The "Axis of Peace" was born in the Northwest during the summer of 2002. A small group of citizens from Seattle's Nonviolent Action Community of Cascadia and the Portland chapter of the War Resisters League gathered in a Portland bookstore and carved out the beginnings of an innovative income tax "redirection" campaign. Most of the founding committee was comprised of long-time war tax resisters, while a few -- though newcomers to tax resistance -- had been objecting to U.S militarism by other means. After much discussion, it was decided to try to expand on the existing "infrastructure" of small numbers of citizens paying little to no income taxes at all by encouraging large numbers of citizens to "redirect" small amounts of owed income tax toward worthier pursuits that the funding of the military. The hope was that a small dollar amount would be seen as a low-risk act of civil disobedience, creating a mass movement of objection to the U.S. proliferation of war on the planet. The campaign would encourage citizens of conscience, heretofore dutifully paying their taxes, to recognize a higher duty: a duty to protest the fact that half of their tax dollars are going to support the U.S. war machine.
The small amounts chosen were $9.11 or $91.11, amounts symbolic of the date when decades of American proliferation of war came full circle back to American soils and over 2,000 American non-combatants suddenly and violently lost their lives. September 11, 2001 is the date when U.S. leadership might have begun to recognize that violence, in the end, can only perpetuate violence. The date when our political leaders might have begun to acknowledge the possibility that the U.S. quest for power and profit in the Middle East and elsewhere might be eliciting the level of hatred and determination necessary for such acts of terrorism to occur. The date when we might have acknowledged, at last, that our support of the powerful elite in such places as Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Colombia might be creating an equal and opposite force of powerful resentment and retaliation among the consequently dispossessed masses all over the globe. $9.11 became the symbolic amount of redirected war tax dollars intended to alert our leadership to the kinds of deep systemic changes that would be necessary to reverse the growing hatred for American power on the planet. It was a symbolic amount that could grow as the movement and the peaceful resolution of the American taxpayer grew: $9.11, $91.11. In the first Axis of Peace tax season, one neophyte war tax resister even took the next step -- $911.0l, a figure precisely symbolic of the day when thousands of American innocents will not have died in vain, if only our leadership would truly give the proliferation of people's democracies on the planet primacy over the accumulation of power and profit for a wealthy corporate few.
The campaign with its three elements - "redirection" of tax dollars to non-war causes, low-risk amounts "redirected", and mass participation -- has, thus far, fallen short of generating numbers worthy of the label "mass participation". Many more people are marching and rallying in opposition to U.S. aggression than are "redirecting" or otherwise resisting their federal income taxes. It would appear that, even for a low-risk protest, we Americans are intimidated into submission by our own federal government. Perhaps the PATRIOT Act and like-minded rollbacks of civil liberties, enacted in the guise of "fighting terrorism", are squelching our instincts to use our freedom of expression?
Nevertheless, for the 2002 tax year, the Axis of Peace campaign has hopefully helped begin, however slowly, to inspire resistance even in the face of the fear of reprisals. The campaign was responsible for the "redirection" of nearly $1,500 in Seattle and about $2,500 in Portland, and has planted the seeds of the possibility of a truly mass movement in the hearts of many war resisters.
Many potential "redirectors" were expecting the annual refund from the IRS, traditionally opting to receive a check on April 15th rather than write one. Many of those will adjust their allowances on their W-4 forms at work to insure that they have some dollars with which to add to the Axis of Peace mass expression in April of 2004. Many are talking with friends and family who are opposed to U.S. domination and control of planetary resources, but still footing the bill with their taxes. The year 2003 can be a year of germination for the Axis of Peace as it attracts a broader base in the Northwest and begins to expand across the nation through publicity and networking.
Those interested in joining the campaign next year, helping to shape next year's campaign, or creating an Axis of Peace movement in your own community are encouraged to check out the campaign's website or to contact the NACC office.
