Sanders and “Political Revolution” / Syria

Landmark Resolution Passed at Panel in New York City:
Stop the Drive towards Fascism and War

By Chris Rieth, TWSP NYC LOCAL

New York City, February 3, 2016 — A landmark resolution was passed this Saturday at a public forum in midtown Manhattan entitled Stop the Drive towards Fascism and War. The following proposals were presented by a Tax Wall Street Party delegate and was approved by a grouping of anti-imperialist forces gathered at the Manhattan Theatre Club, resolving on the two major points below:

1) Defeat ISIS by cutting off their supply lines in the Jarablus corridor

The war in Syria must be brought to a speedy conclusion, and in this context we welcome Russia’s intervention. We want the backers and appeasers of ISIS purged from the U.S. government. Assad’s government must be kept intact, and ISIS must be destroyed. The Jarablus corridor, a 100 km/60 mile stretch along the Turkish Syrian border, is the key to this entire situation. The supply lines of ISIS and other terrorist groups come out of Turkey, where terrorists are sheltered and protected, and go from there into Syria. ISIS’ ammunition, fuel, spare parts, and recruits can only come through the Jarablus corridor. This necessity was even mentioned by a White House official last autumn. But so far no nation on or off the United Nations Security Council has done what is necessary to cut off supplies passing through the Jarablus corridor.

This gathering condemns the blatant support for terrorism being provided by Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The United States government must stop supporting these treacherous powers. We call on the governments of Russia, the United States, Iran, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, and all others to act at once to close, block, and interdict the 100 km wide Jarablus corridor along the Turkish-Syrian border. If this is done, ISIS/ISIL/Daesh/IS/Islamic State/Caliphate will collapse, since the anti-Assad forces fighting in Syria receive decisive logistics and personnel from abroad, especially through Turkey.

2) Defeat the threat of fascism at home

A second point concerns the growing threat of fascism here at home, with special reference to the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump and also the renewed activities of armed fascist gangs in Oregon and elsewhere. Trump demands the immediate deportation of 12 million Latinos. Trump wants to stop all Moslems at the U.S. border. Trump wants a registry of Moslems, obviously, as a preparation for concentration camps. Trump says that wages are too high and that the minimum wage should no longer exist. All this adds up to a brutal fascist police state in the United States.

Trump is the classic fascist billionaire, a type who ought to be familiar to everyone from the catastrophic experience between the two world wars of the last century. He uses Gestapo tactics at his rallies, inciting his goons from the podium to beat up protesters. The coalescence of the Trump campaign with the armed fascist gangs in Oregon is already beginning, through the mediation of radio programs like Michael Savage’s Savage Nation. Historical experience shows that fascist movements and organizations must be nipped in the bud, before they become too strong to be dealt with.

This gathering therefore calls on all persons and organizations to expose, denounce and oppose the presidential candidacy of the fascist Donald J. Trump.

Up to the point of passage of the above resolution, the panel had spent the evening discussing and contending over how a broad coalition could be formed to counter the threats of fascism and war.

Benjamin Lawton, a cousin of police brutality victim Eric Garner, was a surprise guest to the panel and opened the evening’s discussion. Other panelists included journalist and political activist Caleb Maupin, Christopher Rieth of the Tax Wall Street Party, Sumumba Sobokwe of Occu-Evolve, blogger and Bernie Sanders supporter Paul Shepard, Dakem Roberts of Resist Rikers and the New Afrikan Communist Party, and George Greene of Party of Communists USA.

Audience participation was welcome and many took the opportunity to speak. Coming from such diverse places as Washington D.C., the New York metropolitan area, upstate New York, Greece, Germany and China, a broad spectrum of ideas and criticisms were brought forward. The audience members included Bernie Sanders supporters as well as progressive activists from a variety of political backgrounds, including anarchists, liberals, black nationalists and communists.

Future meetings and actions are to be planned as a coalition is formed on this platform and the evening’s resolution. The New People’s Front intends to approach the emerging progressive upsurge with both anti-fascist and anti-imperialist politics.