2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008
What Do We Do Now?
As we move towards commemorating the beginning of the 6th year of the
Iraq Occupation/War, I am excited about all the work the peace and
justice movements have accomplished. We have kept the issue of the Iraq
Occupation in the forefront of U.S. national conversation. We have not
allowed the Bush Administration and others who support the war to
distort the fact that the war is illegal and immoral. We have turned a
solid 30% minority of dissent against the war to a solid majority
against the war. Due in large part to our efforts, the Republican-led
Congress fell to the current Democrat leadership. While this
accomplishment was not itself an intended result (putting Dems in
office is not what we are trying to do) it does show the power of the
people and that the anti-war/peace movements can have substantial
influence on the outcome of local elections. Since the election in 2006
we have put tremendous pressure on Congress to end the war. This
pressure has kept the war front and center in the minds of the US
public and changed the political debate. Before the new Congress there
was little discussion on Capitol Hill about the war and certainly no
debate on withdrawal. Now there is continued debate and a withdrawal
timetable is part of that discussion. These are both qualitative and
quantitative changes.
Two other vitally important points:
- We have been a crucial actor in creating an environment of dissent that has helped at least hold, and in some places push back, the Bush Administration led government grab for power and corporate influence.
- Our example of agitation has helped provide space for progressive maneuvering, holding and advancement efforts in other struggles.
However, we have failed at the most basic task of ending the war and it
is hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel in this regard. Right
now it appears to me that the movements are in a kind of drift. We have
lost momentum and we must regain what combat arms types call the
initiative.
What is the initiative? One has gained the initiative when your
opponent must react to your actions. The opponent has the initiative
when you must react to their actions. I believed we gained it beginning
with Cindy Sheehan's sheroic and simple act of demanding an answer from
President Bush for her son's death, resulting in Camp Casey and a
tremendous influx of new people acting against the occupation. The
horrendous and shameful government response in the face of hurricanes
Katrina and Rita help secure our advantage. We maintained it by putting
the President and his party in constant defense mode as they saw
support for the war continue to erode and they lost Congress. We lost
it as we put so much energy in pushing Congress to force the President
to withdraw from Iraq, with the sad outcome of which we all know. I
believe today neither the pro-war nor the anti-war/peace interest has
the initiative.
So what do we do now to gain the initiative?
For the most part Veterans For Peace as an organization must continue
to support Iraq Veterans Against the War in their efforts. Iraq -
Winter Soldier provides an opportunity to regain the initiative, but we
must work hard to position ourselves to grab it. We must engage service
members were we can to educate about their rights and assure them our
support for decisions they may make to resist the war. We must continue
our truth in recruiting/counter recruitment efforts. And we must
continue our various activities to end the war.
However, the peace/anti-war movements taken as a whole and VFP as part
of those movements must adjust our strategy and tactics to meet the
moment. As I said before, we have done a tremendous job thus far. But
right now we are drifting. One of our favorite chants is, "Power to the People. Yet we continue to go to Washington DC in our efforts to end
the war and change the direction of our nation. I think it is time we
shift our main focus to the people. There is only so much one can
accomplish in a particular environment. I believe we have achieved all
we can in the current political environment.
One recent morning I heard
Daniel Schorr of National Public Radio mention the state of politics
concerning the war. The way he sees it, voters have become so
frustrated with trying to influence the Bush Administration's Iraq
policy that as we move into the election season they are now paying
more attention to the economy. He termed it a malaise. Shorr pointed
out where once it appeared the Republicans were distancing themselves
from the war, they are now content to take on any Democrat move against
the war. I think he is more right than wrong. Polls show that the war
is still very much a concern, but at times it is superseded by the
economy or healthcare. When the economy and healthcare are summed they
exceed concern over the war. In an October 31/Nov 1 Newsweek poll when
asked, "In deciding which presidential candidate to support in 2008,
which one of the following issues is most important to you," the
economy was at the top of concerns for all voters with the war not far
behind. http://www.pollingreport.com/prioriti.htm
We can wait for the environment to change (and it will via events
beyond our control in Iraq). But that is not how one gains the
initiative. I think we must attempt to change the environment. Of
course we must continue to mass demonstrate in DC when appropriate,
pressure Congress and pursue all other forms of resistance, but we must
bring more people into the fray. We cannot grow the movement from the
inside.
The goals of organizing emphasizing the people are:
1. To listen to learn how people feel and what they are thinking.
2. To acknowledge their views and feelings.
3. To humanize the anti war/peace movements. We are in this together. We are all residents of this country.
4. To share our feelings and thoughts in an effort to plant seeds of change.
We must not go out to persuade or argue. We must not be
confrontational. We must be understanding and compassionate. To do this
will be tough. Usually the road to success is tough.
There are several outcomes I believe will result from this intense
engagement. You can read all six here, but there are two I hold as key:
- Surface tensions - I recently read Marshall Frady's book, Martin Luther King, Jr. A Life. In the book Fray states that one of King's goals, when marching in Selma, Montgomery and other places, was to surface tensions. Surfacing tensions about the occupation will bring the discussion out in the open for more people to face everyday.
- Gain new people into the movements. With more people we change the environment and have a chance to gain the initiative.
Bottom line, we take our message to the people and push the national
discussion in the direction we want it to go. We do not wait. With
great determination, intentsion and forethought we take the initiative.
It is never given away and seldom presents itself. If we want it we
must take it. We can make it happen.
More organizing information and ways to support IVAW - Winter Soldier coming soon.
What are the outcomes to engagement?
1. We will better understand firsthand why people are not more active
against the war and/or why they support the war. This will inform our
message.
2. Build relationships with many people who have no idea who is in our
movements. Destroy the myth of the anti-US peacenik created by our
opponents and the national media.
3. Circumvent the media. They seldom tell our story. So we go tell it
directly to the people. Let's see how the media reacts to that.
4. Gain greater protection against future repression. It will be harder
to repress and disappear people who have made themselves known and
human in the public eye.
5. Surface tensions - I recently read Marshall Frady's book, Martin
Luther King, Jr. A Life. In the book Fray characterizes one of King's
goals, when marching in Selma, Montgomery and other places, was to
surface tensions. Surfacing tensions brings the discussion out in the
open for more people to face everyday.
6. Gain new people into the movements. With more people we change the
environment and have a chance to gain the initiative.
Michael T. McPhearson
Veterans For Peace
Executive Director