War CEOs are excited

 

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“…[W]e are seeing, I would say, opportunities for international sales. We just have to look to last week where we saw the drone attack in the UAE, which have attacked some of their other facilities. And of course, the tensions in Eastern Europe, the tensions in the South China Sea, all of those things are putting pressure on some of the defense spending over there. So I fully expect we’re going to see some benefit from it.” — Greg Hayes, Raytheon CEO 

You read that right — just days after their bombs were used in Saudi airstikes in Saada, Yemen, that killed at least 80 people and injured over 200, Raytheon’s CEO Greg Hayes celebrated that war is good for business.

With tensions rising across the globe, weapons makers are projecting 2022 will be another banner year. And that’s why what happens next is CRUCIAL: the Pentagon, like the rest of the federal government, is currently funded by a continuing resolution based on last year’s spending levels, and it’s set to expire in just 13 days. 

Some lawmakers, like Senator Wicker (MI), a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, are seizing this moment to call for spending INCREASES at the Pentagon — money that will inevitably pad weapons contractors’ pockets and mean more devastation like we saw in Saada.

But that’s where we come in. Our team is working with a growing behind-the-scenes coalition in Congress that’s laser-focused on cutting Pentagon spending — and ending the corrupt, blank check weapons contractor handouts. 

We’ve got 13 days to push back and block new blank checks for weapons and war. Our work depends on you, but less than 1% of people reading these emails will give. If everyone reading gave just $13, our campaign to flip the status quo on reckless Pentagon spending — the lobbying, the media effort, the grassroots mobilization, ALL of it — would be funded, and in seconds. Can you donate $13, or anything, to fuel this fight now? DONATE NOW

More than any weapons contractor, Raytheon’s recent growth comes from arms sales to foreign countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, which continues to wage its brutal war in Yemen. 

But the sad reality is that too many in Congress are ready to keep the profits and weapons flowing — and it’s reflected in our government’s spending priorities. 

Right now the enormous Pentagon budget doesn’t reflect the security needs of the country — if it did it would fund an agenda that focuses on humanitarian aid, peacebuilding, and diplomatic solutions to address the climate crisis.

It’s time to stop spending where weapons contractors want, and start spending on the things that will actually keep us safe, and help people thrive. Luckily, with growing public support and a small, but mighty coalition of lawmakers with us, we’re seeing opportunities to flip the script on this broken status quo.

But winning won’t be easy. Weapons contractors have multi-million dollar lobbying arsenals at their disposal. That’s why we need your help to fuel this work.

Win Without War is one of just a few groups focused on cutting the Pentagon budget at every opportunity. We’ve got less than two critical weeks to pull out all the stops to push back on any new attempts to write blank checks for weapons and war. Can you support our work with a $13 donation today? Every dollar counts.

If we do this right we’ll have a chance at turning the tide on a broken status quo that prioritizes profit over people. It won’t happen overnight, but together, we’ll build something new, something better.

Thank you for working for peace,

Amy, Sara, Stephen, and the Win Without War team

 

 

 

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A U.S. foreign policy rooted in human rights and justice won’t happen overnight. If you’re with us for the long haul, consider a monthly donation.

© Win Without War 2021
1 Thomas Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005
(202) 656-4999 | info@winwithoutwar.org 

Email is the most important way for us to reach you about opportunities to act.

Let’s stop the biggest expansions of nuclear weapons in years

 

The time to turn away from nuclear weapons is NOW.

But as I write, powerful members of Congress are working to pour even MORE money into the already-massive U.S. nuclear arsenal — heightening the possibility of a nightmare scenario: nuclear war.

With geopolitical tensions running high, it won’t be easy to push back, and that’s why we need you with us.

Can you donate $15 now to help us make sure Congress doesn’t greenlight one of the biggest expansions of nuclear weapons in years and pour fuel on the fire of a global arms race?

Together, we’ll stop this latest attempt to fund a new nuclear arms spree — because we can’t do it without you. Thanks for all you do to push for peace.

— Annika

_________________________

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), two powerful members of the congressional Armed Services committees, are working overtime to spend BILLIONS of dollars to expand the already-massive U.S. nuclear arsenal with more subs, bombers, and land-based missiles — unnecessary, apocalyptically dangerous weapons.

It’s this backward thinking that will do little to make us safe, and with the Doomsday Clock ticking closer toward midnight[1] and the risk of conflict between the United States and Russia increasing day by day, adding fuel to this fire only heightens the possibility of a nightmare scenario: nuclear war.

But thankfully, it’s not a done deal. 

Right now, a fight is brewing in Congress over how and where BILLIONS of funds authorized for the Pentagon should be spent, and we’ve got just a few precious weeks to push back. We’re gearing up to double down during an incredibly urgent moment — raising the alarm in the media, and mobilizing our champions in Congress along with grassroots activists like you to stop this latest attempt to fund a new nuclear arms spree. And we need you with us.

As we step up, we need to ask if you can too. Can you make an urgent $15 donation to fuel our work to stop one of the biggest expansions of nuclear weapons in YEARS? Not everyone reading will donate, and if you are, we need you with us.

The reality is that building more nuclear weapons only entrenches a global arms race that could have devastating impacts on all of us. 

