Let's pivot to peace in 2025 after dreadful, blood-soaked 2024

 Let's pivot to peace in 2025 after dreadful, blood-soaked 2024

We close out the year on a sorrowful note for the victims of war and those seeking peace.

The relentless US enabled genocide destroying habitable life for 2,200,000 Palestinians in Gaza approaches its 15th month with no slowdown in US weapons fueling the worst genocide this century.

US weapons and political/diplomatic support also enable continued Israeli bombing in Lebanon in spite of an official ceasefire.

In Europe, the Ukraine military continues to collapse against overwhelming Russian manpower that has gobbled up 4 provinces in and around Donbas in Eastern Ukraine. Long range US missiles being fired into Russia with US technical support have unleashed massive Russian retaliating destroying Ukraine energy infrastructure heading into freezing winter. Over 200,000 Ukrainian soldiers have deserted. Possibly 5,000,000 Ukrainians may be fleeing the energy staved Ukraine winter for warmer climes in Western Europe.

President Biden, in his last 50 days, appears clueless his policies in both regions are enabling humanitarian catastrophes. He’s escalating the Ukraine war with no chance of achieving US war aims but with the real possibility of provoking nuclear war with Russia. He will leave office with the indelible stain of genocide on his presidency.

Yet, there is little hope Trump will pivot to peace come January 20. His anti-Ukraine war campaign rhetoric has ceased. He’s even more vocal about Israel completing their genocidal ethnic cleansing in Gaza than Biden, who pays lip service to ending it. Trump promises more pressure on Iran that could lead to a US Iran war. He’s a near fanatical Chinaphobe, promising more inflammatory military maneuvers in China’s neighborhood and more weapons for Taiwan to repel an imaginary Chinese invasion. His foreign policy appointments are A List proponents of US exceptionalism. Peace is a word that dare not pass their lips.

Those of us in the peace community remain undaunted in our quest to promote peace over war in US foreign policy next year. Every peace loving American not engaged in this effort should join us in pushing back against the most reckless US foreign policy we’ve experienced in our lifetime. Let’s make 2025 the year that concerted peace action ends the scourge of US provoked war in Ukraine and US enabled genocide in Gaza.