Where Is the Antiwar Left on Afghanistan?

[Karmadillo]

The article was written by a Republican, but she makes a good point. Where is the antiwar left on Afghanistan? Was all that protest the past several years just about the Republicans? A recent poll showed over half of Americans don't think the war is worth the cost. Seems like fertile ground for building a movement against this criminal war of empire.

http://politics.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/mary-kate-cary/2010/07/12/where-is-the-anti-war-left-on-Afghanistan.html

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Later, as a White House staffer, I remember hundreds of protesters outside the Bush 41 White House, a permanent presence across the street in Lafayette Square. Many times the drums were so loud it was hard to concentrate, and it seemed every presidential appearance outside the White House involved protesters. The antiwar crowd continued to protest our actions in Panama, and then later, in the first Persian Gulf War. During the Bush 43 administration, it seemed to get worse. Cindy Sheehan, the mother of Army specialist Casey Sheehan, who was killed on duty in Iraq, personally followed President Bush in a high-profile war protest for what seemed like years and then wrote a book about it. It felt like every time you turned on the TV, there was Cindy Sheehan.

So as more and more Americans focus on our nation's escalating involvement in Afghanistan, I've noticed something is missing: Where is the antiwar left? Where are the protesters? Specifically, where is Cindy Sheehan?

Well, it turns out she's writing a blog these days, and apparently she's still protesting but nobody cares. No press following her, no talk shows, no crowds at her appearances. Her latest post on July 9 includes a “Requiem for the Anti-War Movement,” in which she writes: "Remember that old saying, 'What if they gave a war and nobody came?' Well, here in D.C. I am living the opposite: 'What if they gave an anti-war protest and nobody came?'" She's on to something. Despite the fact that President Obama has tripled our troop presence in Afghanistan and the Democratic Congress approved $33 billion more for what is now America's longest-running war, there's been an eerie silence from the left--no "die-ins," no beating drums, no anti-Obama protestors dressed in skeleton costumes. No one protesting the president's every appearance.

Maybe the antiwar left only protests when Republican presidents are in office. Maybe it's not about Barack Obama and the Democratic Congress, it was only about George Bush. Maybe for the antiwar left, it's not about pacifism or soldiers' lives or even what's in our national interest. Maybe it's just about Republicans.

[arcane1]

1. There was a nice protest in San Francisco a few months ago

Though it wasn't as huge as others I'd attended. Still, it was nice to see :)

[David__77]

2. Only a few of us anti-imperialists.

There IS a movement opposed to the war against Afghanistan. But it is not centered on the Democratic Party, and is largely confined to what most would call the "far left."

[L0oniX]

19. Our government is drinking up the blood of the innocent for money.

[Catherina]

3. Rec'd. Still 0 but recommended. She spoke the truth

Where is the antiwar movement?

No principles. It's sickening.

[Karmadillo]

4. After all, the Democratic administration escalated the war. One would think that would inspire

greater participation. As the American people grow increasingly unsupportive of the war, the antiwar movement grows increasingly silent. Weird. I think of the number of posts Cindy Sheehan threads used to generate here. Now, next to nothing. How can she have mattered when she was opposing the Bush administration on Afghanistan but not matter when she's opposing the Obama administratino on the very same war (albeit a bigger one, now)?

[earth mom]

5. Some of us are still here....

but many that have been fooled by the utterly fake "hope & change" they were sold.

[Smashcut]

6. Apparently a few of us were only antiwar when a Republican was at the controls

Now that we have a "smarter strategy" to "win" that's been put into action by a Democrat, they're just fine with staying the course.

[frylock]

7. i've been asking the same thing for a year now..

where are the fucking rallies now that the dems own the wars?

[Cant trust em]

8. I think it has more to do with burn out than letting up.

Not to say that there are some people on the left that have let Obama slide, but I think it's tough to keep going to rallies in opposition to a 9 year old way.

[mike_c]

9. I don't get it either....

One would think the opposition would be organized and vocal. It's not. And it's marginalized further by the press. :shrug:

[elocs]

10. Say what you will about Boomers, but they sure knew how to protest a war

and it didn't make any difference if the President was a Democrat or Republican.

[sufrommich]

11. If there was a draft, we would have the same thing today.

That makes a huge difference.

[elocs]

12. Yes, there is no draft today. How do you prove a negative?

There is no way to definitively prove that the protests against the Vietnam War would be as anemic as those against our current wars even if there was no draft at the time.

[sufrommich]

13. You don't think volunteering to go to war and being

drafted to go to war would make a difference? Compare the size of the Viet Nam war protests before the draft and after the draft.

[elocs]

14. Yes, it is intuitive, but it cannot be proven.

How about civil rights protests, what might a draft have to do with them? Yet the young people at that time got out and protested for that also. A draft cannot explain that away.

[branders seine]

15. we're all too fucking retarded to protest.

[FiveGoodMen]

16. All chanting, "It's not wrong when WE do it!"

[JoeyT]

17. Some are still raising hell.

I'm guessing quite a few just can't afford the gas money to get to the protests. That's why none of the ones I know personally are out there marching and waving signs. They're broke and too worried about finding a job so they can have a place to live and food to eat.

[LWolf]

18. Where I've always been: opposed to it. nt

[rug]

20. They went to GDP after December 1.

[gratuitous]

21. Same place we've always been

Why aren't we getting any coverage? That might be a more pertinent question. And, speaking of fair weather folks, where are the Republican deficit hawks on the ongoing waste of tax dollars for two hopeless occupations? Seems they only want to cut the budget for things that help out U.S. citizens, not their fat cat campaign contributors.

[w8liftinglady]

22. um...here I am!

my latest ltte-makes almost 200 anti-war I've had published-these guys were all listed online in multiple resources...
(the title is the editor's...not mine)
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2010/07/09/opinion/doc4c35ebdc28fe4864408558.txt

LETTER: ‘War on Terror’
Published: Thursday, July 8, 2010 11:10 AM CDT
To the Editor,

As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan enter their 10th year, we — as a nation — have gone on. There is a whole new generation who will not know the sacrifice and tragedy our troops have endured while the “leaders” still try to come up with a good reason to remain there (outside of the profit they stand to make by remaining). As a small tribute to the nameless soldiers and Marines on the ground, here is the background of a few.

Air Force tech Sgt. Adam Ginnett died Jan. 19, 2010, near Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device. Sgt. Ginnett had served three tours in Iraq and two tours in Afghanistan. He told his mom, “I don’t go out there on the battlefield with a gun and shoot anybody. I find these bombs that are going to take someone else’s life. I’m saving people’s lives, not taking them.”

Sgt. Daniel Angus, 28, of Thonotosassa, Fla., was killed in combat while deployed on his third tour of duty in the Middle East in the Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Sgt. Angus loved spending time with his family, hunting, fishing and mudding. He is survived by his loving family, wife Bonnie; daughter, Kaitlyn Marie.

Sgt. Lucas Beachnaw with the 173rd Airborne Infantry, had been killed Jan 13, 2010 in Afghanistan in small arms fire. Sgt. Beachnaw was married right before he left for his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. The last chat he had with his dad, the day before he was killed, involved the daily rigors of Army training school, deer hunting and sending him a care package of venison summer sausage and jerky.

These guys were from different places with different interests, but they all had a dedication to their nation, their families and their military buddies. We have lost 212 troops in Afghanistan so far this year. How many more need to die before our leaders decide we have been there long enough?

Write your Congressmembers and encourage true action in ending these senseless wars.

Elizabeth Dawson,

Red Oak