“October 2011 is the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan and the beginning of the 2012 federal austerity budget. It is time to light the spark that sets off a true democratic, nonviolent transition to a world in which people are freed to create just and sustainable solutions.”[1]
Their pledge of nonviolently taking over buildings and critical areas of D.C. is as follows:
"I pledge that if any U.S. troops, contractors, or mercenaries remain in Afghanistan on Thursday, October 6, 2011, as that occupation goes into its 11th year, I will commit to being in Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C., with others on that day or the days immediately following, for as long as I can, with the intention of making it our Tahrir Square, Cairo, our Madison, Wisconsin, where we will NONVIOLENTLY resist the corporate machine by occupying Freedom Plaza to demand that America's resources be invested in human needs and environmental protection instead of war and exploitation. We can do this together. We will be the beginning." [2]
This protest is about spending valuable money in this corporate driven imperial capitalist system. It is also about technology because the only way to move from imperial actions to a truly green economy will mean that we invest in green technology instead of war and corporate profit. People need to stand up and take action now, not only are we killing hundreds of thousands around the world [3] we are also destroying the environment.
“Greenhouse gas emissions increased by a record amount last year, to the highest carbon output in history, putting hopes of holding global warming to safe levels all but out of reach, according to unpublished estimates from the International Energy Agency.
The shock rise means the goal of preventing a temperature rise of more than two degrees Celsius – which scientists say is the threshold for potentially "dangerous climate change" – is likely to be just "a nice Utopia", according to Fatih Birol, chief economist of the IEA. It also shows the most serious global recession for 80 years has had only a minimal effect on emissions, contrary to some predictions.”[4]
The U.S. needs to change its Department of Defense budget now and use it for research and development to help people and the environment. The DOD's budget in 2010 was a staggering 685 billion dollars.[5] We know this money goes into creating the latest and greatest war technology, but instead it could be used to help fight disease and to create anti-aging biotechnologies.
I will be there, will you?
References:
[1] http://october2011.org/
[2] http://october2011.org/statement
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Iraq_War
[4] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/29/carbon-emissions-nuclearpower
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States