Day #31 Re-Occupying the Hill

PLEASE NOTE: 01/21/09

"Be the change you want to see." Gandhi. If we want courageous actions from our elected representatives, WE have to demonstrate courageous action. "Example is not the major thing in influencing people. Example is the ONLY thing in influencing people." Albert Schweitzer.

Returned to the Hill Occupation - CUT WAR FUND PEACE $200B FAST. Remaining there until "in the bag" is heard from Dennis Kucinich, because I trust him, until severe weather drives me to shelter temporarily, or things give out.

http://jesusgodgoodetcnjay.blogspot.com

Being there, isolated, in the elements requires all of my resources be focused, in order to do the work, to do it effectively, and to extend my survival.

There is no energy for personal correspondence. Only emails explicitly doing the work of this campaign will be viewed or responded to.

Your Loving brother,

Start

TRUTH-AUDIO ON THE HILL

Even higher impact versions of these, audio only, blares as staffers, etc walk to work in the morning, and as the Congress folks walk to and from their troughs at the Capitol and their Office Buildings:

Posters on the Hill 24 hr/day

=

We were given, and we responded:

Jesus - IGNORED, KILLED, IGNORED
Gandhi - IGNORED, KILLED, IGNORED
King - IGNORED, KILLED, IGNORED.
Obama? _____?_____, _____?_____, _____?_______

WATCH THIS. FOLLOW THROUGH:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/thefuture

!!!! POLLS, SCIENCE CONCLUSIVE: "RESISTANCE" IS FUTILE. ACTIVISTS, STAND DOWN, OR ESCALATE !!!!

"Start, you remind me a lot of John the Baptist." I cite this comment in my defense regarding this post. It was emailed to me in seriousness yesterday by one who many consider the world's greatest living activist, "Not the first time I've been told this by someone of your stature in my adulthood," was my basic response.

"Resistance," anything less now than life-on-the-line, all out nonviolent war is futile against the forces that are dooming America and terminating civilization on earth. Photo ops, die in's, banner drops, traditional lobbying, peace marches, fliers, ribbon campaigns, rallies, retreats, peace "happy hours"... will kill time, will kill our constituents, will kill... civilization. Period. Why?

This horrible, yet hopeful, instructive revelation hits me as never before, as three separate sources collide in my mind -

1. Plan B 3.0, Mobilizing to Save Civilization (as of its 2008, January publication), from the world's pre-eminent environmental/economist guru Lester Brown;
   
   Nothing less than an immediate, "war time" mobilization to save civilization will succeed, including immediate shift of $200B/yr from War to Peace.
   
   
2. Polls showing that Americans back Israel's slaughter of Palestinians;
   
   AMERICANS ARE NOT WITHIN YEARS OF BEING APPROPRIATELY INFORMED. WE'RE TALKING "GERMANS OF 1934!" Americans sided with Israel over the Palestinians by a 57%-8% margin.
   
   
3. Col. Ann Wright's personal, informal polling of Progressives as I understood it from our meeting Wednesday.
   
   AMERICANS WILL TOTALLY OPPOSE SHIFTING FUNDS AWAY FROM WAR-MAKING (DOD). 'EVEN AMONG PROGRESSIVES THEY SUPPORT FULL FUNDING OF U.S. WAR-MAKING; JUST NOT IN IRAQ' - this is what I understood from Col. Wright, who travels the country each week visiting PROGRESSIVE groups to end the war.

But Start, , you nasty SOB, there is a place for these "resistance" actions!!!!!!!!! Maybe so. But their current "place" is 100% of the effort! THERE IS ZERO HOPE IN THIS. Yes, for example, the "French Resistance" was important to winning WWII, evil war though it was as we can see now. BUT "RESISTANCE" DID NOT WIN THE WAR; THERE WAS AN ALL-OUT-WAR MACHINE THAT DID THAT. WE "ACTIVISTS" HAVE NO SUCH FORCE. Nor was this "resistance" safe. These folks were Life on the Line!

Activism today, with desperately few exceptions is "STRAIGHTENING THE DECK CHAIRS ON THE TITANIC." Unless you want to avoid facing the facts - science, polls, historical precedence....

