[Peace-discuss] State of the anti-war movement
Randall Cotton
recotton at earthlink.net
Mon May 26 23:09:33 CDT 2008
Count me in as a supporter as well. We need to join this effort and send
someone to the conference. I've read their proposed structure document and
proposed action document. This is primarily an effort to create nationwide
unity among anti-war groups primarily toward the purpose of effecting
mass, unified national demonstrations (the first of which is tentatively
slated for next Spring). Reading between the lines, this will be in large
part an effort to bridge the gap between UFPJ and ANSWER and bring in
*all* other anti-war forces together around an admirably uncompromising
agenda demanding *immediate and complete* withdrawal with an explicit,
categorical independence from all political parties, focusing on mass
national (even international) demonstrations as the central strategy.
Who knows, it might fall flat on its face, but even if it does, it
shouldn't be because we failed to support it. We simply wouldn't be worth
our salt as an anti-war group if we didn't do our best to support this
regardless.
R
----- Original Message -----
From: "Barbara kessel" <barkes at gmail.com>
To: "Ricky Baldwin" <baldwinricky at yahoo.com>; "Peace-discuss"
<peace-discuss at anti-war.net>
Sent: Monday, May 26, 2008 10:52 PM
Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] State of the anti-war movement
: I third the motion. Let's hear from more people on peace-discuss and
: then take it up at the next AWARE meeting.
:
: On 5/26/08, Ricky Baldwin <baldwinricky at yahoo.com> wrote:
: > I second the motion! (In fact, I'd love to go, but I won't be here
:-(
: > ...)
: >
: >
: > Ricky
: >
: > --- "C. G. Estabrook" <galliher at uiuc.edu> wrote:
: >
: > > [I think it would be worthwhile for AWARE to represented at this
: > > assembly, June
: > > 28th and 29th 2008 in Cleveland. --CGE]
: > >
: > > "The only correct demand for the U.S. anti-war movement is for the
: > > immediate and
: > > unconditional withdrawal of all US forces from Iraq."
: > >
: > > CPR for the Anti-War Movement
: > > by Ron Jacobs
: > >
: > > It is fair to say that the anti-war movement in the US is moribund.
: > > A movement
: > > that put a million people in the streets a month before the
invasion
: > > of Iraq in
: > > 2003 and has drawn as many as half-a-million protesters to protests
: > > as recently
: > > as January 2007 has failed to mobilize anything even near those
: > > numbers since
: > > then. Part of this is because of differences among the leadership
of
: > > the two
: > > primary anti-war organizations, part of it is because many people
: > > opposed to the
: > > war have put their energies -- however misplaced -- into working
for
: > > Barack
: > > Obama, and part of it is attributable to the belief that there is
: > > nothing one
: > > can do to stop the bloody occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. The
: > > most recent
: > > example of this occurred during the week of March 15th, 2008.
: > > Despite the
: > > announced intentions of both anti-war organizations to organize
some
: > > kind of
: > > national march marking the fifth anniversary of the invasion of
Iraq,
: > > there was
: > > no such protest. Instead, hundreds of cities and towns around the
: > > country held
: > > smaller observances.
: > >
: > > In the wake of the failure to organize a national protest, some
folks
: > > from the
: > > US who had formed a coalition following a 2007 international
anti-war
: > > conference
: > > in London decided to step outside the existing organizational
stasis.
: > > They
: > > formed a steering committee with the intention of reigniting the
: > > national
: > > movement against the war in the United States. The primary movers
: > > behind this
: > > effort include members of the American Friends Service Committee
: > > (AFSC), US
: > > Labor Against the War (USLAW), military veterans and individuals
with
: > > decades of
: > > experience organizing against imperial war, and representatives of
: > > numerous
: > > local anti-war committees. Characterizing themselves as the mass
: > > action wing of
: > > the anti-war movement, the steering committee in early spring 2008
: > > put out a
: > > call for a national meeting of anti-war activists and citizens in
: > > late June of
: > > this year -- a call which has been answered by hundreds of
: > > organizations and
: > > individuals from across the US. Organizing under the name The
: > > National Assembly
: > > to End the Iraq War and Occupation, the steering committee has
: > > garnered the
: > > endorsement of several labor organizations and individuals like
Cindy
: > > Sheehan,
: > > Howard Zinn, and Mumia Abu Jamal. In addition, a multitude of
local
: > > peace and
: > > justice organizations, church groups, and student organizations
have
: > > signed on.
: > >
: > > When I asked AFSC organizer and coordinator of the Northeast Ohio
: > > Anti-War
: > > Coalition Greg Coleridge, who along with Marilyn Levin of Greater
: > > Boston United
: > > for Justice with Peace, is one of the national spokespeople for the
: > > National
: > > Assembly, why this conference should be held now, he responded this
: > > way:
: > >
: > > "The ever-increasing human carnage, economic costs, and desire for
US
: > > military
: > > conquest connected to the Iraq war and occupation demand effective
: > > resistance.
