LOGO: Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines. A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.Best Political Blog Winner, 2007 Webby Awards, People's Voice and Jury.   The Pornography of Power  By Robert Scheer
 
November 21, 2008
Log in / Register

 Choose a size
Text Size

Most Read

Bracing for a Major Disappointment

‘Daily Show’: Bush Valiantly Defends Free Market

A View From the South

Change We Can Bank On

Paulson and Bernanke Grilled on the Bailout

Most Comments
Most Emailed

Reports
 * NEW! * To Each His Own Nuke

Ear to the Ground

A/V Booth

Arts & Culture

Digs
Financial Meltdown 101
Vetting Sarah Palin

Truthdig Bazaar
A Mercy

A Mercy

By Toni Morrison
$14.37

They Knew They Were Right

They Knew They Were Right

By Jacob Heilbrunn
$17.16

more items

 
Reports

Tom Hayden: Iraq—Beyond the Horizon, the Storm

Email this item Email    Print this item Print   
Posted on Apr 25, 2006
Tom Hayden
Illustration by Blair Golson

Veteran social activist Tom Hayden

By Tom Hayden

Finally, climactic possibilities, if not the endgame, are ahead in Iraq. The peace movement can shape the outcome by maintaining a pressure role in close political races, blocking military recruiters on campuses, calling for the truth about the president’s impeachable offenses, and not giving up now that the Iraq war is mainstreamed into the center of national debate.

Politically, the most significant new development is Sen. John Kerry’s call for military withdrawal by the end of this year. Kerry stands a definite chance of filling the moral void in the present political process. When he steadfastly embraces his record as a young man, the message resonates in several ways. He reminds Americans that moral courage can turn history around, and that we need to listen more carefully today to those who were right ahead of their time. The similarities between then and now—especially the deaths of American soldiers for draft-dodging politicians who refuse to admit their mistakes—is a powerful background echo that will not go away.

Kerry follows Feingold, Murtha and John Edwards among national politicians calling for withdrawal in one form or another. Together they are generating expectations from the rank and file of the Democratic Party and placing pressure on the party leadership to abandon its commitment to expedient silence.



The pressure will only accelerate as the presidential primary season begins, with strong peace caucuses in Iowa and New Hampshire shaping up. Unless Hillary Clinton rapidly repositions herself —which history reveals is a family trait—she could face turbulent crosswinds in the primaries just ahead.

Kerry reflects a force greater than a single senator. Not only is he a once and future presidential candidate, he is representative of those at the higher levels of power who regard the Iraq war as a setback for American geopolitical interests. These establishment dissidents are numerous in the ranks of the Central Intelligence Agency and the upper echelons of the military. As a power elite in C. Wright Mills’ sense, they favor a more multilateral, multipolar approach to global stability. Increasingly they are showing signs of becoming unhinged at the counterproductive approaches of the Bush White House and the neoconservative hawks. They favor extrication from Iraq and the removal of Bush from the White House, in sequence or both at once.

In addition to whatever popular support he can generate, Kerry is the current candidate of this dissenting element of the power elite, as he was in November 2004. In 1968, there were “the wise men,” a discreet gathering of corporate lawyers, diplomats and security strategists who advised President Johnson that the costs of Vietnam were greater than any of the benefits. In the phrase of Robert Lovett and Dean Acheson, their view was “to hell with the cheese, let’s get out of the trap.” LBJ dropped out of the presidential race, and subsequent U.S. policy was to withdraw American troops while escalating the secret bombing campaign. The fatal weakness in the strategy was the total inability of the South Vietnamese army to defend itself. Is the same scenario playing out today?

As The New York Times finally reported on Monday, April 24, the “wise men” are being recreated through the “Iraq Study Group,” funded by Congress, co-chaired by James Baker and Lee Hamilton, and including such power brokers as William Perry, Rudolph Giuliani, Sandra Day O’Connor, Vernon E. Jordan, Robert Gates, Leon Panetta, Charles Robb and Alan Simpson.



The earlier “wise men” were drawn more from the private-sector elites, while the “study group” reflects a powerful network of public and private centrists. But the purpose is unquestionably the same: to develop an exit strategy from Iraq that reduces American casualties in Iraq, saves America’s face as a superpower, protects American economic interests in the region, and effects a bipartisan “solution” to the conflict.

This maneuvering should not be confused with a military withdrawal plan, but could lead to one if costs continue to outpace any benefits. Here is how:

  • The U.S. could arrange for its newly established Iraq government to request a phased U.S. withdrawal, thanking Washington for the removal of Saddam Hussein;
  • In keeping with the “redeployment” strategy proposed by the Democratic-leaning Center for American Progress, the U.S. could withdraw some 40,000 troops this year, mostly sending National Guard units back to their home states. The withdrawal of 60,000 to 80,000 more could be promised by the end of 2007;
  • The U.S. troops would be replaced by peacekeeping units already pledged, at least informally, by other governments not involved in the U.S.-UK military coalition;
  • The current Baghdad regime would remain transitionally, propped up by side understandings with the Arab League (for the Sunnis), the Shiites (through secret diplomacy with Iran) and the Kurds (by guarantees of their status quo);
  • Power-sharing over political offices, security, oil resources and economic development could be guaranteed by the largest U.S. embassy in the world;
  • Most of the nationalist resistance would organize a cease-fire during the guaranteed U.S. troop withdrawal.


On a scale of 10, the likelihood of this plan, known internally to the Pentagon as the “Philippine option,” is currently between zero and one. But parts of it could be put in motion very rapidly if the pressure of public opinion and alternatives like Kerry’s proposal gain traction during Iraq’s seething summer and the unfolding election campaign at home. So-called “defense sources” recently told The Washington Times that a U.S. withdrawal of some 40,000 troops “was the level they would like to see announced before year’s end” (Washington Times, March 30, 2006). Army Gen. George Casey has prepared “fairly substantial” troop reductions as a White House option.

More likely is a scenario of modest redeployments to reduce American casualties, combined with ethnic cleansing by death squads in mixed areas like Baghdad, and political drift toward a de facto “three state” solution, advocated openly by the leader of the Shiite alliance, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim (New York Times, March 15, 2006).

The role of the U.S. and UK in this scenario is one of the most guarded secrets of the war. British secret forces, garbed as armed Arab mujahadeen, were caught and exposed in Basra last year, but no details of their mission have been clarified. The U.S. has run torture camps in “black rooms” at Camp Nama through a secret entity known only as Task Force 6-26. The Christian fundamentalist general William G. Boykin whitewashed the patterns of abuse in a 2004 report, but the torture was confirmed in extensive media coverage (New York Times, March. 19, 2006). Despite pleas and propaganda favoring Iraqi unity, The Wall Street Journal reports that some—including Peter Galbraith, a former Balkans ambassador and a Democrat —“argue the US and Iraqi governments should begin preparing for a partition that might be inevitable, or even desirable” (Wall Street Journal, March 14, 2006).

