[Peace-discuss] The US anti-war movement is looking for ways to revive itself

Wed Feb 23 21:48:02 CST 2005

The administration and its media cohorts has somewhat successfully 
manipulated the public. Those against the occupation and war will 
continue to demanipulate it. There was a lot of energy in evidence at 
the UFPJ meeting.

mkb

On Feb 23, 2005, at 9:25 PM, Chuck Minne wrote:

> US anti-war movement looking for second wind
>
>
>
> Wed Feb 23,11:55 AM ET
>
>
> NEW YORK (AFP) - The US anti-war movement is looking for ways to 
> revive itself, following President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s 
> reelection and in the face of divided public opinion, to see US troops 
> out of Iraq (news - web sites).
>
>  <thumb.sge.net22.230205165318.photo00.photo.default-388x264.jpg>
> AFP/Getty Images/File Photo
>
>
>
> <postiraq_158x38.jpg>
> Latest headlines:
>
> ·
> Court: Closure of Soldier Hearing Illegal
> AP - 20 minutes ago
>
> ·
> Blair's office had hand in legal advice in run-up to Iraq war
> AFP - 40 minutes ago
>
> ·
> UN Oil-For-Food Chief Wants Time to Answer Charges
> Reuters - 41 minutes ago
>
> Special Coverage
>
>  
>
>
> Some 500 representatives of pacifist organizations, former combatants, 
> soldiers' families, as well as actor and activist Danny Glover (news), 
> met last weekend in Saint Louis, Missouri, for the first time since 
> the start of Bush's second term, seeking a united strategy for their 
> efforts.
>
>  "United For Peace and Justice" the name of the coalition seeking to 
> set its strategy in the coming months, organized the big February 2003 
> and August 2004 marches in New York, and said demos will be held on 
> March 19 -- the second anniversary of the launch of the US war in 
> Iraq.
>
>  In Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to the Fort Bragg military 
> base, the demos will be organized by former soldiers and relatives of 
> military. UFPJ also aims to get people together for a May 1 gathering 
> in Central Park, New York, permit allowing.
>
>  "This conference is partly to strengthen the networks that exist, to 
> solidify our coalition and also to look ahead to March 19, that 
> weekend, the second anniversary of the war, and there is a new resolve 
> to bring this occupation to an end," said Bill Dobbs, coalition 
> spokesman.
>
>  "The peace movement in this country expanded dramatically in the last 
> two years," he continues.
>
>  A "sign of continued vitality" is that "so many hundreds of people 
> have come to St Louis, in the heartland this weekend."
>
>  And while the group will limit its protests to the Iraq situation, 
> "certainly we would respond if there was an invasion of Iran," Dobbs 
> adds.
>
>  "But in the near period, people certainly want to focus on Bush's 
> vulnerabilities and do everything possible to end the occupation."
>
>  Most Americans believe that US troops should now remain in Iraq and 
> finish their work, though many are critical of the war itself. 
> According to a February 8-9 poll by FoxNews, 46 percent believe 
> getting involved in the war was a good idea, compared to 49 percent 
> who did not.
>
>  The success of the January 30 election served only to make that trend 
> more acute.
>
>  "People came away somewhat more optimistic about the prospects for 
> democracy" in the wake of the vote, said Scott Keeter, research 
> director at the Pew Institute.
>
>  "We also don't see a significant number of people at this time who 
> believe the US should withdraw from Iraq.
>
>  "Given that the polls are still showing that a majority of the public 
> -- although only small majorities -- says we should stay there until a 
> stable government is established, there really isn't a lot of room for 
> a significant anti-war movement," he says.
>
>  But because people do not generally at present view the war as "both 
> a mistake and unwinnable", "the potential size of the movement is 
> limited at present," Keeter said.
>
>  Keeter does not see a resemblance with the Vietnam war.
>
>  "The number of American casualties (in Vietnam) really dwarfed the 
> number of American casualties we are experiencing now,"
>
>   
>
>
> The anti-war movement reserves its arguments to the unpredictable 
> human and financial cost of the Iraqi war, recruiting problems, and 
> also counts on some weighty spokesmen and women.
>
>  "Gold Star Families for Peace" formed recently, comprising 50 
> families of some 1,450 affected by the loss of a loved one in Iraq, to 
> weigh in on the debate.
>
>  "Our challenge is always to try bring more people working against the 
> occupation," said Dobbs.
>
>  "One of the thrilling things about being in Saint-Louis is helping to 
> energize the groups right here and also in the whole region, and there 
> are a lot of young people here who give us a lot of hope that there is 
> somebody to pass the torch to."
>
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