Lebron James and the Antiwar Left
Lebron James, the world famous professional basketball player admired by many millions around the world as a role model has endorsed Hillary Clinton for President. In doing so, James has aligned himself with a de facto war criminal whose actions have caused the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent people, including thousands of children, and the displacement of millions from their homes. He is endorsing someone who has and will commit crimes against humanity. Someone who should be in prison, not about to become the next President of the United States Empire. She will continue the imperialist wars and drive for world hegemony administered by the previous four administrations, will escalate the illegal U.S. war in Syria and could very well start wars with Russia and China. She and those that back her, such as the neocons, want nothing less than regime changes in Iran and Russia. She wants Putin gone and she's going to try to use Syria, like Carter and Reagan used Afghanistan with the Soviet Union, to bog Russia down in a war causing unrest at home. Many more innocent people will be hurt and it's not to keep us safe or for our freedumbs. It's for Greed and Power Lebron, and that's what you're all about.
That's what Lebron James is endorsing. He is endorsing more war and more killing of innocent children for the ruling class of which he has become. James is a hypocrite of the highest order, another soon to be billionaire pretending to be a man of the people while making his money off the backs and at the detriment of the very people he professes to care about.
We can't let them play both sides.
Which brings me to the antiwar left, or what's left of the antiwar left. It occurred to me that anyone that votes for Hillary Clinton for President cannot legitimately called themselves antiwar anything. In fact, anyone that votes for Hillary Clinton will be an accessory to the wars and murders that Clinton will wage and commit. The information regarding what Clinton has done and what she says she will do is unequivocal. It is irresponsible to not understand that before deciding whether to vote for her for President. The stakes are too high now, the impacts too great.
A child is a child, when are Americans going to get it thru their fucking heads.
The same goes voting for Trump. Trump indicates a less adversarial approach to imperialism but make no mistake, his stances on the War OF Terror, Iran, and the United States military, intelligence and homeland security complex will also produce more war and more killing. Anyone voting for Trump will also have blood on their hands.
So really anyone voting for Clinton or Trump cannot be considered part of the antiwar left by virtue of their support for war and killing. They are not only not antiwar, but they are accessories to the war and killing of the cretins they voted for.
That leaves those from the left that vote for Jill Stein or don't vote at all as eligible for the antiwar left, assuming they are antiwar. We know we can exclude Lebron James and all those who vote for Clinton or Trump, they are FOR WAR, not antiwar. Daily Kos and many other so called progressive and left blogs and organizations are FOR WAR. In my book, being FOR WAR means they are WARMONGERS.
Hey, let's just say it like it is man.
Last election, Stein got around 440,000 total votes. Not a large amount but something to work with particularly combined with those that didn't vote for President who are antiwar. There are a lot of people who don't vote. This time around, she may get a couple million people to vote for her. Clearly the antiwar left is growing. It's not enough to fill the streets but it's enough to raise some hell.
Which brings us to Hillary Clinton. The antiwar left needs to activate NOW. We need to raise some hell. There is an urgent need to try to stop our government from escalating its war in Syria and possibly instigating a war with Russia. The Asian pivot is going to take a turn for the worse as well. The end game of the New World Orderists is upon us and we need to save the fucking world. These crazy bastards have to be stopped and that starts with our new President, Hillary Clinton.
We'll not only be fighting against our own government, but those that supported and endorsed Hillary Clinton. People like Lebron James. People like the George Clooney. People like those on Daily Kos who want blood on their hands so bad they can taste it. They're not going to oppose Clinton escalating the war in Syria, threatening Russia and China, belligerently showing she has the "balls" to do what it takes to keep Amerika as the supremo superpower, the indispensable nation, the global Force for GOOD!! How can they? They supported and endorsed her!!
We won't be big in number, but we'll be true. That's the Antiwar Left as it stands. It's a you're with us or against us thing.
Comments
Wonderful diary. Can't add or subtract one word. Hope a lot
of people read what you've written.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Thanks duckpin.
A strange confluence for the antiwar people relative to another Democratic president taking office and so many who profess to be against war voting for her. It's not like in 2003 and Iraq when we had a republican president in Bush.
Makes it even harder.
You're welcome & thanks again for the diary. Obama/Bush wars
are horrible in and of themselves - sometimes those killed outright are the lucky ones with the maimed and displaced and dispossessed facing ruined lives of misery.
It's also true that warfare, and the production of war materiel, is very polluting which is a toxic load the earth in its present condition cannot bear.
