'What Happened to the Anti-War Movement?'

[ellenrr]

Not sure I agree with the conclusion - what does anyone think?

"Evaluating surveys of more than 5,300 anti-war protestors from 2007 to 2009, the researchers discovered that the many protestors who self-identified as Democrats “withdrew from anti-war protests when the Democratic Party achieved electoral success” in the 2008 presidential election.

Had there been legitimate reason to conclude that Obama's presidency was synonymous with the anti-war cause, this withdrawal might have been understandable. But that's not what happened - the withdrawal occurred even as Obama was escalating the war in Afghanistan and intensifying drone wars in places like Pakistan and Yemen.

The researchers thus conclude that during the Bush years, many Democrats were not necessarily motivated to participate in the anti-war movement because they oppose militarism and war—they were instead “motivated to participate by anti-Republican sentiments.”

http://inthesetimes.com/article/15565/what_happened_to_the_anti_war_movement/

[JI7]

1. it was Iraq, i don't think AFghanistan got much protests

[delrem]

2. First rec!!!

This isn't a new problem. Even when anti-war anti-nuke protests spanned half a million easy and were an awesome thing to participate in, there was still a problem w.r.t. a disconnect between protesters and whatever admin.

These protests were blatantly, in your face ignored. Nor did they leave behind much of a legacy superstructure that could serve as a model for something that actually *worked*.

One big spanner in the works is the D vs R bullshit, covering for the fact that neither party has to date provided anything close to an answer for the people.

[ellenrr]

3. good point- no structure- no follow-up. Imagine if we could now call

upon those millions who opposed Iraq.

Last night I talked to passersby outside of an antiwar rally and found:
the vast majority - of those who stopped to chat - were anti-war.
some were concerned about "the man who would gas his own people" - which is understandable.
People were angry and frustrated, and the most they could imagine was writing to their congress-member. Which is a good start.

I would have liked to have been able to offer them something more - eg, a house party where we could continue the discussion. Maybe that is a plan for next time.

[delrem]

6. Perhaps the problem is that these rallies are sparked by effects, not causes.

So the focus is on effects.

What I have in my mind w.r.t. "protest rallies" is that by their nature they're asking an overlord to respond positively, even though there's no indication that the overlord gives a flying flounder. The overlord will not acquiesce, except rhetorically. "I'm happy to have that debate" isn't new on the political scene.

The *point* should be eliminating overlords who don't listen, NOT waiting on the douchebags to stop lying.

[ellenrr]

10. totally agree, altho I still go-

I go bec. I like to be among my comrades, and bec. I feel like I have to do something. And just putting my body out there is something. And bec. I feel like talking to non-activists is useful. It would be more useful if thousands of people did it.

but I agree - a protest is an underlying assumption that we live in a democracy, that the power that be will acquies to our demands, or at least be responsive to them, even tho facts show this is not true.

for ex, millions ag. war in Iraq - majority is pro-choice, etc.

[JI7]

4. there are actually more people opposing involvement in Syria than

there were against the Iraq War. and this is without as much protests, especially organized as back then.

[delrem]

8. Well, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, might've given a few americans a clue.

[SoCalDem]

5. No wacky Bush in the WH, and no draft

Afghanistan is winding down, and people probably thought there was not longer a need ..

[delrem]

7. No draft (critical importance) and no US deaths, and no US casualties either.

That's the promise of the US's war machinery. A 100% total bubble.

How can one NOT get behind that, when it gives everyone a chance to be a hero. It gives everyone a chance to feel a Captain America rush.

[ellenrr]

12. this is a big problem. the tide turned ag. Vietnam war when

middle-class parents saw their children come home in bodybags.

no more body bags (well, plenty for others, not for Americans) - so no self-interest in stopping war.

now we just have some kid in Arizona who thinks he's playing a video game, pushing a button.

But still I found in my experience last nite among the average Americans, people are very concerned, most don't want war - they don't know what to do.

[Kolesar]

9. Why isn't there a "quit funding the aerospace industry" movement?

Congress still funds way too many programs that don't "protect America", like the F-35. There is an antinuke organization called Ploughshares, but even their Facebook postings are lame.

[grahamhgreen]

11. Yes, although the majority of Americans are anti-war

[MrScorpio]

13. The last real anti-war movement ('60's - '70's) was actually an anti-draft movement

When they killed the draft, the anti-war movement dried up and blew away.

Today, since we've been in a constant state of war for the past 12 years, no one really cares.

No surprise about the apathy here.

[Javaman]

14. The Viet Nam anti war movement started long before the draft...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opposition_to_the_U.S._involvement_in_the_Vietnam_War

Also, demographically speaking, we are an older nation. The younger the median age is in a nation the more likely there will be protests.