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The World Situation and War: We Won't Be Used Again

By VVAW

Afghanistan, Iran--names of far--off places that, as kids, we only heard of in some history class. We saw the Khyber Pass in some British movie, perhaps and saw Persia in a Steve Reeves grade-B movie. Today, these countries flash into our living rooms each and every evening and what happens there has a potentially devastating affect on our lives and the lives of our children.

And there are other faraway countries which effect international events--Nicaragua or Rhodesia/Zimbabwe; Vietnam and Cambodia. Countries we thought too obscure to ever hear from are making the headlines because they are the focus of world events. As we enter the '80's, we know that things will not remain the same; the questions is how are they moving? Will there be another depression and, perhaps more important to our future and that of our children, will there be another world war?

Fundamental changes are shaking the world. AT the end of World War II the U.S. was the world's "Elephant which could sit on anyone," in the words of one politician. Sole control of nuclear weapons kept the U.S. ahead for years--at least until the end of the victorious struggle for liberation in Indochina. Now we find this imperialist giant being chastened around the world both by people or other countries demanding their independence (as in Iran, for instance) and by the other superpower, the Soviet Union.

The U.S. is on the decline. Certainly, the multi-national corporations who profited off the resources of other countries--mostly in the Third World--are having problems. The "ugly American" is being kicked out of country after country. And the Soviet Union is moving in. Coming in under the cover of being a great socialist "brother," and providing aid against the imperialism of the U.S., It has improvised and solidified its position. The Soviet Union has become more aggressive, prowling around Africa the way that no discredited European country or the U.S.

With the invasion of Afghanistan, the Soviet Union has taken a leap from earlier maneuvers. Even in the invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia, there were already Soviet troops in the countries. In Afghanistan, however, it is using its troops to take land and set up colonies. It is spending up to 50% of its gross national product on the military (and you can bet that's not salaries for an " all-volunteer military," either) and that simply means making up for the loses by ripping off other countries. The "Ugly Russian, "big-mouthed and domineering is rapidly replacing the "Ugly American."

U.S. corporations are, of course, in a tizzy as they see their sources of raw materials and markets and cheap labor being snatched from their claws. The cry "Look! Look at the Russians! They are stealing from us. We must fight them--we have to stop them now! More for defense! Restart the draft! Gear up for war!"

And, while they're saying all that, they throw the burden on their workers, demanding increased productivity or getting loans from the government which the workers pay from our taxes. In short, they use the threat of an economic slowdown and the potential for a depression as a way to squeeze a few more profits out of the work force.

VVAW grew out of the 1960's. We were the kids who went off to fight in Indochina, either because we were drafted or enlisted. For the most part we fell for the recruiters' stories about excitement, job opportunities and adventure in far--off places. Well, we learned about the "far-off places" in Southeast Asia. Excitement? Yes, it made the heat a little hotter and hear beat a faster when we were getting shot at in the rice paddies, though the hear stopped if you were hit. Adventure? Yes, if adventure was guarding the Michelon plantations and the Texaco oil storage areas in Vietnam. As for jobs? Most of us would not even trade our unemployment checks for the "new action Army."

In fact, we saw American--or at least the rich band of money grubbers who run the country for what they were--and are. Simply, a bunch of parasites living off the sweat and blood of others, never doing the fighting but sure doing all the talking. They're the ones who live in luxury and tell us to "tighten your belts."

It sure wasn't hard top see that these people didn't give a damn about people in foreign lands. But it took things like Agent Orange poisoning, LSD tests on unsuspecting GI's and an unresponsive V.A. for us to see how much they cared about us. We were their cannon fodder in the service, and we were no better--in fact worse--after we got out.

And that says something for the future if and when the ware they're pushing for finally comes about in whatever form it might take. Why fight for them? Will a Rockefeller pay for your gas in the winter when you're freezing? He sure hasn't yet! Will Dow Chemical reach into its corporate pockets to divert some of its millions--or even it laboratories--to testing vets with Agent Orange poisoning? Unthinkable. Will the owners of the oil companies give back some of their profits so we can find jobs? Not even that!

If they won't do that sort of thing for us, why the hell should we follow them down the road to destruction? Why give them our children for their armies? Our fight isn't in some foreign land against some poor slob who's being used by his commissar the same way we've been used by Shell Oil. It's right here and it is often as simple as the fight for heat, for adequate schools, for crime-free politicians and, finally, an old age with dignity after years of labor.

FIGHT THE RICH, NOT THEIR WARS!