Actions | Stop Genocide

End the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan now!

If the Voters for Peace petition is not already in your inbox, please take action against having a larger militarization effort than the Bush era! I feel like we, the people of the United States are losing ground and momentum once again. Are any of us making a difference in the world if we allow our own country to pursue these military conquests? More than one letter or two may need to be sent. I urge people to write additional letters beyond this petition if they have time.

President Obama has put forward a military budget that is $21 billion larger than the Bush military budget. His Defense Secretary, Bush holdover Robert Gates, has called for cutting some no-longer-needed and very expensive weapons systems, but he is also seeking more money for drones and a bigger DoD budget.

Obama's DoD budget is $534 billion, compared to Bush's $513 billion budget. On top of all this he is preparing to ask Congress for more war funding for Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan - an additional $75.5 billion for the remainder of 2009 is expected. The military budget continues to be out of control despite the massive federal budget deficits and urgent economic needs at home. Does the U.S. really need to spend as much as the whole world combined on weapons and war?

Rep. Barney Frank (D., Mass.) had it right when he called for a 25% cut in military spending. Rep. John Conyers (D., Mich.) describes Obama's military budget as "embarrassingly naïve." Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D., Cal.) says she cannot imagine voting for such a budget and she heads the largest caucus in Congress, the Progressive Caucus.

Please take action today to support those in Congress who oppose military spending and urge President Obama to reduce his request for more military spending. Click here to send a letter to Obama and your representatives in Congress.

Virtually every day we read about drones killing civilians and creating new enemies for America. The U.S. needs to stop creating more enemies with drone attacks that kill civilians in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This does nothing but undermine U.S. national security. President Obama needs to be a commander in chief that holds the military accountable every time a civilian is killed. He needs to say to his military commanders - no more drone attacks if you cannot guarantee no more civilian deaths. Such killings undermine diplomatic and reconstruction efforts and makes the U.S. less secure.

Please take action now and urge your elected officials and President Obama to reduce military spending, stop killing civilians with drones and other weapons, and end the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan now.

Sincerely,

Kevin Zeese

Executive Director

This is an ongoing pledge that should be fulfilled as often as possible.

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Comments, Suggestions and Stories

sona aslanyan Los Angeles, CA @ 12:18PM PT Jul 19

Innocent civilians do not deserve the ill fate caused by selfish, government tactics.
Cherokee Fred Jesus Carrollton, GA @ 08:29AM PT Apr 13

Obama promised to get us out of war. I feel the next dollar spent should be to bring our troops home. I do not fear these
people and feel Bush provoked 9-11. If they come over here lets kick their ass but until they do stand down...
leatrice brantley ft lauderdale, FL @ 07:50PM PT Apr 12
Pledge fulfilled Apr 12!

YIKES, this is awesome!
S B Philadelphia, PA @ 12:46PM PT Apr 10
Pledge fulfilled Apr 10!

Good pledge.
B F Harmony, ME @ 01:15AM PT Apr 10
Pledge fulfilled Apr 10!

We need to suck it up and admit we never should have gone there and get our asses out
David Schaich Cambridge, MA @ 09:53PM PT Apr 09
Pledge fulfilled Apr 09!

Here's that link without the stray parenthesis at the end:
http://socialistparty-usa.org/platform/internationalpolicy.html
David Schaich Cambridge, MA @ 09:53PM PT Apr 09
Pledge fulfilled Apr 09!

I'm pleased to see a Congressional Representative actually calling for a cut in the military budget. The Socialist Party has for years (decades, I imagine, though that goes back before my time) been calling for an immediate 50% cut in the military budget, with further cuts to follow (http://socialistparty-usa.org/platform/internationalpolicy.html).

I ended up editing this letter quite a bit. I'll post the text I ended up with below, in case anybody is curious.

+++
I am writing to urge you -- in the strongest terms -- to oppose increases in military spending in President Obama's budget proposal, as well as to immediately stop the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and bring the troops home now.

The proposed military budget is $21 billion larger than that planned by President Bush, a record $534 billion. On top that, nearly $100 billion more will go to wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, along with additional funds for "covert operations" around the world. It is long past time for all of us to face that our obsession with weapons and war is completely out of control. The military budget must be slashed dramatically -- by 50% immediately -- to allow us to focus on public welfare rather than warfare.

President Obama's plan to stop production of expensive and no longer needed weapons is a welcome baby step in this direction, but far more needs to be done. The production of drones should be halted as well, not increased. Nearly every day we hear of civilians being killing by drone attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan, undermining both countries' societies and governments. Every civilian murder is another atrocity on our hands, and further fuels the flames of war and terror.

Congress needs to step in and hold the military responsible for civilians deaths. Pakistan is reporting a refugee crisis caused by people fleeing their homes in fear of drone attacks, creating a catastrophe in a country that is already verging on collapse. Drone attacks need to stop immediately, in favor of a process to end the war and establish peace and stability. The military needs to get a clear message from Congress that killing civilians is unacceptable.

Rep. Barney Frank has called for a modest 25% cut in military spending. I feel that 50% should be an immediate minimum cut, but if Rep. Frank can get momentum behind his proposal I encourage you to support his efforts.

Even without the current economic crisis, we could not afford to spend more than the rest of the world combined on weapons and war. Such massive military expenditures undermine our security as well as our economy and well-being.

It is long past time to end the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is long past time to bring all the troops home. It is long past time to drastically cut the military budget and begin funding life instead of death. Our failure to have acted already is shameful; failure to act now would be inexcusable.

Sincerely yours,
David Schaich
Cambridge, MA
http://www.spboston.org
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Ani L. Schwartz Arroyo Seco, NM @ 08:28PM PT Apr 09

OMG!!!! AWESOME PICTURE!!!! ... SHUDDER ...
Ani L. Schwartz Arroyo Seco, NM @ 06:33PM PT Apr 09

Excellent pair of petitions. Thank you for this.
Margaret Free OC Baby, CA @ 06:04PM PT Apr 09

Initiated this Pledge!