Is that really what you want to do? If so, I will leave you to it.

I'll be on the Hill. "I regret that I have but one life to give [our human family.]"

The above is a shocking, stunning, deeply alarming revelation this morning for me, though you may hear it as yet another in a stream of nasty shrieks from Start. I write it to you despite my expectation that, for a time at least, it may cost the campaign I am enlisted in what little support it has had.

Cut War Fund Peace $200B Fast Day #30.

I expect to resume Hill Occupation 24 hr/day tomorrow morning as the killer cold passes.

Thoughts upon speaking with Barney Frank's office, and Col. Ann Wright Recently

The following thoughts are my own and to be attributed to no one else.
Hunger Strike Day #29, off the Hill till the murderous cold passes.

"A person is not equipped to live
until she knows what she would die for."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

1. MAJOR DOD BUDGET CUT CANNOT AND WILL NOT NOW, OR EVER COME FROM INSIDE CONGRESS OR THE WHITE HOUSE. PERIOD. EVER. WHY? FOR THE SAINTS - POLITICAL SUICIDE TO NO PURPOSE, HENCE IT WILL NOT BE DONE. FOR THE SINNERS, the vast majority - THEY ARE OWNED LOCK, STOCK AND BARREL.

2. The forced transfusion from the poor/middle class to $ TRILLION/YR Military Industrial Corporate Elite (MICE) complex will end at one of two times:

A. NOW, February 09, while the US CITIZENRY is in an unprecedented spurt of health / public mobilization associated with Obama and with a rare, sobering look at its own excesses. The half-life of this health spurt is measured in weeks, and the decline began November 4, 2008. At a frenetic pace we are returning to passive observer, arm chair quarterback status.

B. Or, the fatal transfusion will end three - five years from now when there is so little blood left that the MICE complex has little reason to fight - they already own it all, the environmental and civilization collapse are irreversible and advancing rapidly, and it is time to retreat to their walled and/or island communities; security courtesy of Blackwater. This race to get the last drops of blood is exactly what has been at the forefront of the Neocon / Bush / Oil industry Rule for the last 8 years - PEAK OIL. Rape and plunder while the bodies are still warm and some little plunder still exists.

3. The fate of civilization, and the fate of your children and grandchildren entirely depends on cutting the war budget now, $200B as a start. Does that mean we see a bill signed February 2009? It means we take over the emotional, conscience, psychological territory on the Hill and in the White House in February 2009 that makes it a certainty that the Bill is signed within 2009.

4. [To restate,] the potential mobilization, heroism, activism of US Citizenry reached its height 11/4/08 and IS DECLINING AT A GEOMETRIC RATE. IF THERE IS TO BE A MOBILIZATION, NOW IS THE TIME... OR 2-5 YEARS FROM NOW WHEN MOTHER NATURE AND THE ECONOMY HAVE MADE IT TOO LATE.

5. Rock throwing is NOT the sane or appropriate weaponry for the soldiers in Iraq. 2 hour marches, banner drops, 1 day arrests, photo ops... are not the sane, appropriate or hopeful tactics to get $200B out of DOD. And exactly the same dynamic holds for recruiting. 90 pound weaklings are not going to recruit 200 pound Marines. Banner drops and photo ops are not gong to recruit, inspire and spawn the Life-On-The-Line Nonviolent Army that will save America and Save Civilization, now. WE NEED THE HEAVY NONVIOLENT WEAPONRY NOW - LIVES HEROICALLY, UNMISTAKABLY, TOTALLY ON THE LINE NOW...

OR THE MICE HAVE ALREADY WON, WHICH IS CERTAINLY THE STATUS QUO CASE.

I'm not going to concede to the MICE. Not as long as I can take a breath. You?

Failure is not an option. Civilization is entirely at stake.

"This is no day to pay lip service... we must pay life service."

MLK Jr

"Tomorrow, may be too late."

MLK Jr, April 4, 1967,
1 year to the day before we killed him.

