Kevin Zeese: Irreplaceable

David Swanson / World BEYOND War

 (September 7, 2020) — Kevin Zeese was a major constant reliable presence in the movement for peace and justice. He used writing, editing, online and all other forms of communication. He organized events, protests, occupations. He risked arrest. He ran for office. He was an attorney and used the courts and shared his expertise. He thought independently. He acted collaboratively. He maintained good relations with those he disagreed with — even those he disagreed with over that most disagreeable of topics in a collapsing oligarchy: elections.

Kevin and his partner in recent years Margaret Flowers combined art, civil resistance, music, journalism, radio, and coalition building to cross issue areas and energize. Losing Kevin is a horrible blow, but nobody can say he didn’t put his time to good use. Nobody can say that if thousands followed his lead we wouldn’t have a world transformed. Nobody can say that he didn’t make a major difference, exposing injustice and changing public policy and culture for the better.

When I type in “Zeese” on davidswanson.org I find this radio show. Take a listen.

Then I find an old announcement of a shadow cabinet with myself as Secretary of Peace and Kevin as Attorney General.

I find plans for event and joint statements — pages and pages and pages of them. I find that Kevin was part of protecting an embassy against a coup, occupying Washington, D.C., legalizing drugs, opposing NATO, meeting with the US Institute of Peace to ask them to support peace, rallying in support of numerous whistleblowers, speaking out powerfully for countless causes. Kevin was an environmentalist, an anti-racist, a socialist, a war abolitionist, a poverty abolitionist. He supported World BEYOND War from the get-go and served on our advisory board, not only in name, but actually strategizing and advising, wisely and creatively.

Kevin took on the plutocrats, the lobbyists, the Chamber of Commerce, the weapons dealers, the politicians, and the pundits, — fairly and fearlessly. Going back through my own website I see how many times I interviewed him and he interviewed me, and I recall how many other people he influenced. But looking up “Zeese” on worldbeyondwar.org, is overwhelming.

A recent classic:
Guaidó’s Failed Foreign Tour Ends With A Flop 
By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers

Another:
Iran Wants Peace. Will The US Allow Peace With Iran? 
By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers

More:
Koreas Negotiating Peace Treaty and End To Demilitarized Zone 
By Kevin Zeese

See Kevin’s portrait and bio on Americans Who Tell the Truth.

But perhaps best of all, watch this video of a speech that Kevin made at World BEYOND War’s conference in Toronto in 2018, in which Kevin discusses his understanding of how to build a social movement that succeeds. Listen carefully.

Kevin Zeese — PRESENTE!

The People’s Movement Has Lost One of Its
Most Beloved and Treasured Activists

Executive Committee of The US Peace Council

 (September 6, 2020) ‚ September 6 is a very sad day for the people’s movement in the United States. In the early hours of this day, we lost one our most beloved and treasured comrades. Kevin was not only a comrade, but a dear friend and brother to all of us. We were honored to have him as our comrade in struggle.

No one can forget Kevin’s heroic act, along with Margaret, Adrienne and David, of refusing to leave the Embassy of the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela, at a very high price to themselves, in order to prevent the transfer of its control to the representatives of US puppet, Juan Guaidó. In doing so, they became not only our heroes, but those of all anti-imperialist peoples and movements around the world, especially the revolutionary people of Venezuela.

But Kevin’s outstanding role in the movement was not limited to his last heroic act. For years, he co-directed the Popular Resistance with Margaret Flowers — his partner in life — which has been one of the main sources of truly anti-imperialist information and analysis for the peace movement. As members of the National Board of the US Peace Council, Executive Committee of the Coalition Against US Foreign Military Bases, and Global Campaign Against US/NATO Military Bases, Kevin and Margaret played a key role organizing two extremely successful conferences against US And NATO Military Bases, the first in Baltimore, Maryland in January 2018, and the second in Dublin, Ireland, in November 2018.

Throughout these years, we have been benefiting from Kevin’s profound knowledge, wisdom and anti-imperialist commitment and vision. His absence will be felt during every step we will take from now on. But his comradely presence will be with us forever.

Kevin Zeese — PRESENTE!