Dear Friends,
Normally, WRL takes no stance on electoral politics. As we watched the field of candidates narrow to two enthusiastic friends of war-making and militarism over the past year, we are now just beginning to learn how the President-elect will go about unleashing the kind of violence that ruptures the lives of entire countries, turns communities into refugees and hardens the relationship between borders and people who must migrate.
This is daunting, which is precisely why I am writing to say that we must launch ourselves from despair into a new spirit of determination.
The Trump presidency will enter a world shaped by two previous administrations, one that unleashed a seemingly unending chain of global warfare and one that normalized this state of affairs. With Trump's recent appointments, we can see how the rise of the far right in the US will be headed by those committed to war making.
WRL's current campaign work positions us to commence a long and vigorous struggle. Our resistance to police militarization finds its roots in a transnational effort to support the Arab Spring. The campaign was taken abroad to Seoul, where we developed a more comprehensive understanding of the global trade in arms and security, and how they conspire to destroy and constrain lives across all borders.
Domestically, this campaign has led us to support Black Lives Matter, which in turn has reignited our rejection of Israeli Apartheid. Our work within the U.S. encompasses networks of supporters and allies on both coasts, the South, and in the Midwest.
The Trump presidency will begin in a world of normalized perpetual warfare that knows no boundaries. But, it will also run into a convergence of resisting forces, and War Resisters League is amply prepared to struggle and win.
Sincerely,
