Momentum toward war is escalating dangerously with new additions to the Trump war cabinet, John Bolton as national security adviser and Mike Pompeo as secretary of state. Bolton is a war criminal for supporting torture and lying to justify the Iraq war. He and Pompeo oppose the Iran nuclear deal. Pompeo is an aggressive war hawk who would rather seek regime change in North Korea than de-nuclearization.

There is a bi-partisan march to militarization. After the Pentagon requested a record amount of spending on war, Congress almost unanimously added tens of billions to the military budget, which is now 57% of US discretionary spending. ‘Russiagate’ continues to foment hatred at Russia and President Putin, and the recent use of a nerve agent to kill a Russian émigré and his daughter in England are leading to talk of greater conflict with Russia.

These are very dangerous times. People must organize now to stop the movement toward more war.

The antiwar movement is reviving. New coalitions such as Black Alliance for Peace and No US Foreign Military Bases have formed in the past year, as well as a campaign to Divest from the War Machine. Groups are also collaborating to protest President Trump’s military parade in November.

The Green Party's platform opposes militarization at home and abroad. Nonviolence is one of the four pillars on which the Green Party is built. That’s why Green Party members are involved in leading and organizing these initiatives. They provide opportunities for Greens across the country to live our platform and demonstrate how the Green Party differs from the war parties.

An opportunity to take action is coming up soon. The Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military Bases, whose coordinating committee includes many leading Greens, is organizing united days of regional actions on the weekend of April 14 – 15.  The "End the Wars at Home and Abroad!" protest is calling for:

• End U.S. overt and covert wars, drone wars, sanction/embargo wars, and death squad assassination wars.
• Close of all U.S. bases on foreign soil.  Dismantle all nuclear weapons.
• Bring all U.S. troops home now. Self-determination not military intervention. U.S. hands off the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America. End military aid to apartheid Israel. Self-determination for Palestine. The U.S. cannot be the cop of the world.
• Trillions for human needs… for jobs and social services, quality debt-free education and single payer health care. No to anti-union legislation.  For $15 and a Union Now. 
• Defend the environment against life-threatening fossil fuel-induced global warming.  For a just transition to a 100 percent clean, sustainable energy system at union wages for all displaced workers.   
• No to white supremacy, police brutality/murder. End racist mass incarceration. Black Lives Matter
• No human being is illegal. No to mass deportations. Yes to DACA and TPS (Temporary Protective Status)

Visit NoForeignBases.org for more information on planned actions and to list your action if you are organizing one. Let’s hit the streets and show that the Green Party opposes militarism at home and abroad.

By Kevin Zeese
Coordinating Committee member, Green Party Power Project