So it begins.

The US government, which has been waging war against Iraq for more than a decade with bombings and blockades, has begun its invasion, in the face of unprecedented global opposition and a powerful anti-war movement here at home.

The US attack comes as no surprise. The Bush administration has been pushing toward this day with all its considerable might for a year. Still, it is sobering to think that the death and destruction we have been fighting so hard to prevent is now underway.

We didn't stop them, couldn't stop them. That is true.

But we cannot now, of all times, afford to be paralyzed by feelings of sorrow or depression or powerlessness.

That "we" is a mighty new force on the stage of world history, a truly global anti-war movement involving tens of millions of people and providing cover for governments which would otherwise have caved in to US demands. We stripped the Bush administration of international support, leaving them to strike on their own, amid a hailstorm of condemnation. We slowed their drive to war by months and forced them to act under constraints which deprive them of deadly weapons and tactics and will save countless lives.

Now, we must carry on the struggle under new conditions. We in the US will face both official repression and a media barrage about how dissent undermines the support we owe to US troops in combat. This new climate will unleash the pent-up rage of many whose "patriotism" consists of blind obedience to the government and support for US aggression anywhere. We can expect to be attacked as traitors and as terrorists ourselves, in a push to beat down and silence the powerful movement we have built.

There will be debate in the movement over tactics in the coming days. Some will argue that our main task is to escalate the struggle and use direct action to raise the domestic cost of war Bush & Company have to pay for their aggression in Iraq. Others will claim that the main danger is getting isolated amid the patriotic backlash and only tactics with the broadest appeal like candlelight vigils are appropriate.

In truth, all types of activity are needed, from petition drives to blockades of city downtowns. The warmakers and the media will slander our movement no matter what we do. Our operating principle should be a simple one—don't adopt strategies and tactics which escalate the level of struggle past the ability of significant sections of the movement to sustain it. (An example would be specific calls for factory walkouts or a general strike. It's not going to happen yet, it makes us look out of touch with reality, and it could get a handful who respond to our calls fired while the movement lacks the mechanisms to back them up.)

Of more importance is how we in the US take opposition to the war to the people here. There are several points which we can make briefly here (some are dealt with in more detail in 20 Thoughts on the Tasks of the Anti-War Movement, which we published a month ago.

1. Emphasize civilian casualties. As his recent speeches have shown, Bush's administration realizes that civilian deaths will further discredit "Operation Iraq Liberty." Focusing on those killed in the invasion will continue to save lives.

2. Keep asking why. Deep doubts about the reasons for this war have provided the foundation for our anti-war movement. Plenty of folks sense that the Iraqi regime posed no threat to justify this massive expenditure of human lives and resources. "No Blood For Oil" makes sense to them.

3. Expose the Bush drive for global domination. Despite orchestrated efforts to demonize France and Germany, the majority of the US people are profoundly uneasy at the trashing of the United Nations, and at this country's global isolation. They suspect that the systematic negation of the principles of international law represented by this attack make the world less safe, not more.

4. Hammer home the costs of the war here. The Bush administration refuses to give any estimate of what the war on Iraq and subsequent occupation will cost, but it will obviously be in the hundreds of billions of dollars. At a time of Federal cutbacks and massive budget crises at the state and local level, it's obvious that we will be paying for this war with slashed services and local tax hikes. The biggest victims will be working class people and communities of color.

5. Promote resistance within the Armed Forces. In addition to GI resisters, families of active duty soldiers and veterans against the war in Iraq speak with unique moral authority that can undercut gung-ho patriotism and get through to men and women on active duty right now. Again, it is poor and working people, disproportionately people of color, who find themselves in the service thanks to the "economic draft."

Although the anti-war united front in the US may narrow for a time now, as some waver in response to intense chauvinist pressure, it is up to the rest of us to move forward with even stronger resolve. The movement here can take comfort and inspiration from the fact that just about everywhere else in the world, the anti-war movement is growing even larger, stronger, and more militant day by day. It is the Bush administration which is isolated. We stand and fight side by side with tens of millions around the globe!

National Executive Committee,
Freedom Road Socialist Organization /
Organización Socialista del Camino para la Libertad