Speak Out Now National Newsletter: October 21, 2024

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Words Won’t Save Lives, No More Aid to Israel!

The situation in Gaza and the Middle East is rapidly deteriorating. Israeli forces are carrying out a relentless military campaign with no signs of stopping. Horrific footage and reports of atrocities flood the media: people burned alive in hospital beds in Gaza, Israeli soldiers shooting U.N. peacekeepers, and entire neighborhoods in Gaza reduced to rubble. This violence is not confined to Gaza – it’s been spreading across the region, affecting Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. The brutality is part of a broader campaign of genocide against Palestinians.

Recently, Israel killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, but this act is unlikely to change the course of the violence. Israel has assassinated numerous Hamas leaders in the past, yet the military onslaught continues. Each assassination of a leader has brought no real pause to the killing and destruction. Israel presses on, continuing its military aggression with little regard for Arab lives.

Because of public pressure and a year of protest, the Biden administration says it wants more humanitarian aid to Gaza. Biden has also threatened to cut military funding if Israel fails to allow this aid in. But the U.S. hasn’t stopped sending destructive military support to Israel. And Biden’s ultimatum is set for after election day in the U.S., meaning Biden has no incentive to follow through on his threat.

The reality is that U.S. government support for Israel remains strong. Military aid continues to flow. Recently, the U.S. sent 100 soldiers to Israel, along with a sophisticated anti-missile system developed by Lockheed Martin, a defense contractor whose profits have soared during this war.

This unwavering support demonstrates the deep ties between the U.S. and Israel, which remain unchanged despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Even as the Biden administration gestures at pressure on Israel, the military alliance between the two countries endures. These moves are merely rhetoric, doing nothing to slow Israel’s military campaign or provide relief to those suffering in Gaza.

The situation in the Middle East is not new. U.S. foreign policy has long prioritized regional dominance and profit over human rights and the well-being of people in the region. The violence in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen is just a symptom of this larger strategy. The U.S. continues to support the militarization of Israel, benefiting U.S. defense companies and securing its own interests, while human suffering grows. The violence won’t stop as long as these priorities remain unchanged.

A new administration won’t alter the course either. Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at his Florida home in early October. The meeting took place around the same time that Israel increased its aggression toward Iran and Lebanon. Trump has made it clear that he fully supports Israel’s genocide, urging Netanyahu to “finish the job” of ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.

The reality is that all politicians, no matter their individual intentions, will uphold the system of capitalism that the U.S. government serves, both at home and around the world. They will defend increasing military budgets and suppressing and repressing those who challenge their power. Working people don’t get to decide where our taxes go or whether we fund wars that benefit the rich.

But we have the power to stop this war. History shows us that when people unite, protest, and refuse to be complicit in the violence of this system – change is possible. It was public pressure that pushed the Biden administration to mention the need for humanitarian aid for Gaza. Now, we must go further. Through collective action – protests, boycotts, and sustained pressure on governments and corporations – we can challenge the system that fuels this war. We can and must demand an end to U.S. military support for Israel.


Newark, New Jersey: Dismal Rail Service in NY/NJ

Travelling by rail between New Jersey and New York City can be a nightmare. On NJ Transit and Amtrak, the train service is bad and has gotten worse. In June, for example, tens of thousands of passengers throughout North Jersey sat for hours in boiling temperatures because an electrical substation exploded. That’s because the lines between Newark and New York are the busiest in the U.S. yet operate with technology built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1910! They have outdated electrical and signaling systems, a key bridge that doesn’t close properly one out of seven times it opens, and aging tracks leading into NY Penn Station that cause occasional derailments. Decades without improvements led to this. The money is there. Why haven’t the problems been fixed?

The Triangle, North Carolina: Hurricane Helene – This System Caused This Crisis, It Won’t Solve It

Several weeks have passed since Hurricane Helene caused immense damage through the Appalachian region of North Carolina and three other states. About 90 people are still missing. Tens of thousands are homeless and camped out far from their homes. Roughly 95% of homes devastated by Helene were uninsured. People’s lives have been turned upside-down. When many endure long wait times to talk to FEMA and insurance, how will they get funds to rebuild? When businesses have been destroyed, how will workers get paychecks to even get by?

It doesn’t have to be this way. Imagine if society’s resources were mobilized to help communities recover and fight the climate crisis that leads to these extreme weather events. What if ordinary people were really in charge?

Bay Area, California: Can’t Afford to Stay – Housing Prices Push Families Out

Living in the Bay Area has become a financial burden that many can’t bear. According to a new poll, nearly half of the residents in the region are thinking about leaving. It’s not hard to see why—working families are being squeezed, unable to keep up with the soaring rent, and it’s forcing more and more people out.

A recent report revealed just how expensive it has become to live comfortably here. To buy a home in San Francisco, you now need to make over $250,000 a year just to live comfortably. Oakland isn’t much better, with a required salary of nearly $172,000. The Bay Area was once home to many working class families. The cost of living is just too damn high.

Baltimore, Maryland: We Want Real Control Over Our City’s Public Spaces

This election day, Baltimore voters have to decide whether to rezone the Inner Harbor to allow construction of apartment buildings and parking garages in the city park.  

David Bramble, whose $3 billion company is the new owner of the Harborplace buildings, says that profitability is his primary concern when planning the redevelopment. Bramble first gained control of the site after years of secret collaboration with Mayor Brandon Scott. Now, a committee run by current and former employees of both Bramble and Mayor Scott is purchasing heaps of online ads promoting the ballot question.  

Baltimore deserves a waterfront that meets its potential as a thriving public gathering place. But this ballot question is not a real choice about the future of our home. Instead, it’s just another example of the city prioritizing profits to big businesses over residents’ collective well-being.



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