[haw-info] Vote on new HAW statement

To members and friends of Historians Against the War,

The HAW Steering Committee has endorsed a new basic statement for HAW, which would replace the 2003 statement that focused on ending the occupation of Iraq. The proposed new statement appears at the end of this message.

We are grateful to all those who gave feedback on a draft of this statement. We are submitting the final statement for ratification by people who are on our "HAW-Info" email list. This is the same process we use to elect HAW's Steering Committee every year.

A YES vote on the new statement is a vote for the following:

-- The new statement would supersede the 2003 statement (available at
http://www.historiansagainstwar.org) in defining broadly HAW's position.

-- It would create a new membership category consisting of people who indicate that they are in substantial agreement (however broadly defined) with the new statement. A list of those who self-identify as HAW members would be maintained for purposes of voting for the Steering Committee and other HAW business.

-- Others who choose not to sign, or neglect to sign, would still get informational mailings.

A NO vote on the new statement is a vote to retain the 2003 statement as an expression of HAW's identity. If NO votes are in the majority, the new statement will stand as an expression by the Steering Committee, not a basic statement of the organization.

Please vote on this statement by April 15 by replying to statement@historiansagainstwar.org. This new statement is posted on our blog, and those who so wish can discuss it at
http://www.historiansagainstwar.org/blog/2009/04/haw-info-vote-on-new-haw-statement.html

Are you in favor of adopting the following statement as the new basic statement of HAW? (Please mark an X next to one of the following)

___ Yes

___ No

Statement by Historians Against the War

As historically minded activists, scholars, students, and teachers, we stand opposed to wars of aggression, military occupations of foreign lands, and imperial efforts by the United States and other powerful nations to dominate the internal life of other countries.

In particular, we continue to demand a speedy end to US military involvement in Iraq, and we insist on the withdrawal, not the expansion, of US and NATO military forces in Afghanistan. We also call for a sharp reduction of US military bases overseas, and an end to US financial and military support of regimes that repress their people, or that occupy the territories of other peoples. We favor as well a drastic redirection of national resources away from military spending and toward urgently needed domestic programs.

We deplore the secrecy, deception, and distortion of history, the repeated violation of international law, and the attack on civil liberties
domestically that have accompanied US policies of war and militarism—policies that became especially belligerent in the aftermath of September 11.

We fear that the current, rapidly escalating crisis of global capitalism, which is creating suffering worldwide, will lead to escalating wars abroad and intensifying repression at home. We support solutions to this crisis that seek to enrich the lives and increase the power of people globally, and protect their fundamental human rights. We are unalterably opposed to any attempts to solve the crisis at their expense.

We are aware that, in the words of the late historian William Appleman Williams, "empire as a way of life" has long characterized the United States and is not easily changed. However, we are mindful as well that the current conjunction of international and domestic crises offers an opportunity to alter longstanding destructive patterns. As historians, we
believe that we can and must make a contribution to the broad, international movements for peace, democracy, and environmental and social justice. In pursuing our objectives, we look toward building and joining alliances with a wide variety of intellectual and activist groups that share our concerns.