Iraqi defiance shocks and awes

The heroic resistance of the Iraqi people to the UK-US invasion of their country exposes the hollowness of the claim made by Washington and London that they would simply queue up to greet the "liberators" of their country with flowers and music.

The arrogant, colonial mentality of the Bush and Blair governments led them to paint a picture in their own minds of an Iraqi people so oppressed and cowered by Saddam Hussein's regime that they would rise up to overthrow the regime on a given signal.

Yet whatever they think of Saddam, Iraq remains their country. What they have is what they have built with their own hands, struggling against various occupations over the centuries, including a British one. Their ancient culture predates Coca-Cola and McDonalds by thousands of years.

This means nothing to the Pentagon. "Liberation" US style is based on a barbaric "awe and shock" bombing strategy. This is derived from the British firebombing of civilians in Dresden in World War II and the US atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. So much for Western "civilisation".

In truth, this is a war not to free the Iraqi people from a tyrant, nor to destroy weapons of mass destruction. Nor even to eliminate international terrorism (Al-Qaeda has no doubt recruited hundreds since the invasion began).

This invasion is about "modernising" Iraq according to the values of the Bush and Blair governments. What are these "values"? They are those of the global, free market in goods, services and finance. They are about building the global, capitalist economy by smoothing the path for the oil and other transnational corporations to conduct their business.

In Iraq, this means denationalising the oil industry and selling it off to the corporations. It means replacing the Iraqi currency and bringing in the IMF to "restructure" the economy and abolish the subsidies that have kept food prices affordable.

To oppose this invasion is to reject corporate-led globalisation, whether imposed by force or more peaceful means. It also means rejecting the New Labour government and everything it stands for because, make no mistake, this war on Iraq is a Blairite project through and through.

Our enemy is New Labour and that is why the Movement for a Socialist Future calls for the building of a movement to bring this government down. The development of this strategy is vital if the tremendous anti-war movement is to make progress.

March 22 saw the biggest demonstration held in Britain against a war held while military action is taking place. This is no longer a protest but a social movement directed at New Labour and the absence of effective political representation in Britain. As one poster, read: "Regime change begins at No.10".

On April 12, the Voices for the Future conference will discuss the development of alternatives to New Labour and the building of a democratic society that gives real meaning to the right to vote. The best way to oppose the invasion is to take part and help shape your own future.

Movement for a Socialist Future
25 March 2003