Between these wobbling scenarios, one thing is clear: The opposition to the U.S. occupation among Iraqis is rising past the breaking point. This is the indisputable “secret” that the American media rarely reveal. The recently leaked “Provisional Stability Assessment” reports “serious” or “critical” security situations in six of Iraq’s 18 provinces, including Baghdad and Basra (NYT, April 8, 2006), which means the invasion and occupation have failed to suppress the resistance in most of the country. More stunning, the percentage of all Iraqis favoring a timeline for U.S. withdrawal has risen from 30% in February 2004 to 76% in February 2005 to 87% in February of this year (NYT report of data collected by Brookings Institution, March 19, 2006). This means that excluding the pro-American Kurds from the survey virtually all other Iraqis favor a concrete timetable. There is no better measure than this data of the amoral bankruptcy of American policy. Our government has dispatched over 3,000 Americans to their death, and taken hundreds of billions from American taxpayers, for a conflict from which 87% of Iraqis want us to withdraw.

All of which means an opportunity for the peace movement in this year’s congressional elections, where the most cynical of pundits acknowledge that Republicans are deeply worried, and in the presidential year just around the corner. The strategy of pressuring the pillars of policy—public opinion, military recruitment, congressional funding priorities, expensive oil dependency and the faltering “coalition of the willing”—is steadily working.



Amid the agony, the opportunity exists for absorbing a deep public understanding that expeditionary wars like this one should never happen again. We no longer are a huddling minority, nor are we a co-opted Beltway faction. We are immersed in the gradual soul-searching currents of the mainstream, where loss of direction is a constant risk. 

There are some voices of despair among peace advocates. The invaluable Scott Ritter, a former weapons inspector, believes the peace movement is actually losing, and needs a more centralized, warrior-like direction. Others feel that all the marches have had no effect, while others feel the growing need to take up other issues. The despair is understandable given the loss of lives, but absolutely unjustified. When in the course of a movement’s development it reaches the mainstream, the cause is adopted by millions, not by prophetic minorities. The radicals sometimes disappear in the midst of their own success.

Many activists are learning for the first time, or perhaps all over again, what it means to be winter soldiers in a long war. All the wasted lives can never be brought back, all those squandered tax dollars will never be redistributed, true enough. But if the war itself was never going to be a cakewalk, why should ending it be any different? It may still be far from over, with the simmering question of Iran on the immediate horizon. The fear of Al Qaeda continues to paralyze the American mind; one top Washington journalist even told me this week that the difference between withdrawing from Vietnam and from Iraq is that there was “no Al Qaeda threat” back in the day, as if a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq somehow would increase the chances of Al Qaeda attacking New York again. (What’s stopping them from doing it now, port security?) It should be energizing to live on borrowed time.

At a similar point of despair during the late 1960s, few of us could see the gathering storm of public outrage over war and Watergate that would drive Nixon from the White House and terminate the funding of war. Overnight, the storm finally broke, but it had been building for years. That memory still resides as a dream for one side of the ’60s generation and as a nightmare for Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. Just when the activists turned to rage, burnout or issues dearer to their lives, the great and mysterious force of public opinion was joining the movement to throw the bastards out for going too far, for lying too much, for wasting good money after bad and, above all, for encouraging Americans to die for no reason. That was the time that gave rise, unexpectedly, to John Kerry and the “Vietnam syndrome” that the establishment Machiavellians feared so much that they went to war one more time to try to stamp it out. “By God, we’ve kicked the Vietnam syndrome once and for all,” declared President Bush—15 years ago. Now the syndrome is back, by God, and we should spread it everywhere, for today and for the future.

The peace movement should build a community of meaning to stay the course, as long as the syndrome of empire exists. When you think about it, we are living at a tumultuous moment in a 500-year history of crusades, slavery, colonialism and patriarchy. When we act with personal urgency, as we should, it still brings results only gradually. When we take strong public stands, as we should, the effects are often unseen. When we become militant, as we should, we still reach the moderates only marginally. Connecting the dots of empire is hard, but rewarding.  Imagining a new story, one beyond empire, will take time and work, but the work is good. The Machiavellians will never recognize the movement’s work, or will do it only in ways that we will not recognize. The recognition will be for historians and poets. Our reward, as Bobby Sands once wrote from prison, will be seen in the smiles of our children.

Jump to Comments

Advertisement


Elsewhere: .

Comments

Are you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig.

By Reich Winger, May 18, 2007 at 3:39 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

The Bushie Tushie Boy stands on his last leg. His global empire is collapsing. Now is the time to kick his hemorrhoid — impeach this dry drunk.

Report this

By Guitarsandmore, April 30, 2006 at 4:10 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

If you want to be notified of future peace marches so that you can join in too, then go here to this web site and sign up to get alerts:

http://www.unitedforpeace.org/

http://www.veteransforpeace.org/

http://www.nyspc.org/

http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/

http://www.foe.org/

Report this

By Guitarsandmore, April 30, 2006 at 4:37 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

“there were “the wise men,” a discreet gathering of corporate lawyers, diplomats and security strategists who advised President Johnson that the costs of Vietnam were greater than any of the benefits.”………………………………………..
…………. “As The New York Times finally reported on Monday, April 24, the “wise men” are being recreated through the “Iraq Study Group,” funded by Congress, co-chaired by James Baker and Lee Hamilton, and including such power.”

It is funny how in this country it always comes down to economics and laws.  I would think that in a true Democracy the will of the people would prevail but apparently we always need a group of wise men too.

The protest marches, work stoppages, civil disobedience, will all contribute to the high cost of the war and as this “group of wise men” conducts the study our efforts will all factor in.

It will cost us more in the long run should we become known as the country that tried to control all of the world’s resources (oil wells in Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia).  The world will not think much of Democracy if we continue to invade countries based on fears of what might happen.

Let the will of the people prevail.

Report this

By Guitarsandmore, April 29, 2006 at 7:53 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Excellent post professor Hayden! I am glad to see you posting here where there is some substance to the blogs.  Your article is full of news, information, and valuable insights I have not been able to find elsewhere.  Thank you.

So Scott Ritter is frustrated (already)!  Oh, boy! I first heard about the horrors of the Vietnam war when I was 15 and still in High School.  Many years later in my twenties I was still protesting the Vietnam war after seeing my friend’s Uncle burn himself on the steps of the Capitol building.

