***a work in progress***
CAMPAIGN AND TEAM / COMPREHENSION PREREQUISITE:
Read and fully digest Plan B 3.0 Chapter 13.
Available pdf: The Great Mobilization (pdf)
http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/PB3/pb3ch13.pdfAvailable Video (1 hr): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XkbuhLFIX8
THE SKIPPING OF THIS STEP IS OUR STRAGIC THREAT - IT WILL KILL US. PLEASE MASTER IT NOW. I BEG YOU NOT TO DELAY, NOT TO MISS THIS STEP.
PURPOSE OF THE CAMPAIGN: By mid February 2009, before the finalization of the Stimulus package achieve a $200 billion shift from Defense to PeaceMaking that we will-
1. Prevent the imminent and wholly avoidable planetary life support collapse from continued unbridled global warming whose first manifestation would be the drowning out of 600 million worldwide in low coastal areas that will otherwise submerge under the certain rise of 39 feet of water when the ice sheets go in Greenland and the West Antarctic. (Plan B 3.0 Chapter 13)
2. Forever cut out the heart of the monster of U.S. empire whose ever-present swath of death and destruction is currently manifest in Iraq, Gaza, Afghanistan, Iran, failed international states doubling every year, civilization-threatening climate change, New Orleans, Inner City Schools, hemoraging US economy, crumbling infrastructure, decimated US world image, cancerous health care system, .... (Plan B 3.0 Chapter 13, and common sense. "A nation that year after year spends more on military defense than it spends on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." MLK exactly 1 year to the day before they killed him for saying these words. )
DESCRIPTION OF THE CAMPAIGN:World-class nonviolent action (participants lay their own lives on the line) with two distinct, self-reinforcing aspects:
1. Hunger Strike with a Hill 24 hr/day Occupation component as an unmistakable statement of the life and death urgency;
2. Sheroic, informed, disciplined and relentless "organizing (recruiting, deployment, PR, collateral materials, blogs, web sites...)," and Hill lobbying starting with the "good guys" like Kucinich and under their guidance spreading out to a sufficient number of congressfolks to assure the $200 Billion shift, before the stimulus package is finalized in mid February. Note: Although Start is the birth mother of this whole thing, this "baby" will be immediately "adopted" by the core team. Start will quickly move to the background on all but the Hunger Strike / Occupation; although he will remain in the loop.
CAMPAIGN COMPLETION:When the highly trusted Dennis Kucinich presents clearly to the campaign team that the $200 Billion Shift is a certainty.
EXTREMELY FAVORABLE BUT CONSTRAINED POLITICAL REALITY:1. Obama can be expected at minimum to be personally in favor of this campaign, and probably extremely desirous. The same can be expected not only of the "good guys" but by up to 2/3's of Congress, the Senate and the public at large. But this will remain entirely hidden, until our work is well underway. Although anecdotal, Start, with many months experience with the dynamic of Congress on the Hill passing him outdoors, has detected a readiness that is surprising to all, including Congress, among up to 2/3's of those he encounters. This is the time. If not now, when? If not, here, where? If not us, who?
2. Prospective "campaign members" from Code Pink, WILPF, and others known to us - we expect that from 2 to 20 people of an extremely sheroic and humane nature may well join as our sheroic commitment becomes more manifest. However, as the nature of this being a particularly extreme version of nonviolence, until the last days, this campaign will be of and for the most extremely courageous, mature, self-starting, high initiative type of "activist." It will neither be for, nor accepting of those not so far along, as this would be a disservice and actually highly dangerous to these relatively unprepared folks, and to the campaign itself.
2. We perceive that it is political suicide for even the "good guys" to propose or initially champion a $200 billion shift, and we want NOT to place either Obama or the other "good guys" in such a dangerous position. Hence WE are the force, the 4th branch of government who through this campaign will give the political cover in reality on this issue. But we expect that after we place our lives on the line for this issue there will quickly, but with some pregnant pause, unfold a catalytic reaction of passionate and courageous action from even some within Congress, and maybe from within the Senate (Who? Ted Kennedy?)
REASON FOR SUCCESS:1. With the Emperor's / Empire's clothes totally gone ($1 trillion on Defense is ridiculously absurd in the context of the Truth of US today), all that is left is for this to be ruthlessly and inescapably pointed out. America is bleeding to death from its trillion dollar per year "Entitlement" to Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrup Grumman, Blackwater... and their Corporate Sponsors - Exxon, Texaco, Halliburton, the revolving door military....
2. The "meteor" twin of CO2 global warming and consequent failed state terrorism as the #1 national security threat, about to destroy life support on earth, is now visible to the naked eye through the telescope of Plan B 3.0, currently in the hands of virtually every member of congress.
3. The campaign team now assembling consists of vision and proven courage and commitment not seen since the 1960's when so much good was generated in America - a time of miracles then, the stuff of miracles now.
TACTICAL ELEMENTS OF THE CAMPAIGN:1. Hunger Strike Hill Occupation 24 hours per day to resume by Sunday conducted by Start Loving. This has been and will remain the central reactor, the central Soul Force driving the urgency and courage infusing the entire campaign. Additional Hunger Strikers may or may not join in DC or nation-wide. This is probably NOT the area where quantity of force is required. Sunday will be approaching day 25 for Loving, leaving an estimated 25 days of life-support left - exactly the right amount of time to drive urgent achievement of victory.
2. Sheroic, Ferocious, Tenacious, Informed, LIFE-ON-THE-LINE Lobbying of Congress to be organized by Diane Wilson, Liz Hourican, Gael Murphy with the support and growing cooperation of Code Pink, Prop 1. and WILPF. A. Descend on, ENLIST, and EMPOWER the "good guys:" Kucinich - the champion of US Peace Force; Norton - 13 year sponsor of Military Conversion Act; Woolsey - sponsor of Economic Conversion Act; Barney Frank who in October called for 25% cut in Defense.... With this virtual planning team identify and execute a Hill Takeover plan.
THE ULTIMATE DRIVER AND SUCCESS FACTOR OF THIS CAMPAIGN:Failure is not an option. This is a "military," 'take no prisoners' campaign (we activists are the "prisoners" :-) . Failure means the collapse of global civilization as the political tipping points will have been irreversibly eclipsed by the environmental tipping points leading ultimately planetary life-support collapse - civilization collapse. (Plan B 3.0 Chapter 13). This is the indisputable conclusion of 1000's of the world's greatest scientists. Our guiding ethos is "Live as though the entire world depends on what we do here, and realize that what we do will probably make no difference at all." The fate of humanity does in fact depend on what we do here. We are willing to fail, but we are, with our very lives, unwilling not to give it the "last measure of our devotion."
