as a “Zone of Peace.” We categorically reject this combative approach and support regional and global cooperation between states and peoples to solve common global challenges. We condemn the continuation of hostility toward China in the America COMPETES Act in the paternalistic guise of protecting the interests of “developing” countries.  ### Immediate Release                                                                       Media Contact                                                                   press [at] blackallianceforpeace [com]                                                                                                      (202) 643-1136 Ukraine: Biden Administration’s “Wag the Dog” Diversionary War?   January 27, 2022 --- The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) along with the ANSWER Coalition, CODEPINK, Maryland Peace Action, Popular Resistance, and many other organizations will gather in Washington today at noon in front of the White House as part of an emergency mobilization of anti-war activists to express opposition to the unnecessary and extremely dangerous possibility of war in Ukraine. With a 39% job approval rating, more deaths from covid than during the Trump administration, and a failure to deliver on most of promises made during the 2020 presidential campaign, the intentional escalation of tensions by the United States with Russia appears as a clumsy attempt by the Biden administration and the Democratic Party to divert attention from the historic failures of the administration’s domestic policies. There could be no other rational explanation for why the Biden administration would encourage the Ukrainian coup government to reject the Minsk II agreement that provided a diplomatic framework for peacefully resolving the internal struggle between the Ukrainian government and regions that declared themselves independent of that government, unless, according to BAP National Organizer, Ajamu Baraka: “The manufactured crisis with Russia over Ukraine, demonstrates once again the incredible recklessness and outrageous opportunism that the U.S./NATO/EU Axis of domination is prepared to pursue in order to achieve its geo-strategic objective of full-spectrum economic and political global domination.” Whatever the explanation, it is clear that for African peoples, the U.S./NATO/EU Axis of Domination continues to represent the greatest threat to peace, human rights, and social justice on the planet today. That is why it is so absurd to see the Black Misleadership class lining up to demonstrate their support for war with Russia while Black people still face the structural violence of capitalism and the terror of state violence from the domestic army occupying our communities that are referred to as the police. BAP says that it is irrational for any African to embrace the agenda of empire by giving credence or legitimacy to the crude mobilization of public opinion for conflict on behalf of NATO, a structure created to perpetuate white power and the colonial/capitalist project. We are clear: we say once again, not one drop of the blood from Black workers, the colonized and nationally oppressed in defense of the U.S. capitalist oligarchy.  No Compromise, No Retreat! Afghanistan News Update #8 The crisis unfolding in Afghanistan remains bleak. With an estimated 23 million Afghans—more than 50 percent of the population—still facing extreme levels of hunger, more people could die of starvation in 2022 alone than from the last 20 years of the U.S.-led occupation. While the duopoly in Washington, D.C., distracts the public with its most recent manufactured crisis in Ukraine, it is waging a far deadlier one in Afghanistan through the economic blockade the Biden administration has inhumanely imposed since last year.    To make matters worse, Biden signed an executive order on February 11 that suggests $7 billion in stolen Afghan funds may be split—without a single cent going directly to the Afghan people.    The pending order would allow 9/11 plaintiffs who won a judgment in the United States against the Taliban to seize half the funds and would funnel the rest into U.S. “aid” channels. Not only does this give money to Western non-governmental “aid” organizations that have historically functioned as weaponized forms of “humanitarian” intervention. It also furthers the false narrative that the Taliban had anything to do with the September 11, 2001 attacks, ultimately blaming the entire population of Afghanistan for actions carried out by mostly Saudi and Emirati nationals.    With a cold-blooded ruthlessness that for too long has been routine for the U.S. empire, rather than lift sanctions and actually return the billions in stolen assets—a move that would all but end the current humanitarian crises—the Biden administration has made a clear choice: Let Afghanistan starve.    In the context of this horror, the real “winner” of the war on Afghanistan could not be more obvious: The military–industrial complex. For members of this class—notably, retired top-level military officers—the war on Afghanistan was far from a failure.    