[Sosfbay-discuss] Nader: Why the Current Antiwar Movement is So Impotent

[JamBoi]

Why the Current Antiwar Movement is So Impotent

By Ralph Nader
Common Dreams, May 19, 2007
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/05/19/1313/


The current issue of the UTNE Reader (May - June
‘07) carried a short but sensibly provocative
article protesting the stagnation and the
cul-de-sac nature of street protests that involve
nonviolent civil disobedience.Joseph Hart, the
author, asks why the current antiwar movement is
so impotent, despite “a staggering 67 percent
disapproval of President Bush’s handling of the
war - a level that matches public sentiment at
the tail end of the Vietnam War, when street
protests, rallies, and student strikes were daily
occurrences.”

He believes it is because, quoting Jack DuVall,
president of the International Center on
Nonviolent Conflict, that “a street demonstration
is only one form of protest and protest is only
one tactic that can be used in a campaign. If
it’s not a part of a dedicated strategy to change
policy, or to change power, protest is only a
form of political exhibitionism.”

Both gentlemen are being incomplete. Even without
a military draft in place to arouse a larger
public, the protestors against the Iraq war have
affected the 2006 elections, performed sit-ins in
Congressional offices, filed lawsuits against
Bush’s violations of people’s civil liberties,
brought Iraqi spokespeople to meet with
influential Americans, worked with Iraq veterans
against the war as well as with numerous former
high ranking military, diplomatic and
intelligence officials now retired from service
in both Republican and Democratic Administrations
who openly opposed the invasion at the outset.

Clearly all this has not been enough to move the
Democrats to decisive action.

The obstinate, messianic militarist in the White
House remains unmoved. With his ignorance of
history itself becoming historic, this latter day
obsessively compulsed, King George thinks he’s a
21st century Winston Churchill.

Through the wide arc of his persistent
lawlessness, Mr. Bush has done the country much
damage here and abroad. But he has also
demonstrated how variously the rule of law can be
swept aside with impunity. He is both outside and
above the Constitution, federal statutes,
international treaties to which the U.S. is
solemn signatory, and the restraints of the
Congress and the federal courts.

A major restructuring of our laws to embrace the
outlaw Presidency under Mr. Bush, or any
like-minded successors, now has a solid empirical
basis from which to move forward. Presidential
outlawry did not start with Mr. Bush. It has been
building up for a long time going from the
episodic to institutionalized forms.

For example, it is now routine for the courts to
opt out of giving any citizen, group or member of
Congress legal standing on matters of foreign and
military policy even to plead their cases against
the President. Here the courtroom door is closed.

For Mr. Bush, what would be repeated criminal
negligence by anyone else, there has been
immunity from lawsuits by families of soldiers -
and there were hundreds of them - who died
because they were not provided with body and
Humvee armor over three years of more in Iraq.
Immunity even from equitable lawsuits seeking a
mandamus for obligated action ignored by the
President.

The Bush officials had the funds with which to
procure these shields but somehow the
Halliburtons got more of their urgent attention.

Clearly, the diverse opposition to Bush’s war
needs to move to higher levels. More meticulous
lobbying in Congressional Districts, more
pressure to initiate impeachment hearings, more
exposure to what the Iraqi people, suffering so
terribly, want, much more organized focus by the
retired, established military and civilian
officials whose previous courage and experience
give them great credibility today.

The number of active duty soldiers petitioning
their member of Congress to end the war now
exceeds twelve hundred. Since 72% of the soldiers
in Iraq wanted the U.S. out within six to twelve
months in a Zogby poll released very early in
2006, there is more potential from this source of
actual military theatre experience.

The timid, anti-war members of Congress require
more than all this opposition. Apparently they
are looking for intensity, for more people having
the war on their minds, demanding that the huge
monies for this overseas destruction be turned
into providing necessities for their communities.

These lawmakers seem to need to be buttonholed
whenever they return to their Districts. In
Washington, they keep saying things like, “Yeah,
I know the polls but Americans are more
interested in American Idol and their iPods.”

So, Americans, start the buttonhole movement - at
their Congress members’ town meetings, at the
clambakes they attend this summer, at the local
parades where they strut, over at their local
office (see the yellow pages listing under U.S.
Government for the addresses and phone numbers)
and through letters and telephone calls. You
count when you make them count you.

___________________

JamBoi: Jammy, The Sacred Cow Slayer
The Green Parties' #1 Blogger
http://dailyJam.blogspot.com

"To the brave belong all things"
Celt's invading Etrusca reply to nervous Romans around 400BC

"Live humbly, laugh often and love unconditionally" (anon)


 
____________________________________________________________________________________
TV dinner still cooling? 
Check out "Tonight's Picks" on Yahoo! TV.
http://tv.yahoo.com/