Re: [Marxism] note from Cindy Sheehan

[Eli Stephens <elishastephens@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Cindy Sheehan: "The tiny Peace Movement that we do have in the US has always 
said that the US invasions and occupations of BOTH Iraq and Afghanistan are 
illegal and immoral and our troops should be brought home immediately and the 
US Empire should be reduced to a size that can be drowned in a bath tub. The 
"anti-war" movement was always very careful to make a distinction between Iraq 
(bad) and Afghanistan (justified) which to me was always a failure and bad 
reasoning that would eventually harm the integrity of the movement."

Being from San Francisco, Cindy should know better than to equate UfPJ with 
"the 'anti-war' movement." She knows very well that what she describes as the 
views of the "Peace Movement" are the views of the ANSWER Coalition (and 
others, of course), the same ANSWER Coalition which has been the primary 
organizer of antiwar demonstrations in San Francisco and a primary organizer of 
antiwar demonstrations nationally. For someone so outspoken, she seems 
remarkably timid about naming names in this piece of hers.

And, while it's perhaps mere semantics, I'd argue (and have argued on my blog) 
that her view of "peace" vs. "anti-war" is precisely backwards, as admirably 
illustrated by George Bush, the Israeli government, and imperialists 
everywhere, who always insist their invasions and occupations are motivated by 
a desire for "peace." "Peace" is the refuge of scoundrels, like calling for 
"negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinian people. War and occupation 
are the concrete reality, and if you oppose them, you have to oppose them, not 
issue abstract and meaningless calls for "peace."


Eli Stephens
 Left I on the News
 http://lefti.blogspot.com


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