For example, $10,000 of stock evenly divided among the top five “defense” contractors (Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman) on September 18, 2001—the day U.S. President George W. Bush signed the Authorization for Use of Military Force in response to the 9/11 attacks—would now be worth almost $100,000.      As for the rest of the imperialist ruling class—organized under the U.S./EU/NATO Axis of Domination—they are not finished. As the elites in Washington desperately attempt to maintain hegemonic control over a world in revolt, more profit has yet to be made. Despite having withdrawn from Afghanistan, Biden is predicted to propose another record breaking Pentagon budget for next year, potentially pushing the total to $800 billion in 2023.    The Pan-European, colonial-capitalist white-supremacist patriarchy is not going to go away quietly. The warhawks and imperialists of the duopoly in Washington are poised to profit even more in the coming years. As long as war remains this profitable, they will pursue it at breakneck speeds. However, that is only if they have their way with leading their waning empire headlong into wars with China and Russia. In the face of a rising counter-hegemonic resistance—both internationally and domestically—it remains to be seen if they will succeed.    For colonized, oppressed and poor people around the world, the struggle continues.   More News and Analysis    Afghanistan Monthly–January February 1, 2022 by Ahmed-Waleed Kakar for the Afghan Eye  A breakdown of the current political situation in Afghanistan, including an overview of recent policy actions taken by the Taliban government, from the founder of the Afghan Eye.   Don't Sell Me, Mama!—Selling Children to Buy Food January 31, 2022 by RT The dire situation in Afghanistan has landed many in debt. If they don’t get any money to pay off debts and buy food, their families will starve and freeze to death.    Horror at Kabul’s Gate to Freedom February 8, 2022 by CNN A multi-media investigative report inside the final deadly moments of the United States’ longest running war.    U.S.-EU Hide their Role in Afghan Hunger Crisis February 7, 2022 by Zach Kerner for Workers World Afghanistan is one of roughly 40 countries (and counting) that is under attack from U.S. economic sanctions, which are but one tool Washington deploys against nations that refuse to serve the imperialist ruling class.   The Biden Administration Must Immediately Unfreeze Afghanistan’s Assets and End the Devastating Sanctions February 18, 2022 by Noam Chomsky, Tariq Ali, Richard Falk, et al. for CounterPunch Nearly nine million Afghans are on the brink of starvation. Yet, it is entirely preventable. This man-made humanitarian catastrophe is a direct result of U.S. policies.    United States Outruns Regional States in Race for Kabul February 9, 2022 by M.K. Bhadrakumar for Asia Times  Regional states are worried that the U.S.’ nascent engagement with the Taliban behind the fig leaf of humanitarian aid enables the return of U.S. intelligence personnel to Afghanistan on the pretext of “counter-terrorism” operations.   West finding ways to work with the Taliban January 28, 2022 by M.K. Bhadrakumar for Asia Times  The United States will use financial and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan as an instrument in such a way that the Taliban government can remain in power without having to lean toward its neighbors.   Former Biden Afghanistan Official Poised to Reap Financial Windfall from Billions in Seized Afghan Assets February 15, 2022 by Lee Fang and Ryan Grim for the Intercept The U.S. seizure of Afghan government funds has put millions at risk of starvation while lawyer and former Biden official, Lee Wolosky, is poised to make millions in payouts from the billions in stolen assets.    When Cruelty Is The Point - U.S. Decides To Kill More Afghan People February 11, 2022 by Moon of Alabama A user post on the Moon of Alabama site gives a breakdown of Biden’s decision to split the $7 billion in stolen assets from Afghanistan, and the devastating repercussions this will have on the Afghan people.   Biden’s $7 Billion Afghan Heist February 18, 2022 by Cheryl Benard, Medea Benjamin and Masuda Sultan for CounterPunch Barry Admunson, who lost his brother in 9/11 and is part of a group called 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, is advocating against Biden’s decision.   