Stopping the Bush Juggernaut: A Citizens Campaign

It is high time for the anti-war movement to take a collective look in the mirror, and be honest about what they see. A poorly organized, chaotic, and indeed often anarchic conglomeration of egos, pet projects and idealism that barely constitutes a "movement," let alone a winning cause. I have yet to observe an anti-war demonstration that has a focus on anti-war. It often seemed that every left-wing cause took advantage of the event to promote its own particular agenda, so that "No War in Iraq" shared the stage with the environment, ecology, animal rights, pro-choice, and numerous other causes which not only diluted the anti-war message which was supposed to be sent, but also guaranteed that the demonstration itself would be seen as something hijacked by the left, inclusive of only progressive ideologues, and exclusive of the vast majority of moderate (and even conservative) Americans who might have wanted to share the stage with their fellow Americans from the left when it comes to opposing war with Iraq (or even Iran), but do not want to be associated with any other theme.

The anti-war movement, first and foremost, needs to develop a laser-like focus on being nothing more or less than anti-war.

Last month Phyllis Bennis wrote that "the administration's most useful tool-fear-remains a factor in U.S. politics, but it is now much more concentrated in Congress, less so in the American people." She believes that the shifting poll numbers reveal a new public awareness, and that "our task now is to transform that consciousness into empowerment."

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Attack Iran and it will be a solemn declaration that we care not one whit about the lives of Iranians, Iraqis, Afghans, or most anyone else on the planet. Then we're left to reap the whirlwind.

Our question, "Will you take a nuclear first strike off the table, now?" is only the first question. It's our opening gambit, the pry bar that will open up a new space for social action. A free space in which we will be able to begin to seriously imagine a future and to strategize its creation. We can use this round of interrogations to jump out ahead of the Bush war machine, to reinforce the firebreak the administration has been systematically obliterating, to reclaim territory that we have ceded. To get some of our language back. Once we've established our beachhead, we can begin to move in.

We have already begun in Missouri. A group of us will ask our two senators, Kit Bond and Jim Talent, to answer the question with a "yes" or "no." We have appointments at their offices on Tuesday. We are also arranging meetings with our nine Representatives in Congress. By next Friday we will hold a press conference in St. Louis to announce their answers. We will also publish their answers at www.offthetable.org.

Here is a challenge to you. Visit the office of your Representative and Senators and put the question to them. Then go to www.offthetable.org and record their answers.

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