--John Chisholm
Yes, it's the third year for NACC grants! We at NACC have twice been in the exciting and at-times difficult position of looking over applications for great peace-and-justice work being done around the U.S. and abroad, and being able to help some of that work to get done. Our focus with NACC grants is direct action work that is outside mainstream funding sources -- as described in the application: "Collective action to challenge the status quo, demand changes in policy and practice, and educate communities about root causes and just solutions. We support strategies that build community, encourage collaborations with other organizations, and increase skills and/or access to resources." The groups we have funded represent a range of activities, from support for community resources (a library and a community activist centre), production of educational materials (a counter recruitment publication, a radical campus newspaper, WTR literature), organizing (from grassroots to Congressional lobbying), street theatre, prison and third-world solidarity work, and more.
The application process is primarily web-based -- basic information and the application are available via our web site, though we will send out hard copies to those who would like one.
We would also like your help. We are still in the process of spreading the word about the program, so it's quite possible that a great many organizations that fit our criteria are unaware of the program -- even though it is in its third year. You can help us by taking a moment to think of groups you work with or know about, and if they seem like a good fit then please do send them an e-mail or give 'em a call, pointing them to our website or encouraging them to contact the NACC office.
Additionally, if you know of publications which could help publicize the application solicitation, please don't hesitate to inform them as well. Both a short cut-and-paste-able announcement and a small advertisement are available at the above-listed website.
Of course another way you can help is to make a donation to NACC. While NACC's primary funding source is interest from our CMTC Escrow Account, donations (or even bequests - a generous one of which NACC has recently received!) will help to increase the pool of money to grant, especially in these days of plummeting interest rates. See our shameless funds grovel, and a donation form.
Finally, if your organization is planning some exciting action, let us know by submitting a grant application! Perhaps your otherwise difficult-to-fund work can be facilitated by a NACC grant. We are checking our mailbox in anticipation.
--Scott McClay
These words are being written during the holiday weekend designated to memorialize those who have "served" their country that, in Dubya-speak, the world could know peace. Within the last week, the Indonesian military has launched a campaign in Aceh -- using British-supplied jets, violence in Colombia and the Congo has spiraled further out of control, 12 Russian soldiers have been killed in Chechnya, the vaunted "roadmap" to Middle East peace has been burnt seemingly to a crisp -- even while the horrifyingly brutal and vicious comportment of the Israeli military in the occupied territories is essentially ignored, Japan has asserted its right to engage in "pre-emptive" action if it considers itself "threatened", China has issued a call to modernize its military, The Boeing Company has landed another gargantuan military contract, Congress has authorized the Bush Administration to research and develop so-called "mini" or "useable" nuclear weapons and given the thumbs-up to ever-increasing military spending, the UN Security Council has ratified an indefinite Anglo-American occupation of Iraq, the Bush Administration has made noises of a possible naval blockade of North Korea and a desire to foment civil war in Iran (while North Korea, in turn, takes every spare moment to promise Armageddon), field tests in Afghanistan have discovered "astonishing" levels of Uranium inside people's bodies and field tests in Baghdad have made Geiger counters "sing", the United States has announced that unmanned drones will patrol the U.S.-Mexican frontier, the Bush Administration has pledged the support of the U.S. military in the Philippines' war against insurgent rebels, and the Western world has raised terror alert levels in anticipation of al-Qaeda's next strike. Alas, it wasn't even a particularly eventful week. At this rate, one could certainly be forgiven for wondering if any given three-day weekend will be the world's last.
While NACCers have over these last terrible months plugged in with local-Seattle coalitions and engaged in other pursuits aimed at heading off human extinction, NACC itself has maintained its niche within the local Peace Movement. In co-initiating the Axis of Peace campaign, continuing the popular NACC Grants program, and conducting nonviolence trainings (all detailed herein), as well as continuing to maintain the nation's largest fund of resisted war taxes -- all without a paid staff person -- NACC's efforts have in their own small way contributed to the making of a saner world. NACC's web presence also continues to grow. If you've not done so recently, check out our Peacelinks, Talking Points, and Iraq War Fallout. We think you'll find them to be helpful resources.
