Rumors of war become more frequent. Tel Aviv pushes harder and harder
for an attack on Iran while Iranian defense officials seem resigned to
the fact of an eventual war on their nation. Sanctions against the
Iranian people are tightening. Many regular citizens of the world expect
some kind of military attack on Iran either right before or not long
after the US elections in November. The thinking goes that no matter who
wins, the warmongers in Tel Aviv and Washington, DC will set such an
attack in motion. Once the first salvo is fired, it is unlikely there
will be any turning back for many weeks, at least. Thousands will die.
Cities and towns will be destroyed. A new wave of terror will be
unleashed by all sides using traditional forces and guerrillas. A future
of bloodshed and the threat of nuclear holocaust will reign.
Yet, there is no discernible antiwar movement. Unlike the months prior
to March 2003 and the US invasion of Iraq, there has hardly been a
single sign held opposing war on Iran. Part of this is because of
political mistakes made by the leadership of the antiwar networks in
place during the prelude and first few years of the war on Iraq. Part of
the reason for the ennui is a denial by the antiwar population that the
potential for war is lurking ahead of us like an insurmountable snow
bank ready to collapse in the suddenly warming weather. Then there is
the belief propagated by the power elites who profit from war that Iran
is an enemy that deserves defeat; part of an "axis of evil" so
incorrigible the only remedy is its obliteration. The reasons for this
perception are many. The Israeli government needs an enemy to justify
its continued military occupation of Palestine and the repression of
many of its own residents. Washington also needs an enemy for the same
reasons. Then there is the question of revenge against the Tehran regime
founded in a revolutionary defeat of Washington's man in Iran--the
Shah. Then, of course, there is the question of oil.
Never mind that Iran is essentially as much of a functioning democracy
as the United States or Great Britain. Never mind that it is one of the
world's most literate nations. Never mind that many of its citizens want
their government to minimize the power of the religious conservatives
in their daily lives. Iran has oil that Washington wants to control like
it used to in the days of the Shah. Also, Iran dares to defy the agenda
Washington and Tel Aviv have in mind for the region called the Middle
East. Indeed, it has done so for more than three decades, angering those
powers and their allies while providing an example of resistance to
millions. These are the reasons Washington and Tel Aviv want to make war
on Iran. They should not be construed as endorsements of the Iranian
government.
We know that existing antiwar networks like the United National Antiwar
Coalition, United for Peace and Justice, and others are working in
multiple and diverse ways against this and other manifestations of the
US war machine. But, it is time to step up the ante. Therefore, we urge
everyone opposed to the threat of war on Iran to organize locally and
quickly. If we cannot stop any attacks, we must be ready to respond to
them. There does not have to be an official organization, just the desire of a
few friends and acquaintances. Picket lines, teach-ins, sit-ins,
marches through downtown; all of these and more must be planned. The
masters of war must not be let off the hook. Occupy proved that local
networks exist that can mobilize people quickly. This model is as old as
the Diggers and as new as today. Utilize it. Call for a protest at your
Federal Building, City Hall, recruiting office, military base, or
somewhere downtown. All organizing begins small. As the events around
the world the past couple years have proven, it can become very big.
Who are we? We are workers, students, small business owners, parents
from all over North America. We are well off and not so well off. Most
importantly, we are agitators. That's nothing special. There should be
millions of us instigating calls against war around the world. It's as
easy as 1, 2, and 3. Join us!
Original signers include:
David Abeles
Shalui Abeles
Paul Atwood
Peter Bohmer
Kathleen Brown
Marc Estrin
Bob Feldman
Robert Ferraro
Ramsey Kanaan
Ron Jacobs
Scott Noble
Sue Reading
Jude Sargent
Michael Simmons
Bob Simpson
Brian Tokar
Raised as a military brat, Ron Jacobs spent many of his child and teen years in US outposts abroad, from Pakistan to Germany. He continued his traveling ways after he left home, hitchhiking around the United States. He is a journalist and the author (
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