The United States is the one in this situation that has taken advantage of this abnormal time to threaten Iraq with excessive force. The U.S. government is blatantly feeding off people's fears in order to win support for any kind of military action.

The U.S. statement also warned against use of chemical and biological weapons. That is not an unwarranted warning, but does the U.S. government not realize that the number one killer of Iraqi children is diarrhea? One could argue that U.S. sanctions and bombings of water treatment plants, which are killing people daily, is a form of biological warfare. It is all terribly hypocritical, but the official Iraqi response put it best when it described the warning as "naive, silly and arrogant."

Ari Paul
Ann Arbor, Michigan
 
 
What is imperialism?
Please describe to me "imperialists." I ask this of Brian Williams, who used this label for the United States. It is true, but it does not account for the significant evolution the United States represents for the human race of this violent world.

Tajar Ryzen
by e-mail
   
 
Antiwar movement I
It is not clear from reading the latest Militant if you are in favor of an antiwar movement in the United States. The lead editorial in the October 22 issue called on people to support strikes and labor battles and sell the Militant, with no mention of mobilizing opposition to this war through demonstrations, teach-ins, picket lines, etc.

In addition, perhaps it was in sections I did not see, but it seems there is no coverage of the antiwar efforts that have happened across the country. In Portland alone we have had marches of over 2,000 twice, numerous rallies, and educational events with speakers from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Palestine. The antiwar movement here is the center of the editorial page letters column almost daily with war hawks condemning the movement in the traditional fashion and those speaking out about the truth of American foreign policy.

John Olmsted
Portland, Oregon
 
 
Antiwar movement II
On September 11 my students watched as people jumped from the World Trade Center, as fire engulfed the building, and feared that their parents were lost. Every day they come to school with their lungs filled with smoke that still permeates Chinatown. Their lives and the lives of all children in New York have been irrevocably changed. All children in New York have lost their innocence--their right to feel safe in the world. I am shocked that the Militant barely acknowledges the pain that has been caused by the bombing of the World Trade Center.

This is not to say that I don't support and worry about the children around the world. It is not to say that I don't agree with much of your analysis.

In addition, I have attended many of the vigils and the demonstrations in New York. Unlike your reporting, these demonstrations have had a solid antiwar focus. The peace buttons that Jack Willey misinterprets mirror the same type that existed during the beginning of the anti-Vietnam War movement. They don't resemble in any way the yellow ribbons worn during the bombing of Iraq. The people at these demonstrations represent the beginning of a grassroots organization against the war. At the candlelight vigils people talked not only about their personal losses, about the firefighters who are gone, but also about their concern for the people of Afghanistan. They talked about what could be done to stop the bombing. They are organizing against the war.

Anne Powers
New York, New York
 
 
Antiwar movement III
It is remarkable that your article, "What course is needed in antiwar protests?" in issue no. 40 makes no mention whatsoever of the national protests on September 29 against the war, nor of the national day of action against the war on October 27. These protests were never mentioned in any Militant articles. Your general views on the war and slogans against the war are quite similar to the local coalition's here--except that we welcome the participation of all who oppose the war.

Your article claims that the protests against the war are basically pacifist protests, which only seems true in the article--because you have excluded the national protests against the war which are not pacifist. I must also object to the dishonest reporting of the International Action Center (IAC) group in your article. Your article makes it seem that the IAC organizes "peace vigils," and adapts "to imperialist war pressures and disorient many young people who genuinely want to fight against imperialist aggression." Peace vigils "served to try to whip up American patriotism and convince the maximum number of people from the middle and working classes that they need to ally with the bourgeoisie."

In fact, unlike other more cowardly groups who were organizing a September 29 protest against the IMF and World Bank, and then canceled their demonstrations after September 11, the IAC did not, but changed its demonstration to one against the war. Their demands were "No War on Afghanistan, No Racist Attacks on Arab and Muslim peoples, No Attacks on Civil Liberties."

Stan Smith
Chicago, Illinois
 
 
London demonstration
Congratulations on the last few issues of the paper which, in contrast to most papers that claim to be socialist or communist, has put forward a clear anti-imperialist program in opposition to the U.S. and British aggression against Afghanistan. Moreover those opposed to the war will find much needed ammunition in the clear presentation of the facts about the current world situation found in the pages of the Militant; the truth is always on our side.

In that regard I must point out that an error occurred in the report of the demonstration in London on October 13 which referred to "Thousands of Muslim youth" occupying Trafalgar Square. Whilst undoubtedly the most important feature of this protest against the war, it would be more accurate to have said "Hundreds of Muslim youth," this development does not gain anything by exaggeration.

Pete Evans
London, United Kingdom
 
 
Analysis of terrorist act
The Militant has provided outstanding coverage and analysis on the US war drive in Afghanistan but a poor job of providing any political analysis of the specific terrorist attacks on September 11 and terrorism in general despite several letters written to you since the attacks. The working class is clearly asking for a political analysis of terrorism but if the Militant continues its silence on this issue it will leave a political vacuum likely to be filled by big business media. Please explain how revolutionaries can explain the terrorist attacks and how to fight terrorism in addition to the fine analysis of the U.S. war drive.

E.F.
Seattle, Washington

Editor's note: The articles in the October International Socialist Review address the questions raised by E.F. It is available online or from the Militant for $1, plus 50 cents postage, by writing: 410 West St., New York, NY 10014.
 
 
Propaganda against Sudan
The imperialists are readying a pretext to extend their war of aggression to Sudan sometime in the future. There is a steady stream of articles telling of the atrocities and cruelty of the Khartoum regime and depicting the civil war in the country as a race war between Arabs and "blacks" or occasionally between Muslims and Christians and Animists. All the people of Sudan are Africans and Black.

The aim of the media campaign is to provide a pretext for military action in Sudan and convincing the Black liberal establishment in the United States to go along with Yankee troops massacring Africans. The danger is real if not imminent.

Neil Callender
Cambridge, Massachusetts
 
 
'To See the Dawn'
Recently, I was reading To See the Dawn: Congress of the Peoples of the East, which brings today's current world political situation in sharp relief as to the historic possibilities inherent in the call by the Baku congresses for unity of the toilers in opposition to imperialism. The questions and answers are fundamentally the same. If possible, excerpts from the speech given by John Reed should find their way into the Militant since they discuss food as weapon by the United States along with the U.S. colonial conquests.

Robert Robertson
Bloomfield, New Jersey
 
 
A contribution
Please find a contribution enclosed. This is my donation to the best political newspaper on earth. Do as you please in whatever area this money can help.

Greg Hodges
Santa Cruz, California

 
The letters column is an open forum for all viewpoints on subjects of interest to working people.

Please keep your letters brief. Where necessary they will be abridged. Please indicate if you prefer that your initials be used rather than your full name.  
 
 
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