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A two-minute taped speech by innocent death row inmate,
political prisoner, and incisive social commentator Mumia Abu-Jamal was
played in San Francisco and several other cities. It was greeted with
thunderous applause.
Said
Mumia: "Thanks for your invitation for me to speak to you today!
For millions of people (I among them) the Nov. 2006 elections marked a
major turning point in U.S. politics—or so we thought.
"The
elections had one, single motivation: to end the Iraq war. Well, the
elections changed majorities in Congress. But did it change U.S.
policy? Nope. Before the numbers of votes could all be counted, you
heard the backtracking: ‘we must be cautious,’ ‘if we leave now,
there'd be chaos,’ etc., etc.
"Now,
Democrats say openly that no significant troop withdrawal can come
before 2012—five more years!
And then, don't you think you'll hear an additional five or 10
years?
"War
isn't a Democratic or Republican project—it is a corporate one, where
both corporate parties play the game laid down by their sponsors and
contributors. Here we see the
convergence between neoliberals and neoconservatives, who join in their
service to corporate power. Their 'fight' (if it can be called that) is
over who can represent their bosses best (and, by this, I don't mean
voters!).
"But,
people, working through popular movements, can change how politicians
think, speak, and even act. If you put your trust in the same
politicians, you'll achieve the same result—disappointment,
frustration, and yes, betrayal. What kind of democracy is it if you
vote for peace, only to get more war?
"But
the answer isn't less protests—it's more protests! To finally bring peace,
the People must bring it!"
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