Worried By Obama's Picks? Support Anti-War Groups

'Tens of millions of Americans prayed for peace as they celebrated Thanksgiving Day, and they will do so many more times during the coming Holiday Season.

Even non-believers will acknowledge that prayer can be powerful - providing measures of solace, insight and inspiration.

But prayer is made meaningful when it is linked to action.

So how do we act upon a prayer for peace?

By acknowledging that, despite all the spin from the Bush administration and its Republican allies and the acquiescence of too many of members of the Democratic opposition, America remains mired in a pair of undeclared wars that continue to cost previous lives of young Americans soldiers and innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Fantasists will claim that the occupation of Iraq has become less horrific, yet the truth is that the death and destruction is merely less reported. Fifteen American soldiers have been killed so far this month. Thirty-three American soldiers have been severely wounded in recent weeks. For Iraqis, the toll is much higher: Hundreds dead, thousands of wounded each and every month. No wonder polling suggests that the one thing uniting Iraqis is a desire for the U.S. to withdraw its troops from that country.

It is now just as bad in Afghanistan, where circumstances have grown dramatically worse. The American death for the year has risen to more than 150 - three times the number for the entire first year of the occupation. Soldiers are being wounded at a rate that is becoming competitive with Iraq. And civilians are being killed and maimed in such numbers by U.S. bombing raids that Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Washington's man in Kabul, warns that battle for the hearts and minds of the Afghan people is being lost. This week, Karzai met with a United Nations Security Council to demand a timeline for the end of the foreign military intervention in his country.'

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/11/30-4

"Acknowledging" something, as the article states, is no more an action than prayer.

I'm pretty disappointed with the established peace movement. Protesting is step one but groups like UFPJ keep repeating step one over and over again instead of moving on to something that could actually end the war. The only group that seemed effective early on was ANSWER but UFPJ along with the religious peace groups did their best to marginalize and red-bait them out of the movement. UFPJ isn't doing the movement any favors as long as they marginalize those who propose any action that might accomplish something. Peace walks to St. Paul and protests aren't enough.

I do hear you though, too many great ones referencing inaction as a means to active resolution are marginalized in short order; or snookered into unplayable positions. Prayer is fine & dandy in some cases. For now I'm sticking with faith the solutions will begin to form from this nebulae

Honestly I think the best thing UFPJ can do for the movement is to disband and make room for new leadership who will move beyond steps one or two.

but if Obama decides its so, he's got his good reasons and whole lot smarter than the pack of us are.
I think he can control her warmongering well enough.

At this point, we do not know what Obama will do on Iraq - though I assume that he would have the type o summit that people like John Kerry and the VP elect, Joe Biden, have spoken of. If he does, he might have Biden and Jones - both more knowledgeable on Iraq - also involved. The very fact that Obama is committed to leaving has likely already changed the dynamics - just as Bush setting a deadline would have.

In terms of other countries - only the President can take the country to war.

The President has no rights under the Constitution to do so - despite what W and Cheney and the unitary executive crowd would have you believe.

order an invasion. Per the war powers act, he needs to go to Congress within 60 days. The Congress did not approve Vietnam before it happened. More recently, Bill Clinton did not have Congressional approval in the former Yugoslavia. (All preceeding the unitary President.) Congress can not start a war the President doesn't approve of -- and it is VERY difficult for Congress to stop a war the President wants. The closest Congress came to this was that in the late 1970s or early 1980s, the Boland amendment forbade the government from siding with the Contras and arming them - but they did it illegally. They also had the School of Americas involved there.

The constitution SPLITS the war powers between the President and the Congress. The President can declare war.

:patriot:

anything less would be unpatriotic. :hi:

"America has the only national anthem with bombs and rockets right in it!" suggesting that America has been founded upon war & revolution which is often beyond dispute (likely not your or my idea of revolution but someone's no doubt); and so Obama's task will be Herculean. Holding his feet to the fire on this topic is only proper.

I said that on DU around the 4th of July and people reamed me for it.

"When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you get a front row seat." Hm...

Maybe when we come to DU we get to stand on the stage :bounce:

:kick: