Sunday, March 27, 2005

The Arrogance of an Empire's Anti-Warriors

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  1. Yikes, Mark, thanks for your comments. I was watching and all of a sudden I thought, “Whoa, did I sit on the remote and change the channel suddenly?” I think the rest of the panel was too stunned to say anything, but presumably they’re prepared for any kind of questions/statements from the audience, so I wish they had picked up on that. Especially Phyllis and/or Naomi.

    It’s the same old story. We shouldn’t be there and many soldiers don’t want to be there, but they should be as safe as possible while they ARE there. The Iraqis should just sit tight until the US decides to leave.” HellO! I understand that the guy, a former server in Iraq, thinks first of American military personnel, that’s natural. But perhaps he shouldn’t be on this kind of panel, if he can’t follow through on the implications of the war being illegal, immoral, and every other im-.

    I wonder what these folks would say, and there are many of them, to this response: “So, if the US were taken over and occupied, and a not-large-but-significant portion of the occupying troops did not agree with their nation’s actions, we should then stop resisting the occupation so as to protect them, the occupying troops?” Of course, the likelihood of the US being occupied is inconceivable to most Americans, so the “what if” would not compute.

    Thanks again, Catherine

    Posted by catherine from cleveland  on  03/27  at  02:04 PM

  2. Thanks, Mark. Although I did not see this event, based on what I’ve read here, I’d have to agree with you and Catherine. Resta’s comments demonstrate both the lack of historical context and the nationalist bias that permeate much of what passes for debate in 21st century America.

    Posted by Mickey Z. from  on  03/27  at  03:29 PM

  3. Naomi Klein also said she does not believe outsiders should support the “resistance” as a whole in Iraq. But I think she made the point that the resistance is a multi-layered movement that contains some elements who are doing worthwhile work, while others, such as those people who kidnapped Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, should be denounced because they, for example, supposedly don’t really care about the fortunes of the people of Fallujah, whatever that means.

    Posted by Mark Hand from  on  03/27  at  05:48 PM

  4. Why do large numbers of Americans so strongly profess to the slogan found on New Hampshire’s license plate: “Live Free or Die”; yet, become appalled when other nationalists do?

    I believe Mr. Resta himself stated that the war in Iraq was immoral.  So, based on that premise, shouldn’t any individual inclined toward nationalism (ie., insurgent, resister, etc) be allowed temporary use of New Hampshire’s license plate?

    Posted by Tim from Iowa City  on  03/27  at  07:26 PM

  5. illegal ilschmegal

    immoral imschmoral

    all is fair in love and war, from grinding Fallujah into the dirt to the beheadings.  It’s all fair.  It’s a new game, the old rules don’t apply.  War crimes?  No such thing.

    panel schmanel

    the people of Iraq should kow tow to the occupying imperial forces.

    Posted by MDPB from  on  03/28  at  09:42 AM

  6. Re: illegal ilschmegal

    Definite linguistic attributes of a sociopathic
    member of the Allgemeine-SS (circa 1939) -
    poor socialization skills coupled with borderline personality disorder would have made candidate
    especially well suited for assignment in one of
    three following “spec ops” units:

    Waffen-SS
    SS-Verfungstruppe
    SS-Totenkopfverbande

    Posted by tim from  on  03/28  at  10:58 AM

  7. when you’re dreaming of empire, you can’t bog yourself down with silly notions of what is right or wrong and other such nonsense.  It’s meaningless.

    The State uberalles and that means war.

    anything else is a bother.

    Freedom is Slavery.  No such thing as freedom, be a slave to the State.

    War is Peace.  No such thing as war, it’s peace all of the time.

    Ignorance is Strength. 

    serve your master and get back to work.  join the army.  stop your whining.  God bless America and to hell with everybody else.

    It’s the SSB

    Posted by MDPB from  on  03/28  at  12:00 PM

  8. You needn’t question authority, it is dangerous to be meddlesome.

    Now move along, and go along to get along.

