Stop Global Warming & Stop Global Wars

For over 20 years, the Anti War Committee has been in the streets protesting U.S. wars and occupations at home and abroad. We do this for many reasons. We oppose the atrocity of war. We oppose the use of our tax dollars to fund the illegal occupation of Palestine, and the perpetuation of the drug war in Colombia. We oppose the militarization of our borders, and the incarceration of refugees that have an internationally recognized right to safe passage. We oppose the militarization of the police, and the racist policies that are built into our justice system. And we oppose the attacks on our civil liberties, our right to free speech, our right to disagree with what our government is doing, and our right to stand up to state violence and systemic racism when it takes over our cities. We, as a committee, have been doing this long enough to know that making connections and cross-pollinating our movements is essential work, and we appreciate the opportunity to speak here today beside so many groups who are pushing for radical change and a livable future.

So why are anti war activists concerned about climate change?

I could tell you that the US war machine is one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gasses on the planet, rivaling the outputs of some countries. Or I could tell you that war wreaks havoc on ecosystems, killing not only humans but the plants, animals, and planet as well. I could mention the depleted uranium leaking into the soil and causing birth defects, or I could talk about the long term consequences of the US storing, testing, and using nuclear bombs (more so than every other country combined). All of these things are true.

But there is an even more obvious reason why these movements are connected, which is that these wars our government is endlessly engaged in are about stealing resources. It’s always the same line leading up to war- we need to bring the people of fill-in-the-blank freedom and democracy. Right? You know this one. The politicians and their corporate press machine start in about the humanitarian crisis that needs our direct and violent intervention. Nevermind the US has its own track record on human rights abuses right here at home. It’s always do as I say, not as I do. The conflict is always packaged as a threat to US safety and our soldiers are heroes freeing people from their oppressors. The TRUTH is the country has something our government wants and isn’t willing to pay for. The tanks roll in, the market opens us to US interests, and the locals pay with their lives. Usually, it’s oil, but not always. In the case of Bolivia its Lithium. In Afghanistan it’s opium. Our government treats all of South America like its own backyard. It always has. And it isn’t getting better now that Biden is in charge, it is getting steadily worse.

Joe Biden isn’t just breaking promises, he is hinting at what is to come- which is more wars and occupations. His budget proposes more military spending than trump, not less. Everything he has done constitutes a ramping up of the war machine. Biden’s vision for America is to come out on top of the coming resource wars, and to do so by force. Kamala Harris actually admitted it recently! She said “For years and generations, wars have been fought over oil. Very soon, they will be fought over water.” It is rare for the empire to show it’s true face like that, and openly admit its motivations. But when someone tells you who they really are, believe them! They have seen the writing on the wall, and instead of taking climate change seriously and making moves that will dramatically change the course of our wasteful and destructive ways, they are doubling down. Everybody said if we vote for Biden, we could push him left, well get pushing. Because we don’t have any time to waste. Climate change is not a hypothetical, it is here. It is happening!

Droughts, fires, rising sea levels and other effects of climate change are causing and will continue to cause mass migrations of displaced people. These people are climate refugees and instead of helping them, they get treated like criminals. And until we see climate change as a social justice issue, it will continue to get worse. The fact is that the world’s richest top 10% cause 50% of emissions, but the world’s poorest pay for it. The fact that the US has always taken whatever it wants without regard for the people who will suffer for it is the legacy of this nation, and it is up to us, the people to address that, to change it.

So to be clear, War is an environmental issue. War is a racial justice issue. It’s an economic issue. And these things are very much related. That is why we need to build a movement that is as large and as strong as possible to address this crisis. We need to be holding the right people and institutions accountable for climate destruction, and we need to demand action from our so-called representatives in office. It should be illegal to destroy the planet. It should be illegal to steal another country’s resources. And if you want to really get into it, all of the wealth of this nation was built on stolen land by forced unpaid labor and it is time we address that legacy. And it is time to let the youth lead. I’m sick of hearing what 70 year old men think about proposed solutions that they won’t even be around to see play out. We are stealing our children’s future to prop up a system that we know is doomed to fail, it is currently failing. So we are not asking. We demand action. And we demand an end to the war and justice for all. When people and the planet are under attack, what do we do? Stand up! Fight Back!