E-mail
Print
End Iraq occupation NOW
Movement urges participation among students
By Daniel Jaeckle
The majority of us want an end to the occupation of Iraq because the majority knows this war is not about the safety of Iraqis or Americans.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students will soon have two opportunities (Mar. 13 and Mar. 15) to make history, as thousands nationwide will march to demand an end to the occupation of Iraq. Mar. 20 marks the fifth anniversary of the occupation of Iraq, and occupation that has led to nearly 4,000 American deaths and over a million Iraqi deaths.
UWM students can make a difference by attending these rallies and encouraging others to attend. Marching in the streets does work; it has shaped history, and, along with other tactics, will persuade Washington to bring our troops home now.
We know the occupation is wrong, and we need to work together if we expect change. With this understanding, nine student groups have formed the UWM Campus Coalition Against War. Coalition members include the Latino Student Union, the Muslim Student Association, the Black Student Union, Jews for Justice, Students for a Democratic Society, Latin America Solidarity Committee, Democracy Matters at UWM, Progressive Students of Milwaukee and Art Students Advocating Peace. This unprecedented unification at UWM has already begun to change the fundamental concept of how student organizations at UWM see themselves and their issues relate, as we are all affected by this war in some way.
The UWM Campus Coalition Against War is organizing a peace rally for Mar. 13 at noon on the Spaights Plaza at UWM. Their concise message is to “Bring the Troops Home Now” and to “Fund Education Instead of Occupation.” Speakers from all different organizations and backgrounds will talk about how the war affects their cause(s) during the hour-long program.
Then, On Mar. 15 in Milwaukee, a larger, citywide antiwar rally will take place, organized by the Milwaukee Coalition for Just Peace, a coalition comprised of dozens of Milwaukee-area peace and justice organizations. Progressive Students of Milwaukee, a coalition member, is organizing a peaceful student “feeder march” that will meet at noon on the corner of Water Street and Wisconsin Avenue. After some emceeing, they will join the larger peace rally at O’Donnell Park.
The time to end the occupation of Iraq is now. Department of Defense statistics reveal that an overwhelming majority of Iraqis want the occupying forces out within the year. Newspaper polls from around this country state that a majority of Americans and American soldiers want a speedy exit from Iraq.
The majority of us want an end to the occupation of Iraq because the majority knows this war is not about the safety of Iraqis or Americans. National intelligence estimates from our government report that the threat of terrorism against Americans has drastically gone up since the invasion. These reports state that terrorist cells have “metastasized and spread across the globe.” The World Health Organization has repeatedly stated that life quality in Iraq has decayed since the invasion.
The occupation of Iraq comes at the financial expense of the American working class while the wealthy elite scramble to maximize profits off the situation. Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz and Harvard public finance lecturer Linda J. Bilmes concluded late last year that the occupation of Iraq costs $720 million a day. While this means Americans are forking out $500,000 per minute, the Institute for Policy Studies has revealed that defense contractor CEOs received raises on average of 200 percent between 2001 and 2004, compared to only 7 percent for average large company CEOs.
America still occupies Iraq because war profiteers are out-maneuvering the antiwar movement thus far. War profiteers do everything from shoveling millions of dollars into our elections to manipulating the media – stuff that keeps our government at a standstill and the people from protesting.
Progressive Students of Milwaukee have denounced war profiteers, and recently began a campaign to demand that UWM divest all ventures and entities from the war profiteering industry. Along with demanding an end to investment in companies with a vested interest in perpetuating war, Progressive Students of Milwaukee has demanded the foundation of an independent board of oversight to ensure transparency and prevent the university from involving itself in aiding militaristic ventures through corporate investment.
In addition, Progressive Students of Milwaukee, along with Democracy Matters at UWM, are cosponsoring a night for Father G. Simon Harak, a professor of theology, Director of the Center for Peacemaking at Marquette University and an expert on war profiteering, to come speak at UWM. Simon Harak will be at the UWM Union Fireside Lounge on April 2 at 7 PM.