    You have to, you have no choice.  This ‘freethinking’ business has got to come to an end.

    this is how it is.

    Posted by MDPB from  on  03/28  at  12:26 PM

  9. Arrogance is something that breeds a substantial amount of ethnocentrism, or in the case of governments, it spawns nationalism. People who are arrogant think they’re the greatest. Governments that are arrogant think their agenda is the greatest. An arrogant people governed by an arrogant government is a nation that promotes only, and perhaps believes in, one agenda. That causes conflict on the world stage, where people aren’t as homogeneous. When an arrogant nation promotes its ‘one’ agenda, it tends to make people mad, make people blow things up, it tends to cause conflict.

    Posted by Nathan Bennett from NC  on  03/28  at  01:10 PM

  10. Thanks Mark. Progressives mustn’t sit by in silence when such imperialist nonsense is mouthed. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was
    not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”

    Posted by kim from  on  03/28  at  05:44 PM

  11. In Buddhism, there are generally two schools of thought regarding awakening.  One school says that it happens progressively and over time through practice.  And another school says that it happens suddenly and all at once.

    Perhaps Mr. Resta’s awakening is of the progressive kind and needs encouragement instead of criticism.

    After all, having one eye open and one eye shut still puts him leagues ahead of his fellow warriors whose eyes are all shut.

    Posted by Nader Rider from  on  03/28  at  11:21 PM

  12. Mark Hand makes a valid and obvious point, namely, that a people under occupation have a right to resist the occupation.  This point all too often forgotten in the anti-war community.  Of course, one can---and should draw---a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate forms of resistance. 

    Remember that the greast illegitimancy and immorality is the occupation itself.  Further, the most important and widespread form of resistance in Iraq is non-violent.  It should be clear to anyone that no one likes being occupied, with the exception of few collaborators, Uncle Toms and Uncle Chalabis.  Some work with the occupation authorities because they have little choice and need to survive.

    Mark’s point is an important one. Commentators on Iraq and the U.S. should keep this in mind.  The real task is express solidarity with those under occupation.

    Posted by Abu Spinoza from  on  03/29  at  09:16 PM

  13. This is why we should challenge the use of the term “insurgency” to describe the “resistance”.  Unfortunately many on the left use the former over the latter and why the use of the word “insurgency” opens the door for a Resta-like reactionary response.

    By insisting on describing Iraq in a state of resistance diminishes any “moralistic” cover given to the soldiers that are in effect committing war crimes against the Iraqi people.

    WB

    Posted by Wilson Barber from  on  03/30  at  04:29 PM

  14. It is the US Congress that has the arrogance.  Too arrogant to make even a feeble attempt to justify their ‘moral clarity’.

    If they want moral clarification, they should encourage their children to enlist in the US armed forces to fight the war in Iraq.

    Those Congresscritters would find out in a quick hurry what is right and what is wrong.

    Their ineluctable conclusion would be to get out of Iraq.  If they had a lick of sense, that is what they would do.  However, since they are careening senselessly towards Armageddon, they’ll continue to do the stupidest thing possible, which is nothing.

    All of everything will war against all in the meantime.

    Continue to pay your taxes, so the US gov can be all it can be.

    Now Playing:  Iraq War, Unredacted

    Price of Admission:  Your son or daughter plus taxes.

    Get to work to pay for it all.  Whatsa Matta U?

    Posted by MDPB from  on  03/31  at  10:47 AM

  15. I couldn’t agree more with the previous statement, “If they want moral clarification, they (Congress) should encourage their children to enlist in the US armed forces to fight the war in Iraq.”

    Our Politicians exhalt the patriotism and morality of the Iraq war, yet not a member of their immediate or even extended families can be found serving in uniform.

    It’s safe to say that American politicians have become morally bankrupt in their rhetoric, and shameless cowards in their actions.

    All of which bodes ill for the Republic.

    Posted by Jon from Springfield, Ill  on  03/31  at  11:39 AM
    16. Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. {/if}

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