Despite its failure to stop the war on Iraq, the anti-war movement is still alive and well, said Martin Smith, a British activist and leading member of the Socialist Workers Party. Addressing a small room full of Socialist enthusiasts Tuesday evening, Martin, a former Labour Party worker, held a public meeting entitled “Blood, Lies and Oil: Blair’s Britain After the War.”
“The [British] government is in an extreme crisis,” he said, “Tony Blair is a dead man walking.” He cited a “mass political radicalization” that is “unique in history” for Blair’s nosedive in public support.
As a front-line activist, Smith detailed the effect this radicalization has had on the social mosaic of Britain. Young people, trade unions, government workers, Christians and Muslims alike all mobilized to raise one phenomenal cry which has had a deep influence on the social consciousness of the public.
“The Stop the War Coalition brought whole different traditions together,” he said, including anti-capitalists and Palestinian supporters. “The movement has encompassed every corner of the globe,” he asserted.
“Blair will not be able to get away with it again,” Smith said, “The only way he could go to war in the first place was to lie about weapons of mass destruction, lie about everything.”
During an open discussion, the concern about selective media reporting was raised. “The mainstream media is not telling us the truth,” commented one audience member emphatically. “Not even CNN?” said another, drawing laughter from the crowd.
“Smith was amazing,” said Avi Khan, a U of T graduate. “It’s important to assure people that just because we didn’t stop the Iraq war doesn’t mean we were a waste.” He mentioned the Oct. 25 rallies taking place in Toronto and Washington, predicting they will be massive.
