Top 10 Reasons to March Against War in February 2003 But Not February 2022
By David Swanson
https://davidswanson.org/top-
1. In 2003 it was important to denounce the lying schemers pretending that Iraq had nukes. In 2022, U.S. officials stirring up war with Russia know that Russia has lots of nukes but don’t even care and aren’t even talking about it, so there’s just not much for us to do or worry about. After all this snow, a nuclear winter doesn’t sound so awful.
2. In 2003 we could pretend the Democratic Party might oppose a war, but in 2022 we’re stuck with pretending that the Republican Party might oppose a war, and what fun is that?
3. With pretty much everybody but little kids either vaccinated-boosted-and-masked, or preferring death to those things, outdoor gatherings of any size risk bringing you into the proximity of people who disagree with you on infuriatingly stupid shit. And an online event planned for February 5 would just not be the same.
4. It was possible to oppose a war on Iraq without opposing all war, thanks to the war on Afghanistan, whereas now all we’ve got is the wars on Yemen, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and everywhere within reach of missiles, including Afghanistan and Iraq. So, opposing a war on Russia would mean being simply antiwar, and nobody should have to be that.
5. It was possible to oppose bombing the people of Iraq while still hating Saddam Hussein, but to oppose slaughtering the people of Ukraine would require kneeling and pledging eternal devotion to Putin.
6. Trump was impeached for slowing down weapons to Ukraine, hating NATO, and getting peed on. We must therefore support weapons to Ukraine, NATO expansion, and freedom (from pee).
7. After over 10,000 wars based on lies and deceptions, when a new war comes along like this one based on total solid fact, we have a sacred responsibility to support it or at least keep our mouths shut until either it becomes unpopular or the nukes are launched (or both if both of those things happen within 10 minutes of each other).
8. Marching in 2003 did not accomplish everything I’d hoped, so I’m devoting myself to the more strategic approach of voting every two years while finding the time in between to focus on where peace must truly begin, in my own heart.
9. In 2003 Putin opposed attacking Iraq. In 2022 Putin opposes attacking Russia. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me, you can’t get fooled again.
10. In the 1940s Putin and the Communists were busy helping the Nazis. We defeated them. Our forefathers never dreamed that we would ever stop defeating them. President Eisenhower warned us very clearly never to abandon the cause of the Military Industrial Complex. And I will never do so, not over my dead body. Amen.
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David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is executive director of WorldBeyondWar.org and campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org. Swanson's books include War Is A Lie.
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