The exorbitant amount of money nuclear weapons cost — well over a TRILLION dollars in the coming years — could, and SHOULD, be invested in the needs of our communities instead. Given this cost, as well as the dire threat they pose to millions of people around the globe, abandoning the development of new nuclear weapons should be an easy choice. 

Instead, we’re seeing the acceleration of a new nuclear arms race. That looks like the Pentagon and their hawkish friends in Congress pitching hard to spend the additional BILLIONS Congress authorized late last year on a new generation of weapons.

That includes Trump's pet projects like the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) — a nuke that multiple presidents from George H.W. Bush to Obama chose to keep in storage or retire, and that experts say are a colossal waste of money.

Now, with tensions rising in Ukraine, hawkish members of Congress are seizing crises and conflicts as opportunities to expand the U.S. war machine, and getting set to fill the Pentagon’s nuclear weapons wishlist. But it doesn’t have to be this way. 

We’ve got just a few critical weeks to pull out all the stops to keep the pressure on Congress to push them away from ANY nuclear weapons spending increases. But it won’t be easy, and that’s why we need you with us.

Can you donate $15 now to help us make sure Congress doesn’t greenlight one of the biggest expansions of nuclear weapons in years and pour fuel on the fire of a global arms race?

For the last three years, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has set the Doomsday Clock at just 100 seconds to midnight. 

It reflects the terrifying reality that we’re all too close to global catastrophe, and it’s fueled in no small part by our reliance on nuclear weapons. But doomsday is not a foregone conclusion, and second by second, we’re committed to turning it back.

Thank you for working for peace,

Faith, Shayna, Yint, and the Win Without War team

---

[1] Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, "At doom’s doorstep: It is 100 seconds to midnight"

A U.S. foreign policy rooted in human rights and justice won’t happen overnight. If you’re with us for the long haul, consider a monthly donation.

(202) 656-4999 | info@winwithoutwar.org © Win Without War 2021
1 Thomas Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005

Landmines don’t understand ceasefires [action needed]

 

Landmines are brutal, horrific, and extremely imprecise. But a Trump-era policy removed prohibitions on these weapons, enabling their use worldwide.

It remains the policy to this day, even under President Biden, who promised to "promptly roll back this deeply misguided decision" if elected.

We're not afraid to call this what it is: a broken campaign promise. When President Biden reneged on his pledge to raise the refugee admissions cap, we organized at every level and, through the power of collective action, got him to make good on his word. And that's exactly what we must do now.

President Biden can undo this disastrous policy with the stroke of a pen — but not unless we build enough momentum to push him to do it. 

Will you sign your name to call on President Biden to roll back Trump's reprehensible landmine policy?

By reversing his predecessors' restrictions, Trump allowed the Pentagon to expand the use of landmines anywhere in the world.

There are already too many landmines lurking underground as it is. A UN-backed report from Landmine Monitor recently noted “exceptionally high” civilian deaths in 2020 — many of them children — resulting from these weapons: 7,073 people killed or injured across 54 countries. People in Syria and Afghanistan bore the brunt of this devastation.

We cannot allow this to continue in our name.

Banning these weapons is a no-brainer, and, in fact, the overwhelming majority of countries already do. 

But President Biden has been in office for 11 months now and the policy hasn't been rolled back. It's clear we cannot continue to wait for his administration to do the right thing here: we must raise our voices and push them to follow through.

Add your name to help us tell President Biden: there is no place for landmines in the 21st century →

Together, we’re ending 2021 the way we started: by taking action for justice. We’re proud to be in this together.

Thank you for working for peace,

Romain, Abbey, Stephen, and the Win Without War team

P.S. Haven’t seen my name in your inbox before? That’s because I just joined the Win Without War team! It’s an honor to be in this movement with you, and work to build a future where all people thrive.

A U.S. foreign policy rooted in human rights and justice won’t happen overnight

                                                © Win Without War 2021
                                    1 Thomas Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005
                                                    (202) 656-4999 | info@winwithoutwar.org 

Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11

 

The human costs of U.S. forever wars are further revealed every day. 2022 provides a critical opportunity to push Congress to close the door — and we will, with your help.  Please support this work with a donation today.

Our devastating bomb-first, authorize-later approach continues to treat Iraq, Syria, and so many other countries as the killing fields for U.S. proxy wars — regardless of the human costs. 

The result has been the deaths of thousands — many of them children — and there’s been shockingly little accountability. Azmat Khan’s recent exposé in The New York Times documents this tragedy across deployments in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.[1] 

With the growing public awareness of this toll, the pressure is mounting for Congress to act — because Congress is how we stop this. For decades, they have ceded their authority to the presidency, but Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution makes it crystal-clear that Congress has the SOLE authority to declare war.

Now, the dominoes are lining up: the House overwhelmingly voted — with bipartisan support — to repeal the 2002 Iraq war authorization, a key blank check for endless war earlier this year. 

We need to push like hell to get this bill across the finish line in the Senate — and it’s a fight we CAN win. The good news is, the Win Without War team has never seen so much bipartisan momentum on the Hill to rein in rubber stamp authorizations for endless war. So we’re doubling down on our visionary campaign to End Endless War — and we need your support.

