Stop the War: Organize for Justice at Home
by Steve Donkin

December 2001/ January 2002
Volume 38, Number 10

WeÕre all well aware of the horrors of war. However, many progressives and revolutionaries throughout history have also noted that war, for all its negative attributes, creates huge chinks in the systemÕs facade of stability and prosperity which offer the possibility of real change for the better. When bombs are raining down on innocent civilians, many find it difficult to believe that we have achieved the pinnacle of civilized society. Thus, while war makes obvious the hidden barbarities of capitalism and imperialism, it also provides an opportunity for real systemic change, if the Left recognizes and seizes that opportunity.

Examples of this abound throughout modern history. Disillusionment followed World War I, as soldiers returning from the slaughter of the front found an economic system that continued to oppress the workers who had fought to defend it. This reinvigorated the labor movement in both Europe and the U.S.. After World War II, similar disillusionment among U.S. blacks who had sacrificed greatly and received little in return gave birth to the civil rights movement, while the Indochinese took advantage of post-war instability to finally cast out French colonialism.

Right now, we are in yet another war that offers the potential for building a lasting movement for peace and justice even as we agitate to end the war.

We need to get back to basics. Movements are not built by dragging the usual suspects out to yet another routine demonstration at the White House, or by holding multiple teach-ins for the already converted. We must expand our numbers by orders of magnitude, and that means reaching out to the numerous pockets of dissent that exist all around us yet remain disconnected from one another.

Allies exist in many places. Organized labor is one such ally. Although many labor leaders have jumped on the pro-war bandwagon, many among the rank-and-file have serious reservations as they watch massive lay-offs and decreased bargaining power threaten the livelihoods of working families across the country. The Labor Committee for Peace and Justice is one example of a grassroots anti-war effort initiated by local trade unionists.

Churches and communities of faith are another source of allies. Jesus set an example for his followers by remaining active in the fight for justice in this world even while preaching about the rewards of the spiritual world. When he railed against the Òscribes,Ó ÒPhariseesÓ and Òhypocrites,Ó he was taking on the Bushes, Cheneys and Ashcrofts of his day. In the same way, those who pray for peace today need to be encouraged to augment prayers with action.

A third very important, but often neglected, source of allies can be found in working-class neighborhoods, particularly communities of color and immigrant communities. These communities are often the first to feel the negative impacts of our spiraling war economy, and are frequently well aware of the injustices of war.

The fact is that many people, particularly those with few economic resources to rely on, are already raising questions about the war. In recent weeks, the Outreach Working Group of the D.C. Anti-War Network (D.A.W.N.) has been conducting door-to-door canvassing in neighborhoods like DCÕs Anacostia. We ask people what their views are on the war, what concerns they have, and how they think the community can and should respond. Many people are gratified that someone is actually asking their opinion, rather than telling them what to think. Time and again, we have found overwhelming sentiment against the war, in stark contrast to the numerous pro-war poll results reported by the media.

It makes perfect sense: many people in low- and moderate-income communities, communities of color, and immigrant communities already have a deep and justified mistrust of the government. When the President calls upon such citizens to stand behind him, the immediate response is ÒWhy should we, when you have so often failed to stand behind us?Ó And many more are led to ask why they should support yet another war for corporate interests, who stand to gain everything yet sacrifice nothing, while we are expected to relinquish our public resources, our civil liberties, and indeed even our lives for this misguided venture?

Many people already realize that the Òwar against terrorismÓ is just another war of nations. The West needs to enlarge its dominance in the oil-rich Middle East by conquering Afghanistan, a major potential pipeline route from the northerly sources of oil to the southerly shipment ports. Along the way, maybe the corporate elite will revisit unfinished business in Iraq, finally removing the regime there (which it in fact helped to create, once upon a time) in order to solidify its control of the region. All this will occur at a staggering cost in terms of lost human lives, decimated cultures, and increased insecurity for those on the bottom of the economic ladder.

In response to this war of violence, we must wage a war of organized resistance and peaceful agitation. We need to turn this war into a war between the oppressed and the oppressors, the have-nots and the haves, the people and the ruling elite. We can only build the movement for a just world by organizing from below, at the grassroots.

Community outreach and education activities are ongoing and include door-to-door canvassing in D.C.Õs neighborhoods and local community forums. Right now we are focusing on Anacostia, but we want to expand throughout the city and we need your help. Please join us!

Steve Donkin is Outreach Coordinator for the D.C. Statehood Green Party and also works with the Outreach/Education Working Group of the D.C. Anti-War Network (D.A.W.N.). He can be reached at (202) 986-9438 or sdonkin@smart.net.