Clinton and the neocons and neoliberals are an existential threat to the survival of a habitable planet, in the opinion of many.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Me too, Al.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
Anti-war movements
Those of us in our now disbanded Peace vigil did not always agree on everything, but the one thing we universally agreed upon is that there will never be a major anti-war movement in this country until there is a universal draft. The wars are too far away and too removed from most Americans' lives for people who are just trying to survive to really care. I wrote about our personal disconnect from these wars in this essay.
Maybe it was just the people I talked with while doing the Peace vigils, but I found that anti-warism is a very difficult sell based upon moral grounds. Most people have been conditioned to fearing terrorism, despite the fact that the odds of being killed by a terrorist are miniscule. Our propagandist media has sold the public on the othering of people living in lands where we are bombing and killing their populations by the thousands. And most have no idea of just how many civilians just like them have been killed in these wars of choice.
The only thing that seemed to sell was telling people just how much these wars are costing us. Most had no idea of just how high a price these wars have. When we would tell them, nearly every one of them was shocked.
I desperately want these wars to end, but if we are looking at public outcry to do so, I am afraid the draft with no exceptions is the only way to rally the masses. For the record, Don who was one of my Peace vigil buddies was drafted right out of medical school during the Korean War. No deferment for even a medical school student back in the fifties.
Edit to add: Excellent essay, Al. You have been on fire lately!
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
But the universal draft is a tool of universal war.
I agree, it makes dissent more likely...but it also enables the thing we dissent against.There were plenty of "wars of choice" while we had the draft. There ought to be another way to make people aware, and care about what is being done in their names.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
It is a terrible conundrum
It is a horrible thing, but people need to wake up about these wars and how damaging they are to our security and to our fiscal well being. The problem I found when I wrote the essay referenced above is how few people actually know someone who is in the service or has served. With that it becomes someone else's problem. I knew by posting this, it would be controversial, but like Al has said, it is simply a tool.
And of course, my opinion has been mostly formed anecdotally from 4 and a half years of being involved in a small local Peace vigil.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
I didn't really want to make it into a controversy, gg
It is an oft-cited observation that the end of the draft has increased the problem of the general public not caring about the wars. And bringing it back seems like a simple solution. I don't disagree with you...I just hope we can find a better way.
EDIT: like the one below! Not simple, but comprehensive.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
But is it fiscally damaging?
Sure, I agree.
But try telling that to a community with a defense plant. You'd have a hard sell.
Thing is, the government has to spend money to put money into our communities for our fiscal health. The economy has done better during wars because that's when the government spends.
So the right thing to do is to cut the military by huge amounts - and then spend that money on other things. And retrain military workers for other jobs.
But when does the government do the right thing? If they cut back the military and then adopt austerity policies, reduce the debt and deficit, we'll go into an extremely severe recession. The pols would then point to that and say, "See? We need wars!"
They could use that money for a guaranteed basic income for everyone. But again, a hard sell in our current political world. Can't reward the "takers".
We do need to make these changes. But we have a long, long road to convince people to allow such changes.
Maybe Jill will get a surprisingly large amount of votes. That'll be a start, if third parties actually threaten the establishment.
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End empire, end war.
Simple as that. War is the tool of empire, which is the tool of concentrated wealth. This has always been the case: ancient Athens, ancient Rome, Great Britain from the 17th to the 20th century, and, since 1898, the US.
There will not be an end to endless war until there is an end to concentrated wealth. Until that day comes, we must do whatever we can to 'put our bodies on the gears' and create obstacle to war. The draft is unquestionably one such obstacle. One of the primary reasons for the powerful and vocal antiwar movement of the '60s in the US was the draft: all those young college-age men knew they could be drafted to go fight an insane war for insane reasons, and they opposed it - because they had skin in the game. The immanent danger heightened the awareness of a generation, and provided a spur to development of political consciousness.
GulfGal is right. Having a draft is better than having a professional military. The transition of Rome from Republic to Empire was accompanied by professionalization of the military. So was the transition of Western European states to empire accompanied by the same professionalization. And so was the transition of the US from the thankfully debilitating "Vietnam syndrome" to the current condition of constant war (since 1989).
Professionalization of the military makes war-fighting "somebody else's problem", and so war itself becomes somebody else's problem -- mainly the problem of the poor, who are invariably the ones drawn to the military - by design - as a consequence of their lack of opportunities in the normal economy.
and again, I would point out that the draft,
and standing armies in general, is one of the things that make Empire possible. But I agree, as a temporary expedient, it would jam up the gears somewhat.