As I recall certain peace activists were expressing concerns then too about one message being delivered by the peace movement (and the right message as well).  I was told to shut up and let those that can deliver a consistent singular message do so.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) split into two factions; the Progressive Labor Party and the Weathermen.  But I believe it was the many different groups coming together in April and May of 1970 in Washington DC to March for peace that turned the tide of American opinion about Vietnam.  I remember riding in a station wagon loaded down with 10 people that belonged to a Methodist minister and had no SDS people in it at all.  Each person in that car had different reasons for marching but all came to protest the war.

This weekend Tens of thousands of protesters marched Saturday through lower Manhattan to demand an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10704049/

Everyone should continue to write to their Senators and congressmen but also participate in the marches if possible.

The only points we have to agree on are these:

1.Stop the war in Iraq
2.Tell Congress to cut off funding war.
3.No more preemptive strikes anywhere.
4.Bring the troops home now.

All of this should fit nicely on the front and back of two signs.  You carry one and your significant other carries the other one.

We can talk about how we are going to turn the oil economy into an alternate energy economy later.  What we have to do right now is stop the U.S. war machine from marching across the entire world stamping out potential threats.

If you have to choose between dynamite and peace marches I hope you choose peace marches.

Report this

By Fadel Abdallah, April 29, 2006 at 1:06 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Generally speaking, I liked Tom Hyden’s piece and would identify with most of its premise. However, I have and apprehension about any movement that would identify its agenda as against war; as if war is a necessary human condition we await to happen, then we mobilize to oppose it, hence the “Anti-War Movement.” I want to be part of a movement that considers wars as the ultimate evil and the ultimate form of terrorism, which shoud be prevented with sound planned activism; but not wait to react to it after the fact of war is upon us.
Further, I want to be part of a movement for true democracy; not a democracy that can be sold to the highest bidders, who will always be the members of the merchants of death, represnted by the military-industial complex. I want to be part of a genuinly fair and just democracy that leads the world by example; and not be led by the wims of special interest groups, such as the Israeli Lobby. I want to be part of a movement that have at its core philosophy that might is not right.
I want to be part of a genuine humanistic movement that recognizes, with regret, that we “are living at a tumultuous moment in a 500-year history of crusades, slavery, colonialism and patriarchy”, and we are going sincerely to make amends!

Report this

By Scott, April 29, 2006 at 7:48 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

ETSpoon (1st reply in this thread) makes a good point about this war being fought by “those who want to be there”. In Canada a fair bit of political hay is made of this we-want-to-be-there mentality by soldiers, especially after they’ve been killed. The media is usually filled with stories about the dead soldiers committment and their willingness to be at war.

As in the US all Canadians are being cajoled to support our troops. Well, he fact is, as a taxpayer, I AM supporting Canada’s troops, but against my will.

Sometimes it feels like the only reason we’re at war is so Canadian conservatives can use our involvement in Afghanistan as a pretext to spend a bunch of money (my money) on the military, something they’ve wanted to do for decades.

I suggest that peace activists in both our countries start a tax revolt until a mechanism is in place that ensures supporters are the ones that foot the bill for the wars they want. This would certainly be in line with the long-touted user-pay principle that most war supporters inist on in virtually every other case where public monies are spent.

Report this

By Ahmad-Fathi Abumaraq, April 29, 2006 at 2:49 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Thank you very informative,a treasure of information ,clear thinking precise,concise and to the point.God bless the NOBLE MEN.

Report this

By S VAN DUSEN, April 27, 2006 at 7:22 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Thank you, Tom, for your percpective on the current state of the ‘Peace Movement’ and, by extension, the progressive radical movement in general.  This really does seem to be “the best of times and the worst of times.” The ‘Peace Movement’ has made a tremendous difference in keeping the issue of the Irag war from simply becoming part of the background noise of daily life.  It does seem, however, to be struggling against an immensely powerful current of apathy and indifference.  Progressive Radicalism too has helped to focus public attention, however fleetingly, on a broad array of pertinent issues.  Still, the movement, as a whole, seems to have (d)evolved into a fractious multi- tude of cliques whose exclusionary ideological rigidity and seeming dependence on confrontational theatrics discourages committed involvement.

In many ways this is no different than the conditions present during the ‘Viet Nam’ era.  The ‘Anti-War Movement’ faced a tremendous uphill battle against public opinion and government repression.  Other issues, when they were understood at all, faced reactions ranging from condesending amusement to violent hostility.  Proponents of peace and other issues utilized an array of tactics ranging from reasoned discourse, to non-violent civil disobedience, to carnival antics, to paramilitary, guerrilla violence.

Still, there are signigicant differences between then and now.  For one thing, this is not all new.  We’ve seen this type of thing before.  Early in the Viet Nam war, those in opposition based their position on comprehensive pacifism and anti-imperialism.  It took the revelations of Daniel Ellsberg and the release of the “Pentagon Papers” to expose the general public to the mind set of the decision makers in the executive branch, the intelligence community, and the military, and to the lies, deceptions, and covert, provocative actions under- taken to involve the nation in a predetermined and unnecessary war.  This time around, the charges of deception and fraud began before the war started and the evidense to support those charges followed on immediately.  Public disillusionment has taken months not years. Let us see how this disillusionment translates into votes in the mid-term elections.

Secondly, there is no draft as we knew it then.  Young men of college age (women are still not required to register) are not currently faced with the life or death possiblity of being called to involuntary military service and probable combat duty.  The disproportionate representation of minorities among combat casualties is also not a current factor.  The ‘backdoor draft’ created by the deployment of National Guard units (to a degree unprecedented in history), the calling up of reservists (some of whom have been effectively out of the military for years), and the indefinite extension of tours of duty has temporarily filled the military’s manpower needs.  This has left the military to be viewed by many, if not most, as a volunteer force, serving in one sense or another by choice.  It has also left the vast majority of otherwise draft elgible men free to pursue other options.  This lack of direct personal involvement makes this particular population segment difficult to galvanize in to political action as they were during Viet Nam.  It may well be the returning veterans of the Irag war, including significant numbers of women (some greviously wounded), who will form one of the most prominent segments of the current Anti-War Move- ment.  Senator Kerry and other members of the Viet Nam Veterans Against the War, still active in politics and progressive causes, should cultivate this group with particular care.

Third, the Anti-War Movement has thusfar avoided making some of the more egregiously boneheaded errors of the Viet Nam era.  The labeling of common soldiers as “baby killers”, the disrespect, mistreatment, and abuse of returning veterans, and the general indifference to their hardships and very existence by large portions of the Movement and general public have been largely avoided.  The well intentioned, but utterly inappropriate, gestures of high-profile celeb- rities meeting with the leadership of opposing forces, visiting territories con- trolled by them, and touring their military facilities has also been avoided.  Those mistakes continue to haunt the Peace Movement and have, in all like- lihood, contributed to the initial public support for the Bush administration’s policies and reluctance to give credibility to those opposed to those policies.  It is gratifying to see that the Peace Movement is able to learn from its errors even if this nation’s leadership cannot.

