World Can't Wait

Military Recruitment

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Army Uses Video Games to Recruit for its Killing Machine

Category: Military Recruitment
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Army Experience Center's Bad Experience: Turns out Training Kids to Kill Not Popular with Public

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By David Swanson
 
“This is so cool! This is so cool!” a thirteen-year-old boy repeated as he squeezed rounds from a real M-16, picking off “enemy combatants” in a video game while perched atop a real Army Humvee. “I just came to the mall to skateboard but everyone said this was pretty cool. I just had to try it and it's great!”
 
The person reporting on this youthful enthusiasm was Pat Elder, who serves on the Steering Committee of the National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth. Elder also described young teenagers congratulating each other for “killing ragheads” and “wiping out hajis.”

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To Socially Conscious Educators

Category: Military Recruitment
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 As school starts back up, look around at the world your students are going to inherit. Over one million Iraqis dead in an unjust and immoral war, and 5 million displaced from their homes . Economic conditions in this country have led more young people to view joining the military as a viable option, and the election of Barack Obama and his popularity with many young people has made “fighting for Obama” seem appealing to some youth. 

Obama plans to expand the military by 92,000 in the next months. An intense debate among U.S. policy makers has begun about further expansion of the war in Afghanistan, and many of these voices are already calling for still more U.S. troops to be sent to carry out their deadly mission in Afghanistan.  Where are these troops going to come from? They are going to come from those who are in high school now. Your students.

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October 6 – the Eighth Anniversary of the Start of the U.S. war in Afghanistan

Category: Military Recruitment
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To Youth in High School Now:
 
What are you going to stand for?  As school starts back up, look around at the world that our generation is going to inherit.
 
Over 1 million Iraqis are dead in the war, and 5 million have been forced to leave their homes. Despite President Obama’s promise to remove US troops, he’s calling them advisors while leaving them in Iraq. The war in Afghanistan, which we’re told is the “good war” where the “real” terrorists are, is going into its ninth year. It’s based on lies, just like the war in Iraq. What the United States is doing there is horrible and brutal, torturing people and bombing civilians while they sleep, just like the war in Iraq.
 
Is this OK because Obama -- and not Bush -- is in charge?

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Obama Administration Continues Drive For US Global Military Dominance

Category: Military Recruitment
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 By Peter Phillips

 (Editor’s note: Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced yesterday that the Army is undertaking a drive to expand its forces with 22,000 new recruits. This article was written before that announcement, but exposes the overall drive to expand and develop U.S. military forces continued and accelerated in the Obama presidency).

The Barack Obama administration is continuing the neo-conservative agenda of US military domination of the world— albeit with perhaps a kinder-gentler face.  While overt torture is now forbidden for the CIA and Pentagon, and symbolic gestures like the closing of the Guantanamo prison are in evidence, a unilateral military dominance policy, expanding military budget, and wars of occupation and aggression will likely continue unabated.

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Has the NAACP Lost Its Collective Mind Along with Its Principles?

Category: Military Recruitment
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By Chippy Dee (This article originally appeared on the web site Desert Peace.)  


On Tuesday, July 14th, in front of the Hilton Hotel in NYC members of the World Can’t Wait, youth from the Ya-Ya Network, and their allies had a press-conference and demonstration against military recruiters being invited to the career fair at the 100th Anniversary National Convention of the NAACP. The message was that young people need money for school and decent jobs, not the “opportunity” to be killed or kill others in two illegitimate occupations or to be associated with torture or abuse of detainees in Bagram or Guantanamo.
 
Over 1000 people, including Howard Zinn, Cindy Sheehan, and Michael Parenti, petitioned the NAACP asking them not to give military recruiters access to their young people. The NAACP rejected their plea.
 

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Anti-war Activists Challenge NAACP to Disinvite Military Recruiters at National Convention

Category: Military Recruitment
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 By Elaine Brower

 On Saturday, July 11, the NAACP commenced its Centennial Celebration and Convention at the midtown New York Hilton. Thousands of NAACP members from all over the country descended to participate in a weeklong conference which will culminate with the final plenary speech given by President Barack Obama. 
 