And better yet is not having a standing army.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
Agree!
No standing army is the right idea: no MIC either, which of course exists only to support the army. The Founders of our nation understood that standing armies were a threat to liberty - that's why, among other provisions (like the requirement that the warmaking power be vested in the hands of the Congress, not the Prez), they deliberately did NOT provide for the creation of a standing army (though they did make a navy and a post-office). So why have we forgotten?
A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty. The means of defence against foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. Among the Romans it was a standing maxim to excite a war, whenever a revolt was apprehended. Throughout all Europe, the armies kept up under the pretext of defending, have enslaved the people. --James Madison, Philadelphia, 1787
I disagree. It is a very common myth, based on nothing more than
an assumption that those opposing and resisting the draft did so only because "they had skin in the game". Huge numbers of them, in fact, did not, but turned out and protested, sat-in, got arrested, etc. etc. etc. Renewing the draft will simply facilitate more and broader wars. During the Bush years (iirc) one of our military types complained that we ere stretched too thin and that another flare-up would be beyond our ability to contest it militarily. That could never happen under a draft, they would just draft all the additional bodies that they needed.
It must be remembered that when we had a draft, very few who were drafted refused to go. Very few fled the country, either pre-emptively or as "draft dodgers". Meanwhile the banks of the protesters included many who were over age, the wrong gender, 4-F, COs, gay or otherwise "morally unacceptable", etc.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
I see no evidence for your argument
It is possible that it is a myth: I would be very interested to see any evidence that what you say is true. But you have not provided any here. There is, on the other hand, a great deal of evidence to support my argument, starting with the testimony of (then) young men who involved themselves in the antiwar movement, and who spoke and wrote about the connection. We also know from testimony of young men at the time that they planned their lives to some extent around the fact of the draft during the war - e.g. going to graduate school right after college (deferment) or getting married and having children at an earlier age.
You say "when we had a draft, very few refused to go (etc)". But they did refuse - and in greater numbers than you seem to think. See the film noted above (Sir, No Sir!) for other documentation of resistance. The draft during wartime has often produced resistance in the US: in Civil War (NYC draft riots), in WWI, in Vietnam particularly. Professional army? Not so much (though not entirely absent).
You're both missing something big
I joined the 60s protest movement because at 18, I could not vote. I could not sign a legal contract . I couldn't drink alcohol or smoke.
I was a child. With no rights whatsoever.
But the government could rip me from my home, stick a gun in my hands, and force me to kill yellow men.
The draft, at that time, broke the laws of the Geneva Convention. We were arming and sending children to war.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Did many of your peers share the same concern?
Right. 21 was the age of majority. I am aware that growing numbers of high-school-age students, as well as college-age. protested the war at the end of the decade and into the '70s. And I believe the average age of American soldiers in Vietnam was 19. Was the reasoning you just noted a commonplace one at the time among your peers, or was it unique to you?
Wasn't widespread
Most of my friends felt the same. Was a different time in So Cali.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
I was in the anti-war and anti-draft movements and
helped to organize many activities including the Oakland stop the draft week. As a percentage, refuseniks, who wound up going to jail after receipt of an induction notice were not at all that common. Even among "anti-war" advocates, few chose to go to jail when drafted. I both witnessed this, and, of course, discussed it at length with my peers.
Not only were many persons past draft age and persons who were 4F, female, or gay, participants in the anti-war and anti-draft movements, as well as those legitimately able to claim to be conscientious objectors, many who were subject to the draft did not oppose the war for that reason, but because of a conviction that the war had to be stopped. Much of the stop the draft movement was based on a determination that cutting off the supply of cannon fodder would impede the war effort.
There were many who opposed Viet Nam and the draft who were not pacifists or opposed to all wars. The selective service, in fact, had to make that one of the focal points of of their hearing processes, that one had to be opposed to all wars, and, in fact, all violence, such as even self defence or defending one's family against direct armed attack in order to qualify as a conscientious objector, and a great many persons failed that hurdle, being unable to honestly make such a claim, who were opposed to 'Nam simply because that specific war was so wrong and immoral.
I have no idea how common and frequent fragging was, but I have met a great many vets, and none of them were involved in such actions or were present when they occurred. I suspect they were not everyday occurrences, but I do not know. And, yes many did plan their life around the draft, college, grad school, early marriage, and another biggie, working in critical defence industries and research. These persons, by and large, were not, in my experience, a significant percentage of the anti-war and anti-draft movements however, especially those who sought careers in defence industries.
