ANSWER Chicago on the August 7th Democratic Party Debate

On August 7th, the Democratic Party will hold a presidential debate in Chicago. Millions of people around the country will be watching the debates live on MSNBC. Media from around the world will be covering the debate and invited to cover the protest. Thousands of union workers and progressives will be attending the debate.

In the debates, the politicians - mostly millionaires - will be jockeying for a presidential nomination. Above all, they seek to please and court the favor of the bankers, oil companies, arms manufacturers and the rest of the corporate elite who seek to profit off the war. The wealthy pour hundreds of millions of dollars into the campaign funds of both the Democrats and Republicans.

Some or all of the Democratic presidential candidates may say that they are against the war. But when they do this they will be callously talking out of one side of their mouth while their Party puts up no real opposition to the aims, funding or escalation of the Iraq War.

Both parties wholeheartedly supported the U.S./Israeli war on Lebanon in July and August of 2006. And they both continue to fund and support the occupation of Palestine. As administrators of U.S. imperialist foreign policy it is impossible for them to do otherwise. Domination of the Middle East is at the heart of the Iraq War.

"Only the people can stop the war." That fundamental truth cannot be stressed enough by all progressives and anti-war activists. It should be taken on with a growing sense of unity, determination and militancy. At any event where the politicians assemble to promote or "debate" the war we must not be idle. We must confront them and we must continue to act and organize to build an independent mass movement to stop the war.

The truth is both establishment parties, Democratic and Republican, have funded and supported the war for over 4 years now. Over 3,600 U.S. soldiers have died and over 650,000 Iraqi civilians have died. As a direct result of the occupation, 4 million Iraqis are refugees and over 70% of Iraqis lack access to running water. Over 70% of people in the U.S. oppose the war.