A debate: how should service people resist the war?

Refuse illegal, immoral, insane orders

Dear Friends at Traveling Soldier,

I have put together a list of public military refusers to the war in Iraq. You can see it here: http://www.tomjoad.org/WarHeroes.htm

I would be interested in hearing of those I have not yet listed. Please spread the word.

I cannot say enough about the importance of refusal, and any way one chooses to do it, publicly or privately, it is to be respected and honored. It is crucial if humanity is to survive to keep one’s ability to say “NO,” to refuse illegal, immoral, insane orders. Those in the military owe their greatest allegiance not to the “President” but to all people and our highest values.

Thanks for your newsletter. I hope lots of GI’s are reading it.

- Jim

Organizing within the ranks more effective

Dear Jim: The growing list of military resisters that have refused to serve in the current unjust and immoral war in Iraq are true heroes. All Airmen, Marines, Soldiers, Reservists, Guardsmen and Seamen must decide to follow their own conscience in how they might choose to oppose the war.

The military hierarchy, however, easily isolates and cracks down on individual resistance, either by locking such a person in the brig or stockade or by charging that person under the UCMJ. Yet when troops begin to act in concert and think of means to oppose the war collectively, their power and threat to the war machine increases significantly.

During the Vietnam War, members of the Armed Forces turned against the war in large numbers, leading to creative means of collective resistance. Troops formed “rap groups” within their platoons that discussed the immorality of the war; they used graffiti and sabotage to deadline military vehicles; soldiers led mutinies that included whole companies; and many engaged in “fraggings,” the use of smoke or fragmentation grenades to warn NCO’s and officers that were either too strict in their enforcement of Mickey Mouse regulations or too gung-ho in their prosecution of the war.

Acts of resistance became so widespread that the military often failed to punish the offenders out of fear that retribution might incense the troops and lead to even greater discontent. Overall, the collective action by troops opposing the war was a significant factor in bringing an end to the ground war in Vietnam.

Therefore today, we must allow the troops stationed in Iraq to decide for themselves what the best means of opposing the war are, in accordance with their own unique circumstances.

However, rather than allowing yourself to be locked up by the military for refusing to serve, consider the more powerful position you might occupy by organizing against the big green machine from within.

FTA / FTMC / FTN / FTAF,
- Sgt. Martin Smith, Traveling Soldier veterans advisory board, U.S.M.C. (retired)

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