“Be the change you want to see in the world,” wrote Mahatma Gandhi. If we do not start to do something this Mar. 13 and 15, all we can expect is another sorry year of undemocratic, unjust American occupation of Iraq.
Progressive Students of Milwaukee was formed this semester with a primary objective of stepping up the antiwar movement, and you are welcome to join us!
Daniel Ginsberg-Jaeckle
A Progressive Student of Milwaukee
Chair, Democracy Matters at UWM
psmilwaukee@gmail.com
> Comments
Dan... why is your name hyphenated in one place and not another?? on Mar 10, 2008 at 06:01 AM:
"Progressive Students of Milwaukee have denounced war profiteers, and recently began a campaign to demand that UWM divest all ventures and entities from the war profiteering industry. Along with demanding an end to investment in companies with a vested interest in perpetuating war, Progressive Students of Milwaukee has demanded the foundation of an independent board of oversight to ensure transparency and prevent the university from involving itself in aiding militaristic ventures through corporate investment."
You're the kind of sick excuse for a life form that wants to kick our military recruiters off of our campuses and strip them of their rights to free speech in public places. You're the type of scum who would also work for removing ROTC from our campuses. You don't empower students, you strip them of their rights to know their options, and mislead students with words like "war profiteering"
And no matter how much you stand in the streets, you're not going to get the troops out of Iraq by standing here spitting in their eyes for the rights that they are protecting you to abuse.
If you are able to argue for the stripping of the military and all its affiliates from our campus, why shouldn't we be able to bar anti-military groups from our campus? Many of us actually appreciate their sacrifices for our freedoms. Perhaps you might want to consider them before you start bulldozing them off the campuses in the United States.
Jump ship for Berkeley while you still can Daniel.
Johanan Raatz on Mar 10, 2008 at 07:38 AM:
"The majority of us want an end to the occupation of Iraq because the majority knows this war is not about the safety of Iraqis or Americans"
I would suspect that the majority of people are lemmings. Experts in the field who know what they are talking about think that pulling out of Iraq would be a catastrophe both in terms of the national interest, the death toll in the subsequent bloodbath, and in numerous other regional problems it would cause.
As for the terrorist threat, you are correct that terrorism has increased after the Iraq war. What you fail to realize is that support for terror in middle-eastern states has decreased dramatically after the Iraq war meaning that we are draining the swamp of them. If we stop the war now we will have an higher upsurge in terror because it will make them think they can beat us.
You have to ask yourself why the Democrats are not stopping the war effort. It's probably because they know what a catastrophe it would be. They only talk the talk because they know they have to appease their irrational base. Just because the majority wants something doesn't mean they should get it and it doesn't mean what they want is good for them. A majority of college students (8 out of 10) for example don't even know basic civic knowledge you can't possibly beleive we should be allowing them to make complex foreign policy decisions.
For some reason the Progressive Students of Milwaukee call themselves progressive but don't want any progress in Iraq. Irrational reactionary attitudes against the Iraq war are not progressive and will not help anyone.
Johanan Raatz on Mar 10, 2008 at 07:41 AM:
And another I don't really care that their are war profiteers benefiting from this. Yes they are greedy little jerks, but they are greedy little jerks that can be used by the state to acheive goals that are in the national interest. Corporations are useful for the state and as such we shouldn't have kneejerk opposition towards them.
Daniel G-J on Mar 10, 2008 at 08:54 AM:
For the first comment: Did I fail to mention that over 70% of U.S. troops want out of Iraq? I support the troops; I listen to them. And when military recruiters come to campus, Progressive Students are there to peacefully spread truth about about military recruitment--an Iraq Vets Against the War strategy.
To Jonahan Ratz: You have no respect for democracy; therefore, I suspect very few respect your opinion.