Day #28. Another day of planning, physical healing, and refuge off the Hill

Among the worlds greatest activists are involved now with this Cut War Fund Peace Fast Campaign now. Hence I've been off the Hill to support their planning, coaching, and direct efforts and to be available to them.

I find that when I relax a little, off the Hill, I begin to discover the toll this is taking on me physically, and psychologically. I'm in no danger yet, but I am extremely tired, and will stay out of the cold tomorrow for more quite computer work and rest.

I expect to be back on the Hill by this weekend, but as always, like my Hero Gandhi, every second,

"I will admit but one tyrant in my life,
the still small voice within."

Your very loving, and joyful brother, Start

StartL taking liquids, off Hill for planning and out of extremel cold for several days

A good soldier is not reckless - I'll accept shelter in the face of the extreme cold approaching, from angels Ellen and Thomas.

The planning that was desperately needed - hence my abstinence from water - transpired these last 2 days - hence I'm back on water! Praise God (whoever She is).

More planning and meetings may occur these next 2 days so for reasons of preparation and availability I'll be off the Hill Thursday and Friday, and maybe the weekend as well. We'll see.

Hunger Striker Visited by Kucinich Last Night; Day #26 Hunger Strike / Occupation

Ellen Thomas has been after Dennis Kucinich for weeks regarding the Hunger Strike and I know this afternoon Liz and Leslie went to his office to exhort him to come talk to me. About 7:30pm he came and spent a few minutes with me on his way to a session in the Capitol, holding my hand warmly most of the time.

I am sure he was with me tonight, sent on a mission to look out for my health. But it was much more than that too. He said, "I am the man inside Loving; you are the man outside. I need you, and whoever else you can get, to keep standing out here on these corners. Do not stop. And, stay healthy so you can do it."

Among the reasons I suspect that his interest is sincere is the visit I received on a prior Hill Occupation / Hunger strike. He and his wife Elizabeth regularly visited me, making special trips. But on one occasion Dennis sent out his chief of staff to come and thank me for my campaign. I immediately said to her, "Please tell Dennis how inspiring I find him." She instantly replied, "You need to know that Dennis finds YOU extremely inspiring."

"Be the change you want to see." Gandhi. If we want courageous actions from our elected representatives, WE have to demonstrate courageous action. "Example is not the major thing in influencing people. Example is the ONLY thing in influencing people." Albert Schweitzer.

I'll paraphrase the rest of our conversation, but I believe I do not take liberties beyond that:

• "Yes this is the time to go after $200b of the war budget."
• "I already know where to get $75 billion of it."
• "Yes Lester Brown, Plan B 3.0 is correct - WE DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY OF CUTTING THE $200B LATER. IT MUST BE NOW. MOTHER NATURE / GLOBAL WARMING IS SETTING THE TIMETABLE, AND THE TIMETABLE IS NOW."
• "But again, I need you, and whoever else you can get, to keep standing out here for this War Budget Cut. Do not stop."

Now, I know my abstention from water has been tough on not only me, but Diane Wilson. Ellen... my sisters at Code Pink, Ann Wright and others too. Leslie, Liz and I had very meaningful conversation about that this afternoon. I will not allow hurt to these folks. I will stress myself, and maybe them too, but I will not hurt them. At the point I judge I am moving from doing my obligation to them of encouraging them strongly to focus your attention on the Cut War Fund Peace $200B Fast Campaign Outline (here http://jesusgodgoodetcnjay.blogspot.com/2009/01/campaign-on-one-page.html ), to risking hurting them by really allowing hurt to myself now, I'll stop, but not before. It is not a matter of quid quo pro but I DID come away this afternoon when Liz, Leslie and I parted, with the sense that Liz and Leslie were DEFINITELY going to read the Campaign Outline AND Chap 13 Plan B 3.0 tonight, and try REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HARD to get at least Gael and Ann to do so.

I cannot face any of you in Heaven, when we all know everything, without doing my part to the max - to encourage you to read these deeply, now.

But beyond that, I will absolutely never attempt to FORCE anyone, ever, to do anything, and I will not hurt my self irreparably at this juncture. I promise. But PLEASE read these deeply, NOW.

