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Anthony Arnove answers the following question

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Question

What does courage mean now? Sarah Francis


Answer

Anthony Arnove: The question of what courage means now I think has often been taken in a context that I find distorts meaning of the word "courage". It is sometimes spoken about particularly in the West, in the United States that courage means speaking up, speaking out, speaking ones mind. The reality is I don’t think that takes nearly that kind of courage that for example it takes for someone who is in Columbia today to go into work every day, to try to organize a union in Columbia, a country where the government aren’t backed, supported by the United States. It is carrying out death squad activity, supporting militias or carrying out death squad activity against trade unions where people everyday just going to work are risking their lives just saying that they want to have a right to a [voice are] risking their lives. That to me takes courage. That to me is courageous or Iraqis today having the courage to voice opposition to stand up to resist US Empire. That to me is courageous. To be in the United States and denounce the war, to criticize the war, to me that doesn’t take courage, to me that’s a basic moral responsibility.