3/25/03 9:14 PM- An Open Letter To My Fellow Americans

Today, I am ashamed to be an American.

As our great republic engages in a campaign of all-out aggression against a sovereign nation, led by an administration of recycled Reaganites and joined by a mock-up "coalition" consisting of Britain and a handful of Australians, I cannot help but join Senator Robert Byrd in weeping for our once-proud nation.

I am sorely disappointed, if not surprised, to watch as faulty projections of a 'quick and humane war' rapidly fall to pieces.

Already, financial analysts are questioning the plausibility of prolonged involvement, blowing the whistle on the administration's failure to inform the public of the long-term cost of this invasion. Aid shipments promised to Iraq have been delayed, and complications threaten to prolong the delays for days to come.

Throughout the first five days of the invasion, 278 Iraqi civilians were reported killed, and hundreds more were injured. So far, Iraqi cities have put up unexpectedly strong opposition to U.S. troops.

Now that we have attacked Iran with a number of cruise missiles, we face the danger that they may choose to roll tanks into Iraq, effectively prolonging the engagement.

Already, Iraqi civilians have armed themselves against "coalition" forces, and from now on, all civilians may be considered hostile.

So much for a well-received invasion. So much for another Gulf War.

We talk of "liberation" and "democracy", feigning ignorance of the tribal politics that have plagued Iraq for hundreds of years. An Iraqi democracy would have tremendous implications; it is obvious that the 60% Shiite majority, aligned with hard-line Iranians, will not be allowed to rule, and we have promised Turkey that the Kurds will never be given power. That leaves only a Sunni leader- like Saddam himself- who would doubtlessly continue the oppression of the Kurdish people.

I am saddened to see our country torn apart by this invasion. We have set a historical precedent with the size and veracity of the anti-war movement, the only "pre-emptive" movement in the history of our nation, yet we have found ourselves screaming obscenities at our fellow Americans, separated by a line of armored police, as powerless to stop the inevitable invasion as its supporters are to hasten it. Moderates are pit against radicals, liberals against conservatives, but most are united in an overall sense of disillusionment.

I am equally saddened to see the proud American tradition of dissidence crushed underfoot by the corporate media and labeled "un-patriotic" by those who seem to have forgotten what this country was founded upon.

It takes an idealistic faith in our constitutional democracy to face the threat of armored police wielding tear gas and rubber bullets, to sit in at the Capitol Building, or to lie down in the street in front of the White House, and it breaks my heart to see those who possess such a faith slandered carelessly by their compatriots.

Many are accused of not "supporting our troops." As my cousin is sent off to Iraq, his orders to remove American bodies from our helicopters, I remain firmly opposed to this war; I support our troops fully, and I want nothing more than for him to come home.

I am disgusted to see the notion of journalistic integrity dashed aside as the corporate media proceeds in lock-step with the administration's sanitized depiction of this invasion.

I find it impossible not to balk at the ridiculous notion that the American public's view of world events is being provided by General Electric, Rupert Murdoch, and AOL/Time Warner.

I wonder how many realize that Rupert Murdoch is a financial backer and open supporter of the Republican Party, and that his massive media empire, which includes FOX News, has always unquestioningly backed Bush's foreign and domestic agenda. Surely many must know that General Electric, owner of NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC, is a massive beneficiary of military contracts and stands to make millions from this war.

Yet I wonder how few are aware that these are not conspiracy theories- they are economic realities.

Watching the televised "coverage" seems surreal to me; scenes from Wag the Dog flash through my mind as I view the 24-hour genocide live on cable TV.

This is the first time that we have had the opportunity to numb ourselves to large-scale destruction as it unfolds in-real time somewhere across the globe.

This is the first time that we have had the privilege to watch as hundreds of cruise missiles tear apart a city of 5 million innocent people, most of them too poor to flee.

While I am disgusted by the horrific images on Al-Jazeera, I am equally disgusted by those who have the gall label it "propaganda". Might we not consider the Pentagon's request that footage of American POWs be exempted from television coverage, a request readily complied with by the major media, another form of propaganda?

It seems that the dead and dying children in Iraqi hospitals are not valuable enough news for prime time American TV- after all, they might misrepresent the administration's approved depiction of our campaign.

