PEACE NOW

This booklet was written and produced by THE GULF CLUB. January 1991. We could only afford to produce this on 50% recycled paper.

PEACE NOW

The Spectacle of War

What we are seeing now is the largest, most spectacular production of the spectacle in the 20th Century; 5 months of mass manufactured American propoganda pumped through the TV, Radio and press introducing us to the main rolse plaers - BUSH - the vangaurd of freedom and HUSSEIN - the butch of Bagdad - inducing the surreal feeling of Audience participation. Every night millions of people sit down and tune in to the 'GULF REPORT'. It has it's own theme song, stars, violence, tragedy and victory, all the makings of a box office hit unrivalled even by Star Wars.

The TV presenters of this epic have all the manners of the best sports presenters, each night giving the scores in the "game". Instead of blood, guts and agony, we have casualties and hits, nice clinical words and numbers so it doesn't disturb the evening meal. And now it has come down to one channel that we are led to believe even the stars in the epic drama watch for their information. The more the bombs go down, trhe higher the ratings go up. Profits roll in from advertising and even the fighter pilots forget they're not in the movies - "It's the best fireworks display I've seen since the 4th of July years ago."

The veneer of democracy has been lifted, exposing the real face of capitalism, the spectre known as war. However this war is not an isolated tragedy, it is a crisis point. There have always been the silent wars of economy, greed, political repression, hunger and homelessmess. There can never be REAL peace, so long as the STRUCTURES of war exist.

Peacetime is a grand illusion if people are suffering. If the elite are comfortable and are not fighting each other for the treasures of the globe, we are told this is peace. If we are com,plicit in these systems, we are complicit in the eternal war.

WE CANNOT HAVE REAL PEACE UNTIL THERE IS TRUE EQUALITY.

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE.

So long as the structures of war exist, there is NO chance for peace. If we are serious about peace, we should seriously look at abolishing the structures that support and create war.

The reality is that the bombs and the missiles won't stop in mid-air by singing songs, honking horns our even sending out peace vibes. Peace is a world wide responsibility that defies national boundaries and our governments have proved that THEY will not be responsible. Be they capitalist, Fascist, Marxist-Lenonist, Trotskiest or Stalinist the labals are simply facades.

War justifies the need for governments and cements centralised and complete power. So long as the arms of the state exist, violence will be part of our daily lives. So who are the real terrorists?

The state controls through fear. In times of war, prejudices are fed to secure our compliancy.

We are told that the Arab culture is violent, yet it is really the Arab STATE which is violent. The violence of the Arab State is not distinguishable from the violence of the allied states.

Wasn't it the allied states that sold the Iraqi state the means to acheive this level of violence? And wasn't it the Iraqi state that sold the oil to the allied states to produce their weapons?

We see now that the victims of these nation states are now forced to slaughter each other.

THE WAR EFFORT FROM THE "HOME FRONT"

A very important role in the struggle for peace is boycotting companies that directly fund and manufacture the tools of the war. By boycotting these companies and their products we are playing an active part in not funding the war. Many of these companies practice outright deceit, eg EMI sell records preaching love and peace and yet make surveillence for the police and tracking devices for Exorcet and Cruise missiles. Mega-scabs such as John Lennon, David Bowie and Madonna have all profited from this unscrupulous industry. Other companies involved are: EMAIL (WESTINGHOUSE, METTERS, FRIGIDAIRE, KELVINATOR); in the top 50 Nuclear Contractors List, produces the launch systems for the Posiedon Missile, canisters for the MX, electronics for the B-52 and B-1 bombers, launchers for Tomahawk Cruise Missile.

HAWKER PACIFIC (WD 40, AMORALL, MERMAX). Hawker Pacific represents many missile manufacturers in Australia including the HARRIS CORPORATION, TELEDYNE INC, RAYTEHON CO., LITTON INDand TRW INC. Harris is a contractor for B-52 and the Minuteman missiles, produces electronics for the B-1, military satellites, anti satellite weapons, the MX Tridents 1 & 11 missiles. Telledyne makes radar systems for the B-1 and B-52 bombers, explosive devices for the Pershing 11, engines for Cruise and Harpoon missiles. Raytheon produces systems and components for Trident, B-1, B-52, F-4 bombers and guided missile cruisers and the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System. Litton work on missile cruisers, Midgetman. TRW Inc work on the B-1 bomber, MX and the Anti Ballistic missile.