Fourth, while Congress possessed a solid and powerful cadre of leaders opposed to the Viet Nam war in the form of Senators Morse, Hatfield, McCarthy, Muskie, McGovern, and Kennedy as well as several members of the House of Representatives, it still took years to develop any significant oppo-
sition to White House policy in Viet Nam.  It was not until the release of the “Pentagon Papers” that support for the war began to evaporate, and it was not until Watergate that political support for the Nixon administration disap-
peared.  Today there is a much broader base of opposition in the Congress and, after the initial acquiesence to President Bush’s call to arms, that oppo-
sition has coalesced and stood strong.  It is only the minority status of the Democratic representatives and the iron grip of the Republican party over its members that is keeping all support from collapsing in the face of mounting evidence of fraud, deceipt, and the abuse of power by this administration.

Finally, you may be right, Tom.  The Movement has, in many ways, become ‘mainstream’. Maybe the radicals are “disappearing in the midst of their own success”.  The array of issues that formed the great, broad umbrella of the ‘Counter Culture’ have spread widely throughout the society as a whole.  Things that once appeared alien and outrageous have now become common-
place. Ideas that once appeared to be held only by “prophetic minorities” are now the intellectual property of anyone with the courage and independence to subscribe.  This is, in part, a product of our ‘information age’ and it is a GOOD thing.

It is good to see that some of you ‘old hands’ are still out there and speaking up, Tom.  Your book, REUNION, Random House, New York, was quite infor- mative.  With examples like you it will be easier for some of us to “be winter soldiers in a long war,” and spread the ‘Viet Nam Syndrome’ everywhere.

Report this

By Thomas Bregman, April 27, 2006 at 5:27 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Comment #7938 by Tony Wicher on 4/26 at 8:31 am

Tony.  I also voted for (financially supported and walked the streets too) for Kerry, but don’t think I could do so again.

Thought his 04’ loss was caused by a variety of factors (republican fear and wedge strategy, corporate media complicity, national democratic party ineptitude, tactical vote suppression, et al) he must be held personally accountable for his incredibly off kilter campaign. 

It seems to me that some of the other possible candidates have gotten a clue on issues, bearing and process.  Though I’m not ready to commit at this point, I’ll certainly going to take a hard look at Gore, Edwards and Feingold for starters.

I also think a self finanaced + netroots dark horse might emerge.  Some not nutty millionaire / billionaire (like Ned Lamont’s challenge to psuedo-dem Liberman in CT) could use his/her personal $$$$ to get a campaign jump started and then use internet financing to move beyond vanity.

What do think?

Report this

By Edwaard A. Marshall, April 26, 2006 at 9:34 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

WHY IS IT THAT WHEN BOOKING A HOTEL THE IMPERIAL SUITE SOUNDS QUITE ENTICING WHERE AS NO ONE WOULD THINK OF BOOKING A NAZI SUITE? THERE IS THE PROBLEM.

Report this

By nolaman, April 26, 2006 at 7:55 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

“Sen. John Kerry’s call for military withdrawal by the end of this year. Kerry stands a definite chance of filling the moral void in the present political process. When he steadfastly embraces his record as a young man, the message resonates in several ways.”

I am a former member of John Kerry’s Vietnam Vets Against the War.

Oh, how I wish that John Kerry or someone from that era’s anti-war movement would embrace their earlier principles.

During his shameful presidential run Kerry ran away from his youthful principled stand against the Vietnam war. I kept waiting for him to resolutely defend his anti-war past.

The only thing he has said recently that resonated with me was his referrence to how many men died so needlessly after it was clear there was no military solution in Vietnam.

There is no military solution in Iraq!!!

Men dieing there as we speak are dieing to salvage the political careers of Bush and company… and even Kerry if he doesn’t take a stronger stand!

Report this

By Tony Wicher, April 26, 2006 at 7:31 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Comment on Comment #7812 by Thomas Bregman on 4/25 at 9:59 am

Hear, hear! My sentiments about Hillary exactly. Bill had his faults, but I’ve got much more respect for him than I do for her. Hell, she should have been there giving him blow jobs when he really needed it.

I voted for Kerry. In spite of that travesty of a campaign he ran and all the shit I talked about him after the election, he still looks like the best prominent Democrat in the running. I could vote for him again if I had to, but not Hillary.

As to Comment #7805 by ETSpoon, you are a damn fool. The peace movement is alive and well and succeeding. The last thing we need is naysayers like you. Why don’t you get a job with the Bush Administration? That seems to be where your true sympathies lie.

Report this

By Peter Meldrum, April 26, 2006 at 6:10 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Whether America accepts it or not it has lost the war in Iraq.

As predicted by many the country has descended into Civil War.

Now to add the folly of assaulting Iran will, in the words of the Editorial Writer of the Daily Times, “see the region erupt in flames”.

It is time for the American people to demand the return of the troops, demand a complete reassesment and retrenching of American foreign policy, to demand that American leaders address America’s internal problems, to demand America’s leaders abandon their desire to rule the world.

And possibly, just possibly, return democracy to America.

Report this

By G.Anderson, April 25, 2006 at 9:45 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Just as military leaders sometimes prepare to fight the wars of the past, political movements can become mired in views of the world that have been discredited.

Certainly the absence of effective political oppostition to the war and any large demonstrations against the war is an indication that something is missing…

Is it just a question of leadership, or has the country become conservative after all? If that is the reason, then political rants against the war will not make one bit of difference.

The Anti War Movement can only dream of having mass demonstrations on the scale of the recent pro amnesty immigration protests.

On the other hand there is nothing like loosing to make your point…

When American’s defeat in Iraq does come, America’s political leaders will have a better understanding of the politic’s of America’s citizens.

Report this

By Bo, April 25, 2006 at 5:07 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

The America SAD DENIAL Case

Your war against Fear is not justified. It is actually a Resource War for oil, and a currency war for the dollar. Global Oil production has peaked and US will suffer the most from this crisis. The United States uses 25% of the world’s oil yet only has 5% of the world’s population. America is heavily in debt and bankruptcy is unavoidable. The coming housing bust will send the economy into a second greater depression.

While the Middle East countries find themselves targets in the “war on terror”, China, Russia, and Latin America find themselves targets in the recently declared and much more expansive “war on tyranny.” Whereas the “war on terror” is really a war for control of the world’s oil reserves, this newly declared “war on tyranny” is really a war for control of the world’s oil distribution and transportation chokepoints.

The dollar is in collapse, the economy is going to crash, oil is getting more scarce everyday. America is a nation that has its infrastructure built exclusively to be run on abundant cheap oil, with global demand of oil increasing exponentially and supply decreasing year after year, America has no other choice than to wage a global war on oil and currency and under the ruse of terror and freedom.

What? No believe? You still denial??

Is your entire country on crack? Are all you Americans out of your cotton picking minds? Are you completely freaking delusional? Homicidal? Psychotic? Have you lost any shred of a moral compass? WHAT IN THE NAME OF JESUS H. CHRIST ON A CRUTCH IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!!!!!

Let me offer up one small datum which may completely change the equation for you: According to the CIA (If they have any credibility left.) even accord to them Iran is at least five years away from a nuclear weapon.

Five years.

Five years is time for diplomacy to accomplish a hell of a lot.

I would also point out that the Atomic Energy Commission, various other international bodies and other inspections have essentially found no sign that Iran is even working on a nuclear weapon.

The only actual evidence that Iran has anything close to nuclear weapons technology is blueprints *that the CIA gave to them!*

Have you all forgotten that the evidence on Iraq was spectacularly wrong? Have you all ignored the fact that it was fabricated? Why then are we going down the exact same road of stage managed, fabricated pseudo-evidence and wild-ass hysteria?

What is wrong with you people?

This entire crisis has been manufactured, and has been years in the making.

Stop and think back five years. What did we have five years ago? A moderate reformist Iranian government making overtures to the United States, rebuilding its relationship with Europe, liberalizing its society, and modernizing its economy.

Post 9/11 vigil in Iran. 9/11 comes along, the Iranians are overflowing with sympathy. Mass candlelit vigils are held in Tehran. Iran offers aid and cooperation.

Iran hates the Taliban who have executed Iranian diplomats and massacred Afghan Shiites. Iran hates Saddam Hussein. Iran hates Al Qaeda which is a Sunni Fundamentalist organization which declares Shiites infidels and subhuman.

Iran shares its intelligence with America - they even arrested Taliban members and handed them over to US custody.

So we’ve got the Iranian spring; things are finally going to sort out.

And what happens? The Bush administration rebuffs every Iranian overture and does its best to instigate a cold war. Afghanistan is invaded, and suddenly, the Iranians are looking at American troops and allies on their eastern border. Then Iraq is invaded, and American troops and allies on their western border. Then bases and treaties in Uzbekistan, and whoops, there’s more American troops and allies on the northern border. The Persian Gulf is filled with American warships and carrier fleets.

Now the Iranians are surrounded. And the tough talk is constant. Iran is part of the ‘Axis of Evil’ and Americans tell each other “Baghdad, humph, real men go to Tehran.” Essentially, America has been threatening military action against Iran for the last five years, and has surrounded the country on every side with troops, bases and allies.

American aircraft invade Iranian airspace regularly, American special forces undertake operations inside Iran and Americans regularly accuse Iranians of interference in Iraq.

Dick Cheney pontificates about Israel bombing Iran *after he has just handed over to Israel the long range bombers and bunker busting bombs* required to do the job.

Meanwhile, the United States undertakes economic warfare against Iran, interfering with its business dealings with third party countries, trying to scuttle a pipeline deal with India, and it goes on and on. The hysteria about the Iranians nuclear program is just more of the same.

Now how in God’s Bloody Name do you think the Iranians are going to respond to that. Should they concede the nuclear program, abandon their pipeline project? If so, its not going to do them any good. America will just seek more concessions. Each surrender will be met by new demands. This isn’t hard to figure out. It’s exactly what Bush did with Iraq.

Perhaps overtures, good will gestures, trying to act like a peaceful nation. Did all those things, doesn’t matter. The Bush administration is still on a collision course.

So, the Mullahs are concerned that they’re faced with a homicidal crazy state, the Iranian people are scared. When people are scared and faced with an aggressive warmongering power which keeps threatening to attack them, continually trespasses on its borders and is undertaking economic warfare… who the hell are they going to elect? Ahminajad may be a crazy bastard, but you assholes, you utter assholes did every thing you could to elect him short of donating 50,000 Diebold machines and mailing his party the trapdoor codes.

So, having pursued a psychotically aggressive course, you’ve backed Iran into a corner, and engineered a regime which refuses to back further.

And *you* are the victims in all this? *You* are the ones under threat? It’s *self defense*????

And of course, you goofily believe that you can just bomb or nuke Iran with impunity?

Holy microeconomic theory batman! Iran’s nuclear facilities are distributed across the country and in hardened sites near population centers. So any strike that cripples a significant portion of Iran’s nuclear capacity will inevitably be so large and kill so many people that its going to be tantamount to inviting full scale war.

Think about that. Iran is 70 million people, an area five times the size of Iraq, not disemboweled by 12 years of sanctions and air raids. On the other side of the coin, America’s ground army is busted and tied down in Iraq. There’s no troops to throw at a major Iranian military force, so you have to hope that bombing will do the trick. The occupation forces in Iraq are in occupation and not territorial defense mode. And Iraq is 65% Shiites who are probably not going to be happy that you’re blowing up their brother Shiites.

Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz is so narrow that sinking one supertanker will block it indefinitely, and Iran borders the strait on three sides. Block Hormuz and any naval groups inside the Persian Gulf are trapped there. Any naval groups outside the Persian Gulf are trapped outside. Forget about any oil coming out of the Persian Gulf from Iraq, Kuwait, Quatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia or the UAE. Think about what that does to the price of oil, and to the world economy. Think about what that does to dependent countries like Japan, India, China and Europe.

In short it’s so appallingly stupid and colossally risky, that I can see why your idiots in charge might consider using nuclear weapons. But throw a few nukes around and see how the rest of the world reacts? Every dirt-wad country is going to be mortgaging the Presidential palace to get its own nuclear deterrent from Pakistan or North Korea. How do you feel about the Indonesian Bomb, the Malaysian Bomb, the Thai Bomb, the Myanmar Bomb, the Algerian Bomb, the Saudi Bomb, the Egyptian Bomb, the Brazilian Bomb, the Argentine Bomb, the Venezuelan Bomb, the Cuban Bomb, the Japanese Bomb, the Canadian frigging Bomb. You are no longer trustworthy. North Korea, always borderline psychotic is going to be mondo difficult to deal with. You’ve just guaranteed yourself a full fledged nuclear arms race, balls to the wall with both Russia and China, and quite possibly Europe.

And of course there’s no guarantee that the rest of the world will allow this. Do you want an armed standoff with the Russians? Suppose they ‘loan’ their finest interceptor jets, pilots and radar systems to the Iranians… Do you want to meet *that* on a bombing raid? And if you do meet *that* what are you going to do when half your planes are blasted out of the skies conducting an illegal raid on civilian populations in a foreign country? Cry? Send a harsh note?