Activists like you fuel our work, but fewer than 2% of people reading this will give. Our team has run the math, and it turns out that if everyone gave just $6 we could fund our entire End Endless War campaign next year from just this email alone. Can you donate $6 to make 2022 the year we End Endless War? Right now, the United States has war-footing in almost every continent: Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria, and thousands of U.S. troops patrolling Africa across Chad, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan.  That doesn’t even include the U.S. planes and drones, filling countless classified skies, that have been documented killing thousands in Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and beyond. And president after president has abused two congressional authorizations (AUMFs) passed after 9/11 to justify almost all of them. A glimpse of what that looks like for the people on the ground? The U.S. military killing as many as 64 women and children huddled against a river bank in Baghouz, Syria, March 2019 A U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, this August, that killed Zemerai Ahmadi and nine family members, including seven children.  16 civilians killed, including three children, in a January 2017 strike in Mosul, Iraq. This is the heartbreaking reality of our forever wars. And it’s no accident.  Our system is geared towards war and violence because of the power of weapons contractors, because voices of impacted people are silenced or locked out, and because U.S. policymakers have, for too long, looked the other way. There is no sugarcoating that, Antonio. But here’s the thing we need you to remember: we CAN turn the tide of this broken status quo.  2022 could change everything. That’s why we’re ramping up our work to move into this next crucial phase of our campaign — and we need you with us: Activists like you fuel our work, but fewer than 2% of people reading this will give. If everyone gave just $6 we could fund our entire End Endless War campaign from just this email alone. Can you donate $6 to help make 2022 the year we End Endless War? Seven years ago, we named our goal to build a progressive foreign policy focused on justice, safety, equity, and peace in a visionary campaign: END ENDLESS WAR.  The debate about our nation’s post-9/11 wars has never been the same, and now we are SO close to achieving this incredible milestone — if we make 2022 our biggest year yet. Thank you for working for peace, Faith, Amisha, Stephen, and the Win Without War team --- [1] The New York Times, "The Civilian Casualty Files: Hidden Pentagon records reveal patterns of failure in deadly airstrikes" A U.S. foreign policy rooted in human rights and justice won’t happen overnight. If you’re with us for the long haul, consider a monthly donation. © Win Without War 2021 1 Thomas Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 656-4999 | info@winwithoutwar.org

top corporate funders of insurrectionists…are also weapons contractors

 

General Dynamics — who you may recall built bombs implicated in possible war crimes that killed children in Yemen — was the top donor to election objectors in Congress this year.

They weren’t alone: Raytheon Technologies, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing ALL ramped up their donations to lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 election results too.[1]

These companies profit by keeping our priorities focused on weapons and war — and it should be no surprise that they’re laser-focused on maintaining this broken status quo at any cost.

Not many are willing to go up against the enormous influence of mega weapons corporations and their lobbyists, but that’s what Win Without War is built to do. 

And here’s where things could get interesting: We’ve just seen how a single Senator can grind things to a halt to get what they want. That’s why we are pushing tooth and nail for a committed group of Senators to say NO and end the billion dollar Pentagon payouts.

We’ve only got a few critical weeks to pull out all the stops to keep the pressure on — and we need you with us!

This fight depends on grassroots activism and grassroots donations, Antonio, but we’ve got to close a $39,550 gap by December 31 if we want a chance at going toe-to-toe with the weapons industry. Our average donation this year is $17.53, and any amount will fuel our fight. Can you donate $15 to help us use every tool we’ve got to block the bloated Pentagon budget?

Right now, the sad truth is the enormous Pentagon budget doesn’t reflect the security needs of the country, but the priorities of gigantic weapons corporations and lawmakers who collectively receive $25 million per election in “defense” donations.

These latest revelations prove just how far they’re willing to go — because it apparently isn’t enough to rig the systems to work against peace and keep the arms sales (and profits) flowing — they’re working against democracy too.

A favorite recipient is Rep. Vicky Hartzler (MO-4), who voted to decertify the elections and is currently the top Republican on the House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee — which controls lucrative contracts for fighter jets and military vehicles.

From fulfilling our obligation to the people of Afghanistan, to responding to hurricanes and forest fires fueled by climate change, to fixing our broken healthcare system under the stress of a new COVID variant, the weapons and war industry’s insatiable appetite for death dollars distorts our country’s priorities for their own self-interest.

This has got to be a wake up call. It’s high time that we stop spending where war profiteers and arms lobbyists want, and start spending on the things that will improve peoples’ lives.

With your help, Win Without War is determined to turn the status quo around. Not many are willing to go up against the enormous influence of mega defense corporations and their lobbyists, but that’s what we’re built to do — and we need your support: 

This is a massive uphill battle, but we are better positioned than ever to build power and WIN. Less than 1% reading will give, but a donation of just $15 can make an enormous difference as we use every tool we’ve got to block the bloated Pentagon budget!