: > > There is an urgent need for greater coordination, collaboration and
: > > cohesion
: > > among US anti-war organizations without giving up their own
missions
: > > and
: > > identities. The upcoming elections provide ample opportunities to
: > > distract
: > > attention from the current permanent nature of the war and
: > > occupation. Now is
: > > the time for anti-war activists and concerned citizens to come
: > > together and call
: > > on the anti-war movement to organize mass actions which communicate
: > > to the
: > > public and pressure elected officials that US troops, bases and
: > > contractors must
: > > leave Iraq immediately."
: > >
: > > It is important to note that there is not a call for a withdrawal
: > > timetable
: > > here. As Coordinating Committee member Jerry Gordon told me in a
: > > conversation,
: > > the only correct demand for the U.S. anti-war movement is for the
: > > immediate and
: > > unconditional withdrawal of all US forces from Iraq. Furthermore,
it
: > > is assumed
: > > that the best way to make this demand is through mass action and a
: > > unified
: > > anti-war movement that utilizes democratic decision-making and
: > > remains
: > > independent of any and all political parties and organizations. It
: > > is not the
: > > intention of those on the steering committee to supersede UFPJ or
: > > ANSWER.
: > > Indeed, they have the utmost respect for the two organizations and
: > > the work they
: > > have done to this point. This respect is evident in the fact that
: > > both
: > > organizations have members from their coordinating committees on
the
: > > speakers
: > > list for the Assembly.
: > >
: > > The Assembly, which will take place on June 28th and 29th 2008 at
the
: > > Crowne
: > > Plaza Hotel in Northeast Cleveland, is open to all. A five-point
: > > action plan
: > > will be discussed and voted on during the weekend. Although there
: > > are several
: > > speakers slated for the podium and a number of workshops scheduled,
: > > there will
: > > be ample time for anyone to speak and it is hoped that those who
have
: > > serious
: > > ideas on how to organize a movement that will stop this war will
: > > attend and
: > > speak up. As Greg Coleridge put it in an email to me, "I see the
: > > Assembly as a
: > > collective facilitator -- enabling the many different voices
against
: > > the war to
: > > coalesce and create a massive roar to force an immediate end to the
: > > war and
: > > occupation." He continued, hoping that a "greater trust" can be
: > > developed among
: > > those working to end the war. As for concrete outcomes, he said
the
: > > organizers
: > > "hope that Assembly attendees will agree to urge that the broad
: > > anti-war
: > > movement unite in calling for mass actions this year and next."
: > >
: > > Reminding me that the vast majority of people in the US oppose the
: > > war and
: > > occupation, Coleridge explained why he believes mass action is not
: > > only
: > > important but essential. "Unfortunately," he wrote in an email.
: > > "the US
: > > Constitution doesn't permit national initiatives or referendums."
If
: > > it did, he
: > > "believe(s) most people today would vote for a federal initiative
: > > calling to end
: > > the Iraq war, bring US troops home, close military bases, and end
: > > funding beyond
: > > required to transport the troops back." Coleridge continued,
: > > explaining that
: > > "Organized mass street actions have played a historically important
: > > role in
: > > producing social change in this country. A government that ignores
: > > public
: > > opinion and mass mobilizations loses credibility, authenticity, and
: > > legitimacy.
: > > No government can effectively govern without support from the
: > > majority of its
: > > citizens. A vast majority of people oppose the war and occupation.
: > > The
: > > anti-war movement has a responsibility to provide forums where
those
: > > feelings
: > > can be expressed. National and coordinated mass action is
certainly
: > > not the
: > > only strategy required to end the Iraq war and occupation. Over
the
: > > last couple
: > > of years, however, it is a strategy that has not been utilized for
: > > maximum
: > > effect. That must change."
: > >
: > > Conference speakers include Jonathan Hutto, Navy Petty Officer,
: > > author of
: > > Anti-War Soldier and Co-Founder of Appeal for Redress; Donna
Dewitt,
: > > president
: > > of the South Carolina AFL-CIO; Cindy Sheehan (by satellite); Colia
: > > Clark, long
: > > time civil rights activist; Fred Mason, President of the Maryland
: > > AFL-CIO and
: > > National Co-Convenor of USLAW; Jeremy Scahill, author of
Blackwater:
: > > The Rise of
: > > the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army; and Clarence Thomas,
: > > Executive Board
: > > member, ILWU Local 10, the trade union that initiated the May 1
: > > one-day strike
: > > that closed all U.S. West Coast ports from Canada to Mexico.
: > >
: > > For information and to register for the National Assembly, please
go
: > > to their
: > > website at www.natassembly.org or call 216-736-4704.
: > >
: > > Ron Jacobs is author of The Way the Wind Blew: A History of the
: > > Weather
: > > Underground (republished by Verso). His first novel, Short Order
: > > Frame Up, is
: > > published by Mainstay Press. He can be reached at
: > > <rjacobs3625 at charter.net>.
: > > URL: mrzine.monthlyreview.org/jacobs210508.html
: > >
: > > ###
: > >
: > > _______________________________________________
: > > Peace-discuss mailing list
: > > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
: > > http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace-discuss
: > >
: >
: >
: >
: >
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: >
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