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

[Ricky Baldwin]

The really interesting thing about this article, I
think, is that although the general framework of the
article is the specious suggestion that the anti-war
movement is unpopular and "limited" by massive public
support for the war, the only evidence presented
flatly contradicts this claim.

"According to a February 8-9 poll by FoxNews," it
says, "46 percent believe getting involved in the war
was a good idea, compared to 49 percent who did not."

So MORE people think the war was a bad idea, for
whatever reasons, than not.  Yet the article goes on
to claim that "that trend" (which trend? that most
people think the war was a mistake?) was made more
"acute" by the (alleged and highly disputable)
"success of the January 30 election".

It claims repeatedly that most people still think US
troops should remain in Iraq, but never cites any
polls for this, much less a margin of error.  It's
interesting because this is a major argument of the
article, upon which the supposed "limits" of the
anti-war movement supposedly hinge.  In fact, without
this piece, the main theme of the article -- that the
anti-war movement has been forced to regroup following
significant failure to persuade people -- collapses
entirely.

In this light, its other claims seem even more
ridiculous, e.g. "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."  

Even if we didn't already know this to be crass
make-believe, they can't even find anybody to SAY it? 
They just have to state it in the text of the article,
without attribution or evidence or referent of any
kind?  As part of a rather faith-based argument to
begin with, it seems to stick out even more.

Are the warmongers really this desperate?  I'm a
little surprised at AFP.

Ricky
--- Chuck Minne <mincam2 at yahoo.com> 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). 
> 
> AFP/Getty Images/File Photo 
> 
>  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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