A rally in uptown Kingston marked the launch of a national movement, which organizers hope will transform American politics and stop a potential World War III.
“Occupy Peace,” the brainchild of Trends Institute founder Gerald Celente, featured Ralph Nader, who delivered an hour-long foreign policy speech, plus other appearances by Cindy Sheehan, Gary Null, and Robert Thurman.
About 300 people attended. Documentarians videotaped the event, for future online distribution, to help mobilize smaller statewide organizations, under the umbrella OCCUPYPEACE.US .
“We are gathered here to initiate a new burst of energy to wage peace. That’s an important phrase. That’s an important phrase, waging peace, to build on the work of other war resistors and peace advocates. Those of you from New York City may say, why doesn’t it start in New York City?’ and here’s my answer. Historically, the great movements for history for justice in the history of our country started from small towns and rural areas. I wonder why.”
Nader noted that nowadays presidents declare wars, despite the constitutional separation of powers. “The Founding Fathers wanted a deliberative process, in Congress,” he said. “Congress has surrendered its authority, and given it carte blanche.”
Nader said “administrative death panels” are held weekly in Washington. “President Obama gathers his security advisors in the White House, and they decide who’s going to live and who’s going to die, in Yemen or Somalia, or Iraq or Afghanistan or Pakistan, you name it – drones,” said Nader.
“President Obama gives the thumbs up, or thumbs down. Who authorized him to do that? Where is the imminent peril requirement? And what happens when they expand it, and it is not stopped?” Nader spoke at length about blowback, the increase in enemy resistance to such acts.
“Apart from the brutal homicide that’s involved here, apart from the criminality, do you think that’s a smart move, from our own national security?” Nader asked.
Celente laid out his four-point program for attaining peace, starting with bringing the troops home, then putting them to work rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure, demand the Constitution be followed by the three branches, and finally create statewide referendums for war, since Congress abdicated their power following WWII.