Thank you for working for peace,

Michael, Amy, Sara, and the Win Without War team

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[1] The Hill, "GOP election objectors rake in corporate cash"

No one needs another F-35 fighter jet

 

For defense corporations, the Pentagon budget is a lot like Santa’s sack of presents. And just like spoiled children, they seem to get everything they want:

F-35 fighter jets (that don’t work)? — ✅ Trillions for the nuclear arsenal? — ✅ “Security assistance” for foreign militaries, regardless of their human rights records? — ✅

The amount of money we’re talking about is simply staggering: up to $7 TRILLION has gone directly from taxpayers into weapons makers’ corporate bank accounts over the past two decades. What would healthcare and education look like with that level of investment?

The end of the year is a time for reflection and resolutions so here’s ours: 2022 will be THE year we turn the tide on this fundamental flaw at the heart of our country’s priorities.

But influencing Congress is more challenging than ever, and every day we’re up against lobbyists and special interests with deep pockets and unethical relationships. Win Without War is one of just a handful of organizations willing to take on this corruption — and we need your help if we want a chance at tearing up their weapons wishlists.

We’re setting the stage to fundamentally shift our country’s misguided priorities, and we rely on grassroots donations from everyday people like you to power our work. A donation of any amount will fuel our fight to upend the status quo and cut the cozy, corrupt ties that keep the profits flowing.

We’ve been building toward this moment with allies in Congress and everyday people across the country for years. Now, we’re on the verge of something incredible — and 2022 could be our chance.

Because people just like you are tired of being told our communities’ priorities are ‘unrealistic’ and ‘too expensive’ while we spend BILLIONS on weapons and war every year. 

You know what’s unrealistic? Thinking you can bomb your way to peace.

Now, we’re seeing a growing number of bold progressive lawmakers agree. And with their help, we’ve been able to build enough power to successfully BLOCK the Pentagon’s attempts to sneak war funding into our COVID recovery and infrastructure spending

It’s proof our work is paying off — and it’s why we’re gearing up to go even harder. 

But winning won’t be easy. Because with their biggest argument for irrational spending — the war in Afghanistan — now gone, you can bet your bottom dollar weapons contractors will come out swinging to find new wars and new weapons to fight them with.

You and I know that it’s time that we tear up weapons CEO and lobbyists’ wishlists. And to make sure we succeed in this much-needed generational change, we need all the wind at our backs that we can muster. So I need to ask.

 We rely on grassroots donations from everyday people like you to power our work.

Thank you for working for peace,

Sara, Stephen, Kate, and the Win Without War team

© Win Without War 2020
1 Thomas Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005
(202) 656-4999 | info@winwithoutwar.org 

BREAKING: U.S. to sell Saudi Arabia 280 missiles

 

UNICEF recently reported a grim milestone in Yemen: 10,000 children have been killed or maimed as a result of the Saudi and Emirati-led war. 

And yet President Biden — who ran on a commitment to END U.S. complicity in Yemen — just announced a $650 MILLION dollar sale of Raytheon-made missiles to Saudi Arabia. With this sale, Biden is breaking his promise to us and doing the exact OPPOSITE of what the UN and other experts tell us would avoid further devastation: fueling this war with more weapons.

For over *six* years now, the United States has given the green light to human rights abuses and suffering in Yemen by fueling fighter jets, providing intelligence and logistical support, and approving arms sales just like this one. 

Luckily, there’s a silver lining that can help us turn the tide. Rep. Ro Khanna and Senator Bernie Sanders have introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would​​ prohibit U.S. military support for the coalition’s war. It already passed the House and when the final NDAA makes it to President Biden, he’s all but guaranteed to sign it. 

That means just ONE thing is between us and the beginning of the end of U.S. complicity in Yemen: the Senate. And we’re hearing that they’ll vote in the coming days — leaving a tiny but critical window for us to ensure the Khanna-Sanders amendment makes it into the final bill that lands on President Biden’s desk. It’ll be an uphill battle, and we need you with us. 

We REFUSE to let hawks in the Senate blow up a bipartisan effort to end U.S. complicity in Yemen when we are so close. A donation of $15 ensures we have the cash on hand that we need to keep the lights on and the pressure up. Not everyone reading will give, and if you can, please consider donating now.

Speaking to the UN Security Council a few weeks ago, the UN deputy humanitarian chief Ramesh Rajasingham shared that not only is Yemen’s economy collapsing but that the Saudi- and Emirati-fueled conflict is also growing more violent. 

The U.S. government remains directly culpable for helping fuel the suffering. And every day that we avoid the consequences of our culpability, more people are pushed closer to the brink of death.

We thought we’d won a huge victory when President Biden announced he’d end “all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arm sales” earlier this year. 

But we’ve seen anything but. With the latest arms sale to Saudi Arabia and September’s $500 million maintenance package for Saudi helicopters, it’s clear we have work to do to make the Biden administration do the right thing: when we say we want U.S. military involvement and support to end, we mean ALL U.S. military involvement and support. 

The Khanna-Sanders NDAA amendment is a critical and positive step toward ending U.S. complicity, and we’ve got to do everything we can to make sure that it passes the Senate and gets to President Biden’s desk.

That’s why we’re ramping up our work — hopping on the phone, in chat, and on Zoom, day in and day out — to make sure our message is heard loud and clear in every senator’s office. We need you with us.

A donation of $15 ensures we have the cash on hand that we need to keep the lights on and the pressure up. Less than 1% of those reading will give, and if you can, please consider donating now.

