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Shut Down The War Machine!

October 26, 2007: Shut down the war machine! No work! No school! No shopping!

About Me


Expose everyone you know to this video, which is available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=qs4Luqj5GTo
We are a group of individuals (including workers, union officials and representatives, artists, musicians, undocumented workers, “housewives” and the unemployed), and organizations of many sorts united to Shut Down the War Machine which has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
Paradoxically. as more and more people in the U.S. have come to oppose the invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, the anti-war movement has seemingly grown weaker and more divided.
Furthermore, millions of people voted for Democrats in the last elections as an attempt to bring the wars to an end. But the Democrats - who took part in making the decision to invade Afghanistan and Iraq to begin with - have no interest in doing so. Instead, they have proposed "better ways" to continue along the murderous path already being followed.
But any continuance on that path depends on the vast "War Machine," made up of the industries that produce weapons, vehicles, and machinery used for war, the transportation networks that move them, and vast funding from the U.S. government, among other things.
Almost half of the annual budget fuels this Machine, paying for current and past wars.
This Machine in turn depends on people who, often unknowingly, keep it going, such as the workers who design and construct the weapons and machinery, the workers who load and unload them onto trucks, the truck drivers and ship and train engineers who transport them, the workers who fund the process through the taxes they pay, the families who raise the children who become soldiers, the educators who teach those children the basic skills they need in life – all working people, who collectively keep the economy afloat through our labor.
In other words, it depends on the very people who oppose it!
We have a responsibility to shut down the War Machine, and the best way to do that is to simply refuse to support it any more.
On March 17, 2007, we carried out our first action, which was relatively successful, considering the limitations we were faced with; but now, we must step it up in a serious way and bring the horrors in Iraq and Afghanistan to a halt!
On Friday, October 26, 2007, we will take the next step in that direction by refusing to go to work, go to school, and/or go shopping. We urge you to join us in this, to bring the bloody War Machine to a screeching hault.
For more information about the day to Shut Down the War Machine, read our Open letter to the people of the United States (below).
There is also a wealth of information and resources on our website, www.shutdownthewarmachine.com We welcome you to use it to build for October 1.
* * * * *
After years of horrors (including torture and massacres of innocents), the U.S. government continues to wage its illegal and unjust wars - that have left hundreds of thousands of people dead, injured or displaced - in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even while this goes on, it moves towards war on a number of other countries. In response to this, a group of organizations and individuals has launched a campaign to create a day to Shut Down the War Machine. On Friday, October 26, 2007, workers and students will stay home, and people will avoid shopping. We will literally bring the war machine, which relies on all of us to function, to a screeching halt! We have a responsibility to shut down the war machine, because if we don't, no one will!
The first thing you can do is agree to refuse to go to work, go to school and/or shop on October 1by endorsing our call . Next you can spread the word to your family, friends and coworkers.
We have leaflets you can print from your own computer, stickers, web banners and other tools to get the world out, in the Promotional Materials section.
You can also donate , so that we can spread the word through radio, television and newspaper spots, leaflets and stickers.
You can volunteer to help in a number of ways.
You can urge your union, student group, band, or other organization to endorse our call and help us build for October 26.
This is going to take a lot of work, but it's something we can and must do!
If you have any comments, questions or ideas, please contact us!

My Interests

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AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES

To the people of the United States:

A recent study by the Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health found that an astonishing 655,000 Iraqis have been killed since the illegal invasion of their country by the U.S. and its allies in 2003. On top of this, close to 4,000 soldiers from the invading countries have died.

Around 8,000 civilians have been murdered in Afghanistan since that country was invaded.

The continuance of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and threats of new wars being waged against Iran, Syria and North Korea rely on a U.S.-based “war machine,” made up of the industries that produce weapons, vehicles, and machinery used for war, the transportation networks that move them, and vast funding from the U.S. government, among other things.

The greatest part of the annual U.S. budget – some 49% – goes to this “machine,” paying for current and past military endeavors.

Each year, close to $500 billion dollars is spent on the U.S. military. Each month, $6 billion dollars is spent on the continued occupation of Iraq alone.

But this machine cannot function without its most important part – the people who, often unknowingly, keep it going, such as the workers who design and construct the weapons and machinery, the workers who load and unload them onto trucks, the truck drivers and ship and train engineers who transport them, the workers who fund the process through the taxes they pay, the families who raise the children who become soldiers, the educators who teach those children the basic skills they need in life – all working people, who collectively keep the economy afloat through our labor.

We are calling for the formation of a coalition of workers and organizations that can successfully build for a day to “Shut Down the War Machine!”.

We’ll fight to make this day one in which working people refuse to go to work, students refuse to go to school, and everyone refuses to shop.