You may have noticed that erstwhile newsletter editor Geov Parrish has handed over the reins -- at least for this issue -- to yours truly, while the always-thankless task of "deadline curator" has been ably taken up by Carolyn Stevens. Large shoes to fill, indeed, but hopefully we haven't mucked it up too terribly much...
Finally, a brief coalition note to pass along. The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee's staff position has rotated from Mary Loehr in Ithaca to Ruth Benn in Brooklyn. NWTRCC's current contact information (also noted following the next article) is as follows: NWTRCC, P.O. Box 150553, Brooklyn, NY 11215-0553; (800) 269-7464, nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org.
Thanks for reading, and don't hesitate to contact the NACC office with questions or comments regarding the newsletter, other NACC programs, or opportunities to volunteer!
--Eddie Tews
In recent months, the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) and the War Resisters League (WRL) have published new editions to two important war tax resistance publications. NWTRCC has updated its 50-page booklet, War Tax Resisters and the Internal Revenue Service, and WRL has a new edition of War Tax Resistance: A Guide to Withholding Your Support from the Military.
There are always many changes in WTR procedures as well as in IRS responses, so it's a very good idea for war tax resisters to keep up with current information. And reading these publications is a great way to deal with and overcome the isolation and fear associated with tax resistance. It's easy to get caught up in our personal situations, but in reality we're very much a part of a movement of resistance, and these works made that clear.
War Tax Resistance and the Internal Revenue Service by Clark Hanjian answers virtually every question a war tax resister might have about dealing with the IRS. After a brief review of WTR methods, he gives a comprehensive overview of web and print resources about the Internal Revenue Service, basic legal resources, and tax law. Particularly useful is information about all the web resources. A great deal of government information is now available free on-line, and Clark tells us how to find it.
The booklet's main section consists of a flow-chart of war tax resistance actions and IRS responses, accompanied by a related outline that fills in the details. It's very easy to find specific information -- in fact, the best thing about this entire publication is its clear and easy-to-use format. Clark has done all of us a real service by shifting through and summarizing a ton of information of importance to war tax resisters.
WRL's War Tax Resistance Guide is often referred as the bible of war tax resistance. There is no other single resource that provides such comprehensive and helpful information. The fifth edition, edited by Ruth Benn and Ed Hedemann, was published in February. The 144-page book covers every aspect of war tax resistance including how to resist, IRS collection procedures, the history of WTR, information on alternative funds and political organizing, global WTR, and much more. It is extremely well written, well organized, and beautifully illustrated with inspiring photos of war tax resistance actions and funny cartoons. It makes war tax resistance come alive for newcomers and old-timers alike. Since the fourth edition came out way back in 1992, this new edition is particularly helpful with updated information on both war tax resistance procedures and activity within the WTR movement.
--Carolyn Stevens
War Tax Resistance and the Internal Revenue Service is available for $2.50 from: NWTRCC, P.O. Box 150553, Brooklyn, NY 11215-0553; (800) 269-7464, nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org.
The WRL War Tax Resistance Guide is available for $15.00 from the War Resisters League: 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012; wrl@warresiters.org.
I breathed in deeply. What an odd and amazing sensation: I could feel the moisture in my nose freezing! I was in Fairbanks, Alaska, experiencing minus-20-degree weather for the first time. That, and the sight of the three moose (meese??) we had seen the night before, was thrilling. But not nearly as thrilling as the inspiration Erica Kay and I gained from the civil disobedience training that we led for Fairbanks activists on a sparkling winter day back in February.
No Nukes North had organized the training and gotten a great turnout. The fifty participants were extremely enthusiastic and fully engaged themselves in the role-plays, de-escalation practice, small-group work, and other exercises on the theory and practice of nonviolent civil disobedience.
