[Peace-discuss] WaPo: Liberals, Dems, Women Abandon Afghan War

[Ricky Baldwin]

Thanks for this, Bob.

I think this is good evidence that the oft-repeated (here and elsewhere) assertion that the anti-war movement has been totally "coopted" or "destroyed" and "liberals" have been suckered in is off the mark.

There is definitely a decline, nationwide, in turnout at anti-war events, but I think it's more complex than it might appear.  Some are fooled, sure.  A big part of the anti-war movement leading up to the Iraq invasion (I felt at the time) was mistrust of Bush partly related to the election, etc., temporarily overridden by the events of 9/11/01 - for many, that is.  (It was easy to be confused about what to think or do in those days, which speaks to the importance of AWARE and others who spoke out.)  

Another big part was of course the different circumstances around the Iraq invasion vs the Afghan invasion.  I talked to a number of fellow protesters on those famous Saturdays on Prospect when we had 300-plus every single week for weeks on end, who told me: "I supported the attack on Afghanistan, but this is crazy," or words to that effect.  This comes into play now, too, I think.  True, the US is still not out of Iraq, and in reality may not be on its way out at all, but the focus has shifted to "AfPak" - which people have felt differently about, at least until now - and there is or has been a feeling or a hope that Obama would get us out of Iraq if not "AfPak" (a lesser version of the snookering, perhaps, that has become such a commonplace argument here).

It's also true of course that Bush's rhetoric alone excited rightwing support and even centrist condemnation, while Obama's feelgood stuff works on a much broader audience, as far as the talk goes.

Well, that's all my speculation, but I do want to point out one more fact.  We noticed a dramatic dropoff a couple weeks after the invasion of Iraq, too, in fact much more dramatic than the dropoff since January.  Locally our numbers at protests went from over 300 every week to 30-40 once a month within a matter of weeks after the invasion.  That's worse than decimation by my count.  Why?

Was the anti-war movement coopted?  Were liberals suckered in?  I hardly think so.  (And while we're at it, where were conservatives then, in numbers?  Tea parties?  Town hall meetings?)  Nope, people were pretty clear if you asked them.  They didn't see what good it would do; they had their lives to return to; they'd be back when it was useful; and so on.

I think they turned out at the polls to do what they could.  Now it's hard for folks to tell what to do, or what they are willing to do - after EIGHT SOLID YEARS OF WAR, let's don't forget.  They're tired.  I'm tired.  We have all tolerated one another for a long time, and many of us just don't want to sit through endless pointless painful meetings any more, unless it's for some good specific purpose.  I don't think we're ready to forget about people whose lives are much harder than ours by a long shot, victims of US foreign policy etc., not at all.  We wouldn't be who we are if we could do that.

But the question, I believe, is not our moral staying power.  It's how to be most effective at organizing, that is not just planning events or expressing opinions but mobilizing people.  What can we do that would best 'demonstrate' opposition to these endless wars? 

I'll post my suggestions separately.

Ricky



"Speak your mind even if your voice shakes." - Maggie Kuhn

--- On Wed, 8/19/09, Robert Naiman <naiman.uiuc at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Robert Naiman <naiman.uiuc at gmail.com>
Subject: [Peace-discuss] WaPo: Liberals, Dems, Women Abandon Afghan War
To: "Peace-discuss List" <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2009, 5:19 PM

Among liberals, his rating on handling the war, which he calls one of
"necessity," has fallen swiftly, with strong approval cratering by 20
points. Nearly two-thirds of liberals stand against a troop increase,
as do about six in 10 Democrats.
…
Beyond ideological and partisan divisions on the war, women have
shifted against the war more sharply than men and are far more apt to
say troop levels should be decreased (51 percent) than are men (38
percent). Nearly six in 10 women say the war was not worth fighting,
up from just under half last month.

Majority in Post-ABC Poll Say Afghan War Not Worth Fighting
Few Express Confidence in Lasting Results From Thursday's Election
Jennifer Agiesta and Jon Cohen, Washington Post, Wednesday, August 19,
2009 4:58 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/19/AR2009081903066.html

A majority of Americans now see the war in Afghanistan as not worth
fighting and just a quarter say more U.S. troops should be sent to the
country, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
…
The new poll comes amid widespread speculation that the top U.S.
commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, will request
more troops for his stepped-up effort to root the Taliban from Afghan
towns and villages. That is a position that gets the backing of 24
percent of those polled, while nearly twice as many, 45 percent, want
to decrease the number of military forces there. (Most of the
remainder say to keep the level about the same.)

In January, before President Obama authorized sending an additional
17,000 troops to the country, public sentiment tilted more strongly
toward a troop increase.

Should President Obama embrace his general's call for even more U.S.
military forces, he risks alienating some of his staunchest supporters
While 60 percent of all Americans approve of how Obama has handled the
situation in Afghanistan, his ratings among liberals have slipped and
majorities of liberals and Democrats alike now, for the first time,
solidly oppose the war and are calling for a reduction in troops.

Overall, seven in 10 Democrats say the war has not been worth its
costs, and fewer than one in five support an increase in troop levels.
Nearly two-thirds of the most committed Democrats now feel "strongly"
that the war was not worth fighting. Among moderate and conservative
Democrats, a slim majority say the United States is losing in
Afghanistan.
…
Among all adults, 51 percent now say the war is not worth fighting, up
six points since last month and four points above the previous high,
reached in February. Less than half, 47 percent, say the war is worth
its costs. Those strongly opposed (41 percent) outweigh strong
proponents (31 percent).
…
Among liberals, his rating on handling the war, which he calls one of
"necessity," has fallen swiftly, with strong approval cratering by 20
points. Nearly two-thirds of liberals stand against a troop increase,
as do about six in 10 Democrats.
…
Beyond ideological and partisan divisions on the war, women have
shifted against the war more sharply than men and are far more apt to
say troop levels should be decreased (51 percent) than are men (38
percent). Nearly six in 10 women say the war was not worth fighting,
up from just under half last month.


--
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
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