Thank you for working for peace,

Amy, Faith, Kate, and the Win Without War team

2 clicks to put the PEOPLE before the Pentagon

 

Time is running out to cut greenhouse gasses and avoid the devastating impacts of climate change.

But while the Biden administration has promised to take bold steps to reduce the United States’ carbon footprint and invest in clean energy, there’s one BIG piece of the puzzle that’s always missing from the conversation — the Pentagon.

Here’s the thing: the Pentagon is one of the world’s BIGGEST polluters, churning out more greenhouse gas emissions than 140 countries combined. And it’s only gotten worse since the start of the “War on Terror” — military activities in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Syria alone weigh in at over 400 MILLION metric tons of CO2.

If we truly want to combat climate change, we’ve got to shrink the U.S. war machine. But while infrastructure funding and a Build Back Better agenda that would invest in clean energy sit on the chopping block, a few powerful Senators are ready to ram through an astronomical $778 BILLION budget to fund *more* weapons and war.

As we head into the last few weeks of 2021, we have just a few opportunities left to push our Senators to focus their energy on the priorities that will help our communities thrive — instead of padding weapons contractors’ profits. 

That’s why we need your help to let your Senators hear our call: Focus on Build Back Better, not spending more on the Pentagon!

Add your name if you agree →

Right now, at the international COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow, more than 100 world leaders, diplomats, civil society members, and business executives are focused on finding ways to reduce emissions and combat the climate crisis.

Meanwhile, Senator Jim Inhofe, the powerful ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Service Committee, is pushing for a vote on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to fund the failed F-35 fighter jet, nuclear weapons, battleships, bombs, and surveillance tech.

The recent Build Back Better and infrastructure negotiations, elections, and COP26 are a clear signal that we still need to do as much as we can to build our power and prioritize PEOPLE over the Pentagon. 

Right now, we have a government that continues to make the WRONG choices — like prioritizing war and militarism over the welfare of our communities. You can help turn the tide by sending your Senator a note now: We need to make sure they prioritize Build Back Better over the war budget.

Sign now to let your Senators hear our call: Focus on Build Back Better, not spending more on the Pentagon!

Climate change is the greatest threat facing not only our country, but the entire world. And if we don’t take drastic action to reduce carbon emissions now, billions of people will needlessly suffer. Pouring more money into the Pentagon is not the answer.

Together let’s fight for our communities — and our planet.

Thank you for working for peace,

Stephen and the Win Without War team

Tell your Senator: No vote on the NDAA until we build back better!

 

Time is running out to cut greenhouse gasses and avoid the devastating impacts of climate change.

But while the Biden administration has promised to take bold steps to reduce the United States’ carbon footprint and invest in clean energy, there’s one BIG piece of the puzzle that’s always missing from the conversation — the Pentagon.

Here’s the thing: the Pentagon is one of the world’s BIGGEST polluters, churning out more greenhouse gas emissions than 140 countries combined. And it’s only gotten worse since the start of the “War on Terror” — military activities in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Syria alone weigh in at over 400 MILLION metric tons of CO2.

If we truly want to combat climate change, we’ve got to shrink the U.S. war machine. But while infrastructure funding and a Build Back Better agenda that would invest in clean energy sit on the chopping block, a few powerful Senators are ready to ram through an astronomical $778 BILLION budget to fund *more* weapons and war.

As we head into the last few weeks of 2021, we have just a few opportunities left to push our Senators to focus their energy on the priorities that will help our communities thrive — instead of padding weapons contractors’ profits. 

That’s why we need your help to let Senators Warren and Markey hear our call: Focus on Build Back Better, not spending more on the Pentagon!

Add your name if you agree →

Right now, at the international COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow, more than 100 world leaders, diplomats, civil society members, and business executives are focused on finding ways to reduce emissions and combat the climate crisis.

Meanwhile, Senator Jim Inhofe, the powerful ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Service Committee, is pushing for a vote on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to fund the failed F-35 fighter jet, nuclear weapons, battleships, bombs, and surveillance tech.

The recent Build Back Better and infrastructure negotiations, elections, and COP26 are a clear signal that we still need to do as much as we can to build our power and prioritize PEOPLE over the Pentagon. 

Right now, we have a government that continues to make the WRONG choices — like prioritizing war and militarism over the welfare of our communities. You can help turn the tide by sending your Senator a note now: We need to make sure they prioritize Build Back Better over the war budget.

Sign now to let Senators Warren and Markey hear our call: Focus on Build Back Better, not spending more on the Pentagon!

Climate change is the greatest threat facing not only our country, but the entire world. And if we don’t take drastic action to reduce carbon emissions now, billions of people will needlessly suffer. Pouring more money into the Pentagon is, and never was, the answer.

Together let’s fight for our communities — and our planet.

Thank you for working for peace,

Erica, Amy, Shayna, and the Win Without War team

 

© Win Without War 2020
1 Thomas Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005
(202) 656-4999 | info@winwithoutwar.org 

 

The anti-Robin Hood

 

The corrupt ties between weapons contractors and Congress are powerful and destructive.

