[Peace-discuss] Kinzer: Surge Diplomacy, Not Troops, in Afghanistan

[C. G. Estabrook]

"Let a hundred flowers bloom, a thousand schools of thought contend," is an 
appropriate sentiment, it seems to me, however often it's subverted in practice.

The difference I think is whether we support or oppose our "leaders." Or, to put 
it another way, whether we have contempt for the majority of the populace, or 
"consider them [in Jefferson's words] as the most honest and safe, although not 
the most wise depositary of the public interests." --CGE


    "Both of our political parties, at least the honest portion of them, agree 
conscientiously in the same object: the public good; but they differ essentially 
in what they deem the means of promoting that good. One side believes it best 
done by one composition of the governing powers, the other by a different one. 
One fears most the ignorance of the people; the other the selfishness of rulers 
independent of them. Which is right, time and experience will prove. We think 
that one side of this experiment has been long enough tried and proved not to 
promote the good of the many, and that the other has not been fairly and 
sufficiently tried. Our opponents think the reverse. With whichever opinion the 
body of the nation concurs, that must prevail." --Thomas Jefferson to Abigail 
Adams, 1804


Neil Parthun wrote:
> As Capone used to say "A kind word and a gun gets you more than a kind 
> word alone."
> 
> Letting our Congress members and Senators know what we think via email, 
> calls, etc. is one way of letting them know.  Another is getting out 
> into the streets in protests.  Another being knocking on doors, talking 
> to people to promote a level of civil unrest a la 1968.  This is a time 
> where people can become easily radicalized through their experience.  
> 
> None of these tactics are mutually exclusive nor should they be.  Kind 
> words from progressives, leftists, socialists, etc. is not going to get 
> the job done and we know that.  It is going to take agitation and levels 
> of solidarity that I don't know are possible right now -- but could be 
> built in this country.  I don't think, Carl, that anybody is suggesting 
> that we just ask Obama nicely and be done with it.  We put just as much 
> pressure on him as we'd put on anybody to do the damn socially just 
> things that a President should be doing -- by ending the criminal wars 
> in the Middle East, et al. -- while asking him to end the wars via 
> traditional means as well.
> 
> Live without dead time,
>      Neil
> 
>  With the people, for the people, by the people. I crack up when I hear 
> it; I say, with the handful, for the handful, by the handful because 
> that's what really happens.
> [fannie lou hamer, 1917-1977]
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Peace-discuss mailing list
> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace-discuss