Manufacturing Genocide: How U.S. Workers Could End the War Machine

By Julian Blackwood

The ongoing atrocities in Gaza and beyond are not merely the result of geopolitical decisions made in Washington and Tel Aviv. They are also the consequence of something much closer to home: the labor of American workers. These are the men and women who clock in daily to build the weapons that fuel genocide, imperialist aggression, and the endless march of war. The question is not if, but when workers will decide to wield their collective power to end this cycle of destruction.

Workers' Role in Imperialism

The United States is not just the world's largest arms dealer; it is the architect of global violence. Between 2019 and 2023, 69% of Israel’s conventional weapons came from U.S. manufacturers, including fighter jets, precision-guided bombs, and components for the Iron Dome (Amnesty International). Boeing recently rushed 1,000 small-diameter bombs to Israel, while Raytheon supplies components for air defense systems from factories in Tucson, Arizona, and Camden, Arkansas (Wikipedia).

These weapons, built with the sweat and skill of U.S. workers, have become the instruments of Gaza's devastation. They are funded with American tax dollars and manufactured under the guise of "job creation," turning factories into war zones by proxy.

This is not to vilify workers. They are as much victims of this system as the people under the bombs. Trapped by economic necessity, many find themselves building tools of destruction to feed their families. But necessity does not absolve complicity, and the workers of America have the power—and the responsibility—to stop this machinery of death.

Direct Action, Not Just Transition

The concept of a "just transition"—shifting labor from harmful industries like arms manufacturing to socially beneficial ones—is necessary but insufficient on its own. It assumes a gradual process, one that allows the military-industrial complex to continue its operations while unions and lawmakers debate alternatives. But gradualism is not an option when people are dying.

Direct action offers a more immediate path. Workers in weapons factories could organize to strike, disrupt production lines, and halt the flow of arms to imperialist powers. Imagine if a factory building missiles for Raytheon suddenly went dark because the workers refused to participate in genocide. Imagine the shockwaves that would send through the corridors of power in Washington, and the inspiration it would ignite worldwide.

Organizing Against the War Machine

This is not without precedent. The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) once championed the idea that workers could shut down industries they deemed harmful to humanity. Today, the resurgence of union activity across the U.S.—from the United Auto Workers to service sector strikes—provides fertile ground for a new wave of militant labor organizing.

The defense industry, with its deep ties to unionized labor, is uniquely vulnerable to such action. Workers can refuse to build weapons, demand retraining programs for peaceful industries, and use their collective leverage to force the military-industrial complex to divest from war. The challenge lies in overcoming the fear and inertia that keep workers compliant.

From Weaponry to Peace

What would replace the war machine? Renewable energy, healthcare, public infrastructure—the possibilities are endless when labor is freed from the yoke of imperialism. The same skills that build bombs can build homes. The same technologies used to guide missiles can be used to improve transportation and communication.

This vision requires not only labor action but also solidarity from communities, anti-war organizations, and international allies. It means connecting the fight against war with the broader struggle for economic and social justice, making it clear that dismantling the war machine is not a sacrifice but a liberation.

A Call to Action

Workers in America have the power to stop the war machine in its tracks. It begins with organizing, refusing to produce weapons, and demanding that their labor be used to build, not destroy. This is not an abstract ideal but a tangible possibility, one that could bring an end to the violence in Gaza, Yemen, Ukraine, and every other corner of the world scarred by U.S.-made weapons.

This fight is about more than Gaza. It is about reclaiming the dignity of labor, rejecting the exploitation of workers for imperialist ends, and building a world where human life is valued over profit. Workers are not powerless; they are the very engine of the system they seek to overthrow.

It is time to stop building genocide. It is time to start building peace.


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Sources
Amnesty International, "U.S.-Made Weapons Used by Government of Israel," Amnesty International.
Wikipedia, "Boeing," Wikipedia.
Wikipedia, "Iron Dome," Wikipedia.
Jewish Currents, "The Problem of the Unionized War Machine," Jewish Currents.

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