Iraq: The War Grinds On

BY JAAN LAAMAN

Here in late ‘07, a good solid majority of us Americans have joined the large majority of our fellow human beings around the world, in rejecting and opposing the invasion, occupation and war in Iraq. It certainly is good to see that most Americans have gotten past all of bush’s distortions and fabrications about why he got us into this war and his reasons for continuing the u.s. occupation. Of course there were tens and tens of millions of us who opposed the war before it even began. We spoke out, rallied and marched then, and we’ve been marching and speaking since.

The 2006 elections reflected the anti-war sentiments of American voters. Now many corporate news editorials and politicians’ speeches, voice criticism of the war and of bush. But the war grinds on. U.S. casualties and deaths climb ever higher, while Iraqi deaths, injuries and suffering is so constant and deadly it is hard to find words to describe the horror.

Bush wants to and intends to continue and even escalate the Iraq war until he is out of office. Democrats and other anti-war politicians are presently to weak, hesitant, and indecisive to actually slow down, let alone stop the war. As always, electoral politics and most politicians are about wining the next election and keeping the status quo. What cause change and stops wars, is public pressure- people in motion.

All the rhetoric about U.S. democracy, elections, etc. aside, the reality is, the government on all levels, but especially the feds, has usurped immense power and control, all at the publics expense, in the past six years. Between “9/11 hysteria” and the “country at war”, the U.S. operates as a police-war state.

Bush doesn’t want to stop the war. Congress and politicians are too unwilling and/or weak to stop it. It is us, the public, the people across the country, who can and must demand and end to the war and all troops home now!

At this juncture, as the majority of the country is against the war, more politicians, presidential hopefuls. Etc. as well as corporate news talking heads are voicing anti-war thoughts.

But now we are hearing a new twist that is actually just a new way to keep the war going. Some politicians and news analysts are talking about “we cant just pull out”, and “we cant just leave Iraq worse than”… (than what?—of course it is a worse situation than before the u.s. invaded and overthrew the existing functioning government!). This “we cant just leave” rhetoric is simply a way to prolong the occupation. Further u.s. and other foreign occupation and war will not stabilize or restore or remedy the ongoing civil war and insurgency in Iraq.

The Iraqi people are the only force who can and will as soon as all foreign occupiers leave, determine their future. Yes there might be more civil war. Yes neighboring countries will help or hinder affairs, and no, Iraq’s future will not be something dreamed up by bush and his neo-conservatives or anyone else in Washington or London.

The one clear and loud demand that we, the people here in America that are paying for this war in dollars and lives, and whose name this invasion, occupation and war is being waged should have is, end the war now and all troops home now!

We have the power to stop this war, but we have to exercise it and we have to do it on many levels. The power of the people has to mobilized and exercised much more than has been done so far. This means many things. All of us have to do something or do more. Speak out, pressure elected officials. Certainly public rallies are important, and that means going and getting neighbors, fellow workers, family and friends to go too. Many union locals and districts have passed anti-war resolutions, but even more could and should speak out. The news media on a local and national level needs to hear from us and needs to be pushed to report the publics anti-war thoughts and activities. What about a nationwide student strike for peace in colleges and high school?

One very important area is to actively support u.s. soldiers who are resisting this war. These brave men and women who are in a crucial role, who face real repercussions like arrest and prison, and who deserve and need big public support.

DYNAMIC PEACE AND JUSTICE!