"A War on Iraq will result in the deaths of at least 48,000 people and possibly up to 250,000" - independent study
A war on Iraq is likely to unleash a spiral of increased instability, more wars and more terrorist attacks. Instinctively understanding this, millions of people areound the world are actively opposing a war even before it has started!
The war is about ownership of the Iraqi oil feilds by US big business and is part of the ongoing drive for US capitalist control of international affairs.
Who is launching this war?
The Bush administration is extremely right-wing, Christain fundamentalist in character. They are trying to match the US's overwhelming military and economic domination with a new political dominance. The US now has actual military bases in 40 countries and personell in over 120.
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Come
to the meeting
Not only is the American Army allowed to use Shannon for its war planes, they also do not have to pay a penny for it. Already the Irish taxpayer has subsidised the US Army for millions. So much for Irish neutrality! At the same time Ahern's government is imposing another Budget of cuts on us. Come to next Socialist Party meeting, examining what the budget will mean for working class people. All welcome! Tuesday
10th December, 8pm, |
The
Socialist Party Demands...
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No to a war for oil and capitalist domination |
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US and British forces out of the Gulf region |
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For mass mobilisations and trade union action to get the US out of Shannon |
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Close down the war machine - spend money on useful projects such as tackling poverty, hunger, health and education |
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Build the forces for a socialist change to hallenge the capitalist and its war machine |
Creating a nightmare
While it is possible that the US will topple the Saddam regime, it is unlikely to be easy. It will take more to defeat the Iraqi regime than it did to defeat the Taliban. If the Saddam regime fights to preserve its privileged position, there will be US casualties, which can have a massive impact on domestic public opinion. Having inflicted untold misery and death on the Iraqi people for years through sanctions, US troops will not be welcomed as liberators.
US imperalism looks set to overplay its hand. The base of support for such military adventures will be drastically diminished as its real aims are exposed and the consequences are seen to be disastrous. If successful in Iraq, they will leave a new US friendly dictator in power and thousands of US troops to maintain repressive rule. Saddam should be overthrown, but that is the task of the Iraqi people. Bombing didn'y overthrow Milosovic in Serbia, a mass movement did!
Next door is Iran (also part of the 'axis of evil'), but the wjole of the Arab and Islamic world will be in turmoil and conflict as a result of this war. Islamic fundamentalism, or more appropriately, reactionary Islam, instead of being weakened, will be strengthened which will be a huge setback for the masses in these countries. If one or more of the current regimes is toppled, will the US be capable of intervening? The situation will be a nightmare. The world becomes a more brutal, war torn place for what? The profits of US multinationals!
Build the anti-war movement - US military out of Shannon
The strategy of Bush and Blair can be cut across by building mass anti-war movement internationally - this includes in the US. The anti-war movement is much bigger now than at an equivalent stage in the Vietnam war. 400,000 demonstrated in London, one million in Florence. Even in the US there is far from universal enthusiam for war, in fact opinion polls show that there is deep disquiet about the war and its consequences. When war actually starts it must be met with mass mobilisations in as many countries as possible. Mass movements in Britain and the US can have a decisive effect.
In Ireland we have an important role to play. Aswell as putting pressure on the government generally, the focus is likely to be on closing Shannon as a base for US military operations. That task should be taken seriously and could be achieved through mass mobilisations. Crucial will be support of trade unionists and the airport workers themselves which the anti-war movement must do its utmost to develop. Getting US military planes out of Shannon will not be easy, the Irish government are bound by a thousand economic and political strings to the US establishment but this government is weak and can be forced back.
A Socialsit world is possible... a socialist world is necessary!
The Socialist Party and Socialist Youth believe that this war is inextricably linked to the capitalist system which dominates the world in the interests of a tiny minority. Crisis, exploitation and competition are inevitable when society is run for profit. Conflict, repression and wars are the inevitable outcome. This drive to war is taking place at the same time as the world is facing its most serious economic crisis since the 1930's. The war and the economic crisis are having a profound effect on peoples attitudes. The only alternative to a system based on the private ownership of the world's wealth and resources is for them to be owned by society as a whole, ie socialism. The material basis is being laid for the redevelopment of a movement for real socialist change. Not the sell-out 'socialism' of Labour or of the Stalinist dictatorships, but genuine socialism which is based on the power and capability of working class people to run society. To really fight war, it is necessary to fight capitalism. The Socialist Party and Socialist Youth are part of an international movement, the Committee for a Workers' International (CWI), which is fighting against the war and for socialism in over 35 countries. Join us today!