Zinn speaks against war

A last-minute speech opposing military action against Iraq by liberal historian Howard Zinn filled the Crane room beyond capacity last night, drawing more than 200 people and forcing organizers to turn away 50 more.

Because of Zinn's busy schedule, the Tufts Coalition to Oppose War on Iraq (TCOWI), which organized the visit, accepted the only free time he had. Hasty organization also meant that only a relatively small location was available for the speech.

Zinn, who is best known for his left-wing history, A Peoples' History of the United States, gave an engaging talk, which centered on the United States' historical goal of expansion and the governmental cloaking of this goal.

"People need to be reminded of the history of government deception in order to begin to critically examine what is being said today," he explained. "There is a history of deception and lying by our presidents."

Zinn offered the view that the US has often become the victim of attributing all world problems to a single evil, when that is not truly the case. "Terrorism is just the latest in a series of targets, which if attacked would solve a series of problems," he said. "[This series involves] something which is real being magnified in its danger to everybody, so that everything else in the world can be attributed to this."

Tying in historical themes, Zinn said that Americans must realize the subliminal issues which underlie the push for war.

"The common denominator to all these wars is simply the drive to expand American power throughout the world," Zinn said.

Using examples ranging from America's "ruthless" expansion across the North American continent to its more recent expansion into the Middle East, he outlined a historical trend of empire making.

He also compared the vilification of the German Kaiser Wilhelm II during World War I to the government's present portrayal of Saddam Hussein.

In reference to the anti-Vietnam War movement, Zinn pointed out America's ability to misjudge its place in the world. "What looked impossible became reality. Something unheard of _ the United States losing a war _ became a reality."

According to Zinn, when people are exposed to information that differs from that of the "establishment," they begin to rethink their opinions.

"That is why the administration is in a rush," he explained. "That's what they learnt from Vietnam: If you're going to have a war, do it fast."

As he expressed his anti-war sentiment, Zinn encouraged the audience to take action. He also expressed faith in the anti-war movement, based on his experiences in the movement against the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement.

"...Movements do not spring up overnight. They grow," he said.

Throughout the speech, Zinn repeatedly cited what he felt was the United States' historical hypocrisy, including condemnations of invasions of other nations' sovereignty while it did the same itself.

He passionately addressed the issue of loss of life in war, saying it required a lack of respect for the lives of those on the other side. One of his most poignant examples was the question of whether the audience believed that in order to end World War II sooner, the American's would have sacrificed 100,000 American children _ they were, after all willing to kill the same number of Japanese children.

Zinn pointed out that there are always "unforeseen consequences of necessary wars, consequences we can't see at the time."

Freshman Nathan Todd had mixed feelings after the speech. "It forged a common sentiment among the people there, which was basically its purpose as an anti-war rally," he said. "However, he didn't really tell me very much that I didn't know; he spent more time painting the US as a historically evil empire than addressing the current situation."

Rebecca Batch-Elder, an active member of TCOWI, the group which organized Zinn's speech, said its aims were very broad. Since the group started about a month ago, it has been working with people from a number of different organizations.

Although TCOWI is small _ about 25 faculty and students attended the last meeting _ the coalition is quickly developing an active presence on Campus. Its agenda includes participating in the upcoming "March on Washington" and panels on anti-war activism.

Batch-Elder feels that simply by being present, the group can accomplish a lot. "It's really important to let people know that there is a portion of people that are against this war," she explained. "I think it's going to be small groups all over the place that will raise awareness and cause this movement to grow. Seeing people speak will encourage those who are opposed to this war."