It’s caucus time. Progressives and libertarians will likely once again propose resolutions about the U.S. war budget. They’ll argue, “Let’s spend that money on our true collective needs,” or “Let’s return that money to our pockets.” And these resolutions will likely once again have no effect. The powers-that-be already are responding with horror to the ridiculously small defense cuts recently proposed by Secretary Panetta.
This isn’t new. “No nukes,” “guns and butter,” — we’ve made demands and passed resolutions for half a century. But spending for war is so ingrained in United States economics and politics, and in our collective and individual mindsets, that the results have been minimal. And then a new “threat” to national security is discovered, and we have to start over.
The defense budget is a fraud. For at least sixty years, it has had virtually nothing to do with national defense. It’s been about access to oil, making the world safe for capitalist penetration and plunder, and re-making the world in our image. And the result has been a massive transfer of wealth from the 99% to the 1%. It probably has been the biggest financial fraud in human history.
We’re not only the victims of this fraud, but we’re co-conspirators too. We keep paying for it, making us partially responsible for its dire effects around the world and not meeting our true human needs domestically.
So this time let’s get serious. Let’s propose a solution commensurate to the problem; let’s be bold. I propose we look at secession.
Secession has become a dirty word. We have the South and the Civil War to thank for that. But from time to time, peoples all over the world have found it an appropriate response. And our own Declaration of Independence finds “dissolving the political bands” not only an appropriate, but a noble, response to destructive governments that refuse to listen.
I suggest that the DFL/Republican/Green/Independence Party establish a commission to study the wisdom and feasibility of Minnesota seceding from the United States. Even if these committees report back with recommendations of secession, it may not actually be necessary. The mere passage of such a resolution by a state convention of a major political party may be enough to demonstrate our seriousness. It may wake up enough politicians to get their heads out of the sand and hands out of the warmakers’ pockets.
So here’s a suggested caucus resolution. Change the “whereas” clauses if you see fit. Those in power will still get the message.
Whereas Minnesotans annually contribute well over $20 billion in taxes and debt to United States defense expenditures;
Whereas the United States defense budget has little to do with defending the country, but rather with defending our “interests” around the globe;
Whereas those “interests” are mainly access to oil, capitalist penetration and plunder, and re-making the world in our image;
Whereas, at least since World War II, the United States defense budget has been the biggest financial fraud in human history;
Whereas the defense budget has resulted in a massive transfer of wealth from the 99% to the 1%;
Whereas Minnesotans are victims of and co-conspirators in this fraud;
BE IT RESOLVED:
That the DFL/Republican/Green/Independence Party [pick one] of Minnesota establish a commission to study the wisdom and feasibility of Minnesota seceding from the United States of America; and that this commission within six months report back with recommendations to the DFL/Republican/Green/Independence Party State Central Committee.
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