beterwas
honestly misbehaving
Archive for March, 2007
March 20, 2007 at 11:20 pm · Filed under Confound Authority, Finish Ahead, Raise The Debate
Continuing with my reflections on this past weekend’s March on the Pentagon, I focus my attention today on war protestors.
War protestors are difficult to pin down. It’s not that they are scattered in their focus – on the contrary, they are often very single-minded. This is particularly true when the war hits home, by endangering, or claiming, the life of a loved one.
No, what makes them tricky is that so many of them are opposed to abstract concepts, rather than specific realities.
First of all, any enlightened being must be opposed to war. The suffering created by violence, in the interest of economy, territory and/or ideology is itself intolerable. “Live and let live” means exactly that, and doesn’t really leave any wiggle room.
Then there are those opposed to the secondary issues of war, such as occupation, economic collapse and suppression of civil liberties (both abroad and at home).
For example, I hear many people complain about how Americans are not asked to make sacrifices for this war, when the simple fact is that they have – they just don’t realize it, because there is no dollar amount associated with things like habeas corpus, Miranda rights and torture.
There are also the “anti’s”. A reflection of their pro-war – any war – counterparts, they are simply anti-establishment. They are typically anarchic, disdain all authority, and war protests serve only to give them an outlet for their dissent. They don’t want to see the war end, they want to see the government end; and there’s no reasoning with them.
Finally, there are the practical objectors. They see any military operation that does not directly relate to true defense as a waste of lives, money and resources. Many of them believe, in fact, that such opertations are folly and ultimately weaken our defensibility. While this persepective doesn’t adequately regard the human cost of such conflicts, it does address a very real aspect of ill-conceived combat operations.
Moving beyond the idea of war, and into the theatre of Operation Iraqi/Enduring Freedom, we find people opposed to every aspect of this partcular war – even some you never knew existed.
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March 19, 2007 at 3:44 pm · Filed under Confound Authority, Finish Ahead, Raise The Debate
The March on the Pentagon, this past weekend, was a profound educational experience for me – and on a number of levels.
The most powerful thing I walked away with was a clearer picture of war supporters.
I don’t mean the average joe, casual, ‘I voted for Bush so I have to stand behind him’ Republicans; but rather the die hard, dedicated, ‘dissension equals treason’ war supporters.
I talk about the war in Iraq with a lot of people. Most are against it, but some are for it.
Of those, it’s hard to get many of them past the bumper sticker arguments and indignant insults; but every once in a while, someone will be open to the idea of a reasonable discussion.
Here’s the big three points I’ve taken from them:
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March 18, 2007 at 12:16 pm · Filed under Confound Authority, Finish Ahead, Raise The Debate
I’ve set up some photos of yesterday’s march. I’ll be writing more on the experience later.
View the photos here.
It was really a profound experience that I whole heartedly recommend.
March 17, 2007 at 10:48 am · Filed under Confound Authority, Finish Ahead, Raise The Debate
9:00 am - It’s cold. 30º and windy, but the rain/sleet/ice is all gone and it’s sunny and beautiful – so long as you’re inside looking out a window.
The local news is dominated by last night’s NCAA tournament. But the national news shows republicans preemptively disputing the protest. Madman McCain is in New Hampshire right now hyping the end of the world that will come about if we leave Iraq.
The protest begins in just a few hours. You still have time to get here.
10:43 am - I’m leaving the Hotel Harrington now. I tried the diner, Harriet’s, for breakfast. No. The people are nice enough, but the service sucks and the coffee is terrible.
12:00 pm - It is freezing cold and the wind is brutal. There was another event planned for today – a Gathering of Eagles – which appears to be a bunch of Vietnam vets/bikers protecting the monuments from destructive hippies and showing their support for the war.
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March 16, 2007 at 8:39 pm · Filed under Confound Authority, Finish Ahead, Raise The Debate
12:20 pm - I’m on my way to DC this weekend for the big anti-war protest.
I was supposed to take a bus, but UCF’s Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) were in charge of that, and well, they mean well.
Then the bus was replaced by a carpool; but again, SDS was in charge, so I’m on plane.
Air travel has become so utilitarian, flying domestically is not so different from taking a commuter train – except you bring whatever you like on a train, with or without a Ziploc bag.
Speaking of which, can someone explain to me how taking the toothpaste out of someone’s carry-on bag, putting it inside a ziploc bag, and then returning it to the carry-on is keeping us all safe?
I’m sure the procedure didn’t start out that way, so what was the original intent?
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March 8, 2007 at 12:41 pm · Filed under Musings
I’ve been sick for the past two weeks, coughing up loogies the size of egg yolks, losing my voice, sweating constantly. It’s been a blast!
Before that, my wife Stacy was sick.
And before that, William was sick.
The entire month of Febru-weary, our has been the house of “ewww.”
We seem to be coming out of it now, just in time for a week at the beach – just the thing I need to recharge my writing batteries.
