This week, the US marked the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq. President Bush is expected in his remarks on tomorrow to confirm that the war in Iraq was necessary, saying, “Removing Saddam Hussein from power was the right decision, and this is a fight America can and must win.”
He is also expected to note the toll that the war has taken on the US, including the deaths of almost 4,000 troops. He is not expected to mention the billions of dollars spent during the course of the war or what may happen to the military if the war continues.
Marches and protests have been taking place throughout the week to mark the anniversary, including in Washington, DC, where activists plan to blockade the headquarters of the Internal Revenue Service on March 19, 2008. The activists will gather at 7 am at McPherson Sq., 15th & K Sts. NW. From these areas they will march to the IRS main entrance at 1111 Constitution Ave. Once at the entrance, they will attempt to prevent the IRS from opening as usual. The plan is to call attention to the cost of the war and what some perceive as a collective responsibility to stop funding it - including by distributing flyers such as this (downloadable here as a pdf).
This is not a completely isolated event - though it may be singular in its scale. But, increasingly, Americans are protesting the war with their dollars - as in not paying them. In 2007, an estimated 10,000 Americans did not pay federal taxes or paid only a portion of what they owe as a means of protesting the Iraq war. There are even several popular web sites which explore various means of protesting through nonpayment, including the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.
It’s a really interesting concept - this idea of whether you should be forced to pay for expenditures that you may find morally reprehensible. Even Congress has considered the implications of continuing to fund the war on the backs of taxpayers. I’ve mulled this notion before. What do you think?
Tags: Iraq, IRS, warShare This
