PRELIMINARY DRAFT OP A RESOLUTION POR ACTION, NATIONAL CONVENTION
OP THE U.S. ANTIWAR MOVEMENT, CHICAGO, DECEMBER *M-6, 1970
Nixon's piecemeal withdrawal policy cannot obscure the fact
that his basic intent is the same aö always: to achieve a military
victory in Southeast Asia.
Nixon's propaganda machine unceasingly attempts to persuade
the American people that the war is ending, that all the troops
will be home soon and that a generation of peace lies ahead. Life
itself, aided by an active and effective antiwar movement, will
shortly expose this demagogy. The illusions about. Nixon will be dispelled in the same way that the illusions about Johnson were dispelled: by the people seeing that the words of peace are accompanied
by the deeds of war. War weariness will mount as the economic vise
of high prices and high unemployment continues to squeeze the people
beyond endurance, and toleration of the "gradual withdrawal" policy
will end. The demand for immediate withdrawal may well be adopted
by the overwhelming majority of people within a short time. The results of the Detroit, San Francisco, and Marin County, California
referenda of November 3 suggest the possibilities.
If Nixon is permitted to stretch out the period for his declared
policy of withdrawing all troops, a crisis of major proportions
looms ahead. Once the fat is removed from the U.S. military presence,
which may finally occur in 1971» the moment of truth will arrive.
If Nixon then puts a stop to withdrawals in order to preserve the
South Vietnam military dictatorship, his true intentions will be
clearly exposed and the basis laid for an astronomical growth of
"out now" sentiment. If to avoid this and acting under pressure,
Nixon continues the periodic withdrawals, the people of South Vietnam,
Cambodia, and Laos will promptly put an  end to the domestic tyrannies
which have been imposed upon them by U.S. colonialism.
whatever the future course of events, the demand of the U.S.
antiwar movement must remain at all times crystal clear: for the
immediate, unconditional and total withdrawal of all U.S. military
forces from Southeast Asia.
The Selective Service Act expires on June 30, 1971« Nixon has
already repudiated his pre-election promise to end the draft. He
seeks its extension for another two years.
The reason is obvious. Senator Stennis, Chairman of the Senate
Armed Services Committee, has already said, "As long as we're in
that war there will have to be a renewal of the Selective Service
Act and it will have to be used." This is pointed up by the statistic recently cited in Life magazine that 90% of the troops in combat in Vietnam are draftees. Even the "lifers" and West Pointers
are using their influence to stay out of the shooting. The administration has concluded that the draft is to the war what the heaa?t
is to the human body: unless troops are forcibly pumped into Indochina, U.S. military intervention there will fail. Not enough young