I was struck by the diversity of the group, especially in terms of age. It was probably the most evenly distributed age range of any of the hundreds of groups I've trained! We had children, high school teens, university students, and on-up, to people in their seventies and even eighties.
Organizer Stacey Fritz comments: "The civil disobedience/nonviolence training that Vivien and Erica led in Fairbanks turned out to be a great experience for the group of people who came, and we have certainly incorporated much of the fundamental nonviolence principles into our regular peace demonstrations. We've created flyers, listing the nonviolent guidelines, for demonstrations, that we have distributed to participants and even to interested passers-by, and I think it has been very positive to have these shared goals in mind, not only at the demos but also in everyday conflicts.
"It was good to have the training simply for the benefit of a group working together and getting to know each other for the afternoon, and Vivien and Erica used the time very efficiently in managing to fit in all the sections they had planned."
The next day we led a daylong nonviolence training in Anchorage, organized by Alaskans for Peace and Justice. I had arrived early and joined their rally on February 15th, the day that 10 million people worldwide spoke out for peace. I felt privileged to be part of the activities in Anchorage, where the military has a prominent presence, and where it can take some courage for the local activists to take a public stand. Alaskans for Peace and Justice had dealt with some drama the night before. The organizers of the traditional "Fur Rendezvous" parade that they were going to join on February 15th, using peace puppets and creative costumes, banned them from parading. The activists were divided as to how they should react. Should they try to join the parade anyway, and risk alienating city officials and the public, or organize something separate at the last minute? Some were furious and wanted to block the parade and risk arrest to make their point. They decided in the end to hold a peace rally instead. Several hundred people showed up on short notice for the spirited rally, and then marched around town.
A few challenges presented themselves, most particularly a veteran who was marching up and down the sidewalk, sharing his opinions loudly and continuously through a portable sound system that was very effective in disrupting the event and making it hard to hear the rally speakers. I was curious as to how the organizers would handle the situation. It was like watching a real-life role-play of what we would be learning a few days later at the training. I watched as person after person tried various approaches. Several tried to speak with the guy, to show that they wanted to listen to his point of view, and draw him aside. Several tried to confront him and asked him to turn down his sound system to allow the rally to continue. Several tried to argue with him about the points he was making. Adding to the confusion was a male figure, wearing a Ku Klux Klan mask, who was closely shadowing the veteran. I assumed that they were together, but we learned later that he was a peace activist trying to make a point and discredit the veteran. The veteran continued for at least half-an-hour, undeterred by any of the attempts of the activists to de-escalate or distract him. It was a tough call for the organizers. In the end the Anchorage police marched up six strong, told him that the peace group had a permit for that space, turned off his sound system, and ordered him to picket on the other side of the road where he would be less disruptive. He did so immediately, and the tension dropped.
Forty people from several groups attended the Anchorage nonviolence training. As in Fairbanks, I was reminded once again of a valuable impact of trainings that we often don't emphasize or anticipate: the community-building and relationship-strengthening aspect. How often do we spend a whole day with our fellow activists in a safe and reflective space together, getting to know aspects of ourselves and each other that aren't brought out in the often hectic organizing of meetings and events, and building trust between individuals and groups?
Alaskans for Peace and Justice organizer Christine Reichman comments: "We immediately instituted the thumbs-up or otherwise in our meetings [a useful tool to show visually whether you support or don't support a statement or proposal by holding your thumb up, down, or sideways], and I think the event helped us both in feeling connected as a group and in feeling connected to outside groups. One personal revelation especially stays with me: that sometimes there is an impasse in trying to relate to someone, and then I can basically 'turn the other cheek' in literally turning away and letting it go rather than escalate myself into frustrated rage. It was a significant piece, among others, in getting to know and trust one another, which certainly makes planning smoother!"
We later received a letter from Ruth Sheradon, one of the participants, who wrote: "Did you hear about our wonderful sit-in at the IRS office on April 15? It was excellent and involved seven people -- 2 minors, three women, and four men. Some of the support group handed out leaflets about where your tax dollars go, and waved banners. We are all pleased with our first action."
