Activists must prepare for new battles at home

Now that the presidential elections are over, the real work for activists must begin in earnest. Neither candidate represented the growing anti-war, anti-occupation of Iraq sentiment. The grassroots coalition built up over the last year in opposition to Bush's policies, must be sustained, and its focus must shift from removing Bush to a clear and principled opposition to the elite consensus opinion on Iraq.

As I write, U.S. soldiers are preparing for what is sure to be a bloody siege on Falluja, timed to take place after the election, in order to minimize the impact that additional U.S. casualties could have had upon its result. It will be important for anti-war activists to publicize the recent report by Johns Hopkins University in which it is estimated that 100,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed as a direct result of the U.S. invasion. It will be necessary to combat the moral relativism of this country, which places far more importance upon the lives of 1,000 American soldiers than it does on the lives of 100,00 Iraqi civilians.

Rebuilding an anti-war coalition will be difficult, and initial numbers at protests will be small. We must be prepared for attacks from both sides. Many will say that we must put our differences behind us, and move forward with the process of reconciliation. That attitude is counter-productive, and can stand in the way of moral progress.

Should we unite behind an agenda that is morally bankrupt, jeopardizes out future, and increases the likeliehood of terrorism? We stand at the threshold of an uncertain future. Our country is at a crossroads; it is up to us to ensure a future in which justice and reason prevail.