Month: October 2001

I get a lot of letters, in such volume that I can’t possibly answer all or even most of them: but occasionally one arrives that strikes at the very heart of an issue, and sets me to thinking – like this thoughtful and heartfelt missive from Alan Lewis, published in today’s “Backtalk.” I deal with … Continue reading “THE MUSHARRAF SOLUTION”

I can understand a libertarian deciding that the war we are in is virtually inevitable, and that to argue against any kind of retaliation in the wake of the terrorist destruction of September 11 is fairly fruitless right now. I can understand a decision to pick and choose one’s propaganda targets of opportunity as the … Continue reading “Wartime Resignation or Endorsement?”

Americans have been sold a fantasy by their government and by the "experts" on television. The fantasy is that our government will flex its muscles overseas, make demands, kill a lot of people, demonstrate that we don’t tolerate terrorism, "bring the terrorists to justice," and end terrorism forever. But for decades, our government has been … Continue reading “Do We Choose Death or Peace?”

Dennis Ross, former envoy to the Middle East in the Clinton administration and in Arab eyes an incarnation of the blind American support for Israel, has published a column in the New York Times entitled “Bin Laden’s Terrorism Isn’t About the Palestinians.” Ross writes: “In 1990, Saddam Hussein claimed that he had invaded Kuwait to … Continue reading “Who Cares About the Palestinians?”

I went to a peace rally the other day, and, I’ll tell ya, it was almost enough to turn me into a warmonger. The event, which took place in San Francisco’s Dolores Park, and was organized by the “International A.N.S.W.E.R.” (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) coalition – a front group for the … Continue reading “THE PEACENIKS”

What Bush Said "How do I respond when I see that in some Islamic countries there is vitriolic hatred for America? I’ll tell you how I respond: I’m amazed. I’m amazed that there’s such misunderstanding of what our country is about that people would hate us. I am – like most Americans, I just can’t … Continue reading “What Bush Should Have Said”

The campaign to link Iraq to the 9/11 attack, never all that convincing to begin with, reached new heights of implausibility with Bill Buckley weighing in on the subject. Alas, the former enfant terrible of the conservative movement – and the hero of my youth – has certainly seen better days. His prose – once … Continue reading “A SAUDI-9/11 CONNECTION?”

I am one of many deeply conflicted ex-activists who worked to stop the war on Vietnam but isn’t (at least as of October 10) quite sure how to act in the current situation. Let’s get the bona fides out of the way first. In the 1960s and early-1970s, I was involved majorly in the anti-war … Continue reading “A Conflicted Activist Speaks Out”

A recent interchange between the odious Gen. Wesley Clark – now a CNN news "analyst" – and a member of the "Talk Back Live" audience underscores the danger inherent in Operation Enduring Freedom. A man who identified himself as having formerly served under the General asked "What about an exit strategy? I haven’t heard anyone … Continue reading “THE ANTHRAX WAR”

With the launching of cruise missiles and bombs the war is truly on. It would be prudent to take American leaders at their word that this is likely to be a protracted conflict – think Cold War rather than Gulf War – if only because war is the health of the state and a protracted … Continue reading “Building A Peace Movement In Wartime”