War, Race and Elections

[LWolf]

http://www.counterpunch.org/goff01012004.html

Long and thought provoking article; it mentions Dean, and gives one sentence to Kucinich, so I posted it here in GD 2004 primary. It isn't a campaign piece, though; not for or against any candidate, but questioning where progressives ought to be putting their energies in the bigger picture. Here's the final 4:

So here at last I come to the issue of the slogan, "Bring the troops home NOW." If we allow ourselves to be drawn by these charlatans and gangsters into a discussion of how a decision will be implemented as a precondition to the decision being made, then we have written them a nice, fat blank check. We will have entered into negotiations before our most fundamental demand is met. We will have surrendered the initiative.

Our demand is not how the decision will be implemented. That is a practical matter in any case, the circumstances of which cannot be foreseen. Our demand is for the decision to end the occupation. We will discuss the implementation of the decision only after it is made. That is the "demand-position." That is how WE draw the line.

"We don't care whether it is politically 'impossible.' We are not interested in your political survival. Bring them home. Bring them home now. We are not going anywhere, and we do not consent to be governed by you."

Our job in the US is not to direct the history of Iraq. It is to take our own history in hand right here at home, by prescribing "the limits of tyrants."

[DuctapeFatwa]

1. That is a great piece! Thanks! It does a much better job of saying

what I have bumblingly tried to point out in about 3 different threads today alone.

Next time, I'll just link to this :)

[LWolf]

2. You're welcome.

:hi:

I read it twice, and am still pondering just how the best way to issue demands might be.

[Zomby Woof]

3. ZombyKick

Because LWolf rocks! :yourock:

[LWolf]

5. Woof.

:hi:

[bread_and_roses]

4. great article

thanks for posting it. It was interesting reading for me particularly, since I had just read through one of the long threads bemoaning the lack of unity between supporters of various candidates...vowing as I read that this would be the last time I read ANYTHING about the Primary wars, since I don't think it matters much at all which of the "major" candidates get the nomination. When you look at the "taken for granteds" they share, there's hardly a hair's difference between them from my perspective.

[Scott Lee]

6. Aye aye.

I love some of the stuff at Counterpunch.

[DuctapeFatwa]

7. Kick because if you want to talk about Democrats & the war

you should read this first.

[bread_and_roses]

8. And again

because the article is well-worth reading, particularly for any anti-Iraq war supporters of any candidates.

[LWolf]

9. Perhaps we should send it over to GD?

I figured it would get moved because of the mention of candidates; but GD might be a better home.

[bread_and_roses]

10. Good idea

This forum is too focused on parsing the two letter difference between Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

[Aidoneus]

11. kick for a great piece

:kick:

[corporatewhore]

12. I dont want my father redeployed kick!!!