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS - sole suppliers of the high spead Anti Radiation Missile (HARM), produce radar and electronic systems for navigation, intelligence and missile guidance systems and contracts for the Cruise missile.

Also in the top 50 Nuclear Contractors List are Goninan and Co (GEC, General Electric, Osram, Cannon, Hotpoint), Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co, IBM Computers, Honeywell Computers, Amcor (APM Paper and Wood products, Lukey Mufflers, Kelly Bros stores, Maxwells Electrical Stores, Eastern Tools, Kleenex Tissues, Kotex, Dawn, Kimbies, Snugglers) represents the McDonnell Douglas Corp and United Technologies. Sperry Corp and Phillips.

Other companies which do not make domestic products bbut are connected to contracts worth over one hundred million dollars are: Rolls Royce, BP, Plessey Co, Westland, and through Thorn EMI, Radio Rentals, Canberra TV, EMI Records, Castle Recording, EMI Lighting and Computers.

Also not let us forget Australia's involvement involvement in the nuclear industry through the mining and sales of uranium. The ANZ banking group is substantially involved with mining and exporting uranium through it's directors, investors and nominees. The Commonwealth Bank also provides banking facilities for Queensland mines. BP is a major shareholder in the Roxby Downs mining venture as well as Union Carbide (Everready, Minimax, Energiser, Gladwrap) and Peko Wallsend (Peko Oil, Simsmetal, Warman Inc and Weeks offshore).

These companies are not the only ones to profit from war. There are also the many companies involved in the manufacture of the tools of war that are not actual weapons. The media profits from increased sales. Pharmaceuticals, rubber manufacturers, electronics and computer companies, the steel, iron and aluminium industries, all stand to profit. In terms of power, the "victors" will profit. If it be that the allies "win", then the harbingers of the "New World Order" can realize their sick fantasies.

WHO THEN PAYS THE PRICE?

The increased cost of food, oil and other resources hits harder as you get poorer. The ordinary people foot the bill for the cost of war and its profiteers. Soldiers, many of whom had little choice in the face of unemployment, or legal obligations (in lieu of jail terms), may pay the ultimate price of their lives. We have been shown that the environmental repercussions of this war will be devestating. This could range from oil spills in the Gulf, to possible huge clouds formed from burning oil refineries which could block sunlight over Iraq, India, and parts of Asia, leaving many poor nations in the grasp of crop failure. Toxicity from the destruction of chemical weapons factories, and the possibility of the use of nuclear and chemical weapons carry huge environmental implications.

DEFENDING OURSELVES

• police film people partaking in anti-war demonstrations - we should cover our identities at demonstrations.

• Who can you trust? - the formation of affinity groups (small autonomous groups of people that you know and trust) to protect us from isolation and victimisation by the police, etc. N.V.A. is nice in theory but doesn't help when you're getting the shit kicked out of you in a cell.

• Affinity groups can mass together

• Arrests are not acceptable, the police are the first line of defence against the anti-war movement. Remeber the police's purpose is to protect the property, wealth and interests of those perpretrating this war!

• And so on ...

DIRECT ACTION

Disruption, non-cooperation and sabotage are not violent.

• Sabotage the war machine

• Disrupt the Stock Exchange, as this is the very pillar of capitalism

• Call for the disaffiliation of your union from the ALP. Take control of your union from below, sack your executive, all power to the rank and file.

• Organize with other unions for a general strike.

• Occupy key buildings

• and so on

It is important that groups form to hide, protect and give support to members of the military who are prepared to go A.W.O.L., as this and mutiny are the most courageous acts of bravery they can perform in a war-time situation. Their direct refusal to fight a war makes it very hard to have one.

As we are entering the last stage of the 20th century we see the capitalist and technocrats consolidate their union. Because we hvae nothing but our debts, it is these shareholders who have everything to lose. Either we win, or they will. Our choice is to be conscripted, enslaved or unemployed. We are all hostages to the state; if you question this, try resigning.

BEWARE THE NEW WORLD ORDER

There is NO democracy. There is NO Australia. There is only ITT, IBM, NBC, EXXON, MOBIL, GNERAL MOTORS, GOVERNMENT AND STATE.

[Spectacular Times Index]