[Marxism] single issue? in anti-war mvmt.

[Dayne Goodwin <dayneg@xxxxxxxx>]

        I think that it is a matter of principle for revolutionary
socialists in the U.S. that our participation in building the anti-war
movement must be based on the movement demanding "U.S. Out of Iraq.
Bring the Troops Home Now."

        I don't think that it is a matter of principle that this be the
only demand, as someone might conclude from some of our recent discussion
on marxmail about the Vietnam war era.  If some SWP members or supporters
in the Vietnam era, or afterward, thought that it was a revolutionary
political principle that the anti-war movement be organized around a
'single-issue', they were mistaken.

        Given the political context in the U.S. during that 1965-72/3 era,
the SWP (imo) learned in practice that the most effective strategy for
building a massive anti-imperialist anti-war movement would be through
keeping the anti-war movement focussed on the single issue of "Bring the
Troops Home Now."
        At that time, the SWP's strategy of movement building around this
single issue was also an effective tactic for fending off reformist and
ultraleft competitors for leadership of the anti-war movement.  The SWP
was determined to build the most massive possible, politically independent
and uncompromising movement demanding that the U.S. government get out of
Vietnam.  The reformists and ultralefts had other priorities.

        The SWP's anti-war movement building strategy wasn't as simplistic
as listers brief pro- and con- commentaries on 'single issue' might
convey.  Anti-war activists who were members of, who followed or were
influenced by the SWP, went out and built the anti-war movement in
different social sectors - i.e. labor against the war, latinos against the
war, women against the war - raising a variety of demands and issues
showing how working peoples' interests were in conflict with the U.S.
government's imperialist war policy.

        i have been involved in an effort that resulted in local anti-war
demonstrations for the last couple years having four agreed-on central
demands:
        1) U.S. Out of Iraq.  Bring the Troops Home Now.
        2) Money for Jobs, Education, Health Care & Housing - Human Needs,
Not War.
        3) Defend Democratic Rights, Restore Civil Liberties - Repeal the
USA-PATRIOT Act.
        4) End U.S. Support for Israel's Occupation of Palestine

        The recent local March 19 demonstration included an additional
agreed-on central demand:
        No More War Crimes - Stop Torture! Stop War Profiteering!
        Other demands are always raised by speakers, individuals
and contingents participating in the demonstrations, and by groups
tabling, petitioning, selling and passing out literature/information
materials.

        Dayne

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