Launch a first strike?

World goes boom. What happens if the Chinese decide to hold Taiwan and South Korea hostage? What do you do? Back off Iran or sell out East Asia?

Hell, in that kind of standoff, someone sneezes and its not going to matter who launched a first strike.

Or would you like an economic standoff, say with Europe, or with Japan and China. Suppose that the Europeans or Chinese decide “screw the worldwide depression, you assholes are just too dangerous to have around.” Trillions of dollars get dumped on the market, loans get called in, the bottom drops out of your dollar, its thousand per cent inflation and no manufacturing base and your own trade embargoes. So much for America.

I mean, it’s morally wrong; it’s stupid on every level. And yet here you are discussing why maybe you should get out in front of the Republicans on this, or planning your surrender to Bush. Why are you even discussing this?

What is wrong with America?

Case in Iraq:

Anyone here still remember the scam of Al Samoud 2?

I totally forgot about it until today when I read that Iran has enriched a supply of uranium for the first time and Iran’s president has said Iran won’t back down ``one iota’’ over its nuclear program.

Remember when Saddam backed down? Its been so long even MY memory’s
been washed by Washington, but before the WMB bullshit we were hearing ranting and trash from Bush that it was because of Iraq’s Al Samoud 2 missiles had 10 miles extra range than allowed by the UN [funny how US itself never follows UN regulations] that the US was going to attack Iraq. Al Samoud 2 was a big issue for a while, and Bush gave Saddam an ultimatum of a week or so to disarm and destroy all 90 some missiles or else the US EVIL EMPIRE was going to attack....

what happened?

Saddam disarmed all missiles.

and then…

US Charged in with Guns a Blazing....
SHOOT FIRST THEN ASK questions torture…

Quick Draw Trigger Happy Cheney saying GO FUCK YOURSELF to the world.

The point is, North Korea, Iran and indeed the rest of the world saw this and learn from Iraq’s lesson. When dealing with EVIL like the US WHEEL OF EVIL EMPIRE there is no use in disarming your own weapons!!!!
Any country that still does that is PLAIN STUPID!!! LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO IRAQ!!!!

The Native Americans was too slow to learn the lesson, Iraq was too dumb to learn the lesson. Lets hope Iran does a pre-emptive strike FIRST this time and give Shrub a taste of his own medicine!!!

Now, to be fair I realize most Americans do not take lightly to criticism. But what about reason? Logic? Or plain common sense?

You seem to agree with the doctrine of pre-emptive strike correct? You say that if you know your enemy will attack you anyway, that it is your duty and obligation to attack them first to prevent damage to yourself.

So when I that Iran should attack America’s military and not wait until it is first attacked upon, what then do you have to object? I am simply praticing YOUR DOCTRINE OF PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE. If an enemy [the US in this case], will attack you anyway, (like how America will attack Iran, and how US with its proven track record DID attack Iraq) it is then Iran’s duty and obligation to pre-emptive the pre-emptive strike. America has proven TIME AND TIME AGAIN that is PRACTICES THE DOCTRINE OF STRIKING FIRST, so why the hell should other nations not do the same? If I know a bully in my neighboorhood already took out 5 of my neighboors why the hell should I not practice what he does and take HIM out first?

So if you [US] can do it, why can no other country practice the same thing?

Let us not forget one of your major characteristics: your duality in both manners and values; your hypocrisy in manners and principles. All*manners, principles and values have two scales: one for you and one for the others.

Your war against Fear is not justified. It is actually a Resource War for oil, and a currency war for the dollar. Global Oil production has peaked and US will suffer the most from this crisis. The United States uses 25% of the world’s oil yet only has 5% of the world’s population. America is heavily in debt and bankruptcy is unavoidable. The coming housing bust will send the economy into a second greater depression.

While the Middle East countries find themselves targets in the “war on terror”, China, Russia, and Latin America find themselves targets in the recently declared and much more expansive “war on tyranny.” Whereas the “war on terror” is really a war for control of the world’s oil reserves, this newly declared “war on tyranny” is really a war for control of the world’s oil distribution and transportation chokepoints.

The dollar is in collapse, the economy is going to crash, oil is getting more scarce everyday. America is a nation that has its infrastructure built exclusively to be run on abundant cheap oil, with global demand of oil increasing exponentially and supply decreasing year after year, America has no other choice than to wage a global war on oil and currency and under the ruse of terror and freedom.

What? No believe? You still denial??

Don’t forget what horrible unspeakable atrocities your nation did to the Native Americans who were here before them.

America is not a legitimate nation. It is a British renegade colony that should have been repatriated. The Evil Colony of America and the Evil Treacherous George Washington General Coward betrayed his own England and set up this Avarice Nation. The Evil American Colony sent a bitching letter to King George and in essence said they were tired of paying their fair share of the taxes, but used the ruse of ‘taxation without representation’ as a pitiful pathetic excuse to cheat the motherland of resources.

This is true beginning of the EVIL AVARICE NATION that you so ardently defend.
This nation later went on and killed all the Native Americans. This is the Evil nation that usurped land from the French and called it a so called “Louisiana Purchase”. That’s like me going to the BMW car dealership and driving off with the latest 760Li and paying only 15 cents. That’s a ‘purchase’ all right… Do I need to remind you America Robbed Texas from Mexico? And then the Evil wasn’t satisfied so it did a pre-industrial version of Operation Northwood’s and then went down to the capital of Mexico and forced the Pres. Of Mexico to give away all the rest of the West to the US Wheel-Of-Evil Empire.

Any nation that steals so VAST amount of virgin LAND, Territory, resources, will of course attract talent like light attracts flies. This is Darwinism in action here. Greediest of the Greediest people of the world immigrate the America. These Avaricious lovers of Lust and Evil procreate and mingle with other fellow most-greedy-of-the-earth evil lovers and pretty soon of a few short generations you have most avaricious, self-serving, underhanded, egoistic, hypocritical, lustful, greedy SOBs in the entire universe.

Nothing America has belonged to America. Nothing Americans have achieved was because of America itself. This country is one big party of a free ride that runs on the rape, murder, torture, usurping, robbery, thievery, hijacking, empirizing, conquering,
Of other peaceful innocent nations. It has never done anything good for anyone except itself own selfish pig citizens.

And it would be extremely hypocritical of you to say well that’s all in the past. It was not that long ago when you mass murdered the Native Americans. Why are you charging Saddam for a crime no did not commit over 30 years ago??

You still in denial?

Your country uses extremist Muslim religions as an excuse to fight them for oil. You have been thoroughly brainwashed if you believe what you have been told.

