Western Massachusetts

RAIL struggles with pacifists against demonizing Saddam Hussein

Dear [pacifist organization],

From last week's Iraq vigil, I went home with a flyer bearing [your] name. I didn't read it at the time and don't remember from whom I got it from. I was surprised to see [your] name and this text:

"This [sanctions] is not foreign policy.
"Sanctions do nothing to hurt Sadaam Hussein. The Iraqi people suffer because of both the US/UN policy and because of Sadaam."

Is this flyer really from [you]? If you need it, I can make a copy of the whole thing for you.

First, sanctions most definitely are U.$. foreign policy. Killing people to make a buck has been the Amerikan way for hundreds of years. We can disagree as to whether that aspect can be removed with destroying the whole Amerikan system, but I know from observing [your organization's] work over the years that we agree that genocide is a common occurrence.

Secondly, demonizing Saddam Hussein serves U.$. interests and not those of the Iraqi people. The United Snakes is at war with the people of Iraq and its leadership. In order to personalize that conflict, Hussein is the only leader in the world commonly referred to by politicians and the more jingoist newspapers by his first name. The reactionary propagandists theorize that this will make building support for war easier. Why does [your organization] join in this trend? The question of Saddam Hussein's leadership in Iraq is a complicated one. There is a very real reason the millions of people in the Middle East support Hussein, at least compared to the support they show towards their own lackey governments. Sure, I'd like to see the exploited workers and peasants of Iraq control the country, but no more so than I'd like to see that in any other country including this one.

Singling out Hussein for special criticism is inappropriate and helps to build public support for more U.$. interference in the internal affairs of Iraq. The U.$./U.N. makes many charges against Iraq and Saddam Hussein. Some of them are true, but EVERY SINGLE ONE of them are things that are done in far greater fashion by the United States. I know that [your organization] knows the facts about who really uses chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, for example.

We agree that sanctions are a weapon that only effects the people on the bottom of the targeted society. But would [you] would support CIA assassinations of Hussein, or the bombing of purely military facilities, or any of a myriad of other interventions in Iraq? From your past practice I know this not to be the case, but your flyer ends up supporting these very common--and very dangerous ideas.

In struggle,
RAIL

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