[Marxism] How NOT to stop the war

["Eli Stephens" <elishastephens@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The following letter appears in the latest (May 8) issue of The Nation
Magazine (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060508/letter):

ANSWER IS BLOWIN' IN THE WIND

New York City

John Nichols, in "Bringing the War Home" [March 27], refers to the April 29
mobilization in New York City. Just to make sure everyone is clear: It is
organized by United for Peace and Justice, RainbowPUSH Coalition, National
Organization for Women, US Labor Against the War, Friends of the Earth,
Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund, Climate Crisis Coalition, National Youth and
Student Peace Coalition and Veterans for Peace. ANSWER is not part of the
initiating group or the organizing committee. It issued a call to join the
demonstration, and by not identifying the organizing groups it's creating
confusion. All are welcome to be in the April 29 march, but don't be fooled
by ANSWER, or anyone else (www.april29.org; www.unitedforpeace.org).

LESLIE CAGAN
United for Peace and Justice

Totally aside from the scurrilous nature of attacking other components of
the antiwar movement in public in this way, consider the precise wording of
the charge. Cagan writes "It issued a call to join the demonstration, and by
not identifying the organizing groups it's creating confusion." Here are the
closing paragraphs of the ANSWER "call to join the demonstration" (URL:
http://answer.pephost.org/site/News2?abbr=ANS_&page=NewsArticle&id=7467&news_iv_ctrl=2322);
far from "creating confusion," in my opinion it couldn't be clearer that
ANSWER is simply "mobilizing" for this demonstration and was not among the
organizations which announced it:

"In early December 2005, the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition filed for permits for a
national march in Washington DC on April 29, 2006. We were preparing to
announce the April 29 action but in recent days we have heard from
A.N.S.W.E.R. organizers in a number of unions that U.S. Labor Against the
War was seeking union endorsements for a call for an anti-war demonstration
on the same day in New York City. Having two demonstrations on April 29 in
both Washington D.C. and New York City seems to us to be less advantageous
than having the movement unite behind one single mobilization. As such, we
decided to hold back our announcement. Subsequently, the New York City
demonstration has been announced by a number of organizations. Underscoring
the need to have the largest possible demonstration on April 29, the
A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition has decided to fully mobilize, in all of its chapters
and organizing centers, to bring people to the New York City demonstration
on April 29. The banners and slogans of different coalitions may not be the
same, but it is in the interest of everyone to march shoulder-to-shoulder
against the criminal war in Iraq and the Bush administration's War for
Empire, including its racist, sexist and anti-worker domestic program.

"All out for a united, mass mobilization on April 29 in New York City!"

Eli Stephens
 Left I on the News
 http://lefti.blogspot.com



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