Recently, I’m encountering the notion that the US antiwar movement is only responsible for opposing US wars & thus can take no position on Russian & Syrian bombing of civilians. Where the hell did that come from!? It reeks not just of provincialism but of supremacism.

The anti-Vietnam War movement was international, involving millions of people in almost every country around the world. We coordinated protests & millions marched on the same day around the world. Solidarity wasn’t based on the involvement of their countries in the Vietnam War but on opposition to US militarism & steadfast support for the Vietnamese. That internationalism prevailed, even if to a lesser degree, in every war since then, whether it was conducted by the US, UK, Russia, or NATO.

This represents a profound political degeneration because it is a slick attempt not just to avoid condemning Russian & Syrian bombing of civilians but a sneaky-assed endorsement of that bombing. Those who are heading down that road are advised to rethink where they’re going because it’s a well-trodden path leading to oblivion after betrayal of international solidarity.