Take the anti-Robin Hood, Lockheed Martin: in addition to manufacturing bombs dropped in Yemen and the failed F-35 fighter jet, and misusing COVID relief funds, it’s also part of a corporate group working against a proposed corporate tax increase that’s essential to helping our communities — all while aggressively lobbying for bigger payouts from the nearly TRILLION dollar Pentagon funding authorization.

Mega-weapons companies like Lockheed reap their profits from payouts from the federal government — that’s our tax dollars. But while not many are willing to go up against the enormous influence of mega defense corporations and their lobbyists, this is exactly what Win Without War is built for. 

In the coming months, the entire Congress will vote on the Pentagon budget. As one of just a handful of organizations who focus their work on cutting funds for weapons and war, we’re ramping up our efforts to stop a rubber-stamp of one of the biggest war budgets in history — and we need you with us.

You may have heard that Senators like Krysten Sinema and Joe Manchin are blocking new infrastructure funding and a Build Back Better agenda that would expand health care coverage, invest in clean energy, and make it easier for families to access child care, paid leave, and affordable housing.

Well, what you may not know is that the same people blocking bold investments in a sustainable, livable future are fully on board with giving the Pentagon an eye-popping $778 BILLION. 

It ends up being more than DOUBLE the annual cost of just ONE of the reconciliation bills under Build Back Better. Here’s what that looks like:

[Alt text: Red bar graph comparing 10-year expected costs of Pentagon budget ($778B), Reconciliation bill ($350B), and Infrastructure ($110B).]

The Build Back Better bills would direct our attention and resources toward urgent crises like the COVID economic collapse, social inequality, pandemic recovery, and climate change, as well as fully fund education, child care, and housing. 

On the other hand, next year’s proposed Pentagon policy bill would fund more unnecessary F-35s, battleships, bombs, and surveillance tech. 

What spending would help your family the most? 

Right now, our future — the rest of 2021, next year, and the year after that — is on the line. These years are critical to creating a foundation for lasting change that will allow our democracy and the world to not only survive, but also thrive in this century. 

It’s a future that Win Without War is fighting for side-by-side with a small, but powerful cohort of lawmakers and thousands of grassroots activists like yourself.

A donation of $15 can make an enormous difference as we use every tool we’ve got to block the bloated Pentagon budget. It’ll be a massive uphill battle, but with your support, we’ll be better positioned than ever to build power — and win.

Take a moment to pause and imagine what your world would look like if our spending priorities weren’t focused on weapons and war. 

Maybe more people in your community would go to college. Maybe you wouldn’t have to make a difficult choice between a job and taking care of your kids. Maybe your community would be better prepared to meet rising seas and deepening droughts. Or maybe you’d be able to access quality healthcare, pay down debt, and put food on the table.

It’s a future that’s possible, if we work together to fight for it.

Thank you for working for peace,

Kate, Stephen, Sara, and the Win Without War team

© Win Without War 2020
1 Thomas Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005
(202) 656-4999 | info@winwithoutwar.org 

From the Stephen Miller playbook on immigration

 

Friend: the Biden administration promised a reversal of the anti-immigrant, white supremacist policies of the Trump era. 

The recent images of U.S. border officials on horseback, using what appeared to be whips to push back Haitian migrants in Texas, make it clear that they haven’t even come close. And the resignation by Daniel Foote, President Biden’s special envoy to Haiti, is proof that political momentum is building for long-overdue, critically needed changes to our immigration policy.

Because here’s what’s happening: Instead of meeting Haitians with humanitarian aid and care, the Biden administration is continuing the abhorrent pandemic-related border restrictions designed by Stephen Miller — violently shutting the door on people seeking relief from destruction and instability. 

Our voices matter and we must speak out against this cruel treatment and urge the administration to welcome people with dignity. If you agree, we need you to add your name to our petition now:

We can’t stand by and let people die or suffer. Will you add your name to our petition calling on the Biden administration to support, not deport, Haitian migrants and asylum seekers?

Haiti — still in the throes of political instability after the assassination of its president (by people the U.S. government previously trained) and natural disasters that battered the island earlier this summer — is in extreme crisis. Because of it, thousands of Haitian migrants and asylum seekers are seeking refuge at the southern U.S. border. 

Here’s the thing: what’s happening in Haiti and at the southern U.S. border is yet another consequence of U.S. foreign policy. We create crises around the world — and then refuse to face the fallout. And now we’ve created a dire humanitarian crisis at our southern border for no reason except bigotry and business as usual.

Enslaved people on the island won a revolution and Haiti gained its independence in 1804, but the United States didn’t recognize its legitimacy until 1861. Just a few decades later, the U.S. military formally occupied the island nation for 19 years, imposing martial law and committing massive human rights abuses. 

U.S. fingerprints in Haiti were ultimately on the coups, military interventions, exploitative economic policies, and, most recently, an assassination conducted by U.S.-trained Colombian mercenaries. Foote called out this history in his resignation letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, noting that “our policy toward Haiti remains deeply flawed” and “the cycle of international political interventions in Haiti has consistently produced catastrophic results.”

It’s time to make it clear that this pattern of failed U.S. foreign policies must end. We can replace it with one that allows the Haitian people to chart their own future and stops fueling the instability and displacement causing people to make the desperate decision to flee everything they know.

That’s where YOU come in.

