Breaking the War Mentality, by Barack Obama (1983)

[fried eggs]

Obama wrote an anti-war essay at 21 years old, which can be downloaded here (it's a PDF file):
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/nytint/docs/obama-s-1983-college-magazine-article/original.pdf

Am I the only person that didn't know about this? He wrote it while attending Columbia U, and it was published in the school's newspaper. It opens as a PDF file and takes a second to load.

[Little Star]

1. Bookmarked to read later. Thanks!

[iwishiwas]

2. It was a big deal during the campaign (rah rah stuff-vote for the

anti-war candidate)

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Tee-hee. I like the part where he praises the Greens.

And, that we have yet to learn the lesson.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. My favorite snippet:

>>>like countess American puppet dictators today>>>>>


Ahhh... youth.

[theaocp]

5. and didn't Newt introduce MMJ in the early 80s?

Kidz... :shrug:

[arcane1]

6. I never knew about it either

This should make an interesting read for later. Thanks!!

[Myrina]

7. ... apparently that was a different Barack Obama ...

... than the one who's currently sitting at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.


:shrug:

[treestar]

8. Most 21 year olds mature by the time they are 50.

So yeah, he is a different person.

[white_wolf]

10. Well if being "mature" means

selling out your principles, becoming a pawn of corporations and the rich, and betraying working people, than I hope I never become "mature" in your sense of the word or Obama's.

[treestar]

12. Being mature means being realistic

and able to get along with other people, even if their opinions differ. It generally means abandoning 21 year oldish concepts like "selling out." Yep, some of the hippies sold out and got jobs and got married - no more free love and getting high.

[fried eggs]

9. A lot of things changed in his life...

He went to law school, got married, had kids, etc.

[Zorra]

11. Does that translate into "he sold out his ideals for money"?

Many of us did similar things in our lives and yet still managed to maintain our integrity.

[fried eggs]

13. It could mean that he changed his mind

About a lot of things due to new life experiences.

Also, its quite a leap to say someone does not gave integrity when they disagree with you.

[white_wolf]

14. I guess his new life experiences

made him decide war is good.

[Zorra]

15. No, disagreement is fine with me. I welcome it, and often learn from it.

But I draw the line in assessing character when people hurt other people, directly or indirectly, for reasons that are suspect and/or unjustifiable.