Latest discussion in the group is around the Forum for the autumn period. Topics discussed were the roots of war, depriving the government of the power to wage war, not a single youth for war, close experiences on the effects of war on so many families that have loved ones in the armed forces. There was also an extensive disussion on the criminalisation of people entered into by the whole state apparatus using trial by newspaper.
The military families against the war was a vital force. The state was trying to become adept at manipualting the tragedieis of the soldiers killed to claim some moral high ground in it indefensible policy to turn so many poor people int its reserve for imperialist aggression.
One question was not just to react to their agenda but to promote ours. The great strength of the anti-war movement has been to put the government on the defensive to force them to react by placing the opposition of the people to their wars centre stage in the political life of the country. It could be argued that the most important question facing the people is to have a central strategy to organise to deprive the government of the power to wage these wars.
For the working class and people to achieve their aim of an anti-war government they have to work out how to deprive the government and Parliamentary system of the power to wage war. At present the government wages war even though it has a sizeable opposition within Parliament. That sizeable opposition is accomodated with in the pro war agenda. It has to be remembered Tony Blair carried out his war crimes in invading Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq whilst still claiming to "defend the right of those that oppose him". Of course as someone said in the disussion Hilter seems a child compared to these modern imperialist politicians in that they are bringing about fascism and war suppressing the people and killing them and destroying their lives all in the name of "British values", "fair play" and "democracy".
Depriving the government of the power to wage war is a political question of the utmost urgency and importance. It requires renewal of the political process with anti-war candidates the significant start we have already made. It requires engagement of all the polity but particularly to deny the ruling class it ability to mobilise the working class and people as it reserve army must be paid atttention to. Not a single youth for imperialist war, not a single worker or intellectual for war production. This is the fight for an anti-war government.