Always remember this, the Arabs are NOT the ones in our land attacking and bombing our children, destroying our homes and robbing our resources. The Arabs are not the ones with Gigantic Military Killing Machines that are targeting our homeland, bulldozing our buildings, knocking down our Statue of Liberty. They do not have soldiers occupying our land (technically not even our land), raping American woman or cutting off the balls of American men. Sure they did 9/11, but 9/11 was but a drop in the bucket compared to what the US did to them. 9/11 was the act of a few terrorists, that cannot be compared to the prolonged repeated conquering, occupy, exploiting, and repressing of entire nations at the thumb and whip of the US Wheel-of-Evil Empire.

They are not the ones imposing economical sanctions on our nation, starving our children and weakening our population. They are not the ones who have Mac Mansions and drive luxury SUV’s and have Comcast internetS and living the grandiose life at the expense of poor third world nations of the entire world.

Imagine if such things happened to America? Unimaginable..
Think about that..

The pitiful thing is they can’t even get a fair revenge..

Are you beginning to see the imbalance?

What freedom do we really have? Do you think the citizens of America could find a ‘basis of negotiation’ with the Big Corporations of America? or with its current government? Americans yell and scream freedom down the throats of other people, but they fail to see they themselves are the least free of all. Their addiction to oil and free shopping spree and lustful desires has not only enslaved themselves, but held captive are also the innocent citizens and youth of Middle Eastern nations and countless other countries across the world. They are so morally and fiscally deprived that they have dragged the chains of slavery unto the entire world. Is this anyone’s idea of a model of ‘freedom’? America’s freedom and happiness directly comes from the expense of others, depriving them of their fair share of ‘freedom’, and yet these US hypocrites turn around and decree other nations need to be further ‘liberated’ to perpetuate their American Entitlement.

Do not for a second confuse standard of living for freedom, especially when you realize America’s high standard of living comes directly from the expense of those already much less fortunate.

I’m sure some Americans will do anything to defend the name of their country and their lifestyle, despite all facts to the contrary. Is that not as powerful or perhaps more powerful than Middle Eastern religious zeal? Too bad for the Middle Eastern religious nuts who don’t know this, but in this world those with big weapons & Advanced Killing Machines ALWAYS WIN.. The existence of American in this universe proves that there is no justice and fairness in this world, and also that there cannot possibly be any ‘God’, for no God would be so cruel. Foolish Muslims….

It is not so bold an assertion nor an exaggeration to make to say that America is the single greatest threat to humanity. And the Greatest Disgrace and disservice to all life forms on earth.

What? You still in denial?

You can argue all you want. But who’s better off? The American people or the people of nations it attacks?

Who sends their kids to private schools, piano lessons, soccer games, football games, to cheerleading tryouts, to UIL’s??

American has manipulated global markets and currency in the past to pay of its massive debt, and then when the third world suffers directly because of its actions it gives a tiny little aid and call it a great humanitarian effort.

It’s comparable to robbing a bank and giving back the spare change in your pocket. Its an PR act, you should see it for what it really is.

I’ll bet anything that the Iraq people would much RATHER fix our national highways, if it means there citizens could live OUR lifestyle..

My question to you American’s : would you switch places with the third world that you terrorize? if you can’t say yes, then stop bitching.
Put your money where your mouth is you hypocrites.

Still no believe??

Metaphorically speaking, you and others like you are the type of people who would complain that handicap parking spaces are unfair because that means you have to walk furthur, or that its unfair that the homeless doesn’t have to pay any taxes. But let me assure you that the handicapped would much rather have their HEALTH back than a handicap placard, and the homeless would much rather have a roof over their heads, a nice warm cozy bed with a family and kids and take vacations to exotic places twice a year and would be MORE THAN HAPPY to pay those taxes that you would so despise.

The point is, the grass is NOT always greener on the other side, certaintly not when the ‘other side’ is someplace in the Middle East.

Bottomline: who has benefited because of America’s actions over the last two hundred years? Certaintly not the Native Americans.....

Something to think about ya know…

I should point out to you that terrorism is actually a war tactic.
One man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorists. If you apply
the strict definition of ‘terrorism’ and not that of the FOX 4 version, you would see that America sends their own ‘terrorists’ to foreign lands much more than the number of terrorists who have come here to attack the U.S.

Terrorism is much like asymmetric warfare. It is a tactic deployed by the weak against the strong. That fact in and of itself should answer your question as to why ‘terrorists’ don’t rebuild power plants, schools and water systems…

If they had that ability, they would not need to resort to terrorism in the first place. And let it also be known that America is not doing such great services for the benefit of the Iraqi people but only for its own long term self interest and political agenda of worldwide domination.

Believing in anything else would be like a kid accepting a ride from a stranger for the benefit of the candy bar. He’s giving me candy so he must have my best intentions at heart, right??

And please don’t use a religious excuse ever again.

religion is not the main issue here. Religion is NOT why we [US Army] are in Iraq. Religion is NOT why we will be in Iran. Religion is NOT why we were in Korea, or Vietnam, and its also not why we nuke Japan twice even though they were prepared to surrender.

When America fights China over oil and resources the U.S. will have to come up with something else besides ‘religion’ to explain away their addiction of usurping. I wonder to myself if the only the Native Indian Americans were Christians to begin with they might not have suffered their ultimate fate??? hmmm....

Religion is really not even the issue here at all. Your missing the real point. We [U.S.] are like the drug dealers who got these poor people into this hellhole and mess in the first place, and then we blame them for their condition. Wake up America! If you don’t, [and I know you won’t] peak oil will be your alarm clock that you can’t shut off.

Still no believe?

Maybe you say since I live in American I should just shut up and stop complaining. Well, I have but this to say to you:

again, your argument that just because I live here in America I should shut up and stop complaining is hypocritical.

When the Chinese government tells its own people the same thing, somehow the US WHEEL OF HYPOCRISY will intervene and starting bitching at Hu for not giving enough ‘civil right’ to the Chinese people.

Since when did the US GOV care about Chinese people? Last time I checked they very bitched about the trade imbalance and China’s growing oil demands. If they [US] are caring they sure as hell aren’t showing it by their actions.

You still denial?

Have you heard of Operation Northwood’s? If not I encourage you to do some research of it online or at a library. America Northwood’s was America’s EVIL PLAN to bomb and murder it own citizens and frame it on foreign nations in order to get ‘justification’ for an unpopular war. And this is just what is make public, your government is clearly capable of doing must more evil considering all the secret classified documents of plans such as Operation Northwoods that will never be make public.

