Virtual Teach-in

As opposition to the U.S. war in Vietnam began to develop in the 1960s, “teach-ins” were held on campuses throughout the country. Students, professors, and others came together; they learned about and taught each other the history and culture of Vietnam, what the U.S. government and military were doing there, the reality behind the platitudes and outright lies the government used to get people to go along with its unjust war. The teach-ins were important in shaping the understanding of many people about the war, and compelling them to act in protest against it.

The materials on this page provide a foundation for “virtual teach-ins” on the conflict between the United States and Korea. Explore this material, use it to dig into the questions posed above.

 

Start by watching the video clip of Bob Avakian slamming the “Great Tautological Fallacy”—this is KEY to understanding how to assess what is actually happening in the U.S. threats against North Korea, and how in that light people are being normalized into accepting the unacceptable. Watch it with others, show it in classrooms and meetings; get it out widely on social media.

And for a fundamental orientation, together with this clip, get into and spread these passages by Bob Avakian from his book BAsics, from the talks and writings of Bob Avakian.

“American Lives Are Not More Important Than Other People’s Lives.” BAsics 5:7

“Internationalism—The Whole World Comes First.” BAsics 5:8

“These imperialists make the Godfather look like Mary Poppins.” BAsics 1:7

Is the U.S. actually preparing for a war—possibly a nuclear war—against North Korea?

 

Check out these recent materials from Revolution:

The Dismissal of Victor Cha: Trump Moves Closer to Military Attack on North Korea

Trump’s Nuclear Posture Review: Expanding and Strengthening the Imperial Death Machine

Trump’s State of the Union Address… a Nazi-Like Rally

False Alarm of “Missile Threat Inbound” on Hawai`i—and the Very Real Danger of a Criminal U.S. War in Korea

 

A broad range of forces are sounding the alarm. These articles also speak to the potential for war with North Korea:

“The Military Has Seen the Writing on the Wall,” by Uri Friedman, in The Atlantic

“We Are Sleepwalking Toward War with North Korea,” by Zack Beauchamp

“It Is Now 2 Minutes to Midnight” Press release from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, January 25, 2018

What are the root causes of this conflict?

 

Check out these articles from Revolution:

American Crime: U.S. Invasion of Korea - 1950

Michael Slate Interviews History Professor Bruce Cumings
What “Everybody Knows” about North Korea—and the Real History of U.S. Aggression

These articles also speak to the roots of this conflict:

 “The Long, Dirty History of U.S. Warmongering against North Korea,” by Christine Hong, in The Progressive

“Americans once carpet-bombed North Korea. It's time to remember that past,” by Bruce Cumings, in The Guardian

In Their Own Words:

See what Trump and others in his inner core say about attacking North Korea.

Donald Trump	"[North Korea] will be met with fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before." (Speaking to reporters, August 8, 2017) "The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime" (Speech to the United Nations, September 19, 2017)
Defense Secretary James Mattis	"I cannot imagine a condition under which the United States would accept North Korea as a nuclear power... make no mistake, any attack on the United States or our allies will be defeated, and any use of nuclear weapons by the North will be met with a massive military response that is effective and overwhelming." (October 27, 2017, in Seoul, South Korea) "We're doing everything we can to solve this diplomatically—everything we can ...Ultimately, our diplomats have to be backed up by strong soldiers and sailors, airmen and Marines, so they speak from a position of strength, of combined strength, of alliance strength, shoulder to shoulder. (October 26, 2017, to U.S. troops in South Korea)
H.R. McMaster, National Security Advisor	"I think it (the possibility of war in Korea) is increasing every day, which means that we are in a race, really, we are in a race to be able to solve this problem." (Speaking to the National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, December 2, 2017) "We're not committed to a peaceful resolution (with North Korea). We're committed to a resolution." (December 18, 2017, BBC interview)
Mike Pence, Vice President	"Our enemies should never doubt the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the United States of America ...America always seeks peace, but if we are forced to defend ourselves or our allies, we will do so with military power that is effective and overwhelming... Now, more than ever, your commander in chief is depending on you to be ready." (October 27, 2017, speaking at Minot Air Force Base, home to 26 B-52 bombers and 150 intercontinental ballistic missile sites.) "Under President Trump, the shield stands guard and the sword stands ready." (April 18, 2017, speaking aboard the U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan in Japan)
Lindsey Graham, Republican Senator from South Carolina	"If there's going to be a war to stop [Kim Jong Un, leader of the North Korean regime], it will be over there. If thousands die, they're going to die over there. They're not going to die here. And (Trump) told me that to my face." "There is a military option: to destroy North Korea's nuclear program and North Korea itself." (Interviews on CNN and NBC, July and November 2018)
Donald Trump	"We think the Olympics [in South Korea in February] will go very nicely and after that, who knows?" (February 1, 2018, when asked if there will be a U.S. war with North Korea soon.)

Clip: "Free Yourself from the GTF!"

How can we begin to build resistance and protest?

 

As you watch and read this material on this page—take the Korea quiz and print it up and take it to classrooms, take it out to malls, public transit, union meetings, churches and other religious institutions. Take it to meetings of Indivisible and other groups expressing opposition to Trump.

 

Learn from the people in Honolulu who held an emergency protest immediately after the false missile alert. Call for protests in your area—even a few people taking a principled stand for the interests of humanity can make a huge difference in times of crisis, and can grow quickly.

 

Print and distribute Carl Dix’s challenge to debate anyone over the U.S. threats of war against North Korea.

 

Share and spread the images below on social media.

Send reports, images, and videos to revolution.reports@yahoo.com.