Anti-war protest in Taree
Two-hundred-and-fifty protesters marched from Johnny Martin Oval to the Queen Elizabeth Park in Taree on Saturday February 14, where they listened to speakers from across the board. All spoke against the war in Iraq. As the protesters marched through the streets, onlookers unanimously supported the marchers with the hooting of car horns and cheering.
A hundred years ago this would not have been the case, the people would have gladly followed their national leaders into battle with patriotic fervour, right or wrong. When will Johnny Howard and company realise that, in this modern day and age, the people are more enlightened and will decide for themselves right from wrong; which is being proven at this present time; not only in the country town of Taree but all around the nation.
It only goes to show how far removed in their thinking our capitalist class politicians are from that of the average person in the street.
This march was followed by a vigil the following Friday outside the local member of parliament's office (Mark Vaile), which numbered about 30 in the teeming rain. Not bad considering the conditions. Such vigils are to follow on a weekly basis. There were some vigils that preceded the march. At one of the vigils, they counted 70.
Ronald Bailey
Wingham NSW
[Abridged.]
Jose Ramos Horta and Iraq
As an activist who campaigned to free the East Timor people from the illegal Indonesian occupation and the slaughter that followed the UN-supervised referendum in 1999, I have nothing but personal respect for Jose Ramos Horta.
Horta wrote in the Daily Telegraph (February 27) concerning the threatened Iraqi War. But I wonder how much of this article is deliberate "possum-stirring" by the old master of diplomacy?
Horta should realise that none of the current peace protesters support the dictator Saddam Hussein. Where we part ways with Horta in this instance is over the belief that American and Australian bombing of Baghdad, UN sanctioned or not, will achieve democracy and renewed respect for human rights in Iraq.
If Horta is serious about ignoring the sovereignty rights of dictatorial regimes then I await his call for a pre-emptive strike against Jakarta to eliminate the Osama bin Laden-inspired Laskar Jihad death squads operating in West Papua and the Kopassus death squads operating in Aceh.
But why stop there. Our UN peace keepers in Maliana could easily hop over the border into West Timor, disarm the troublesome "Militia" remnants and allow the long-forgotten remaining 40,000 East Timor hostages from 1999 to return home to Dili.
Perhaps Horta has a secret agenda he is not telling us about? I hope so.
Jefferson Lee
Australia-East Timor Association
Annandale NSW
Invade West Papua?
Jose Ramos Horta's "let's invade Iraq" comments have provided, inter alia, a very strong set of reasons for the United Nations or a "coalition of the willing" to invade West Papua and liberate the people there from the oppressive yoke of US-trained Kopassus terrorists and their mercantile agents.
But those people swayed by the thinking of Mr Ramos Horta's nemesis, Henry Kissinger, would say different. Mr Kissinger, an accomplished practitioner of terrorism who swung the starter's flag for the invasion of East Timor, is a notorious apologist for, and creator of oppressive dictators. He and his cronies also have had a very strong financial interest in West Papua.
So to all those who have endorsed Mr Ramos Horta, when do we "deploy" for West Papua?
Peter Woodforde
Melba ACT
Star wars
John Howard claims that nuclear weapons are not involved in the Star Wars missile defence system. However, if a North Korean nuclear tipped missile were to be destroyed over Australia what would happen to the radioactive plutonium 239 fallout? This would be tantamount to a terrorists' dirty bomb but one with a half-life of 24,000 years. What does Mr Howard intend to do about this?
The most effective way of dealing with North Korea is to reduce the level of threat against it and that means reigning in the crazies in Washington. The US has made it plain that they reserve the right to launch a pre-emptive strike, using weapons of mass destruction if necessary, against any of seven countries including North Korea. In addition, the US conducts provocative military exercises off North Korea's coast. How can the North Koreans determine whether an exercise or a full scale attack is taking place?
Across the sea is America's ally, Japan, with huge military might. For years it has been accumulating plutonium far in excess of its needs for nuclear power. Some analysts believe Japan has been planning to acquire nuclear weapons and is set to roll back Article 9 of its 1946 constitution in which "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation". No wonder North Korea is nervous.
The Bush administration used the disaster of September 11 to huge advantage in pushing through repressive legislation and massively increasing its defence budget. Is it possible that it is using North Korea as the bogey man to push Japan and South Korea into being its nuclear armed surrogates in preparation for a future showdown with China? John Howard wake up from your nuclear narcolepsy!
Gareth Smith
Byron Bay NSW
Making us sitting ducks
Our minister for defence (read war) wants to spend our hard earned dollars to protect us from North Korean missiles by joining in with America's national missile defence system (NMD or star wars).
The only target in Australia of any interest to North Korea, if it gets into a war with the USA, is the spy and missile-targeting base at Pine Gap in the NT.
If we closed that base, and our "gung-ho" government does not get involved in NMD Star Wars, North Korea would no longer have any interest in Australia, and we could get back to minding our own business and saving our money for more useful things.
Ron Gray
Adelaide
Just cause
No one wants a war, with all its appalling consequences. But let's look at the facts.
