Beware the Liberal War on Terror

[TeeYiYi]

Beware the Liberal War on Terror
By Axis of Logic Exclusive
Jun 28, 2004, 16:19

Many people who oppose the war in Iraq are living under a dangerous illusion: that the war is the work of a cabal of fundamentalist Christians and Jewish neo-conservatives who have hijacked the government for their own purposes–that the war, in other words, represents not the policies of the core American Establishment but the zany doings of some interlopers.

There have been plenty of indications that this view is mere wishful thinking. The war in Iraq had resounding support at its inception from both Democratic and Republican politicians and the media. Only now that the situation in Iraq has dramatically deteriorated have some politicians and editorial writers begun to backpedal. Even so John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has continued to give the war vigorous support, calling for 40,000 more troops.

<snip>

Aristotle some 2400 years ago said that the tyrant declares war "to deny his subjects leisure and to impose on them the constant need for a leader." The war on terror is meant to serve the purpose for which wars have been waged by rulers from time immemorial. It is not mainly about oil or about projecting American power into the Middle East and Central Asia or supporting Israel, however important these goals may be to the elite. It's key purpose is more central.

The war on terror is the new strategy for elite domination of US society. It is their desperately-needed successor to the Cold War, which for fifty years legitimized government power and Pentagon budgets and held people in thrall to Mutually Assured Destruction. The war on terror is intended to strike fear in the hearts of Americans, so that they sacrifice liberty for security and mobilize behind their leaders to smite the foe wherever and whomever he may be. It is meant to justify the far-flung bases of Empire and to make Americans eager to sacrifice their sons and daughters and treasure in the noble cause. It is meant to turn an alienated and ever more unequal and undemocratic society towards unthinking, patriotic zeal. Most of all, it is meant to focus on carefully-selected foreign enemies the anger and revolutionary solidarity which should be focused on the enemies of democracy and peace here at home.

If it is the case that the war in Iraq is only one element in a broader elite strategy, the antiwar movement must have much more ambitious goals than just military disengagement from Iraq. It must challenge the rationale and motive force behind the Iraq war: the war on terror. Our goals must be to shut down the war on terror with mass popular action, dismantle the worldwide phalanx of US military bases, and bring about a day of reckoning for the war criminals responsible for these policies.

© Copyright 2004 by AxisofLogic.com http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_9668.shtml

TYY

[Jim Sagle]

1. Haw haw haw.

[papau]

2. We start with dedicated tax For Defense paid only by top 1/10 of 1%

If SS has dedicated payroll tax to remind the poor and middle class how costly we are, it only seems fair to have a dedicated annual wealth tax to remind the rich that the defense department budget that protects that wealth - and gives welfare to their corporations - is their problem.

[ixion]

3. this is the crux of the problem, to be sure

and one that many people 'Haw' off as ridiculous conspiracy theory, until it's too late, and then they backpedal, much the many of the RW editorialists are doing now.

However by then, it's too late.

[Catfight]

4. Interesting perspective. n/t

[Tsiyu]

5. Let's Start By Drafting Congress' Children? eom

[keta11]

6. Bravo and very well said!!

Until the punditry class gets laughed off the stage anytime they come to propose their ridiculous martial sound-bites on TV as solutions for foreign policy, be prepared for perpetual war.

Any administration, more so the Democrats, face the continuing prospect of being hounded by the righ-wing media and pundits to be tough on terrorism, Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, the Palestinians etc and the Democrats would gladly oblige them. See the Iraqi war resolution where most Democrats were cowed into voting for the war, and most Dems running for Congress in the mid-term said and had on their websites that they were with Bush on Defence and/ or supported Israel's right to defend itself.

A country that worships the military like we do, where a requirement for political leadership is prior military service, where former and current soldiers are treated like rock-stars, where a soldier who served 1 month as cook in the field is called and treated ike a hero, would easily use the military to advance policy.

A Kerry administration's foreign policies would not be radically different from what we are seeing under George Bush.

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

7. Argh!

"The war in Iraq had resounding support at its inception from both Democratic and Republican politicians and the media. Only now that the situation in Iraq has dramatically deteriorated have some politicians and editorial writers begun to backpedal"

WEAPONS
OF
MASS
DESTRUCTION

Al
QAEDA
LINKS
IN
IRAQ


NO
EXIT
STRATEGY


BOGUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lies that started the debacle were found out... NOT 'dramatically deteriorated'............

ARGH!

[Martin Eden]

8. This article is very hard on Bill Moyers.

You need to read the entire article:
http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_9668.shtml

I think some very valid points are made here, though I think it is somewhat unfair to Mr. Moyers and it gives short shrift to the efforts of the left (and Libertarians) to expose the militray/industrial complex and the permanent state of war for what they are -- tools for distracting, controlling, and ripping off the American people.

But I also think it is more complicated than this. Terrorism is real (remember 9/11?). Even if the planes that crashed into the WTC towers were chickens coming home to roost -- or even a government conspiracy -- we must deal with a real threat.

The author acts as if this threat doesn't exist, though I agree with him that military disengagement is a better solution. Unfortunately, until the American public comes around to this way of thinking, no Liberal politician has a chance in hell or Washington to win the presidency by advocating the dismantling of our military/industrial complex.

[TeeYiYi]

9. I agree . . .

. . . I didn't like the way this article handled Bill Moyers. He's one of the best investigative journalists out there. IMO

As for the rest . . . I thought there were some interesting ideas to consider.

TYY