I personally, never met a single person who said they opposed the draft solely or even primarily because there was a risk that they might get drafted, nor any who opposed the war because they might have to go.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
A deep bow to your experience and activism
And thanks for responding. I have to respect your report on this, as you were there to witness it first hand. But I did not mean to imply that people opposed the war merely, much less only, because they feared to be drafted. My claim was that principled opposition to the war was energized by the knowledge that one might be drafted in service of a cause that was unjust. Nor, were this so, would it be at all surprising that antiwar activists would couch their activism as a matter of principle (the war is wrong) rather than a matter of personal interest (I don't want to go to war) - given, as you note, that many people did not oppose all war; but also given the likelihood they would be branded traitors and cowards if they made the connection explicit - as SNCC did in January 1966.
Your memory of the events, however, suggests the primary cause of the antiwar movement, ab origine, was something more like a selfless commitment to principle. I do confess: though I have been searching through my sources frantically looking for direct evidence of my claim, I can find none (Gitlin, Oglesby, Ayers, David Gilbert, Mark Rudd for starters). None rejects it either - they simply do not mention it, but focus in every instance on the principle.
Clearly, the principle of the thing is what people remember and/or choose to write about the root of their opposition to the war. Yet memory is not an unimpeachable source; and I remain skeptical that's all there was to it. SDS membership grew from 2500 to 10,000 between Dec 1964 and October 1965. Two years of selfless civil rights activism yielded 2500 members; but in the 10 months after LBJ committed the marines to the war, membership grew by 7500. It grew still more rapidly after: to 200,000 (by Gitlin's estimate, IIRC) by 1968. Was that just from commitment to principle alone? Why should youthful idealism have been so potent then, yet so much in abeyance since? Are the wars we have been fighting ceaselessly since 1989 any less unjust, less immoral, or less criminal than was the war in Vietnam? (I am not demanding answers, only trying to justify my skepticism.)
What happened to the inclusion of women in selective service?
I am in full disconnect, being way too old to be anything but a mind. A draft would be able to draft women as well as men?
The big conundrum for me is the need to fight back (anti-war) as active fighting, somehow. Peace vigils still happen here, I always wave while passing. Time to go to monkeywrenching? Did not work out well for the pipeline protestors.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Only has a tool to use for trying to stop war, I agree.
Ending the all volunteer military force would be a start, force them to conscript people for their damn wars and they're going to get pushback. But much more is needed.
Thanks gg.
typo?
Only [h]as a tool to use... ?
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
Well, ya I meant as a tool. Like something we can use
to help spur some antiwar action. Like others have said, we've had the draft before and that didn't stop them. But reenacting it might help get more people involved in opposing imperialist wars and regime changes. I don't know how it could be done now though.
I would point to the 600+ incidents of fragging in Vietnam
that the military brass was unable to cover up as a strong reason for ending the draft. When conscripts were put into situations against their will where they were apt to be killed or maimed, many eliminated the officer in charge and/or the top ranked NCO.
I think the Pentagon got the message from its officer class and either supported, or didn't protest, the end of the draft. It's OK for drafted young men to be killed; but, when they - the GI's - took action against the officers, that was too much.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
good point.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
This is one of the big untold stories of the Vietnam War
Highly recommend the film Sir, No Sir! to anyone who has any interest in the Vietnam War. Documents the great uprising of the rank and file soldiers both in Vietnam and here at home. It wasn't just a mater of 'fragging': men were writing underground anti-war newspapers, hanging out at anti-war coffeeshops and reading anti-war literature. Entire units were going on strike.
The film offers a compelling argument that the resistance was so widespread, the top brass was telling the Prez that the war had to end - because they could not fight it.
Here's a question related to the exchange upthread: this resistance developed in a military whose rank and file soldiers were largely drafted into service. Would this resistance have been likely to happen in a professional military? I don't know, but I am skeptical.
No, it would not.
I was in the "professional military", and such resistance would not have been successful, then. It has grown into something even stronger in the intervening three decades, though, and such resistance would be almost unthinkable, now. It's like a cult.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
" It's like a cult."
Now that is very interesting - and also like the Roman case, as I understand.
I was at the Air Force Academy near the
very beginning of the massive infiltration of influence from the "Christian Right" groups. I witnessed some of the effects of that, during the Gulf War (military members illegally importing Bibles for distribution into Saudi Arabia...some of them in my own squadron). The military/religious pairing has become more pervasive, over time, and some people I know have the same glee in anticipation of Armaggedon that ISIS members do.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
So the military was where you learned to pilot?