And for those of you not in the know, there is ample irresputable evident that on 9/11 World Trade Center Building 7 was bombed by your own US Government. WTC 7 collapsed in a precisely vertical fashion. First, no building collapses exactly vertically unless it was engineered and rigged to do so. Second, WTC was a steel building. And no steel building has ever collapsed due to minimal fire. What is the motive you ask? Your EVIL EMPIRE propaganda machine loves drama. Americans citizens are the mob, and George Walker Commodus will use fear and drama to feeds American’s people to the lions (CEO Government, Big Business, Military-Industrial Complex) and you will THANK HIM FOR IT.

Isn’t that what you are doing now?

What, still denial?

Then let me give you this cool movie clip, perhaps it can enlighten you of reality.

http://festival.sundance.org/2006/watch/film.aspx?whic h=402&category=DOC

Best,

Bo Chen

Report this

By Hulse Vonn, April 25, 2006 at 3:40 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Tom Hayden kicks more asteroid than any other Internet writer I know. As good as she is, even Huffington pales beside this grizzled peace-wager.

I only wish he would write more often and regularly. He certainly has the rep, so why can’t he get more column-inches? Why doesn’t he appear regularly in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the network news media?

The media situation with respect to King George’s war is obscene, a crime against nature.

Also, I wish he would devote a column just to Russ Feingold.

Sigh.

Report this

By Thomas P. Higgins, April 25, 2006 at 9:40 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

The essential problem with the Iraq War is not in Iraq. It is here in America, where our imperialist agenda remains unquestioned by the great majority.
Wars can be great teachers.
After WWII, we learned crucial lessons about international co-operation and human rights that were embodied in the UN Charter.
In America, those lessons have been forgotten. In general, Americans have learned to accept preventive war, brutality, and perhaps even the use of torture. America and its people have become, in a sense, weaponized.
The crucial question is this: will the Iraq War teach us to question our aggressive unilateralism? So far, apparently not.
Could it be that the only cure for our imperialist agenda is some kind of imperial exhaustion?

Report this

By rex, April 25, 2006 at 9:15 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

This withdrawal plan ignores the fact that currently the
US Central Command Air Force must conduct an average of 60 air strikes and 150 heavy airlift missions a day in Iraq just to support the US forces there. If we actually withdraw how will
Iraq, with no armed aircraft and only three old cargo planes, be able to maintain even the limited control the US now has with overwhelming air support?
If you include the continuing daily bombardment of Afghanistan by B-52 heavy bombers, not reported in the news media, after more than four years it seems we have no hope of ever leaving the region since the insurgents have learned they cannot be destroyed by any US weapons short of nuclear attacks.

Report this

By Thomas Bregman, April 25, 2006 at 8:59 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Thanks Tom for injecting a wider perspective and sense of history into where the “movement” stands today.

I’d like to expand upon something you touched on briefly at the beginning of your essay - the near term (2006-08) political dynamics that will be shaped by the changing national mood.

You correctly noted that the junior senator from New York (my home state) has a rather flexible political aspect that moves in accordance with the political winds.  No real surprises there given her pedigree, but there’s more (or less) to it than that.

As someone who has been deeply engaged in opposing the Iraq war going back to the summer of 2002, I’ve had a front row seat on Ms. Clinton’s near total absence from the most important and difficult issues of the day.  She was not just cautious in the substanitive and ongoing debates about war and peace, national security, twisted intelligence, torture, human rights, executive power and the myriad nasty things that flowed from the phony war on terror, she was actually MIA.  AWOL.  Gone.  Unreachable.  As a New York constituent, if you were against the war, or even wanted to discuss its relative merits, Ms. Clinton could not be found.  I’m not sure how this works in other states, but for me this is not just irresponsible, it’s a real dereliction of constitutional duty.

On the plus side, she has so thoroughly wrapped herself in a cocoon of nationalistic hyper-macho hawkishness as to make any coming “change of heart” so clearly opportunistic even the most faithful Clintonista might be forced to rethink their support, if not their belief in her motives and moral fiber.

I gave Ms. Clinton a pass in 2000.  I voted for her.  I gave her campaign money.  I talked up her candidacy to friends and neighbors.  I supported her senate bid.  No more.  Hilliary Clinton has lost my support and CAN NOT earn it back.  I will not campaign, vote for, give money, lend my name, recruit friends, place lawn signs or provide aid and comfort to her upcoming Senate or Presidential races (you just know she will announce for the presidency within 6 months of the 2006 election).

And while I’m generally unimpressed by the entire cast of so-called national leaders within the Democratic Party, and think a new national party will be absolutely required at some point in the not too distant future, Hilliary Clinton has proved herself to be particularly unqualified to be the 2008 standard bearer of her party.

Her lack of character, social conscience and political will (admittedly she is not in the least lacking in personal will, but that is another matter entirely which in fact makes her even less qualified to lead) is not what this national requires.  Not now.  Not ever.

Report this

By ETSpoon, April 25, 2006 at 8:18 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

What peace movement?

Aging greyhairs, wearing “Give Peace A Chance” sweatshirts, chanting now obscure anti-war slogans from a bye-gone war that nearly all amnesiac Americans, unless they are veterans of that brutal imperial conflict, have quitely forgotten, wish to forget or pretend never happened?

The neohippie grandsons and granddaughters of middle-aged peaceniks, who are now slouching into a Socialy Secure retirement, in their computer-generated tie-dyed t-shirts, Caucasian dredlocks and Doc Martins, safe in the knowledge that no matter how ugly, no matter how brutal, the occupation of Iraq becomes, they will never have to come face to face with it because there is no military draft?

There will not be, nor is there, a “peace movement” on the scale of that of Tom Hayden’s Vietnam War era salad days. The peace movement was much too smart for that. It called for the end to the military draft, and conservative economist Milton J. Friedman acquiesced and the All Voluteer Force was created.

Now our wars of foreign aggression are fought by “those who want to be there.” They are disposible, forgotten, exploited.

The young men and women of the all volunteer force are exploited by both the peace movement neohippies, who righteously moan over every wasted life, and the slavering, skinheaded, fist-pumping barstool patriots, who celebrate every combat death with little boy-soldier salutes and wave the American flag.

The cost of the Iraq occupation is born by too few Americans, not too many.

Report this

Add Your Comment

Posts by unregistered readers are moderated. Posts by members
are published immediately. Why wait? Register today!






Notify you when others comment on this article?


Are you a human?
Retype the word you see here.


Please read and abide by our comment policy.
By submitting this comment, you agree to this site's terms and conditions.

Newsletter

Get Truthdig in your inbox

Privacy Policy

 
Click here to advertise with Truthdig
 

 
Join the Liberal Blog Advertising Network
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
Copyright © 2008 Truthdig, L.L.C. All rights reserved.