[Peace-discuss] Policing the debate

[C. G. Estabrook]

Frank Rich has a disgusting piece in the NYT today, and attempt to establish the 
limits of allowable debate for Obama's Great Decision on Afghanistan.

What are the (only) alternatives?  McChrystal or Biden.  God help us. 
McChrystal -- tens of thousands more US troops; Biden -- air war against our 
real enemy in the region, Pakistan.

On the way, Rich makes the liberal's favorite move about Vietnam.  He contends, 
quite ahistorically, that it was Johnson who "Americanized" that war.  Kennedy 
was conflicted and innocent.  that's hogwash, as anyone who  wants to look at 
the historical record will conclude.  The invasion of South Vietnam (where the 
war was fought) occurred in 1962, while Kennedy was alive.

The point of the piece is to delegitimatize the only non-criminal path for the 
US, the withdrawal of its troops (and mercenaries, corporations, etc.) from the 
region.

	"Invading armies have no rights, only responsibilities. Among them are
the responsibility to pay reparations for their crimes, and to hold the guilty 
accountable.  A crucial responsibility is to pay careful attention to the will 
of the victims.  The decision to withdraw does not lie in the hands of the 
invaders. That should be elementary."  --Noam Chomsky