New, MUST READ from Stan Goff - "The Democrats and Iraq"

[anarchy1999]

April 19, 2004

The New Line
The Democrats and Iraq
By STAN GOFF

"Failure to internationalize the conflict in Iraq has made America less safe and destroyed our credibility in the world."

I think I have that about right. This is a paraphrase of the official Democratic Party line on the war--the same war to which they assented when they were stampeded by their own craven opportunism into giving Dick Cheney and his ugly pet unlimited authority to attack Iraq.

So now both parties find themselves trapped in their own oh-so-special cul-de-sacs. The Republicans are stuck with an untenable military occupation and the Democrats are stuck with an idiotic critique. The Republicans can't speak about oil, and the Democrats can't speak about Zionism. So everyone is stuck with the same shitty end of the stick--reduced to talking in tongues to justify the bloody occupation of Iraq to an every more skeptical American polity.

snip:
.........American Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles bristle around Fallujah and Najaf--the latter established as a no-cross line by Ayatollah al-Sistani--and reconstruction crews are bailing like rats off a sinking ship. The Spaniards are leaving, Japan is on the brink of a political crisis, and there are hostages held from the United States, Denmark, Italy, Israel, France, the Czech Republic, and Japan.

The Sunnis and the Shias are forming tactical alliances, meaning GWB has accomplished something after all--he has re-awakened pan-Arab nationalism, and with that re-awakened the brooding peshmerga to the north and further north the Turkish army.

snip:
Everywhere any Democrat candidate shows up in public, we need to be dogging his or her footsteps and confronting them in front of the cameras with the very questions they least want to hear, as a way to go after sections of the Democratic Party base with a public-education effort.

http://www.counterpunch.org/

[Wetzelbill]

1. definitely Goff rocks

[anarchy1999]

2. "That's not lesser-evilism y'all" - Love it!

Questions to be asked:

"Questions about Palestine. Questions about the number of dead Iraqis. Questions about American war crimes. Questions about permanent military bases in Iraq. Questions about who exactly will make up any future UN force, when experts say it would take 500,000 troops to "pacify" Iraq. Questions about whether they will authorize more emergency funds to continue the war. Maybe even a question about whether a people have the right to expel invaders by force of arms if necessary.

That's not lesser-evilism y'all. This is about using their podium not to defeat a candidate, but to assist in the defeat of an empire."

[IrateCitizen]

3. Stan Goff is bridging the gap between activism and politics, IMHO

And it is VITALLY important work. I especially like his advice to follow elected representatives and candidates EVERYWHERE they go, in order to ask them the questions they don't want asked.

[anarchy1999]

4. I think this is one of the best essays Goff has written in several months!

n/t

Just excellent all the way through. Should be shared with Dems and independents and REPUBLICANS everywhere. Including FUNDIES!

[Minstrel Boy]

5. Somewhere, in a better world,

Stan Goff is President.

[anarchy1999]

6. We can wish can't we? I'd sure work for him!

I hope more people check in and read this today. It truly is a message to be heard and to be shared.

[mmonk]

7. By being for the war but critiqueing around the edges

this is an advantage for the republicans. The war will be the issue the dems passed over and lost with (my opinion).

[anarchy1999]

8. Kicking back up again.

n/t

[G_j]

9. lets try to keep this kicked

and pass it on.

[anarchy1999]

11. Thanks, I've had a time with it today.

I can't believe it isn't getting more attention............, but, hey, so much going on. Thanks for caring.

Classic Divide and Conquer, so much coming in from every direction that there is no focus. That is why I felt this article was important, brought everything for the Dems into focus, at least on foreign policy. Extremely well written and concise. And Stan Goff besides!

[KoKo]

14. It's a great article, thanks. Linked on a post today I checked it out. I

think it's not getting hits because it goes into many folks guts. Making them question all of our US policy today. It's a new thought and folks don't want to think "out of the box they are in" or debate that we need to withdraw everywhere. IMHO, anyway.

So, few replies or interest shown. People (even here) feel it's too controversial to discuss or would go into a flame war.

It needs to be discussed. Maybe some day out there it will be. But, thanks, it's an excellent read if one is trying to get to a solution which "hasn't been tried yet."