We also heard that a local direct action training group that had become defunct was energized by the training and has revived itself.
I felt humbled by the strength and convictions of the wonderful activists we met in Alaska, and I enjoyed myself tremendously. Training is a powerful tool and can have a very positive impact on our organizing, especially when groups take the trainings together. Organize one for yourselves! See for example the War Resisters League and Fellowship of Reconciliation websites for lists of trainers near you, and you'll be on your way!
--Vivien Sharples
While the Bush Administration can't claim to have waged its war in Iraq by popular (roughly 10% of the world's people supported the war) or legal mandate, or to have discovered Iraqi WMD, nor even to have made the nation safer; it least it can exult in having freed the "brave people of Iraq" from the clutches of a tyrannical despot, and brought a little bit of its Texas-styled promised land to the Cradle of Civilization. Some Iraqis can't even agree with this last, as it turns out. The following opinions of real live Iraqi citizens have all been taken from mainstream newspapers, and have all been gathered since the famed toppling-of-the-statue.
• "I lost 10 of my family. I once lived in that house with six other relatives, now I am alone. ... The coalition has got what it wanted, it has liberated the country. But as far as I am concerned, my loss is too great to accept."
• "Bush is the same as Saddam.
• "Yes to freedom, yes to Islam, no to America, no to Saddam.
• "Iraqis must rule Iraq. We don't need either an American general or a U.N. bureaucrat in charge.
• "They say they came here to liberate us. We have paid a heavy price for the removal of Saddam Hussein, so the Americans should go now.
• "We would love to have Saddam Hussein back. He's the only one who can control these mobs. Tell that to the Americans.
• "I am very sad for my country. Very sad for Baghdad. To see the Americans inside it is very difficult for me. Because they invaded my country.
• "We will never allow them to stay.
• "What kind of humanitarianism Americans talk about, to shoot a person like that?
• "We must be united and support each other against the Anglo-American invasion. We must try to put an end to this aggression. This is not only my opinion. This is the opinion of all the people in Mosul.
• "Leave our country, we want peace.
• "This is not the America we know, which respects international law, respects the right of people.
• "If this is freedom, I don't want it.
• "They are killing us and no one's talking about it. We want Saddam back. At least there was security.
• "Saddam was a butcher, and now this. This is a residential area. Why are the Americans blowing up weapons near us?
• "They are lying. They're ready to shoot for any reason. They're criminals. Saddam Hussein is gone but I think he's better than the U.S..
• "I refuse to help the Americans. They bombed our country. Why? Why?
• "American troops want to appoint their own administration and not listen to the opinion of the people in the street. The people they have appointed so far were in the Ba'ath party and the previous regime. People mistrust them. They will not cooperate with anything the troops do.
• "It was disgusting. Despite that, none of our young men has pointed a weapon against America...but next time, God alone knows what popular anger could lead to?
• "Go home, America.
• "Our arrest by the Americans was worse than the arrests that Saddam ordered against our students.
• "We can't go where we want, move freely where we want. I have been searched and questioned as if I were the foreigner here. They are not educated people, they are stupid people. They are treating us badly.
• "The Americans are occupying us now. This is a fact.
• "We suffered under Saddam, we don't want to suffer under the Americans too.
• "I thought the Americans said they wanted a democracy in Iraq. If it is a democracy, why are they allowed to make the rules?
• "We are running out of patience with the Americans here.
• "You are the masters today, but I warn you against thinking of staying. Get out before we force you out.
• "We want all the Marines to leave this place now, and also all of the press cars, or we will destroy them.
• "They did the destroying, why can't they repair them?
• "He is my only son. Will I ever see him again? Why did they take him away from me?
• "No good Bush!
• "Of course we miss Saddam Hussein now. ... The Americans are only here to occupy us and drive us into ruin.
• "They said they are coming here to liberate us from the regime of Saddam Hussein. But it should not be in such a way.