Although pickets and demonstrations will be a part of this day, the last few years have shown us that they alone aren’t enough. We need to cooperate to get this call out to people in every single part of the U.S., from cab drivers in New York to farm workers in California. It will take a serious and dedicated effort, but this is something that needs to be done. Collectively, we have the ability to literally shut down the war machine, by simply refusing to contribute to it in any way.

Needless to say, the effects of such an event would be monumental.

We propose that this day be Friday, October 26, 2007.

We urge all interested individuals (including workers, union officials and representatives, artists, musicians, undocumented workers, “housewives” and the unemployed), and organizations to contact us immediately to add their name to the list of signatories of this letter.

Yours for justice,
The Committee for a Day to Shut Down the War Machine

Cindy Sheehan
The Free People’s Movement
Michael Parenti, Ph.D. - Author
Mumia Abu-Jamal
Professor Ward Churchill
Matthew Opitz - Harvard Initiative for Peace and Justice*
Fr. Luis Barrios - St. Mary's Episcopal Church
Mickey Z - Author
Progressive Musicians Association
Conrad Kiczenski - Lake County Youth Action
Red Eyez - Recording Artist
Irish Republican Socialist Movement
Irina Tavera - Bolivian Youth Club
B. Dean Sr - Township Supervisor (Washington Township, Pennsylvania)
Industrial Workers of the World - New York City GMB
RevolutionaryLeft.com
7Wounds - Recording Artist
Future of the Union
Sun Rise Above - Recording Artist
Young Soldiers For Change
C. Harris - DC Retail Workers For Justice
Revolutionary Youth
J.D. - United Mine Workers of America Local 1197* (retired)
Mr. Sherry Brown - Malcolm X Day Committee
Workers Against War
Walt S. Geisel - CivicSatisfaction.org
C. Alazar - New York Retail Workers For Justice
The Cuba Truth Project
The Yinsurrectionary Times
Oaxaca Defense Committee (New York)
K. Bautista - Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union Local 101*
1877 Workers’ Party
Transit Venus - Recording Artists
Democratic Rights Defense Organization
R.D. - International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 177*
K.O.Star - Recording Artist
J.D. - United Mine Workers of America Local 1197* (Retired)
Thomas - United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1262*
Sean Hogan - Steal This Wiki
Ryan Libby - Steal This Wiki
Truth Universal - Recording Artist
Depleted Uranium BBS
Miya McKeython - World Can't Wait*
Georgia Milstein - Windsor Garden Democrats*
William Crane - International Socialist Organization*
Gregg Shotwell
Paul Odekirk
Judge Wood - Happy Bones*
Antonio Rivera
Jonathan Santos
Damjan Aleksiev
Dena Rappaport
Ashleigh Butler - TMAS*
Max Ehrlich
Reina Patrick
Issaiah Wallace
Bret R Cooper
Lauren Oleksy
Roxie Patterson
Adriel Kelsick
Barbara Moe
Shayne Lovelace
Julie Kitcey
Aurélie Païno
Shann Ritchie - UC Santa Cruz*
Nicolai Nolze
Jose Velasquez
Suzanne Barnhart
Jessica Green
Joe Hoban
Corey Higgins
Julia Taylor
Michael Keiser
James Colwill
Michael - Master Market*
Randy Lindsey
Tom Warren
Tim Roy
Walt Copeland
ColdWordz Vitany - Emcees for Peace*
John Harris - Sickout / Walkout Coalition - Boston
Greater Boston Stop the Wars Coalition
Jacob Saunders

* organization listed for identification only

My Blog

Cindy Sheehan endorses campaign to Shut Down The War Machine

WASHINGTON, September 15 (FPNS)  When approached by a member of a contingent from the Shut Down The War Machine campaign at a large, anti-war demonstration here today, activist-mom Cindy Sheehan voic...
Posted by Shut Down The War Machine! on Sun, 16 Sep 2007 12:18:00 PST

Help us raise much-needed funds!

Brothers and sisters, There are less than two months left before October 1, and to make this campaign truly national, we need to get the word out.We're asking for your help as we try to raise thousand...
Posted by Shut Down The War Machine! on Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:15:00 PST

Help us spread the word on our campaign at anti-war protests in September!

Two anti-war protests are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., in September. The first will be on the 15th, and the second will be on the 29th. These demonstrations give us the opportunity to ...
Posted by Shut Down The War Machine! on Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:52:00 PST

SHUT DOWN THE WARS ON OCTOBER 26!!!

Shut Down The Wars!Campaign to end wars in Afghanistan & Iraq relaunchedThe campaign to Shut Down The War Machine, which aims to stop the imperialist wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by bringing the U...
Posted by Shut Down The War Machine! on Tue, 07 Aug 2007 03:20:00 PST