The appropriate condolence to the victims of 911
First of all, I express my deepest condolence to all the victims who lost their lives in the tragic incident that happened in New York , on this day, two years ago. This awful terror must not be happened again. But we need to go further than just expressing our sorrow, since the Bush administration and other ruling forces of the world are using those victims as their justification for the ’War against Terror’ and bringing greater peril to this world. It’s neither the ’War against Terror’ nor a military buildup that can prevent the recurrence of such tragedies. Only the rise of the people who oppose to war and pursue peace can bring an end to such tragedies. This may be our appropriate way of expressing condolence to the victims of 911.
My trip from South Korea to Cancun has had many obstacles. The ruling forces are afraid of these people who oppose Neo Liberalism and seek globalization from the below gathering together, and they tried all the means to interrupt our gathering. U.S. government demanded visa from every single traveler who travel via U.S. with the reason of possible terrorism. Their attitude revealed that the ’War against the Terror’ is not for keeping world peace from terrorism, but for oppressing the resistance of the people who oppose to the globalization. But their effort has failed. The fact that we’ve gathered here shows there is a hope in our struggle.
We can find another hope in the worldwide anti-war movements, which were organized against the Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq . These movements showed another possibility for an alternate world (“Another World is possible”). But it’s only a first step. After the invasion, the Iraqi people are suffering from the U.S. military occupation and domination, and they are resisting for self-governance. Moreover, the Bush administration is expanding its target to the rest of the so-called ’Axis of Evil’- Iran , Syria and North Korea . The ’War against Terror’ driven by Bush is an infinite war. There is no limitation on time and space in this war. Thus, we need to build up a constant and global resistance against this war. Therefore, it is necessary to anaylize the wars and set up a common aims and plans of our anti-war movement.
Neo liberal globalization and infinite war: Armed Globalization
It is clear that the globalization of capital and that of militarization are closely linked. Contrary to neo liberal discourses, globalization has brought the world not peace, but violence, destruction and wars. As neo liberal globalization has come to crisis by its internal limitations and increasing resistance, globalization requests more violent ways to promote and defend itself. The U.S. military doctrine(so-called the ’Bush Doctrine’) corresponds with this request for violence very well. The Bush Doctrine defines the defense of globalization as America ’s vital interest and adopts the preemption strategy against potential enemies.
This situation can be understood as a new stage of globalization, where the globalization of capital and that of militarization gets closer. This stage can be named as the ’Armed Globalization’. In this stage, maintaining the governablility of neo liberal globalization is the goal of the wars driven by America.
In the early 20th century, two world wars threatened the entire human beings. It was the competitive effort among the imperial states to rearrange colonies at the crisis of the 19th century capitalism that caused these wars. Since 1990’s, comparing with the wars in the beginning of the 20th century, ’new wars’ are emerging as means to delay the crisis of the 20th century capitalism and to maintain the governability of Neo Liberalism. At this moment, we insist that anti-war movements should organize oppositions to the war on terrorism, and the anti-war movements should be a general resistance to the armed globalization.
The essence of North Korean nuclear crisis
Increase of war tension and strengthening of militarization in armed globalization era can be clearly seen on the Korean peninsula. Suspicions about the North Korean nuclear weapons program is raising military tensions. Unlike the widespread belief, it is the U.S. government that is primarily responsible for the crisis on the Korean Peninsula .
This crisis began in October 2002, when the U.S. government announced that North Korea acknowledged the nuclear weapons program during the U.S. envoy’s visitation to North Korea . However the U.S. has never presented any clear evidence. Then, what can be the purpose of America in worsening conflict with North Korea by suggesting weak grounded suspicion?
To understand this situation, knowledge of the history of nuclear problems on the Korean Peninsula is necessary. From the Korean War(1950) to this moment, America has been devising plans to actually use nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula and deploying nuclear weapons on and near the Korean Peninsula . It is reckoned that there were 600-700 nuclear weapons deployed in South Korea in the year 1976. In the 1990’s along with detente, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula became an issue. However, the U.S. had been skeptical about improving relationship with North Korea , and in 1993 trouble has worsened between the two countries on the issue of North Korea nuclear inspection. This trouble almost triggered another war on the Korean Peninsula . At the end of debates, the two countries signed the Agreed Framework(Geneve Convention). North Korea agreed on freezing its nuclear facilities and the U.S. agreed on offering a light-water reactor and improving its relationship with North Korea . But the U.S. government purposely breached this agreement. The U.S. was supposed to offer a light-water reactor by 2003, but the construction has been intentionally delayed. Improving relationship with North Korea didn’t happen either. Moreover, the U.S. should have guaranteed banning the use of nuclear weapons against North Korea and securing safety of the North Korean government, but the U.S. kept on building up military forces and threatening the North Korean regime. The ’engagement policy’ of the Clinton administration and the ’sunshine policy’ of the Kim, Dae Jung administration had contradictory characteristics. These policies were aimed at economical integration of the North Korea into the neo liberal globalization, thus enlarging exchanges with North Korea and establishing peaceful coexistence. On the other hand, these policies strengthened the military cooperation of the U.S., South Korea and Japan , thereby intensifying military pressure against North Korea.
After 911, the Bush administration’s new military strategy made the situation even tougher. The U.S. described North Korea as a part of the ’axis of evil’, announced the ’nuclear preemption option’ repeatedly, and started to take overthrowing the regime of North Korea into account as the goal of policy on North Korea . In this context, the Bush administration evoked suspicions of new nuclear weapons program in North Korea , thereby blaming North Korea for breaching the Geneve Convention even though it was the U.S. who actually neglected the execution of the Agreed Framework, and setting up a new phase where the U.S. can demand attainment of its own interest. Facing the Bush administration’s hardline policy, it is natural for North Korea to feel threat and take extreme response. Since the raise of suspicions on nuclear weapons program, North Korea has been taking reasonable, but very dangerous responses.