I have agreed to attend the Pot Luck at the Pink House tomorrow night, and I'm praying we may have some brief discussion about these then. I expect to resume liquids as early as at the Pot Luck, and no later than this weekend. I desperately do not want to hurt them.

PRESS RELEASE: ACKNOWLEDGING FAILURE DAY #25, HUNGER STRIKER ESCALATES CAMPAIGN BY ENDING FLUID INTAKE

January 12, 2009
Washington, DC, corner Independence and NJ Ave, NW Corner Cannon House Office Building
Press Contact: start_loving@yahoo.com

""A nation that year after year spends more money on the military than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death," said Dr. King and they killed him one year later to the day", said Start Loving. "That was 41 years ago. We are not "approaching" Spiritual Death anymore - we're facing actual death - global civilization collapse."

"Yes, I've done my best so far in this Hunger Strike but I've failed my human family. We've only got until the finalization of the Stimulus Package 20 days or so from now to end the terminal threat to America, and the world - the $1 trillion annual Entitlement Program paid out to the Military Industrial complex in the U.S.," says Start Loving from his 24 hour per day Occupation on the Hill. "Despite the miracle of international activist Diane Wilson ( http://www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore/item/unreasonablewoman) joining the Hunger Strike on Saturday, I've failed to mobilize our few, sheroic activists within the likes of Code Pink, Proposition One, the Washington Peace Center and WILPF to a take-no-prisoners lobby campaign on the Hill demanding nothing less than an immediate $200 billion dollar shift from WarMaking to non-DOD PeaceBuilding as called for in Lester Brown's "Plan B 3.0" ( http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/PB3/index.htm ).

Loving acknowledges some heart wrenching choices his demand calls for among the great activists, and the Progressive community more broadly. "I too have yearned, for example, for years to give my life to help save our Palestine family, and to save Israel and the world from the Zionists. I've joyfully gone to jail protesting Guantanamo. But these are symptoms of a cause - a $1 trillion U.S. military budget - and the symptoms will never ever be stopped or healed as long as the cause, that $1 trillion budget remains." Loving contends that as laid out in detail in the Cut War Fund Peace $200B Fast Campaign Outline (here http://jesusgodgoodetcnjay.blogspot.com/2009/01/campaign-on-one-page.html ) and as irrefutably laid out in "Plan B 3.0" Mother Nature, not we, dictate that it is now or never, January 2009 or never, to reallocate funds from death and destruction to life and construction. The 39' rise in sea level and continued doubling of failed states / terrorist hotbeds will simply overwhelm civilization leading to worldwide collapse, Loving contends. "Or do we continue to ignore our scientists, the CIA, British Military Intelligence, and Martin Luther King, Jr?" Loving asks?

"Who, if they saw this clearly, would not happily sacrifice their life attempting to get the attention, and I pray, the sheroic response of their fellows to such a calamity?" Loving asks. Loving will stay off of all fluids until either he is convinced of the folly of the Cut War Fund Peace $200B Fast Campaign Outline (here http://jesusgodgoodetcnjay.blogspot.com/2009/01/campaign-on-one-page.html ) or he sees a core of sheroic activists executing along the lines for which it calls.

Loving acknowledges that few people will understand or support or agree with his action. "We have never well understood nonviolence (putting your own life on the line to protect the other, refusing to threaten the life of another in doing so) in this country, and certainly not since the 1960's. We admire the likes of King and Gandhi, Phil Berrigan, Barbara Demming and David Dellinger, but we don't follow them. But we still have a hand full of true activists, and they might understand, and respond constructively to my action. Did you know that the cause of Dr. King finally speaking out against the war in Vietnam was the self immolation of Buddhist priests in Vietnam?"

Loving notes that the risk of arrest for him goes up dramatically now because he no longer has the strength to move his Occupation on the Hill to the slightly out of the way corner where he sits up all night. "I'll have to remain on the totally visible Capitol side of Independence and there is a Hispanic Captain that is visibly fearful of taking heat for how that might appear," says Loving. Loving says he will remain abstaining from food and water whether in jail or out.