Setting Up Crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine February 14, 2022 by Jacob Hornberger for CounterPunch  The people of Ukraine are as much pawns in the evil machinations of the U.S. national-security establishment as the people of Afghanistan. No Compromise, No Retreat! Afghanistan News Update #7 As a direct result of the ongoing hybrid warfare by the United States and its European allies, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has continued to worsen over the past two months. According to a December report from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), only 5 percent of Afghanistan’s population has enough to eat and a record number of Afghans — 23 million — face acute hunger. Yet, the humanitarian crisis that is rapidly unfolding across mostly rural Afghanistan is entirely mitigable, with everyone from activists to scholars showing that it is a direct result of the economic blockade imposed by the Biden administration following the Taliban takeover in August. Due to the shortage of cash this has created, many Afghans — if they can find work at all — are not being paid. Warhawks and imperialists in D.C. who claimed to oppose the U.S. troop withdrawal last year for “humanitarian” reasons are silent now that the Afghan people are starving. In the face of this mass suffering, Washington has predictably doubled down on its economic siege, refusing to lift long standing sanctions against the Taliban or even unfreeze the nearly $10 billion in sovereign assets that it has blocked the Afghan government from accessing. These economic weapons are especially devastating given the neocolonial conditions of dependency that the U.S./EU/NATO Axis of Domination imposed on Afghanistan during its decades long occupation.  Under the former US-backed puppet regime, three quarters of Afghanistan’s government spending came from international grants, while 43 percent of its 2020 economic output came from international “aid.” A January United Nations appeal for assistance to Afghanistan implicitly revealed the conditions of dependency facing the people as it called for $5 billion to cover food delivery, agriculture support, healthcare, water and sanitation, and education; all things that a fully sovereign government — free from imperialism — would be able to provide for its people. The Biden administration, by refusing to lift sanctions or even unfreeze Afghanistan’s assets, seeks to weaponize the conditions of dependency — imposed during 20 years of occupation — to destabilize the region and to make self-determination of the Afghan people impossible.    Yet, consistent with its white savior worldview, Washington continues to cloak its imperialist criminality behind a narrative of “humanitarianism.” In mid January, the White House announced around $300 million in “humanitarian assistance” from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), according to the Associated Press. This “assistance” is only a small fraction of the nearly $10 billion that Biden is preventing Afghanistan from accessing. Thus, the U.S. ruling elite continue to deny Afghans their sovereignty by stipulating that any and all funds go through pre-approved, Western NGOs. These so-called non-governmental organizations historically function as weaponized forms of “humanitarian intervention” — used to diminish government's central role, erode overarching social services, and create conditions favorable to capital. Despite the best efforts of Washington to prevent self-determination, stability, and progress in Afghanistan, many regional neighbors continue to take small, but significant, steps toward realizing peace and stability in Afghanistan. This past December, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a group of 57 primarily Muslim-majority nations pledged to create a humanitarian trust fund to be set up under the Islamic Development Bank. Such efforts to counter the murderous economic weaponry of the U.S. will ease the suffering Afghan people have been forced to endure, while also aiding in their struggle to achieve national self-determination.  More News and Analysis   Biden Lies (Again) As He Covertly Continues the US Forever War Against the Afghan People  January 18, 2022 by Zachary Scott The August 2021 withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan did not mark the end of the United States’ so-called “forever war” but rather a shift in U.S. policy—from direct military intervention and occupation to one based on economic sanctions and indirect political subversion.   Are Western Wealthy Countries Determined to Starve the People of Afghanistan?  January 17, 2022 by Vijay Prashad  The U.S. is responsible for the crisis in Afghanistan, and it “should play an active role” in repairing the damage it has done to the country.   Inside US Afghanistan Pullout, CIA Opium Ratline, Pipeline Conflict, New Cold War   August 21, 2021 by The GrayZone  Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton discuss the US military pullout from Afghanistan with journalist Pepe Escobar, who has extensive experience reporting in the country.   Kazakhstan Coup Fails, US-Russia Talks Go Nowhere. Is War on Horizon? January 17, 2022 by The GrayZone Pepe Escobar discusses the geopolitical implications of the failed coup in Kazakhstan, its ties to the degrading security situation in Afghanistan, and the U.S. manufactured security crises across Eurasia more generally.    The US Plan of an Afghanistan Inside Europe January 19, 2022 by Manilo Dinucci for Global Research Washington’s strategic design is to force Russia to intervene militarily in defense of the Russians in the Donbass, ending up in a situation similar to the Afghan one in which the USSR got bogged down. An Afghanistan inside Europe, which would cause a permanent state of crisis, to the benefit of the U.S., which would strengthen its influence and presence in the region.   