• "This is cruelty. The rate is not even enough to pay for the lift into work. A packet of decent cigarettes costs more than a day's pay. A packet of nappies is one month! Is this fair? Even under Saddam, it was better than this.
• "They can watch us through their binoculars when we're walking down the street. I don't like having them here.
• "Sooner or later, U.S. killers, we'll kick you out.
• "I hate Americans. I want revenge. I will wait, I will join a group, and, one day, I will kill Americans.
• "We demand compensation from the Americans, but we also demand our town back. Even in Israel they do not shoot children in such numbers when they throw stones in a demonstration.
• "It has never been this bad before. It just seems to get worse every day. I used to have hope, but I can no longer believe we will be saved. No one cares for us. I have four people at home and my husband was killed during fighting in Basra. I have no money and I no longer know what to do. I want to survive, but it just keeps getting harder.
• "Islam, Islam, Islam, death to the Americans.
• "This area never had any looting. Everyone here knows everyone else and we live very quietly, so why are the Americans here? We don't need them.
• "To America and its allies we say: where are your honeysweet promises? Now is the time to fulfil them.
• "They are sick. They are deeply, deeply sick. Tell the Americans we don't believe in this freedom.
• "What do I think of the Americans? Look at where my foot used to be, look at my dead brother and the rest of my family, with which I do not know what to do. I have a wife and seven children who were all right, and now? That is what I think.
• "We miss having safety, security and jobs. The Americans have made many promises, but they have broken them. We wish Saddam were still in power.
• "There's no milk, no medicine, no salaries, no safety in the streets. What kind of freedom are you talking about? Under Saddam it was better than now!
• "The Americans and the British promised everything but brought nothing. All of us will fight them if they stay here too long. No Iraqi will accept this turning into the occupation of their country.
• "These soldiers, they are the sons of George Bush. We will fight them.
• "War sucks big time. Don’t let yourself ever be talked into having one waged in the name of your freedom. Somehow when the bombs start dropping or you hear the sound of machine guns at the end of your street you don't think about your 'imminent liberation' anymore.
• "We hate Americans. We lost our living. They destroyed our life, our happiness. Saddam Hussein was an unjust man, but he never did this.
• "Nothing is better since Saddam has gone.
• "We hated Saddam but at least under Saddam you could be safe. The Americans said they were coming to liberate the Iraqi people, not for the oil. But this is not liberation.
• "I consider what was done to be a crime of war. How would President Bush feel if he had to dig his daughters from out of the rubble?
• "We were told it was going to be paradise, and now they are killing our children. The Americans did not bother to warn us that this is a contaminated area.
Nonviolent Action is published biannually by the Nonviolent Action Community of Cascadia (NACC), formerly the Conscience and Military Tax Campaign.
Editor, Layout: Eddie Tews.
NACC, 4554 12th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98105, (206) 547-0952, nacc (at) drizzle (dot) com, http://seanacc.org/.
The Nonviolent Action Community of Cascadia is a Seattle-based organization which uses nonviolent direct action to create political and social change. NACC acts to interrupt and transform militarism and other forms of violence, and to build a society based upon community, economic justice, environmental awareness, personal empowerment, and feminist, queer-positive and anti-racist principles.
NACC uses creative nonviolent direct action, war tax resistance, public education, grants to activist groups, and coalition building towards these ends, creating community and developing empowerment and conflict-resolution skills in the process.
NACC has an office staffed part-time by Geov Parrish, Scott McClay, and Eddie Tews. We welcome new members. For more information, contact us at the address, phone number, or e-mail address above.
NACC is an affiliate of the War Resisters League, the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee, and the Northwest Disarmament Coalition.
The Nonviolent Action Community of Cascadia
4554-12th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105. An affiliate of the
War Resisters League and NWTRCC
Tel: (206) 547-0952, Fax: (206) 547-2631. E-mail: nacc (at) drizzle (dot) com