[Peace-discuss] The Nation betrayed

[David Green]

Mort, the angst to my anger is that in terms of political strategy, the antiwar left is going to have to realize that its allies are on the libertarian right, not on the so-called liberal left. This becomes more glaringly obvious when you look at the views of someone like Alterman regarding Israel/Palestine. If the purpose of a political journal is as a basis for organizing, then I'm really serious about making these distinctions clear. The record of people like Alterman and Todd Gitlin in the run-up to the Iraq War also makes it clear: they served primarily as leftist-bashers. The ideological distinctions I'm getting at are not fine ones. They're fundamental: principled egalitarianism and democracy on the one hand, unprincipled authoritarianism and elitism on the other. 

DG




________________________________
From: Morton K. Brussel <brussel at illinois.edu>
To: David Green <davegreen84 at yahoo.com>
Cc: C. G. Estabrook <galliher at illinois.edu>; Peace Discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
Sent: Mon, February 22, 2010 12:14:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] The Nation betrayed

It should perhaps occur to you that perhaps Naomi Klein and Jeremy Scahill (and others) continue to see the usefulness of The Nation, and that is why they write for it. They are not stupid. As for Cockburn, who knows what goes on in his strange head: He has his own publication, so why continue writing for The Nation?  Finally, instead of just lambasting Alterman, it would be more useful if you told why you consider him an idiot.  

I suggest you subscribe to the English editon of Le Monde Diplomatique. They need support. 

--mkb


On Feb 21, 2010, at 1:15 PM, David Green wrote:

After doing some research on the work and views of Eric Alterman this weekend, a regular Nation columnist, I've come to the view that people like Naomi Klein and Jeremy Scahill should (for good tactical reasons) seriously think about taking their work away from any possible association with this idiot. Hitchens was at least honest enough to become an official neocon. The Nation should not be supported or taken the least bit seriously on the Left, and I suspect Cockburn would rightly agree in spite of his association.
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>DG
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________________________________
From: C. G. Estabrook <galliher at illinois.edu>
>To: Peace-discuss List <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
>Sent: Sun, February 21, 2010 11:16:30 AM
>Subject: [Peace-discuss] The Nation betrayed
>
>The Nation magazine has moved steadily to "the center" from an earlier left-liberal position for some years now. They embraced neo-liberalism in the days of Bill Clinton (delicately referred to as a "DLC Democrat"), and some of us condemned them for doing it.
>
>But it keeps getting worse. As Doug Henwood of the excellent Left Business Observer points out, now not only has The Nation "given a column to the execrable Melissa Harris-Lacewell, they've cut Alexander Cockburn back to once a month ... These moves together have the net effect of moving the magazine to the right and reducing the quantity of stylish prose close to zero."
>
>With The Progressive joining the Israel Lobby in its condemnation of Norman Finkelstein, the current mode of official liberalism in the US continues on its regime-supporting way, providing only token opposition ("We have free speech!") as the Democrats (and the Republicans) move ever further right.  Toadies.
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>--CGE
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