The Coalition of the Swilling

We must stand up with all our power to the US government’s and its allies’ bullying. We must put an end to the crimes of the opposite pole, i.e. Islamic terrorism. We must help the people of Islam-stricken countries to get rid of the menace of Islamic terrorist states and forces. American militarism and Islamic terrorism have brutalised the world. Neither of them has a solution to the present crisis and its resulting problems. Rather, they are themselves the cause of this crisis and its aggravation. Civilised humanity must rise up against both these poles and the suffering that they have imposed on the world. The human and genuine solution to the problem of nuclear weapons, to Islamic terrorism and its horrific crimes against the people of the world, and to the militaristic bullying of the US and Western governments lies in the hands of us people.

There you have it: the US and Islamic terrorists, co-equal world brutalisers, equally at fault and equally fearful of the mighty wrath of "us people." How low our language has fallen from the dizzying heights of "When in the course of human events..." and "We the People..." to "us people." I keep looking for a "Youse Guys" in there somewhere.

Amid all this, the struggle of the people of Iran for freedom holds a prominent and critical place. For years there has been a mass social movement in Iran against the Islamic regime and for liberty and equality. The triumph of this movement over the Islamic Republic of Iran would be a decisive blow to political Islam and Islamic terrorism throughout the world. It would also be a powerful response to the US government’s political-military interventionism aimed at regime change, in the name of “exporting democracy”, and imposition of reactionary puppet regimes on other societies. The victory of the Iranian people would be a giant step forward and a turning point in the struggle against militarist and Islamic terrorism and in defence of liberty, civilisation and universal rights for all throughout the world.

The triumph of such a movement in Iran would be wonderful, and it would be a powerful response to US military intervention, because that intervention is the only thing that will create the conditions for it to happen. Do you really think that the religious leaders in Iran will give up as easily as the Shah did if there is a general uprising of "the people"?

We, the undersigned, declare:

1- No to war, No to economic sanctions

Economic sanctions and a military strike on Iran will have catastrophic human, political and social consequences. What happened in Iraq should not be repeated in Iran. These threats must stop immediately.

Ok, and in their place you suggest?

2- No to US militarism, No to political Islam

In the conflict between the state terrorism of the West and Islamic terrorism, the civilised world is not represented. Both sides of this conflict are reactionary and inhuman. They must be driven back.

My god! Not only is Bush evil; he's not even human! And I like the "yes, we believe in peace and freedom but not in the political rights of religious people" angle of this, don't you? Instead of "We are all New Yorkers" they offer "You are all terrorists."

3- Nuclear disarmament of all states

Neither Iran, nor the USA, nor any other state should have nuclear weapons. The Iranian regime’s nuclear project must stop immediately. However, states which have the largest stockpiles of nuclear weapons themselves are not competent authorities to judge on the nuclear capability of other states. Halting the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear project is the task of the freedom-loving people of the world, in particular the people of Iran - just as the nuclear disarmament of all states and liberation from the global nuclear nightmare can only be achieved by the struggle of the people of the world.

I agree: nobody should have nuclear weapons. But I feel compelled to point out that unfortunately they do. States with no nuclear capabilities are the only competent judge of another states nuclear capabilities? Are they kidding? Someone who can't boil water without a cheat sheet is the one we should use for reviews of french cuisine? Halting their program is the task of freedom loving people; I ask again: how do you suggest this can be accomplished?

4- Attacks on civil liberties in the West in the name of ‘war on terror’ must stop

The governments in the West are violating or restricting civil rights and liberties in the name of fighting the terrorist threat and safeguarding security. Increased surveillance and control of citizens, curtailing freedom of _expression and movement and denying the rights of immigrants are some of the commonest forms that this attack on people’s rights is taking. This must be stopped. No excuse for an attack on civil rights and liberties is acceptable.

The only attacks I see on civil liberties are people being attacked and murdered for 'insulting' Islam and printing some cartoons. Oh, and they looked in my backpack the other day when I took the subway. Help, help, I'm being repressed.

5- We actively support the struggle of the people of Iran against a military attack and against the

Islamic Republic of Iran

For 27 years the people of Iran have been fighting against repression, violation of women’s rights, sexual apartheid, stoning, torture, execution of political prisoners and poverty and economic deprivation. The people of Iran want to and can determine their own political destiny. Support for the struggle of the Iranian people for freedom, the victory of this struggle against the Islamic Republic and the establishment of people’s own direct rule will be a crucial step in standing up to the US government’s bullying and a decisive blow to Islamic terrorism in the Middle East and the world.

I wasn't aware that the people of Iran were struggling against a military attack, at least not one by soldiers who aren't wearing Iranian uniforms. By that list it sounds like the people have been struggling against...Islam. The US government wholeheartedly supports the people in that struggle.

6- The Islamic Republic must be expelled from the international community

The Islamic regime in Iran must be kicked out of the international community, just like the racist South African regime, for 27 years of crimes against humanity, for the brutal suppression of the rightful struggles of the people, for the execution of over one hundred thousand political prisoners, for establishing a sexual apartheid in Iran and for promoting Islamic terrorism in the Middle East and throughout the world. We call for the non-recognition of the Islamic Republic as the representative of the Iranian people, for the ending of diplomatic ties with it and the closure of its embassies everywhere. We call for the expulsion of the regime from international institutions.

Now wait one minute. Only in a manifesto from the Left can they end triumphantly with a position exactly opposite from where they started. Recall the opening paragraph:

The terrible experience of Iraq has shown to all the catastrophes that can result from economic sanctions and a military attack. Deterioration of living conditions, economic plight, death, destruction and displacement of people, and increased repression by the Islamic regime, would be some of the immediate consequences of economic sanctions or a military attack on Iran.

And now the ending once again:

The Islamic regime in Iran must be kicked out of the international community, just like the racist South African regime...

Hmmm, and the method the "international community" used with South Africa?

Economic sanctions.

The logic is brilliant: we are against sanctions so we insist that they be used; if there are any bad results, well, we told you so!

There is no plan, no vision, no suggestion on any plan of action to actually do something, no nothing in this 'manifesto' except the repeated mantra 'no'. That's their answer to everything. The US is bad, m'kay. Islam is bad, m'kay. Let's hold hands and via our collective empowerment we can will problems away. The utopian belief in "Why can't we all get along" is frightening; that seemingly intelligent people are signing on, even more so.