Sign the petition to remind the Biden administration: It’s our moral responsibility to help Haitians in their time of need.

It isn’t too late to do things differently. Right now, more deportation flights are scheduled and more people are at risk of being returned to a country in crisis. 

We can help by calling on the Biden administration to end these cruel policies and instead expand humanitarian assistance and pathways to immigration — and your voice can make a difference.

Thank you for working for peace,

Stephen and the Win Without War team

Unnecessary, apocalyptically dangerous weapons.

 

As a candidate, President Biden said the United States “does not need new nuclear weapons” — so it’s mind bending that he’s leading us down the path to a nuclear weapons heyday. 

Biden’s proposed Pentagon budget includes over $44.5 BILLION for nukes: new navy nukes, a brand new intercontinental ballistic missile, and nearly $100 MILLION to keep the last remaining largest U.S. nukes in service. It’s a blowout, and we wish we were kidding.

But here’s the thing: Biden’s proposed budget wasn’t entirely his own, it was a holdover from the last year of the Trump administration. In fact, the Biden administration is even doing a wholesale review of their nuke policy, called the Nuclear Posture Review, right now. 

That means, we have a critical opportunity to press pause on a new nuclear arms race and pull President Biden away from the path he’s on. And our team is seizing the moment, working behind the scenes with allied Biden officials and pressuring Congress — doing everything we can — to draw a line in the sand that sends a loud and clear message: No more nukes. 

But to do it, we’ve got to ramp up our advocacy efforts, raise the alarm in the media, and mobilize across the movement — and we need your support:

Our average donation this year is $16.87, but if everyone reading gave just a quarter of that amount, we’d have the resources we need to fuel this fight. Can you donate $15 to help stop a new cold war-esque nuclear weapons heyday?

The reality is that this flood of cash funds completely unnecessary, apocalyptically dangerous weapons — it’s a windfall for the weapons industry, but devastating for people and the planet. 

In fact, one of the biggest risks with nuclear weapons? A simple mistake. 

And it’s not hypothetical. In 1980 a single computer chip failure caused random numbers of attacking missiles to be displayed on the early-warning attack systems. Three years ago an emergency alert system told everyone in Hawaii there was an incoming ballistic missile threat and that people should take shelter immediately. The message said it was not a test. 

Right now, the global trip wire is incredibly taut as multiple countries ramp up their nuclear weapons development —greatly increasing the risk of technological error and human miscalculation. With the United States poised to plow more money to fuel the fire, every new nuclear weapon we build only increases the tension and incentivizes others to add to their arsenal.

We’re looking at a new nuclear arms race — in an even more unpredictable environment. The stakes couldn’t be higher. We owe it to ourselves and to future generations to never again allow a nuclear nightmare to unfold. And we’re not alone: President Biden’s decades of foreign policy experience make him far less hawkish than defense officials in his own party. 

But frankly, that might not be enough. That’s why we’re working furiously to ensure that the administration gets their Nuclear Posture Review right, and pushing back on any funding that might fuel a nuclear arms race.

Together, with your help Antonio, we’ve got to remind the White House, and Congress that we want a future free from nuclear weapons. It’s part of a wildly ambitious, multi-pronged and crucially important campaign pushing civil servants, legislative aids, and lawmakers behind the scenes to stop a global nuclear nightmare scenario — and we need your support to keep it all going:

Every dollar counts — and directly supports our ability to advocate and mobilize grassroots activists to stop this nuclear race to the bottom. So I’ve got to ask: Can you donate $15 to help stop a new cold war-esque nuclear weapons heyday?

As the only country to use nuclear weapons in conflict, the United States has a moral obligation to lead the world in ending this threat. 

There is no overstating the devastation of a nuclear war, and we are one small misstep away from that horror today.

Thank you for working for peace,

Erica, Amy, Faith, and the Win Without War team

© Win Without War 2020
1 Thomas Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005
(202) 656-4999 | info@winwithoutwar.org 

[HASC Alert] Your Rep voted RIGHT on the Pentagon Budget!

 

Did you hear? Yesterday, the House Armed Services Committee voted to put arms dealer profits before our communities. 

Let’s not mince words: every congressperson who voted for the Rogers amendment to increase the Pentagon budget by $37 BILLION — on top of the $750,000,000,000 it already receives — should be ashamed. But here’s the thing —  some showed up for the PEOPLE.

It’s not easy to stand up for what you believe in and upend the status quo. That’s why today, I’m writing to ask you to join the Win Without War team in sending him a quick thank you — because a vote against Pentagon greed is a vote for our communities!

Can you take two minutes to write and thank your Rep. for refusing to increase an already out-of-control Pentagon budget?

War hawks in both parties constantly dress up their support for bloated Pentagon budgets as “patriotism.” 

Well we, the PEOPLE, know there is no world in which the Pentagon needs or deserves $37 billion more. But from tackling climate change to funding public healthcare and education, we know a lot of communities that do — and luckily we’re not alone. 

But while too many members of the House Armed Services Committee chose to throw MORE money toward weapons and war — some showed up and stood with US and for the idea that we’ll never get our priorities in order if we keep plowing more money toward the Pentagon budget. 

Now, can you take a quick moment to write to him to say how much we appreciate his vote, and remind him how much his voice means to our movement?

