As Iraq expert Phyllis Bennis points out, the presence of US troops is a cause of the violence, and foreign terrorists operate now within an umbrella of popular resistance to occupation that would afford them less protection if US troops departed.
There are basically two options. 1) We can withdraw our troops in a prompt and orderly fashion, as we negotiate with Iraqi factions (including insurgents) and hand over diplomacy and peace-keeping to regional organizations and allies �" while providing massive humanitarian/reconstruction aid to Iraq's people. Or 2) as in Vietnam, we can wait years to withdraw our troops, probably in a less orderly fashion, after more chaos and bloodshed.
Yes, Democrats need to be strong on foreign policy-- and even more important, smart. Prolonging the occupation of Iraq squanders lives, depletes our resources, and undermines our reputation and national security. Dodging such a huge issue does not project strength. It projects weakness and deceptiveness.
With Republicans in meltdown mode, Democratic evasions may work in this election. The numbers may even suggest a landslide. But only activism aimed at winning a majority of Americans to a positive agenda for change will produce the political landslide our country needs. Let that campaign begin on November 8.
Jeff Cohen is the founding director of the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College. He founded the media watch group FAIR in 1986.
For years he was an on-air pundit on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC-- as well as senior producer of MSNBC's primetime Donahue show, until it was terminated three weeks before the Iraq war. This is adapted from his new book, Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media.
I totally agree that "Democrats need a progressive compact with America emphasizing national health insurance, just taxation, living wages, jobs-producing energy programs, trade policies that protect incomes and the environment." Except that even this statement leaves out so much. What about illegal immigration? Will victorious Dems do anything effective, or will union views prevail, so that nothing stems the tide of wage-reducing illegal immigrants? What about getting corrupting money out of campaigning, like through a Clean Money/Clean Elections federal law? What about getting ear-mark pork spending out of congress? There are so many ways to rationalize lesser-evil voting for Dems this year. If the Dems have not provided the public a positive agenda for change BEFORE the election, why should we think it will come after the election?
by
Joel S. Hirschhorn (133 articles, 37 quicklinks, 60 diaries, 533 comments)
on Saturday, October 28, 2006 at 9:38:54 AM
1 comments
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