Reflections on Events in Afghanistan 39 - Souring of Taliban’s Relations with Pakistan January 17, 2022 by M.K. Bhadrakumar for Indian Punchline External interference in Afghanistan has reappeared much sooner than one would have expected after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in August.   Reflections on Events in Afghanistan 38 - Blowback from Afghanistan January 3, 2022 by M.K. Bhadrakumar for Indian Punchline Reports of the recent period are indicative of tensions between the Taliban forces and the Pakistani military deployed on their border.   No Compromise, No Retreat! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       Media Contact                                                                  press [at] blackallianceforpeace [com]                                                                                                       (202) 643-1136 Black Alliance for Peace Condemns the Policies of the U.S./EU/NATO Axis of Domination in Ukraine The Manufactured Crisis in Ukraine Confirms Why NATO Must be Dismantled   January 12, 2022 -- The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) concludes that the full responsibility for the dangerous crisis unfolding in Ukraine has its genesis in the illegal policies of the U.S./EU/NATO “Axis of Domination” beginning in 2014. As the corporate press presents a one-sided presentation of event in Ukraine as part of a massive propaganda effort to mobilize public opinion to support the reckless positions of the Biden administration, BAP believes that the public must be presented with a counternarrative of the chronology of events in Ukraine. BAP National Organizer; Ajamu Baraka summarizes some of those events:  “During the latter part of 2013 until February 2014, the Obama/Biden administration gave material support and encouragement to anti-democratic right-wing elements in Ukraine to execute “regime change” against the democratically elected government of Victor Yanukovych. This plunged Ukraine into crisis because substantial sectors of Ukrainian society did not support the coup, especially sections of predominantly Russian speaking Ukrainian citizens in the Eastern portions of the nation. Those Ukrainian citizens rejected the legitimacy of the coup government and began to voice support for independence from the neo-Nazi government that took power. And what was the response from the illegal coup regime? It attacked their citizens in the East. In other words, they attacked their own citizens – a crime that the Obama administration pretended was the excuse for U.S. subversion in Syria. “  The conflict that ensued as a result of the invasion of Eastern Ukraine by the Ukrainian government with the full support of right-wing paramilitary forces like the neo-Nazi Azon battalions, did not succeed in forcing the republics that subsequently referred to themselves as the Donbas Peoples’ Republic to submit to the coup government.  An agreement between Donbas and the coup government was arrived at that became known as the Minsk II agreement. Terms of the agreement included a commitment to a ceasefire along with relative autonomy for Donbas. The agreement avoided all-out war and provided some degree of “stability” until the Biden administration came back to power.  Back in power, Biden and the democrats who have now become the party of war, begin to encourage Ukraine authorities to ignore Minsk and to forcefully take back control of Donbas. Even more dangerously, the U.S. and some European powers began to indicate that Ukraine might be invited to become a member of NATO. That could allow NATO with its nuclear weapons to be positioned right on the borders of Russia and with its nuclear arsenal.  BAP regards NATO as an illegitimate offensive force in the service of Western imperialism. Therefore, we call on all social forces committed to peace to join us in demanding that NATO be dismantled. In the meantime, and specifically on Ukraine, BAP is calling on the international Anti-war movement to demand that the U.S. and NATO deescalate the situation. Concretely this means demanding that:  All parties to the conflict adhere to the provisions reflected in the Minsk II agreement And that the Ukrainian situation is taken up by the United Nations Security Council, the only body by international law tasked with the responsibility to address international threats to peace – not the arbitrary and illegal activities of the United States and its allies.  The undermining of international law by the U.S./EU/NATO Axis of Domination committed to maintaining Western imperialist hegemony by operating outside the framework of international law, is now seen by much of the non-European world as the primary threat to international peace, security, and human rights.  BAP shares that assessment and pledges to continue to oppose U.S. policies, understanding that today as it was more than fifty years ago when Dr. King first uttered these words – “the U.S. is the greatest purveyor of violence in the world.”  No Compromise, No Retreat! ###

