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October 12, 2001 | Issue 379
FRONT AND BACK PAGES
Stop this war!
The U.S. has gone to war against one of the poorest countries in the world. George W. Bush dares to claim that the U.S. "is a friend to the Afghan people." But Washington doesn't care about their suffering--or about "justice" or "freedom" or any of the other rhetoric used to justify this cruel war.
Thousands rally against the war
"We won't be silenced"
"The only way they're going to hear us is in the streets. No to war! Yes to peace!" That was the message that Lucas Benitez had for the crowd of some 1,000 Chicago protesters who gathered--as did people in cities around the country--just hours after George W. Bush began raining bombs on Afghanistan.
WHAT WE THINK
Truth is the first casualty in Bush's war on Afghanistan
The real U.S. war aims
U.S. bombs had barely begun falling on Afghanistan when George W. Bush announced that "the war against terrorism" could soon target other countries.
Spread the message of resistance
As the U.S. government's military assault on Afghanistan began, opinion polls showed wide support for bombing. But the mainstream media's enthusiasm for U.S. military might hid the fact that significant numbers reacted to the war by speaking out against it.
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THE STRUGGLE AGAINST WAR
SW SPECIAL FEATURE
Can the U.S. bring justice?
George W. Bush says that his war on Afghanistan is about "justice." In this special feature, Howard Zinn, Ahmed Shawki and Sharon Smith explain why Bush's claim is a lie.
The American flag:
"Symbol of a monstrous lie"
The American flag is a symbol of injustice and oppression. Those of us opposed to Washington's war must march under a different banner--one that stands for international solidarity and justice.
U.S. lies that justified the Gulf War
Operation Desert Slaughter
George W. Bush says that he wants to bomb Afghanistan in the name of "freedom and democracy." His father said the same thing when he went to war against Iraq in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
THE MEANING OF MARXISM
Who is the main sponsor of terror?
Many liberals who may have voiced criticism of U.S. foreign policy in the past have enthusiastically signed on to Washington's war in Afghanistan.
Resources for antiwar activists
Socialist Worker writers recommend books on the history of the Middle East and Central Asia--and the U.S. military's bloody record of wreaking destruction around the globe.
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THE WAR ON AFGHANISTAN
What is the Northern Alliance?
Bush's new best buddies in Afghanistan
The politicians and their media mouthpieces are now painting the Northern Alliance as heroic and battle-hardened opponents of the Taliban's repressive regime. But the truth is a little different.
A rogues' gallery of allies for Bush's war
In its "war against terrorism," the Bush administration is embracing a rogues' gallery of governments that are among the most violent and antidemocratic in the world.
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THE WAR AT HOME
Bush White House plays on fears to gain draconian new powers
The war on our rights
Hundreds of Arab Americans and foreign nationals were detained in the wake of the September 11 attacks, though most have been cleared of any connection to the suspected hijackers. But if Attorney General John Ashcroft gets his way, there will be more victims.
Stifling dissent on campuses
Right-wingers are using war fever to clamp down on dissent on college campuses. At City College of New York (CCNY), media pundits and school officials joined forces for an old-fashioned witch-hunt.
Right-wingers take aim at all dissent from the pro-war chorus
Wagging the media lapdogs
In the weeks since the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., right-wingers have gone on the offensive against critics of George W. Bush--and, in fact, any dissent from the pro-war chorus in the mainstream media.
Close the Army's school for terror
One well-documented breeding ground for terrorists isn't likely to become a target in the U.S. "war against terrorism": the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Ga.
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SW READERS SPEAK OUT
Shot down by strangers for being Arab
Stop racist attacks!
Abdo Ali Ahmed lived in the small farm town of Reedley, Calif., for 35 years. He and his wife had six children--all are under the age of 12. On September 29, while thousands of people around the country attended antiwar rallies, two strangers walked into Abdo's store and shot him to death.
Why I'm not waving the flag
Like in most workplaces after September 11, a wave of patriotism overtook the garage where I work as a Verizon technician. I'm also a union steward. When the union leadership asked me to hand out American flags, I had to refuse.
Will U.S. bombs help Afghan women?
"But you're a feminist," a friend said to me the other day. "You must want the U.S. to take charge of Afghanistan."
More letters
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OTHER STORIES
Workers asked to pay the price for...
Recession
The main stock market in the U.S. lost $1.4 trillion in the week following the September 11 attacks--the worst totals since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Cincinnati jury acquits Stephen Roach
Killer cop walks free
The Cincinnati cop who shot and killed Timothy Thomas--sparking a three-day rebellion against police violence last April--walked out of court free last month.
We want justice for the Death Row 10
After years of cover-ups and stonewalling, prosecutors in Chicago are offering deals to several members of the Death Row 10.
Obituary: Sol Dollinger
Sol Dollinger, a longtime socialist and founding member of the United Auto Workers union, died last month at the age of 80.
INSIDE THE SYSTEM
The new Mussolini?
Ultra right-wing Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has his own theories about the cause of the September 11 terrorist attacks. To hear him tell it, it's a problem with "inferior" cultures.
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ON THE PICKET LINE
Minnesota state workers tell Gov. Jesse Ventura…
"We have a right to strike"
"This is the largest labor action ever in the state of Minnesota," AFSCME spokesperson Don Dindorf told Socialist Worker. "I saw a banner at one of the universities that read, 'This strike brought to you by the Ventura Administration.' And that's true."
Charleston Five trial nears
The Charleston Five could go to trial as early as November 12, and defense committees are gearing up for an international day of action the following day.
Union members oppose the war
In the weeks before U.S. military strikes began, a group of union activists took the first important steps toward responding to the September attacks and organizing opposition to Bush's war.
Labor in Brief
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