Support the troops Ginsberg-Jack@$$ on Mar 10, 2008 at 10:21 AM:
Just because 70% want withdrawal does not mean the immediate pullout that you are so in favor of. I'd be willing to bet you that 70% of Americans don't care if you have sex before you're married, and would recommend it. This doesn't mean we should all go out and get laid the next day because 70% are in favor.
70% IS NOT 100%. Whatever happened to listening and protecting the opinions of the minorities? Don't their voices count anymore? What about that 30%? For claiming to listen to your soldiers, you sure don’t want to listen to the minority. Are you going with the fads here Daniel? It’s pretty trendy to be anti-war nowadays.
Your numbers don't mean all too much to me. You can find numbers that work for you anywhere.
Iraq vets against the war... sounds like a Nam vets against the war kind of BS propaganda and hate spewing movement...
Support the troops. Let them do their jobs without bringing your nasty agenda into it.
Johanan Raatz on Mar 10, 2008 at 10:54 AM:
"To Jonahan Ratz: You have no respect for democracy; therefore, I suspect very few respect your opinion."
Ad hominem dismissals like these are exactly why I distrust mass opinion.
Your not supposed to judge someones opinion based on what other things they beleive. Your supposed to analyze an opinion based on logical criteria. The very fact that people would dismiss an opinion on an ad hominem fallacy gives good cause for me distrust their ability to make rational decisions in other places.
BTW I do have respect for an intelligently run democratic REPUBLIC (like what America is). Pure democracy though is a bad thing as it puts everything, even it's own foundations up for debate and thus at worst leads to contradictions and at best is horribly anti-Platonist.
Just because something is democratically decided doesn't make it RIGHT. Being RIGHT and being favored in opinion polls are two different and orthogonal things.
As for your article you gave a sound argument here based on increased terrorism. Although you miss the fact that this is expected in the short term as part of the "drain the swamp" strategy.
As for your classist rhetoric. That's not relevant to the debate over the war. How the war is fought and who is footing the bill is an important debate (and I may even agree with you on parts of it) but it is NOT relevant to the debate of whether or not the war should be won.
In the rest of your article you seem to imply that the war should end because "the people" want it to end without explaining why the people are right.
"over a million Iraqi deaths."
Pulling the one outrageously high statistic out of a bunch of other ones who's count is far smaller doesn't make that statistic correct.
Observer on Mar 10, 2008 at 01:35 PM:
What's with the right wing nuts always commenting on online stuff? Shouldn't they be planning/organizing or do they really don't care?
Observer on Mar 10, 2008 at 01:35 PM:
What's with the right wing nuts always commenting on online stuff? Shouldn't they be planning/organizing or do they really don't care?
Ed on Mar 10, 2008 at 03:10 PM:
Let's see, the majority of Iraqis want the US to withdraw, the majority of Americans want the US to withdraw and the majority of US troops want the US to withdraw. But Mr. Raatz, he knows better. He likes democracy, ok, unless of course the majority disagrees with his considered judgment. He distrusts "mass opinion." Nothing wrong with that I guess, except that the last remaining rationale for this - the biggest foreign policy blunder of the 20th century - was that the invasion and occupation are in aid of "democracy." Thus, if the majority of the Iraqi people want us out, then how better to serve democracy than to withdraw? (notwithstanding Mr. Raatz's distrust of vox populi)
Geoff Loper on Mar 10, 2008 at 03:20 PM:
since when does the classification of people know to you as "right wing nuts" mean that we are unable to read and form our own opinion about a newspaper article and are therefore not allowed to voice our own opinion?
It almost seems as if you are implying that the use of the internet is only for leftist hippies like you!
Johanan Raatz on Mar 10, 2008 at 04:18 PM:
"Thus, if the majority of the Iraqi people want us out, then how better to serve democracy than to withdraw? (notwithstanding Mr. Raatz's distrust of vox populi)"
Look we want to get out as well. We just want to get out once the place is stable enough for their democracy to be allowed to continue.