Some spring - summer 2022 events

Creek Weeks

Durham County - March 12 - 19:  keepdurhambeautiful.org/creek-week-events

Orange County - March 10, 12 -19:  www.co.orange.nc.us/2905/Events-and-Activities

Chatham County/Regional - March 12 - 19:  www.chathamcountync.gov/government/departments-programs-i-z/watershed-protection/regional-creek-week

Forsyth County - March 19 - 27:  forsythcreekweek.squarespace.com/

Apparently Alamance County had a creek week last year, but nothing has been announced so far for 2022:  alamancecreekweek.wordpress.com/ [Now announced as May 14 - 21, 2022]

Guilford County - June 4 - 11:  www.guilfordcreekweek.org/ , www.guilfordcountync.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/3822/

This might not be an exhaustive list and some areas might have their creek weeks in the fall.

World Water Day

Annual World Water Day is coming up March 22nd and Earth Day is a month later.  There will be an online event March 22nd 7-8pm EDT:  www.mobilize.us/fww/event/436723/ and an event March 26th at Durham's Northgate Park 1-4pm:  m.facebook.com/events/498690511778107/    

NC Pilgrimage for Peace and Justice 2022?

The NC Pilgrimage for Peace and Justice usually walks across the State every spring, I think ending in Raleigh on Good Friday, April 15th this year.  It is organized by wfpse.org and other groups.

US Congress, SOA Watch, and WFP Solidarity Collective delegation to Honduras

In late March a delegation from the US House of Representatives, School of the Americas Watch, and Witness for Peace Solidarity Collective were received by Honduran president Xiomara Castro and also met with the president of the Honduran National Congress and members of its Foreign Affairs Committee:  soaw.org/members-of-u-s-congress-soa-watch-and-wfp-solidarity-collective-meet-with-president-xiomara-castro-of-honduras   

Maximus call center workers, who take 1-800 calls for Medicare and the the Affordable Care Act, went on strike March 23rd, the anniversary of the ACA's signing, demanding better wages, paid sick leave for all workers, and the right to organize.  This is apparently the first time workers handling calls for the Federal government have gone on strike and they have been attempting to organize for years, facing a management anti-union drive.  There is a petition at:  actionnetwork.org/petitions/maximusstrike  

[There were climate strikes Thursday, March 24th at noon at 16 West Jones Street in Raleigh and at UNC's Pit.]

[There was a Zoom webinar "What's the US Role in Ukraine" Friday, March 25th at 7pm hosted by WWP - Durham with Black Workers for Justice, Mapinduzi, and PSL.]  

Earth Hour

Earth Hour will be marked Saturday, March 27th [actually it is Saturday, March 26th] this year, 8:30 - 9:30pm, and there will be events around the world:  www.earthhour.org/take-part  

[There will be a Moral Monday March [March 28th] starting at 5pm at 16 West Jones Street in Raleigh.] 

Charlotte City Workers Rally for Fair Pay and Union Rights!  March 28th

From facebook.com/events/s/city-workers-rally-for-fair-pa/1137819490361854/ :

"Charlotte city workers are organizing to have their voice heard during the City's budget process. The city works because we do!

In the spirit of Dr. King, who took his last stand supporting striking sanitation workers fighting for union rights, we continue the struggle!

Charlotte City Workers Union UE Local 150 members, faith, labor and community activists will be rallying before the City Council meeting on March 28. 

5:30pm - Rally at Marshall Park (800 E 3rd St)

6:15pm - March to Government Center (600 E 4th Street)

6:30pm - Workers speak inside City Council meeting

We will also be going inside to speak directly to the council to demand the following:

1. FAMILY-SUPPORTING WAGES

A. Fully fund the wage structure adopted in 2017 for non-exempt employees’ pay. This structure should be based on overall years with the city, not just years in a certain job title. We appreciate the city’s long process and willingness to develop this pay plan that has benefited many employees. However, this plan should be funded to be an on-going wage scale, not just a one-time adjustment.

B. Daily overtime. Workers would receive overtime for every hour worked after their scheduled shift for the work day.

C. Shift differential pay. Workers would receive an increase to their daily wages when they work nights or weekends.

2. UNIVERSAL SICK POLICY

The city policy on sick time is different in every department. Some departments have made the decision to punish employees for being sick and taking days off.

3. FAIR GRIEVANCE PROCESS

Shop Stewards and Employee advocates.

4. AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE

Pass a resolution in support Improved and Expanded Medicare for All Act (HR 1384)

For more information contact us at 704-954-9647"

The Camellia Forest Nursery's Open House: Spring Fling is April 1-3 and 8-10 in Chapel Hill:  camforest.com/pages/open-house

#Defund Climate Chaos Week of Arts Action, demanding that financial institutions stop funding fossil fuel infrastructure, will be April 2 - 10. There will be an online teach-in March 29th at 8pm ( bit.ly/DefundClimateChaos ) and the Haw River Assembly says to contact janmartijnburger at gmail to get involved.

