Editorial

The Tasks Facing the Anti-War Movement

The Vietnam War began, for the Americans at least, in 1964 with the "Gulf of Tonkin incident", a totally fabricated "attack" on a U.S. ship which was used by the Johnson administration to justify a U.S. invasion of Vietnam in "self-defence". It took another three years for the anti-war movement to emerge as a force to be reckoned with. During those three years, a broad political discussion was taking place in North America and Europe. New political forces were emerging and new political alliances were being forged. Within the United States, the civil rights movement occupied centre stage, while in France, the national liberation struggle of the Algerian people dominated politics. In 1967, all of these diverse political movements converged and erupted into a massive international movement against imperialism and war. While that anti-war movement cannot claim credit for the defeat of U.S. forces in Vietnam, (the people of Vietnam did, after all, wage a heroic struggle of their own) there is no doubt that it did make a major contribution towards stripping the U.S. of its cloak of legitimacy and isolating U.S. imperialism internationally.

Today, the situation is quite different than it was in 1964. Before the main assault on Iraq by the U.S. and Britain has even begun, an anti-war movement has emerged in virtually every country of the world to oppose it. Various commentators have remarked that this is the largest anti-war movement since the Vietnam War, but in actual fact it is far larger and far broader than that movement ever was. Various forces which refused to oppose the war in Vietnam, including the large trade unions and many religious organizations, have already come out in opposition to a war on Iraq which has yet to officially begin.

There are many reasons why this movement has come together much more rapidly than the comparable movement in the 1960s. One reason is that there was already a huge existing movement against neo-liberal globalization. Another reason is that a significant part of the movement is composed of those same individuals who organized against the war in Vietnam. A third reason is that the Internet has enabled activists to share information much easier and quicker than ever before.

However, the sheer speed at which this movement has emerged is also creating problems for it. Whereas during the 1960s a massive amount of discussion on the aims and objectives of the movement took place prior to any action being taken, this time around that political discussion is lagging behind. Without a sober assessment of the goals and limitations of an anti-war movement there is a danger of the movement succumbing to euphoria in the wake of huge mobilizations, such as that which took place on February 15, to be followed rapidly by disillusionment and despair when the U.S. imperialists ignore public sentiment and launch their war, as there is every indication that they will.

In is very important that the current anti-war movement keep its bearings, regardless of what happens in the next few days and weeks. The situation is extremely complex and changing on a daily basis. Preparations must be made to ensure that a movement to prevent war against Iraq can transform itself into a movement to end the war. Even more importantly, this movement must begin to discuss what measures it must take to put an end to the conditions which give rise to the dangers of war in the first place. If it fails to do so, then history will continue to repeat itself.