Give Protestors a Chance

Give Protestors a Chance

By Peter Rosset*

I write this for those who are uncomfortable with anti-war protests that block streets and inconvenience commuters. I ask you to have an open mind. Feel free to disagree when you are finished, though I hope you will come away with new perspective.

Let's try to see President Bush and his war the way protestors see things, and, indeed, the way most people in other countries see things as well. First, let us ask: does President Bush listen to the American people, or to the people of the world? Every opinion poll shows that if you add together those who are opposed to war on Iraq under any conditions with those who oppose it if it is not sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council, you get a healthy majority of the American people. Did Mr. Bush listen to those polls? Since December we have had a series of the largest peaceful protest gatherings and marches since the end of the Vietnam war, all across America. Did Mr. Bush listen to these peaceful, non-disruptive protests? Those protests were preceded and accompanied by massive letter writing, fax and email campaigns to the White House. Did Mr. Bush listen to those messages? Most of America's allies in the world oppose the war. Did Mr. Bush listen to those allies? Most other countries and peoples oppose the war. Did Mr. Bush listen to the people and nations of the world? The U.N. Security Council was not about to authorize this war. Did Mr. Bush listen to the United Nations? International law makes a war without U.N. authorization illegal. Did Mr. Bush listen to, or obey, international law?

Who does Mr. Bush represent, the protestors rightly ask? If you add together those who voted for Al Gore and those who voted for Ralph Nader, you get a majority of American voters. If you add in those did not vote at all, you find that a only small minority of Americans actually voted for Mr. Bush. If you believe that electoral fraud was committed in Florida, then you may even believe that Al Gore won the head-to-head race with Mr. Bush. So who does Mr. Bush represent? The environmentalists who have seen Bush Administration attacks on almost every major piece of environmental legislation? Not them. Union members who have seen his disdain for unions? Not them. Poor people who have seen him slash social programs? Not them. People of color, who have felt his thinly disguised racism? Not them. People who make less than $100,000 and will not benefit from his tax cuts? Not them. Those who will see programs they care about slashed because of those tax cuts? Not them. Parents with kids in public school who have seen teachers laid off when billions are spent on war? Not them.

There comes a time when mild opposition turns to serious concern, when reasonable voices are ignored, when 'polite' mass turnouts are ignored, when serious concern turns to anger and outrage. When does that point come? When is it justified to do something that inconveniences the morning commute? When international law is violated? When innocent lives are at stake? When our schools are sacrificed for war? When our votes are ignored, when polls are ignored, when national and global public opinion is ignored? When?

My career takes me around the world, pretty consistently since the 1970's. I have never seen so much anti-American sentiment ever, not even during the Vietnam War. People are scared of the U.S. They think of us as a monster out of control. Anger and resentment towards the U.S. is boiling over everywhere, because of the perceived arrogance and indifference to public opinion and rules of law displayed by the Bush Administration. Anger towards the U.S. is behind terrorism against the U.S. Will this war reduce future terrorist attacks against the U.S.? I'm sorry, but no.

Our only hope lies with the protestors. Yesterday I got an email from Mexico. The author said he was surprised and moved to see that in America "there are still citizens with enough dignity to protest this savage war." Before he saw TV reports of the protests, he had thought the American people were just as bad as their President. Now he thinks differently. At this point there seem to be two main ways people in other countries see America. The first is as the evil empire, a country determined to trample over the rights of others, to use might to overcome right, a threat to world peace, and the main force perpetuating poverty and repression around the world. The second is a country whose people are crying out "Not in our name!" Whose people are bravely facing down an illegitimate president fraudulently elected, and an unjust and illegal war.

Which view of the American people and the U.S. government do you want the world to hold? Which view better protects Americans from indiscriminate terror attacks? Which is more firmly based on moral principles? Please, at least think about it.

* Peter Rosset is co-director of Food First/The Institute for Food and Development Policy (http://www.foodfirst.org), based in Oakland, CA.