The Long War -or- What's a Peace Activist To Do?
West Seattle Neighbors for Peace and Justice started holding signs up at the Alaska Junction in December 2002, several months before the invasion of Iraq. That was almost seven years ago, and we have been there almost every week since then, standing up for peace every Sunday from noon to 1 pm. As the pointless and costly wars in the Middle East drag on and on (and on!) we ask ourselves, incredulously: How much longer can the insanity last? Is there no limit to the American people’s tolerance for waste and carnage?
Imagine our dismay when we read from a trusted veteran of the peace movement, Tom Hayden, that many in the Pentagon think what they call the “Long War” could last another 50 years (so Rumsfeld wasn’t joking after all!) and that some planners consider the current military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to be just part of that long war. But consider this: In just seven years, this Long War has already done what took the Vietnam War nearly two decades—it has metastasized from one country to three. At this rate, who knows what other nations will be engulfed in the flames within 50 years’ time? Maybe Switzerland will be able to stay neutral this time around. . . Or maybe not.
If the Pentagon planners are right, does that mean that West Seattle Neighbors for Peace will have to stand in the Junction for another 50 years? The prospect is not a joyful one for us. After all, activists get tired too. Yes, we know: it is our choice to stand there with our placards and banners. And we will keep standing there for peace, alone if necessary. But to stand there for 50 more years . . . Clearly, we’re going to have to start recruiting some younger activists. And that’s just we intend to do, by joining with other like-minded groups. Groups like Coffee Strong. (See the announcement at the end of this post.)
It’s encouraging to know that, even if the peace movement is not as large as it should be in Seattle, there are still thousands of local groups like ours across the country. One of our members was with a peace group in Centralia (yes—Centralia!) several Saturdays ago, holding signs in the town square. Surprisingly, the support from people driving by seemed stronger than what we get in West Seattle. Why was that, do you think? Maybe it’s that legendary small-town hospitality. Or maybe it’s the working-class character of the place. Eventually, war takes a toll on everyone: poor, middle class, even rich. But the further down you are on the economic ladder, the sooner you are likely to feel war’s effects. When the Centralia peace group started protesting in 2003, Americans still had some illusions about the president’s wisdom and integrity. At that time it still looked to many folks like the “mission” in Iraq really could be accomplished, and so the response to peace protesters in places like Centralia was generally very hostile. But over the years, as the real nature of these disastrous wars has hit home, there has been a big change in Centralias all over the country. Now it is they who are ahead of “progressive” Seattle in their views on the war.
Even the Pentagon realizes that people’s patience has a limit. In accordance with the new 50-year forecast, the Pentagon and the corporate media are trying to make these endless wars (military occupations, actually) less and less visible over time, with fewer press conferences, fewer news items about casualties and body counts, and fewer overall references to war in the media. This vanishing act might just succeed—for a while. Casualty rates are relatively light (on our side anyway), and since there’s no military draft only a small percentage of American families are directly affected by the violence. Meanwhile, pundits and politicians ignore the sacrifice our country is making in other areas. People should be asking their elected leaders: Why is the dollar still so weak around the world? Why is the economy still tanking here, even while other, economically weaker, nations have already begun to recover? Why does universal health care suddenly seem so expensive? Could it be because, instead of spending our tax money to build infrastructure and pump the economy, our government has shoveled it down the rat hole of corrupt and wasteful military projects? Disgruntled teabaggers are still kvetching over the $173 billion AIG bailout. Their anger at AIG might be well-justified, but perhaps their efforts would be better spent on ending the war in Iraq, which to date has cost nearly four times that much, and which won’t save a single job or home here in the United States.
More on the cost of war: http://costofwar.com. And while you’re online, you might want to check this out too: http://www.iraqbodycount.org/.)
According to Wikipedia, the U.S. is ranked 67th (of 86 ranks) on the economic growth ladder for 2008. Sure, the U.S., at 1.4% positive growth, is still ahead of Burma (0.9%), Zimbabwe (-6.2%), and the Gaza Strip (0.8%), but we’re well behind Mongolia (8.9%), Egypt (7.0%), and Vietnam (6.3%). Think about that a minute, folks—we’re behind Mongolia. And not merely behind, either. Way behind. If you check out the Wikipedia article you’ll notice an interesting trend: Of the countries towards the bottom of the growth chart, a significant number have been pouring their money into military ventures in the past decade, including the United States, England, Canada, Australia, Spain, Syria, and North Korea.
Read more for yourself: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(real)_growth_rate
So, given how hopeless everything looks, why do we still go and stand in the Junction every week? What do we, a tiny local peace group, hope to achieve in the face of all this private evildoing and public apathy? Some people ask us: Do you hope to change the government? Well, yes, we do. In a manner of speaking. But more importantly, we are there so the government does not change us.
Watch this space for weekly updates on the state of the world, why we should care, and what we can do to make a change.
Announcement:
Next month, West Seattle Neighbors is hosting an informational wine-and-cheese fundraiser for Coffee Strong. The fundraiser will be on Friday, September 18, from 7 to 9 pm at Puget Ridge Co-housing, 7020 18th SW.)
Modeled after the G.I.-friendly coffee shops that sprang up during the Vietnam War, Coffee Strong is a modern-day G.I. coffee house located just across the road from Fort Lewis. The mission of Coffee Strong is to defend the rights of those who are among the most damaged by war: the soldiers. Coffee strong provides counseling services for soldiers who have had enough and want out, as well as advocating for current and former soldiers who are trying to get medical care or other benefits and services due to them.
More info at: http://www.givoice.org/coffeestrong.
Hope to see you there, West Seattle.
–John Repp and David Preston
Members, West Seattle Neighbors for Peace
http://www.westseattleneighborsforpeace.org
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