 April 2002
American Friends Service Committee Peacework Magazine Patrica Watson, Editor Sara Burke, Assistant Editor Pat Farren, Founding Editor 2161 Massachusetts Ave. Telephone number: Fax number:
pwork@igc.org Peacework has been published monthly since 1972, intended to serve as a source of dependable information to those who strive for peace and justice and are committed to furthering the nonviolent social change necessary to achieve them. Rooted in Quaker values and informed by AFSC experience and initiatives, Peacework offers a forum for organizers, fostering coalition-building and teaching the methods and strategies that work in the global and local community. Peacework seeks to serve as an incubator for social transformation, introducing a younger generation to a deeper analysis of problems and issues, reminding and re-inspiring long-term activists, encouraging the generations to listen to each other, and creating space for the voices of the disenfranchised. Views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of the AFSC. |
Star Wars Steals from our Future Bruce K. Gagnon, Coordinator, Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, PO Box 90083, Gainesville, FL 32607; 352/337-9274 www.space4peace.org <globalnet@mindspring.com> Native Americans tell the story of how the white man came to be named Wasichu, the fat-taker. "You shall know him as washi-manu, steal-all, or better by the name of fat-taker, wasichu, because he will take the fat of the land. He will eat up everything.This new man is coming, coming to live among you. He will lie, and his lie never ends. He is going to make a dark, black hoop around the world." Today the fat-taker lives in the White House, the Congress, the Pentagon, and inside the aerospace industry. George W. Bush, and his team, are requesting massive increases in Pentagon spending during the coming year. Cuts will be made in education, child care, health care, social security and the like. Our future is being destroyed to fatten the weapons corporations and their rich allies. Star Wars research & development will be the recipient a significant portion of this theft from our children. Space-based lasers, nuclear-powered rockets, and Theatre Missile Defense that will be used to surround China) are now on-line. Hundreds of billions of dollars will be wasted on these new "21st Century weapons technologies" as Bush calls them. The Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space enters its 10th year of organizing in 2002. On May 10-12 the organization will hold an International Space Organizing Conference & Protest in Berkeley, California. (On May 10 a protest will be held at Lockheed Martin-Sunnyvale where work is underway on many of these key space weapons technologies.) On May 11 Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has been invited to deliver the keynote address at the international conference. Kucinich has recently introduced HR 3616, the "Space Preservation Act," whichwould ban all weapons in space. For the past two years the Global Network has organized an international day of protest to stop the militarization of space. In 2001 there were 115 local actions held in 19 countries. In 2002, the day of protest will be expanded to an entire week of events to be called "Keep Space for Peace Week" and will be held October 4-11. Groups will organize local events throughout the week that would include things like visits to political leaders, community teach-ins, meetings with religious leaders, visits to local schools, media work, public displays, and protests at military bases and aerospace corporation facilities. The US Space Command predicts that because of "corporate globalization" the gap between "haves" and "have-nots" will widen worldwide in coming years. With space "control and domination" in place, the Space Command will become the military arm for the multi-national corporations enabling the US to suppress those who protest US global dominance. The fat-takers now have a global strategy. Suppress all the people around the world. Lower the standard of living for everyone. Cut social spending and increase profits for the few who are rich. Control the people of the world by controlling space. With space domination in place the military will be able to hear everything, see everything, and target everyone on Earth. We are back to the days of kings, queens, lords, and castles protected by knights in shining armor. The time has come for the peasants to organize and revolt. Our children's future depends on it. 
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