Dear ________
I am writing to you because you are an opponent of US government policy as currently being pursued by the “War Party.” Millions of Americans share such antiwar convictions. The purpose of this email is to promote the creation of a new Antiwar League that unites people of the antiwar left and right based on principled opposition to the plans of the Republicrat Warmonger Party for perpetual war.
The internet reveals that there are numerous people and organizations who might best be described as antiwar/antistate and it is time for them to come together to fight for a common goal. Our new organization could immediately begin to battle the government/media propaganda machine for the allegiance of the American people and for the future of our society. Our goal would be not to capture the highly centralized warmaking power of the federal government but to dismantle that power.
Below is a preliminary sketch of what might be a platform or program for such a new movement. It is offered simply to give an impression of the potential for such a program to unite people of different political persuasions, but, of course, everything would be open for discussion and debate among the participants.
*******
Antiwar, Antistate Platform
1. The “war on terror” is a fantasy war, a totalitarian construct that clearly illustrates that “war is the health of the state.” Iraq is not a diversion from the War on Terror. Iraq is the War on Terror.
2. We propose not just to end the Iraq occupation but to bring home all US troops, close foreign military bases and shutdown the War on Terror. The US government must not go abroad in search of enemies.
3. We view the Iraq war as a war crime and a premeditated war of aggression — not just a mistake or an act of crazy leaders. Therefore George Bush and his closest advisors must be investigated and tried for war crimes.
4. Secrecy and the “national security state” must be abolished. Close the CIA and all “intelligence/spy” agencies. Declassify everything and open the books on the decades long crimes of the empire.
5. The central US government must be disarmed. Scrap nuclear weapons and all offensive weapons.
6. Technology and warfare must be uncoupled. The US government must not use tax dollars to promote the development of new means of warfare and killing in alliance with giant corporations. End the military/industrial/scientific complex forever. For example, close DARPA.
7. All military aid to Israel and Egypt must be canceled.
8. September 11 and the events leading up to it must be fully investigated.
9. The right of the people to keep and bear arms must not be infringed. Self defense is legitimate. Empire and wars of aggression are not.
The Antiwar League would not necessarily be involved in electoral politics, at least not initially. There is much that can be done to effectively undermine the Warfare State without trying to capture political offices. But these matters can wait to be decided by the League members.
Also, in the same vein, the League would not be in any immediate competition with third parties such as the Libertarians or the Greens. Such third parties may be antiwar but they also have extensive Party platforms that take positions on many controversial issues. The theory behind the Antiwar League is simple. In the words of Neil Clark: “Let’s have those debates later, but first let’s get rid of those who threaten us with Armageddon.” The Antiwar League must be all antiwar, all the time.
Those who are interested can help and get involved now.
If you are a writer, a blogger or a webmaster please consider giving us a favorable mention and a link to our website.
Everyone can do the following:
1. Pass on this invitation to others.
2. Join the Antiwar League email discussion group. This discussion group is for people who are favorable to the idea of an Antiwar League and want to develop a platform and a strategy to make it happen and promote the idea in general.
The discussion list will be free from ads. You can receive individual emails or a digest or you can simply view the archives of the group on a website.
To join, visit this link: http://mylist.net/listinfo/antiwar_league
Read the description and follow the directions. Any questions or problems joining, contact the moderator, Doug Fuda, at dougfuda@aol.com
For more information, visit the Antiwar League website at: http://www.antiwarleague.com/
Let’s be hopeful that by promoting dialogue and emphasizing agreement rather than differences, trust will grow among people with a common goal ( dismantle the empire) and a common enemy ( the War Party). Once trust is established the organizational obstacles will be relatively easy to overcome.
Sincerely,
_______________
Updated @1956 5/8/05
Wow, Di.
I’m not entirely sure I can get behind the “gut the U.S. military” provisions of this particular manifesto.
Still, I am against the war in Iraq, and have been from day one.
I know there are extreme differences of opinion as to the (as I see it, unrelated) War on Terror. I, personally, can’t get behind any efforts to halt the attempts to root out and destroy the fanatical terrorists in the world.
Were we to do that, they will have won. Their terroristic acts will not stop, simply because it’s not the Iraq war that they’re pissed off about. These fanatics have been preached to constantly that their holy duty is nothing less than the conversion (or otherwise immolation) of the entire world to Islam.
I know, I know, obvious parallels exist between them and the neo-cons, whose agenda seems to be nothing more than conversion (or otherwise immolation) of the entire world to the dollar.
We’ve got to stop both groups, not capitulate to one in favor of the other.
Aggle
P.S. — I never thought I’d see you endorse something calling for the protection of the right to keep and bear arms. I guess you learn something new every day.
Aggle – Closing U.S. bases to afford new ones on foreign soils promotes national security? Our illegal invasion of Iraq was a terrorist act, by body count alone, more heinous than 9/11.
Who doubts we are self-serving liars?
The revisionism we’ve insisted upon for decades, who do we fool, how many who fail the loyalty test must we continue to kill? Do they deserve to die?
Can you see to the end of this?
Anti-right-to-bear-arms, moi? Not a view you heard from me.
No, I admit I never actually heard you say you were anti-gun. It’s just that we’re all a little bit guilty of sorting people now and then.
In answer to your question, though, I don’t guess I can see the end of this. But it’s not just us. If we stopped our “War on Terror” right now and pulled all of our troops back from anywhere they may be, do you think the Islamic fundamentalists would just leave us alone?
Of course not. The United States is to these people what the Jews were to Hitler. An extremely convenient way to inflame the passions of their converts to fuel their lust to convert or destroy the remainder of the world.
Do I have sympathy for the innocents who are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan? Absolutely. But the primary killer of those people is not the U.S. Military (other than by virtue of the fact that it’s there); it’s the Islamic fundamentalists, who don’t even play lip-service to trying to minimize civilian casualties.
I think it would be more accurate to say they consider us Nazis who enable the Jews to persecute Arabs. The United States does not deserve victim status, as much as the gov’t would like its citisens to adopt one. It may still be shocking to many Americans there are people in the world who despise us but it’s hardly helpfull to invalidate the reasons or pursue policies that create even more resentment. U.S. actions since 9/11 have been a great recruitment tool for al Qaeda and beyond its inhumanity the ultimate goal is unrealistic.
As for the rebels in Iraq, whether they be Baathists, al Qaeda, or whomever, Iraqis are capable of working it out without a foreign occupier prodding them one way or another, impeding sovereignty and progression towards resolution. The primary reason for conflict in Iraq is due the U.S. presence, the hamstringing of its economy, and manipulation of the political process in the hopes of forming a gov’t. that will allow a continued U.S. military presence on its soil. Let’s pay some lip-service to that.