[Peace-discuss] War and civility

[C. G. Estabrook]

My objection to the urging of civility is that it is a hidden
way of establishing another limit to allowable debate, a way
covertly to establish some positions as unassailable, because
to criticize them is declared uncivil.

Obviously the assertion that black politicians must be treated
differently from white politicians (specifically, that their
pro-war positions must be indulged) isn't racist in the same
sense (nor so serious) as, say, the anti-Semitic propaganda
with which the Bush administration defends its War on Terror.
It is nevertheless an error that damages the anti-war
movement (as it seems to me Cindy Sheehan makes clear), and it
has its roots in an identity politics that's been the bane of
the Left for a generation.  --CGE


---- Original message ----
>Date: Thu, 09 Feb 2006 13:25:28 -0600
>From: Bob Illyes <illyes at uiuc.edu>  
>Subject: [Peace-discuss] War and civility  
>To: peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
>
>You and I are definitely on opposite sides on this matter,
>Carl, but I guess that is already pretty evident. A friend
>recently pointed out that AWARE seemed to be divided not just
>with regard to war vs. other matters, but on the subject of
>war itself. This is the case, in my opinion. Some of us see
>war as first a personal matter, and try to live peace as
>their first priority. Others see war as such an emergency that
>it transcends personal considerations and must be fought with
>all available tools. Even this description is probably too
>simple to encompass us all. At least we are all able to agree
>that war is bad.....
>
> From my point of view, calling Al's position "racist" is bring
>war into an antiwar group. From your point of view, it is a
>matter of simple honesty. I claim that we can't stop war if
>we aren't willing to make peace, starting with each other. You
>claim (pardon me if my paraphrase is too crude) that it takes
>something like war to stop war. Kathy Kelly claims that peace
>making is as dangerous as war making. I have my doubts about
>this, although I grant their are cases where she is correct.
>
>Bob
>
>
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