-Caveat Lector- Liberty Action of the Week for March 18th, 2003 Spreading the non-interventionist meme by Mary Lou Seymour
In last week's column, "We don't want your war of aggression, Mr. Bush," we talked about various anti-war activities we could participate it, to join not only in the last ditch effort to stop Bush's current war of Aggression, but to put an end to our country's slide into imperialism. As we all know, in order to do this larger goal, we must change the culture in our society to one that values freedom without aggression, that teaches that non-aggression is not the same as being weak, that values non-intervention over imperialism. This week, let's buckle down for the long haul, and explore materials to help us spread the meme of non-interventionism in our society until it is once more as pervasive as it was in the past, when Americans believed along with President John Quincy Adams, "The United States goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is a well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. If the United States took up all foreign affairs, it would become entangled in all the wars of interest and intrigue, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom. She might become the dictatress of the world. She would be no longer the ruler of her own soul." For a history of the anti-imperialist movement in the US from 1898- 1935 see The Anti-Imperalist League; and for info on the widespread opposition to Roosevelt's obvious attempts to embroil the United States in the European war that broke out in 1939 see Sheldon Richman's article on The America First Committee. A new site devoted to building an effective peace movement through education on non-intervention and ending the U.S. role as "world policeman" is Non-Intervention. Net. NonInterventionist.Com is another new site supporting the original American ideal of a non interventionist foreign policy, with links to popular and scholarly articles on the subject and 2 PDF flyers "Non Interventionism is Pro-American!" and "Gulf War Fact Sheet." More leaflets to help you tell neo-conservatives to STOP THEIR WARMONGERING can be found at NeoCons Bad. I got a lot of e-mail from last week's column. The most poignant mentioned that although they were "with me," they were scared to say anything to their friends, family and neighbors or publicly support the anti-war movement. One fine lady with whom I've corresponded for years said "I have backed off supporting much of anything for fear of being called a Terrorist backer." And I understand how she feels. After all, we're living in dangerous times, where citizens are hauled in for questioning for saying something "inappropriate" in a Net chat room on a public access terminal. But if we let fear still our voices, the forces of totalitarianism abroad in the land will have already won. Nonetheless, the old saying "Discretion is the better part of valour" may well be appropriate for those of us like my friend quoted above. If you don't feel "safe" putting your name to a letter to the editor, or putting your name on a petition, marching in a protest, or even flicking your porch lights on and off at 8 PM each night, there are still anonymous actions you can take, to help spread the non- intervention meme. You can seed your community with the message of non internentionism, using the Simon Jester model. (Simon says "No war, no empire," for example.) You can surreptitiously post some of Kent von Cleave's fine posters designed to resemble Nazi propaganda posters of the 1930s and 1940s and American WWII propaganda posters "to use the themes of the past to avoid errors in the present" or Scott Bieser's or Jack Russmo's cartoons. Download and print up a selection of these, and keep a stash of "inflammatory toons & posters" in your purse, backpack or hip pocket, for a bit of free wheeling grass roots anonymous activism. Kind of like graffiti-ing, but without vandalism. Everywhere you go, there are spots just begging for a poster/toon/Simon Jester card. (As you become more accustomed to this, you'll find that you will automatically "scan" any new public area you enter, for a "good spot.") There are those, of course, there always are, that remain in their "safe places" during the dangerous times in history, and close their eyes and ears to what they know in their heart is the right course of action. I doubt there are many like that on this list, but if so, by subscribing to the column you've taken the first step. If you've just been reading the columns and thinking that well, maybe next week I'll do something, I urge you to make this the time, this the week. Even if you must act anonymously, at least YOU will know you have taken action. Don't look back next month or next year and wonder what may have turned out differently if only you had "done something." Til next week For Freedom! Mary Lou PS: I'd like to thank those of you who have sent in donations to keep LAotW on the web. I've always dropped a buck or two in the hat at meatspace meetings for causes I believed in, when they passed the hat, even when I didn't have enough left to do anything much beyond paying the rent. (Heck, I can always do without that pack of smokes.) I have a funny feeling that those who HAVE given $$ to LAotW so far may be in that same boat. And believe me, I appreciate it. Without the nickles and dimes in the collection plate, without the widow's mite, no movement can succeed. I always felt that if the causes I believed in didn't succeed, at least it wouldn't be because of something I did or didn't do. I bet a lot of you feel the same way. Heck, I'm counting on it! So, here I am again, passing the "virtual hat," no donation is too small (or too large:-). You can donate by PayPal via the link in the footer, or E-Gold (my account is 104799), or, if you'd like to donate by check or FRNs (or loose change), email me for my snail address. PPS: As always, go to the web page for this column for NEW alternate actions for this week, and, visit our "Take Action" forum at Liberty Forums for even more ideas or to discuss this column. ============== 'We don't want your war of aggression, Mr. Bush," http://www.rationalreview.com/archive/mls/mls031803.html Anti-Imperialist League http://www.boondocksnet.com/ai/ail/airoots.html America First Committee (1930's) http://www.fff.org/freedom/0495c.asp Non-Intervention. Net http://www.non-intervention.net NonInterventionist.Com http://www.NonInterventionist.Com Neo Cons Bad Leaflets http://geocities.com/neoconsbad Arrest Me http://truthout.org/docs_03/030503A.shtml Simon Jester http://www.simonjester.org/ Kent van Cleave's posters http://www.kiva.net/~kvc/HomSec/tools.htm Scott Bieser's Toons http://www.libertyartworx.com/ Russmo's Toons http://www.russmo.com/ This week's Liberty Action of the Week on the Web http://www.rationalreview.com/archive/mls/mls031803.html Liberty Action of the Week Forum http://www.libertyforum.org/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=action Liberty Action of the Week is edited by Mary Lou Seymour. Visit us on the web at http://rationalreview.com LAotW is supported by your donations. 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