ILPS holds anti-imperialist study on sanctions
New York, NY – On February 27, around two dozen people filled Project Reach in Chinatown for the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) study and discussion on sanctions and imperialism.
This study was in coordination with the Sanctions Kill campaign that was begun by several anti-war groups in the United States late in 2019. The Sanctions Kill campaign wants to raise the issue of sanctions and how the U.S. government uses them to carry out its imperialist agenda without ever dropping a bomb. Currently, one third of the world’s population is living under sanctions and those sanctions are responsible for thousands upon thousands of deaths.
The presentation was given by four different speakers from ILPS member organizations – AnakBayan Manhattan, Bayan USA, International Action Center, and New York Community Action Project. The presentation went over the history of sanctions, their impact, and how they dovetailed perfectly with U.S. imperialism.
During the section on the impact of sanctions, Nate Chase, from the International Action Center, elucidated the connection between 40,000 deaths in Venezuela and the sanctions on trade, medicine and food that the U.S has imposed.
With the follow up discussion on imperialism, the attendees and the presenters reached the conclusion on how sanctions also desensitize people living within the U.S. from the atrocities of war, as they are so removed from the effects of them. The prominent example used was when President Trump went from threatening war with Iran to imposing sanctions, the uproar against the assassination of General Soleimani was quelled.
The night ended with a call to action to join the Sanctions Kill days of action March 13-15. New York City organizations will be convening on Wall Street on Saturday, March 14 at 1 p.m.
Nationally, ILPS is joining forces with the Coalition to March on the DNC to continue its anti-imperialist work. The day after the July 13 March on the DNC, ILPS will hold a July 14 forum in Milwaukee to talk about the upcoming election and what we can do to fight back against imperialism.