October 2016: I’m crossing the border to Nogales, Arizona, US by foot, returning from a brief visit to Nogales in Sonora, Mexico, following the SOAW Border Convergence. A tall rusty steel border fence, maybe 20-25 feet tall, lines the border in both directions as far as I can see, dotted occasionally by even taller surveillance… Continue reading
Musings on Obstructing a Public Way, War Tax Resistance, and More
Why Don’t We Do It In the Road? Musings on Obstructing a Public Way, War Tax Resistance, War Profiteering, Divestment, Livelihood, and Destroying Hundreds of Targets at a Rate of Up to Ten Per Minute by Jason Rawn I was involved in an organized civil resistance action last June 18 at shipbuilders Bath Iron Works… Continue reading
Will I go to jail if I refuse to pay war taxes?
One of the top questions we get at NWTRCC is, “If I don’t pay the IRS, won’t I go to jail?” Our response: “People who are first considering war tax resistance often have the mistaken impression that people who refuse to pay their taxes from motives of conscience are at great risk of going to… Continue reading
Don’t Lament: Resist and Redirect in 2017
This piece originally appeared in the December 2016 / January 2017 issue of NWTRCC’s bimonthly newsletter, More Than a Paycheck: Refusing to Pay for War. Subscribe to our e-list to receive this newsletter in your inbox! Don’t Lament: Resist and Redirect By Ruth Benn Some months ago a review copy of a book by one… Continue reading
Tax resistance in the age of Trump
Over the past month, I’ve been ruminating on the possibilities of war tax resistance in a Trump presidency. At first I was concerned: for folks who are concerned about a diminishing tax base and slashed social services, the idea of further defunding the government might seem ill-timed, at best. However, many people who are not… Continue reading
Iraq Tribunal holds the weight of war, lifts voices for truth
By Sam Koplinka-Loehr (content warning: suicide) Wow. I am still reeling from being at the People’s Tribunal on the Iraq War last Friday, December 2nd in Washington, DC. The Tribunal focused on the lies and costs of the Iraq War. At the end of the day of testimony, I was inspired and heartbroken. My… Continue reading
Join the NWTRCC network at the Iraq Tribunal
The People’s Tribunal on the Iraq War is taking place tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday, December 1 and 2. Tune in 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM Eastern time, December 1 and 2, through the Iraq Tribunal page , or watch directly on TheRealNews. Participate in the conversation via the Facebook page and on Twitter by following… Continue reading
Thanksgiving, Standing Rock, and war tax resistance
Given what’s going on at Standing Rock, last year’s blog post on resisting militarism and colonialism at Thanksgiving seems as timely as ever. I know gratitude is a feeling that keeps our movements going, as we are grateful for each other. Yet the “story of Thanksgiving” helps cover up the lack of gratitude – really,… Continue reading
Coming together to reach out: November 2016 NWTRCC gathering
From November 4 to 6, about 20 NWTRCC network members came together at the Sustainable Living Center (SLC) in North Florida to take stock of where war tax resisters are at, get to know our new field organizer Sam Koplinka-Loehr, learn about the militarization of the southern US, and enjoy some community time around a… Continue reading
Scattered thoughts on militarism under Trump
This past weekend at our war tax resistance gathering in rural Florida, we had a discussion about post-election organizing. Before I knew it, emotions were rising about whether people should vote Clinton or third party, whether Clinton was better than Trump, and other such topics. These topics have set anti-war folks against each other throughout… Continue reading
The military is at Standing Rock again
Many of our readers have been following the water protectors’ struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL, or “the Black Snake”), which is being built on Standing Rock Sioux treaty lands. Thousands of people are on the ground in several resistance camps. The local Morton County police department has brought in reinforcements from other police… Continue reading
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall…
by Cathy Deppe “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall” – is a favorite Robert Frost line I mused over on my first trip to Berlin for the International Peace Bureau (IPB) World Peace Conference. Germany was readying for Unity Day October 3 – a national holiday celebrating the day “the wall” came down… Continue reading