A-Infos (en) Germany, LIKOS: "Buses instead of War Machines" Rally - Speech (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

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/
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