Somehow, it is deeply unsettling that one must turn to Canadian coverage to watch as the father of one U.S. Marine, killed in a helicopter crash, holds up a photograph of his child and screams: "Take a look, Bush. You killed my only son."

Cue the patriotic speech and American flag graphic.

Taking advantage of the media's preoccupation, Israel, our Middle-Eastern mercenary state, has bulldozed over a hundred homes in the West Bank, killing many Palestinians, a handful of Americans, and an Israeli woman in retaliation for protesting our attack on Iraq. Most coverage of these incidents has been relegated to the back pages of newspapers, if published at all.

Large and vehement anti-American protests broke out in Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey in response to our attack. The Syrian government denounced the invasion as "unjustified aggression and a blatant violation of international laws," and has called for "the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of U.S. and British invading troops from Iraqi territory." Many Arab people view this invasion as a statement of disregard for Muslim lives; just today, half a million people demonstrated this viewpoint in Damascus, and thousands of Hezbollah militants did the same in Beirut.

I am sick with fear as I anticipate another attack on our home soil, claiming thousands more American lives as a result of our government's decision to escalate the cycle of violence.

I am befuddled by the administration's decision to ignore our allies in the United Nations, even after an extensive campaign of bribery, and to proceed with this illegal war despite staunch international opposition- choosing instead to demonstrate that our consideration for international relations is superceded by our private interests.

Today I watch as the Bush administration, unchecked by the Senate and unconcerned with International Law, dismantles our constitutional democracy, endangers our own people, and lays waste to a country of 24 million people in the name of our great nation.

Today I watch the American public mislead by the major media, abused by our own government, and torn apart by ideological divisions.

And today I watch as more American lives are lost in a war which threatens to stretch on for months to come.

No- today I am not proud. Today, I am ashamed to be an American.

3/23/03 12:38 PM- I have posted a new gallery of pictures from the March 15th Anti-War march on the White House.

3/22/03 4:55 PM- Tons of new and exciting mail in the Reader Mail section. Head over and check it out while I put together the protest gallery.

3/22/03 1:02 PM- We will not stop.
Today: a bit of eye-candy for all of you.

3/19/03 11:00 PM- * A few words of encouragement from a recent interview with Noam Chomsky. *
Q. Assuming that war comes, should the anti-war movement be depressed about  its ineffectuality?
A. That's like suggesting that abolitionists, or advocates of rights of working people or women, or others concerned with freedom and justice, should have been depressed about their inability to attain their goals, or even make progress towards them, over very long periods.  The right reaction is to intensify the struggle.  In this case, we should recognize that the anti-war movement was unprecedented in scale, so that there is a better base for proceeding further.  And that the goals should be far more long-term.  A large part of the opposition to Bush's war is based on recognition that Iraq is only a special case of the "imperial ambition" that is widely condemned and rightly feared; that's the source of a good part of the unprecedented opposition to Bush's war right at the heart of the establishment here, and elsewhere as well.  Even the mainstream press now reports the "urgent and disturbing" messages sent to Washington from US embassies around the world, warning that "many people in the world increasingly think President Bush is a greater threat to world peace" than Saddam Hussein (Washington Post lead story).  That actually goes back to the Clinton years, but it has become far more significant today.  With good reasons.  The threat is real, and the right place to counter it is here.  Whatever happens in Iraq, the popular movements here should be invigorated to confront this far larger and continuing threat, which is sure to take new forms, and is quite literally raising issues of the fate of the human species.  That aside, the popular movements should be mobilized to support the best outcomes for the people of Iraq, and not only there of course.  There's plenty of work to do. 

3/19/03 8:33 PM- Against the war? Live in Michigan? Want to show your support? Click here for upcoming local events.
Here is another report on the D.C. rally.
What now, anti-warrior? An excellent article on the anti-war movement and its challenges as this war begins.

3/18/03 3:25 PM- Today myself and a few friends expressed our solidarity with the people of Iraq by dressing in all black and tying a bandana around my mouth, remaining silent throughout the day. As most of you are well aware, yesterday President Bush addressed the nation and officially declared our inevitable rush to war. He has ignored the voices of dissent within the international community, and he has ignored the millions of people worldwide who have taken to the streets to voice their opposition towards this war. My silence represented the squelched voices of those millions who have been swept aside by Bush and Blair's coalition of aggressors, a coalition who seems hell-bent on using force against Iraq. The act of protest was very well-received, and many people gave me a pat on the back, a good job, or a simple word or two of encouragement. There were, of course, a few people who disagreed, but I was met with respect by all who handled the issue maturely.