A common entry route, paid for by taxpayers. My son went to an aeronautical university (ERAU) and could not afford to learn to fly. He learned to fix the birds. Still works in a hangar, but not fixing engines now.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
"Sir, No Sir" tells of serious mutiny among US army in Vietnam
Must-see film about a chronicle of Vietnam War history never talked about, just how deep and widespread this dissent was, as solublefish explains.
Immediately takes me to another story, that of Pat Tillman, the popular football player who was killed by his own troops, not enemy combatants, in Afghanistan. US military at the highest levels were complicit in a coverup because they needed his death to create a poster boy for their criminal, murderous war. He went in another gung ho, "patriotic" guy stung by 9/11, and before his death was communicating with Noam Chomsky and becoming an anti-war dissenter. So disgusting. The family showed great strength, courage and dignity fighting this all the way to the top and not backing down.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
I completely disagree with
I completely disagree with this. I can not support sending anyone to a war that does not want to engage in war. IF people want to risk their lives for some future payoff by volunteering, that's their choice not mine. IM not about to force people into fighting in a war just to force their support ( to keep themselves from being in war) in having a larger or more vocal protest against war.
Edit- I don't think I placed this comment correctly in the thread, I am disagreeing with bringing back the draft.
Americans Are Sick of War
This article is from 2014 but I doubt the polls have gotten better.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/05/polls-americans-sick-war-terror-w...
Yet Obomba keeps carpet bombing -- apparently believing he will stamp out evil during his term. Or maybe something more sinister is going on (hint hint MIC-Love, War for Profit$).
Sad fact is the govt no longer serves the wishes of the people. Yet the dumbasses keep voting for the duopoly parties that bring us the wars.
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
Anecdotally, I believe this is true
Based upon the last four and a half years that I was active in a local Peace vigil, I believe that Americans are sick of war. When I talked with two of the original members from 13 and half years ago, this was confirmed to me. When the Peace vigil was first organized right after the start of the Iraq War, most citizens were very hostile to them.
In the last four and a half years that I was involved, we experienced very little negative reactions from the public and a lot of positive support. People would tell us that we needed to end the wars and work on problems at home. But the problem was that the positive public support never translated into activism though we tried to recruit people to join us. It was only one hour a week, each Saturday between noon and one. Of all the people who stopped, I was the only person who actually joined the Peace vigil after stopping to talk to them.
Sadly, we disbanded in June this year after getting down to just three members, one of whom developed health problems and could no longer participate. I was willing to continue, but Don the other remaining member at 87 years of age felt it was time to stop.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Totally agree with this. There is one other thing that
would also help that is feasible: put all foreign military intervention under the U.N. Preventing genocide is the common interest of humanity that should not be managed by any super power.
The Kellogg-Briand pact, signed by the USA, is still in effect.
No one wants to mention it these days but it's very specific and is similar to what you are suggesting.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Great reminder. n/t
Strong essay, Big Al.
One of your best.
"Just call me Hillbilly Dem(exit)."
-H/T to Wavey Davey
"We Are Many"...still showing in UK/not where we need it: HERE!
and F crybaby Labron, who whined and dissed when Stef Curry got the first-ever unanimous nomination as NBA's MVP...reminds me of my favorite protest sign from the 2003 Peace march in San Francisco, "But Daddy, I want my OWN war!"
Thank you Big Al, yes it's time to scream from the rooftops: Rid the world of Do Nothing But War and Power mongers!
Movie stars, rock stars, champion athletes,
all dressed up in designer clothes, living in great mansions, being sexy role models, parading themselves around with beefy bodyguards... posing for omnipresent cameras, signing autographs, displaying their money and their status like badges of honor....
Ah yes, here we have America's true Heroes. Beloved objects of universal admiration and envy, the cream of the crop. Of course they're all lining up behind Hillary! Thereby signaling to their legions of adoring fans just how liberal they really are. How concerned they really are, about matters of social justice. Hey, they're not only successful and rich, but compassionate, and patriotic too! They're With Her alright, no doubt about it. No way are these fine folks ever gonna be deplorable.
native
America has now dropped 20,000 bombs on Syria
Quite a milestone.
Jimmy talks about how when Obama asked congress for permission to bomb Syria a couple years ago, congress wouldn't approve it. Likely due to overwhelming public disgust with these endless pointless wars. So after that Obomba smartened up and just started bombing anyway -- without asking.
