The nationwide opposition to the Iraq War is based on a host of populist impulses. Some people hate it because they think lives are being sacrificed to pursue the oil industry’s agenda. Some despise it because, without a military draft, the U.S. casualties — 4,000-plus and counting — are disproportionately working-class kids. Still others abhor the war because it drains scarce… return to article
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Reader Comments (9)Page 1 of 1 pagesThe people will end the war through their “theatrics” on the streets, their spokespeople, their disorganized movement, their writing and persuasion, and their votes. Their efforts will contribute to the legacy of the world-wide on-going anti-war movement. The elitist critics standing on the sidelines mouthing their disparaging critiques will be long-forgotten.
Posted by DeanOR on May 26, 2008 at 5:24 PM There is some value to this analysis and reporting. However the author like most other political analysts or correspondents seem to either totally miss the root cause of the war or choose to ignore it.
First lets get to the root cause of this war and possibly the next one against Iran. The root of this war is ZIONISM (left, right and center) and our polity’s subservience to Israel / Zionism.
Once thats understood then it becomes clear what they intend to do to the antiwar front.
There also seems to be a tendency that likudnik / right wing zionists are bad and the left leaning zionists are good. Thats an error and a trap that a lot of people seem to be falling into.
The role of the zionists of all shades is to keep the antiwar movement off balance, disorganized, broken into so many smaller groups and sub-gropus that they loose focus and miss their goal.
So far the zionists have done a dandy job and they will proceed with what they are doing as long as neglect to shine the flashlight on their criminal and corrupt hold of our elite.
Posted by mrmb on May 26, 2008 at 6:47 PM Thanks to David Sirota for an excellent column.
If we take the column seriously, what does this say about the usual liberal strategy of supporting Democrats - any Democrats, including pro-war Democrats - against the Republicans? It’s a waste of precious time and money, isn’t it?
Posted by Nevada_Ned on May 30, 2008 at 11:00 AM The Iraq War is not the problem, it is a symptom. In fact it is not “The War” either — the war in which WTC was a major attack has been declared against us and will not end unless it is undeclared by the same people who have been fighting it for decades now.
We may well debate the D.C.—itis as hereditary vs environment.
It seems true that, at least in recent years, anyone elected to national office soon becomes infected and reelection is Job One.Here in Illinois our 16th District Representative, Don Manzullo, was elected on the promise of a self-limited term. As usual, as he gained an “influential position,” it became “to our advantage to keep him there.”
We MUST be in the Middle East because we MUST have oil. Our whole economy is built on that premise. (and has since John D. Rockefeller)
Never mind that neither party did anything over a period of thirty years to reduce that “need.” In addition to an increased oil dependency we have tens of thousands more lobbyists who are writing the legislation which maintains the urgency of need for oil supply and all the other special interests .The following statement from this article is the real issue:
“In Washington, D.C., for those who run the government, the public is quite distant and faceless.”We no longer have a representative form of government. We have a spectator sport played played out on TV, radio, blogs and news publications. It is in the same category as Survivor, Gladiator, and American Idol.
Lou Dobbs or The Lehrer News Hour can attack or discuss, books can be written by the gross, but the game itself is being played without our participation. It’s all just noise and diversion while the power passes between teams.
Churchill said, “Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the rest.” I wonder if there is a form of government capable of dealing with the current scope of problems. Speed of communication, digital manipulation of information, complexity of issues and diversity of demands combine to make it seem humanly impossible for any leaders to cope…assuming there are any who genuinely try.
Posted by whattheheck on Jun 1, 2008 at 12:54 PM President Reagan predicted, worked for, and accomplished the collapse of the Soviet Union, monumentally assisted by the Soviet Socialists’ incompetence and inefficiency. American Socialists ridiculed, obfuscated, and denied President Reagan’s accomplishments, as is their wont.
Now Sirota is looking backward to how the Socialists can stop the war, but the war is over. Al-Qa’eda is defeated in Iraq. Mookie is defeated in Sadr City and Basra. The Iranis have failed in their effort to subvert Iraqi democracy. And the American Socialists ridicule, obfuscate, and deny President Bush’s accomplishments.
