Since January 2003 , we have seen the greatest outpouring of street opposition to the government since the 70's. Now, the pro government, pro imperialism side is consolidating their positions.
An urgent question for DSA, and the left, is how do we go from less than 1% of the population to gain the support of the 5 -10% who strongly oppose the war? During the spring DSA locals worked through United for Peace and Justice; www.unitedforpeace.org.

We can recognize the strategy of the WWP, the ISO and others. In summary the strategy is , be militant, be assertive, out hussle and out work the others. When 10,000 people march, get 1-3 speakers from your organization. Be more militant than the others speaker in words and deeds. Fine 100 people in the crowd of 10,000 who might be with you. Target them. Recruit them. Consolidate your strength and move on to the next issue.

The Green's followed the same strategy in the 2000 election. Be militant, run as if you are going to win (even though you will not). Build your organization. Move on to the next issue or election.

Toward an alternative:
We have witnessed, and some have participated in, the mass outpourings of opposition. Millions have been in the streets in the U.S. and around the world. The war has again revealed the corporate imperialism and the role of a small Right wing sect in controlling defense policy, and the growth of right wing ideological power in the media. Congress has played almost a silent role in consent to the war.

The struggle before us is to build a mass movement to limit imperialism and to prevent the next war. The Perle, Wolfowitz, Cheney, Rumesfield crowd is already talking about Syria and Iran, and even considering Saudi Arabia and North Korea. They have won the first battle for Iraq, but they have not yet won the occupation. They are dragging the U.S. into a quagmire. They are an ambitious and dangerous right wing cell.

The emergence of a mass, coordinated anti war movement has great potential. Our opponents want us to believe that the effort is over-that we have lost. But, the real work has just begun.

Our work, along with others on the left, is to build a broad, inclusive, anti war movement/ social justice movement. . Now, as tens of thousands learn that the U.S. government will carry out a war in favor of business interests, there will be many learning the nature of power in the U.S. We should be there to explain and analyze. Our locals are active on campuses. We should explain media ownership, the role of the Democratic Leadership Council, and the military-industrial-corporate-comple and the WTO.

Imperialism is expensive. It has already produced cut backs in school budgets, health care, and domestic programs. As we build a movement, we will need to raise the cost to the ruling elite of extending imperial power around the world. Already they have created an Arab disaster. They are risking the consolidation of an Islamic fundamentalism that makes Osama Bin Laden look like only the beginning of terror. This war will produce 100 more Osama bin Ladens.

And, it is producing 5,000 intellectuals, around the world, who once admired the U.S. and our democracy and now they denounce the U.S. for its arrogance, for its imperialism. These will create an entire generation of anti American activists.

We need to reach out and enlarge the anti imperialism/social justice movement. At the same time, our particular task is to participate in this movement as socialists. That is we need to explain empire and imperialism. We need to explain the connection between the WTO and the domination of the globe by U.S. military power.

One of our tasks is to help, assist, coach this generation of activists. We need to develop a new generation of activists, organizers, movement builders.- and we can share our experiences with them. A second task is to stay active ourselves. We need to build a legitimate left in this country which includes young people.

Equally important is working within labor. Recall that in the Central American struggles the break in labor was significant. It led to the changes in the AFL-CIO, modest as they are.

Iraq is the current crisis point, last year it was Afghanistan. Next year it may be elsewhere: Brazil, Columbia. And the Arab -Israeli dispute continues. Each of these are but talons of the imperial eagle. We need to keep our eyes on the eagle. (The ruling corporate-governmental class) and build a movement of resistance. Notably this class is not a U.S. class. It is international. Cooperation among socialists - and healthy socialists organizations will help us to build resistance.

We now face a significant challenge to our democratic future. We should challenge why there was virtually no debate in the U.S. Congress as the Bush regime passed the Use of Force Resolution in October. Where were the Democrats? Why do we not have an opposition party when war and imperialism are up for a vote?

If we create some opposition and some space, opposition will grow even within the Democrats. We must grow this opposition quickly before the Bush Regime leads us into a second, third and fourth war.

The most direct way to stop this rush to empire is to defeat George Bush in 2004. In addition to demonstrations, letter writing, etc., we need an electoral strategy to challenge Bush and any pro war Democrats. Four of the Democratic candidates have taken anti war stands; Kucinich, Dean, Mosely-Braun, and Sharpton. We must grow this opposition quickly before the Bush Regime leads us into a second, third and fourth war.

To do any of this, we need a healthy DSA local. You are invited to come help us build a left future.

Duane Campbell