BW Wells Heritage Day 2022 will be Saturday, April 2nd 10am-3pm at Falls Lake State Recreation Area historic BW Wells access:  www.bwwells.org/events/ and www.ncparks.gov/falls-lake-state-recreation-area/events-and-programs/bw-wells-heritage-day-2

The Friends of Lower Haw River State Natural Area and park staff will hold a Whack Attack! Invasive Species Removal Workday April 2nd 9:30am - 12pm:  www.ncparks.gov/jordan-lake-state-recreation-area/events-and-programs/lower-haw-river-state-natural-area-–-whack  There are similar volunteer events at areas managed by the NCBG, through the Green Dragons program/

The NC Botanical Gardens' annual Evelyn McNeill Sims Native Plant Lecture will be Sunday, April 3rd 5:30 - 6:30pm, with an in-person and online audience.  Julie Moore will talk about "50 years of Native Plant and Habitat Conservation in NC:  History and the Road Ahead:"  ncbg.unc.edu/calendar/  

Call Congress with CODEPINK and Massachusetts Peace Action April 5th at 8pm EDT:   www.codepink.org/events

The annual NC Science Festival ( ncsciencefestival.org ) sponsors events throughout the state during April, including the annual Statewide Star Party, April 8th and 9th this year ( ncsciencefestival.org/starparty ).  [There will be an event 7 - 10pm April 9th at the Triangle Land Conservancy's Williamson Farm and Nature Preserve in Raleigh:  www.triangleland.org/explore/events ).  NCSciFest began in September 2010 (the Star Party began in 2013) and is organized by Morehead Planetarium and UNC - Chapel Hill.  It is supposed to be the country's first statewide festival of science.  There were events at every state park in 2016, the centenary of the state park system; in all of NC's 100 counties in 2017; and its one millionth participant and first million dollar endownment came in 2015.

The Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden's 2022 Virtual Plant Sale is March 23 - April 6 at noon and their 2022 Spring In-person Plant Sale will be Saturday, April 9th 9am-2pm in Kernersville, North Carolina.  Their 2022 Spectacular Tulip Bloom Celebration, featuring over 16,000 flower bulbs, will also be on the 9th, from 10am - 4pm:  www.cienerbotanicalgarden.org  

Wilmington's annual NC Azalea Festival will be April 6-10:  ncazaleafestival.org

The Durham Master Gardener Extension volunteers and Backyard Treasures will have a plant sale April 9th 10am-2pm at the Durham Cooperative Extension center at 721 Foster Street, Durham:  keepdurhambeautiful.org/events  

NC Squid Game (the 2022 NC KoreaFest?) will be held April 9th 11am - 4pm at Black Belt World in Knightdale:  www.nckoreafest.com

There will be a spring cleanup at Durham's Geer Cemetery Saturday, April 16th 11am - 1pm with the Friends of Geer Cemetery:  keepdurhambeautiful.org/events 

The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC is March 20th - April 17th this year:  nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

Taxes are due for most US taxpayers by Monday, April 18th:  www.irs.gov/newsroom/2022-tax-filing-season-begins-jan-24-irs-outlines-refund-timing-and-what-to-expect-in-advance-of-april-18-tax-deadline though some people refuse to pay some or all of their income taxes to resist US militarism and imperialism.  

April 22nd, a Friday this year, is Earth Day every year and 2022 is the 152nd birth anniversary of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Ilyich (Ulyanov) Lenin. 

The 2022 Chapel Hill Garden Tour will be April 23 - 24:  ncbg.unc.edu/calendar/ and chapelhillgardenclub.net/2020-tour-home-page/

Reportedly the annual Party for the Pine at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve will be Saturday, April 23rd this year:  festivalnet.com/89883/Southern-Pines-North-Carolina/Festivals/Party-For-the-Pine and www.ncparks.gov/weymouth-woods-sandhills-nature-preserve/home

ApexEarthFest 2022 will be April 23rd 12 - 4pm at the Apex Town Hall and Senior Center:  www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d48adaf2fa13-apex

The NC Museum of Natural Sciences' Triangle SciTech Expo will be April 23rd:  naturalsciences.org/calendar/triangle-scitech-expo-2/

The first annual Orange-Chatham African American Cultural Festival will be April 23rd 10am - 2pm at 750 South Merritt Mill Road in Chapel Hill. 

Matthews Earth Day will be April 23rd at Squirrel Lake Park, Matthews.

Statesville Arbor Day will be April 23rd at the Statesville Park and Soccer Complex. 

April 28th is Workers' Memorial Day and there is usually a commemoration in Raleigh.

