The following article was published in "The Guardian", newspaper of the
Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, March 19, 2003.
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Stop the war. Bring the troops home
The Howard Government is taking Australia into Bush's invasion of Iraq
and slaughter of its people. It is time for us to declare political war
against Howard and the system that he serves.
We have every right to be angry and outraged because the annihilation of
Iraq is a cold, calculated act of mass murder.
Once again the rich and powerful of this planet, the huge transnational
corporations, have sent their military machines to war to grab land and
resources which are not theirs.
Nothing could persuade Bush not to go to war, despite the opposition of
the world's peoples, because the US military-industrial complex planned
this modern-day barbarism months, even years ago.
US domination
It is a war for US domination of the Middle East, a war for oil, a war
for US supremacy over the oil-producing nations of the Arab world. Wars
against other nations are planned.
As in the past, an Australian government is following the US into war.
Howard has played a despicable role, lying to the Australian people and
the world about the reasons for war and not having the guts to face the
nation in an honest debate.
The government has hidden the truth about the US military base at Pine
Gap (near Alice Springs) which is directing the missiles and bombs to
their targets in Iraq and spying on Iraqi communications.
The ALP leadership has also failed the Australian people. It has never
taken a clear stand against the war and never opposed the US troop
build-up in the Middle East. It would have sent Australians to war under
the misguided idea that the UN can lead an invasion of a sovereign nation.
We will pay the cost of war
Howard's decision is also a declaration of war against the Australian
people. The cost of the war will be paid by cuts to Medicare and public
health services, by lack of money for public education, job creation and
other social services.
As Iraqi civilians are burnt to death by US missiles, our public
hospitals will be denied the extra funds they need to treat burn victims
and other sick people properly.
As US bombs pulverise Iraqi schools, our public education system will
continue to be starved of the funds it needs.
Trampling on democracy
The Howard Government is morally and politically defeated. It may still
be in office but it is now clearer than ever before that it does not
represent the Australian people. It ignores our opinions and tramples on
our democratic rights.
Our politicians have failed the people of Australia. They have failed
the innocent victims of war in Iraq. They have failed the planet,
plunging it into a war which could escalate with the US already claiming
the right to use nuclear weapons.
We have to wage a political war for a new kind of government which will
listen to the people and act in our interests. A government which will
end our military alliance with the US and close the US bases. A
government of the people and for the people.
Our campaign must continue
Our campaign must continue, with the aim to stop the war and to bring
the troops home.
We need everyone's support to bring this country to a standstill.
Let us build the movement to stop the war so it reaches into every city,
every neighbourhood, every street, every workplace in this country.
If the government will not listen to the overwhelming majority of the
people, throw the Howard Government out! Let us, the people, set the agenda.
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