International Solidarity Movement & Stop the War Coalition

The “Stop the War Coalition”. What a misnomer! 

Which war, exactly? I’ll tell you. The wars fought exclusively by “Western capitalist states”... and Israel. Why Israel? Of course. Because it's a "capitalist democracy". 


Now the Leftists could say they feature Israel because there's an intrinsic connection between war and capitalism. Really? There have been wars throughout history. Indeed in the 20th century Leftist regimes fought many wars. And Muslim or Islamic states have been fighting wars since Muhammad. 


Then the Leftists could reply by saying that capitalist wars are different: they have specific features. That may be true. But wars fought by Muslims and socialists will have specific features too. So what?

So it's not war the StWC is against - it's Western capitalist states... and Israel. More basically, it's capitalism they're against and its "false" kind of democracy.

The Stop the War Coalition has zero to say about wars fought by non-capitalist states or even by capitalist Muslim or Arab states. 

The Trotskyists (as well as the small number of moderate Leftists who support - but don’t run - the StWC) aren’t against war in the abstract. Their hero, Trotsky, was a war leader who killed more than a hundred thousand. Many other Leftists have fought numerous wars since then.

In a very recent StWC website article they referred to Hugo Chavez as “El Comandante” – hardly the name of a man of peace. How can a “commander “ be against war?

As for Muslims, Islam is a warrior’s religion. Muslim and Islamic states have fought innumerable wars over the last 1,300 years. They have fought many wars in the last twenty years. Muslim and Islamic states are fighting wars today – often against fellow Muslims. (Though the West and Zionists are to blame for these wars too!)

The StWC isn’t even against violence. Certainly not. These Leftists believe in violent revolution. Many of them believe that revolutions must be violent otherwise they won’t be fully successful. 

StWC also has a lot to say about "peace movements"; specifically the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) which agitates in Palestine & Israel. It has just featured Rachel Corrie next to Hugo Chavenz it its website.

The ISM, being mainly Trotskyists as well, doen’t believe in peace and it’s not against war either. They aim their accusations at one exclusive target: Israel. In the STWC’s case; the targets are also exclusive: Western capitalist states, primarily the UK and US... but also, of course, Israel.