No more need for those pesky AUMF votes. Congressional approval to start a war is so 1900s. You Anti-War-Vaxxers are so out of touch. /s
PS. Always seems to be plenty of money to carpet bomb the world. But no money for US social programs. That will continue in spades under Hellery.
#JillNotHill
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
Syria is closest to the size of Washington state,
the state I live in. Imagine that level of destruction happening here. That's after they bombed Libya for seven straight months under the guise of a No Fly Zone. And Killary wants another one of those in Syria.
I read an article last night about how we need to put aside differences on who is responsible for what and save the Syrian people. Had a good point. That war is over five years old now.
Hellery may leave more graves in her wake
than any prior president. And that will be quite a feat considering in Iraq war (W's war) alone there are estimates of a million civilians dead.
Lots of money to be made with wars and The Billarys is going to come out of this presidency as Billionaires (my prediction).
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
They may already BE billionaires.
I want them to have to live on Social Security wages. And be nowhere near the WH.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Way to really twist the screw...
That picture of Kerry really drives the point home, doesn't it? A principled critic of the Vietnam War who helped moderate Winter Soldier - now a willing tool of empire. This perhaps says as much about the collective conscience of the 'liberal' US as it does about Kerry.
I remember very well his 2004 campaign, when he faced the Swift Boaters *not* by standing proudly on his record and making it a teachable moment, but by distancing himself from his own past. That moment, I lost whatever small shred of hope I ever entertained of Kerry as a candidate.
Why should I vote for a man who is willing to betray even *himself* for the sake of power?
Maybe those 20,000 bombs are part of the way to
Spark an anti-war movement. Gulf gal says the cost of the wars shocked people. But when you say the whole number, it is so big that I think people have trouble grasping it. I think it comes across differently when you say we have dropped 20,000 bombs at a cost of 1million dollars each on a country the size of Washington just in last 5 years. Follow that with a question such as, "How many teachers would that pay." How many peoples' cancer treatment would that cover?"
Then number of bombs on another country and ask how many budget housing units would that pay for? Or how many unsafe bridges would that fix?
You could make a very effective brochure with that sort of thing I would think. People can do that math in their heads. And I suspect it is the sort of thing they will remember and think about at odd moments such as when driving on potholed roads, etc.
We have to make them think to begin to make an impact.
It might even be possible to get the pertinent question on a t-shirt.
Cost of ME wars is up to $160K per US household
gjohnsit had that in a recent essay IIRC.
I like to ask friends how they want to pay their share -- cash or charge.
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
Everything old is new again
Sorry if this would fit better in one of the open threads, but it seems appropriate as a reminder.
[video: https://youtu.be/V6tN3hLXEP8]
Now interviewing signature candidates. Apply within.
I'm anti-war left and holding my nose.
But I agree that I'll in a small way be responsible for every bad thing Hillary Clinton does as president. You are right to critique and hold me and all people who will vote for her accountable. And if you want to tell me I'm not anti-war left, I will disagree.
I've stated my reasons for my vote before and won't do it again here. I don't feel good about it but believe it is the responsible vote for me in this election.
Celebrity longtime Clinton supporters have little to do with Bernie supporters, celebrity or otherwise, who are holding their nose, but their singular act of voting will hold each equally responsible for every bad thing Clinton will do.
Thanks for the comment.
After she's elected, let's work together to keep her from doing bad things. I hope you understand where I'm coming from. I think in order to stop these wars we've got to take ownership as citizens. We talked about a draft above relative to that but in this case it's citizens taking some responsibility for the people they elect to govern this country.
Thank you for an excellent essay and
thank you for your gracious reply to my comment. I hate this situation for many reasons, the one you pointed out being at the top of the list. It is heart-breaking. But my anguish is nothing like the anguish of a family who loses someone in one of these wars that Democrat and Republican tools of the MIC cause.
I do look forward to working together in solidarity. But your loud voice of conscience is vital now. All Stein voters, minor left third party voters, and non-voters such as non-voting anarchists who raise their voices of dissent now have my full respect. And I hope they will forgive me, as I hate what I'm doing too.
Don't disagree with a single word.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Yo Lebron
I think I might be able to dunk over you now.
inactive account
Claiming to be anti-war while voting for war
Is like saying you're against rape while supplying Bill Cosby with Quaalude.
And we have heard too many allusions to rape this year.
I am sick and tired of the show, as I suspect we are all. Stein for me, protest vote and I will take a pic of my marked ballot as I hope we all do. Tote up pix vs. reported vote totals.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.