On October 24, we gave the following speech at the rally "Buses instead
of War Machines - No Rheinmetall Production in Osnabrück" from the
"Zukunftswerk Osnabrück" network: ---- The VW plant in Osnabrück is
expected to be taken over by the arms company Rheinmetall, which means
that war machines are to be produced there. For years, Germany has been
pumping more and more money into rearmament. This always means that
savings are being made elsewhere. We should all be under no illusions;
now and in the near future, we will see the greatest attacks on our
living and working conditions: cuts in the so-called social sector,
longer working hours, the greatest attack on the poor, accompanied by
media incitement if we do not fight back! The same applies to the
increasing militarization in Germany: We should all take seriously the
stated goal of Germany being fit for war in five years. What this can
mean becomes clear, for example, when the president of the German
Reservists' Association states on record that conscription is necessary
because, in the event of war, 1,000 dead soldiers per day are to be
expected, and they want to be replaced.
The legitimization of this madness is currently primarily based on the
"threat from the East." And to make one thing clear right from the
start: The Russian war of aggression is indefensible; anyone who does so
is one of our enemies. But first of all: the rearmament and
militarization of Germany means precisely that: a rearmed, militarized
German state capable of waging war anywhere in the world. Secondly: A
war with Russia, however unlikely it may seem given its nuclear arsenal,
would mean mass murder even with conventional weapons. We must reject
this logic! As hopeless as it may seem, there is no other option than to
network on both sides of the front line with the deserters, the people
who commit sabotage, the strikers, and ultimately the people who pay
materially for the logic of war, often with their lives.
To perhaps cite a historical example: In 1914, shortly before the First
World War, the SPD approved war credits, and the social democratic
unions promised a truce, meaning no strikes and no wage demands. The SPD
of over 100 years ago is not to be confused with the SPD of today. At
that time, it was the most important political force in the labor
movement internationally and a reference point for the labor movement
far beyond Germany. How did this come about? Why did a workers' party
agree to war?
Of course, there were careerists and opportunists, etc., but the main
argument was the threat from Russia. Russia was a hotbed of reaction,
politically backward-one of the most authoritarian monarchies in the
world-and thus a threat to the working class. And it's true: Russia was
indeed a hotbed of reaction, and the Tsarist regime was one of the most
authoritarian in the world. The mood shifted, the SPD kept quiet, and
instead of preventing world war through mass strikes, four years of mass
deaths began. How much did it bring to workers, how much did it improve
democratic rights and help the labor movement? The millions of deaths
are the answer! Why are we telling this story here? We want to show what
engaging with this logic can lead to.
So if VW in Osnabrück is going to produce military equipment, then it's
a good opportunity to build an anti-militarist movement! It's important
not to approach our colleagues at VW in a moralistic or, as they say
today, judgy manner. As the call for this rally rightly states, they are
not being asked what they want to produce. Rather, they are being given
a choice: unemployment or producing military equipment. This choice,
which is presented to us as the only realistic one, is not without
alternatives. A truly sustainable solution is to consider together what
socially beneficial things could be produced at the VW plant. For
example, buses for public transport instead of military equipment. This
requires pressure from the streets and solidarity with our colleagues!
This is the only way we can prevent Rheinmetall's war production and
preserve jobs. There won't be any easy way to give in.
So get involved in the network!
https://likos.noblogs.org/2025/10/25/kundgebung-busse-stett-kriegsgeraet-redebeitrag/
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
of War Machines - No Rheinmetall Production in Osnabrück" from the
"Zukunftswerk Osnabrück" network: ---- The VW plant in Osnabrück is
expected to be taken over by the arms company Rheinmetall, which means
that war machines are to be produced there. For years, Germany has been
pumping more and more money into rearmament. This always means that
savings are being made elsewhere. We should all be under no illusions;
now and in the near future, we will see the greatest attacks on our
living and working conditions: cuts in the so-called social sector,
longer working hours, the greatest attack on the poor, accompanied by
media incitement if we do not fight back! The same applies to the
increasing militarization in Germany: We should all take seriously the
stated goal of Germany being fit for war in five years. What this can
mean becomes clear, for example, when the president of the German
Reservists' Association states on record that conscription is necessary
because, in the event of war, 1,000 dead soldiers per day are to be
expected, and they want to be replaced.
The legitimization of this madness is currently primarily based on the
"threat from the East." And to make one thing clear right from the
start: The Russian war of aggression is indefensible; anyone who does so
is one of our enemies. But first of all: the rearmament and
militarization of Germany means precisely that: a rearmed, militarized
German state capable of waging war anywhere in the world. Secondly: A
war with Russia, however unlikely it may seem given its nuclear arsenal,
would mean mass murder even with conventional weapons. We must reject
this logic! As hopeless as it may seem, there is no other option than to
network on both sides of the front line with the deserters, the people
who commit sabotage, the strikers, and ultimately the people who pay
materially for the logic of war, often with their lives.
To perhaps cite a historical example: In 1914, shortly before the First
World War, the SPD approved war credits, and the social democratic
unions promised a truce, meaning no strikes and no wage demands. The SPD
of over 100 years ago is not to be confused with the SPD of today. At
that time, it was the most important political force in the labor
movement internationally and a reference point for the labor movement
far beyond Germany. How did this come about? Why did a workers' party
agree to war?
Of course, there were careerists and opportunists, etc., but the main
argument was the threat from Russia. Russia was a hotbed of reaction,
politically backward-one of the most authoritarian monarchies in the
world-and thus a threat to the working class. And it's true: Russia was
indeed a hotbed of reaction, and the Tsarist regime was one of the most
authoritarian in the world. The mood shifted, the SPD kept quiet, and
instead of preventing world war through mass strikes, four years of mass
deaths began. How much did it bring to workers, how much did it improve
democratic rights and help the labor movement? The millions of deaths
are the answer! Why are we telling this story here? We want to show what
engaging with this logic can lead to.
So if VW in Osnabrück is going to produce military equipment, then it's
a good opportunity to build an anti-militarist movement! It's important
not to approach our colleagues at VW in a moralistic or, as they say
today, judgy manner. As the call for this rally rightly states, they are
not being asked what they want to produce. Rather, they are being given
a choice: unemployment or producing military equipment. This choice,
which is presented to us as the only realistic one, is not without
alternatives. A truly sustainable solution is to consider together what
socially beneficial things could be produced at the VW plant. For
example, buses for public transport instead of military equipment. This
requires pressure from the streets and solidarity with our colleagues!
This is the only way we can prevent Rheinmetall's war production and
preserve jobs. There won't be any easy way to give in.
So get involved in the network!
https://likos.noblogs.org/2025/10/25/kundgebung-busse-stett-kriegsgeraet-redebeitrag/
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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