CWA VP speaks on Iraq war (Nam Vet rips W a new one)

[Omaha Steve]

http://pww.org/article/articleview/9988/1/343

CWA VP speaks on Iraq war

Author: Mark Gruenberg


People's Weekly World Newspaper, 10/12/06 15:06


WASHINGTON (PAI) — There are many parallels between the Vietnam War and the present Iraq war, says a Communications Workers vice president who helped lead the AFL-CIO into its anti-Iraq war stand last year.

Speaking at an Oct. 5 panel on health impacts of the Iraq war sponsored by the federation’s Department for Professional Employees at the AFL-CIO headquarters here, Brooks Sunkett — himself a Vietnam veteran — declared, “We have a president who is going to run this war at all costs to the health and safety of the American public.”

Sunkett heads the CWA’s department for public workers. He helped push through the resolution at the 2005 AFL-CIO convention calling for “rapid withdrawal” of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Sunkett said U.S. leaders lied to both the soldiers and the people about the reasons for the war. “You heard the phrase then and you hear this phrase today: ‘If we aren’t there fighting them, they’ll be here fighting us,’” he said. Other similarities included U.S. leaders saying then and now that our forces would be seen as “liberators” by the Vietnamese and the Iraqis, that civilian deaths are “seven to eight times” those of U.S. troops, and that leaders claim “we’re fighting to bring democracy” to those countries. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said.

“We spend billions on the war and public services are lacking,” said Sunkett. “We have seen massive cutbacks in care for the disabled and the elderly. Institutions are closed or privatized.”

| Printer-friendly page | Send this article to a friend |

[ninkasi]

1. I'm glad he spoke the truth

I'm a lifetime member of CWA, since I'm retired now. I joined in 1974, the first day I was on the job. Everybody can see what a screw-up * is, and how badly he has damaged the U.S. and rest of the world. There have been other presidents who might have had the title of "worst president ever", but Bush now claims that title all by himself. I don't think any of the others even come close.

[Omaha Steve]

2. My wife and sister were both CWA

My wife marta was a member for 18 years up until she was bought out for a work force reduction. We stayed out in the 3 week strike of 83. My sister stayed out in two additional strikes before retiring. I stood on the line with her for that last one. Was it 99? My local holds our monthly meetings in the CWA 7400 hall.

[ninkasi]

3. My son walked the picket line with me

In 83, my teen-aged son walked with me on the picket line. My local is 6222. I think when Hurricane Alicia hit, that helped end the strike. That was the only time we called a strike, and I retired in Feb. 99. I don't remember there being a strike that year, though. My local was in Houston.