Democracy is only good if it is sustainable. Collapsing the political power of Iraqi democracy through an implosive withdrawal would not produce a sustainable democracy.
Because of its structural nature democracy is a very fragile thing unless it is underpinned by a republican framework (the mode of government not the party). In a republican framework not everything is open for debate. If you were to allow everything to be open for debate the whole thing would come apart. So no I'm not being undemocratic when I say these things (although when I get annoyed it may seem that way), rather I'm trying to protect democracy from a systemic flaw that always exists in it's most pure form.
ed supporter. on Mar 10, 2008 at 05:01 PM:
ed's got it right on. this new conservative movement has simply been a suppression of everything not neoconservative. and unsuccessfully at that.
leftist hippies? if you take a look at the active groups on campus, i believe there are about 2 or 3 people who might fit the stereotype of a hippie, which is out of about 4 dozen people or so. Nice try though. You'll have to think of something more fitting if you're going to retort with name calling.
Aaron Jeske on Mar 10, 2008 at 05:59 PM:
It would be good to note that asking a soldier if he would rather be safe at home with his family than in the middle of a desert with Islamic Maniacs trying to kill him is a rather stupid question. Of course he is going to say "go home"
Instead lets try asking him or her whether the US should stay to finish the job, of which the response ratio is a little different
But hey, who expects commies to actually use logic eh?
Aaron Jetski on Mar 10, 2008 at 11:57 PM:
I should go sign up for the Marines and hunt for bad guys and then come back and prove you all wrong!
RS on Mar 11, 2008 at 02:20 AM:
"Marching in the streets does work; it has shaped history, and, along with other tactics, will persuade Washington to bring our troops home now."
Really Daniel?? Name some examples of wars that have been ended due to marching in the streets? I sure as hell can't think of any and most people who see you idiots out there just won't care. This statement by you is not only nonsensical, its just plain stupid. As has been pointed out before, your tactics are INEFFECTIVE!!!!
PSM on Mar 11, 2008 at 10:57 AM:
Progressive Students of Milwaukee...
Socialism... just not quite there yet.
That's why you're "progressive"
March on comrades... march on.
When you get to the bluffs by the lake?
Keep marchin on.
Johanan Raatz on Mar 11, 2008 at 11:04 AM:
Just a reminder to "Aaron Jetski." The chickenhawk accusation is an ad hominem fallacy. It's completely tangential to the debate surrounding the war.
RS = Real Smart on Mar 11, 2008 at 03:21 PM:
Read more - comment less
Joe on Mar 11, 2008 at 10:28 PM:
I don't buy the "unprecedented" nature of this coalition. Sounds like hyperbole.
It is true that marching in the streets has shaped history, but in the U.S. it typically doesn't shape policy.
well on Mar 12, 2008 at 11:10 AM:
Forming that coalition was key. Good job guys.
Open your eyes for once on Mar 12, 2008 at 04:48 PM:
In the fields the bodies burning, as the war machine keeps turning. Death and hatred to mankind, poisoning their brainwashed minds.
Politicians hide themselves away; they only started the war. Why should they go out to fight? They leave that all to the poor.
Johanan Raatz on Mar 12, 2008 at 07:31 PM:
"In the fields the bodies burning, as the war machine keeps turning. Death and hatred to mankind, poisoning their brainwashed minds."
Cute little hippie rhyme. But this is the real world. Sometimes you have to solve problems through force or worse problems will appear.
"Politicians hide themselves away; they only started the war. Why should they go out to fight? They leave that all to the poor."
You should keep class warfare rhetoric out of this. Class-baiting is not a relevant basis for discussing the merits for or against the war.
Ozzy Osbourne on Mar 13, 2008 at 07:38 AM:
I'm not a hippie
Bill Clinton on Mar 13, 2008 at 08:03 AM:
Nor did I have sex with that woman Ozzy!
