[Peace] Re: [Peace-discuss] Anti-War Billboard! U-C Friends Meeting seeks support

[Susan Parenti]

I don't agree, Carl. It's not a matter of critiquing the war, but of  
establishing a new connection between old news and new news: old  
news, the war in Iraq (terrorism is really old news; if you hear the  
sniggling in the airports from everyone when the loudspeaker  
announces, one more time, 'orange alert', you'd hear how that hand  
has been played out);  and new news, the recession.

The bill board makes the connection visual--this old war is not only  
old, it's currently costly--and the cost of things is the feeling at  
the moment, not the ideological fear of things. Everyone knows the  
feeling of spending too much when not enough is coming in; the first  
thing you do is cutback on what's not necessary. At the moment, I  
don't hear anyone being listened to with much interest, who is  
arguing for the necessity of the war on Iraq, potentially on Iran.  
The news about food shortages, about the housing slump, wall street  
slump, rising gas costs, is making people feel poor. I feel it myself  
these days,as I decide between the best mustard and the generic  
mustard. Generic, wins.
mustardly,
susan
On Apr 28, 2008, at 10:58 AM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:

> I continue to think this an unfortunate campaign.  Putting aside  
> the real question of the effect of the war on the American economy,  
> it is at best a matter of preaching to the converted: you find this  
> argument effective if and only if you already find something wrong  
> with the war.
>
> Consider what the reaction would be to such a campaign in the US  
> during the Second World War.  If you said the fight against Naziism  
> was costing too much, you would be condemned as someone putting a  
> price on freedom.
>
> We have to be imaginative enough to realize that defenders of the  
> current war hold a similar opinion.  If we can't convince them that  
> they're wrong about the character of the war, we won't convince  
> them with niggling complaints about the cost. --CGE
>
>
> Stuart Levy wrote:
>> This billboard:
>>    http://picasaweb.google.com/BarKes/NewAlbum423081210PM/photo
>> will be coming to the Champaign-Urbana region in May,
>> sponsored by the U-C Friends Meeting and American Friends' Service
>> Committee and supported by checks from  everyone who wants to see it
>> happen.  This will be up for 28 days at an unannounced location to be
>> chosen by the Adams Outdoor Advertising Co., which may be able to  
>> give
>> us more space as the summer goes on.
>> What we need is around $1550 as projected cost for several  
>> billboards.
>> $775 of that will get us the first one.
>> Please make out checks to "UC Friends' Meeting" and give
>> it to whoever is soliciting the check, OR mail the check to
>>     UC Friends' Meeting
>>     1904 E. Main St.
>>     Urbana, Il 61802
>> [Passing this message along from Barbara Kessel]
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>> ---
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