According to a recent CNN Gallup poll, only 47% are in favor of going to war without the U.N.'s support- those against the war remain in the majority. Let us hope this war loses Bush the next election.

As far as Bush's address goes, I have the following to say: it was well-read; the president has finally proven that he is able to speak our native language of English, forsaking his unique Texan dialect for what could possibly be his most important address. Aside from that, the address was packed with utter distortions and outright lies. Most importantly: the address did nothing to change the facts. Bush announced no new evidence, and made every effort to discredit those dissenters who make up 47% of our population. I feel that he has failed.
Several of the things Bush mentioned in his speech were more than simply unfounded- they were outright false. Remember that the administration has so far broughtno evidence whatsoever forth to substantiate ANY ridiculous accusations of Al-Qaeda connections with Iraq or even Iraq's supposed possession of WMDs. The speech was powerful and perhaps even well-spoken, but it was a powerful and well-spoken heap of bullshit, carefully designed to manipulate public opinion. Notice two things: *While Bush offered assistance to Iraqi soldiers who were willing to surrender, putting a flowery image of "peaceful war" into the public consciousness, he mentioned nothing about the Pentagon's Shock-and-Awe campaign, self-proclaimed as being the "next Hiroshima and Nagasaki". To speak bluntly: I hope the Iraqi people have good luck surrendering to 3,000 cruise missiles.
*Also, notice that he went out of his way to remind Iraqi troops not to destroy oil fields, apparently one of his chief concerns, as he mentioned it twice, both times before even mentioning WMDs. Then he nearly contradicted himself by saying that they belong to the Iraqi people. I need not elaborate on this particular point.
There have been plenty of articles published showing the factual fallacies in many of Bush's statements, and I will not argue further against his address- which I feel was clearly no more than political garbage, intended to change poor poll results, and possessing as much truth as a speech during an election campaign.

3/17/03 4:44 PM- Just as I was returning from the anti-war rally and march on Washington, D.C. I received an e-mail from a reader stressing the necessity of this war in Iraq. I have responded to the e-mail on the Reader Mail page.

* Report: March 15th Anti-War Convergence *
The march itself was incredible. It began at 12:00AM with speakers addressing the crowd, which at the time consisted of only a few thousand people, all of them extremely enthusiastic and responsive. Activists beat drums and tambourines while others danced, waving a colorful variety of pro-peace signs and flags. As the wide-ranging variety of speakers continued, more and more protesters flooded around the Washington monument. It was a spectacular site, and the crowd was boisterous, filled with a variety of activists, from grassroots revolutionaries to conservatives, soccer moms, and even girl scouts. Some of the more varied signs included 'What's "conservative" about war?', 'Let the U.N. work', 'Ultimate troop support: Bring them home now!', 'Peace is Patriotic', the popular 'Not in our name!', and even 'Viva la France!'. The speakers were almost as differentiated as the activists, and represented a wide variety of movements and groups. There were speakers from Cuba, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Japan, Germany, France, the Doctors Against War movement, VoteNoWar.com, International ANSWER, Black Voices for Peace, Jews for Peace in Palestine & Israel, the president of U.S. Labor Against the War, many pro-Palestenian speakers, Queers for Peace, and even the Democratic senator from Detroit. One of the most powerful and effective speakers of the group was an 11-year-old youth organizer for ANSWER. He spoke of being taught democracy in school and said that Bush must have been playing hookey that day, because he does not seem to know what democracy means. He said that they make G.I. Joe dolls so kids can play soldiers, but asked: "where are the dolls of the victims?"- the dolls of the mutilated, the dying, the hundreds of thousands of kids with leukemia and malnutrition. He was interrupted several times by enthusiastic cheering and support from the crowd. Ramsey Clark, ex-U.S. Attorney General and well-known author of many books on the Persian Gulf, also spoke out against the war. After well over two hours listening to speakers, activists began to take to the streets; those farthest towards the back started the march, and it took around a half an hour for the mall to clear out completely. The march began at the monument and continued to the White House past the Capitol building and the Justice Department back to the national mall. With nearly 100,000 activists in attendance, "The Washington demonstration surrounded the White House and Justice Department, taking up more than 20 city blocks. The crowd completely filled the 10-lane Pennsylvania Avenue, with demonstrators marching shoulder to shoulder in a turnout that surpassed rally organizers' expectations." The police presence was also huge, but most of the officers were very laid back; I noticed one officer eating Skittles while he helped to block off a side-street. Supporters of the march lined the sides of Pennsylvania Avenue. One such man, cheered loudly by the crowd, held a sign reading 'This DC cop against the war;' I also noticed a man with a sign reading 'Average white guy for peace,'and an elderly W.W.II veteran dressed in military garb who held a small cardboard placard that simply stated: 'War is insane.' There were a handful of counter-protestors (around 30 when I passed by) on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue holding signs that read 'We gave peace a chance, we got 9-11' and a few other messages. They were overwhelmed by the anti-war activists, yelling things like "Baby killers!" and "War is not the answer!" as they marched by. The police presence on that particular corner outnumbered the pro-war demonstrators as well- though I read reports which stated that the pro-war presence was stronger later on. As we walked through the streets, people in apartment complexes and office buildings waved peace signs out of their windows, or simply stood by and watched the masses walk by. Protesters took up chants of "1-2-3-4 we don't want your oil war! 5-6-7-8 stop the killing, stop the hate!" and sang songs as they marched through the streets. A few acts of civil disobedience could be seen, with some protesters stopping in front of police barricades to sit, play drums, and sing anti-war songs. I recall seeing a lone old man who had snuck behind the police barricade smiling, waving, and holding a sign. Fifty or so protesters broke off from the main march and broke into the World Bank headquarters to protest globalized capitalism, but only six were arrested. They were the only six arrests in the entire massive protest. Upon taking the subway to RFK stadium, where the hundreds of buses were parked for the day, the subway car honked its horn several times, startling the hundred-or-so protesters on the platform. The subway conductor leaned out the window, waved us a peace sign, and zoomed off.

