Excerpted from http://www.steveberen.com/809306.html
TRUE MOTIVES OF THE ANTIWAR MOVEMENT
Today's antiwar movement shares some important characteristics with the Vietnam era antiwar movement, but there are also some important differences.
Among the similarities:
(1) Despite starting out small in numbers, both movements grew to the point where they could - potentially - interfere with the military effort of the United States. They were successful in the Vietnam era - we cannot allow this to happen again.
(2) Communist, anarchist, and other far left groups are heavily involved in today's movement, as they were in the past. Today, the leftists are joined by militant extremist supporters of Arab nationalism.
(3) Dishonesty and exaggeration about U.S. aims and policies are promoted by today's movement, as in the Vietnam antiwar movement.
There are also some key differences:
(1) The antiwar movement of the 1960s and the 1970s tended to be opposed to both the Democrats (personified by President Lyndon Johnson) and the Republicans (personified by President Richard Nixon), but the current antiwar movement is highly partisan - and heavily in favor of the Democrats.
(2) Both Johnson and Nixon were usually on the defensive politically in relation to the protest movement - always trying to frame their views as "the best way to achieve peace." Today, however, President George W. Bush is unwavering and firm in his resolve. It was the antiwar candidate, Senator Kerry, who forced to (falsely) frame his opposition as "the best way win the war."
Even opponents of the war feel constrained to give lip service to "supporting our troops," because patriotism is growing, and the U.S. is not on the defensive as it was during the Vietnam period.
Today's antiwar movement said we could not win a war in the mountains of Afghanistan, and they said we could not win a war in the desert of Iraq.
They argue that terrorism is a borderless, nebulous concept; that it has always been a part of human history; that it will always exist; that it can never be defeated. They therefore feel that the war against Islamic fascist terrorism is a hopeless enterprise, "a war without end," a futile quagmire.
Their approach - pessimism, negativity, and anti-Americanism - brings us back to the true agenda of the radicals and extremists and anarchists involved in the antiwar movement: actual interference with the military effort of the United States.
Posted by BerenForCongress at November 16, 2007 10:57 AM | Email This