In conclusion, by intentionally breaching the Geneve Convention and raising threat level against North Korea along with promoting the armed globalization, the U.S. is primarily responsible for the current crisis on the Korean Peninsula . Unless these causes of the crisis formed by the U.S. are withdrawn, the increasing crisis on the Korean Peninsula cannot be eased.
Increasing war threat on the Korean Peninsula and strengthening militarization in East Asia
America has been neglecting any requests and actions of North Korea . After the Iraqi war, the U.S. has been adding diplomatic and military pressure on North Korea by forming cooperation systems through a series of summit talks. It looks like the U.S. is yet focusing on the diplomatic efforts. However, the diplomatic talks can’t guarantee peace on the Peninsula . Although talks between the U.S and North Korea resumed through the six-nation meeting in Beijing , as long as the U.S. doesn’t change its hardline policies the nuclear crisis cannot be solved. China ’s complaint about the meeting, that the U.S. is the main obstacle in solving the crisis, is quite reasonable. While participating in the six-nation meeting, the U.S. has been planning for the Proliferation Security Initiative(PSI) training scheduled in September. The U.S. is practicing economic blockage and military sanction along with diplomatic talks. This situation tells us that the war crisis on the Korean Peninsula is constantly getting worse.
Also on the pretext of the suspicions on the North Korea ’s nuclear weapons program, American imperialism is expanding in East Asia , Japan and South Korea ’s militarization is progressing. Having turned its main security concern from Europe to Asia, the U.S. is executing measures to increase its military and political influence in this region. The U.S. is reinforcing its armed strength in this region, and reorganizing its military structures in a more suitable way to perform military actions that are oriented toward ’armed globalization’. The U.S. Forces’ installations and their field of action are expanding throughout whole Asia.
This expansion is based on fortification of the alliance between the U.S. , South Korea , and Japan . The aims of Korea-U.S. alliance and Japan-U.S. alliance are being adjusted to ’armed globalization’. Japan passed three bills on ’emergency’, which grants more authority to the Japanese government in case of emergency, and is expanding fields of action for its National Defense Troops. Japan is even trying to revise its peace constitution, which prohibits war. South Korea is trying to build up its military strength in order to support America ’s military expansion in East Asia . The Roh administration in South Korea is seeking to raise its military expenditure by over 20%, while giving up welfare support for the poor class. These three nations are strengthening their armaments in order to achieve the “revolution in military affairs”(RMA) which means ability to execute preemption, and raising expenditures for the missile defense system which protects themselves from counter-attacks of preempted nations or groups. This means the people of East Asia are facing the threat of violence of the American imperialism and its allies(so-called “coalition of the willing”).
Suggestions on Anti-war movement
To find solutions to the war crisis on the Korean Peninsula , we start from restraining the American imperialism. The U.S. government and the ruling classes of different countries who consent to the ’armed globalization’ have neither the will nor the ability to solve the crisis peacefully. Therefore the task of dissolving and changing the political and military mechanisms that promote wars is left to the people of South Korea and of the world, who oppose to any war, militarization, and the American imperialism. Especially, we insist that the U.S. abandon the preemption option. We object to the growing militarization in East Asia driven by America . We support denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula , but only when the denuclearization includes abolition of all the U.S. nuclear weapons aiming at the Korean Peninsula .
Our struggle should go forward to a firm objection to any war in East Asia , and a proposition of disarmaments. Restraining the expansion of American imperialism and strengthening of militarization in East Asia region is becoming increasingly important in the global anti-war movement. This is not only because the East Asia region is gaining increasing importance in America ’s military strategy, but also because the influence of American imperialism in this region is rapidly expanding.
In South Korea , anti-war movement is sprouting, penetrating its way through the old censorship of anti-communism. The candle light demonstrations which were held to express condolence to two middle school students who had been killed by a U.S. Army’s armored vehicle, became demonstrations opposing the war in Iraq and opposing deployment of South Korean troops in Iraq . These demonstrations are now developing into movements that request peace on the Korean Peninsula and in East Asia . However, these movements are not gaining massive support from the people of South Korea . South Korean people are feeling helplessness in front of the overwhelming armaments of the groups that promote wars. It is crucial for the people to experience and realize that greater power lies in the worldwide solidarity of the people who long for peace. Here lies the importance of your and our struggles against the ’armed globalization’.
I suggest that we should organize a movement that informs the world of the current situation of North Korean nuclear crisis and that opposes growing war threat on the Korean Peninsula , American imperialism and militarization in East Asia . I assert that this should be a main agenda of anti-war movement in this forum, and suggest following collaborate actions.
– To pay attention to the current war crisis on the Korean Peninsula and to spread the truth of this crisis worldwide.
– To organize local or global movements that oppose any sanctions or blockades against North Korea and make such intentions ineffective.
– To put pressure on the U.S. to abandon ’nuclear preemption option’ and resume negotiation to guarantee North Korea ’s security.
– To organize movements that oppose American imperialism and militarizations of South Korea and Japan , which correspond with ’armed globalization’, and to build up movements that assert reduction of armaments and withdrawal of U.S. troops in East Asia .
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Peace cannot be achieved by a prayer. Peace can only be achieved through building people power to restrain the groups and systems that promote wars and to control those awful warfare tools. For the sake of peace and democracy for all, it’s time to take actions to defeat ’armed globalization’, then to take further steps toward a better world.