Remember we have "Cold Warriers" selling the same old goods even though they've been worn before and are really not fit to wear or go out in public in anymore. But, Bush has sold them as new goods something that we all should wear or be banned as "not patriotic."

(if you can get where I'm coming from being very nuanced here....:eyes:)

[G_j]

10. kick

:bounce::bounce:

[Karenina]

12. Calling it all out loud.

Works for me.

[otohara]

13. We're So Fucked For God Know's How Long

One of the smirkiest remarks Bush uttered to Woodward in his book - when asked how will history judge you and Smirk replied "I don't know, we'll all be dead".

Did his God Father tell him, go ahead - wage war, don't worry, be happy, you'll be dead soon anyway.

[anarchy1999]

18. We are not if we choose not to be!!!!!!!!!!!!

I refuse the Fundamentalist view of my life. I don't look forward to death and "their" apocalyptic view. I do not want it for my daughter and I do not want it for any generation beyond me. It is simply sick to believe in such. My good Muslim friend and all of his relatives have a much healthier view of life.

George and "his" father need a sabbatical!

[KoKo]

15. He trashes our one "Liberal Congressman," David Price here in NC, though.

Price actually answers his letters from his constituents and addressed our feelings about Iraq Invasion, unlike Edwards who sent form letters saying he supported going after Terrorists, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Price is very popular with his constituency which encompasses Chapel Hill and University of NC which is liberal for NC. He was my Congressman but we got redistricted. He spends alot of time at Town Hall meetings and cares about his voters.

I like him. I just saw him this weekend at our County Precinct Convention. He was a Divinity Student, back before the "fundies took over" in NC and I think his hearts in the right place.

Goff's criticizm of him may be warrented, if he's sending him videos of atrocities. But, Price's problem is that a state who had Lauch Faircloth and Jesse Helmes and now Liddy Dole as Senators, is a tough state to go exposing what Goff's video's show.

If Price had a Democratic House (he is a Congressman not a Senator) I think he would do some work on this. But, for a Congressman whose in a state with the likes of support (still there) for Helms, he doesn't have a chance of getting anything done, and would lose his job if he started trying to expose this.

I just can't get as angry with him as Goff does, because he's the only bright light here in NC in my area.

Goff has been very good for the "anti- war movement" here in NC. Because he's a vet folks will listen to him. Which is a help when your state gets so much money from the Govt. for military bases and we are losing the textile and tobacco industry.

How far do you go to reform when the whole thing needs to be reformed.

Does one Congressman take the fall when he has no support? :shrug:

[G_j]

16. I've heard good things about Price

but am not that familiar with him.
We end up dealing mostly with Charles Taylor (who certainly belongs on the list with Helms and Faircloth as a RWingnut)

Goff especially lets his outrage ring in this piece. Perhaps he's a bit hard on Price. All in all though, I find it refreshing. I just need to scratch the surface and I find I am more outraged than I have ever been in this lifetime. The media, the politicians, fellow citizens, we are embarked on a path to hell. We need to be raising our voices to the rafters and demanding answers.

[anarchy1999]

17. KoKo01, you have the answers.................

Did I just not hear that Edwards won in NC? Go with your heart. People do not listen to Stan Goff just because he is a vet. Because he is a vet though, he is able to speak truth to power and have many more hear the message.

"how far do you go....."

I think in his message, Stan Goff, suggested just how far we need to go.

www.counterpunch.org

[KoKo]

20. People are listening to Goff , here. He led the March 20th Peace March

in Fayetteville. I think he's respected because he IS a vet. What I meant was that in the article he's upset that David Price won't return his phone calls or look at his videos of war atrocities.

I was just trying to explain that Price is a good guy in a state where a liberal has a hard time of it. The article made Price out to be spineless and to Goff he may be, but to his constinuency in NC he's our only Progressive Democrat. I was just trying to tell you what I know about David Price to balance.

The article is great, and I agree with everything else Goff says. His disappointment with Price may be because of all our NC Senators and Congreespersons, Price would be the most sympathetic to Goff. And, that's why Goff is probably disappointed in him enough to mention him in the article. Because he expected more support from him.

[anarchy1999]

19. Back to the top.

Please everyone that clicks in, please read Stan's essay.

[EastofEdon]

21. KICK !