Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman, one of the strongest supporters of the racist Iraq war and the colonial occupation of Palestine, is being challenged in the Democratic primary this summer by Ned Lamont, a multi-millionaire cable television executive. Lieberman, who the polls show is losing ground to Lamont, has announced he may run as an independent if Lamont wins the primary.
Lamont’s rise in the polls has been fueled by his attacks on Lieberman’s support of the Iraq war, which isn’t
Fighting to represent the capitalists: from left, Ned Lamont and Joe Lieberman
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surprising. A majority of people in
Connecticut as in the
United States in general oppose the war. The corporate media has given this race a great deal of attention, often portraying Lamont as Lieberman’s “anti-war challenger.” But is Lamont really against the
Iraq war?
An examination of Lamont’s positions and statements reveal a clear support for U.S. imperialism in the Middle East and around the world. His positions are similar to those of Rep. John Murtha—supporting U.S. interventions but disagreeing on tactics to carry out those policies. Click here to read more from the PSL about Murtha and the war.
Lamont’s web site states “that the war in Iraq has diverted far too many of our dollars, and too much of our attention, from our needs back home.” But Lamont stops far short of calling for complete and immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. Instead, he supports Murtha’s plan for redeployment of “frontline troops out of harm’s way” and states that U.S troops should “continue to provide logistical and training support as long as we are asked.”
Lamont fully ignores the will of the Iraqi people, who are against any foreign occupiers and are courageously fighting back. At no time has Lamont questioned U.S. imperialism and the many war crimes perpetrated against the Iraqi people, instead presenting minor changes so that a “winning strategy” can be reached. Unlike Lamont’s demagoguery, a true anti-war position calls for immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq, followed by reparations paid to the people of Iraq.
Lamont’s support for U.S. imperialism does not stop with Iraq. He stands fully behind U.S. threats against Iran, North Korea, and the Palestinian people. He has stated that since the start of the war in Iraq, “Israel is no safer, Iran is more dangerous,” and called North Korea the “most serious threat facing the United States today” in a recent debate with Lieberman. Lamont clearly supports the goals of U.S. imperialism around the world.
A candidate of and for the capitalist class
It must also be remembered that Ned Lamont is a member of the capitalist ruling class. Lamont’s great-grandfather was chairman of J.P. Morgan and Co. and Lamont’s personal fortune is estimated at up to $300 million. He has used these many millions to self-fund his Senate campaign. Lamont and other ruling-class politicians, Republican and Democrat, wholeheartedly support and in fact rely on U.S. imperial domination of the Middle East and elsewhere to maintain their wealth and power.
In the coming months, liberal anti-war groups will call for support of ruling-class politicians like Ned Lamont who supposedly call for “peace” and “a speedy end to the war in Iraq.” These self-interested appeals divert crucial effort away from an independent anti-imperialist anti-war movement. No progressive person should be fooled. Instead of having to choose between pro-war politicians, who have minor tactical differences on Iraq, it is important to show the ruling class the power of the working class and progressive movement.
The ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), of which the Party for Socialism and Liberation is a member, has initiated a call for nationally coordinated actions on October 28, shortly before the November 2006 elections. Tens of thousands of people across the country will demonstrate against brutal U.S. military occupations. Only by mass struggle can U.S. imperialism be stopped.
The writer filed this report from New Haven, Conn.
