[Peace-discuss] Recruit a Republican Against the War in Afghanistan

Thu Sep 3 12:01:22 CDT 2009

Where are the Ron Paul Republicans? Are they putting pressure on
Republicans in Congress to vote against the war in Afghanistan? If
not, how can we encourage them to do so?

On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 12:56 PM, E. Wayne Johnson<ewj at pigs.ag> wrote:
> Why are some on this list seem to be so dead set against debate and
> discussion?
>
> It's as pointless for Democrats to keep pretending that Barack Obama or the
> Democrat party has Any intent of ending
> American Imperialism and Interventionism as it is for the Republicans to
> pretend that the "United States has a divine mandate
> to Police the World" or that "they hate us because we're Free" or that
> "We're making the World safe for Democracy" or
> "We're defending human rights" or any other such lies and subterfuge that
> form the pretext for War.
>
> Why not follow Cindy Sheehan's lead?
>
> "...after the Dems did regain the Congress, Nancy and Crew proceeded to hand
> George many blank war checks. In complete disgust, I resigned my membership
> in a party that was too craven to deserve my valuable support.
>
> Are you tired of being used and betrayed by Democrats, yet? Like Matt
> Gonzalez (a good SF politico) who ran a principled anti-corporate campaign
> as Ralph Nader’s running mate in 2008, asked: “What can the Democrats do to
> lose your support?” There’s always the health care “reform” that is not
> universal and keeps the insurance companies and HMO’s in the mix in
> something that should guarantee health for all and not wealth for a few. Or
> how about that torture thing? Turns out that Democrats may not have ordered
> it, but they are sure good about covering it up and protecting those who did
> order it. I am pretty sure that the rank and file Democrat does support
> single-payer health care and does not support torture.
>
> If you care about the fact that the illegal and immoral wars in Iraq,
> Afghanistan and now Pakistan are being fully prosecuted under a Democratic
> Legislative and Executive Branch tyranny, then there are just about 32
> Democrats who are worthy of supporting and 203 that must be sent packing in
> 2010.
>
> Although 30 out of an original 52 Democrats (joined by two more) stuck to
> their guns and voted twice against the war funding, and I honor their
> commitment to this, I would like to single out two for this memo: Dennis
> Kucinich (D-Oh) and Lynn Woolsey (D-Ca).
>
> I think 32 Democrats should leave the party now and form a Peace Caucus, but
> why am I singling out Dennis and Lynn? Well, I have spent considerable time
> with both of them in their home districts and in the District. I have
> marched beside them in peace marches and shared stages with them at rallies
> and teach-ins. Dennis and Lynn seem to have been leading the gutsy charge
> against the bill and Lynn especially showed remarkable back bone in opposing
> her Congressional next door neighbor and by all accounts in San Francisco
> and DC, one of the most vindictive woman in the country: Nancy Pelosi."
>
>
> On 9/3/2009 11:16 AM, Jenifer Cartwright wrote:
>
> Wayne,
> Do you seriously not get what folks are talking about re negativity on this
> list?? What is the point of yr post? Does it have any positive effect re
> ending the war in Afghanistan??
> This is the kind of stuff -- pointless and relentless criticism -- that's
> been driving folks away from AWARE.
>  --Jenifer
> --- On Thu, 9/3/09, E. Wayne Johnson <ewj at pigs.ag> wrote:
>
> From: E. Wayne Johnson <ewj at pigs.ag>
> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Recruit a Republican Against the War in
> Afghanistan
> To:
> Cc: "Peace-discuss List" <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
> Date: Thursday, September 3, 2009, 11:02 AM
>
> What people tend to forget is that the Democrat Party is the War Party.
> Maybe you should point out
> the cognitive dissonance of being Anti-War and a Democrat.
>
> "Democrats claim lead as War Party"
> http://tiny.cc/warparty
>
> "Historically, the Democratic Party has been the party of war in the United
> States, having actively maneuvered to involve the U.S. in the First World
> War, Second World War, Korea, and Vietnam in spite of considerable popular
> support for isolationism or nonintervention, particularly among Republicans.
> That continues to be the case in spite of the White House's unfortunate
> adoption of the neoconservative formula for world domination, which is
> derived from the neocons' Trotskyite and Straussian roots rather than from
> any genuine, conservative Republican tradition. "
> http://www.antiwar.com/orig/giraldi.php?articleid=10760
>
>
>
> On 9/3/2009 10:32 AM, Robert Naiman wrote:
>
> [I should point out here that Rep. Tim Johnson is spectacularly good
> on this issue. He was one of the seven House Republicans to vote for
> the McGovern amendment, and he also voted against the war supplemental
> - both when other Republicans were voting against it, and when they
> were voting in favor of it.]
>
> In an op-ed Tuesday in the Washington Post, conservative columnist
> George Will called for the U.S. to withdraw its troops from
> Afghanistan. Send George Will's op-ed to your representatives in
> Congress, and to every Republican you know. There's no plausible way
> to end support for this war in Congress without turning some more
> Republicans against it. And there's no law of the universe that says
> Republicans have to support endless war and occupation in Afghanistan.
> Many Republicans opposed the U.S. bombing of Yugoslavia in the Clinton
> adminstration. Come out, come out, anti-war Republicans. We need you
> now.
>
> http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/09/03-3
>
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/recruit-a-republican-agai_b_276183.html
>
> --
> Robert Naiman
> Just Foreign Policy
> www.justforeignpolicy.org
> naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
>
> Senator Feingold Calls for Timetable for U.S. Troop Withdrawal from
> Afghanistan
> http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/exit-afghanistan
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-- 
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org

Senator Feingold Calls for Timetable for U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/exit-afghanistan