This is a regime that has practised genocide upon its own people, allows children to be held without trial and imprisons and tortures foreign citizens. It possesses weapons of mass destruction, has used them against other nations in the past, and despite overwhelming public opposition, is about to use them again.
The leader's political hero, Menzies, has allowed the use of nuclear weapons on his own country. Howard has repeatedly disregarded UN warnings about human rights. He's been delaying, deceiving and dodging the truth for years. Time is running out.
John must agree to free and open weapons inspections, and stand down the Australian troops in the Gulf or face serious consequences. An aerial bombardment will blanket Sydney with pinpoint accuracy, the grateful city will be liberated and democracy will be restored.
Be warned, Howard: regime change will occur by any means necessary.
Ben Hingley
Annandale NSW
Illegitimate war
The Prime Minister's criticisms of anti-war protesters are incoherent and reveal double-standards.
Universal agreement that Iraq must fully comply with UN Resolution 1441 or be invaded would not promote a "peaceful solution". Peace can only be maintained by convincing the US president to oppose war. Having the world offer conditional support for war certainly won't help here.
The idea that, if only protesters had stayed at home, Saddam Hussein might have satisfied George Bush is risible. Hussein is intransigent. He has already breached UN obligations knowing this will, almost certainly, lead to war.
If powerless protesters have "given comfort" to Hussein what about powerful politicians who have left the Iraqi leader in government for years?
The real issue is not how comfortable Hussein is feeling but the legitimacy of war and the case for war now is weaker than in the past when Hussein was more dangerous and was supported by, or ignored by, various Western elites.
Brent Howard
Rydalmere NSW
Left unity
I refer to Dave Riley's and Doug Lorimer's letters (GLW #528 March 5). People like me, who can remember the '70s and '80s, are witness to the enormous promise of left movements in several parts of the world, and their sinking more due to sectarian vested interests rather than state repression.
I cannot help commenting on the Freedom Socialist Party's stand. While it is clearly problematic to equate women's struggles, in their potential for revolutionary transformation, with class struggle, the FSP seems to be bent on sticking to its stand at all costs. This is the attitude that, at best, builds a small group of "like minded" individuals and sympathisers with their hair-splitting mental output.
People committed to left unity should build pressure for a broad programmatic unity leading to a single organisation. This process will not be painless and has to be pushed forward so that the groups will have to either shed their sectarian attitudes or risk being pushed into irrelevance.
Narendra Mohan Kommalapati
Canberra
Boycott US goods
A suggestion. I've started a personal boycott on products with a "Made in USA" label. I buy no Zest, no Colgate, no Nike's, no Coco-Cola or Pepsi, absolutely nothing originating in the United States. If everyone who is opposed to the USA's obscene campaign against Iraq would do the same it might, along with the continuing demonstrations, result in a decisive pressure that could prevent the coming massacre against Iraqis, and the others almost certain to follow.
If it seems too rigorous or difficult to boycott all products from the USA, then a boycott against some major, visible international USA corporations might be equally effective. I'd target McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola or Nike. Everyone can live, and perhaps even better, without a Big Mac or a Coke, local stores can supply the same necessities as Wal-Mart, there are better and cheaper sneakers than Nikes.
So boycotting these few companies wouldn't be much of a hardship for anyone. If the boycott should work, the stock market might be affected and these rich companies might begin to put pressure on Bush and his cronies.
Some will say a boycott against McDonald's could cost jobs in their own country. Maybe, but if a lot of folks begin eating out at locally owned restaurants instead of Maccas, those restaurants would hire more workers.
It ought not to be too hard to convince those millions of demonstrators worldwide to participate, and the millions more who were sympathetic but didn't march might seize the opportunity to act in a peaceful way that might be more agreeable to them.
Time is running out for discussing ways to stop the attack. It's coming. Action needs to be directed toward that critical time immediately after the Iraqi slaughter begins, and on something that might also be effective against the USA's murderous insanity in the long term.
Sanford M. Russell (USAF, retired)
Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala Mexico
[Abridged.]
Thanks
I would like to commend you on having wonderful people helping you in your cause. I was with my partner shopping on Saturday shopping when I spotted an anti-war newspaper stand. I walked over and the girl that served myself and my partner was absolutely helpful and was very articulate.
I found this most intriguing as most people that have things to sell etc. are quite pushy, but your faithful followers were kind, courteous and completely humane. I agree completely with most that was published in your newspaper, obviously different people have different opinions, but I was pleased to see that you were not writing just as a conspiracy theorist but as an articulate, intelligent and knowledgeable person who happens to disagree with what our government is doing.
I joined your action list so that myself and my partner can be notified for future rallies.
I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude for allowing myself to have the courage to stick to my convictions no matter how I am told they are wrong and immature. I will be subscribing to your newspaper as well as donating as often as possible.
Once again thank you for showing people who think they don't stand a chance that it's OK to not agree with society.
Keep up the fantastic work.
Cassandra Lucas From Green Left Weekly, March 12, 2003.
Liverpool NSW
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