Newsgroup: it.cultura.religioni.cristiani
Titolo: [POL-IRAQ] un anno dopo....

*** THE PEACE MOVEMENT ONE YEAR LATER ***
By Mark Engler
 i movimenti pacifisti...
(Editor's Note: The excerpt from this new policy report (available in
full at 
http://www.fpif.org/papers/2004peace.html
) explores the
accomplishments and challenges facing the peace movement one year
after the invasion of Iraq.)
One year after the start of war in Iraq, the peace movement in the
United States faces an unusual predicament.
 Critics of the invasion had many of their key arguments vindicated
in the past year, as President Bush's case for war has collapsed.
Likewise, activists can take substantial credit for emboldening
Democratic criticisms of the Bush administration and for keeping
war-related scandals in the spotlight. Yet even as we sense that
greater space for progressive activism in the country is opening, it
has been hard to maintain a sense of unity and purpose within the
peace movement itself.
On March 20, the one-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of
Iraq, opponents of the war and the ongoing occupation will stage
protests and memorials in countries across the globe. 
The actions will recall the massive demonstrations that took place
before the war. However, they will be far smaller than the protests
of early 2003.
This set of circumstances raises two key questions: 
What has the peace movement accomplished? 
And where do we go from here?
Reflection on these two questions is vital, not because it will
magically give the movement a bold new direction or clear up all
confusion among supporters about where peace activism now stands.
Rather, only by standing back can we crystallize the strains of
thinking that are circulating between different activists, and spark
further discussion about strategies for going forward. 
Therefore, this paper will consider each of the questions in turn,
with the goals of providing an overview of what has happened so far
and of evaluating current ideas about movement strategy.
Since the end of combat operations, peace activists have struggled to
present a unified message, structured campaign goals, or a plan for
escalating dissent. The call to "Bring the Troops Home Now" is not
universally accepted even amongst those who oppose the U.S.
occupation, and it often muddies the waters by focusing on technical
discussion of if and how the international community should play a
greater role in furthering Iraqi sovereignty. The slogan for the
March 20 protests, "The World Still Says No to War," is not fashioned
to provide a new alternative or to convey a sense of fresh demands.
Some prominent writers have proposed campaigns that might inaugurate
a new phase of the peace movement. Tariq Ali has proposed an
international movement to close some of the 702 U.S. military bases
abroad. Arundhati Roy has suggested a targeted campaign against two
selected corporations profiting from Iraq, and the organization
Direct Action to Stop the War has continued its focus on corporate
profiteers. Naomi Klein has argued for a focus on stopping the
privatization of the Iraqi economy.
Each of these proposals merits consideration, especially on the
international level. But in the U.S., they must be put in the context
of the one dominant strategy to which organizations and activists
have actually committed themselves already: 
The drive to achieve "regime change at home."
Mark Engler,
 a writer based in New York City, 
commentator for Foreign Policy in Focus. 
He can be reached via the web site 
http://www.DemocracyUprising.com
.
Research assistance for this article provided by Jason Rowe.)
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aggiungo in calce che _dopo la Spagna_ ecco che 
(notizia di stamane) anche la Polonia ha iniziato a fare il mea
culpa:
< USA&GB ci hanno IMBROGLIATO!!!>
e lo stesso Berluska sta raddrizzando il tiro con Frattini:
< ma noi eravamo CONTRARI alla guerra!!!!!!>
Ogni commento e' da piangere.
pb

 and is the author of Tinderbox: U.S. Middle
East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism (Common Courage Press, 2003).)
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solo tre gg fa da parte Usa:
' la guerriglia in Iraq si sta esaurendo...'
pregasi stendere un velo pietoso vs. le vittime...
pb