Sign and send a quick note to your Rep. and thank him for refusing to increase an already out-of-control Pentagon budget!

Budgets are moral documents. 

Let’s thank the members of Congress who are working to improve people’s lives instead of padding arms dealers’ profits.

Thank you for working for peace,

Michael, Faith, Erica, and the Win Without War team

Let’s not mince words: every congressperson who voted for the Rogers amendment to increase the Pentagon budget by $37 BILLION should be ashamed.

With this vote, too many members of Congress chose to spend tens of BILLIONS of dollars inflating the already-bloated Pentagon budget — lining the pockets of wealthy weapons contractors at the expense of working families. But not all of them.

It’s not easy to stand up for what you believe in and upend the status quo, but 17 members of Congress showed up for the PEOPLE. 

If your Representative is on the list below, we need you to join the Win Without War team in sending them a quick thank you — because a vote against Pentagon greed is a vote for our communities! If you agree, sign and send a thank you note to your Rep. now.

Ruben Gallego (AZ) John Garamendi (CA) Sara Jacobs (CA) Ro Khanna (CA) Jimmy Panetta (CA) Jackie Speier (CA) Jason Crow (CO) Bill Keating (MA) Donald Norcross (NJ)

Joe Morelle (NY) Andy Kim (NJ) Chrissy Houlahan (PA) Jim Cooper (TN) Veronica Escobar (TX) Rick Larsen (WA) Adam Smith (WA) Marilyn Strickland (WA)

SAMPLE LETTER:

Thank you. Your vote on the Rogers amendment during the NDAA markup is a critical signal that you will put people and the needs of our communities over the Pentagon and arms dealers.

As your constituent, I’m counting on you to support Pentagon budgets that are appropriate for addressing the security challenges we face today. That means we must cut the Pentagon budget and instead increase funding for diplomacy and other non-military tools, to help move us toward a better, more peaceful future. 

Naked corruption

 

BREAKING: A powerful lawmaker just unveiled a new push to increase the already astronomical Pentagon budget by $37 BILLION, plowing money to defense contractors for unnecessary warships, fighter jets, tanks, and helicopters. [1]

Why is this happening? Well, maybe it’s a coincidence, but a new investigation found nearly four dozen members of Congress hold shares in weapons corporations — companies whose value has risen nearly 900% since the start of the war in Afghanistan. [2]

These companies profit from keeping our priorities focused on weapons and war. But redistributing taxpayer money to corporations, and then personally profiting? It’s naked corruption — and the consequences are life or death. 

Not many are willing to go up against the enormous influence of mega defense corporations and their lobbyists, but that’s what Win Without War is built to do. Together with a growing cohort of brave lawmakers we’re fighting tooth and nail to block this latest attempt to blow-out the bloated Pentagon budget, and we need your support: 

Our David and Goliath battle depends on grassroots donations, but less than 1% of those reading will give. Our average donation is $16.83, and any amount will fuel our fight to block the bloated Pentagon budget. 

These “death dollars” fuel wars like the one in Afghanistan while denying funds for urgently under-resourced areas like public healthcare, education, and refugee resettlement. 

From millions in donations every election cycle, to job-creation schemes in the districts of key lawmakers, to the revolving door into the Pentagon — the omnipresence of the corruption of the defense industry is as powerful as it is devastating. 

It’s not just Congress that’s caught in this corrupt nexus. We see it in the abject failure by most media outlets to point out that their parade of ex-military and ex-public officials are almost all on the payroll of the weapons industry as advisors or board members. These same folks have dominated recent discussions about Afghanistan across cable news.

And now, in addition to $37 BILLION more that’s being pushed for in the annual Pentagon Budget, it’s once more clear as defense corporations and their lobbyists have greedily clamored to claim a $3 BILLION windfall from funds that had been allocated to the recently collapsed Afghan security forces. 

It’s high time that we stop spending where war profiteers and arms lobbyists want, and start spending on the things that will improve peoples’ lives.

From fulfilling our obligation to the people of Afghanistan, to responding to hurricanes and forest fires fueled by climate change, to fixing our broken healthcare system still under the stress of COVID, the war industry’s insatiable appetite for death dollars completely distorts our country’s priorities for their own self-interest. 

And with your help, Win Without War is determined to turn the status quo around. 

This is a massive uphill battle, but we are better positioned than ever to build power and win. A donation of $15 can make an enormous difference as we use every tool we’ve got to block the bloated Pentagon budget.

The past twenty years should be a clear signal that the last thing that will build security and peace is yet another war, yet more destruction, and yet more unnecessarily lost lives. 

Congress spends hundreds of billions of dollars each year on keeping the arms industry afloat. As we finally turn the page on the disastrous U.S. war in Afghanistan, the very last thing we should be doing is plowing more desperately needed taxpayer dollars into our military arsenal.

Thank you for working for peace,

Erica, Faith, Annika, and the Win Without War team

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1. Sludge, “Lawmakers Benefit From Booming Defense Stocks”
2. Defense News, “Rogers proposes $25 billion defense plus-up ahead of NDAA markup”

© Win Without War 2020
1 Thomas Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005
(202) 656-4999 | info@winwithoutwar.org