The anti-war movement is misdirected

From Random Hipatia

I had been asked about participating in a protest demanding the return of U.S. troops, and I have declined. This is because I believe the anti-war movement in this country in fact is focused on the wrong issue, and as a result does us all a disservice. By primarily concentrating on the simple idea of returning troops home, while not addressing the root causes and institutional nature of American aggression abroad, the so called “anti-war” movement as it is presently constituted is not just a failure, but also counter-productive to preventing future wars.

What anti-war movements since Vietnam has taught the U.S. government is not at all to be dissuaded from future wars of aggression, but rather the need to do so through increased use of deception and public manipulation. Controlling the press in the battlefield and engaging in psy-ops against the population that the military establishment claims to serve has become both commonplace and necessary precisely because of the nature of past and present anti-war movements. The problem is not in bringing home U.S. troops, or manipulating the public level of support for their continued presence overseas based on casualty levels, but rather in addressing how they got there in the first place and how to prevent that in the future.

Focusing on how and when to return troops while ignoring the deeper issues simply allows existing political elites to use and manipulate the popularity of the current campaign to further their own political agendas. Electing a Democrat because one perceives such a person as being “more likely” to disengage in Iraq misses the point that the voter has been deceived into a proxy fight between two different factions of a single ruling elite, and that the next war will simply be crafted with even greater emphasis on deception and continued brutal aggression through proxies, whichever party is in office.

Another aspect I greatly dislike about some in the current anti-war movement I have encountered is their singular focus on our “noble” troops and causalities, rather than considering those innocents who are also killed by their continued presence. I happen to believe that removing troops from Iraq will likely to lead to a more honest national reconciliation, but those I have so far encountered in the anti-war movement seem to care not what happens after, even if they do believe removing U.S. troops will result in even greater bloodshed. This does not build greater human solidarity, but rather servers to further separate the American public from the consequences of their actions. This, along with the failure to address those accountable for it’s cause, provides fertile ground for future wars based on the idea of exceptional ism and is to me an expression of a form of racism.

One root cause worth considering to prevent future wars is demonstrating those who have engaged in the current one can be held accountable. Rather than singularly focusing on demanding troops be brought home now, I would much rather see popular calls for impeachment and an international war crimes tribunal, for this at least could do something to deter future aggression. I do not believe such protests would necessarily be more successful than those demanding troops are returned, but they would at least be far more satisfying and honest about addressing the problem. I am sure my opinion has been shaped by those in the anti-war movement that I have personally encountered, but I believe the current approach is fundamentally counter productive.