Background
Air and water shows, in particular events like Fleet Week, have been a mainstay in U.S. society since the First World War. With the build up in military arsenal within the imperialist countries especially after WWI, facing the growing ‘threat’ of communism after the victory of the Russian Revolution, and the rising sentiment of non-interventionism after the Great Depression, public consensus had to be manufactured to support the United States’ to join WW2 and moreover commit to increase their military might and ability to intervene/invade--even after another ‘war to end all wars’, especially with it not being solely inter-imperialist anymore.
FDR, as the former Secretary of the Navy, formalized Fleet Week in 1935 in order build up public support for intervening in what was brewing to be WW2 & incoming conscription, and also bolster funding for military equipment as part of his Keynesian policies within the New Deal. Today, almost 90 years later and the United States becoming the main imperialist power of the world since, Fleet Week stands as an egregious display of wasteful military spending that has only increased after the 'War on Terror', incurring ecological devastation with at least 670 metric tons of carbon dioxide burned at minimum through the Angels at a Fleet Week, and tries to manufacture the same support for the U.S.'s military as it attempts to fight war on three different fronts and is actively aiding a genocide in Gaza.
The U.S. military is among the largest polluters and carbon emitters in the world, ranging from the Air Force being the world's largest user of jet fuel to conducting ecocides through Agent Orange or their aid to Israel in conducting it in Palestine, and these air shows by proxy are massive contributors towards it directly and indirectly to air pollution & the climate crisis.
With military recruitment on the decline in the U.S. and almost in a crisis, as noted by its top military recruitment chiefs, and an election season in progress where it is clearer than ever that both sides are committed to the 'most lethal' war machine in existence, we must take advantage of this crisis, expose & oppose this jingoistic staple of U.S. society, and resist the glorification of war and militarism!
Objectives
- Expose the true nature of military air and water shows in relation to the exponential build-up of U.S. militarism alongside the crisis in recruitment right now, their ecological and local impacts, and link to our analysis of U.S.-led war through united propaganda.
- Unite, coordinate, and lead actions between local organizations under the Resist network taking up protesting against air and water shows/Fleet Weeks, coordinate propaganda efforts through Resist, and relate to other campaigns against US-led war (border militarization, occupations, prisons and political prisoners, overseas bases and military exercises, environmental justice, military spending, etc.)
- Develop and distribute political education (presentation, short texts, webinars, etc.) around air and water shows and its connection to U.S.-led war & the upsurge of militarism since WW2 + downturn in public support for US militarism
- Tie together decentralized actions across different areas during air shows and grow the strength of our movement.
- Build the Resist network through our increased organizing against shared targets
Campaign Conduct and Targets
This overall campaign is designed to coordinate the work of Resist members around the country leading decentralized localized campaigns in a way that solicits support from other Resist members’ campaign base and, wherever possible, concentrate joint actions against air and water shows and related mass issues such as fighting against increased military spending & military recruitment to list a few. Common targets of campaigns against war games and air shows have included
- Municipal or city government to cancel permits for air shows
- Weapons corporations producing the planes and ships conducting the shows like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, RTX etc,
- Military bases or air fields or ports that launch the air and water shows
- Parks or bays where the shows take place to reach out to the "audience" and make them conscious of the real motives of the shows to glorify and normalize war and militarization.
- Military recruitment drives and local legislators (up to federal level) can be targets as well.
In this way, we can make united blows against the glorification and normalization of war and militarism.
Local Resist members are encouraged to start their own localized campaign linked to any of the major air and water shows (see list below). We encourage everyone to enjoin the work of their pre-existing campaigns to this campaign!
Sample Phasing
In building a local campaign against air and water shows, members can use the roadmap below to aid in phasing it out.
Prep: Preparation includes time for research, fact finding, initial meeting and planning, initial alliance work, etc
Kick-Off: This should be a big, visible and wide reaching activity to announce the campaign to the public. This can be in the form of press conferences, rallies or combinations of activities.
Sustaining: This is the period to sustain attention of the public, engagement of members and alliances but also a period of gaining strength and support.
Peak: This can be the peak of activity to achieve the demands of the campaign. It should be the combination of the broadest number of active support, highest appropriate form of mobilization, etc. You can plan protests, sit ins, demonstrations, outreach, gatherings, study groups or prop actions to expose the air and water shows.
Resolution: Ideally, this is where the demands - full or partial - of the campaign or can just be the end of the first period in preparation for the continuing struggle. This can include celebrations - if victorious - assessment, studies, consolidation, and planning for moving forward.
Sample Calls and Demands
- Resist the Glorification of War and Militarism!
- No MAS! No Military Air Shows!
- Stop predatory military recruitment tactics! Lower the amount of youth joining the military!
- Stop the war propaganda! Cut ties with militarism and genocide!
- War is not family-friendly!