Organized Labor Adopts Amnesia Policy
Toward Wars  in Iraq  and  Afghanistan

By Harry Kelber

Organized labor has decided to be conspicuously silent about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, implying that the cost of the wars in casualties and money is not a subject for public discussion or comment within the AFL-CIO and Change to Win or a major concern of America’s working families.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and each of the 51 members of the Executive Council had nothing to say about the 4,343 U.S. soldiers who gave their lives in Iraq and  the 746 in Afghanistan or to show some honor and respect for union members  who were killed in action.
 
Although the two wars have continued for eight years, it was rare that any comment about them appeared on the AFL-CIO web site, at a time when the American people were anxiously watching day-by-day  reports of the military situation. It seemed clear that the ban on any mention of the war was dictated by orders from the leadership.

It is worth noting that most of the labor media, which should have played an educational role about the war, quickly fell into line with the unwritten taboo on war news. This is particularly true of two influential labor publications, Labor Notes and  ILCA’s  Media Center. They failed to mention that a majority of  Americans had become opposed to the war in Afghanistan because of its enormous costs and corrupt government.

For eight years, Congress gave President Bush a blank check to conduct the war in Iraq. We know what happened. Should we give the same blank check to President Obama?

Why Should There Be a Ban on Union Talk about the Wars?

We believe President Trumka is wrong in discouraging debate about the war. It is a life-and death issue that deeply concerns all of America’s working families, not only those whose loved ones have been its victims.  It’s understandable that people believe that it’s time to use those multi-billions to  rebuild our own economy than continue to lavish it on a corrupt Afghan government in an open-ended war.

Taxpayers in the United States will pay $907.3 billion for spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

         267,406,636 people with health care for one year or

        140, 275,301 scholarships for university students for one year or

           7, 057,801 affordable housing units or

        399,694,220 children with health care for one year.
(These figures have been compiled by National Priorities Project)

It is essential that we be kept informed about the complex developments in Iraq and Afghanistan, because  the consequences of decisions about the war will affect the lives of our children and grandchildren.
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Even if we “win” in Afghanistan by defeating the Taliban and delivering a powerful blow to Al-Qaeda, the war will go on, because Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups are part of a worldwide movement. What do we  do then? Send our troops to Somalia or any place else where they show their power? Are we in a global, open-ended war that will continue to drain our resources forever?—Harry Kelber