Americans Ready For Iraq Withdrawl - But Are Progressives?

Antiwar.com
March 18, 2005

America's Ready for Withdrawal – but Are Progressives?
by Norman Solomon

President Bush just told reporters that he has no intention of setting any timetable for withdrawal. "Our troops will come home when Iraq is capable of defending herself," he said. Powerful pundits keep telling us that a swift pullout of U.S. troops would be irresponsible. And plenty of people have bought into that idea – including quite a few progressives. Such acceptance is part of what Martin Luther King Jr. called "the madness of militarism."

Sometimes, an unspoken assumption among progressive activists is that the occupation of Iraq must be tolerated for tactical reasons – while other issues, notably domestic ones, are more winnable on Capitol Hill. But this acceptance means going along with many of the devastating effects of a militarized society: from ravaged budgets for social programs to more authoritarian attitudes and violence in communities across the country.

This spring, as U.S. activists work to build a strong movement against the war, the need to pressure Congress is clear. What's less apparent is the need to also push – and, if necessary, confront – hesitant progressive organizations that are taking the easy way out by refusing to challenge the ongoing war.

Fortunately, some national organizations are providing forthright leadership to pursue the goal of getting U.S. troops out of Iraq. Those groups – including United for Peace & Justice, Progressive Democrats of America, Military Families Speak Out, TrueMajority, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Code Pink, Campus Antiwar Network, Veterans for Peace, Iraq Pledge of Resistance, American Friends Service Committee, Democracy Rising, and U.S. Labor Against the War, to name just a dozen – inspire as they organize.

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/solomon.php?articleid=5253

last night our forces are more police than army. I don't think pulling out of Iraq is going to put Iraq in any worse shape than it is already in.

Otherwise, why would it take so long for them to be able to handle their own country?????

continued presence in Iraq. Our presence isn't going to stop any civil war -- what are all the Iraqi casualties right now, if not a civil war?
Afraid that Saddam's Baathists will regain power? Would that be worse than Iranian-backed mullahs imposing a theocracy?

If Saddam was the reason for being there, the best thing we could have done, once there, would have been to begin the pullout the day after he was caught.

We didn't, which give the lie to the idea that it had anything to do with Saddam.

It's all about PNAC. Any progressive who isn't familiar with PNAC better educate himself, quickly.

Go to this link and click on your state to find out what anti-war activities are planned for this weekend. It's pretty comprehensive. If something isn't listed, send them an e-mail and they'll add it.

Click on the "Events By State" near the bottom of the webpage.


http://meetup.radicaldesigns.org/calendar_display.php?c...