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----- Original Message ----- From: Chuck0 <chuck at mutualaid.org> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 10:20 PM Subject: Not in our name, ANSWER
> Here's an interesting piece of political fantasy being spammed to anti-war
> and peace groups by the nutjobs who run ANSWER.
>
> In this installment of ANSWER's fantasy that they are running THE peace
> movement, they claim that at THE anti-war movement conference held
recently
> in London, that "The U.S. was represented by a delegation from the
> A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition." If this isn't yet another desperate attempt to
> establish ANSWER as THE leaders of THE peace movement, it gets better.
>
> In this post, which is desgined to establish ANSWER's authority over the
> peace movement (sic), they go on to talk about how "A.N.S.W.E.R. Steering
> Committee member Elias Rashmawi was elected Vice President of the
> International Campaign Against U.S. War on Iraq." I've never heard of this
> International Campaign Against U.S. War on Iraq, but if I am to believe
> ANSWER, this organization must have some kind of international authority
over
> the peace movement (sic).
>
> It is also interesting that this ANSWER communique goes on to favorably
> recommend and inaccurate Washington Post article, which of course, puts
> ANSWER in a favorable light in its misrepresentation of the international
> peace and anti-war movements as a phenomenon run by a few organizations
(run
> by vanguardist groups).
>
> I have to admit that I found this part of the Post article to be immensely
> amusing:
>
> "Many of the organizers confess that they were stunned by the size and
scope
> of the demonstrations two weeks ago. "A big part of our meeting was about
> digesting the shock of the earthquake that was February 15," said Larry
> Holmes, an organizer in New York for International ANSWER, one of the U.S.
> groups organizing the rallies. "We were just as surprised as everyone
else.
> But you're seeing a new sense of confidence among organizations. People
don't
> want this war, and they're giving us a mandate to do whatever it takes to
> stop it."
>
> So, in other words, ANSWER was caught by surprise and they had to "digest"
> the fact that the biggest international anti-war protest in history
happened
> pretty much without them! An amazing bit of candor from the spinmeisters
> running ANSWER!
>
> Thank, Larry, for admitting that ANSWER was caught by surprise. Oh, by the
> way, the turnout on F15 was NOT a *mandate* for your organization, rather
a
> *repudiation* of your organization, its open vanguardism, poor tactics,
and
> everything else that activists hate about it.
>
> It's time to stick a fork into ANSWER.
>
> Chuck0
>
> International A.N.S.W.E.R. wrote:
> > INTERNATIONAL ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT ANNOUNCES MARCH 15
> > ACTIONS
> >
> > More than 120 representatives from the anti-war
> > movement in 28 countries convened in London this
> > weekend to strategize and coordinate international
> > efforts to stop the war on Iraq. The U.S. was
> > represented by a delegation from the A.N.S.W.E.R.
> > Coalition.
> >
> > The London Meeting issued a statement of international
> > coordination calling for "a massive escalation of
> > action in the next weeks to try to prevent war," and
> > announcing demonstrations, protests and mass actions
> > on March 15 in solidarity with the Emergency
> > Convergence on the White House.
> >
> > The worldwide anti-war movement is working together in
> > an unparalleled effort of coordination and solidarity
> > as people around the world fight for peace and
> > justice, not just each for themselves, but for each
> > other.
> >
> > Today's Washington Post features an article on the
> > London Meeting that also discusses the growth of the
> > global peace movement and the important Cairo
> > Conference of last December, at which A.N.S.W.E.R.
> > Steering Committee member Elias Rashmawi was elected
> > Vice President of the International Campaign Against
> > U.S. War on Iraq. As in America, where the peace
> > movement for the first time is representing the breath
> > and diversity of all of the people of the U.S. from
> > different backgrounds and struggles working together,
> > the international movement is recognizing and
> > supporting the struggles for justice of populations
> > throughout the world whose voices must be heard for a
> > truly representative and effective peace and justice
> > movement to emerge. (The full text of the Washington
> > Post article is available at
> > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30813-2003Mar2.html)
> >
> > You can help build the March 15 Emergency National
> > Convergence at the White House. Here's how:
> >
> > THE PLAN FOR THE EMERGENCY CONVERGENCE ON THE WHITE
> > HOUSE is to gather at 12 noon at the Washington
> > Monument (just south of the White House, Constitution
> > Ave. between 15th and 17th Sts. NW) for a rally and
> > march.
> >
> > Contact information for BUSES, VANS AND CAR CARAVANS
> > traveling to DC -- and an easy-to-use form to sign up
> > to list the transportation options from your city --
> > go to:
> > http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/m15/m15transp.html
> >
> > A FLYER for the March 15 Emergency National
> > Convergence on the White House is available on the
> > A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition web site. You can easily
> > download a PDF of the national flyer for the
> > Washington DC demonstration, as well as a version for
> > those in New York City planning to travel to DC.
> > Flyers for West Coast events are also available. To
> > download flyers, go to
> > http://internationalanswer.org/campaigns/resources/index.html
> > If you cannot download and print the flyers, you can
> > pick up stacks at A.N.S.W.E.R. offices around the
> > country, or you can call us at 202-544-3389 and
> > request a packet of flyers.
> >
> > For logistical information -- such as a map of the
> > rally area, directions, public transportation in DC,
> > disability access, housing and more -- go to
> > http://internationalanswer.org/campaigns/m15/logistics.html
> >
> > ---------------------
> >
> > FOR MORE INFORMATION:
> > http://www.InternationalANSWER.org
> > http://www.VoteNoWar.org
> > info at internationalanswer.org
> > New York 212-633-6646
> > Washington 202-544-3389
> > Los Angeles 213-487-2368
> > San Francisco 415-821-6545
> >
> > To make a tax-deductible donation, go to
> > http://www.internationalanswer.org/donate.html
> >
> > Sign up to receive updates (low volume):
> > http://www.internationalanswer.org/subscribelist.html
> >
> >
> > __________________________________________________
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> >
> > JOIN THE DC ANTI-WAR NETWORK
> > Discussion Listserve - where anything and everything about the War can
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> >
> > Don't forget to check out our website at www.DAWNDC.net
> >
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> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Chuck0
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> Personal homepage -> http://chuck.mahost.org/
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> Practical Anarchy Online -> http://www.practicalanarchy.org/
> Anarchy: AJODA -> http://www.anarchymag.org/
>
> "The state can't give you free speech, and the state can't take it away.
> You're born with it, like your eyes, like your ears. Freedom is something
you
> assume, then you wait for someone to try to take it away. The degree to
which
> you resist is the degree to which you are free..."
> ---Utah Phillips
>
>
>
>
>