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The
world situation is characterized by extreme political, economic,
social, and military instability. Humanity has entered an unprecedented
period of wars, revolutions, and counter-revolutions. This is at root a
reflection of the crisis of the world capitalist system, with the
crisis of U.S. capitalism at its center.
Capitalism is an
economic system based on private ownership of the means of production
and the relentless pursuit of profits. This leads to vicious
competition between rival capitalists for control of the world's
natural resources, markets and labor. Under capitalism, national
governments negotiate trade deals, use diplomatic pressure, and often
resort to military force to defend the interests of "their" country's
corporations.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, U.S.
imperialism emerged as the world's dominant power. It has arrogantly
sought to impose its will on the peoples of the world, bullying them
economically and militarily. This is exemplified by the war in Iraq, a
war not only for oil and strategic control over the region, but to
teach a "lesson" to any country that dares "step out of line". But none
of imperialism's objectives have been achieved. The lies and deceptions
the government and media used to justify the war have been exposed, and
the social effects of the war are hitting home. Far from demonstrating
U.S. imperialism's power, the war has demonstrated the limits of its power.
The
working class has nothing to gain from imperialist wars. Not only are
these wars fought overwhelmingly by members of the working class, who
are compelled to join the military for lack of jobs that pay a living
wage, but we are forced to shoulder the financial burden as well. The
war on Iraq has been accompanied by brutal cuts in education and social
services. During the past three decades, real wages have steadily
declined, the work week has increased, and the retirement age has been
raised, while the military budget has exploded. The mass demonstrations
that preceded the war reflected not only opposition to the impending
invasion of Iraq, but the deep-seated discontent with the way things
have been going for 30 years. For all these reasons, we believe that
the struggle against the war is inherently a struggle against the
capitalist system itself.
The war is now the top issue on
Americans' minds. The Democrats were swept into power last November on
a wave of anti-war sentiment. But instead of ending the war, they have
approved billions more in funding, condemning thousands more Americans
and Iraqis to death and dismemberment. This combination of the
ever-worsening situation in Iraq and the lack of a political solution
here at home is fertile ground for an explosion of the anti-war
movement in the coming period.
The Workers International
League enthusiastically endorses ANSWER's May 31 call for a peaceful,
legal, united front antiwar demonstration. The united front is defined
by the coming together of various groups and individuals who may have
an array of political differences on other questions, but who agree on
a single point, in this case, opposition to the war. This approach
maximizes the size and effectiveness of the demonstration, while
allowing all organizations and individuals to raise their own demands
and perspectives. The larger and more united the movement, the greater
the prospects for success. The basic unifying slogan "End the War Now!"
can effectively mobilize the millions of workers and youth who want the
war ended immediately. Our massive numbers will provide overwhelming
proof of majority opposition to the war.
While fighting for
maximum unity and energetically building a united demonstration, we
will defend and explain our own ideas and perspectives on the war. We
believe the movement must maintain its political independence in
relation to all capitalist parties, whose interests are diametrically
opposed to ours. We believe the labor movement must give a bold lead,
placing itself at the head of the movement to end the war. In short,
we believe that this is above all a class question, requiring working
class political and organizational independence. The working class,
acting independently, can stop this war. We can rely only on our own
strength, organization, and methods.
A united antiwar movement
is U.S. imperialism's greatest nightmare. During the Vietnam War, the
U.S. government was shaken by the size of the antiwar demonstrations,
not only because they feared the demonstrations would turn troops in
Vietnam against the war, but also against the government itself, which
is exactly what happened on a mass scale. History shows that when
millions come out on the streets to voice their collective opposition
to government policy, a revolutionary logic of its own is unleashed.
Through their own experience, working people become aware of the
tremendous power they have when their actions are consciously
organized. They come to realize they have the power to transform
society from one ruled by a tiny handful of rich people in the
interests of the minority, into a society democratically governed by
the vast majority, in the interests of the vast majority.
As
long as capitalism continues, humanity will be ravaged by war, misery,
and oppression. The same class that wages wars of exploitation in the
pursuit of profits abroad, wages a constant war of exploitation in the
pursuit of profits here at home. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are
just one side of the equation. The other side is the relentless attack
on workers' jobs, wages, conditions, health care, education, and
dignity.
The WIL believes that the only real solution to the
problem of war lies in the overthrow of the capitalist system through
the conscious action of the organized working class. In other words, to end war, we must end capitalism.
To accomplish this, we must build the forces of revolutionary Marxism
in the U.S. and internationally. If you agree with this perspective, we
invite you to join the Workers International League and the struggle for a better world – socialism.