The Socialists complain bitterly about the “costs” of Afghanistan/Iraq, but in real figures you have to go back to the French and Indian Wars to find a war that was less expensive in absolute terms of American casualties and cost as a percentage of GNP.
Since Hillary and Kerry and a host of other Democrats voted for this magnificently successful effort, why don’t they just relax and enjoy the success of their policies?
Posted by scorp on Jun 1, 2008 at 6:25 PM Scorp,
Correct!
We need to maintain a sense of perspective (not something the media care about and most likely don’t even know). Of the 3 remaining vocal candidates, McCain undoubtedly has a sense of this regarding war, but the others either don’t know or simply choose to play on the public’s lack of knowledge.We might also add the dollar comparison (inflation) when tallying financial cost and as a percentage of GDP.
The medical gains both in methods and speed are amazing and should be recognized as well.
My greatest concerns with the war are that voters will be lulled into believing:
1.) Iraq is the only important measure
2.) The enemy is like our past enemies (national) and can be “contained”
3.) That no recent attacks domestically mean the threat is pastWe need to elect people who have a working knowledge of history and a longer memory than our news reports consider. This applies to all aspects of leadership, military, economic and social — everything is interrelated.
——————————
I am currently reading the Memoirs of U.S. Grant and see a great similarity in his comments concerning the US/ Mexican War and political conflicts just as with the fighting in Iraq today.
Posted by whattheheck on Jun 2, 2008 at 1:02 PM WTH -
Thanx for the input.
In real terms, the effects of inflation are minimal, as everything in our economy is denominated in dollars. The actual price rises are in fuel and food. The Democrats and Socialists have resolutely refused to tap American fuel sources (East, West, and South coasts, ANWR, and more coal than anybody else), creating artificial shortages that have contributed mightily to the costs of energy. And the shifting of food supplies to fuel production has contributed mightily to worldwide shortages of food. I am told that the corn to provide 25 gallons of ethanol would feed a man for a year (400 pounds of corn). That is probably about right, as 25 gallons of ethanol weighs about 150 pounds.
The Socialists’ struggle for control is getting ridiculously expensive - to me, not to them.
Posted by scorp on Jun 3, 2008 at 6:53 AM Scorp,
I know we are of two minds on the government economic data, but at least we agree on a few things.
The use of food for fuel is as criminal as the UN/Saddam Oil for Food Scam. Nothing more than pandering for votes.
The thirty years since the alarm first went off should have brought a good many changes in our energy policy.
By now we could have a high speed transcontinental mass transportation system which would save energy, lives and improve the ecology.
We could have developed alternative sources including our vast supply of coal. (I’m into a couple of energy ETFs, but I wish I had invested directly in coal.) I recently read a book about the area where my grandfather and his brothers mined it a century ago. Some mines were loading it directly into the trains which served the midwest.
As for inflation data I am of the opinion it is close to triple the admitted 4% right now which puts the Dow lower than the 2000 high.Yes, everything is still measured in US dollars, which is the main reason we are paying so much today for gasoline. However, adjusted for inflation the price in 1959 becomes $3/gal.
The biggest problems for people who are pinched today are too much buying on credit, increased taxes passed down to them thru the system — sales, transportation, Social Security (a huge tax increase) and medical costs shifted from employers to individuals.
The quality of most service jobs is much less than we had thirty years ago when manufacturing was big here.Europe and Asia are also experiencing inflation and we must now buy many necessities from them. As their workers demand more pay they will pass it on to us. Wal-Mart will be a lot more expensive in years to come.
On the upside consumers have already slowed foreign purchases which will make the trade imbalance look better.
And we are now beginning to see some manufacturing return to our city. One century-plus company’s three divisions have been hiring, but are now owned by Italy, Israel and China and wages and benefits are not close to the old days.
I’ll continue shorting financials, holding ag, oil and gold commodities and avoid most other stocks domestic and foreign. I still think this will be a long downtime.
Posted by whattheheck on Jun 3, 2008 at 2:12 PM Scorp,
Here is what think is an interesting article on solar energy.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,550544,00.html
“We don’t have an energy problem,” says Hans Müller-Steinhagen, of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). “We have an energy conversion and distribution problem.”
Our southwest would make an excellent US source.
Posted by whattheheck on Jun 3, 2008 at 3:50 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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