One major part of the protests, and one which was much-discussed, is the necessity to take direct action against this war. With many labor organizations in full support of the anti-war effort, walkouts have been planned in every major US city. If we wish to effectively make a difference and to have our voices heard, then we must do everything we can to interfere with business as usual: do not go to work, do not go to school, pour into the streets and shut the cities down. We can shut down the New York stock exchange and we can force the corporate leaders of this country to hear our voice. The day the US attacks Iraq, a rally is planned from 4-6 PM (or the day after also from 4-6 PM, if the war begins after 12 noon), at the Marine Corps Reserve Center, R. Thornton Brodhead Armory, 7600 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit (Just East of the Belle Isle Bridge). There is parking on surrounding streets at the Armory. Walk out of school, walk out of work, and join the masses of people in the streets to show this country how you really feel about war in Iraq. Bush and Blair have moved beyond ignoring millions of people from all over the world: they are now ignoring the International Community and the UN. If we stop business as usual, we can also stop this war.

I will be posting my own pictures as soon as they are developed, but at the time being, for more coverage, pictures and videos from the demonstration, check out the following:

3/7/03 4:28 PM- Speak Out! A variety of activist groups, including International A.N.S.W.E.R,. are coordinating an emergency convergence on the White House to protest proposed war with Iraq next Saturday, March 15th, along with parallel actions in Los Angeles and San Francisco. There will also be rallies in Detroit (March 14th) and Lansing (March 15th), and buses will be leaving from Detroit, Warren, and Ann Arbor to transport protesters to Washington, D.C. I plan on attending, and I am getting together a group of people who are also interested. If you are interested and would like details, go to www.mecawi.org (for bus-specific information), www.internationalanswer.org (for general information), or e-mail detroit@internationalanswer.org. If you are unable to make it to DC, there will be a send-off rally held in Detroit on March 14th, and I am told that there will also be a rally in Lansing on March 15th. However, if you are interested in getting a bus to DC (parental supervision will be on-hand), they will be leaving from Detroit on Friday, March 14th, at 9PM and returning on Sunday, March 16th, at 6AM. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions; I will try to bring a camera and get lots of pictures from this one- it promises to be huge. If you are wondering what the protest might be like, and you watched the Iraq Flash movie, it will hopefully be of a similar scale to the previous DC marches pictured near the end.

In other news, I have added a poem to the poetry page, contributed by Morgan.