Happy Panic Productions

Why Protest Now?

The onset of war and increase in popular support for it may discourage anyone wishing to protest. What can we hope to achieve by our protest at this stage? Virtually no amount of domestic pressure could conceivably cause the White House to call off their campaign. To achieve anything less than the complete overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime would, in their mind, be a repeat of the great failing of Desert Storm. No ordinary circumstances could cause them to call an end to the war, short of some catastrophe so horrible we couldn't possibly wish for it.

Given that we find ourselves opposed to a war which we failed to prevent and now cannot hope to curtail, what course of action to take? Voicing moral outrage, while cathartic, is ultimately an impotent gesture unless it strives to enact real change. In order to maximize our leverage of the democratic system, we must identify objectives which we can work to attain through protest and activism.

1. Prevent the next war.

Our efforts failed to prevent this war, so we should not delay our work to prevent the next one. If the White House feels it has overwhelmingly sold this war and its aftermath to the American people, it may use the momentum to begin a similar military campaign elsewhere. The more political pressure we can apply from this point in time forward, the more difficult we can make it to sell the next war.

2. Keep the Iraq debate alive after this war has ended.

Thousands will die during the war, and furthermore, millions of Iraqis' lives will be directly affected by the manner in which the U.S. government conducts itself in Iraq after the war. We must not let Iraq drop out of the public consciousness the way Afghanistan did.

3. Prevent legislation that endangers civil liberties.

The Expanded Patriot Act, if enacted, could bring us closer to a police state which, among other nightmares, would hamper future efforts of protest and activism.

General Strategies for achieving these objectives:

1. Keep Congress honest.

In the aftermath of 9/11, both houses of Congress fell in line behind the White House and acquiesced to nearly every legislative proposal that was made, including such questionable submissions as the Patriot Act. This time of war may serve as a similar opportunity for the Executive Branch to further its agenda. It is our responsibility to apply continuous vocal pressure to our Congressional representatives to challenge the White House, voice their dissent, and vote with their conscience.

2. Keep the media honest.

An under-informed majority has bought the White House's arguments and lent their public support to the war. The mainstream media has failed to offer a thorough, balanced, and critical presentation of the facts. We can expect a diminishing amount of criticism of the White House during the war. It is our responsibility to demand coverage of civilian deaths and critical analysis of the U.S. Government's actions. In particular, we cannot let post-war Iraq disappear from the public consciousness, as the media allowed to happen with post-war Afghanistan.

3. Foster public discourse.

Rallies and marches keep opposition to the war visible, creating a peaceful spectacle for media coverage and a general environment which encourages Congressional leaders and other citizens to raise their voices in dissent.

Furthermore, we must take the political discourse into non-political environments. Post in the off-topic section of non-political internet forums. Strike up conversations in sports bars.

4. Foster private discourse.

For the vast majority of people, the only way they'll ever hear a calm, reasoned argument against the war is in conversation with a friend, relative, or co-worker. This is also practically the only way most people will ever learn about good non-mainstream sources of news. We must each do our own research, especially of primary documents. We must not be afraid to talk to bystanders, hecklers and counterprotestors who don't threaten us with violence; and we must be prepared to field intelligent questions from supporters of the war.