What we will be hearing from the speaker’s platform is what a great job the anti-war movement is doing. We will hear how the anti-war demonstrations are larger today than they were after the first year of the Vietnam War. We will hear the “leaders” of the anti-war movement congratulate themselves on the great job they are doing.
We should be hearing clear arguments for why the anti-war movement should work to scuttle the US occupation of Iraq. Both Bush and Kerry aim to “pacify” Iraq. That is, they aim to crush armed resistance to the occupation, and establish a regime friendly to US business.
We should be hearing arguments for why the anti-war movement should make its appeals, not to Bush, not to Kerry, not to congress, not to the UN, not to the ruling class. We should hear why the anti-war movement should make its appeals to the working people who constitute the vast majority of humanity, and to those GIs who identify with working people and who have the power to put a wrench in the subjugation of Iraq.
We should be hearing calls for GIs in Iraq to protest against the occupation. Explanations are needed of why a demonstration of even few dozen active duty US soldiers in Iraq, if it became widely known, would have far more impact than a protest by thousands of civilians in front of the White House.
We will hear a lot about the crimes of Bush and his croneys, but we should be hearing the truth about the Democratic Party politicians as well. We should be hearing a recitation of the aggressions committed by the Democrat Party. We should hear of the voting records of the Democratic Party politicians. We should be reminded of their stated positions. We should be hearing an explanation of how both the Republican and Democratic Parties represent the interests of the ruling capitalist class. That is the truth, and we should be hearing it.
We should be hearing calls for a one day general strike in protest against the occupation of Iraq. We need a general strike which is not limited to organized labor, but includes the vast majority of working people. We should be hearing of examples of such strikes, which extended far beyond organized labor, and which raised political demands first and foremost. We should be hearing about the example of the general strike in France in 1968.
We should be hearing calls for unions to hot-cargo military goods. We should be hearing the stories of those who have used this tactic, such as the British railway workers who refused to move military goods at the start of the war.
Workers World Party (WWP), the premier player in the ANSWER organization, has a number of supporters in labor unions. We should be hearing how these supporters of WWP have introduced motions in their unions in support of a one day general strike in protest against the occupation of Iraq. Unfortunately, we won’t hear this, because it isn’t true.
We should be hearing all these things from the speakers’ platform, and much more! Why aren’t we? If the ANSWER leadership cannot give voice to these issues, they should let others who can. A democratic anti-war movement would give time for such voices. If you think we should be hearing these things from the speakers’ platform, let ANSWER know! (And let us know, too!)