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The
Bush regime is preparing the ground to go to war against
Iraq. In doing so it is carrying out the policy of
the major US corporations which is to dominate the
world. Here at home these same corporations are stepping
up their war against US working people, attacking
wages, benefits, living standards and rights. Their
thinking is clear: US big business intends to rule
the world, it intends to amass greater and greater
profits and any force that stands in its way is to
be crushed. The US corporations and their corrupt
capitalist system are being helped in carrying out
their offensive by the methods of the Bin Laden organization
and the Iraqi regime. The brutality of Al Qaeda on
September 11th, the vicious dictatorship in Iraq,
both of which were nurtured and financed by the US
government in the past, are now used to hide the real
reason for the war against Iraq and the "war
against terrorism". The real reason is the expansion
and consolidation of US corporate power internationally.
However
the size and scale of the anti-war movement which
is already developing is very encouraging. If at this
stage there are hundreds of thousands prepared to
march and organize we can expect an even bigger movement
when the fighting would actually begin. But here in
the US open war against Iraq can temporarily strengthen
the feeling that “our boys and girls must be
supported” and for a time this can increase support
for the war. Therefore when the war starts the clash
of opinions and movements here at home will intensify.
The anti-war movement must take this into account
and have policies that appeal to the broader layers
of the US population and to the US and international
working class as a whole. While doing so it must honestly
explain the real forces that are involved.
Dan
Labor believes the force that can stop the US led
capitalist offensive at home and abroad, that can
stop the war against Iraq, that can end the dictatorial
regimes abroad, that can end support for Al Qaeda
and such groups, is the international working class.
It is working class people who will be faced with
paying the price of the war through dying on the battle
field and attacks on their living standards - lower
wages, less health care and education, higher prices,
higher taxes etc. Working people will therefore be
continually thrown into conflict with the war. And
it is the working class that has the power to do something
about these issues through its ability to stop production,
communications, energy generation and distribution,
water supply, transportation etc. Dan Labor’s
aim therefore is to build an anti- capitalist working
class opposition to the war around the following policies.
#Oppose
the threatened war and the sanctions against Iraq,
and oppose the US corporate led offensive abroad which
is aimed at dominating the the world and intensifying
the attack on working people throughout the world.
#Oppose
the US corporations, their corrupt capitalist system
and their war against the US working class at home
which consists of attacks on working peoples' wages,
benefits, living standards and rights.
#Oppose
all attempts to make Arab and Muslim communities pay
for the attacks of Al Qaeda and oppose the attacks
on democratic rights in the US and internationally.
#Oppose
all dictatorial regimes such as those in Iraq and
oppose the attempt by the US backed Israeli regime
to deny the Palestinian people their rights.
#Oppose
all actions and organizations which aim to terrorize
and slaughter working people such as those carried
out by Al Qaeda On September 11th, as well as those
carried out by the US and other governments in the
US invasions of Panama, Grenada, Afghanistan, Iraq,
etc. as well as the present attacks by US led forces
in country after country.
#For
working class unity internationally to end the corrupt
capitalist system which keeps the majority of the
people of the world in want and oppression. From this
capitalist hell rises support for organizations such
as Al Qaeda. There can be no security, no decent life
for people in the US or any part of the world as long
as the want and oppression of capitalism exists.
#For
a new world based on collective democratic ownership,
control and utilization of the resources of the world
and for these resources to be used in a sustainable
way to create a decent life for all the peoples of
the world.
#For
international working class solidarity and collective
democratic action as the alternative to the dictatorship
of capitalism which rules the world and is destroying
life as we know it.
Building
an anti-capitalist working class movement against
the war is not only a question of the right policies
which we believe we outline above. It is also how
the movement should orient and act. We believe that
the following approach should be taken.
#The
workplaces, the working class neighborhoods, the union
locals, the working class schools and colleges should
be the priority areas to which the anti-war movement
directs its work. The more the anti-war movement is
based on the working class the more powerful it will
be and the more it will be able to win to its side
the middle class sections of the population.
#Resolutions
against the war which place responsibility for it
and for such slaughters as September 11th, the occupation
of Palestine, the invasion of Afghanistan, sanctions
against Iraq, etc, on the corporations' corrupt
capitalist system, should be put before the union
locals and bodies, the neighborhood and tenants associations,
and the student unions in the schools and colleges.
#Such
resolutions should contain the commitment to organize
mass meetings to discuss these issues in the workplaces,
the schools and colleges and to link with the neighborhood
associations to organize mass rallies in the
neighborhoods. Let working people consider the issues
and speak.
#The
mobilizing of such a movement should aim for mass
collective direct actions that would oppose the policies
of the Bush regime which is the government of the
corporations. In building the movement direct action
by smaller groups will be important but this should
not be considered in isolation but should be taken
keeping in mind how it will affect the building of
the mass movement and mass working class direct action
which in the last analysis will be decisive.
#The
anti-war working class movement should help the ranks
of the armed forces organize themselves collectively
to make their views known as well as deal with their
day to day problems.
#The
anti-capitalist working class movement against the
war should hope to be able to organize toward general
strike actions to make their views known and their
polices a reality.
Dan
Labor stands for an anti-capitalist working class
movement against the war. We also believe that the
anti global capitalist movement should increase its
efforts to build a base amongst working class communities
and in the workplace and in the unions. After Seattle
and Quebec big business and their states have had
some success in isolating the anti-global capitalist
movement from working people and their problems. We
believe in taking up the day to day problems of working
people, explaining how these are caused by the profit
addicted global capitalist system and the present
offensive of this system and we believe in trying
to organize direct action to confront these problems
and to do so collectively with working people. Those
who agree with our polices or would like to discuss
them please contact us at: danlabor@pobox.com
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