The commencement of overt hostilities against Iraq brings centre stage the struggle against the United States imperial way. Not since the heroic struggle of the people of Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s has the clash of interest between imperial aggression and sovereignty been so polarised.
It is now no longer a campaign to preserve peace but how to put these dogs of war – Bush and Blair – back in their kennels.
Our internationalist duty begins at home. Our internationalist duty means exacerbating the contradictions between the Blair government and the millions of workers appalled at such blatant aggression.
Resistance to the warmongers in every workplace, community, university and school, has to be the order of the day. The Trades Union Congress, under rules dating back to the bloodbath of First World War, called a special meeting of the General Council to address opposition – but failed to move forward from their previous statement against war.
We must go further.
The British working class has for too long sat and contemplated the levers of power which make Britain function. The levers must be pulled and Britain’s mercenary war terminated.
In imperialist war, workers have always looked to stopping such genocide by turning the war back on the warmongers. Bush and Blair have declared war on the world, and the people of the world must take that struggle to them.
23 May 2003