We the members of the Eugene chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America declare we are, as socialists have been throughout world history, against war, including any war the current administration may be seeking with the people of Iran.
As American socialist Eugene Debs who was jailed for opposing WWI said 102 years ago, “The master class has always declared the wars. The subject class has always fought the battles.”
But in all the history of the world, Debs said, we the people, have never had a voice in declaring war, and strange as it certainly appears, no war by any nation in any age has ever been declared by the people.
To resist war and stop it, we need in this country and in this town, a broad-based, worker-led antiwar movement that is led by the communities most affected by the outbreak of war. Our voices must counter those of warmongering Republicans, collaborationist Democrats and a press that repeats war propaganda uncritically.
Beyond simply declaring we are against war, we understand that people want to know what we can do to stop the march to war, given the fact our leaders aren’t looking to we ordinary working people for permission to launch still more bloody and pointless conflict.
Our members have suggested the following actions:
- Identify businesses in our backyard that profit from war as members of the military-industrial complex. This is the first step in pushing back against the influence capitalists have in pushing working folks into wars.
- Interfere with military recruitment efforts, particularly when recruiters target the young at our high schools and the University of Oregon. We want people to know they’re good for something other than cannon fodder.
- Connect with local antiwar groups and help with organization efforts when and where our input would be welcomed.
- Pressure our elected officials to cut the military budget. The Pentagon has more than it has even asked for, and the people don’t have enough. The solution is obvious.
- Reach out to the Eugene Iranian, Syrian and Iraqi population for advice and mutual aid.
- Recommend reading so we can better understand how the US’ adventures overseas have made the world a crueler place for all kinds of people. If we don’t know our history, we will continue to repeat it.
The people of Iran deserve peace, happiness, safety, health and plenty just as everyone else in the world does. No matter where in the world we live, working people have the same enemy: A ruling class that starves us, neglects us, exploits us and sends us to die in ridiculous wars.
We declare that we have more in common with one another than we do with the ruling class — propaganda be damned. Therefore, we will not stand by and let the capitalists drag us into another war that most Americans don’t want and most Iranians do not want.
No war but the class war.
The members of the Eugene chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America
January 12, 2020