With a long history of support and protection for people of color, the NAACP plans to conduct important forums with speakers such as Attorney General Eric Holder; Governor of New York State David Paterson; Congressman Charles Rangel; and, the Reverend Al Sharpton.
 
To kick off the convention, there was a Saturday press conference held at the Hilton where the upcoming week’s events were outlined by Benjamin Jealous, President of the NAACP, Julian Bond, Hazel Dukes and Roslyn Brock. Activists from World Can’t Wait, myself and Iliana Correa, attended. 
 
The background to this whole story started about 3 months ago. After organizing protests at the Army Experience Center in NE Philadelphia, I received a list of about 100 stops that the “Army Strong” tour had planned over the summer. On that list was the NAACP Centennial Convention in New York City. 
 
 
video from Next Left Notes
 

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I Have a Date With the Army!

Category: Military Recruitment
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by Matthis Chiroux
matthisresists.us

March 12, I’ll attend a board hearing in St. Louis, Missouri, to determine what the nature of my discharge from the Individual Ready Reserve will be. The Army has alleged “misconduct” and they’re shooting for a “general discharge,” but I’m pushing for “honorable,” as my refusal to deploy was not an act of misconduct.

 

I will attend this hearing in uniform as ordered, but only for the purpose of these administrative proceedingsalt. I’m not contesting the fact that I did not report as ordered to deploy to Iraq. However, I intend to paint a clear picture of my convictions to the military, and I seek to corroborate them with first hand accounts of occupation.

 
No person is bound to act against the dictates of conscience, let alone their understanding of the law. I know the occupation of Iraq and further, the Global War on Terror, to be an illegitimate and ultimately murderous campaign waged for economic gain, fueled by misinformation and greed. I know it to be in violation of not only international law, but the U.S. Constitution. Far more importantly, it is against the dictates of my own conscience, and never again will I compromise my humanity to support or ignore the crimes of my government.

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Update: Stephanie Tang’s Trial Postponed

Category: Military Recruitment
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On Friday, February 6, in an Oakland CA court, Stephanie Tang's trial was POSTPONED TO APRIL 6 due to a schedule conflict for her attorney.  Stephanie’s case stems from World Can’t Wait led protests outside the Marine Recruiting Station in nearby Berkeley.

Meanwhile, a successful fundraising party for Stephanie’s legal expenses was held on Saturday, February 7 in Berkeley. We will continue to post information on this important battle. As Stephanie said, "It is absolutely no crime to organize to drive military recruiters out of our communities and schools!  What is criminal is this package of war and occupation without end, the torture state and the spying - and no matter who is president, all of this must come to a halt!"

 

 

Protestor's Pre-Trial Begins Today, Take Action Now

Category: Military Recruitment
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Protesting to Stop Military Recruiting and War for Empire is NO CRIME

Stephanie Tang's trial begins TODAY - February 6

NO CRIME - NO TIME - NO FINE!
 
We call on the whole community to demand that this politically-charged, politically-motivated case get dropped, right now!  What can you do to help?
 
Stephanie Tang in Protest
On February 9, Stephanie Tang goes on trial, facing one year in jail and a $1000 fine.  Her case stems from World Can't Wait demonstrations at the Marines Recruiting Station in downtown Berkeley.  A leading World Can't Wait organizer, Stephanie is the only defendant still facing charges from the intense months of protests against the recruiters, and she says:
 
"It is absolutely no crime to organize to drive military recruiters out of our communities and schools!  What is criminal is this package of war and occupation without end, the torture state and the spying - and no matter who is president, all of this must come to a halt!"
 

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World Can't Wait mobilizes people living in the United States to stand up and stop war on the world, repression and torture carried out by the US government. We take action, regardless of which political party holds power, to expose the crimes of our government, from war crimes to systematic mass incarceration, and to put humanity and the planet first.

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