Early voting for the primary election will be April 28th - May 14th:  www.ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election

The 2022 Durham BioBlitz will be April 29 - May 8:  keepdurhambeautiful.org/durham-bioblitz-1

According to the NC AFLCIO March 30th is Airport Workers Day of Action.

The Belmont Historical Society Living History Day will be April 30th.

There will no doubt be events for International Workers' Day/May Day around Sunday, May 1st.

The NC Botanical Garden's Spring Native Plant Sale will be May 7th 10:30am - 4pm:  ncbg.unc.edu/calendar/  There are also daily sales at the NCBG and the JC Raulston Arboretum.  

Duke Gardens might have an annual spring plant sale.  They offer classes, such as a free, online presentation May 5th 11am - 2pm on spring ephemeral wildflowers, which are usually in about full bloom by mid to late March in older well-drained to more hydric woodlands here:  gardens.duke.edu  They might have been delayed this year.  Spring ephemerals and other flowers can be seen on the Eno River Assembly's annual spring hike series:  www.enoriver.org/events-and-activities/hikes-and-outings/  Duke Gardens' website says the cherry blossoms peaked March 19 - 20, but presumably are still blooming at the end of March and tulips are beginning to bloom.  There is probably a similar situation at UNC, though plants there seem to bloom earlier than in more outlying areas, probably due to urban heat island effects and underground steam tunnels, and various cherries and related trees can bloom from very early in the year to April or May.  The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC is March 20th - April 17th this year:  nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

The Brunswick County Master Gardener Volunteer Association will have a container plant sale in late March, a Spring Plant Sale in late April, Pollinator Plant Sale during National Pollinator Week in June, and a Fall Plant Sale in September.  There will also be a Spring Plant Sale at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina April 23rd 9:30am - 3:30pm.

The Greensboro Farmers Market's annual Go Green Plant, Garden, and Home Show will be April 24th 9am - 2pm.

The Haw River Assembly's Haw River Festival will be May 7th 4 - 8pm in Saxapahaw:  hawriver.org

Lexington's 26th annual Multicultural Festival will be May 7th 10am - 5pm. 

Haw Riverkeeper Emily Sutton will lead a 40th Anniversary Paddle for the HRA May 14 - 21 from Rockingham County to Jordan Lake, with celebratory gatherings in communities along the way.  

The annual Longleaf Celebration at Harris Lake County Park in Wake County will be Saturday, May 14th this year.

The Winterfield Community Garden's A Dozen Years of Digging Festival will be May 14th in Charlotte. 

The pandemic and cost seem to have ended the colossal booksale Wake County used to hold every May at the NC State Fairgrounds:  www.wral.com/wake-county-public-libraries-stops-annual-book-sales-for-now/20032795/  In-person book and other media sales continue in Durham and elsewhere, though much reduced during the pandemic.  There is a 20% travel book discount sale during March at the Friends of the Durham Library's online store:  shopfodlnc.org

North Carolina will hold its delayed primary elections Tuesday, May 17th.  Early voting will be April 28th - May 14th:  www.ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election  The NC AFLCIO has a new election site, NC Labor 2022, at bit.ly/nclabor2022 

The annual Animazement Japanese (and other East Asian) pop culture convention in Raleigh is scheduled for May 27-29th, its 25th year, though it hasn't been held since 2019 due to the pandemic:  www.animazement.com

Sumter, SC's annual Iris Festival will be May 27-29 this year:  www.sumtersc.gov/irisfestival

Raleigh's 6th annual International Food Festival will be Saturday, June 4th 12-10pm.  

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's 2022 ADC National Convention will be June 17-18 in Washington, DC:  www.adc.org 

There will be a Mass Poor People's Assembly and Moral March on Washington will be June 18th 9am - 2pm:  www.codepink.org/events  CODEPINK will hold an anti-militarism teach-in afterward, 4-6pm, details TBA.  

The 43rd annual EnoFest will be July 2 and 4 in Durham:  www.enofest.org/

The annual Cullowhee Native Plant Conference will be July 20 - 23.