A view from the outside on Mar 13, 2008 at 07:47 PM:
Looks like your shameless plug in the school newspaper didn't do much for turnout, did it daniel?
I suggest advertising 3 months in advance next time to get at least 150 whack jobs to come to your events.
Allyson K. Wartick on Mar 14, 2008 at 07:45 AM:
Daniel;
I really expected to read a massive article in the paper today, but I've been digging through JSOnline, and I think I've turned it inside and out by now, and I can't find a single mention of this massive coalition protest that was supposed to be taking place.
I'm kind of disappointed, I was expecting a history-altering event yesterday to rattle some headlines.
Charlie Sykes posted on his blog about the conservatives again though.
http://www.620wtmj.com/shows/charliesykes/16631951.html?blog=y
You might want to try and keep working to get Erica Perez in your corner.
Allyson K. Wartick on Mar 14, 2008 at 07:51 AM:
Posted too soon... darn!
I had a thought on what you might want to blame it on...
I mean I, personally, would blame it on Scott Walker.
Aaron Jeske on Mar 14, 2008 at 11:14 AM:
I seem to remember a certain somone saying that 70% of america wanted out of Iraq
Nice to get some truth every once and a while:
"While about equal numbers of Americans believe U.S. troops should remain in Iraq (47 percent) as want troops withdrawn (49 percent), the shift in public opinion over the last year has been toward keeping troops there -- up 5 percent since February 2007 and 8 points since September 2007. And barely 14 percent favor Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama's position, removing all troops immediately.
More importantly, a rapidly growing number of Americans believe the military effort in Iraq is going well -- 48 percent compared with only 30 percent a year ago. And a majority now believes that the U.S. will succeed in Iraq, 53 percent compared with 42 percent last September."
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/LindaChavez/2008/03/14/iraqwarcouldhelpgopwinin_november
Did I forget to mention that 70%...? on Mar 14, 2008 at 12:03 PM:
Did I forget to mention... I ♥ propaganda?
glad to see that 70% of the MORONS on campus that share your fringe-ass views showed up yesterday.
NOT!
Johanan Raatz on Mar 14, 2008 at 12:34 PM:
With the surge working now, and making measurable progress why pull out prematurely now when we could just wait a little longer and get the job done the proper way?
Unlike before hand we seem much closer now.
Adam Meyers on Mar 14, 2008 at 07:10 PM:
I'm glad to see the republican hit squad is out in force on uwmpost.com again
Allyson K. Wartick on Mar 14, 2008 at 11:56 PM:
haha Adam... well, all I can say is it goes both ways.
the "hit squad may be out in force", but they keep writing the editorials, so we keep showing up, and that's how it's going to be for a long time to come, and I'm not just talking about the post...
Adam Meyers on Mar 15, 2008 at 07:53 PM:
Well this is America and that's your right. Let's just hope you stop defacing artwook and writing pro-war propaganda under the guise of supporting the troops.
Johanan Raatz on Mar 15, 2008 at 08:05 PM:
"Well this is America and that's your right. Let's just hope you stop defacing artwook and writing pro-war propaganda under the guise of supporting the troops."
Well hey all they were doing was defacing anti-war propaganda.
Allyson K. Wartick on Mar 16, 2008 at 09:00 AM:
hahaha... I'm sorry, excuse me, I didn't know that writing things like "Support the ones who protect your freedom" was pro-war propaganda?
Aaron Jeske on Mar 16, 2008 at 02:00 PM:
"Well this is America and that's your right. Let's just hope you stop defacing artwook [sic] and writing pro-war propaganda under the guise of supporting the troops"
If you want my hones opinion ( I know you don't, but I could care less) the artwork was defacing the nice and clean ground of Spaight's Plaza to begin with.
Mr. T on Mar 17, 2008 at 10:21 PM:
Hones?
Hones?
Hones?
You forgot about T, suckuh.
Love, B.A. Baracus