“We urgently need to spark a mass-mobilization anti-war movement in North America…. We need to rapidly expand tenfold,” writes Rick Sterling at antiwar.com. “The Feb. 19 Rage Against the War Machine initiative ... could do just that. The demands and overall speaker list are very good.”
Sterling reviews and endorses the top demands of the rally, and notes that the diversity among the represented groups is important to those who understand that success “means allying with others who may have different views on other issues.”
“We need to advance our common cause by working together with people who think differently on some issues. We can probably learn from them as they learn from us,” he says.
Noting that “having women, people of color, and nonconforming-gender individuals in key positions does not threaten the system,” Sterling notes that “the ruling elite is content when the mass of working people are divided and fighting over racial, cultural, and social issues.”
“What threatens the ruling elite is the possibility of a mass movement demanding a change in U.S. foreign policy…. What threatens the ruling class are demands for improvement in the lives of all working people.”
In addition to serving as a focal point for peace efforts, the February 19 event is doing a great job forcing people to take sides, to decide whether they actually intend to change policy, or if they will allow themselves to be controlled by more minor issues du jour.