The Green Party US will have its national convention July 21 - 24 this year:  www.gp.org

The massive annual East Asian pop culture convention Otakon will be held July 29-31 in Washington, DC:  www.otakon.com

TMLU: US has no right to give lessons to Putin on invasions

 This is from a TMLU leaflet:

The U.S. Has No Right to Give Lessons to Putin on Invasions  

The U.S. has invaded scores of countries just since World War II. It was only last year that it was forced to withdraw after its 20-year invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. It invaded and occupied Iraq, leading to immense destruction in that country. It supports Saudi Arabia in its bombing of Yemen, Israel in its occupation of Palestinian territory and India in its occupation of Kashmir. It has carried out countless coups in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. US and NATO carried out an 89-day bombing of Yugoslavia. NATO’s bombing of Libya and the overthrow of Gaddafi led to the introduction of slavery in that country. The US wars in Vietnam and Korea lead to the deaths of millions in those countries. And if we go further back, the US repeatedly occupied Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and repeatedly invaded Mexico. The US war with Spain in 1898 led to the occupation of the Philippines, with millions killed, and the continued colonization of Puerto Rico, Guam and Samoa. Yet Biden wants to attack Putin for his invasion of Ukraine.  

That having been said, this is no longer a unipolar world, where the US can control everything. Its main rivals are Russia and China. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is part of an inter-imperialist rivalry that can lead to World War III.  

Azov Battalion: US friends in Ukraine

In this rivalry, all progressive forces in the US must concentrate our fire against our own ruling class. It was the US that orchestrated the 2014 coup that established a nationalist, neo-fascist regime in Ukraine. Victoria Nuland, then Assistant Secretary of State, boasted that the US spent $5 billion dollars to instigate the coup. This regime has spent eight years bombarding the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, killing some 14,000 people there. The US is also using the war to strengthen its hold over its European allies, particularly Germany. And Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has given Germany an excuse to not open the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. This will increase oil and gas prices not only for people in Europe, but for us in the US as well – oil is already selling for over $4 a gallon.  

Putin’s invasion will push the people of the Ukraine further into the arms of the neo-fascist regime in Kiev, and push the people of the Donbass into the arms of Putin.  

Down with the Inter-Imperialist War!  

No Support to the Neo-Fascist Ukrainian Government!  

Down with NATO!  

Russia Out of Ukraine!  

April 2022 issue of Revolutionary Democracy published

The April issue of the Indian Marxist-Leninist theoretical and political journal Revolutionary Democracy ( revolutionarydemocacry.org ) is out and can be ordered from Red Star Publishers ( redstarpublishers.org ) for $6 dollars, which covers US shipping costs.  For more information see the website or contact them at:  

Red Star Publishers

PO Box 1641

Manhattanville Station

New York, New York 10027

USA

Phone:  212 864 7595

Brick and mortar bookstores and organizations selling copies in India, the UK, and the US are listed at revolutionarydemocracy.org and many articles are also available there.

Contents

Whither Afghanistan?

Joint Statement on Afghanistan

Budget 2022-2023, NTUI

Victory in the Peasant Struggle: Those Who Dare to Struggle, Win, NTUI

The Oting Massacre and AFSPA, Malem Ningthouja

From the Congress Party to the BJP, Badruddin Umar

On the Covid-19 Crisis in India, Padam Kumar

 

Formation and Development of the Soviet Healthcare System, Proletarskaya gazeta

Let’s Denounce the Imperialist War Policies, Let’s Mobilize for Peace and Work!, Communist Platform, Italy

Message of Solidarity and Support for Our ‘Democratic Way’ in Morocco, ICMLPO

Towards the Popular Front Against the Capitalist Crisis, Fascism and War, Balkan Organisations

The Social Struggle and the Role of the Left in Latin America, XXV International Seminar: Problems of the Revolution in Latin America

Pandemic Induced Multiple Crisis and the Government’s Response, K.B.Saxena

 

Some Questions of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat in the People’s Democracies, Vijay Singh

Lenin Returns to Russia, Maxim Gorky et al

Primitive Thinking and Stalin as a Scapegoat, Domenico Losurdo

The Finance Commission Report and Action Taken by the Central Government, K.B. Saxena

Meeting with Stalin, (1925), Otto Hall

Stalin: Conversations with Ideologues (1945-1946), V.D. Mochalov. Introduction by Richard Kosolapov

Letter on Corruption in the Soviet Union from S.V Arbuzov to J.  V Stalin. (August 12, 1946). Introduction by N. Svetlov

Amendments to the Draft Programme of the Communist Party of India, I.V. Stalin

Three Articles on Soviet Architecture (1936)